Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Night Visit to the Back Hill

Walking past the shadowy path, one could see the vegetable patch behind the mountain.

No one was working at night, and the vegetable patch was empty.

However, there were still lights on in the monk’s quarters.

The monks generally follow the precepts and are disciplined. They wake up early every day for morning prayers, and although they don’t go to bed very early, they all rest after the hour of Hai. This was what Kong Chan told him, and indeed on the previous night when he explored the temple, it was like this.

Was there someone not asleep at the first stroke of the hour of Zi?

Huangfu Jingchen decided to go and take a look.

However, he was very cautious. The vegetable patch here was a large, open space, which could be seen from afar. If someone was standing in the shadows, he would be blatantly in their sight.

Therefore, he circled around, using the cover of the tree shadows to quietly sneak closer.

In the main hall, on the left and right walls were candle holders with two candles lit, but there was no one there. Huangfu Jingchen remembered, from the angle he had seen from the vegetable patch, it shouldn’t have been the main hall. This means that not only was the main hall lit, but other rooms were too.

But obviously, he couldn’t go directly from the main hall.

He walked along the outer wall again. The side had no lights and was dark. As he continued, this monk’s quarter appeared small from a distance, but when close, it was not small at all.

Moreover, from here, one could see the cloister and pavilion.

Who would have thought that this secluded place behind the mountain, supposedly for vegetable-growing monks’ respite, was built with such continuous structures, not smaller than those in the front yards, and even more exquisite.

Only after passing the cloister did he see a light in the third room up ahead.

Huangfu Jingchen looked around. The moonlight was shining there, making eavesdropping outside the door very easy to be discovered. The view was too broad; anyone approaching from a distance could see it.

He pondered for a moment, then lightly leaped, flipping over the side eaves and moving along the roof, pressing himself flush against the tiles where lamplight seeped through the seams.

There was no sound inside.

However, after a while, a lantern came from afar, approaching from the opposite direction from where Huangfu Jingchen had come.

Both sides formed a Chinese character “入” shape. Whether coming from either side, at the corner formed by “入”, there was no room for concealment or instantaneous avoidance of each other’s sight.

Huangfu Jingchen looked at the lantern, recalling the unobstructed opening outside that room’s door, and couldn’t help but secretly feel fortunate.

Fortunately, he thought carefully beforehand and didn’t eavesdrop at the door, otherwise, when that person arrived, he would have been the first thing they’d see.

The person walked briskly, perhaps having something in mind or feeling at ease here, without looking around, heading directly to that room’s door.

At the door, he knocked lightly, and a voice inside called, “Come in!”

The door creaked open, the person went in, and it creaked again.

The previous person said in a deep voice, “What’s the matter?”

The latter person’s voice was somewhat urgent: “Supervisor Senior Brother, something happened!”

“What happened?”

The latter person’s voice was a mix of frustration and a hint of self-justification, but spoke quickly to clarify the situation: “This evening, as we were tidying up before dinner, a girl came from the front, very attractive. She was alone, so we captured her and locked her in the woodshed. Initially, we intended to report to Senior Brother later and let him have the first try. But Junior Jue Shi said the girl didn’t seem like a countryside girl. Though alone, she might have some identity. To be cautious, it’d be best to find out her origin to avoid bringing trouble to the temple. When the three of us went to ask, we found out she’s a Jianghu person, and her father is a Sect Leader of some Sword Sect!”

Huangfu Jingchen’s heart stirred upon hearing this, thinking that this person might be referring to Sang Xuewei?

Sang Xuewei had been insisting on investigating, and he hadn’t seen her all day. She said her father’s name was Sang Daokun, with an arrogant look. Could it be that Sang Daokun is actually some Sword Sect Leader?

No wonder she made those statements when asking for marriage.

What a reckless person!

Why would she come to this remote mountain by herself to investigate?

Intentionally alerting the enemy?

She even got herself involved.

From this conversation, Huangfu Jingchen quickly analyzed the problem: this monk’s quarter indeed had issues. Just by seeing Sang Xuewei, a lone girl coming alone, they captured her, locked her up, and even talked about letting the Supervisor try her.

How exactly to try? Is there even a need to guess?

Even if Huangfu Jingchen had no experience in the Jianghu, he knew what this meant.

A blaze of anger surged within him.

This was supposed to be pure Buddhist land, yet such things happened here behind the mountain.

Moreover, from their conversation, it seemed they might have previously targeted other female incense guests too. But they picked those countryside women, with the large Shian Temple being oppressive to guests, coupled with the widespread reputation of the Bodhisattva’s efficacy, making monks be regarded as half-deities, no one would suspect the back-mountain monks committing such atrocious acts!

If he hadn’t encountered it, he couldn’t do anything, but now that he had, he had to rescue Sang Xuewei.

Even if Sang Xuewei was not particularly sensible and arrogant.

But it was a human life. Besides, Sang Xuewei, although coercive, never crossed his bottom line; ignoring would have been enough.

The earlier voice angrily said, “Reckless! You’re becoming more audacious! Master repeatedly instructed us to act cautiously, yet you dare to mess up?”

“Calm your anger, Senior Brother, didn’t she deliver herself?”

“Would anyone dare to wander around without some backing?”

“She knows some martial arts, but it wasn’t difficult to handle, we just sprinkled some drug powder, and subdued her quickly!”

“How did you find out her father’s identity?”

“Well, didn’t she keep shouting her father’s identity, saying he wouldn’t let us off, that’s how we knew. It might not even be true, perhaps she was bluffing?”

“I told you long ago, know your facts before acting! Did you take my words as wind in your ears?”

“Senior Brother, you don’t know, the girl is too beautiful and alone, we couldn’t resist!”

“Did anyone see her going to the back mountain?”

“No… No one!”

The previous voice mused, “Keep her locked up first, watch the situation. Once captured, you mustn’t release. If anyone asks, just feign ignorance! Everyone needs to be careful!”

“Yes!”

“Where is she?”

“In the woodshed… it was pitch black there. The brothers were also flustered then… Should we move her?”

“Forget it, let her stay in the woodshed for now!” that person said, “You go first, everyone stay vigilant tonight.”

The door creaked open again.

The earlier voice called, “Wait!”

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