I have to get lucky right away.

Chapter 579 What's wrong with this? This is totally right!

Hope, like a small, warm flame, ignited in Chen Xuan's frozen heart. He quickened his pace, almost tumbling and crawling, as he rushed towards the gradually becoming clearer building.

He finally arrived at the gate of the "Guanyin Temple" while panting heavily.

The flame of hope was instantly extinguished by the cold wind, leaving only a wisp of smoke.

This Zen temple... how should I put it? It looks the same, with red walls and golden tiles, flying eaves and brackets, leaning against a small mountain covered with snow. Above the gate hangs a plaque with the words "Guanyin Zen Temple" written in square Chinese characters.

But everything felt strangely awkward...

If asked what was wrong, Chen Xuan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but his more than ten years of bad luck told him that something was nine out of ten wrong here!
Even though the cold wind was still blowing ice shards into his collar, he had no intention of taking another step forward. He simply observed the so-called Zen temple carefully, as if trying to find something unusual about it.

The eaves have a perfectly curved shape, and the vermilion paint is flawless, showing no signs of wind or snow erosion even in the midst of the heavy snow. It is strikingly new.

The strangest thing was that the two huge courtyard gates, which should have been made of wood, had a smooth, mirror-like surface that clearly reflected Chen Xuan's face, which was blue from the cold and filled with a bewildered expression.

"This...this temple..." Chen Xuan began hesitantly, "...isn't something amiss?"

"The incense is burning brightly! The Bodhisattva is efficacious! And the renovations are going fast!" Feng Xue followed behind, answering quickly and loudly, as if reciting a prepared speech. "The fact that it's new means we've come to the right place!"

"But...I feel it's very dangerous..." Chen Xuan gritted his teeth, feeling his intuition screaming. Upon hearing this, Feng Xue immediately rolled her eyes and said:
"Isn't that obvious? Anyone who's read Journey to the West knows that Guanyin Temple is dangerous, okay?"

"Ah, this..." Chen Xuan slapped his forehead. It seemed to make sense. Although the awkward feeling was still lingering in his cerebral cortex, he gritted his teeth and reached out to push the smooth door!

Before the hands even touched, the two giant doors opened silently and smoothly in an unusually stable manner, without making even the slightest creak.

Inside the gate was a spacious courtyard paved with equally smooth, mirror-like stone slabs. In the center of the courtyard stood a huge bronze incense burner, inside which incense sticks were burning, but the smoke that billowed out was as straight as gray-white pillars, without any swirling or curling.

What made Chen Xuan's scalp tingle even more was that there were two rows of monks standing in the courtyard.

They wore grey monks' robes, had shaved heads, clasped their hands together, and lowered their eyes. Everything seemed normal.

But it's all too normal.

All the monks were identical in height, build, and even expression, as if they had been carved from the same mold. They stood ramrod straight, like two rows of wooden stakes. The wind and snow seemed to automatically detour around them. Most importantly, in this freezing weather, they wore only thin robes, yet their faces showed no signs of frostbite; their cheeks even had a healthy, even pinkish hue.

"Something's not right here! Something's very wrong!" Chen Xuan tensed up instantly, but the leading monk had already noticed him and immediately stepped forward.

His movements were so fluid they were almost gliding, and he wore a formulaic, business-like smile, the angle of his lips upturned as perfect as a textbook.

"Amitabha." The voice rang out, clear and resonant, yet flat and devoid of any emotion, like the most monotonous note played by the best musician. "You two have come from afar and must be tired. Some vegetarian food and hot tea have been prepared in the courtyard. If you don't mind, you are welcome to join us." Chen Xuan's hair stood on end, and he subconsciously took a step back, bumping into Feng Xue.

"Big...Big brother..." His voice trembled, "They..."

"You never used to stutter?" Feng Xue reached out to support Chen Xuan, gently pushing him forward as they walked, saying, "Look! This is the pure land of Buddhism! All the masters here are highly accomplished, impervious to heat and cold! Such warm hospitality! Such standard Mandarin! What a wonderful place!"

As he spoke, he handed a gold bar to the leading monk, saying:

"Since the master has extended such a warm invitation, we two will not refuse. However, please accept this gift, which is not for food or lodging, but for offering incense to the Bodhisattva."

The leading monk maintained his perfect smile, reached out and took the gold bar, and said in his still flat tone, "Please, both of you, come in and rest."

"Look how hospitable they are!" Feng Xue practically dragged Chen Xuan inside. "Stop dawdling, hurry up and go inside and warm up! Your paranoia is all because of your unlucky fate! You have to believe in the light... oops, I mean, you have to believe in the Bodhisattva!"

"I don't believe you for a second!" Chen Xuan was half-dragged, half-pulled into the courtyard. The monks on both sides turned around simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized, like soldiers being inspected. Their eyes followed Chen Xuan, their faces bearing identical smiles.

The dining hall was spacious and bright, with tables and chairs arranged neatly. Steaming hot food was already on the table, a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, and there was even a monk holding a teapot, refilling each person's cup with steaming tea.

But Chen Xuan had no appetite at all.

Because he saw that every movement of the monk pouring tea was a perfect replica, with the angle, force, and amount of water being exactly the same.

Because he saw that the monks eating picked up a piece of tofu, put it in their mouths, chewed it ten times, and then picked up their chopsticks again, and it was still a piece of tofu, and they chewed it ten times again, as if time had started to cycle.

Because he saw that the monk drinking the soup picked up the hot soup, blew on it three times, put it in his mouth, blew on it three more times, and put it in his mouth again, as if he was blowing not out heat, but out of a necessary ritual for drinking soup.

All of this took place in an eerie silence. Apart from the overly rhythmic clatter of bowls and chopsticks, there was almost no other sound. No one spoke, no one coughed, and no one even breathed heavily.

Feng Xue didn't mind at all. She casually found an empty seat, thanked the monk who poured her tea, and began to eat heartily. While eating, she didn't forget to praise, "It's really good! This vegetarian chicken is absolutely delicious! The cooking time is perfect, and the seasoning is authentic. It's truly worthy of being called... Hey, why aren't you eating any?"

Chen Xuan's face was deathly pale, and his hand holding the chopsticks trembled as if it were powered by a motor. He lowered his voice, almost whispering, "Boss, I don't think they're human..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Feng Xue took a bite out of half a steamed bun, her voice slightly muffled. "That's discrimination! Just because someone is handsome or moves in a more orderly fashion doesn't mean they're not human! You're just jealous! Jealous that they look good and are organized! Look at that discipline! That's called professionalism!"

"But...that head is too shiny, isn't it?" Chen Xuan secretly pointed to a monk whose back was to them. The back of the monk's head was reflecting a mirror-like luster under the light.

"That's because they shaved their heads clean! It's so cold here, what's wrong with them applying some antifreeze wax?"

(End of this chapter)