The square was heavy with the scent of liquor. Zhou Huan covered his nose, following the aroma to a man dressed as a Daoist, who was swaying toward the trio while clutching a bottle reminiscent of Erguotou. The man reached them, glanced down at the corpse on the ground, tilted his head back, took a swig of wine, and then turned to spray it over the dead body.

“Ptooey! Hahaha, that’s better now. With drink on the road, he won’t fear the cold weather!” As he spoke, the Daoist plopped down onto the ground, pointing his sword-finger at Zhou Huan: “Who are you, coming here to stir up trouble? Are there no police here because there are dead bodies? If there are no police, don't you have me!”

Zhou Huan cautiously observed the man, then his head spun and his face instantly broke into a smile, deferentially saying: “Esteemed Daoist Master, may I ask which celestial being you might be?”

“Me? No, this humble Daoist is a monk from the Ziyun Temple on this mountain. I was just passing through, saw a dead person here, and decided to save him. You few, let me tell you, this is not a place for you to loiter. And you two.” As he said this, the man pointed his sword-finger at Xiao He. When he pointed his finger toward Miss Yang, the Daoist’s expression abruptly cleared, his entire body giving a violent shudder. Then, he suddenly flung the wine bottle aside, leaped into the air, snatched Miss Yang in one grab, slung her over his shoulder, and ran along the shaded path beside the stairs, his feet barely seeming to touch the ground like dragonflies skimming water.

Before Zhou Huan and Xiao He could even react to what had happened, the Daoist was already ten meters away carrying Miss Yang. As he ran, the Daoist looked back and shouted: “Zhou Huan, you idiot brother! If you save people the way you do, you’ll save them right to death! Take care of the corpse, then come find me at the temple.” Following this came a burst of long laughter that echoed through the mountain woods. Zhou Huan, finding himself helpless, deduced from the Daoist’s words that Miss Yang wouldn't be harmed, so he didn't immediately rush after her. But before he could gather his wits, Xiao He had already bolted out, closely pursuing the Daoist.

“Hey, Xiao He, be careful! If you can’t manage, just stall him; I’ll be right behind you,” Zhou Huan shouted loudly. Then, he meticulously recorded all the information from the corpse. Immediately after, he called Director Li: “One more dead body on the mountain; hurry and retrieve it.”

The reply he received was: “The forensic team is already in position; the body will be taken to the morgue immediately!”

By the time Zhou Huan received the text message, he was already standing before the temple gates. Before leaving, he had placed a safety talisman around the corpse and struck the deceased with a demon-subduing hand seal, which gave him the confidence to charge up the mountain.

As he looked at the temple before him, he was instantly struck. What a magnificent temple. The two rear doors, made of red solid wood inlaid with gold, stood over three meters tall. The two stone guardian beasts guarding the entrance were each vividly rendered. A threshold about a foot high was enough to hint at the grandeur within. Above the main gate, a dazzling golden plaque hung, bearing the inscription: "Ziyun Guan." Two strands of Daoist knots draped down from either side of the plaque.

“Kid, what are you doing, loitering in front of the gate?” The temple door was ajar, just wide enough for one person to pass through. A Daoist peeked out from inside the gate. His hair was messy, and his face looked somewhat purplish-blue. One eye was completely dark, like a panda’s. He forced his eyelids open to look at Zhou Huan and questioned his purpose.

Zhou Huan felt an urge to laugh at the Daoist’s appearance but suppressed it. He casually asked the Daoist: “Did a Daoist carrying a young woman just run in here? And was there a woman chasing after him?”

Zhou Huan’s question was consequential. The little Daoist behind the door immediately recoiled, plopping down onto the ground, weeping uncontrollably: “So, you’re all in league! Fine! I’ll risk everything today; I’ll fight you to the death!”

Zhou Huan didn’t quite understand the little Daoist’s words, but he sensed the young man had misunderstood him. He quickly tried to explain: “Esteemed Daoist Master, why are you so aggrieved? You can tell me whatever is troubling you.”

“Tell you my foot! I did a divination this morning, and it said today would be unlucky. Then, my senior brother kicked me, and later, a woman hit me. Just look at my eye to know! Come on, if you dare step one foot into the courtyard, I’ll fight you to the death! Come on!” The little Daoist was clearly agitated, clutching a broken wooden stick to block Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan’s skills were certainly not for show; if this fellow could be beaten by Xiao He, beating him would be effortless for Zhou Huan. However, Zhou Huan couldn't understand why the first two people had beaten this young man, so he asked the little Daoist with genuine confusion: “Daoist Master, I don’t know why they hit you. Besides, I never said I was looking for a fight. Why are you blocking me with a stick?”

“Waaah!” The little Daoist’s tears gushed out like a great spring: “This morning, the Master told me to watch the temple gate, knowing that my senior brother likes to sneak out for drinks. If I couldn’t watch him, the Master would punish me by making me stoke the furnace for a year, cook for two years, and carry water for three years. If that really happened, I’d rather just watch him properly! But I never expected this guy to slip out sometime, and I couldn’t find him anywhere. When I came back, I caught him at the entrance. In my anger, I attacked him, but I couldn't beat him.”

Zhou Huan secretly chuckled; this fellow was too naive, even more so than his own disciple Dongzi. But why Xiao He hit him was less clear.

“Daoist Master, please let me pass. Tell me where they are, and I’ll help you get revenge and vent your anger.” As Zhou Huan spoke, he suddenly realized that time might be running short; if he was too late, Xiao He might not be able to hold the Daoist for long. Thus, seeing the little Daoist distracted, Zhou Huan flashed forward and slipped into the temple, immediately scrambling up the wall to the roof ridge of the first main hall.

“Little thief, get down here for this humble Daoist!” The little Daoist was clearly agitated, boiling with suppressed frustration.

“Daoist Master, tell me where they went. I climbed up because I was afraid you would get agitated. Don’t worry, I will definitely help you get revenge today,” Zhou Huan said with utmost seriousness.

The little Daoist looked at Zhou Huan and didn't seem to be lying. He let out a breath, tossed the stick to the ground, raised a hand, and pointed in front of Zhou Huan: “He took that woman to the rear hall. They should be in the rear hall, or perhaps practicing just outside the rear hall door.”

“Good, wait here, I’ll go demand justice for you right now.” Zhou Huan ran a few steps along the eaves, then swooshed down and sprinted toward the rear hall. The rear hall was empty inside: three ancestral Daoist statues, several offering tables laden with an array of fresh fruits and flowers. Beneath the three large statues was a rear door, from which laughter could now be heard.

“Little girl, don’t even think about fooling me with words; this old Daoist won’t listen to your nonsense. I’m taking this person today, come what may.” The voice belonged to the old Daoist from before.

Then came Xiao He’s voice: “Aren’t you ascetics supposed to abstain from female desire? Besides, she already has a beau; there’s no point in you wanting her.”

“Oh, this little girl lies without even drafting it first! Look at him—he has a beau? If he truly had a beau, would the satchel on his back turn into a bag of corpse poison? That’s hilarious! I think I should just help her detoxify,” the old Daoist spoke with a lecherous tone, his sinister chuckle deeply hateful, yet Miss Yang was in his grasp, so Xiao He dared not make a move.

Xiao He gathered herself, puffed out her chest, and declared: “Old Daoist, I’m a police officer. If you don't release this woman today, watch out, or I’ll have you arrested and taken to the station.”

“Then hurry up and arrest me, so I don’t have to stay here and not be allowed to drink!” Just as the old Daoist was about to speak further, an unidentified flying object smashed into his head. The old man’s head lolled forward onto the ground, thick white liquor dribbling from his mouth. This time, it wasn’t just the smell of wine; it was mixed with the fetid odor of decaying food.

Xiao He looked in the direction the object had flown from. Zhou Huan stood at the doorway, clutching a bag, and rushed over to Xiao He in a few strides.

“Brother Huan, you’re finally here! This old Daoist was trying to molest Miss Yang,” Xiao He recounted what had just happened.

Zhou Huan held Xiao He steady: “Enough talking for now. Let’s get Miss Yang out of here first.”

“Master Zhou, let’s go quickly. This old Daoist will probably wake up soon,” Miss Yang scrambled out from under the fallen Daoist, grabbing Zhou Huan’s hand, urging him to lead the way out.

The three of them exited the rear hall. When they reached the front door, the little Daoist saw Zhou Huan emerging with Xiao He and became instantly enraged, lifting his stick: “You scoundrel! You dared to trick me! Why didn't you help me get revenge when this woman hit me?”

Zhou Huan froze, glancing at Xiao He. Xiao He let out a snicker, then twisted around to the little Daoist: “You stinking Daoist, behave yourself! You just tried to grope your grandma—why wouldn't I hit you?”

When Zhou Huan heard this, realizing the young man had attempted to molest Xiao He, he felt there was no need to humor their poor behavior. He feigned a conciliatory smile, approached the little Daoist, raised his hand, and delivered a punch that landed precisely on the carotid artery in the young Daoist’s neck, instantly knocking him unconscious.

“Let’s go, quickly! We’ll talk once we’re down the mountain.” The three of them hurried down the mountain. As they reached the base, police cars were just pulling away after taking the corpse. Zhou Huan drove back to the hotel.

Inside the temple, the old Daoist suddenly sat up, picked up the wine bottle, and gulped it down: “Old monk, I’ve done everything you asked. Your friend Zhou Huan is too ruthless; my head feels like it’s splitting in half.” Then the old Daoist grinned: “Today, Zhou Huan really did detoxify that girl; otherwise, tomorrow morning, Zhou Huan would have been staring at another new corpse, worrying about it.”

The old Daoist muttered to himself, draining the bottle of wine.

As Zhou Huan led Xiao He and Miss Yang back to the hotel, before even setting foot inside the entrance, Xiao He’s phone rang.

“Officer Wang, we have an urgent matter, please come to the station quickly!”