"We were too exhausted last night and didn't get a chance to ask: Miss Kong Que, why were you targeted by an assassin?" Meng Jingzhou asked, ever righteous and eager to champion a good cause.
Kong Que pondered in silence for a moment. These three had saved her life the previous night and were trustworthy; there was no harm in telling them. "It's inconvenient to talk here. How about we head to my room?"
Three men and two women—the five of them went to Kong Que's room.
Kong Que poured tea for the four of them. Setting down the teapot, she began slowly, "This matter started after my master left the temple.
"The Daoist temple my master ran was called the Shanhe Daoist Temple, and there were only the two of us there.
"In his youth, Master racked up many romantic debts, and his former lovers frequently came knocking on our door. Over time, seeing that my cultivation had progressed and that I was capable of protecting myself, Master used the excuse of traveling the world to leave the temple and flee his debts.
"Once word got out that Master had left, the number of visits from those lovers dropped noticeably. The temple grew quiet and lonely, leaving me entirely on my own.
"Then one day, while meditating in my room, I heard a loud crash in the courtyard. I ran out to look and found a blood-soaked man had crashed into the yard.
"He was handsome, but critically injured, his robes drenched in blood.
"Without thinking twice, I carried him inside, cut open his clothes, and treated his wounds.
"He remained unconscious for about a week. I don't know what kind of cultivation method he practiced, but his wounds gradually healed on their own.
"When he finally woke up, he was a man of few words. He didn't even offer a word of thanks, and he refused to leave the temple. I couldn't very well throw him out, so I had no choice but to let him stay.
"Another month passed, and his injuries fully recovered. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist, said he had fallen for me, and told me he wanted me to leave with him.
"I didn't even know his name or background. He was overbearing and gripped my wrist so hard it hurt. After wrestling free, I flatly refused him.
"The corners of his lips curled into a cold smirk. He said that throughout his entire life, no one had ever dared defy his orders—I was the first. He added that anyone who caught his eye either became his or became a corpse. If I refused to go with him, he would send an endless stream of assassins to hunt me down. With that, he left.
"I didn't know if he was bluffing or not, but there was an unsettling, wicked air about the way he spoke. Terrified, I packed my bags that very night, thinking that if I came to a bustling city, the assassins he dispatched wouldn't dare come after me.
"That was how I ended up here in Chunjiang City, and where I crossed paths with my sister and you three young heroes."
"Arrogant bastard, isn't he?" Meng Jingzhou raised an eyebrow. Even he, the dignified Holy Son of the Heavenly Court Cult—not to mention the slacker Young Cult Master beside him—never acted like that.
"Rest assured, Miss Kong Que. With us around, no assassin can touch you!"
"Amitabha, so that's what happened."
"It seems last night's assassin was only the first," Shi Chan remarked. "There will be more attempts on Benefactor Kong Que's life in the future."
Shi Chan retrieved a string of sandalwood prayer beads from his sleeve and presented it to Kong Que. "These prayer beads have been blessed with this poor monk's aspiration power. They can withstand attacks from the Nascent Soul stage for a quarter of an hour, and I will also sense when they are triggered. Please accept them, Benefactor Kong Que, to ensure your safety."
"N-Nascent Soul stage?"
Kong Que was dumbfounded. How many spirit stones must this be worth? She couldn't afford something so precious even if she sold herself!
"I... I can't afford this."
Shi Chan smiled gently and placed the beads into her hand. "The Buddha said that saving a life is better than building a seven-tiered pagoda. This poor monk will naturally reap good karma; there is no need for you to give anything in return. I only ask that you refrain from evil and do good deeds in the future—that will be reward enough."
"Then... thank you, Master!"
Kong Que treated the beads like a priceless treasure, wrapping them in a handkerchief and tucking them carefully into her robes.
"This is the second time I've received the grace of Buddhism," Kong Que said with a radiant smile.
"The second time?"
"The first was a story our mother told us, from before my sister and I were born. I was separated from my family when I was very young, so my memory of it is rather faint.
"Sister, you probably remember it clearer than I do, right?"
Fu Ling gave a soft hum of agreement and explained, "Initially, Father and Mother struggled for a long time to conceive a child. By chance, they heard that an eminent monk at Gulin Temple was renowned for granting prayers for children, so Mother went to Gulin Temple to seek out that monk, who went by the name of Master Yuxin.
"Sure enough, after she returned, Mother became pregnant.
"Mother often said that our birth was a blessing from Buddhism and a boon granted by the Buddha, and that we must accumulate merit and do good deeds to repay the grace of the Buddha bringing us into this world.
"After my sister went missing, Mother visited Gulin Temple again to seek Master Yuxin's guidance, but by then, Master Yuxin had already passed away."
Lu Yang wore a strange expression. For Master Yuxin's method of granting children to take effect so fast... was it even legitimate?
Lu Yang turned to ask Shi Chan, "Have you heard of Gulin Temple or Master Yuxin?"
Shi Chan shook his head gently. "There are countless temples under heaven; this poor monk cannot know them all. As for Master Yuxin, I have never heard of him either. Perhaps he was an eminent monk who chose to live in seclusion among the common folk."
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Someone knocked loudly on Kong Que's door.
"Is Miss Kong Que inside?"
Kong Que instantly went on high alert, staring fixedly at the door as a heavy sense of danger gripped her heart. "Who is it?"
"From the yamen."
Kong Que was baffled and grew even more vigilant. Why would people from the yamen be looking for her? When she reported the incident last night, she had already told them everything she could.
Lu Yang frowned. Scanning with his divine sense, he confirmed that the people outside were indeed constables—at least, they wore constables' uniforms.
Moreover, their cultivation was not low; they were at the Golden Core stage, and a faint scent of blood lingered on them, indicating they had just killed someone.
Lu Yang shot her a reassuring glance, signaling that with them present, there was nothing to fear, and told her to open the door.
Kong Que plucked up her courage and opened the door to reveal three unfamiliar constables.
The constables were also startled to see three men and two women crammed into Kong Que's room.
*Why are there so many people in here?*
"Which of you two ladies is Miss Kong Que?"
The lead constable couldn't tell Fu Ling and Kong Que apart. It would be a laughingstock if he addressed the wrong person.
"I am. May I ask what this is about?" Kong Que said flatly.
"This concerns Miss Kong Que's privacy. Would you please step outside for a moment?"
Kong Que grew even more guarded and shook her head firmly. "Everyone here is trustworthy. You can say it right here."
The lead constable hesitated for a second before deciding to respect her wishes.
"It's like this. Based on the explanation you provided last night regarding why the assassin targeted you, combined with the employer named in the assassin's confession, we reported the situation up the chain of command overnight. Using those leads, we managed to track down the man who ordered the hit on you.
"The provincial governor deemed him a malignant tumor and ordered our immediate mobilization.
"Just moments ago, in a joint operation across several cities, we raided the man's stronghold and took him into custody. A total of three Soul Formation cultivators, fifteen Nascent Soul cultivators, and numerous Golden Core cultivators took part in the operation, myself included.
"We just wanted to confirm with you, Miss Kong Que—is this the man?"
With that, the constable pulled a sheet of paper from his chest robes. Depicted on it was a handsome man who carried a distinct trace of wickedness.
Kong Que: "..."
*The authorities sure work fast.*
Chapter 662