I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"..."

The shape of the Nine Tripods was already clearly defined.

However, after this enthusiasm subsided temporarily, a certain enormous creature involuntarily surfaced in Nian's mind.

Then, the two white ear tips were slowly replaced by crimson.

"..."

She had never seen a guy like that before.

Returning to the temple in the wilderness, strange people and events

The two left the city and traveled in the wilderness. For nine days they did not see any villages or towns. The weather was hot and humid with little rain, and a cool breeze was a rare treat.

Unable to bear it any longer, he complained to the daytime about the slow pace of walking, but there was no village or shop in sight, and even if he had money, there was nowhere to buy a carriage or horse. After complaining, he still had to continue moving forward.

"Hey, Xiaobai! Look! Look!"

Nian pointed to the distant mountains with one hand and grabbed Bai Zhou's arm with the other, shouting loudly.

"There's a temple on that mountain!"

"Yes, yes, I saw it, I saw Sister Nian."

During the day, following the direction the finger pointed, one could see a temple with red bricks and green tiles halfway up the mountain.

It seems like there's no way out, but then a village appears amidst the willows and flowers.

However, upon closer inspection after calming down and taking a more joyful look, one can discover that although the temple is magnificent and imposing, there is no trace of human activity within it.

This is clearly not a good place. Ordinary travelers should immediately abandon the idea of ​​seeking lodging here. They would rather spend the night in the wilderness with wolves than stumble into a deadly place and needlessly burn their lives to ashes.

But this traveler is no ordinary person.

One is a true dragon with unparalleled combat skills, and the other is an immortal who is well-versed in human relationships.

Neither of them are people that petty thieves or bandits can mess with.

Skilled and daring, they naturally had no fear of this strangely appearing temple in the wilderness.

When you arrive at the temple gate, you can see the temple's signboard by looking up slightly.

Baiyun Temple

The temple gate was very large and spacious.

Half a door could hold two whole days. But why is there no monk guarding such a temple?

"Knock on the door?"

Looking towards the year during the day.

"Of course, we're not bandits."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted the temple door hard.

The pounding of solid wood was enough to make one's hands go numb, but Nian continued pounding on the temple door as if nothing was wrong.

"They're here! Why are they all putting in so much effort today!"

A slightly rough voice came from behind, and then the huge vermilion door slowly opened, revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through.

"Who is it, using so much force!"

A bright bald head peeked out from behind the door.

"..."

The first thing he saw was Nian, who stood tall and proud.

Her appearance was that of a celestial being, a beauty beyond compare. The country folk had never seen anything like it before, and for a moment they were all stunned.

But as his gaze shifted slightly downwards, his dazed expression vanished instantly, replaced by a clear and lucid one.

"Ok?"

She took in every change in the monk's gaze, and at that moment she felt offended.

"Sir, my brother and I are weary from our journey through this area and would like to seek lodging at your temple for the night. Would you be so kind as to do us this favor?"

Suppressing his laughter, Bai Zhou stepped forward and struck up a conversation with the monk.

"Hmm? Oh, you want to stay the night?"

The monk was taken aback by Bai Zhou's greeting before he realized that he was being addressed.

Master? Hehehe, I never thought I'd be addressed like that.

His joy was evident on his face, and he opened the door a little wider.

"Come in quickly. Three people have already come to ask for lodging, so two more won't make a difference."

"Oh, come with me, I'll take you to find the boss... the host."

He coughed to cover up a certain title, and then led the way.

"It's definitely not a good place."

Because of the disrespect she had just received, Nian's goodwill towards this place had visibly diminished.

"At least there's a place to rest."

As daylight swept across the nearby houses, a slight tap of the fingertip sent countless invisible points of light scattering in all directions.

They are miniature surveillance devices used to investigate the situation here.

"Hmm, could you boil some water for me tonight, Xiaobai? It's so hot today, I feel all sticky."

Ever since he witnessed Bai Zhou turn his hand into thunder and fire and turn it back into water, he has been responsible for preparing all the water for Nian's daily washing.

"it is good."

The two did not follow the monk closely, but rather trailed behind at a leisurely pace, whispering to each other in private.

"We've arrived. The host is inside. Please wait here while I go find him."

The monk led them to a meditation room, told them to wait outside, and went inside to find someone.

A few minutes later, the monk came out, followed by an old and decrepit monk.

"The host is someone who needs to stay overnight."

“Bi’an, I have told you several times that you should invite those who enter the temple to be benefactors.”

The senior monk frowned after hearing the junior monk's words and began to lecture him.

“Oh, benefactor.”

Monk Bi'an showed no respect for his teacher, but simply nodded to indicate that he understood.

"Alas, you traitor."

The senior monk snorted coldly, ignoring Monk Bi'an, and looked up at Bai Zhou.

"Do you two benefactors wish to stay here for the night?"

The senior monk was more polite and eloquent than the monk Bi'an.

Although I am old, I am still quite knowledgeable. Judging from their clothes, they are from a wealthy family, so I cannot treat them with disrespect.

"Exactly."

Bai Zhou returned his greeting and then took out a piece of red gold.

"A small amount of money, supplemented by incense offerings in the temple."

"Why go to such lengths? You are being too polite, benefactor. I am merely asking for lodging; there is no need for such formality."

Although the senior monk spoke of being distant, he had already put the gold into a small pouch in his sleeve, his nimble movements showing no signs of old age.

"Esteemed guests, you have traveled a long way, enduring hardships and long journeys. You must be exhausted. I will not keep you company any longer."

"I will be safe!"

The senior monk glanced at his disciple, who was staring intently at Bai Zhou as he pulled out the crimson gold, and found the disciple increasingly irritating.

"I will be safe!"

"Whoa whoa."

Only after being yelled at by the head monk did Monk Bi'an recover from his astonishment.

"Take the two benefactors to the best guest room."

"Oh."

Monk Bi'an responded and then went straight to Bai Zhou, bowing to him.

"Please come with me."

When they met wealthy people who were generous with their money, they couldn't help but become more polite.

Holding Nian's hand, Bai Zhou and she followed the monk Bi'an until they finally stopped in front of a large room.

"Thank you for your trouble, Master."

"No trouble at all. This is it..."

Monk Bi'an rubbed his hands together with a smile, then looked around, bent down slightly, and chuckled at Bai Zhou.

"Thank you for leading the way for my brother and me, sir."

He raised his hand silently during the day, then lowered it again.

"No trouble at all. If you need anything, just come find me in the room next to that house."

Monk Bi'an folded his sleeves and left with a smile.

"What a greedy fellow. Both master and apprentice are trash."

Once inside, Nian began to criticize the two monks.

"That's just human nature."

I felt nothing during the day.