Chapter 123: A Small Temple in the Deep Mountains, a Great Monk
When he returned to the game, everything around was pitch black, so dark that he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. After getting familiar with the surroundings for a while, Happy gradually adapted and could see slightly in the darkness.
There were still remnants of a campfire on the ground, but Yaoshi Wanneng was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a white pigeon appeared in front of Happy, its flapping wings breaking the silence around them.
He took down the note and unfolded it:
“Something urgent—leave first!”
It was signed by “Yaoshi Wanneng.”
Just as he finished reading it, another messenger pigeon appeared… “Flap-flap!”
Happy was stunned.
It was another note from that messy man. This time, it contained more details, describing the battles taking place around Songshan Mountain and urging him to be careful.
Closing the note, Happy took out the map again. Sure enough, there was only one red dot on it—Yaoshi had already gone more than a mile away!
Putting away the map, he could roughly guess that this restless guy must have gone to watch the chaos. With his impatient nature, it would indeed be difficult to keep him in one place.
Besides, this kid was the most thrill-seeking and unpredictable lone wolf in legend.
“It’s good he’s gone. I can go there now.”
With that empty-handed thief no longer around, Happy felt a sense of relief. Light-hearted, he took advantage of the night breeze and headed toward even darker areas with ease.
Not long after he started leaving…
A group of fully armed players rushed out from the depths of the forest and appeared at the place where Happy had been.
“The person has already left.”
One of them glanced around and at the map, then said resentfully, “We’re too late.”
Before he could finish speaking, a loud voice rang out, “Don’t jump to conclusions. The other party just logged in and must have left not long ago. Send a messenger pigeon to Lao Si right away—have him ask Banxian to cast another divination to determine the coordinates of the treasure box. Once we know the direction, it’s only a matter of time before we find him.”
As the messenger pigeon flapped its wings and disappeared into the forest, the owner of the loud voice snorted triumphantly through his nose:
“Hmph! I heard magpies chirping early in the morning. I knew it! I’m bound to be lucky today. This time, the Thirteen Monk Warriors lost three treasure boxes. Those people only realized two were stolen but didn’t notice that the bandit who stole the third was killed… Hehe, this is exactly why the Seventeen Heroes of Yanshan deserve to prosper!”
“Brother is wise!”
Someone said, “Of these tributes, not more than a hundred remain in the entire martial world today. By the day of the Emperor’s birthday, the number will surely be even lower. If we can obtain them, our names will surely become famous throughout the martial world!!”
A loud voice rang out again:
“There are no ‘ifs’! We must get this brocade box!! Alright! Everyone, rest in place for now. Remember not to start a fire—it might alert them. Also, with so many people around Songshan right now, it’s not good if we draw attention.”
The crowd responded in unison!
Soon…
A homing pigeon broke through the night sky and landed on that person’s arm. After unfolding the note, it was quickly torn to shreds by the night wind. A cold and sharp voice sounded:
“Southeast direction! There’s only one cliff over there. He can’t escape. Chase him!!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Energized, the group dashed through the night sky toward the southeast.
Not long after they left, another faint sound of something cutting through the air came from deep in the woods. Two men in black appeared on the open ground like ghosts, landing silently with cold and proud gazes.
“Heh, lucky us.”
“Who would have thought that a guy who ended up here by accident would make such a discovery? Let’s go. Don’t alert them. Once they’re both exhausted from fighting, we’ll clean up the mess.”
“Let’s go!”
With the strategy of “the mantis hunts the cicada while the oriole waits in the background,” the two quickly merged into the endless darkness.
…
Happy wasn’t an immortal, so he naturally didn’t realize he was already being watched by two groups of people. He continued as before, moving swiftly toward a place remembered from his past life, without pause.
With the speed of his master-level “Cloud-Ascending Steps” and his thorough knowledge of Songshan’s terrain, he moved like a black panther on flat ground—exceptionally agile and unrestrained.
Moreover, to avoid the territories of some advanced wild beasts, Happy kept changing direction constantly. As a result, although the people behind him were focused on the southeast, they couldn’t keep up in speed or close the gap.
The so-called “Seventeen Heroes of Yanshan” moved slowly along the rugged mountain paths, stopping frequently. If they accidentally encountered an advanced wild beast, they dared not engage—it would force them to fight or force them to take a detour…
While cursing under their breath, they didn’t realize they were getting further and further away from Happy!
Gradually…
Happy left the dense woods and slowed down slightly, stepping lightly under the starlight as he arrived in front of a dilapidated small temple.
Around the dilapidated small temple stood several ancient trees of indescribable shapes. A faint, dim light from oil lamps shone inside, and a subtle scent of incense filled the air. Everything appeared so ancient and remote from the world beyond.
“Kind sir, please wait.”
As he reached the steps, a Buddhist chant suddenly came from behind him. Without turning, Kaixin knew it was a middle-aged monk in gray robes speaking.
Slowly turning, under the moonlight, the monk’s shiny head and the scar on his forehead were particularly prominent. With his hands clasped together and eyes lowered, his expression was solemn and peaceful.
“This place is where I and my disciples meditate in silence. You’ve come here at midnight—what brings you here?”
“Please forgive me, Master. I’ve sincerely worshipped Buddha for many years. Coming to the mountains at night was just a whim, but I got lost. Finding this temple was no intention to disturb you. Perhaps it was Buddha’s mercy that led me here, saving me from falling into the hands of wild beasts,” Kaixin replied respectfully, clasping his hands in greeting.
“Amitabha!”
The monk in gray smiled and chanted, “Buddha is merciful and blesses all beings. Since you’re a pilgrim who’s come to the mountains, stay inside the temple for the night and leave at dawn.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a “ding” sound came, and the system notified him: “A high-ranking monk found in the mountain temple. The ‘Buddhist Ritual’ task has been triggered.”
“Task requirements: Enter the temple, find a way into the inner room, and listen to the teachings of Master Zhiheng, ‘Master Xuan Kong.’ Task reward: A slight increase in wisdom.”
Upon hearing this from the system, Kaixin’s face showed relief.
Indeed, this task couldn’t be triggered by someone who wasn’t a disciple of Shaolin Temple.
He nodded silently. “Thank you, Master.”
Without a word, Zhiheng calmly stepped onto the steps, stood in front of the temple door, and made an inviting gesture. His speed was so fast that Kaixin couldn’t even track his movements.
Even in his past life, he had never been able to determine Zhiheng’s martial arts level!
Thinking of this, Kaixin suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath, and calmly stepped into the temple…
Thud!
With a distant, dull sound, Zhiheng closed the temple door from the inside, blocking the moonlight outside.