The ancient temple sat on a mountain peak in the outskirts of Mist Arrival City, surrounded front and back by towering ancient cypresses, lush and green. At this moment, when the cold wind blew and sudden rain fell, the branches and leaves trembled, creating sounds like waves. Looking from afar, it had become a continuous, undulating green ocean.

Red walls and green tiles, the ancient monastery is deep and distant. Walking a full circle around the corridors before and behind the temple could calm even the most restless heart.

Golden Light Temple rarely had such tranquil moments. It had been located in the mountains for over a hundred years and held an extremely high and important position in the hearts of residents. Every day, worshippers came endlessly to burn incense and fulfill vows. Many wives and daughters from prominent families and wealthy merchant households in the city showed particular favor to this place.

Therefore, Golden Light Temple was always lively and bustling.

When the Buddhist treasure disappeared without reason during the Wind Prayer Festival, the abbot was startled out of seclusion, and the city lord of Mist Arrival City was furious about this, immediately ordering the temple and city sealed. This created the current scene of quiet coldness.

To avoid detailed questioning, as soon as Xue Yu arrived at the main temple, before the guards holding knives and swords could speak, she first displayed her Yedu identity token.

Su You followed behind her with lowered eyes.

Xue Yu chose to come to Golden Light Temple for two reasons: first, to ask clearly about what happened that night, and second, to see if this four-and-a-half-star mission had familiar people cooperating again.

Compared to the mission itself, she feared more a teammate who would disrupt things at the last minute with an inadequate brain.

Like Lu Qin.

Like Lu Chengze.

The young novice monk leading the way took them skillfully through the rain-soaked corridors, winding through seven turns and eight bends into a snake-shaped stone path, saying as they walked: “Female benefactor, you’ve come at an unfortunate time. Last night the city lord came personally, and our abbot went out then and still hasn’t returned.”

“However, we have a distinguished guest in the temple. If you have situations you want to understand, asking him would be the same.”

When Xue Yu traveled outside, she often had to show her Yedu token due to circumstances, but no one knew the identity of the Yedu princess. First, to avoid revealing her whereabouts and creating complications, and second, she wasn’t someone who liked ostentation or emphasized ceremony.

Therefore, although the young novice respected her, he wasn’t afraid. Occasionally, when she asked something, he answered what he could, and for what he couldn’t answer, he would scratch his head and laugh cheerfully, politely directing her to ask that distinguished guest.

Half a quarter-hour later, Xue Yu and the others reached the main hall. The young novice slipped through a side door like lightning, his voice floating into the temple before he arrived: “Miss, guests have arrived.”

“Hui Wu, before the Buddha’s face, no loud voices.” The one answering the young novice was such a light and gentle female voice.

Xue Yu’s steps paused.

She followed through the side door into the hall, where before her were dozens of Bodhisattvas and Buddha statues, some sitting, some standing, some smiling, some solemn. Behind her were gusts of wind that followed her movement inside. As if noticing the commotion behind, the woman who was bowing and burning incense before the Buddha statue suddenly turned around. When her gaze touched Xue Yu’s face, she also inevitably froze for a moment.

The person before her wore a simple moon-colored long dress, with her forehead lightly dotted with vermilion ink. Two delicate eyebrows stretched thinly across, and her eyes seemed to always contain a smile. Her entire person had an indescribable quiet temperament.

Northern Wilderness Buddhist Daughter, Shan Su.

Xue Yu’s guess was confirmed.

This truly fits the Heavenly Secret Book’s consistent style.

“Xue Yu?” Shan Su’s voice was very light, as if afraid of disturbing the Buddha statues behind her. After the initial surprise, she seemed to suddenly understand something, gently tucking her long hair behind her ear and saying softly, “Miss A Yu, please enter the side hall for detailed discussion.”

Moments later, the two sat facing each other in a small side room where monks usually rested. The side room was empty with no furnishings or decorations, appearing spacious and quiet.

Xue Yu scanned the back hall situation and asked: “What’s the situation here? Have you sorted it out clearly?”

Shan Su rose to pour her a cup of hot tea, and after very politely saying, “The temple is in chaos, crude tea and plain water, poor hospitality, please forgive me, Miss A Yu,” she answered her questions one by one.

“I arrived two days before you.” Shan Su pronounced each word very clearly, sounding like spring rain flowing through stone crevices outside: “After leaving Xihe, the Buddhist Son and I didn’t want to linger in Mountain Sea City, but just when we were about to return, we heard from our servants about the theft of Golden Light Temple’s Buddhist treasure.”

Buddhist temples throughout the world flourished from the Northern Wilderness. This matter has some connection to us, and coincidentally, I have old ties with this temple, so I came to take a look.” Shan Su remained silent for a while before shaking her head with a bitter smile: “Who knew the Heavenly Secret Book would trick me again?”

She had just arrived here, barely having time to rest, when the Heavenly Secret Book began buzzing and trembling, urging her to complete this year’s final mission. Who knew that as soon as her hand touched it, four brilliant stars jumped out as if they had been waiting eagerly for this moment, and finally, another half star was forcibly squeezed out before her eyes.

Four and a half stars.

Among the several of them, except for Xue Yu and Lu Qin, none had ever drawn missions of this difficulty.

She still had impressions in her mind – after completing the last four-and-a-half-star mission and returning, Xue Yu’s expression remained cold for half a month, while Lu Qin was completely different. When he returned, his eyes were full of mixed bloodshot lines, his whole person listless and dejected, seeing Xue Yu like a mouse seeing a cat.

Lu Chengze had even joked about this once, saying it was good they were close to Yin Ling, so they could benefit from her good luck at crucial moments.

Shan Su never had good luck. Last time, when Xue Yu and Lu Qin drew four-and-a-half stars, she didn’t fare much better, her mission difficulty being only half a star less than theirs.

Fortunately, she had a gentle, unhurried temperament that didn’t become overly anxious. Even receiving four-and-a-half stars didn’t make her particularly worried. These past two days, she had either been helping the abbot suppress those evil ghosts and wronged souls that were becoming restless due to the missing Buddhist treasure or gathering information in various wine houses and tea shops throughout the city.

“Buddhist temples throughout the world each suppress more or fewer evil ghosts and wandering souls. They weren’t evil people in life – most died from sudden disasters. After death, their obsessions don’t dissipate, so they remain in the mortal world. Ferrying them is the responsibility of Buddhist temples, and also of Northern Wilderness.”

“Among them, Golden Light Temple suppresses an especially large number.” Shan Su spoke slowly: “Mist Arrival City suffered a plague several years ago, coinciding with a change of city lord, and many people died.”

“A senior uncle from Northern Wilderness couldn’t bear such tragic circumstances, so he lent a sacred object in his possession to the Buddhist temple. It was revered as a Buddhist treasure, and as long as it remained for one day, Golden Light Temple would be bathed in Buddha’s light for one day. Over the years, the evil thoughts in the temple indeed decreased significantly.”

“Since it’s a Buddhist treasure, it must be carefully and importantly placed. How could it be stolen without reason?” Xue Yu’s slender fingertips fell on the tea bowl decorated with green plums, tapping lightly once or twice. Her eyelashes dropped down one by one, casting small shadows, presenting a contemplative appearance.

“Miss A Yu speaks correctly.” Shan Su answered gently: “Three hundred sixty-five days a year, the Buddhist treasure is guarded by two masters in the temple and placed underground, not displayed before people.”

“Not to mention ordinary families – even many monks in this temple only learned of such a treasure’s existence after the Buddhist treasure was stolen.”

Xue Yu thought for a moment and mentioned the speculation from that senior brother at Purple Myrtle Cave Mansion.

After finishing, she looked at the pattering rain scene outside the window, her eyes slightly squinting from the bright color of fresh buds on the trees: “If I remember correctly, this type of Buddhist treasure is different from the Worldly Lamp. They are very spiritual and have nearly suppressive deterrent effects on evil creatures like ghosts and demons.”

“This way, the possibility of demon and ghost perpetrators is reduced by half.”

“Buddhist Daughter might consider approaching from elsewhere – first interrogating the monks in the temple, then questioning the worshippers who came to burn incense that day.” Xue Yu’s eyes shifted slightly: “The Wind Prayer Festival is like a second Spring Festival for residents of both cities. On such a lively day, there probably weren’t many people coming to the temple to burn incense, right?”

“Thank you for informing me of the details, Miss A Yu.” Shan Su smiled at Xue Yu, her eyes and brows curving – naturally possessing a good temper that could extinguish people’s anger.

She beckoned outside, calling the young novice in and saying: “Go investigate who the worshippers were who came to burn incense on Wind Prayer Festival day and lingered for quite a while.”

“Also, go ask your senior brothers for a roster. Everyone in the temple who knew of the Buddhist treasure’s existence should have their names recorded.”

Hearing her transmit orders methodically, Xue Yu rose, lowered her gaze, and said: “With Buddhist Daughter stationed at Golden Light Temple, I won’t worry about it. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Miss A Yu, please wait.” Shan Su also stood up with her. Her beautiful eyes swept slightly over Su You, who stood holding his sword to one side, and she asked in gentle words: “Could I speak with you privately?”

Xue Yu looked toward Su You.

When not touching the thorns and rebellious bones covering the young man’s body, he was always docile and obedient. At this moment, receiving Xue Yu’s gaze, he carried his sword and leaped down from the window. His silhouette was drawn into a graceful, stunning stroke. When his entire person landed lightly, even his hair carried a disheveled, innocent beauty.

Shan Su watched in slight amazement.

In a previous life, Xue Yu and Shan Su were rare friends who could speak from the heart. To some extent, they belonged to the same type of people.

“What matter does Buddhist Daughter have? Please speak directly with me.”

“It’s a private matter.” Shan Su smiled with pursed lips, speaking rather embarrassedly: “I wonder if you still remember – that day at Xihe, I asked Lu Qin for a person to take back.”

“His name is Shen Jingshi. He’s a human cultivator, just seventeen years old.” She led Xue Yu to sit back down, her scallion-like long fingers holding hot tea for a sip, saying with apparent difficulty: “At this age, not to mention us, but even among mortals, he’s extremely young.”

“He did wrong things. I want to ferry him. Even if not for my current cultivation perfection, just speaking of himself, he has many decades ahead to live.”

Speaking of this, Shan Su truly felt a headache.

She had never seen such a young man – casual and careless, lazily indifferent, with a temperament that went through wind and fire. Every part of him clashed with the two words “Sacred Land.”

He wasn’t afraid of death.

On the contrary—

“This person, whether due to his inherent nature or single-minded desire for death, insists on doing whatever you tell him not to do.”

“He doesn’t torment others, only himself.”

She had just ordered someone to reconnect his meridians, then discovered he had thrown the healing pills into the corner under green trees without blinking. Checking his internal condition again revealed complete chaos.

Even so, he still smiled sweetly and called her sister when he saw her.

When in good moods, he’d add two words in front, calling her “Immortal Sister.”

She was born in Buddhist Continent, noble in status from childhood. The number of men who showed her attentiveness, flattery, and ingratiation was countless. But because of this, she could better distinguish that those calls of “sister” were clean and pure, without any other thoughts mixed in. He seemed to be that kind of person, with that kind of personality.

Perhaps those in Buddhism all have soft hearts, all have that sense of responsibility that once you manage something, you must see it through to the end. Or perhaps the young man’s sweet words were too endearing. Shan Su worried for several days, almost at her wits’ end, not knowing how to discipline him to get him back on the right track.

On the Judgment Platform, she had seen Su You. At that time, the young man’s fierce nature erupted, his entire body flowing with water-like malice, like a small beast with claws tensed to hurt people.

After just a few days, he was still the same person with the same face, but the sharp thorns on his body seemed completely plucked away, almost like a different person entirely, transformed.

Could it be that Yedu truly had some unique training methods for demons and such?

Xue Yu first made a puzzled “mm” sound, then became slightly lost in thought listening to her pearl-like voice.

Shen Jingshi was only seventeen – what about Su You then? That beautiful demon ghost with sharp claws and fangs, how old was he?

“I’ve truly never raised a human before and don’t understand if their temperaments are all like this – changeable and unpredictable.”

“I just saw you and Su You getting along well, so I thought to shamelessly ask.”

Xue Yu thought – how else could one raise him?

After going through Xihe’s great prison once, as long as he still wanted to live, naturally, he should know what to do.

Given Xue Yu’s temperament, at this time she should coldly reply: “If he doesn’t want to live, then don’t bother with him. Sacred Lands have mountains of matters to handle – why waste time on someone bent on seeking death?”

But she understood Shan Su.

She possessed an almost sacred and stubborn sense of responsibility that gave her a water-ripple-like quietness, gentleness, and firmness.

Xue Yu didn’t have such patience, nor such noble, unrewarding character. She moved her lips and said, “I haven’t managed him.”

This was the truth.

From saving him until now, the words they’d exchanged could be counted on one’s fingers.

Shan Su hadn’t expected to gain any experience from Xue Yu, only asking with a try-it-and-see attitude. Getting such an answer wasn’t disappointing either.

Seeing Xue Yu about to leave, she didn’t ask more, only nodded slightly and smiled: “Then if there are any new clues later, Miss A Yu, please contact me anytime.”

Shan Su was a clever person, so she could guess Xue Yu’s current thoughts.

She only had one final mission left, but Xue Yu didn’t – she had just completed one. With this four-and-a-half-star mission dropped on her head, she’d be stuck here for at least two to three months. Since she couldn’t complete it anyway, only a fool would continue wasting time.

Better to do something else with that time.

Xue Yu indeed thought this way.

Actually, at the moment she saw Shan Su appear at Golden Light Temple, besides a sense of “as expected” settling dust, her heart also welled up with a subtle, indescribable feeling.

Whether four stars or five stars, someone was already taking the lead anyway.

There wouldn’t be any major problems anyway.

She would treat this four-and-a-half-star mission as if she’d never seen it with closed eyes.

The Heavenly Secret Book treating her like a fool was one thing; volunteering to be a fool was another.

She didn’t like to talk and was too lazy to argue, but that didn’t mean she had brain problems.

Deep into the night, when the lights first illuminated.

When Xue Yu and Su You arrived one after another at the small seaside inn via the bumpy stone roads of narrow alleys, Chao Nian and the others hadn’t yet appeared.

Being the only inn within ten li in all directions, the business inside was very bustling. Many were travelers from other places, passing through to rest their feet, plus some locals speaking in accents outsiders couldn’t understand, occasionally bursting into lively laughter that startled the red-beaked birds the shop kept, making them flutter their wings and fly up.

The two sat by the window with an excellent view. Their gaze could casually sweep outside to see lanterns on both sides of the street swaying in the wind, glowing like single bright points in the deep night, like jellyfish freely stretching their bodies in the sea.

Perhaps the atmosphere between them was too stagnant, or perhaps influenced by Shan Su’s words during the day, Xue Yu’s gaze fell for the first time seriously and scrutinizingly on the young man sitting across from her.

He didn’t look very old. Between his delicate features still lingered the stubbornness and vitality unique to youth. At first, he barely maintained composure, keeping a gentle posture of lowered eyes and silence, but after two glances, he couldn’t help but darken his eyes in annoyance, like a small cat whose tail had been stepped on, his spine silently tensing up, pressed straight and tight.

Xue Yu extended her long finger, casually tapping the table surface and asking: “How old are you?”

Four or five hundred would be fine, as long as he wasn’t like the one Shan Su was raising – a truly seventeen-year-old young man who had just reached adulthood.

Su You hadn’t expected her to ask this question. He pressed his lips tightly, his eyelashes trembling rapidly several times before softly uttering: “Two hundred.”

“Two hundred.” Xue Yu repeated these two words, then looked up at him: “Two hundred – among your clan, you’ve only recently reached adulthood, right?”

Her eyes were beautifully shaped – the much-praised almond eyes people spoke of – but when looking at people, she usually restrained her expression, causing these eyes to always droop slightly downward, presenting a cool and cold attitude.

At this moment, under the lamplight, she rarely looked at him directly. In her black and white eyes was a girl-like innocence, pure curiosity.

That hard sentence “I have no parents, no clan” that had reached Su You’s lips somehow changed its original intention when looked at by such eyes. Possessed by some ghost, he swallowed it back again, finally uttering three vague and mumbled words: “Don’t know.”

“It should be so.” Xue Yu rested her cheek on her hand, petal-like layers of sleeve edges slowly unfolding, revealing a section of delicate, white jade-like skin: “Two hundred years old – in some clans, that doesn’t even count as adulthood.”

Still a child.

No wonder he had such a heavy temper.

Waves of tidal sounds passed by Xue Yu’s ears. She took out the Heavenly Secret Book scroll, pushed it in front of Su You, and her slender finger pointed at the red mission text on it, asking: “If it were you, where would you start with this mission?”

More than a test, these words were like an examination.

Su You lowered his eyelashes contemptuously, thinking that such matters – demons and ghosts versus Sacred Land inheritors represented two opposite extremes in approach.

He had many ways to lure the person behind the scenes out of hiding.

He possessed a heart like ice and faith like a poisonous snake. As long as he could achieve his goal, he wouldn’t care at all how many people died or how many buildings were destroyed.

For instance, at this moment, he wore a completely hesitant, thoughtful expression, appearing quiet and well-behaved, but inwardly, he was thinking about how to fabricate words that would most suit her preferences.

Someone like him – Sacred Lands would only drag him to his death, never daring to assign him any missions.

Xue Yu didn’t wait for his answer but instead waited for three figures racing from below the inn. In the dark evening tide, Chao Nian waved frantically toward the bright lights upstairs, his voice hoarse: “Young lady!”

Something was rushing from a distance, its muffled sounds completely covering his subsequent words.

The next moment, she finally understood what Chao Nian was trying to say.

She saw sudden fierce winds rise in the distance, furious waves surge, and thunder light pour down from the sky like water, illuminating several nearby villages bright as daylight.

The inn became completely chaotic.

The wails of men, women, and old and young entered Xue Yu’s ears one by one.

Xue Yu slammed the table and rose, her pupils condensing into a long, snow-colored silk thread. Her toes touched once, and her entire person swept out like a rain swallow. Countless snow threads connected into lines, lines became arrays, falling head-first toward the distant suffering villages.

In the bean-sized raindrops, amid the thunderous bombardment, Xue Yu saw across dozens of li distance.

A snow-white flower is slowly blooming.