With a creak, the wooden door slowly opened a crack, and Li Huowang peered cautiously through the gap. Soft afternoon sunlight filtered through the swaying leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. It was incredibly quiet outside. Save for a Sweeping Monk in the distance with a broom, there were no signs of anything amiss.
However, this tranquil scene appeared completely different to Li Huowang, who now fully understood the situation.
"Hmph! It's all an act; they can't fool me! They're just trying to placate me, trying to make me willingly participate in their so-called grand purgatorial fast!"
Just as he spoke, a thought flashed through his mind.
Wait, why are they doing this? I'm just an ordinary person. If they're so powerful, why don't they just force me?
This question was destined to go unanswered for now, but Li Huowang didn't need an answer. His only wish was to get as far away from this damned place as possible.
While Li Huowang was still guessing whether the distant Sweeping Monk was there to watch him, the man saw that there were no fallen leaves on the ground, picked up his broom, and turned to leave.
The Monks of Zhengde Temple haven't noticed that something is wrong with me. This is the only advantage I have right now, Li Huowang estimated internally.
There was no one outside anymore, but Li Huowang didn't leave. Instead, he quietly waited.
As time ticked by, Li Huowang's palms began to sweat.
DONG... DONG... DONG... The deep chimes of the bell echoed throughout Zhengde Temple, jolting Li Huowang. Having been there for some time, he knew the bell signified the hour of You, which also served as the dinner announcement for all the Monks of Zhengde Temple.
With a creak, a placid-looking Li Huowang left his dwelling and joined the Monks he encountered on the road, heading toward the dining hall. His appearance was perfectly reasonable; for the past few days, he had gone to eat just like this.
The dining hall was noticeably closer to the main hall where the pilgrims gathered. Since his captors relied on deceit, they definitely didn't want ordinary people to see their horrifying and dark side.
Along the way, Li Huowang noticed many Monks stealthily watching him and whispering amongst themselves, apparently still discussing the events of the afternoon. Their eyes held mockery, hostility, and curiosity.
But Li Huowang knew it was all fake; these Monks were just putting on an act.
They're all in cahoots with Xinhui. There isn't a single good person in the entire Zhengde Temple. They all want to harm me! Li Huowang concluded with conviction.
After walking at a steady pace for about the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, Li Huowang saw the bustling dining hall, filled with the bobbing shaved heads of Monks. He didn't run. Instead, he followed the crowd inside.
Taking a wooden bowl and filling it with rice, Li Huowang calmly sat on a stool and began to eat the vegetarian dishes before him. Today's meal was taro soup, stir-fried konjac with fried tofu, oil-drizzled greens, and potatoes stewed with squash. Though meatless, it tasted fairly good.
However, after what had happened, Li Huowang no longer had any appetite. To deceive them, he dared not show any unusual behavior and forced himself to eat in large mouthfuls.
A hand slapped down on his shoulder, making Li Huowang shudder violently. "Little Taoist, you're here too? Hey! Why were you running around in such a panic earlier?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Li Huowang, his mouth full of food, turned his head. Unsurprisingly, he saw that gap-toothed smile. It was the old Monk from the road. If not for him forcibly dragging Li Huowang to see some stone statues, he wouldn't be in this predicament.
The old Monk, carrying his own bowl of rice, squeezed in beside Li Huowang and sat down. "Let's eat together."
Li Huowang glanced out of the corner of his eye at the surrounding Monks, who appeared normal. After chewing the food in his mouth, he lowered his head and continued to eat. "As you wish."
"Taoist, where are your friends? Tell them not to stay at the inn. They can come eat with us. The food here is free, you know!" the old Monk said, as boisterous and oblivious as ever.
But this time, Li Huowang, anxious to escape, couldn't be bothered with him.
He finished dinner at his usual pace, let out a belch, and headed out of the dining hall. Back on the stone-paved road outside, the old Monk followed him again. "Don't go, let's talk a bit more. The Monks here are dreadfully dull."
Li Huowang licked the food from between his teeth and shot the Monk an impatient look. "Stop following me. Go back to sleep."
"Sleep? What time is it? I have something to tell you—"
The old Monk was only halfway through his sentence when he saw the young Taoist's expression, which had been perfectly fine a moment ago, turn hideously ugly.
Then, in a very low voice, Li Huowang whispered to the old Monk, "Run! The faster, the better! This temple is very dangerous!"
The next second, Li Huowang pushed hard off the ground, sprinting towards the main hall with all his might. His sudden bolt immediately caught the attention of the other Monks, who all turned to look, but he paid them no mind and kept running.
Li Huowang's heart raced, and his nerves were stretched taut as he scanned his surroundings, constantly watching for that old geezer Xinhui to appear.
A hundred feet! Fifty feet! Ten feet!
As Li Huowang burst through the side door, the world around him exploded with sound—footsteps, voices, the rhythmic beat of wooden fish—all of it crammed into his ears at once. He was back in the bustling main hall, where throngs of worshippers bumped and jostled him.
Standing in the center of the clamoring crowd, Li Huowang froze for a moment. The natural expressions on the faces around him seemed to be silently telling him something.
Gasping for air, he was struck by a thought and turned to look back at the side door he had just come through. It was empty. There were no pursuers.
In the distance, neither the Monks welcoming guests nor the Monks interpreting divination sticks so much as glanced in his direction. To Li Huowang, everything seemed so normal—so normal it was abnormal.
Could it be...? Were those really just my illusions? Did I imagine all those disgusting things?
But he quickly dismissed the absurd thought. Shaking his head forcefully, he strode toward the temple exit. He couldn't afford to take chances with something like this, not even for a second. Leaving the temple was surprisingly easy, just as it had been to enter.
Li Huowang reached the inn as quickly as possible.
Seeing Li Huowang for the first time in days, the Medicinal Guides were especially affectionate, quickly gathering around.
"Senior Brother, why have you come back? Is everything at the temple taken care of?"
"There's no time to catch up. Pack your things, quickly! We need to leave this place right now!"
"Alright, I'll go inform Band Leader Lv."
"We're not waiting for them! We leave now! Quick, quick, quick!"
"Senior Brother, where are we going?" Bai Lingmiao asked, her face full of confusion.
"Out of the pass!"