“Once transformed into an ordinary ghost, everything will be manageable,” Lin Chengyou thought as he cast four talismans in succession. Just as he was about to throw the fifth talisman that would capture the evil spirit in the incense pouch, screams suddenly erupted from the street beyond the wall. The Imperial Guards shouted, “Who goes there?!”

As they spoke, both sides seemed to engage in combat. Blades clashed against weapons, creating soul-shaking sounds. Soon after, several figures in black clothing leaped over the wall into the courtyard. Before they could land, they were met with a volley of arrows, as powerful as splitting bamboo, striking the two in front directly. The other two twisted their bodies mid-air, narrowly avoiding the arrow storm.

The two wounded men crashed to the ground but, disregarding their pain, immediately rolled and threw several silver threads at Lin Chengyou while clutching their bleeding chest wounds.

Simultaneously, more silver threads flew through the night sky from beyond the walls, shooting from all directions like fine rain toward everyone in the courtyard.

Teng Yuyi felt his heart turn cold – these were those lethal hidden weapons.

“Be careful!”

Lin Chengyou shifted his body to dodge the silver threads that flew close, then called out in a low voice: “Duan Fu, take them away.”

Among those present in the courtyard, Duan Fu’s skills were second only to his own. “Them” naturally referred to Teng Yuyi and his two disciples, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi.

Duan Fu responded with a low acknowledgment.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were about to step forward to help when they heard this and cried out in shock: “Senior Brother!”

“Go!” Lin Chengyou commanded harshly. His expression was frost-like as he engaged in close combat since archery held no advantage at such close range. He reached out with his left arm and seized the throat of an attacker who had rushed forward. The man was already wounded by arrows, and Lin Chengyou’s grip was both powerful and precise. Even though the assassin’s martial arts were not weak, he lost consciousness from the chokehold, his arms going limp as Lin Chengyou claimed his hidden weapons.

After dealing with this one, Lin Chengyou moved to engage several other assassins.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi watched anxiously as their senior brother was surrounded by assassins, waving their swords helplessly and stamping their feet in distress. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t listen to their senior brother, but how could they abandon him at such a crucial moment?

Teng Yuyi felt a chill run through his body at the sight of those silver threads. He immediately grabbed the two disciples and ran towards the moon gate leading to the back courtyard: “Staying will only distract your senior brother. Let’s go so he can focus on dealing with them.”

Duan Fu kept his hands slightly curled, protecting the three closely behind him while gathering his internal energy as they moved, ready to repel any attacking assassins at any moment.

But the assassins’ target wasn’t them. Several of them held silver threads in their right hands while carrying empty cloth bags on their left. One after another, they leaped towards the ghost of the Dissipating Moon Wanderer.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Chengyou had defeated the four assassins around him, but the enemy’s numbers were great and their martial arts extraordinary. Combined with their invisible killing weapons, one of them was worth four ordinary fighters. Coming in waves like this, even the well-trained Imperial Guards struggled to cope. Continuous screams from outside the courtyard indicated mounting casualties among the guards.

Just as Lin Chengyou finished clearing the courtyard, more attackers broke through the encirclement and rushed in, each wielding hidden weapons. As soon as they landed, they surrounded Lin Chengyou and the others. Even with Jian Tian and Jian Xian helping to fight, they were still overwhelmed.

Teng Yuyi had run some distance when he heard Jian Tian and Jian Xian’s strange cries behind him. He instinctively stopped and looked back, only to see Lin Chengyou besieged from all sides. The enemy had come prepared, and even with Lin Chengyou’s superior skills, he couldn’t handle so many attackers at once.

Teng Yuyi only needed one glance to feel his heart race. Gritting his teeth, he turned to Duan Fu and said: “Quick! Go back and help!”

Duan Fu’s face showed a flash of hesitation: “Young Master.”

He had wanted to go help earlier but worried the assassins might take the opportunity to attack Teng Yuyi.

Teng Yuyi watched the scene ahead for a moment, then nodded: “Can’t you see? Their target is the Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s soul. For a quick victory, they won’t waste time with others. As long as we stay back, we don’t need to worry about them attacking us.”

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered how Duan Fu had died horribly from the silver threads in his previous life. His heart trembled, but seeing Lin Chengyou and the others in dire straits, he immediately added in a deep voice: “Those silver threads are incredibly powerful. Don’t let them touch you.”

“Yes!” Duan Fu spread his arms and leaped toward the courtyard. His movements were as swift as a ghost, and he quickly closed in, like a falcon diving into a flock of eagles. He grabbed two black-clad men near Lin Chengyou, one in each hand, and violently slammed them to the ground.

Lin Chengyou’s expression eased slightly. His left palm struck toward an opponent’s face while his right elbow, holding the bow, struck heavily backward. The assassin behind him was caught off guard and knocked unconscious. Duan Fu’s attacks came like the wind, and after landing, he wounded two more assassins.

Lin Chengyou handled the eastern assassins while Duan Fu dealt with the western ones. Both men’s martial arts were exceptional, and with Jian Tian and Jian Xian’s support, the situation in the courtyard quickly reversed. Though more assassins continued to leap in from outside, the Imperial Guards seemed to have figured out how to avoid the hidden weapons, and after some fierce fighting, they gradually stabilized the situation.

Soon, only two assassins remained fighting stubbornly in the courtyard. Both were severely wounded but knew some evil techniques, throwing poison mist as they fought, keeping the Imperial Guards at bay.

Having cleared the courtyard, Lin Chengyou finally had a free moment. He released silver chains to bind the two men’s bodies and ordered the Imperial Guards to capture them. Just then, a guard who had appeared unconscious suddenly leaped up, shook open an empty cloth bag, and pounced toward the Dissipating Moon Wanderer. The ghost’s form, trapped by talismans, was immediately caught in the bag.

The man clutched the bag and fled toward the courtyard exit. Several Imperial Guards rushed to intercept him from both sides, attempting to tackle him, but this man’s lightness skill far surpassed the others. After a few leaps, he reached the wall top. Before he could jump down, an arrow struck his back. As he fell, he somehow managed to throw the bag far away with his remaining strength. Another person had been lurking in the shadows, who leaped up to catch the bag and escaped.

The Imperial Guards outside quickly gave chase, but the person had already vanished into the vast night. After pursuing for a while, they worried about ambushes and feared this might be a diversionary tactic, so they had to return.

Lin Chengyou crouched down to check each black-clad figure on the ground. As expected, they had all taken poison to commit suicide. There were thirty-three in total, and besides their clothes and hidden weapons, they carried nothing to identify them. They were secret agents raised in darkness, and they hadn’t planned to survive this night’s battle.

After the count, Lin Chengyou was secretly shocked. Sacrificing over thirty lives just to snatch the Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s ghost?

Teng Yuyi and the two disciples approached.

“Senior Brother.”

“Were they the Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s allies? Are they afraid the Ministry of Justice might learn something from his ghost?”

Lin Chengyou gazed at the corpses: “Probably not. The Dissipating Moon Wanderer refused to talk before death, and as a ghost, he’d be even less likely to betray his master. Their actions must have a deeper meaning.”

Nai Zhong had yet to unleash his power, and the Dissipating Moon Wanderer had been trapped in the courtyard. With that person’s intelligence, they must have known the Dissipating Moon Wanderer had failed. A powerless ghost would be useless even if retrieved, yet they still paid such a high price. It was as if they couldn’t bear to let the Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s soul shatter.

Jian Tian and Jian Xian had figured this out too, wiping their sweat as they remarked in surprise: “The Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s allies are quite loyal.”

Loyal? Lin Chengyou’s mind stirred. Could this be related to the Clear Text Wanderer?

Back then, only the Clear Text Wanderer and the Dissipating Moon Wanderer escaped from that group of evil practitioners. The two were master and disciple, and after fleeing together for so many years, their bond must have grown very deep. Now that the Dissipating Moon Wanderer had fallen, the Clear Text Wanderer remained hidden in the shadows. Unable to bear seeing his disciple’s soul scattered, he must have convinced their hidden master to take action.

This operation had cost dearly, not only sacrificing dozens of subordinates but possibly revealing clues, yet they still proceeded. Either their hidden master greatly valued the Clear Text Wanderer, or they couldn’t bear to see the Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s soul without refuge.

So his earlier speculation was almost certainly correct – Shu Wenliang wasn’t the Clear Text Wanderer at all. That farewell letter signed “Clear Text Wanderer” was just a trick by the Dissipating Moon Wanderer and their hidden master to misdirect attention.

The real Clear Text Wanderer might still be hiding by their hidden master’s side. With this deduction, the Dissipating Moon Wanderer’s resolute suicide made more sense. She must have been confident that even if she failed, as long as their hidden master remained undiscovered, someone would eventually help fulfill her wishes.

Fortunately, Magistrate Yan had already led a hundred Imperial Guards and justice officials to the Jade Truth Taoist Temple. Hopefully, they could find some clues there.

“Young Lord, two subordinates are dead, and eleven are wounded,” reported the lead Imperial Guard.

Lin Chengyou was silent for a moment, then took out a bottle of pills from his robes and handed it to the guard: “Distribute these to the wounded. Split the uninjured into two groups – one to guard around the Great Seclusion Temple, the other to report this to His Majesty and request imperial physicians. Also, dispatch another hundred Imperial Guards to help.”

“Yes!”

After arranging everything, Lin Chengyou looked at Teng Yuyi beside him.

If Teng Yuyi hadn’t sent Duan Fu to help earlier, the Imperial Guards’ casualties would have been even heavier. He had long known Teng Yuyi valued loyalty and righteousness deeply. In that situation, letting Duan Fu go meant he couldn’t escape either, yet he still did it… Seeing him with Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi wrapping up a silver thread in a handkerchief, he said: “Don’t touch it, give it to me.”

Teng Yuyi looked up to see Lin Chengyou holding out his hand.

“This isn’t just something that wounds flesh,” Lin Chengyou added, “When charged with internal energy, it can cut through bone. Don’t get hurt, give it to me.”

But Teng Yuyi wouldn’t hand it over: “No, I was just about to discuss this with Young Lord.”

Lin Chengyou had already guessed what he wanted to say: “Was the black-cloaked person Xiao Yai foresaw the one who uses these silver threads to kill?”

Teng Yuyi nodded: “I thought once Zhuang Mu was captured, we could trace these silver threads’ origin. Now it seems unclear whether Zhuang Mu and the black-cloaked person are allies. How could someone as cautious as Zhuang Mu deliberately sell such weapons in the West Market? Could he have done this to draw out the black-cloaked person, to discover their background?”

That was indeed possible. Instead, the Dissipating Moon Wanderer had taken the initiative. She had detected Zhuang Mu and his master’s scheme prepared a trap in advance for Zhuang Mu, step by step turned him into the “murderer,” and then delivered him to the Ministry of Justice.

This served both as revenge and as a warning to Zhuang Mu’s hidden master.

“So the Dissipating Moon Wanderer belongs to one faction, while Zhuang Mu has a different master?” Teng Yuyi pondered aloud.

“It appears so,” Lin Chengyou replied. “No need to rush. Zhuang Mu is still in the Ministry of Justice’s custody. Now that the Dissipating Moon Wanderer has been captured, we can thoroughly investigate Zhuang Mu’s side – how he obtained these silver threads. We’ll find ways to uncover the truth.”

Suddenly, Buddhist chants resonated through the temple. Lin Chengyou said: “Time is of the essence. Let me first escort you to the barrier.”

The barrier was set up in the Great Seclusion Temple’s kitchen quarters, located in the northwest corner, positioned directly opposite the reliquary pagoda at the temple’s “life gate.” Upon reaching the back of the kitchen, while Teng Yuyi and others couldn’t detect anything unusual, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, with their “Heavenly Eyes” opened, could immediately see a circular, luminous water-colored halo suspended above the kitchen.

This was the Buddhist light emanating from Abbot Yuan Jue’s meditation staff, its radiance pure and clear like a pale eggshell quietly covering the kitchen area.

Tonight in Chang’an, no place was safer than this “eggshell.”

Even if Nai Zhong broke free from the Dharani pillar, it wouldn’t dare intrude into this “eggshell.” Unfortunately, Abbot Yuan Jue had only one meditation staff, which could create just one barrier.

Earlier, Lin Chengyou had already sent Teng Yuyi and his servants here, but they had to temporarily leave to identify Nun Jing Chen.

Now Peng Huayue and the others were all inside the kitchen.

Just as they approached the entrance, Teng Yuyi, still absorbed in thoughts about recent events, continued holding the bundle of silver threads. Lin Chengyou reminded her: “Give it to me, or Duan Fu.”

Teng Yuyi came to her senses and glanced around. Seeing Duan Fu occupied with holding that precious foot basin, both hands full, she had no choice but to hand the handkerchief-wrapped silver threads to Lin Chengyou, who smoothly tucked the package into his robes.

Watching from behind, Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi scratched their heads, unable to pinpoint what felt odd, but their senior brother and Lady Teng’s interaction reminded them of couples they’d seen in the market districts. How a wife would hand something to her husband, and he would naturally carry it for her.

Their senior brother had just done the same, taking Lady Teng’s item as if it were the most natural thing.

Lin Chengyou turned around to find Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi staring at him with puzzled expressions.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Alright, I need to go help Abbot Yuan Jue in the front courtyard. Stay here with Master Ming Tong and guard everyone. Remember to watch those in the kitchen closely – don’t let anyone leave no matter what happens.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi responded in unison: “Yes, Senior Brother.”

Lin Chengyou glanced at the foot basin in Duan Fu’s hands, thought briefly, then pulled a sachet from his collar and handed it to Teng Yuyi: “Don’t let Duan Fu wash feet anymore. One washing was enough – it won’t get much more potent with another wash. Besides, even the foulest foot water only works on newly formed Buddhist or Taoist evil spirits. We were lucky earlier to catch the Dissipating Moon Wanderer just as it transformed into a blood rakshasa. Using the same method against Nai Zhong would barely scratch its surface. If you’re worried about Duan Fu, give him this instead.”

Teng Yuyi asked curiously: “What is it—”

“The Highest Lord of the Dao’s Golden Mysterious Spirit Talisman drawn by my master’s master himself. It’s a hundred times more effective than ordinary talismans.”

Teng Yuyi was overjoyed and passed it to Duan Fu: “Good.”

She turned to thank Lin Chengyou, but he had already leaped to the wall top, his figure instantly melding into the night.

Teng Yuyi suddenly realized that Clear Void Master wouldn’t have given Lin Chengyou protection talismans without reason – this must have been meant to protect his disciple’s disciple. Now that Lin Chengyou had given it to Duan Fu, what about himself—

Though Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi were also somewhat worried, they took comfort in their senior brother’s exceptional abilities. While leading Teng Yuyi and his servant into the kitchen, they reassured them: “Lady Teng, Brother Duan Fu, don’t worry. The master drew that talisman for his senior brother when he was small. He’s long past needing such things now.”

In the kitchen, Master Ming Tong sat at the front by the door, while Madam Peng and others sat on the floor. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Chun Rong and Bi Luo had been anxiously waiting and sighed in relief seeing Teng Yuyi return, hurrying forward: “Young Master.”

After paying respects to Master Ming Tong, Teng Yuyi led her maids and Duan Fu to sit in the back. Looking around, she saw Peng Huayue and Peng Jinxiu huddled together dejectedly, clearly in no mood for greetings.

Li Huaigu wore a lake-blue cape embroidered with white plum blossoms, her ornaments askew and her clothes wrinkled. Even so, her bright eyes and white teeth still outshone the Peng sisters beside her.

She leaned against her maid’s shoulder, eyes fixed on the doorway, her lips pale and complexion sickly as if she’d just recovered from a serious illness. Seeming to hear Lin Chengyou’s departing footsteps outside, she finally stirred, her expression shifting slightly as she managed a slight nod toward Teng Yuyi, but after that single glance, she quietly closed her eyes.

Duan Qingying sat pretending to doze in the furthest corner, wrapped in a great cloak, surrounded by several maids and servants. They all looked unnatural, like frost-bitten eggplants.

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi sat next to Ming Tong and asked curiously: “Master, now that Nai Zhong is trapped by the Four Great Dharma-Protecting Heavenly Kings, will it soon be subdued?”

Master Ming Tong held his prayer beads and chanted softly, then responded gently: “This is the least damaging method the Abbot could devise, but the temple has never dealt with such a powerful entity before. Whether it will work remains to be seen.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi grew anxious, craning their necks to look outside before reassuring themselves: “As long as it can be contained, things should be fine.”

Master Ming Tong checked the water clock in the room: “Tonight is the new moon when Nai Zhong’s yin energy is strongest. Even if its power hasn’t fully recovered, it will be harder to deal with than usual. The Hour of Zi is when yin energy peaks – we’ll know success or failure then.”

Listening from the back, Teng Yuyi unconsciously touched the Xiao Yai sword, wondering if she might receive some merit for helping capture the Dissipating Moon Wanderer, should the temple successfully subdue Nai Zhong.

But that little old man was quite adept at avoiding danger. Since Nai Zhong’s appearance, he had mostly hidden in the sword, refusing to emerge. Tonight, perhaps sensing something amiss in their surroundings, he had fallen silent even earlier. Despite all her efforts, not a sound came from her sleeve.

As the night deepened and the Buddhist chants from the main hall continued unabated, the room’s occupants seemed to grow accustomed to this crisis-laden waiting, gradually becoming drowsy.

But Teng Yuyi dared not relax at all. Rubbing her eyes to stay alert, she stood to walk around when she suddenly noticed the water clock. She realized it was already the Hour of Zi, and an inexplicable unease grew in her chest. Suddenly, she felt movement from the sword – Xiao Yai seemed to finally come alive, quickly crawling out to write on her wrist: It’s coming.

Teng Yuyi felt a chill run down her spine. Who?

As if answering her mental question, the bell on her wrist suddenly began to ring. Ming Tong seemed to sense something too, his eyes snapping open as he began chanting loudly, large beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Xiao Yai wrote quickly: His yin energy hasn’t fully recovered, so he dares not kill indiscriminately. You’re a borrowed-life person – consuming you carries less karmic burden than others.

It took Teng Yuyi quite a while to understand Xiao Yai’s meaning, and she couldn’t help but shudder. What did this mean – had the formation in the main hall failed to contain that great being?

Xiao Yai seemed to think this was obvious and wrote: Don’t fear. Bianjie, stall!

Before Teng Yuyi could respond, a resonant voice suddenly rang out from the silent courtyard: “Amitabha Buddha. When thoughts arise of evil, one constantly walks the evil path; when one thought turns to good, wisdom is born. This poor monk joyfully practices thus.”

Madam Peng and Second Lady Peng froze, while Duan Qingying and Li Huaigu immediately turned pale with fright. They had heard this voice only once but would never forget it – it belonged to that snake-hearted monk with a Buddha’s mouth.

“Not good, that – that monster is here.”

Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi jumped up: “Master, something’s wrong! How could the great being escape without our senior brother and the others noticing?”

Master Ming Tong was already drenched in sweat as he said gravely: “Having copied sutras with me these past days, you should understand Nai Zhong’s habits. Even during its Buddhist training, its intelligence far surpassed others. Since it escaped the formation, it must have found a way to temporarily prevent the barrier guardians from detecting it.”

“Then – what should we do?”

Ming Tong said: “First, we must stall for time, waiting for the Abbot and fellow disciples to come to our aid.”

Teng Yuyi felt despair – if the formation couldn’t stop that thing, how long could Abbot Yuan Jue’s staff hold?

The monk’s footsteps grew closer, and in an instant, he was outside the door: “Amitabha Buddha. This place is serene. Let this poor monk rest a while. Honorable patrons, is there rice and water within? Would you allow this poor monk to come in and receive alms?”

After speaking, the monk stopped at the steps, as if waiting for a response from those inside.

But no one answered. Inside the room, apart from the rising and falling of heavy breathing, there was only the “click-click” of subtle movement – someone’s teeth chattering from extreme terror.

Though Teng Yuyi wasn’t scared enough to tremble all over, her legs felt like noodles. She held her breath, not daring to move, just hoping the barrier could stop the monk.

But she had underestimated the King of Ten Thousand Ghosts’ abilities. At first, it indeed dared not enter, but after pacing for a while, as the crescent moon completely disappeared behind dark clouds, it seemed to finally reach the peak of its yin energy and stepped onto the stairs.

First step… second step… third step.

It climbed the stairs unhurriedly.

Teng Yuyi’s heart instantly jumped to her throat. What to do? Just sit and wait for death? Impossible – they had to fight no matter what.

Nai Zhong quickly reached the corridor, one step away from entering the room.

Ming Tong secretly gathered his power, preparing to throw his prayer beads. Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi also took out their magical treasures, ready for a death battle with that thing. Even Duan Fu held Lin Chengyou’s sachet between two fingers, planning to strike as soon as that being appeared.

Accompanied by a resonant Buddhist chant, the monk’s figure appeared in the doorway.

Ming Tong raised his arm and threw the prayer beads, while Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi roared and threw all their magical treasures.

Nai Zhong was indeed forced back a step by the room full of flying objects, but after only a brief pause, it continued stepping into the room, saying: “‘Without hindrances, therefore without fears.’ Tsk, this poor monk came to receive alms – why do you attack in anger?”

Teng Yuyi clutched her sleeve in terror, so tense she could barely breathe. After taking a rough breath, she suddenly said: “Master Zang Ji, you missed something.”