“A small secret realm?”
“An evil Buddha relic?”
Du Huan and Lady Tang exchanged glances, astonished that the matter had been resolved by three juniors before they could even act.
Moreover, from their descriptions, these three juniors hardly seemed like juniors at all. Guangyue was a fully trained disciple of Rizhao Temple, qualified to travel the world alone. Yuanjing was slightly less experienced but was the sole direct disciple of Baiyun Branch Temple, ranking high even in the main temple. Most surprising was Lu Zheng, an outer lay practitioner. From what they said, he had been the key to breaking through at two critical moments in this battle.
“A new generation surpasses the old,” Du Huan remarked.
“I feel old myself,” Lady Tang added.
“Old? Your skin is still so smooth and delicate. I’ve always been envious,” Du Huan teased.
“Really? You’re not bad yourself. It feels a bit springy when poked,” Lady Tang giggled.
“Is it? Well, that’s good then,” Du Huan replied with a laugh.
Lu Zheng and the other two stood in silence.
“Ahem!” Du Huan cleared her throat. “Although you say the matter is resolved, for safety’s sake, I will investigate that secret realm myself to be certain.”
“As it should be,” Lu Zheng nodded, pointing towards the abbot’s chamber. “It’s over there. By stimulating it with mana, you can activate the passage between the two realms and enter the secret realm.”
Duchess Huan nodded, a glint of divine light flashing in her eyes as a subtle mental wave swept over.
“Whoosh.”
A ripple, like waves on water, appeared out of thin air.
“It is indeed a passage between two realms,” Lady Tang confirmed, stepping towards the ripple and frowning. “The demonic aura is heavy.”
Yuanjing chimed in, “More than a dozen foreign entities have refined this secret realm, tainting its origin. This place has almost become a demonic domain.”
Lady Tang nodded, stepped forward, and vanished into the ripple. Du Huan gave the three a nod and followed.
Lu Zheng and the others waited outside. After about half an hour, Du Huan and Lady Tang emerged from the secret realm.
“There are no oversights. The foreign entities are all dead, but the origin of this secret realm has been thoroughly corrupted by demonic aura,” Lady Tang said, shaking her head with regret.
“What do you plan to do with this secret realm?” Du Huan asked. “Since you handled this matter, this small secret realm should rightfully belong to you. However, its origin is corrupted by demonic aura. If you have no means to deal with it, I will seal it.”
“If not sealed, creatures might accidentally enter, and if one or two foreign entities emerge, it would be troublesome,” Lady Tang added.
Lu Zheng and Yuanjing both looked at Guangyue, who wanted to rebuild Jiming Temple and thus had the most say in handling the secret realm.
After a moment of thought, Guangyue nodded. “I will purify that evil Buddha relic into a glazed relic and cleanse this secret realm along with it.”
Lady Tang raised an eyebrow, surprised. “The origin of this secret realm is already demonized. Purifying it is more troublesome than starting anew. It will take considerable effort and slow your cultivation.”
Guangyue replied solemnly, “Sealing the secret realm will eventually lead to its reopening. It’s better to thoroughly purify it to eliminate future troubles.”
Du Huan gave a thumbs-up. “Impressive. Worthy of a master from Rizhao Temple. I’m impressed.”
Yuanjing rubbed his chin. “Monk, if you don’t mind, I’ll request a Taiqing Pure Cloud Talisman from my temple to assist you. But afterwards, half of this small secret realm will belong to Baiyun Temple.”
“Amitabha. The Buddha is the Way,” Guangyue said with a smile, clasping his hands. “Besides, Brother Dao and Brother Lu contributed more than I did. If you can bring a Pure Cloud Talisman to help, how could I object?”
With a few words, the small secret realm was divided between Baiyun Temple and Rizhao Temple.
“Fine,” Du Huan nodded. It was just a small secret realm the size of a hill, not a grand secret realm or a blessed land, and its origin was corrupted by demonic aura. Aside from its seclusion, it held little value.
“Then the matter is settled,” Lady Tang said, turning to Du Huan. “Shall we head back?”
Before Du Huan could reply, Lu Zheng smiled. “It’s nearly noon. Why don’t we have lunch in the county before leaving?”
Though Lu Zheng had never navigated official circles, suggesting a meal around midday seemed like a standard move.
“Master Lu, you’re a scholar-turned-Daoist, yet you’ve picked up the ways of officialdom?” Du Huan teased, pointing at him with a smile.
“I just want to build a good relationship with my two elder sisters,” Lu Zheng said frankly, grinning.
“Hehe.”
“You do have a way with words.”
“Well then, let’s go. I’m hungry anyway.”
Neither Du Huan nor Lady Tang refused, so the five of them set off together, returning to Pingtang County. They found a clean restaurant, ordered a vegetarian feast, and enjoyed a pleasant meal.
Afterwards, Du Huan and Lady Tang departed, while Lu Zheng and the other two went to the homes that had previously invited Yuanjing for exorcisms and blessings.
By rights, their main task in Pingtang County was to perform exorcisms and blessings, with the investigation of Jiming Temple being secondary. Yet, somehow, upon arriving last night, the three had headed straight for Jiming Temple in perfect unison.
Had they not run into a pilgrim from Shaotong Mountain at the restaurant’s entrance after the meal, Yuanjing might have returned to Baiyun Temple to fetch a talisman.
They visited each household, casting a Pure Cloud Spell on each affected person. They also performed rituals to ensure the spell’s effects lingered for ten days, allowing the victims to recover quickly and well, before collecting payment and leaving.
For the hundreds who couldn’t pay, Yuanjing had the county officials gather them together. He and Guangyue performed spells to allow them to recover slowly.
Learning that Master Guangyue, who had saved them, planned to rebuild Jiming Temple on its original site, the wealthy households generously donated, quickly raising the funds needed for the reconstruction.
Of course, the previous bounty for Jiming Temple was not forgotten.
Guangyue stayed behind to oversee the temple’s reconstruction, while Lu Zheng and Yuanjing prepared to return to Tonglin County.
“Brother Lu, once Jiming Temple is rebuilt, I’ll visit to seek your guidance,” Guangyue said.
“Sure thing. I’ll be waiting,” Lu Zheng replied with a smile. “We can spar and improve together.”
Guangyue was no weakling. Spending more time with him and gaining some benefits would solidify his role as a provider of fortune’s light, wouldn’t it?
“Amitabha.”
Guangyue couldn’t shake the feeling that Lu Zheng’s gaze was a bit off, almost like how he had once looked at Lu Zheng.
Today is Lunar New Year’s Eve, and Watermelon wishes everyone a happy new year!
Wishing you great fortune in the new year!
Good health!
Success in your endeavours!
May all your wishes come true!
