The second day was overcast.

Heavy black clouds hung low in the sky, shrouded in gray mist, making even daytime appear dim. The wind made the lanterns under the medical shop’s eaves sway precariously. Lu Tong, carrying her medicine box, got into the carriage with Yinzheng.

Du Changqing had hired the carriage for them, and it had been waiting at the door early.

Wan’en Temple was located at the top of Mount Wangchun, and from West Street, it would take at least half a day’s journey by carriage. Du Changqing had given Lu Tong one day off, only asking her to return by tomorrow evening to close the shop.

As the carriage hurried along, Yinzheng couldn’t help but lift the curtain to look outside, both amazed by the brilliant scenery along the way and anxious about rain making the muddy roads difficult to traverse.

Fortunately, heaven favored them – although dark clouds pressed down on the city, the rain only started falling when they reached the temple gates at the mountaintop. When it first began, the rain wasn’t heavy, creating a misty water screen that added a sense of serene remoteness to the ancient temple nestled among the dense vegetation.

The driver said cheerfully from the front, “Miss, we’re almost at the temple gates.”

Lu Tong lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside through the gap.

Wan’en Temple was enormous and sprawled across a vast area. Starting from the middle of Mount Wangchun, both sides of the mountain’s stone walls and staircases were carved with various Buddhist images and totems. The temple grounds were filled with locust trees, pines, and bamboo. Now with wind and rain, the bamboo grove swayed, and dusk rain fell on pear blossoms, making Wan’en Temple seem like an ancient temple from supernatural tales, where hermits found their joy.

Yet this temple was also extremely lively.

Perhaps because this temple was known for its efficacy, it attracted many worshippers. They had already seen numerous carriages on the way up the mountain, and now at the temple gates, carriages were arriving continuously, causing congestion everywhere. There were many female worshippers, people everywhere, and monks striking bells on the mountain, their sounds distant and ethereal, mixing with the smoke from burning incense.

One side was bustling, the other tranquil – both in the mortal world and transcending it, simultaneously desolate and lively.

As Lu Tong was watching, their carriage was suddenly struck hard by another, the impact nearly throwing her from her seat. Yinzheng quickly sat up straight and steadied Lu Tong, then lifted the curtain to ask outside, “What happened?”

They saw that a larger, more ornate carriage with vermillion wheels and an elaborate canopy had rudely forced its way in front of theirs. The driver of that carriage turned back to look at them, holding his whip, and said impatiently, “Hurry up and make way! If you disturb the young master, how could you bear the consequences?”

Just as Yinzheng was about to speak, Lu Tong pressed her hand, and when she turned her head, she saw Lu Tong slightly shake her head.

Yinzheng had no choice but to contain herself.

Seeing that the two of them didn’t argue, the driver snorted coldly and continued driving forward. Behind him, several similarly ornate canopied carriages followed, entering the temple gates after him.

Yinzheng said angrily, “These people are so overbearing, we were here first.”

Lu Tong lowered the curtain: “Judging by their manner, they’re of high status. There’s no use arguing, let them be.”

Yinzheng nodded in agreement.

After entering the temple gates, they both got down from the carriage, and the driver took the carriage outside to rest. He would wait for them at the temple gates tomorrow morning after the Lotus Dharma Assembly to take them down the mountain.

Lu Tong and Yinzheng first went to the monk in charge of lodging and paid ten taels of silver, and the monk then led them to the residential area.

For the Blue Lotus Assembly on the morning of the first day of the fourth month each year, many devotees were attending, and many officials and common women would come up the mountain a day early. Wan’en Temple had enough lodgings, with different prices for different areas.

For instance, the outermost Washing Bowl Garden charged one tael of silver per person per night, with ordinary rooms and simple vegetarian meals. Staying here, one couldn’t see the inner temple’s scenery.

Fortune Garden was better than Washing Bowl Garden, charging two taels of silver per person per night, with more spacious rooms and more abundant meals. Visitors could walk in the garden of their lodgings. Fortune Garden was full of flowers and trees, with clean halls and thatched cottages, having its charm.

The No Worries Garden where Lu Tong and Yinzheng were staying was more expensive, at five taels of silver per person per night. It had winding corridors, clear streams like scattered snow, and intertwined vines, unmatched in its beauty. The vegetarian meals were even more elaborate, certainly worth the five taels of silver.

Then there were Mirror Garden, Time Garden… According to Du Changqing, Wan’en Temple also had a Dust Mirror Garden, but that wasn’t something silver could buy. Only imperial relatives or highly powerful noble families could stay there.

The guiding monk walked through long pavilions and corridors toward No Worries Garden. It was now dusk, and lanterns had been lit throughout the temple. The night rain fell continuously, the sky remained dark, everything dripping steadily.

Everywhere were pilgrims holding paper umbrellas heading to their lodgings, all hurrying to avoid getting their robes wet in the rain.

Someone’s figure passed in the distance, and Lu Tong glanced over, slightly startled.

As dusk deepened, curtains were drawn in the distance, and in the solitary lamplight and night rain, the young man’s profile was handsome, his figure tall and straight. He carried no umbrella, walking in the wind and rain, appearing both elegant and spirited, showing no Buddhist detachment but rather adding a touch of mortal splendor.

The Young Master of Duke Zhaoning?

Lu Tong’s eyes flickered.

Last time at the cosmetics shop below Bao Xiang Lou, though this Lord Pei had smiled and spoken gently, he was quite calculating. Now appearing here…

She wondered if there were Imperial Guard personnel here.

As she pondered this, the monk ahead noticed she hadn’t continued following and asked somewhat puzzled, “Patron?”

Lu Tong withdrew her gaze and said, “Let’s go.”

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, there were fewer people around, until they reached a dense garden with long corridors, with rooms spaced at intervals along the corridors.

By now night was falling, and lanterns were lit inside all the corridor rooms, appearing like hazy fireflies in the night rain.

The monk pressed his palms together and asked Lu Tong with lowered eyebrows, “This is No Worries Garden, with several empty rooms remaining on the west side. Please choose one, patron.”

Lu Tong looked down the corridor and pointed to one at the end, saying, “That one will do.”

The guiding monk was somewhat surprised and kindly explained, “That room is the furthest in, it might be too quiet, and you won’t be able to see the temple views.”

“It’s fine,” Lu Tong walked forward, “I don’t like crowds, and besides, on this dark rainy night, there’s not much scenery to see anyway.”

Seeing this, the monk said no more, only led them to the last room, gave them the door key, and then left.

Lu Tong and Yinzheng pushed open the door and went in.

The room was spacious, divided into outer and inner chambers, with two long couches and clean bedding. On the table were incense burners and sutras, presumably for visitors to pass the time when bored.

Just as Yinzheng had put down their bundles, monks came bringing vegetarian dinner: a dish of fresh winter melon, a bowl of pickled bean sprouts, followed by fresh lotus root, mixed lettuce, water shield with bamboo shoots, and almond tofu – all seasonal vegetables. Finally came two bowls of green rice porridge, a small basket of auspicious fruits, and a plate of plum blossom cookies, probably in consideration of the female guests’ tastes.

After half a day’s journey, visitors arriving here naturally felt relaxed, and seeing this table of light porridge and small dishes, even the most particular person would likely develop an appetite.

Yinzheng set out the bowls and chopsticks, and seeing Lu Tong standing by the window, asked, “Miss, are you going out now?”

Lu Tong shook her head: “Not now.”

The rain had grown heavier, and no one could be seen outside. On a clear night, the view from here would be ethereally beautiful, but now with dark wind and rain, only loneliness and desolation could be seen.

Lu Tong reached out to close the window, shutting out all that dreary scene.

She walked to the table and sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and said calmly, “We’ll go out at midnight.”

[Liutong Countdown to Madness]