According to Abbot Yuan Jue’s arrangements, Du Tinglan was originally meant to be sent back to either the Teng or Du residence. However, as she insisted on staying one night at the temple with Teng Yu’yi, they both ended up going to Da Yin Temple.

Da Yin Temple occupied vast grounds, approximately four times the size of the Jade Truth Daoist Convent. The rear courtyard’s chambers were divided into east and west wings – the east wing housed female guests while the west wing accommodated male visitors. Between the two wings stood the Buddha Hall, Incense Hall, Pagoda, Cloud Assembly Hall, and other structures… allowing the wings to face each other from a distance without interference.

The east wing originally had four chambers, but the Quan Fang Pavilion had recently developed a leaking roof, and the Meng Liang Studio had grown old – both were under repair. Only the Xuan Pu Pavilion and Li Bai Studio remained available for female guests.

Monk Ming Xin, who was typically in charge of arranging accommodations, listened to the Abbot’s instructions and led Teng Yu’yi’s group to the entrance of Xuan Pu Pavilion.

“The east rooms of Xuan Pu Pavilion must be kept ready for the Empress’s visits to worship Buddha, so only the west wing rooms are available for guests. We’ve prepared two suite residences. As for Li Bai Studio, it’s located behind Xuan Pu Pavilion in a more secluded environment… The benefactors can discuss among yourselves how to arrange the lodging.”

Peng Huayue and Peng Jinxiu quickly said, “Venerable one, we’ll stay at Xuan Pu Pavilion.”

Teng Yu’yi immediately understood the Peng sisters’ calculations – Xuan Pu Pavilion not only had abundant sunlight but was also closer to the Buddha Hall. However, this suited her perfectly. In her previous life, it was in Xuan Pu Pavilion where she had heard the tragic news about her father. Although she ended up staying at Da Yin Temple again by coincidence, she refused to set foot in Xuan Pu Pavilion. Thus, she went along with their suggestion: “Then I’ll stay at Li Bai Studio.”

Li Huaigu asked Ming Xin, “May I ask, Venerable one, how many side rooms does Li Bai Studio have?”

He appeared to want to stay in the same building as Teng Yu’yi.

Ming Xin replied, “This studio was converted from a corner of the garden. Due to its limited size, it only has one suite residence.”

Li Huaigu had no choice and smiled, “Very well, then I’ll stay next to the Peng sisters.”

As everyone was about to settle in their respective quarters, another monk hurriedly led several people down the small path.

At the front was a young lady wrapped in silk, her hair styled in twin buns with pearls and jade ornaments decorating her temples, followed by several maids.

The mistress and servants were all walking hastily.

Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan exchanged surprised glances: Duan Qingying.

Duan Qingying’s group quickly approached.

The monk leading them said to Ming Xin, “Benefactor Duan says she also spoke with that monk in the peach grove and is worried the evil entity might come looking for her. She insists on staying at the temple for a few days.”

Duan Qingying bowed anxiously, “I apologize for troubling the Abbot and all the venerable ones.”

Teng Yu’yi was puzzled – why was she so frightened? If Abbot Yuan Jue hadn’t personally confirmed there was nothing wrong with Duan Qingying, she would truly suspect Duan Qingying had been tainted by evil energy.

With Duan Qingying’s arrival, she could either stay with Teng Yu’yi at Li Bai Studio or share quarters with Li Huaigu. When Ming Xin asked her preference, Duan Qingying glanced at the nearby Buddha Hall and said without hesitation, “I’ll stay at Xuan Pu Pavilion.”

Thus, Teng Yu’yi ended up staying alone in the rear Li Bai Studio, while Li Huaigu, Duan Qingying, and the Peng sisters stayed in the west wing of Xuan Pu Pavilion.

Although Li and Duan shared a suite residence, their bedrooms were separated by a chess room. At night, with doors closed, they couldn’t hear each other.

Just as Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan had sat down for tea, Uncle Cheng personally delivered their luggage.

Unsure how many days Teng Yu’yi would stay at the temple, he had brought almost all her daily necessities.

Besides clothes and jewelry, there were also several books she often read, her favorite tea leaves, indispensable writing materials, dolls, embroidery frames…

He had even prepared two sets of male headwear and clothing for Teng Yu’yi.

These items alone filled two cart-loads, but Uncle Cheng still felt it wasn’t enough, so he also brought along Chun Rong and Bi Luo, two senior maids.

With Chun Rong and Bi Luo’s arrival, the quiet Li Bai Studio instantly became lively.

The young ladies at Xuan Pu Pavilion weren’t any better off – trunks were being carried in one after another, with maids and elderly servants bustling about the courtyard. The scene looked less like seeking refuge and more like a pleasure trip to the temple. If the senior monks Ming Xin and Jian Xing hadn’t come out to gently intervene, who knows how many more items the various households would have sent over?

Teng Yu’yi took advantage of the chaos to summon Duan Fu and asked him, “What exactly happened at the convent before today’s incident?”

Duan Fu’s expression remained troubled as he began, “When that strange thunder came, this old servant was in the ginkgo tree by the north wall. The tree was tall, and from its crown, one could see into the peach grove. This servant personally saw Miss return to the peach grove. Hearing the strange thunder and worried about changes, I decided to follow Miss into the grove. But just as I jumped down from the tree, someone in a black cloak leaped over the north wall – their lightness skill was extraordinary, and they were completely wrapped in a black cloak-“

A person in a black cloak?!

Teng Yu’yi was so shocked she nearly stood up. “Did you see clearly?”

Duan Fu nodded.

Teng Yu’yi felt all her blood rushing to her head. After a moment of chaos, she forced herself to maintain composure. “Good, continue.”

“This old servant remembers Miss saying she had dreamed of this black-cloaked person killing her. Unfortunately, though the household has been investigating for so long, we’ve never been able to trace that person’s background. When this servant unexpectedly saw that person at the convent today, I knew something was wrong. Not only did their attire match Miss’s description exactly, but their lightness skill was also rarely seen in this lifetime. That person crossed the north wall and instantly vanished. If we didn’t pursue them then, we might never have another chance to investigate their background…”

As Duan Fu spoke, he recalled the scene. In his urgency, he first glanced at the peach grove, saw that Teng Yu’yi and her companions were playing safely inside, and then looked toward the distant Cloud Assembly Hall, which was also peaceful. Knowing this opportunity might not come again, he instructed Ding Er and Wang Changgen, and other guards to protect Miss in the peach grove, then leaped over the north wall in pursuit.

Though Duan Fu’s lightness skill and internal energy were exceptional, he had hesitated for a moment, and the black-cloaked person’s martial arts seemed no inferior to his. By the time he gave chase, the black-cloaked person had already run far ahead. When the person noticed someone pursuing them, they deliberately took various turns through the alleys. After following for a while, Duan Fu sensed something was wrong and hurried back to the Jade Truth Daoist Convent, only to find the layout of the peach grove had completely changed, and Miss had vanished…

After hearing this account, not only did Teng Yu’yi look strange, but even Du Tinglan was dumbfounded. “Yu’yi, why does it sound like that person deliberately lured Duan Fu away…”

Teng Yu’yi’s mind was in chaos, but what terrified her wasn’t this fact, but something deeper.

If that person knew Duan Fu, they must also know he was her death guard who would never leave her side unless something extremely urgent occurred.

Yet that person seemed to have predicted that Duan Fu would be drawn away by a “person in a black cloak.”

Strange – how could they have predicted this?

As she pondered, she suddenly stood up.

Could it be that the other party knew they were investigating a “person in a black cloak”?! Besides luring Duan Fu away, their true intention in arranging this scene was to test her.

Test if she… test if she remembered her previous life.

A thunderclap exploded in Teng Yu’yi’s ears.

Impossible.

Yet immediately she realized, this wasn’t impossible.

If she could remember her previous life, why couldn’t others?

This conjecture made her mind buzzing.

Could it be that black-cloaked person?

It was possible, after all when she and Duan Fu died that night, only the black-cloaked person knew how they had been killed.

The first thing she did after awakening was to investigate the black-cloaked person, and they seemed to have noticed this. To quickly understand her situation, they deliberately arranged today’s events.

She stared blankly at Du Tinglan – this wasn’t strange, as she had already shown flaws on her side.

The biggest flaw was her sister by her side.

In her previous life, her sister had been killed in the bamboo grove. In this life, she encountered the tree demon in the bamboo grove again, and if she hadn’t rushed there in time, her sister wouldn’t have escaped the fate of an untimely death.

But her sister was still alive today.

Not only was her sister alive, but her aunt also hadn’t fallen gravely ill as she had in the previous life due to her sister’s sudden death.

This series of changes was enough to make the black-cloaked person suspicious.

Teng Yu’yi stood by the table, growing more alarmed as she thought about it. What should she do? Before she could investigate that person’s background, they had acted first. Suddenly she heard her sister asking Duan Fu in alarm: “Who exactly was that person, to frighten Yu’yi like this… Think carefully, did that person show any other flaws?”

Teng Yu’yi was startled.

Yes, flaws… how had she not thought of it? After this incident, the black-cloaked person was no longer just a hazy shadow in her memory, but a living person.

Previously she could only draw a portrait based on memory, but this time they couldn’t restrain themselves and came right to her doorstep.

Even though Duan Fu hadn’t managed to engage them in combat, they could still carefully reflect on what martial arts style that person used, and all of this might be a crucial opportunity to uncover the black-cloaked person’s identity. The key was that they now knew the route of that person’s escape today – as long as they investigated along that path, they would surely find clues.

Thinking this way, she quickly regained her composure and asked Duan Fu, “Has Father returned?”

The fox had finally shown its tail – she needed to inform Father immediately.

Duan Fu said, “The Master left the city early this morning to deliver a message-“

Before he could finish, Chun Rong called from outside, “Miss, Master has arrived. As it happens, Abbot Yuan Jue has also returned from the palace. Master is speaking with the Abbot in the Cloud Assembly Hall.”

Du Tinglan’s anxious heart finally settled: “Good, regardless of that person’s background, let’s quickly tell Uncle about this matter.”

Teng Yu’yi nodded, then suddenly thought – when the strange thunder appeared today, the black-cloaked person emerged to lure away Duan Fu. Was it just coincidence, or deliberate? If deliberate, could Nai Zhong’s sudden manifestation have some connection to the black-cloaked person?

This conjecture was truly shocking, yet thinking of the three tragic cases Lin Chengyou was investigating, and the rumored Moon Phase Child Lord, she vaguely felt these matters were intricately connected.

No, she had to warn Lin Chengyou quickly.

At this thought, she looked up toward the window. The temple was crowded with many watchful eyes, and the Peng Huayue group was staying in the neighboring courtyard – the movements here couldn’t possibly escape others’ notice.

How exactly should she warn him?

She touched the small Xiao Ya sword in her sleeve and quickly made up her mind, whispering, “Go ask if Lin Chengyou is still at the temple. If he is, help me send a message to the two young Daoist priests.”

***

Having agreed to escort Abbot Yuan Jue’s sutras, Lin Chengyou naturally didn’t dare be negligent. After entering the temple, he watched the monks store the sutras in the sutra repository. Seeing it was still early, he stood before the bookshelf searching for sutras related to the Path of Asuras and Nai Zhong. Knowing the importance of the matter, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi hurried to help with the search.

When Monk Ming Tong brought people to serve tea, Lin Chengyou suddenly asked, “Ming Tong, do you have a flower-patterned mirror with you?”

Ming Tong was startled: “No. Does the Young Master want to look in a mirror right now?”

Lin Chengyou’s eyes remained on the sutras on the shelf as he smiled slightly, “Oh, I need it for investigating a case. Since I can’t go buy one on the street right now, I’ll have to borrow one from the temple.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi scratched their heads in puzzlement – what kind of case would require a flower-patterned mirror?

“I see.” Ming Tong pressed his palms together. “Please wait a moment, Young Master.”

Before long, Ming Tong indeed had someone bring a small flower-patterned mirror.

Lin Chengyou casually tucked the mirror into his robe and continued flipping through the sutra in his hands. After a while, he glanced toward Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi – both were buried in searching for sutras, completely unaware of his actions.

He inconspicuously put down the sutra in his hands, stepped back, turned, and circled to another bookshelf. After checking that no one was around, he finally took out the flower-patterned mirror from his robe.

After taking out the mirror, he realized he was acting like a thief, and even before he started looking, that strange feeling welled up again – his heart seemed to beat faster, his throat felt somewhat dry.

Then he sneered at himself – it was just confirming one look, what was there to panic about? He steadied himself and used his left hand to reach around his shoulder and pull open his collar, while his right hand raised the mirror to aim at the back of his neck. Then he turned his head, trying his best to look backward. The posture was as awkward as could be, but it was the only way to see that spot on his nape.

Using the light filtering through the window lattice, he finally saw what he wanted to see.

That golden brand was still there, not only present but showing no signs of fading.

Lin Chengyou froze – so the gu mark remained.

The gu poison in his body hadn’t retreated.

A bewildered expression flashed across his face for an instant. After a moment’s daze, he slowly lowered the mirror.

What had he been thinking?

Wasn’t this exactly what he should have expected?

What he had wasn’t ordinary gu poison, but the “King’s Fault Doesn’t Rest.” This was originally just a gu technique, but after being incorporated into Daoist Five Elements and Yin-Yang arts by an evil practitioner called the Flowing Sunset Hermit, it became an extremely evil charm-gu art.

This technique borrowed the name of Daoist I Ching but connected to witchcraft and gu, corresponding to the Nine-Three Line, with gu worms hidden in bronze awls.

“Those who mistakenly practice this technique have gu worms hidden in their bloodline. The gu worms suppress the Initial Six Line and damage the Six-Two Line. When men practice this technique in their youth, even when they reach the age of understanding romance, the gu worms will wreak havoc in their heart meridians, making them emotionless and heartless.”

He knew this passage from the secret manual by heart and couldn’t be wrong.

As long as the gu poison remained unresolved, he could never develop feelings for women.

So how could he have feelings for Teng Yu’yi? That was simply impossible.

He recalled that passage again, particularly reviewing the four characters for “emotionless and heartless,” thus convincing himself.

Since he had figured it out, there was nothing more to think about. He decisively put the mirror back in his robe and circled back to the sutra shelf. Standing before the shelf full of sutras, he tried to bring his thoughts back to focus, yet still felt somewhat lost.

He frowned in thought, then turned to look at Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi: “By the way, when did you two arrive at the Jade Truth Daoist Convent this afternoon?”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi looked up: “We rushed over as soon as we heard the news, arriving almost at the same time as Senior Brother.”

“I heard from Abbess Jing Chen that when you learned Miss Teng had been kidnapped, you nearly cried from worry?”

Qi Zhi rubbed his nose: “Miss Teng is our good friend and one we’ve been through life and death with. How could we not be anxious when such a good friend is in trouble?”

Lin Chengyou pondered silently. He had interacted with Teng Yu’yi many times and they were quite familiar. Though she had a fierce temper and held grudges, she was intelligent and loyal. The scene of their joint battle against the Second Monster was still vivid – if not for Teng Yu’yi’s help, he couldn’t have so quickly and smoothly sawed off the Corpse Evil’s fangs. Looking at it this way, they had indeed been through hardships together.

His anxiety that afternoon was simply because he heard a friend who had shared hardships was in trouble. If one of the Five Dao from the East Ming Temple had been kidnapped by Nai Zhong, he would have tried to rescue them too.

Thinking this way, the doubts in his heart seemed to lessen considerably.

He glanced at his two junior disciples: “Do you often think of Miss Teng in your daily lives?”

Qi Zhi found this question strange but still nodded: “Of course, we often think of Miss Teng. That time at the Daoist gathering in Luoyang, when Qi Zhi and I saw snacks on the street, we thought of Miss Teng.”

“So were you thinking of the snacks or Miss Teng?”

Jue Sheng tilted his head in thought: “Miss Teng often sends us snacks. We’ve eaten so many of her snacks that naturally we think of her when we see snacks.”

Lin Chengyou was startled – why hadn’t he thought of this? The reason he thought of Teng Yu’yi whenever he saw roses was simply because he had often smelled that flower’s fragrance on her. If any other young lady had lingered before him for so long, he would have unconsciously remembered that scent too.

As for thinking of Teng Yu’yi when seeing snacks, it was natural because he had also eaten snacks from her household.

Thinking of Teng Yu’yi when seeing wine was naturally because he often saw her drinking at the Colorful Phoenix Tower.

…

By this reasoning, almost all his doubts found explanations.

So that was it.

His expression immediately relaxed. He stroked his chin and reached up to take down a sutra when suddenly a monk came looking for him: “Young Master, a young benefactor is looking for you.”

A young benefactor?

Lin Chengyou strode out quickly, but it wasn’t Teng Yu’yi.

Looking around and not seeing even Teng Yu’yi’s shadow, he looked back at the young lady standing before the steps and said coolly, “What matter brings you here?”