Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Bai Jie grabbed Lou Xiao'e's hand.

Lou Xiao'e was taken aback. Just as she was about to ask, "Mom, what's wrong?", she saw her mother suddenly pout, put her index finger upright on her lips, and look anxious and warning in her eyes.

Don't speak.

Lou Xiao'e understood.

She kept her mouth tightly shut and let her mother pull her along as the two of them tiptoed backward.

One step, two steps, three steps.

The threshold leading out of the main hall.

Bai Jie, holding her daughter's hand, practically hugged the wall as they bypassed the main hall and made their way towards the temple's backyard.

The backyard is a row of meditation rooms, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and a few crooked trees planted at the entrance.

This is where the monks live in the temple.

Bai Jie led Lou Xiao'e to the door of the innermost room and knocked on it.

"Knock knock knock".

Three tones, neither too loud nor too soft, with a good rhythm.

The door creaked open.

An old monk stood inside the door, about sixty years old, with white eyebrows reaching his shoulders, wearing a gray monk's robe, and holding a string of prayer beads in his hand.

He saw Bai Jie, paused for a moment, and then blurted out, "You are... Tenth Concubine? What brings you here?"

Bai Jie nodded and lowered her voice: "It's me."

She glanced behind her to make sure no one was following her before saying urgently:

"A thief threatened us to come here. He is now in the cellar under the Buddha statue. Quickly, send us away through the secret passage."

Upon hearing this, the old monk's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure.

He didn't ask any further questions, just nodded and stepped aside, saying, "Come in quickly."

Bai Jie pulled Lou Xiao'e and slipped into the house.

This is a simple meditation room, with a wooden bed, a desk, and a bookshelf.

Buddhist scriptures were neatly arranged on the bookshelf, and an oil lamp and a wooden fish were placed on the table.

The old monk walked to the bookshelf and pressed the inside of the top corner.

A soft "click" sounded.

The bookshelf slowly slid aside, revealing a hidden door.

Behind the door was a dark passageway with steps leading downwards, its destination unknown.

Lou Xiao'e stared wide-eyed at the scene.

She couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Mom, what's this...?"

Bai Jie did not answer.

He simply clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to the old monk.

"Thank you, Master."

The old monk returned the greeting with his hands clasped together, his eyes beneath his white eyebrows filled with worry.

"Of course. Tenth concubine, where is the master?"

Bai Jie said without changing her expression:

"The master escaped through another secret passage. We are being chased by people. I used a delaying tactic to stall him and that's how I got here."

"Now, we'll leave it to the master."

The old monk nodded and chanted a Buddhist prayer:

"Amitabha, Tenth Concubine, you should leave now."

Bai Jie nodded and pulled Lou Xiao'e, who looked puzzled, into the secret room.

Lou Xiao'e was dragged into a dark passage, her mind filled with questions.

Didn't Dad die at the hands of evil spirits?

The watermelon was still rolling at my feet; I saw it with my own eyes.

Why did Mom say he escaped through another secret passage?

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask a question, but her mother pinched the back of her hand hard.

pain.

But she understood.

Don't speak.

Bai Jie's back was covered in cold sweat, and her clothes were soaked through.

She was deceiving the old monk.

They are also deceiving evil spirits.

There was no gold or silver jewelry in the secret chamber beneath the Buddha statue.

Inside, Lou Bancheng had long ago laid out traps and mechanisms, including trapdoors, poisoned arrows, and pitfalls—everything was there.

Lou Bancheng once said that this was a last resort to save their lives should someone come knocking on their door demanding the Lou family's treasure.

She just said there was treasure inside, just to get Lin Tian to go in.

As long as he goes in, as long as he triggers the mechanism.

Even if we can't kill him, we can at least buy him some time.

That was enough time for her to escape with her daughter.

As for the old monk...

She just said that Lou Bancheng escaped through another secret passage.

If they hadn't said that, the old monk would never have let them leave.

These monks, ostensibly Buddhist monks, were actually assassins kept by Lou Bancheng.

This temple was Lou Bancheng's last resort.

Now, she's going to use this escape route on herself.

The old monk watched as the hidden door closed and the bookshelf moved back to its original position before turning and leaving the meditation room.

Walk to the center of the courtyard, take a deep breath, and then…

"when!!!"

He struck the bronze bell, and the sound exploded in the morning, startling a flock of birds.

The doors to the meditation rooms were pushed open, and monks rushed out one after another.

There were people of all ages and builds, but everyone wore a wary expression.

"Abbot, what happened?"

"Abbot, what's wrong?"

The old abbot said in a deep voice:

"A thief broke into the main hall and stole things. He opened the secret chamber beneath the Buddha statue."

Upon hearing this, the monks instantly understood.

Chamber of Secrets.

That's where the master keeps his treasure.

A thief has broken in.

"Grab your weapons."

A middle-aged monk shouted.

Everyone turned and went back into the house. When they came out again, they were carrying things: wooden sticks, carrying poles...

In the past few years, during the Great Leap Forward, any surplus iron was handed over to the state.

All we can use right now are these wooden things.

But enough.

"Walk!"

With a wave of his hand, the abbot sent a chorus of monks rushing toward the main hall.

Footsteps clattered, shouts echoed.

……

In the cellar.

Lin Tian walked through the dark passage.

It was pitch black all around, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

But he doesn't need light.

The passage was long, winding downwards.

On both sides are rough stone walls, and underfoot are slippery stone steps.

The air was filled with a damp, musty smell, and an indescribable stench of decay.

After walking for about five minutes, a stone gate appeared ahead.

Lin Tian reached out and pushed him away.

Behind the door was a large hall, about twenty square meters in size, which was empty.

There was nothing there.

Lin Tian frowned.

He continued walking forward, through the hall, and into another passageway.

Walk for another three minutes, and you'll find another room.

It's still empty.

There was nothing there.

Lin Tian stopped in his tracks.

Not right.

Stand still and carefully perceive your surroundings.

The walls were solid, the floor was solid, there were no hidden compartments, and no concealed spaces.

This so-called treasure is completely empty.

From beginning to end, there wasn't even a single copper coin.

Damn!

Lin Tian suddenly realized what was happening.

He'd been fooled by that woman!

All that talk of treasure, all that talk of Lou Bancheng hiding money, it's all fake.

She is stalling for time.

She wanted to be put into a secret room so she could escape.

Lin Tian turned around, and the ghostly figure transformed into a streak of light in the darkness, rushing swiftly towards the exit.

The passageway receded rapidly behind us.

Stone gate, hall, passageway.

exit!

Lin Tian rushed out of the secret chamber and stood in the center of the main hall.

It's empty.

There was no sign of Bai Jie or Lou Xiao'e.

Only the sounds of hurried footsteps and shouts came from outside the hall.

"Catch the thief!"

"Don't let him get away!"

"Surround it!"

A dozen or so monks, holding wooden sticks and carrying poles, surrounded Lin Tian in the center.

Lin Tian looked at the monks, and a smile slowly crept onto his lips.

"Bai Jie, you're really something."

"As expected of the woman who follows Lou Bancheng, she has the reputation of being able to handle all kinds of situations, and she's full of cunning."

"Alright. We'll deal with you first, then go after those two mischievous foxes."

……