Dusk Returns to the Ruined Building

A chance encounter is sometimes more than just a chance meeting in the flow of people; it can also be a kind of obsession, especially when the encounter shouldn't have happened!

The storm in Luowu seemed to have disrupted the journeys of many, but it also changed many people.

On the official road in the mountains south of Luowu Ancient City, a man and a woman were hurrying along, looking for a place to shelter from the rain. Unfortunately, they couldn't find one, because both sides were steep cliffs.

"Grandpa, where exactly is this dilapidated temple you mentioned? Aren't you supposed to be able to observe the heavens and understand the secrets of the sky? How come you didn't foresee that it would rain so heavily tonight!"

"If I could know when it would rain or when it would be windy, why would I be running around all the time? Celestial phenomena and secrets can only be observed, not predicted!"

"Tch, it's already windy and rainy, why do you need to tell fortunes? I can do it too. I've watched you tell fortunes for others all the way here, and you're very accurate. How come you're always wrong when you tell your own fortunes?"

In the torrential rain, the two people, one old and one young, were completely obscured from view.

"Silly girl, I didn't calculate it at all, and I couldn't possibly calculate it!"

"Why? Does that mean all fortune tellers can't predict their own fate?"

In the ancient road amidst the torrential rain, a man's voice suddenly came from behind an old man and a young boy:

"No, only those who aren't afraid of death can be counted!"

"Girl, it's just ahead!"

There really was a dilapidated temple along the ancient road, and there were faint lights in the distance.

The three of them arrived at the temple almost at the same time and went inside without any hesitation.

"Grandpa, this, this isn't a temple, it's just a cave!"

The young woman fiddled with her long hair that was plastered to her face, complaining.

This is indeed a cave, but it is also a temple called Tianliu Temple. It is a temple carved out at the foot of a cliff. It has been abandoned for a long time, and even the Buddha statues are gone. However, the three characters "Tianliu Temple" are still clearly visible on the stone tablet at the entrance.

The two people behind the young woman stood motionless in front of the stone tablet, seemingly oblivious to the water flowing around them.

The young woman, of course, didn't notice; she was heading towards the campfire. But when she looked up at the fire, a scream rang out:

"Ghost!"

The young woman hid behind her grandfather, trembling all over.

"Silly girl, this is a sacred Buddhist site, how could there be ghosts here?"

The white-haired old man was still looking at the stone tablet of Tianliu Temple.

The other person who came with the two carried three long swords on his back. He turned his head and looked at the young girl, his gaze falling on the long sword in her hand.

Grandpa, look inside!

The young woman knew that even if she didn't remind him, her grandfather would definitely know who was by the bonfire inside Tianliu Temple.

The young woman also knew that it wasn't a ghost, but how could someone look like that?

He wore a white monk's robe, but half of his face was covered in hair and the other half was bald. The half with hair had a dark and gloomy expression, while the half without hair had a handsome and gentle appearance.

The young woman had never seen such a monster before. It was so strange and terrifying. In the firelight, it looked like half a vengeful ghost and half a holy monk.

"The essence of Zen does not waver with the winds and clouds; true understanding requires a wise heart! In the chaos of the world, Zen will eventually turn to dust. Though you may have a wise heart, you have not grasped its meaning. In the end, you could not escape your tribulation!"

The white-haired old man looked at the half-monk, half-ghost figure by the campfire, his expression full of regret.

"Immortal Master, you are mistaken. Fate is determined by Heaven; how can I change it?"

"What nonsense about immortal masters! They're just an anomaly among our kind!"

One person, two voices: one humble, the other arrogant.

The white-haired old man was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, while the young girl behind him quietly peeked out.

"Grandpa, you...you know this monster? There can't be many such strange creatures in Yanquan, can there?"

"Knowing full well, what is left of Fuchen Temple?"

The white-haired old man truly knew the half-monk, half-ghost man. He was Mingzhi from Fuchen Temple, the same Mingzhi who left Kongyin Temple, but now only half of Mingzhi remained.

"One floor, one plaque, one empty grave, and half a person left!"

"Since you survived back then, why didn't you come to save us?"

Mingzhi then said two more sentences: one was Mingzhi himself, and the other was another person inside his body.

"Grandpa, you didn't tell his fortune before, did you? My God, this, this can't be the result of your fortune telling, can it?"

The young woman hid behind the white-haired old man again, but she kept some distance from him.

If her grandfather had really foreseen all of this, why didn't he kill the monk back then? It's obvious that he knew the aura of the other half within him was definitely not benevolent, and that it was somewhat similar to the aura of those who came out of the Dark Realm in Sword Welcome City!

The young woman suspected that if she knew the half-ghost inside her body was a person from the Netherworld, that is, a different kind of person from the same race, then wouldn't that mean her grandfather was also a person from the Netherworld?

"Girl, are you scared? Don't you trust your grandfather anymore?"

The white-haired old man had clearly hit the nail on the head regarding the young woman's thoughts.

"I... I only trust Master Shen!"

The white-haired old man's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and after a long while, he let out a soft sigh:

"The power of obsession is truly astonishing, but how long can it last under absolute power?"

Inside Tianliu Temple, the old man and the young girl were none other than the fortune teller and Shen Jinfei, who had traveled from Youzhou to Yanquan.

Since the beginning of Jianying City, the fortune-telling master has been using secret techniques to control Shen Jinfei. Tragically, Shen Jinfei will probably break free from his control, just like Wan Ning.

The reason for the changes in both of them comes from one person—Shen Yichen!

Wan Ning's long-lost memories were awakened by Shen Yichen, but what about Shen Jinfei? It was because her obsession with Shen Yichen ran too deep!

"Girl, when you go to Luowu Ancient City, take one last look at your Master Shen, and then forget about him. Otherwise, you will become like him, neither human nor ghost!"

Shen Jinfei didn't understand; she believed that all her changes were natural occurrences.

"Grandpa, I don't have two powers within me!"

Shen Jinfei could see that Mingzhi had become like this because of the conflict between different forces within his body.

Inside Tianliu Temple, an old man carrying three swords stroked his beard, quietly observing from the sidelines. There was a hint of a smile, a hint of doubt, a hint of composure, and a hint of intrigue in the corner of his eye!

The old man gained a lot; the unexpected encounter on the rainy night was truly a delightful surprise!

"Immortal Master, the world is in turmoil. If one has no obsessions, how can one survive in such a chaotic world?"

"You haven't forgotten me, have you?"

Knowing that he could no longer control his body on his own, the half-monk, half-ghost continued to work together.

The old fortune teller reached out and touched the stone tablet, his eyes filled with deep affection, his hand gently stroking the three characters "Tianliu Temple".

"Sometimes living is actually worse than dying, isn't it? You know that although your master is dead, he is still protecting Fuchen Temple. And you? You seem to be alive, but you will never step into Fuchen Temple, which raised and nurtured you!"

Even though he didn't refute it, he knew it in his heart. This was also the reason why he left Fuchen Temple. He knew he couldn't bear to see Fuchen Temple defiled because of him.

Even so, I still feel guilty towards Fuchen Temple and even towards the entire Buddhist community!

"Immortal Master, I have entered the martial world seeking only one method: Fuchen Temple must not be deprived of its incense offerings because of me!"

"Incense offerings? Hmph, ask yourself, are you even worthy of carrying on the legacy of Fuchen Temple?"

The fortune teller actually shed tears; indeed, the tears fell on the character "流" (liú, meaning "to flow").

Shen Jinfei was truly shocked. Only now did she realize that the fortune-telling master was probably connected to Tianliu Temple, and the connection was quite close!

Shen Jinfei could also see that the reason why Mingzhi hadn't been swallowed up by his other half was probably because of his obsession with this inheritance.

"And you? Have you forgotten your obsession?"

Half-Ghost knew his expression was somewhat ferocious, but the fortune-telling master hadn't responded to him at all, which made him really angry!

The moment the fortune teller entered Tianliu Temple, Half-Ghost knew that he was more overjoyed than anything else. A thousand years had passed, and he was reunited with an old friend. How fortunate he was! But the person in front of him seemed to have changed. There was not a trace of the person from back then.

"If it's an obsession, how can it be easily let go?"

The old man carrying three swords on his back interjected at this moment, his words sounding more like a sigh!

Shen Jinfei involuntarily took a few steps back and stopped at the entrance of Tianliu Temple, ready to flee at any moment.

She can enter Luowu Ancient City tomorrow, and Shen Jinfei doesn't want any unforeseen complications.

In Tianliu Temple, these three people were all very strange, and they were all wary of each other.

"When I was young, I went to the Ji family with my master. You should have met me before, right?"

The fortune teller turned to look at the old man carrying three swords. From the moment they met, the fortune teller knew that this man was from the Ji family and was no ordinary person. But why didn't he recognize him? Yet the sense of familiarity he felt was so strong!

"The past is like smoke, why bother trying to dispel the fog? Are you really from the realm of darkness?"

"The past is like a dream; what lies within that dream, I do not know!"

The fortune teller and the swordsman from the Ji family had barely opened their mouths when the tension between them was already palpable!

The swordsman from the Ji family smiled slightly and whispered:

"To put it another way, is the Chosen One also related to the Dark Realm?"

Inside Tianliu Temple, everyone was shocked, because all of them had come to Luowu Ancient City to find the chosen one, Shen Yichen.