Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
The Solitary Temple’s Abbot, Grand Master Dao Zhi, looked kind and honest but was actually a despicable presence.
He had allowed the fellow monks to commit debauched acts inside the temple, lied to the believers, and pocketed the offerings himself. Upon the exposure of his crimes, he had been beheaded before the masses at the entrance of the market.
When the head of Grand Master Dao Zhi had landed on the ground, the people in the city had cheered and celebrated, wishing that the beheading could be performed once more.
However, according to the female ghost of Chai Cuiqiao, Grand Master Dao Zhi was actually not a human but a monkey demon known as a mandrill.
On the day of the execution, he had combined osteotomy and illusion to make the executioner and the spectating masses believe that he had indeed been beheaded, thus successfully escaping.
In the month of July every year, he would return to the Solitary Temple, take out the old wine he preserved deep underground, and invite various demons for company.
Chai Cuiqiao was an earthbound ghost, and her cultivation was quite on par with the mandrill’s. However, the mandrill was as tall as a giant and had a human face and long arms. Its bloodlust was extremely strong, which resulted in ordinary ghosts melting or corroding if they came too close to it. Revenge was hence impossible.
In the past, when Grand Master Dao Zhi had returned to the Solitary Temple, Chai Cuiqiao had merely hidden underneath the temple and concealed her aura. She was filled with immense hatred, yet she had no choice but to bear down and tolerate this.
Therefore, upon discovering that Li Ang and company possessed extraordinary skills, her first thought was to make them help her kill the enemy mandrill regardless of the method she would have to use.
She would threaten or lure them.
“That mandrill possesses quite a number of Buddhist Dharma instruments. One of them is an impermeable violet-gold robe, another is a violet-gold alms bowl that can absorb moonlight and transform it into Spirit Qi droplets, and the last is a Vajrasaki that can stop attacks and crush stones.”
Chai Cuiqiao added solemnly, “The most valuable of the three is the violet-gold alms bowl. An ordinary cultivator could only collect an extremely small amount of Spirit Qi even after a long time. With the alms bowl, one’s cultivation rate will soar.
“Great demons are very rare. In addition, the mandrill is indeed quite powerful. Otherwise, he would have been killed for his possessions a long time ago.
“If you guys are willing to kill that mandrill with me, I want none of the three Dharma instruments he possessed. When it is all over, I will even give all of you a huge present…”
Chai Cuiqiao did not clarify what the present would be. Instead, she smiled mysteriously.
He he… Li Ang smirked. Only a fool would believe you.
“This matter is very severe, so I can’t make a decision on my own. If you don’t mind, I will discuss it with my friends first.”
Chai Cuiqiao held onto the Molotov cocktail and nodded with a smile. Li Ang dragged Xing Hechou and the rest off to the side, pushed their heads together, and discussed this.
Li Ang asked with a frown, “What do you guys think?”
“I have no opinion,” Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles said slowly. “However, I have always believed that man and ghosts cannot be together. The spirits of people killed by a tiger will be trapped near the animal and help the tiger lure others in.
“We are being trapped in the Solitary Temple with no way of obtaining any proof from the outside world to verify that this female ghost is telling the truth.
“What if she is working for that mandrill?
“She might be using this to lure us in and make us wait inside the temple while the mandrill comes to kill us.”
Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles, who looked like a greasy middle-aged man had once been hotblooded.
However, in the past, several people had made use of his kindness, making him become less trusting and more pessimistic about human nature.
Since it was impossible to differentiate between the truth and lies, one had to harden one’s heart and become indifferent instead.
“From the sake of profit, I support killing her.” Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles glanced at the silent teammates and then said bluntly, “She just tried to kill us. Now that we dug her bones out and pose a threat to her, we need to listen to her claims?”
Xing Hechou was hesitant, while Liu Wudai remained silent. Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles took a deep breath, looked at monk Hui Bing, and tested to see if he could form an alliance. “Reverend Hui Bing, as you heard, that female ghost died because of a monk. What if she suffered from Monk PTSD after death? What if she tried all kinds of methods to kill you in these seven days?”
Hui Bing grimaced and prayed, maybe because he could die at any time or because the reputation of Buddhism was being ruined by someone.
“Miss Liu? Brother Xing? If we hesitate any longer, an unexpected situation might occur. The night is still young.” Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles hurried them along.
Xing Hechou seemed to make a decision. “We can first pretend to cooperate with her and survive for a few days. On the seventh day, regardless of whether the mandrill comes, we will be sufficiently prepared to deal with any situation that occurs. What do you think, Little Li?”
“Me?” Li Ang chuckled, licked his lips, and replied softly, “I agreed with you, Brother Xing.”
“First scenario: We fail to find the account book to predict that a lewd monk once hid away in the Solitary Temple, discover the secret of the Solitary Temple, or dig out Chai Cuiqiao’s bones.
“We might have to fight to our deaths without communicating with Chai Cuiqiao.
“In that case, our main quest will remain linked to Chai Cuiqiao in these seven days.
“Second scenario: We find the account book, discover the Solitary Temple’s secret, and dig out Chai Cuiqiao’s bones, yet we refuse to cooperate with her.
“Then, a battle will break out once again. We could take the initiative to kill her directly by paying a price.
“Third scenario: We pretend to agree to Chai Cuiqiao’s request in exchange for a safe period of six to seven days. That period will be sufficient for us to come up with a plan, to find even more clues in the Solitary Temple, and to take precautions or action.
“If the mandrill really comes on the seventh day, we can change our tactics in accordance with its strength, betray Chai Cuiqiao, or kill the mandrill with her.”
As he smiled and waved at Chai Cuiqiao, who was far away, Li Ang explained to his teammates in an extremely calm, cool, and logical manner, “In conclusion, I suggest that we temporarily cooperate with Chai Cuiqiao. However, it would be best if her skeleton remained with us.”
Majority ruled. After discussing the plan, everyone returned to speak with Chai Cuiqiao and agreed with her suggestion. The prerequisite, however, was that the skeleton had to be guarded by the team.
Unexpectedly, the female ghost did not express any intense displeasure about that request. Instead, she added a condition of her own.
“In seven days, the mandrill will hold the banquet and various demons will gather at the Solitary Temple for seven days. If you all pretend you have received an invitation, you can attend the banquet. However, some people might recognize me.”
Chai Cuiqiao lowered her head, blushed, and told Li Ang, “To prevent being discovered, I hope to be able to hide inside your body, Mr. Li.”
This might be the best way to hide her identity while successfully controlling the team. After all, Li Ang was the weakest of them all.
Xing Hechou frowned slightly and was about to reject this suggestion when Li Ang snickered, stepped forward, walked up to Chai Cuiqiao, and knelt as though he was about to give her a piggyback ride. “Alright.”
Almost at the same moment that he knelt down, at an angle no one could see, Li Ang’s Cat’s Eye flashed.
Chai Cuiqiao froze on the spot, looking dazed. To outsiders, she looked like she was contemplating how to enter his body.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Li Ang, who maintained his position, silently adjusted the Cat’s Eye’s effects. After the battle with the black corpse, he had become more proficient in Illusion. He was confident he could control a ghost like Chai Cuiqiao.
Possession was okay, but he needed to have a way to counterattack.
Li Ang silently canceled Illusion. The female ghost did not know that she had been dazed for three seconds. She nodded, her feet remaining planted on the ground as her upper body stretched like melted rubber. Then, she slowly covered Li Ang’s back.
In the end, that deathly-pale face merged with his.
Ears protruded from Li Ang’s eyes, fingers from his nostrils, hair from his teeth, and a white thigh from his stomach.
The creepiness of this situation gave Xing Hechou and the rest chills.
After a long while, the human and the ghost merged successfully and the strange facial features started to slowly dissipate.
“How are you feeling?” Xing Hechou asked with concern. “Are you feeling any discomfort?”
Li Ang was silent for a moment. Then, he pressed Chai Cuiqiao’s nose, which was protruding from his cheek, grinned, and gave everyone a thumbs-up. “This feeling is cool.”