The Temple of Spices was everything they had expected—and more. The walls were covered in intricate carvings of strange culinary deities, their eyes glowing in the flickering torchlight. The air was thick with the scent of spices, which made Lin Feng's stomach rumble.
"Well, this is certainly… overwhelming," Jia Yun remarked, her eyes darting from one carving to another. "I feel like I'm about to be roasted alive just by breathing in here."
Lin Feng grinned, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. "Don't worry. It's just the spices. Nothing to be afraid of."
"Right," Jia Yun said, raising an eyebrow. "Until one of these carvings comes to life and throws a pepper storm at us. No big deal."
Before Lin Feng could respond, a loud quack interrupted them.
Lin Feng blinked. "Did you hear that?"
"I did," Jia Yun replied, looking around in confusion. "I thought I was going crazy."
A duck waddled out from behind one of the massive stone pillars. It had a small, glowing medallion around its neck, which Lin Feng swore looked like the one they had found earlier.
"Is that… a duck?" Jia Yun asked, utterly dumbfounded.
"Yes, that is, in fact, a duck," Lin Feng replied, unable to hold back a laugh. "And it's wearing a medallion."
The duck waddled up to them, quacking loudly, and then proceeded to circle around their feet in what could only be described as a triumphant manner.
"Look at that little guy go," Jia Yun muttered, stepping back to avoid being trampled by the feathery menace. "It's like it's trying to tell us something."
Lin Feng crouched down, examining the duck. "You think it's a guardian of the temple?"
Jia Yun gave him a look. "A duck? Really?"
"Maybe it's a... spicy duck," Lin Feng said, his voice full of mock seriousness. "Guarding the sacred spices of the temple."
"I'm not even going to ask," Jia Yun muttered.
But just as Lin Feng reached out to grab the medallion around the duck's neck, the duck quacked once more, loudly, before waddling away.
"Hey! Come back here!" Lin Feng shouted, chasing after it.
"Are you really chasing a duck right now?" Jia Yun called after him. "You're going to get us killed in a spice temple, and for what? A feathered thief?"
"Maybe this duck knows something we don't!" Lin Feng shouted, trying to grab it but missing as the duck darted to the side with surprising speed.
The chase led them deeper into the temple, where the air grew thick with the smell of spices—so thick, in fact, that Lin Feng was starting to feel lightheaded. Jia Yun was close behind, shaking her head.
"I swear, if we die in here because of a duck..."
But Lin Feng wasn't paying attention. He had finally cornered the duck in front of a large stone door, its surface covered in intricate designs.
"Gotcha!" he yelled, lunging at the duck.
The duck quacked again, and this time, the stone door began to slowly creak open.
"What the—?" Lin Feng stepped back, eyes wide. "Did it just... unlock the door?"
Jia Yun stared at the door, completely dumbfounded. "Are we really relying on a duck to get us through this temple?"
"Well, it's either the duck or we stand here and argue until we starve," Lin Feng shrugged. "I'm going with the duck."
The door opened fully, revealing a massive chamber filled with shimmering spices and glowing herbs. The atmosphere was almost mystical, like the spices themselves were alive with energy.
"Okay, this is more like it," Lin Feng said, stepping forward cautiously.
Jia Yun followed him, still glancing over her shoulder at the duck, which had now waddled inside as if it owned the place.
"We're not going to let that duck get all the glory, are we?" Jia Yun asked, smirking.
"Of course not," Lin Feng replied with a grin. "But let's not ignore the fact that it might be our best lead right now."
Just as they ventured deeper into the chamber, the duck let out another loud quack and then disappeared into the shadows.
"I'm starting to feel like we're in a bad comedy," Jia Yun sighed. "But hey, at least the duck isn't a threat."
Lin Feng chuckled. "Don't speak too soon. I'm getting the feeling that this temple has more surprises waiting for us."
And just as he spoke, a low rumbling noise echoed through the chamber. The ground beneath their feet trembled as if the temple itself was awakening. From the shadows, strange figures began to emerge—each one wielding a giant spoon, their faces obscured by smoke and spice.
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. "Well, I guess we found the guardians after all. And they're… spicy."
Jia Yun cracked her knuckles. "I'm ready for a fight. Just let me know if you need me to throw some salt in their eyes."
The battle was about to begin, and just as the first of the spice guardians lunged forward, the duck waddled back into view, watching from a safe distance.
"Okay, now I'm really starting to think we're being led by a duck," Lin Feng muttered.
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