Cultivating Immortality from the Book of Life and Death

Chapter 239 Entering the Temple.

Seeing this, Zheng Que frowned. During the day, they and the disciple from Xuanyuan Pavilion had gone in completely opposite directions, but now they had arrived at Wanshan Temple at the same time!

At the same moment, Zhang Guitu, standing beside him, also changed his expression, muttering in disbelief, "How is this possible?!"

"One mission, and you encounter three 'strange' things at the same time??"

"How could I be so unlucky!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Que snapped out of his daze and immediately looked behind him.

The line of people and vehicles behind them, with flags waving, had all come to a stop.

However, due to the distance, many of the monks in the convoy behind were unaware that they had encountered Wanshan Temple and were peeking out from between the vehicles, trying to find out the reason for the stop.

At this moment, the gate of Wanshan Temple suddenly opened, and a strong, eerie wind, mixed with the musty smell of decay, rushed out of the temple, swirled quickly at the entrance, and then slowly dissipated.

Outside the mountain gate, the temperature suddenly dropped significantly, and the surroundings became extremely cold and silent.

The mountains and fields, which were originally filled with the sounds of nature, are now so quiet you could hear a pin drop; even the chirping of birds and insects has vanished without a trace.

click, click, click...

In the dead silence, Zhang Guitu walked towards the front of the "A" shaped vehicle without hesitation.

Seeing this, Zheng Que immediately understood that Zhang Guitu was probably going to find Senior Lu Maohong to inquire about the situation of Wanshan Temple. Without hesitation, he followed behind.

The two, one after the other, quickly arrived in front of the "A" shaped vehicle. In front of the tall corpse puppet, Lu Maohong, Shentu Jinghai, and Yu Zhongyin were already there, all three of them staring at the Taoist temple plaque with grim faces.

Zheng Que had just stood still when a series of chaotic footsteps came from behind him. It was Feng Jian and the other cultivators responsible for guarding the "A" class vehicle. They all gathered around with different expressions.

Seeing this, Lu Maohong turned around and glanced at the crowd, especially at Zheng Que, before speaking in a deep voice: "Keep your minds focused and don't be misled!"

"If you can stay outside, don't go inside!"

confuse?

Upon hearing this, Zheng Que was puzzled. Just as he was about to respond, he saw Zhang Guitu beside him walk straight to the entrance of the Taoist temple without stopping. Then he turned around, his gaze sweeping over Lu Maohong and his group, as well as Chen Zhentao, who had already straightened his robes. He said in a cold voice, "Wanshan Temple is a place of quiet cultivation, not connected with the mortal world."

"What brings you all from so far away?"

what?
Zheng Que stared blankly at Zhang Guitu, not knowing what the other was up to.
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zhentao stepped forward, holding the maple branch upside down, and bowed. He said casually, "I am Chen Zhentao. I have come to your esteemed temple to ask for a fortune stick."

"Please do me a favor, Taoist priest."

Zhang Guitu listened and nodded slightly, then looked at Lu Maohong and his group and asked, "Are you all here to draw lots as well?"

Lu Maohong, who had just told Zheng Que and the others not to be misled, immediately replied inexplicably, "I apologize for disturbing your temple's quiet cultivation, Daoist Master."

"It is getting late, and the mountain path is rugged and difficult to traverse. We have come here to ask for lodging."

As soon as he said this, Lu Maohong felt something was wrong, but his mind was completely blank, and he couldn't figure out what was wrong no matter how hard he tried.
Zhang Guitu nodded slightly and spoke again, "After nightfall, the mountains are full of ghosts and demons. Although we are a place of quiet cultivation and do not concern ourselves with worldly affairs, since you have come to us for help, it is fate, and we will not stand idly by."

"Come in, everyone!"

“There are still some places in the temple where carriages and horses can stop.”

With that, he turned around and stepped over the threshold, going inside.

Seeing this, Chen Zhentao did not hesitate at all and followed him into the temple.

At this moment, Lu Maohong shook his head as if waking from a dream, and immediately invited everyone to enter the temple, as if he had really come to Wanshan Temple to stay overnight.

The group of cultivators didn't think anything was wrong and followed suit, controlling the corpse puppets to pull the vehicles and file into the Taoist temple.

Gaa...gaa...gaa...

From the woods beside the road, the chirping of various birds and the buzzing of unknown insects filled the air once more, as if everything had returned to normal. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the entire caravan surged towards the Wanshan Temple, except for Zheng Que, who remained standing still with two ghost servants.

Zheng Que frowned. Just a moment ago, Zhang Guitu was complaining about how unlucky he was, but the next moment he was helping Wan Shanguan and greeting their caravan and Chen Zhentao.
Furthermore, Lu Maohong had just reminded himself not to be misled and to avoid entering the temple if possible, yet in the blink of an eye, he was leading the way toward Wanshan Temple.
This just doesn't look right at all!
While they were pondering, the entire convoy had already driven into Wanshan Temple in a grand procession, and the temple gates began to slowly close.

In that instant, Zheng Que felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, as if a heavy shadow had enveloped his entire body. His mind trembled, his muscles tensed, and he could hardly breathe.

This is a warning of death!
He suddenly realized that staying here would mean certain death!
Zheng Que quickly said to the two ghost servants, "Enter the temple!"

As he spoke, he used the [Phantom Escape Technique], transforming into a wisp of green smoke and disappearing into the door that was not yet fully closed.

Qingli and Niannu followed immediately.

Bang!
The moment the temple gates closed, Zheng Que and his two ghost servants successfully escaped into the temple.

Behind the gate was a screen wall, decorated with a pattern of deer and lingzhi mushrooms made of turquoise glazed tiles. The ground was paved with neat blue bricks, swept clean, with not a single blade of grass or moss in the gaps, and the surroundings were also empty.

Because the space in front of the screen wall was limited, the group that had come in earlier had already moved into the spacious courtyard behind. At this moment, Zhang Guitu looked anxious and hurriedly squeezed through from behind the screen wall. As he walked up to Zheng Que, he said in a reproachful tone, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, what's wrong with you?"

What's wrong with me?

Zheng Que frowned, looking warily at Zhang Guitu in front of him. He wanted to ask Zhang Guitu what was going on!

Then Zhang Guitu continued with a serious expression, "Senior Lu just said that in Wanshan Temple, one must guard one's mind."

"You've been standing still the whole time; you must have been misled!"

"Hurry up and come with me to see Senior Lu. Perhaps Senior Lu has a way to help you!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Que took a deep breath. This turtle diagram was the one that had just been deceived!

Moreover, judging from the other party's situation, they haven't noticed anything wrong yet, and have even started to suspect that Zheng Que is abnormal.

Thinking of this, Zheng Que immediately replied, "Alright, we should indeed go see Senior Lu."

After all, Lu Maohong had entered the Wanshan Temple and left unharmed.

While he was pondering, Zheng Que had already caught up with Zhang Guitu's footsteps. After turning past the screen wall, he saw a spacious courtyard. The courtyard was rectangular, with knee-high flower beds built against the walls on both sides, where many flowers and plants were planted.

Behind the screen wall is a small pond, with many lake stones piled up around the pond's edge, layered like mountains. On top of the stones are some small statues of cranes, egrets, and woodcutters as decorations.

The water in the pond was the color of jade, and several red carp could be vaguely seen floating in it.

Apart from that, the ground is paved with blue bricks, and at the very back is a hanging flower gate with a rose trellis entwined on it, blooming out of season. Amidst the interplay of red and green, the flowers are like a sea, with pink and white petals covering the ground, which, together with the moss, make the scene even more delicate.

Lu Maohong and the other guardian cultivators of the "A" chariot were now surrounding the "A" chariot, which was parked at the closest point to the hanging flower gate.

At this moment, besides them, there were other Qi Refining Level 7 team leaders from other vehicles next to the "A" vehicle.

Everyone, including Chen Zhentao from Xuanyuan Pavilion, gathered together.

The person surrounded in the very center was not Lu Maohong or Chen Zhentao, but a cultivator with a dignified appearance, wearing an indigo robe embroidered with beaded floral patterns, a mutton-fat jade pendant hanging at his waist.

Zheng Que recognized the cultivator as someone who seemed familiar. He appeared to be a Qi Refining Level 7 cultivator who had wanted to be in the same team as his brother when they set off, but was refused by Lu Maohong. He seemed to be Mu Jia, the team leader in charge of guarding the "B" type vehicle.

Mu Jia looked around and faced the crowd, loudly explaining the rules of Wanshan Temple: "...It is now dusk, and at three quarters past 5 pm, it is time for the young monks in the temple to go to the kitchen for their evening meal."

"From 1:15 PM to 1:15 PM is the time for the evening prayers at Guanzhong Temple."

"From midnight to 1:45 AM, you may bathe and change your clothes before proceeding to the main hall to draw lots."

"From 1:15 AM to 1:45 AM, it is the time for the young Taoist priests in the temple to practice swordsmanship. Please do not disturb them."

"Alright, you are all guests who have come from afar. It is enough for you to know a little about the situation in the temple so as to avoid any clashes. Now, please follow me to the guest quarters to rest..."

(End of this chapter)