Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

The next day, early in the morning.

As dawn broke, a misty fog enveloped the mountains and forests.

The caravan remained vigilant throughout the night, and even during their shifts, everyone slept very lightly.

Fortunately, the night passed peacefully.

As dawn broke, Fang Cunxin called for help to start a fire and cook.

After everyone had a quick bite to eat, the caravan set off.

They walked much faster than in the previous days, and no one dared to slack off. Fang Cunxin took the lead, her long spear slung across her back, her eyes constantly scanning the forests on both sides of the road with vigilance.

Fortunately, the journey was peaceful throughout the day, without encountering any abnormalities.

As evening approached, the caravan finally arrived at the border between Tong'an County and Zhenwu County.

Fang Cunxin pointed to a mountain ahead and said, "There is a temple in the valley ahead called Yunqi Temple. The abbot of that temple, Zen Master Jiuye, is a good friend of my father, and I am also familiar with him. Yunqi Temple is a place where our Zhenshan Escort Agency's escort teams rest all year round. We will spend the night there tonight, and tomorrow we will reach Zhenwu County and enter the territory of the Nanshan Sect."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Once they entered the territory of the Nanshan Sect, there would be no more banditry.

The caravan traveled along the official road for about half an hour, then turned a corner and the view suddenly opened up before them.

An ancient temple sits at the foot of the mountain, built against the slope, with green tiles and yellow walls, flying eaves and brackets, appearing particularly solemn in the twilight. Above the temple gate hangs a plaque with the three large characters "Yunqi Temple".

Fang Cunxin dismounted, leaned her spear against her back, and waved to the crowd behind her: "We've arrived. Everyone wait outside for a moment while I go and announce our arrival."

immediately,

Fang Cunxin then walked into the temple alone.

Inside the temple gate is a spacious courtyard with an old locust tree in the middle. The trunk is so thick that two people cannot wrap their arms around it, and its branches and leaves are so lush that they block out most of the sunlight.

There was a person sweeping the floor in the corner.

It was an old man with white hair, wearing a faded gray monk's robe. He was hunched over, holding a bamboo broom, sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground.

His hair was completely white, standing out starkly in the twilight. His face was covered in wrinkles, and his skin hung loosely, making it impossible to tell his exact age; he was at least seventy or eighty.

He kept his head down, his gaze fixed on the tip of the broom, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

Fang Cunxin was a little puzzled. She had been to Yunqi Temple many times, but she had never seen this old man before, nor had she ever seen a monk with hair still in his hair practicing in the temple, let alone one who was so old.

But at this time, there were no other monks in the courtyard.

She then prepared to go and ask the old man to pass on the message.

at this time,

A burly monk emerged from the inner courtyard. He appeared to be around forty years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a short beard, and wore a gray monk's robe.

Fang Cunxin's eyes lit up. She recognized this person; he was the eldest disciple of Zen Master Jiuye and the current abbot of Yunqi Temple. She immediately called out, "Brother Huiming!"

Huiming quickly came over, put his hands together, and bowed slightly: "Miss Fang, it's been a long time."

Fang Cunxin returned the greeting with clasped hands and smiled, "Senior Brother Huiming, I've come to bother you again."

Huiming smiled and said gently, "Miss Fang, what are you saying? The gates of Yunqi Temple are always open to Zhenshan Escort Agency. Please go and let the guests of the agency in. I'll have someone prepare a vegetarian meal and tidy up the rooms."

Fang Cunxin nodded and was about to leave when her gaze suddenly stopped and fell on the old man sweeping the floor. She asked, "Senior Brother Huiming, who is this...?"

Huiming sighed softly and said in a low voice, "He is a pitiful man. Half a month ago, people from the village at the foot of the mountain brought him here. He is an old man living alone, without any children. I couldn't bear to see him like this, so I let him stay in the temple, gave him a meal and a room to live in. He helps with sweeping and doing chores every day, so he has a place to stay."

Fang Cunxin said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. She went out to invite the bodyguards in, quickly piled up the goods, and then followed Huiming into the inner courtyard.

However, as they walked on,

Fang Cunxin felt something was strange.

She remembered that when she used to come to Yunqi Temple, there were always some martial monks practicing their skills, some practicing punches, some wielding sticks, with shouts rising and falling, making it very lively. But today, although she encountered monks along the way, they were all very quiet, and she didn't run into a single familiar face.

"Brother Huiming," Fang Cunxin asked, "where are Brother Huineng and the others? And what about those little monks Jiechi and Jiechen? They used to always be hanging around me when I came, but why are they all gone today? Could they have run off somewhere to get into a fight again and been punished by Zen Master Jiuye to copy Buddhist scriptures?"

Huiming lowered his eyes, clasped his hands together, and whispered, "Miss Fang, you may not know this, but my master... has passed away."

Fang Cunxin was stunned, and the smile on her face froze instantly.

"When did this happen?" she asked, full of surprise.

Huiming said in a low voice, "Master is getting old and his health is not as good as before. He fell seriously ill last year. Two months ago, he was meditating in the meditation room and never woke up again after entering a state of deep concentration."

Fang Cunxin stood there, stunned, and remained silent for a long time.

She had been traveling with her father as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) since she was a child, and they would pass through this place every year and stay overnight. As a result, she had a lot of contact with Zen Master Jiuye and they were very familiar with each other.

Zen Master Jiuye spoke slowly and leisurely, and always liked to play chess with her, though his chess skills were not very good; he lost eight out of ten games. He wasn't upset when he lost, but just smiled and said, "Let's play again," like an old child.

Now, it's gone just like that.

She took a deep breath, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply towards the main hall. When she straightened up, her eyes were slightly red.

"Brother Huiming, please accept my condolences." Her voice was much softer than before.

Huiming returned the greeting with his palms together, sighed, and said, "After Master left, things got a bit chaotic in the temple. Huineng and the others were originally martial artists that Master had taken in. They were wild by nature, and Master could keep them in check when he was alive. But after Master left, no one could control them. After Master passed away, they often quarreled, and later, one by one, they packed their bags and left the temple to wander. Jiechi, Jiechen, and the other young monks also left. The martial monks you knew well are mostly gone from the temple now."

He shook his head as he spoke, his tone full of helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cunxin felt a pang of melancholy, but she didn't know what to say. She could only sigh and say, "I suppose this is what Zen Master Jiuye meant when he said that everyone has their own destiny."

Huiming clasped his hands together again and stepped aside to lead the way: "Let's not talk about this anymore, Miss Fang, everyone, please follow me, the rooms are ready."

The group followed Huiming through the front hall, around a stone pagoda, and along a narrow blue stone path toward a Zen temple. Green bamboo lined both sides of the path, rustling softly in the wind.

The Zen temple is not large, just a small courtyard with buildings on three sides. In the middle of the courtyard grows an osmanthus tree with lush branches and leaves.

Huiming led everyone into the courtyard, instructed the young monks behind him to fetch the vegetarian meal, and then said to Fang Cunxin, "Miss Fang, please rest here for now. The vegetarian meal will be served shortly. If you need anything, just let the young monks outside the courtyard know."

Fang Cunxin clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Huiming."

Huiming smiled slightly, clasped his hands together, and withdrew.

The bodyguards went inside to assign lodgings, but Fang Cunxin didn't go in. She stood under the osmanthus tree, gazing absently at the last rays of twilight on the horizon.

Gu Guanqi walked to her side and followed Fang Cunxin's gaze, but saw nothing but the gradually darkening sky and the blurry outline of distant mountains.

"Thinking about Zen Master Jiuye?" he asked.

Fang Cunxin nodded, her voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness: "That old monk was a very kind person. Every time he came, he would personally cook vegetarian meals for me, and his cooking skills were excellent. I was even thinking of playing a game of chess with him this time and defeating him without leaving a trace."

She paused, then continued, "And there are my fellow disciples like Huineng. Although they are a bit wild, they are all straightforward people and get along well with me. Every time I come, they secretly ask me for wine and meat, and then they get into trouble when Zen Master Jiuye finds out. Alas, I never thought that in just a few months, everything would have changed so much."

Gu Guanqi didn't say anything, but just stood quietly beside her.

Fang Cunxin turned to look at him, then suddenly smiled. Her smile held a hint of relief, but also a touch of melancholy. "My father often said that life is a journey that can only be traveled forward. The scenery along the way only happens once, and once you miss it, it's hard to see it again."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly but did not speak.

Soon after, footsteps could be heard at the courtyard gate.

Several young monks filed in carrying trays, on which were placed several plates of vegetarian dishes, a bowl of rice, and a large bowl of soup. The dishes were simple, consisting of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, dried tofu, and pickled radishes, but they were prepared with great care, showing that they had been made with care.

Fang Cunxin's gaze swept across the faces of the young monks, then suddenly paused, landing on the last young monk who was holding a bowl of soup.

The young novice monk was about fifteen or sixteen years old, not very tall, with a round face and big eyes, and looked somewhat reserved as he set out the soup bowls.

"Huihai?" Fang Cunxin called out tentatively.

The young novice monk looked up, saw Fang Cunxin, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes. He then lowered his head, clasped his hands together, and said in a soft voice, "Miss Fang... Miss Fang."

Fang Cunxin laughed, walked over and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "It really is you! You've grown quite a bit taller in the few months I haven't seen you. I almost didn't recognize you! What's wrong, are you being distant with me?"

Huihai lowered his head and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "No...no awkwardness!"

Fang Cunxin smiled and said, "Come, come, just give me the bowl."

"No, no, no need, I'll put it in!"

Huihai bent down to put down the soup bowl, and his sleeve inadvertently brushed against Fang Cunxin's hand. In that instant, a neatly folded small paper ball slipped out of his sleeve and silently fell into Fang Cunxin's hand.

Fang Cunxin's fingers twitched slightly, but her expression remained unchanged as she exclaimed, "The vegetarian food at Yunqi Temple is always delicious. I wonder if it's changed now!"

Several bodyguards chimed in.

Huihai straightened up, took two steps back, and together with the other young monks, they clasped their hands in prayer before leaving and disappearing outside the courtyard gate.

Fang Cunxin clutched the crumpled paper in her palm, casually picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of tofu, put it in her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and praised, "It's as delicious as ever."

The bodyguards started eating, and the sounds of clinking bowls and chopsticks, chewing, and conversation mingled together, making the courtyard lively.

After the meal, the bodyguards returned to their respective rooms.

The door closed, and Fang Cunxin took out the crumpled paper and unfolded it.

There was only one line of text on the paper, written in a messy hand, as if it had been written in a hurry:

Meet me outside the Medicine Buddha Hall at 11:45 tonight.

The hastily written words looked somewhat eerie under the dim light of the oil lamp.

Fang Cunxin stared at the words for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly. She folded the note and put it in her bosom, then pushed open the door and went to the next room, gently knocking on the door.

The door opened, and Gu Guanqi was drinking tea in the hall.

"Brother Gu, come in for a moment," Fang Cunxin called out.

Gu Guanqi entered the house.

Fang Cunxin took the note out of her bosom and handed it over.

Gu Guanqi took it, unfolded it, glanced at it, and asked in confusion, "What's this?"

Fang Cunxin lowered her voice and said, "Huihai just gave it to me. Brother Gu, it's so strange. I've known Huihai for several years and we've always been quite close. If he wanted to tell me something, why didn't he just say it directly? Why all the beating around the bush and asking me to meet him tonight?"

Gu Guanqi carefully recalled the little monk's every move and noticed that his eyes had been wandering.

Gu Guanqi deduced that Huihai probably had something he wanted to say to Fang Cunxin, but he dared not speak because others were present. The person he feared was likely one of the temple members traveling with them, meaning he probably wanted to tell Fang Cunxin some secret!

"Snap"

Fang Cunxin slapped her thigh and said, "Could it be that this little monk has fallen for me and wants to secretly confess his feelings? This little monk is at the age where he's experiencing first love!"

Gu Guanqi: "..."

We're thinking on completely different wavelengths!