God Slayer: Make Up for the Past

Lin Yao's silver dagger sliced ​​through the last wisp of black smoke, and the small evil spirit completely dissipated. The three of them were finally able to breathe, but the oppressive feeling brought by the huge evil spirit did not dissipate. Instead, it surged like a tide, tightly strangling their throats.

"Ancient temple..." Pan Yue adjusted his glasses, a cold light flashing across the lenses. "It seems that the lair of these evil spirits is there."

Chu Feng nodded, clutching his aching leg, and staring intently at the ancient temple not far away, shrouded in the darkness. The temple's outline was blurred in the darkness, with only the occasional crisp chimes from the wind chimes hanging from the eaves. But at this moment, the sound sounded more like the whispers of the dead, eerie and terrifying.

The three approached the temple cautiously. The vermilion temple door had long since faded, revealing the dark wood beneath. A flickering candlelight could be seen through the cracks in the doorway, casting a strange, distorted shadow on the surrounding trees. A chilly air seeped from the temple door, blending with the cool night breeze and sending a chill through the air.

Upon entering the temple, a strong scent of sandalwood hits you, yet it can't mask the eerie atmosphere that permeates the air. The temple is dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps emitting a faint glow, illuminating the surrounding Buddha statues. These statues, each in a different form and with solemn expressions, seem to stare down at you in the dim light, creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.

"Something...is not right here." Lin Yao whispered, tightening the dagger in her hand.

Suddenly, an old voice came from the depths of the hall: "Who are you? How dare you trespass into Qingxin Temple!"

An old man in a gray Taoist robe walked out slowly. His face was serious, and his eyes were sharp as he glanced at Chu Feng and the others. He was the elder of the Night Watch—Elder Sun.

"Elder Sun, we received news that a spirit child controlled by an evil spirit appeared here." Chu Feng explained hurriedly.

"Nonsense!" Elder Sun shouted sternly, "That spirit child has been completely controlled by the evil spirit and is a dangerous existence! Don't get close to him, or he will be corrupted by the evil spirit!"

"But..." Chu Feng wanted to explain, but was interrupted by Elder Sun.

"There is no but! As an elder of the Night's Watch, I order you to leave here immediately!" Elder Sun's tone left no room for questioning.

"Elder Sun, we must first check the situation!" Chu Feng insisted, "If the spirit boy can still be saved, we can't give up on him!"

"Are you questioning my judgment?" Elder Sun's expression darkened. "I say again, leave immediately! Otherwise, expect to be punished by the Night Watch!"

Chu Feng's brows knitted together. He knew Elder Sun's stubbornness and the situation he was in. He glanced at Pan Yue and Lin Yao beside him, feeling helpless... "Elder Sun..."

Chu Feng took a deep breath, trying to suppress his inner anxiety. "Elder Sun, we understand your concerns, but we can't just sit back and do nothing. The spirit boy might still be saved, and we must try."

Elder Sun snorted coldly, flicking his sleeves and turning his back. "Save? How can you save? You're just an apprentice night watchman, you can't even save yourself, and you still want to save someone controlled by an evil spirit? You're overestimating your abilities!"

"But..." Chu Feng wanted to fight for it, but was rudely interrupted by Elder Sun.

"Enough! I don't want to hear any more excuses! Leave immediately, this is an order!" Elder Sun's voice was full of unquestionable majesty. He didn't even look back at Chu Feng, as if looking back any longer would be a waste of time.

Chu Feng felt a deep sense of powerlessness wash over him. He knew Elder Sun's stubbornness, and he also knew his current situation. He was just a trainee Night's Watchman, with almost no say in the Night's Watch. Faced with the Elder's orders, he was powerless to resist.

He turned to look at Pan Yue and Lin Yao, his eyes filled with helplessness and apology. Lin Yao bit her lower lip, her eyes flashing with unwillingness, but she knew that nothing she said now would help.

Just when Chu Feng was about to give up, Pan Yue suddenly tugged at his sleeve and gestured for him to look at the ground. Chu Feng followed Pan Yue's gaze and found some tiny footprints on the ground, almost covered by dust and difficult to detect without careful observation.

Pan Yue lowered his voice and whispered in Chu Feng's ear, "These footprints are very fresh, as if left by bare feet, and are about the same size as the spirit boy's feet. Look, the direction of the footprints is leading to the back hall..."

Chu Feng's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the spirit child had just passed by? He immediately understood Pan Yue's intention. If he could find the spirit child and prove that he hadn't been completely controlled by the evil spirit, perhaps he could convince Elder Sun.

He quietly winked at Pan Yue and Lin Yao, signaling them to follow him. The three of them carefully followed the direction of the footprints, trying not to make any noise, for fear of disturbing Elder Sun.

The light in the rear hall was even dimmer, and the air was filled with a smell of decay. The dilapidated Buddha statues, scattered scriptures, and thick dust all seemed eerie and strange.

The footprints extended deep into the back hall and disappeared behind a collapsed Buddha statue. The three held their breath and slowly approached the Buddha statue.

Suddenly, Chu Feng heard a soft sobbing sound, like a child crying, intermittent, full of fear and helplessness. He suddenly raised his head and looked behind the Buddha statue...

"Elder Sun..." Chu Feng's voice trembled slightly, yet was filled with uncontrollable excitement. He pushed aside the wreckage of the collapsed Buddha statue and saw a thin figure huddled in a corner, trembling. It was the missing spirit child! He was dressed in tattered clothes, his eyes closed, and he was mumbling something. But listening closely, it wasn't the mumbling of an evil spirit, but rather the fragmented recitation of Buddhist scriptures.

"Look, the spirit boy still retains his consciousness and he is hiding from the evil spirit!" Chu Feng pointed at the spirit boy and said to Elder Sun in a firm tone.

Elder Sun's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He quickly walked to the Buddha statue and carefully observed the spirit boy's condition. The spirit boy's face was filled with fear, and his body was trembling constantly, but the Buddhist scriptures he was chanting were clearly audible. This certainly didn't seem like he was completely controlled by an evil spirit.

Elder Sun's brow furrowed, and his heart began to waver. Could it be that he had really wronged these two young men?

At this moment, a chilling aura emanated from the depths of the rear hall, accompanied by a chilling shriek. The ground began to shake, and the murals on the walls began to distort, as if something was about to break through.

"Oh no, it's an evil spirit!" Pan Yue's face changed and he immediately drew out the dagger from his waist.

Almost at the same time, several dark shadows emerged from the depths of the rear hall, like ghosts, and rushed towards Chu Feng and the others. These evil spirits had twisted bodies, hideous faces, and emitted a nauseating stench.

"Protect the spirit boy!" Chu Feng shouted, standing in front of the spirit boy. He picked up a fallen wooden beam and swung it like a giant club, fiercely knocking the evil spirit away.

Pan Yue calmly observed the evil spirits' attacks. He discovered that while these small minions were numerous, their attacks were singular and their speed was not particularly fast. He used the scattered debris in the temple as cover, nimbly dodging the attacks while looking for opportunities to strike back.

Chu Feng noticed some ancient runes carved into the temple's beams. With an idea, he slammed the beam against one of the rune-carved pillars. The rune activated, emitting a dazzling golden light. Wherever the golden light touched, the small evil spirits let out shrill screams and dissipated in wisps of black smoke.

"These runes can restrain evil spirits!" Chu Feng shouted excitedly.

The two of them worked in perfect harmony, using the temple's environment and the power of runes to repel wave after wave of minions and evil spirits. However, just when they thought they had victory, something unexpected happened.

The spirit boy who was originally curled up in the corner suddenly disappeared.

At the same time, an even more powerful evil spirit aura emanated from the depths of the rear hall, sweeping towards them like a surging tide. This aura was several times more powerful than the previous small evil spirits, and even made Chu Feng and Pan Yue feel suffocated.

"Oh no, it's a more powerful evil spirit!" Pan Yue said with a serious expression.

"Spirit boy...Spirit boy is missing..." Chu Feng looked around but could not find any trace of Spirit boy. An ominous premonition arose in his heart.

Suddenly, a sinister voice rang out from the depths of the rear hall: "You... all must die..."

Chu Feng and Pan Yue exchanged a glance, each seeing a look of determination in the other's eyes. They gripped their weapons tightly and headed towards the source of the sound... "We must find the spirit boy..." Chu Feng whispered.