Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Today, Zhu Wuyao visited a town where he had once stayed.

In my memory, there seems to be a temple in this place.

There was an old monk and a young monk in the temple. When the old monk saw Zhu Wuyao, his first words were:

"Your forehead is dark; could it be that you've encountered something unusual?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wuyao's face darkened.

What do you mean by a dark complexion? Although she is a cultivator, she has been traveling day and night for the past four or five days without being able to sleep or meditate, relying solely on her meager spiritual energy to keep going.

Who could look happy in such a distressing situation?

But since he needed a favor from someone, Zhu Wuyao, always polite, immediately put his palms together in a gesture of respect and said:

"Master, I've encountered a ghost."

She had some connection with this Master Konghui. The last time she passed through this place, there was a heretical monk in the city who had committed several murders and had his eye on the innocent young monk.

Zhu Wuyao and Master Konghui joined forces to pursue the suspect and finally killed him.

Although Master Konghui may seem like a fraud, he actually has some knowledge of Buddhism and is not at all pedantic. Zhu Wuyao and he get along quite well.

He was a monk who drank alcohol and ate meat.

Because Kong Hui believed that all things in the world are equal.

Beasts can transform into demons, and plants can become spirits.

If we only eat rice and not meat, wouldn't that be prejudice and favor one over the other?

When Zhu Wuyao heard these remarks, he felt that his values ​​had been shaken.

However, although Kong Hui was a monk, in the end, what he ate was his own business, and Zhu Wuyao didn't need to debate scriptures with him.

Monks don't eat vegetarian food, so how could she force them to?

She could only silently wish that Konghui wouldn't be wiped out by the Buddhist sect.

Upon hearing Zhu Wuyao mention "encountering a ghost," Master Konghui's expression changed, and he repeatedly said, "Amitabha."

He took several steps back.

Zhu Wuyao's face darkened even more upon seeing his cowardly appearance.

“Master Konghui, where is your compassion as a monk?”

Master Konghui, utterly shameless, said:

“Amitabha Buddha, I wish you well, benefactor. Of course, I have a compassionate heart. All things in the world are equal in my eyes.”

"Therefore, my life is just as important as yours."

"I am just one of all living beings. If I can love others, why can't I have compassion for myself?"

Zhu Wuyao choked on his words, and surprisingly found that what the monk Konghui said made a lot of sense.

The monk Konghui continued:

"Of course, since we are friends, I will make all the necessary preparations and help you pass on peacefully after your death."

Zhu Wuyao took a deep breath and said:

“Old monk, I feel that I can still be saved and do not need to be exorcised for the time being.”

Fortunately, at that moment, the young monk from the temple came out.

He was a proper monk with a certain Buddhist nature, and despite being by Kong Hui's side for so long, he hadn't been led astray.

Upon seeing Zhu Wuyao, he immediately recognized her as the sister who had once saved his life.

Moreover, this young monk possessed a certain mystical quality.

The moment they met, they noticed something unusual. A clear Buddhist light spread out with the chanting of scriptures, reaching Zhu Wuyao's side.

And the "ghost" that had remained hidden for so long finally revealed itself.

Just like the previous two times, they circled around Zhu Wuyao, weeping softly, seemingly filled with resentment and fear, yet they possessed no divine consciousness.

The young monk was quite old, but he was very capable in his work.

And he also has a compassionate heart.

Upon seeing the intense, malevolent aura, one could naturally guess that the deceased harbored resentment before death, wanting to trace the source, investigate thoroughly, and find out what unfulfilled wishes they had.

As a result, the ghost lost all consciousness.

A short while later, the Buddha's light dissipated.

"All right?"

The little monk shook his head and said, "Sister, I can't help them pass on. This is the karma you brought upon yourself."

"Did I answer it myself?"

Zhu Wuyao frowned, unable to understand how she had gotten herself into such trouble.

The monk Konghui said:

"Indeed, I was just wondering where the ghostly energy came from that could entangle a cultivator. Benefactor Zhu has already established his foundation and has considerable strength, and is currently at the peak of his spiritual energy."

"These creatures are not even ghosts; they act on instinct and will not easily get close."

"Unless... you have your own permission."

These words left Zhu Wuyao even more confused.

However, it also rules out the possibility that someone sabotaged her, which means she brought this upon herself.

"What will happen if we continue to ignore it?"

The monk Konghui said:

"Have you noticed any changes in your temperament lately, becoming unusually irritable and easily angered?"

Zhu Wuyao thought it over carefully and said frankly:

"When I'm talking to you, I always think about taking this wicked monk like you to the river for a spin, does that count?"

The monk Konghui's eye twitched, and he took two steps back.

He recited "Amitabha Buddha" again.

He said, "This is it. Over time, the evil energy and resentment carried by the ghost will merge with your soul. When it becomes irreversible, you will go mad and lose your mind."

Despite the serious consequences, Zhu Wuyao's eyes lit up.

This was much better than she had imagined. At first, Zhu Wuyao suspected a curse technique and thought she was doomed.

It seems we can still survive for a while longer.

How much time do I have left?

"About a year."

It's been this long?

Zhu Wuyao immediately felt relieved. If she still couldn't find a solution within a year, how incompetent would she have to be?

How can I survive in the world of cultivation?

By then, let alone going mad or losing her mind, she might have already died and disappeared.

"Benefactor, a year is merely the limit for the ghostly energy to completely permeate your consciousness, but before that, its influence on you will continue."

The young monk beside him reminded him:

"To attain liberation, one must travel south."

Having obtained the specific location, she felt much more at ease and rested in the temple that night.

The monk Konghui prepared fine wine and meat, and listened attentively as Zhu Wuyao recounted his recent experiences.

The young monk remained inside his room, and only occasionally could be heard chanting sutras.

It seems they are performing a ritual to send the roasted chicken in the yard to the afterlife.

Zhu Wuyao felt quite guilty while eating, and though she was feeling guilty, she was still enjoying her meal when she quietly offered a suggestion to the monk Konghui:

"When you're eating meat, and someone is chanting scriptures next to you, don't you feel ashamed?"

"Otherwise, next time we'll throw him out of the temple first, so as not to waste the delicious food."

As soon as he finished speaking, the chanting from inside the room seemed to pause for a moment.

Zhu Wuyao stayed at the temple for one night. There were two monks next to her, and she slept quite peacefully. Although the ghostly figures reappeared, she felt much more at peace.

After waking up, I lay back down.

Having rested and recuperated, I'm ready to head south.

The young monk, who possessed a Buddhist nature, only knew from the ghostly figure that the cause and effect lay in the south, but he did not know exactly where.

So she resumed her previous rhythm.

After passing through a city, he tried to explore by making connections through chess moves, and visited the southern cities one by one.

On the tenth day of her journey, she arrived at a new territory.

Zhu Wuyao calculated the time, thinking that it would be best to resolve the matter herself and settle the cause and effect, which was the right way. However, if she could not find a solution, she would have to leave time to return to the Star-Picking Tower and seek help from the sect leader.

Looking up at the city gate, the city here is quite large and is called "Ganxiao City".

It seems to have quite a story behind it.