Chapter 14

She stepped out of the room and caught sight of Xue Tong right away, sitting beneath the locust tree. It was just past five, and the summer sun still clung to the sky for a little while longer. But the mountain shadows were deep, filled with towering trees everywhere. A single sun-protective jacket topped with a hat was more than enough.

Xue Tong had already regained her composure. She’d handled the tear stains at the corners of her eyes so well that no trace of them remained. Xun Ruosu felt like she was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, but she asked anyway, “Do you want to rest a bit more?”

“No need.” Xue Tong had just broken down crying in front of Xun Ruosu, so whether she put on a stern face to pick at her or pretended to be chummy, either would feel awkward right now. She stiffly changed the subject instead. “Let’s go eat. I’m hungry too.”

“…”

Yan Qing shot her a sideways glance, sensing something was off. “Sis, what happened between you and my boss? With her personality, she wouldn’t act so distant toward people.”

Xue Tong was an expert at playing the instant-friend card, even if seven parts of it were pure pretense.

“You’re not afraid of ghosts anymore?” Xun Ruosu asked. “Talking behind someone’s back is an easy way to attract them.”

“Seriously?!” Yan Qing hunched his neck and clammed up.

Soaring Firmament Temple’s refectory was open to the public too, separated from the courtyard monks and tourists by a white screen. The food was about the same, but tourists snapped photos and chatted away, while the monks followed their rule of eating in silence. They didn’t sit together.

Xun Ruosu and Xue Tong had just arrived at the refectory when the bell tolled outside. The Old Abbot often rolled up his sleeves like a martial monk around familiar faces, but now he was dressed to the nines—monk robes and cassock draped over them—holding his decorum even in the sweltering heat.

He carried a copper alms bowl in hand. The refectory buzzed with activity, but when the abbot stepped inside, most eyes turned his way.

Not every tourist could eat here. Those gathered were the guests staying overnight at Soaring Firmament Temple. The Old Abbot tapped his copper alms bowl once, its long tone echoing through the hall. He struck it three times in all, and even the murmurs fell silent.

The Old Abbot spoke. “I’m sure the benefactors have heard the rumors. The mountains haven’t been peaceful lately—there was even a murder. Though the site was several kilometers from here, I still ask that after nightfall, everyone remain in their rooms.”

“The temple’s rooms are all connected, surrounded by others. As long as the benefactors don’t wander about, there’s no cause for panic.”

Once his warnings were done, his gaze swept the crowd once more. Xue Tong had pulled Xun Ruosu into a corner spot. Neither of them was particularly curious—the stack of blanched lettuce hearts on their table held more appeal than the Old Abbot’s face. Yan Qing was the only one with any spark left, clutching his bowl as he shoveled food and snuck glances toward the Old Abbot.

A touch of resentment colored the young man’s stare.

With so many eyes and ears around, there was no chance for private talk. As the Old Abbot passed their table, he murmured, “I’ll be waiting for you in the courtyard.”

That wait stretched on for nearly an hour.

Xun Ruosu was protective by nature. She and Yan Qing weren’t exactly close, but familiarity bred comfort after a time. Handing a courtyard like that to ordinary folk was hardly sporting on the old monk’s part—he ought to eat a little humble pie for it.

Half an hour to eat. Half an hour to stroll afterward.

The mountain air was pristine, but it bred mosquitoes fat as thumbs. No coils burning in the courtyard. The Old Abbot sat under the locust tree, feeding the bloodsuckers live for a full hour until he looked positively drained.

By the time the three finally ambled back, the old monk was mid-swat at one. Xun Ruosu promptly intoned, “Amitabha—Heaven cherishes all life,” forcing him to clasp his hands in reply and resume his solemn mosquito buffet.

The Old Abbot’s bites were his own karmic comeuppance, and Xun Ruosu had no plans to play the loyal martyr. Once the monk looked sufficiently gnawed upon, she said, “Let’s head inside. These mountain mosquitoes bite fierce and venomous—a single welt can itch for days.”

“…”

The old monk had bites head to toe—even on his jowls.

The room was shady and cool. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving only fading afterglow. The fluorescent lamps cast a harsh white pallor on the walls. Xun Ruosu and Xue Tong perched on the bed, Yan Qing monopolized the lone stool, and the Old Abbot—mindful of his station—neither joined them on the bed nor claimed the vacant table, opting to stand obediently with hands clasped.

He could feel their targeting but had no clue what he’d done to offend.

“Amitabha.” The old monk cut straight to it. “I wonder where my hospitality fell short.”

Before Xun Ruosu could reply, Xue Tong let out a light chuckle. “That courtyard isn’t clean—something went down there these past couple days. If you want me to fix it, be upfront about it. Strong-arming us to stay with tricks and dragging ordinary people into it? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

“Not laying it all out, keeping secrets—is it because the trouble you need fixed is some dirty scandal?”

One mess unresolved, and another cropped up. Soaring Firmament Temple gleamed with holy luster, yet it snared demons and ghouls aplenty.

Even from outside the courtyard, Xue Tong had sensed something amiss. Yin chill pooled thick; sunlight struck the eyes undiminished, but precious little filtered through the canopy to the ground.

If she had to put it in words, the courtyard resembled a sealed crystal ball. The landscape inside was all illusion, with light seeping in only from without—what the eyes beheld wasn’t the full truth.

The Old Abbot’s schemes lay exposed, yet he held his serene, compassionate mien.

Xue Tong pressed on. “All this suffering of yours is just you working off your karmic obstacles. Some folks might look like they brim with malice, but they still left you an out. Otherwise, roping in an ordinary kid like Yan Qing would’ve forged unbreakable karma—you’d be shedding a layer of skin for that.”

She flicked a glance at Xun Ruosu.

Xun Ruosu eyed the ceiling, the floor, the mosquito netting—anywhere but Xue Tong.

“Worthy of your kind,” the Old Abbot said without denying his shady deeds. He sighed in everyday tones. “Some things can’t be hidden, after all.”

Night was closing in. Xue Tong still clutched the hyacinth—that was her task for the day, and any slip-up could ripple unpredictably.

“A woman once lived in this courtyard, right there in the quarters across from us. And the spot we’re in now? That’s your room, Abbot.”

Xun Ruosu’s fingertip idly rubbed the last copper coin she had left. Ferry souls through reincarnation? She couldn’t match Xue Tong there. But the Xun family’s gift lay in calculation and foresight, not passage. No secret of this courtyard could slip past her.

Xun Ruosu spoke up again. “The moon rising over the locust tree boughs is no good omen. Xue Tong has weighty duties ahead—hope you’re not dragging your feet on purpose, Abbot.”

Yin-spawned evils favored the indoors and the night. Once the summer afterglow faded, the four of them would find themselves pinned in the courtyard. Even if Xue Tong wanted to walk away, the snare was already sprung—she’d have to deal with whatever lay before her.

Xun Ruosu mused to herself, This grind-’em-down tactic to force a hand? I mastered it at fifteen. These holy folk are still too green.

Yan Qing curled himself into a ball on the too-wide chair, eyes bouncing from one to the other. He grew ever more baffled. Ice-cold to each other before dinner—now they’re teaming up against the outsider?

Then Yan Qing straightened his back. With Sis Xun and his boss there, nobody was bullying him today.