Excessive ferocity due to caution

Back in his room, Zhao Yi took the candle out of the glass cup and placed it on the candlestick. Compared to the three hundred candles in the main hall, the light in the room paled in comparison.

The candlelight shone on the two of them, and Zhao Yi felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Is it the wind outside the window?

Is it the burning candle itself?

Or is there something wrong with Huijue, the young monk who came back with him?

Zhao Yi activated his Evil Eye. Although the power of the Evil Eye was severely restricted by the rules within the temple, he was still able to detect even the slightest clues.

However, after looking around, he found that everything inside the room was normal.

"After today, people will die every day."

Zhao Yi lay down on the bed and spoke to Huijue, who was meditating in the center of the room.

Huijue opened his eyes, his gaze revealing confusion:

"Why do you say that, Benefactor Zhao?"

Zhao Yi shook his head and didn't continue.

What he says now is not worth listening to Huijue. Only after his prophecy comes true will his words have enough persuasive power with Huijue.

Silent all night.

The rain lessened a bit the next day. After having breakfast, Zhao Yi, led by Huijue, strolled around the Redwood Temple and came to an open area. In the center, there was a pavilion with bird-shaped eaves. Inside the pavilion was a huge yellow bell with fierce Buddha and ghost patterns on it to suppress evil spirits.

The clock struck forty-nine last night, waking Zhao Yi up.

"Huijue, can this bell really ward off evil spirits?"

Zhao Yi stroked his chin, observing intently.

Huijue replied:

"certainly."

"The Buddha and ghost above were converted by Master Hongmu and willingly sealed their thousand years of cultivation within this red bronze bell. When the bell tolls, ordinary evil spirits will flee in panic, finding no place to hide!"

As the wind blew by, Zhao Yi activated his Evil Eyes and scanned the area. Suddenly, he noticed something, walked over to the eaves of the pavilion, squatted down, and picked up a damp strand of hair from the ground.

very long.

Zhao Yi stared intently at his hair for a long time, his gaze filled with doubt.

After searching around again, Zhao Yi indeed found footprints in some puddles and silt that had not been completely washed away.

The footprints weren't big, but Zhao Yi had seen the sorceress's feet yesterday, and the size matched.

This indicates that the sorceress had visited not long ago.

What is she doing here?

Huijue stopped beside Zhao Yi. Raindrops dripped from the eaves and fell into puddles, the ripples obscuring his view.

"Benefactor Zhao, what are you looking at?"

Zhao stood up:

"It's nothing, just look in the mirror and admire your own stunning beauty."

"By the way, Huijue, how many people usually ring the bell here?"

Huijue replied:

"Two people."

"Every night at midnight, someone would come and strike the bell forty-nine times and then stop."

Zhao Yi nodded, and then walked with Huijue to the outside of the main hall. After climbing the steps, Huijue blocked Zhao Yi's way and said earnestly:

"Please wait, Benefactor Zhao. An important temple event is taking place inside the hall. Please do not disturb us."

Zhao Yi nudged his shoulder and whispered:

"rest assured."

"I'll just hang around outside, I'm not going in."

Huijue scratched his head and followed Zhao Yi. As expected, he did not enter the hall, but paced back and forth outside, carefully observing the candlelight in the hall.

Even during the day, these candles remain lit. According to Huijue, these candles have been blessed by the high monks of the temple through chanting sutras, and in addition to providing light, they also have a certain ability to ward off evil spirits.

Three hundred candles, fixed to special hanging ornaments above the main hall, surrounded the body of Master Hongmu inside the central coffin, illuminating everything brightly.

There was not a trace of evil spirit inside the hall.

After observing for a while, Zhao Yi and Huijue returned to their room.

Then, the sound of gunfire erupted from next door.

The woman screamed terribly.

Huijue's expression changed slightly, and he was about to get up when he heard Zhao Yidao say:

"Where are you going?"

Huijue said anxiously:

"Something seems to have happened next door!"

"The female benefactor was ambushed!"

Zhao Yi carefully examined Huijue and asked curiously:

"Have you never seen a woman since you were a child?"

Huijue was taken aback upon hearing this, and then scratched his shiny bald head.

"I have been practicing meditation in the temple with my fellow monks since I was a child, and I have not seen you, female benefactor, much on a regular basis."

Zhao Yi squinted and smiled:

"Don't worry, she's not in any danger. She's just playing a game with the man she came up the mountain with."

Huijue said with some doubt:

"real?"

Zhao Yi replied:

"certainly."

"If you don't believe me, listen to it again later."

The fierce battle didn't last long, then the soft rustling of clothes being put on could be heard. Only when the two began chatting quietly, complaining about the torrential rain in the mountains and the bland food at the temple, did Huijue exhale and cast an admiring glance at Zhao Yi.

"Benefactor Zhao, you are truly amazing! They are indeed unharmed!"

Zhao Yi waved his hand:

"By the way, Huijue, how much do you know about the shamans in the temple?"

Mentioning that strange old woman, Huijue replied:

"The shaman is from a village on the other side of the mountain. Every year she goes up the mountain to perform a special ceremony, bringing slaughtered cattle and sheep from the village to offer to the mountain god. She also stays overnight at the temple every year and chats with the redwood master."

Zhao Yi frowned.

Every year when I go up the mountain, I also communicate with the master of redwood, which reduces the possibility that the sorceress has problems.

If the fortune teller is innocent, then her behavior... is even more suspicious.

He then remembered what the sorceress had told him the night before.

That old man clearly knows something.

Zhao Yi led Huijue to knock on the door. After a few knocks, there was no response from inside. Zhao Yi pushed the door open and found no one inside. Everything was arranged very neatly, and there wasn't even a wrinkle on the bedding.

The candles were still burning inside the room.

"She's not here; she's probably in the kitchen cooking."

Huijue said so.

"If Benefactor Zhao wishes to communicate with the sorceress, please come back tonight!"

Zhao turned around, stared into Huijue's eyes, and said earnestly:

"People will die again tonight."

Huijue was taken aback, then immediately declared with conviction:

"Benefactor Zhao, please trust Hongmu Temple."

"Tonight...no one will die!"

Zhao Yi smiled slightly:

"Let's wait and see."

...

into the night.

The already gloomy weather grew increasingly lifeless, and after the torrential rain overnight, the people living in the temple seemed to have grown accustomed to the sound of the rain piercing through the stone.

Inside the room, a candle sat on the table, its light bright and warm.

Zhao Yi and Huijue were eating dinner.

The two of them had a very simple meal tonight – plain steamed buns and fermented bean curd.

Zhao Yi stared at the simple meal on the wooden table and frowned, saying:

"Is this what you usually eat?"

Huijue nodded:

"Fermented tofu is delicious. Let me demonstrate for you, Benefactor Zhao."

Huijue tore open a white steamed bun, lightly dipped it in fermented bean curd, and put it in his mouth.

Close your eyes, look relaxed, and chew.

"See that, Benefactor Zhao? Eating like this is a unique kind of enjoyment..."

Zhao Yi suddenly realized:

"Venerable Huijue, I understand."

Then, under Huijue's watchful gaze, he slowly tore open the steamed bun.

It was torn, but not completely torn apart.

Immediately afterwards, under Huijue's smiling gaze, Zhao Yi used a half-torn steamed bun as a tong to grab all the fermented bean curd and stuff it into his mouth.

"Well……"

"It's really delicious..."

Huijue's smile froze, his eyes widened as he stared at Zhao Yi's bulging mouth chewing and chewing, and then... swallowed the whole steamed bun.

His gaze shifted slightly downwards, and in the bowl of fermented bean curd... only a tiny bit remained stuck to the bottom.

Huijue's eyelids were twitching.

The hand squeezing the steamed bun unconsciously tightened its grip.

You ate the fermented tofu I only have once a week in one go?!

Why didn't it make you sick from the savory smell?!

Just as Huijue was questioning the meaning of life, another scream came from next door:

"Aaaaaah!!!"

Huijue's expression was strange:

"What...what game are they playing?"

Zhao Yi quickly stood up and strode towards the door:

"This isn't a game...something's happened to them!"

PS: First update!!

Recently, someone asked me why I no longer beat dogs.

I'd like to give a general reply here: I have a knee problem and am currently resting.

It's using both legs and arms now, but it's hitting me with one leg and two arms. That's obviously unfair. Wait until I recover... Hmph.