The two monks strode with remarkable speed. After Li Yundong followed for about an hour, he arrived before a temple.

From a distance, Li Yundong watched the two monks approach the temple’s rear door. They knocked the brass ring on the wooden door, which swung open with a soft creak, revealing a middle-aged monk stepping out from within.

Upon seeing this middle-aged monk, the two immediately clasped their hands together in greeting and bowed deeply. "Martial Uncle."

The middle-aged monk nodded and stated in a deep voice, "You’ve returned? We’ve been waiting. Come in!"

With that, he stepped aside, ushering the two monks in before shutting the door. In the precise moment the door closed, he glanced, deliberately or not, toward Li Yundong in the distance.

Li Yundong felt that single sweeping look pierce him with unnatural sharpness, causing his heart to suddenly leap.

Seeing the other party acting so stealthily and defensively, Li Yundong became even more convinced that whatever they were doing within the temple was illicit. He hurried toward the wooden door, intending to break it down.

But as he neared, Li Yundong saw that both halves of the wooden door bore a talisman—one on the left, one on the right. These talismans depicted golden Sanskrit script and black Vajra figures. Just as Li Yundong reached out to push the door, the golden Sanskrit script on the talisman blazed to life on its own.

In that instant, Li Yundong felt an aura of terrifying danger rush toward him.

Li Yundong immediately retracted his hand. As soon as he pulled back, the once-luminous golden Sanskrit script slowly faded back to dormancy.

Li Yundong’s heart chilled. He frowned, taking two steps back, contemplating climbing over the wall. However, he abruptly noticed that the black roof tiles of the wall were also covered in talismans, held down by the tiles themselves, making them completely invisible unless inspected closely.

"This temple must be haunted!" Li Yundong sneered inwardly.

He changed tactics and swiftly moved toward the temple's main entrance.

The Xiyuan Temple was an ancient structure dating back eight hundred years, as well as a famous tourist attraction in Dongwu City. The main gate featured a large parking lot where several large coaches were parked. Tourists were continuously disembarking, led by one holding a small red flag and shouting directions.

Worried about Su Chan's safety, Li Yundong ignored the queue at the ticket booth, pushing his way to the front, shoving aside a tourist, and thrusting money through the window. "One ticket, quickly!"

His cutting in line infuriated the people behind him, who began shouting, "Hey! Don't you know the rules? Line up to buy tickets!"

The person Li Yundong had pushed aside was a young woman, who also yelled back angrily, "What are you doing? Get in line! Have you no manners?"

Li Yundong was consumed by urgency and could spare no attention for them. He turned his head, glaring at them with menacing, cold eyes.

The tourists felt Li Yundong's gaze was so terrifyingly sharp that their hearts skipped a beat. Their words caught in their throats, unable to be uttered.

After securing his ticket, Li Yundong offered a brief, apologetic remark to the crowd before hurrying into the temple grounds.

Only after Li Yundong was far away did the oppressive atmosphere lift, allowing the tourists to breathe. They gasped, then resumed their complaints loudly.

Especially the young woman Li Yundong had pushed aside; she stamped her foot and ranted until another woman approached her. "Lanlan, what's wrong?"

The woman named Lanlan immediately turned to her. "Liu Xia, you’ve come at the perfect time. When I was buying tickets, some guy literally shoved me aside! So many people were lining up, all following the rules, and he just wouldn't—was he in a hurry to be reincarnated or something?"

The woman named Liu Xia, who was the tour guide Li Yundong had previously encountered in Tibet, was wearing an orange guide uniform today, topped with a pink, round sun hat. Waves of black hair peeked out from under the brim, giving her a fashionable and graceful look. She held a handheld DV camera and laughed, "Really? Once we get inside, we'll film him well and expose him! Let thousands of righteous netizens condemn his actions!"

Lanlan was delighted, nodding vigorously and repeatedly agreeing, "Yes, yes, exactly!"

After buying her ticket, she distributed them to every tourist from the travel agency, then she and Liu Xia led the large group into the Xiyuan Temple.

Arriving before the Hall of Great Heroes, Tour Guide Liu Xia filmed the hall’s scenery and the visitors wandering the grounds, while Tour Guide Lanlan loudly explained the history and customs of the hall to the tourists.

After finishing her explanation, Lanlan suddenly pulled Liu Xia aside and whispered, "Hey, Liu Xia, I found that guy!"

Liu Xia blinked. "Which guy?"

Lanlan said through gritted teeth, "The guy who cut in line and shoved me aside!"

Liu Xia let out a wry laugh. "You still remember that little incident? I’m impressed!"

Lanlan angrily retorted, "You weren't the one shoved, so of course you don't remember! Just say yes or no—are you coming with me or not?"

Liu Xia looked conflicted, glancing at the tourists currently touring the Hall of Great Heroes. "We're leading a tour, sis!"

Lanlan gave a sly grin, turned around, and announced loudly to the tourists, "Everyone has thirty minutes for free activities inside the temple. Don't wander off too far. We gather back here in half an hour!"

The tourists agreed with a clamor and immediately scattered. Lanlan turned back, grinning mischievously. "Done!"

Liu Xia shook her head with a wry smile. "Aren't you afraid of getting a complaint? I truly give up on you!"

Lanlan scoffed, "You’re taking private jobs on the side; what am I afraid of? So, was the trip to Tibet exciting?"

Liu Xia unexpectedly recalled the man whose appearance was ghost-like and whose bearing was god-like. She paused, but quickly recovered, shaking her head. "Stop talking nonsense. Where is the person you mentioned? Let’s just take a look and come right back."

Lanlan huffed, "What’s the use of just looking? We need to film his ugly face and dirty crimes, then put it online to expose the despicable behavior of such a shameless wretch!"

Liu Xia rubbed her temples, shaking her head. "I really can’t afford to offend you. It was just cutting in line, but you talk about him like he's a traitor selling out the country!"

Lanlan stamped her foot. "Are you helping me or not?"

Liu Xia feigned surrender. "Fine, fine, I’ll help! Where is he?"

Lanlan grabbed Liu Xia’s arm and led her down the corridor to a hidden small wooden door. She looked left and right, saw no one, and pointed at the door’s lock. "Look, the lock is broken by him."

Liu Xia took one look and indeed saw a brass lock warped from being forcibly pulled. She inwardly startled, murmuring, "What incredible strength!"

Lanlan immediately clutched her arm, complaining, "Yeah, the impact still hurts!"

Liu Xia shot her an unimpressed look. "You idiot, he bumped the other side of you!"

Lanlan rolled her eyes back. "The injury just transferred, is that not allowed?" With that, she moved to push the door open.

But Liu Xia grabbed her back, pointing to the two lines of text pasted on the door: "Sacred Grounds of the Monastery, Unauthorized Persons Strictly Forbidden." "Look, it says we can't enter!"

Lanlan insisted, "If that guy can get in, why can’t we? Look how he broke the lock—he’s probably in there stealing! We’re performing a good deed!"

Saying that, she pushed the door open and barged in before Liu Xia could stop her. Liu Xia could only stamp her foot and follow her inside.

Once inside, the two found themselves in a grove of trees, surrounded everywhere by peach trees laden with countless dense talismans. These charms hung dazzlingly from the branches, lending the small forest an air of sacred solemnity and inviolable majesty.

Lanlan immediately spotted a man standing alone in the clearing at the center of the grove. She pointed and was about to shout when Liu Xia clapped a hand over her mouth, pulling her back to hide behind the trees.

Liu Xia covered Lanlan’s mouth while staring wide-eyed at the figure.

That figure was painfully familiar to her—she would recognize him even if he turned to dust!

"Isn't this that cultivator who looked like a deity?" Liu Xia’s heart pounded like a drum. She gestured for silence to Lanlan, then released her hand and wrote quickly on Lanlan’s palm: "Don't speak. Let's see what's happening first!"

Lanlan nodded and wrote back on Liu Xia’s palm: "Film him! Expose him!"

Liu Xia nodded, holding her breath, and picked up her DV camera, preparing to start recording. Before she could power it on, a Buddhist chant rang out, and a middle-aged monk slowly walked out from the other end of the grove, saying, "Amitabha. Esteemed layperson, why have you trespassed upon this sacred precinct?"

Li Yundong spoke in a deep voice, "I need to ask if your temple has seen a girl named Su Chan?"

Hiding in the thicket, Liu Xia could only see Li Yundong’s back, not his face. Though she was nine-tenths certain it was him, a sliver of doubt remained. But when Li Yundong spoke, she started, confirming in her mind: It really is him!

Her spirit instantly lifted, and she activated the DV camera, secretly beginning to record.

The grove was saturated with talismans and permeated by powerful Buddhist spiritual energy. This energy masked the auras of Liu Xia and Lanlan, so Li Yundong had absolutely no inkling that two women were covertly watching him just meters away!

The middle-aged monk’s entire focus was on Li Yundong, the intruder, and he paid no mind to the presence of Liu Xia and Lanlan. He recited a quiet Buddha chant and stated, "The myriad sentient beings come and go countless times. Before our Buddha, there is no distinction between male and female, nor is there distinction for Su Chan or Li Chan."

Li Yundong, anxious for Su Chan’s safety, was beside himself. Seeing the monk speaking to him so calmly and engaging in word games, he grew impatient. "Have you seen her or not? Why the rambling?"

The middle-aged monk chanted another Amitabha and replied, "Amitabha. To have seen is not to have seen; not to have seen is to have seen!"

Li Yundong exploded inwardly: Damn it, I could just as well say 'Form is emptiness, emptiness is form!' He’s deliberately beating around the bush, clearly trying to stall for time!

Li Yundong scoffed, "You’re playing semantic games with me, refusing to answer my question. Perhaps you have something to hide?"

The middle-aged monk inquired, "What is meant by having something to hide, and what is meant by not?"

Li Yundong snapped, "I’ll know if you’re hiding something when I see it! Step aside!" With that, he prepared to push his way through.

The middle-aged monk chanted Amitabha again, pushed his palm forward, thumb tucked in, and unleashed a massive Palm Seal through the air toward Li Yundong.

Li Yundong instantly channeled his True Essence; his bones cracked like popping beans. He formed Vajra Fists with both hands, his left index finger pointing straight up. He encircled the first joint of his left index finger with the little finger of his right hand, and rested the first joint of his right thumb against the tip of his left index finger, rapidly forming a mudra: the Great Sun Dharma Realm Vajra Fist Mudra, the First Wisdom Seal of Bodhi Guidance, capable of extinguishing all darkness of ignorance!

Li Yundong roared, "Om!!" The Great Sun Tathagata Hand Seal shot out!

The two fist imprints collided in mid-air, causing the air to tremble violently. The surrounding forest rustled loudly, and the talismans on the trees rattled incessantly, sounding like the surge of ocean waves, creating a terrifying spectacle.

The middle-aged monk’s strike was intended merely to impede the enemy, so he used only thirty percent of his strength. However, Li Yundong’s strike was aimed to defeat the opponent, employing eighty percent of his power. Upon impact, the Great Sun Tathagata Hand Seal immediately shattered the monk’s palm imprint into pieces, its momentum continuing unabated toward the monk.

The middle-aged monk was greatly alarmed. He thrust both palms forward instantly, and in the blink of an eye, a Vajra figure, one person high with tightly furrowed brows and glaring eyes, materialized before him, booming as it shattered the fierce charge of the Great Sun Tathagata Hand Seal.

This single exchange left both parties deeply shocked. They readjusted their stances, viewing the other with renewed wariness.

Meanwhile, Liu Xia and Lanlan, who had burst into this area, were standing stunned, their eyes wide and fixed. Only the DV camera in Liu Xia’s hand continued to operate silently.

============================================== Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention: last week we were eighth on the Flower Chart and narrowly missed seventh place. But the total number of flowers surpassed ten thousand! You students are truly amazing, very good, very good~ This week we still maintain the three-chapter updates, on the 2nd, 4th, and 6th. Same routine as always~ Three updates tomorrow, and by then you’ll finally see the little girl! F

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