After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound.

A woman dressed in coarse cloth, her face filled with panic, rushed out of the woods in a frantic manner.

Her face was covered in mud and tears, and she looked terrified, as if a demon was chasing her.

The woman's eyes lit up when she saw Abbot Hong'an dressed in a brocade kasaya.

As if seeing a savior, she ran straight towards him, repeatedly crying out, "Master! Master, save me!"

She cried out and ran towards Hong An, even stumbling and nearly falling, making her look even more pitiful and still in shock.

Chu Jingyu: "..."

He half-raised himself, then sat back down without a word, picked up the slightly cooled teacup again, lowered his eyes, and gently skimmed off any non-existent foam with the lid.

Oh, so it wasn't aimed at him after all.

However, before the woman could even get within three zhang of Abbot Hong'an, two quick-reacting monks stepped forward and blocked her path with expressionless faces.

One of the middle-aged monks held one palm up to his chest, his voice cold and hard: "Amitabha. Female benefactor, please have some self-respect and stop. This is a place where distinguished guests rest; do not disturb them."

The woman trembled at the sudden obstruction, immediately covering her face and bursting into tears. Her shoulders shook, and her trembling voice was filled with fear, like that of a startled fawn.

"Master...Masters, benefactors...Help! There's a huge snake! It's pitch black, and its eyes are like lanterns! It's chasing me! It...it wants to eat me!"

As she cried out, she seemed driven by fear, trying to get around the monk.

Seeing that the other person moved slightly and blocked his way again, he turned his attention to the young monk next to him who looked rather young.

She deliberately stumbled a step toward the young monk, her body leaning slightly forward, the curves of her body barely concealed beneath her coarse cloth dress. Her voice softened with a deliberate gentleness as she gazed at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Young master, you look kind and compassionate. Please, please help me... I'm so scared, the snake is in the woods behind us..."

That young monk had never seen such a scene before.

He usually spends his days in quiet meditation in the temple, where he mostly interacts with worshippers and believers, all of whom are very well-behaved.

Suddenly being approached so closely by a beautiful woman with teary eyes, pleading with him, exuding a soft, feminine aura, he blushed instantly and his heart pounded like a drum.

He was at a loss, and subconsciously took half a step back, repeatedly chanting Buddhist mantras, his voice strained:

"Amitabha! Female benefactor, please step back!"

Seeing this, a triumphant glint flashed in the woman's eyes. She then let out a soft "Ouch!" as if she had lost her balance due to the monk's dodge and fell softly to the ground, raising a few specks of dust.

She raised her tear-filled eyes, glanced at the vigilant monks and guards around her, and her sobs became even more heart-wrenching:

"Waaaah... Everyone says Buddhism is compassionate and saves all sentient beings, but it turns out it's all just a facade..."

"I am an orphan, and now I am being chased by evil creatures, yet you stand by and watch me die, refusing even to let me get close enough to seek shelter... What kind of monks are you! What kind of compassionate hearts do you have!"

Her sobs sounded particularly jarring in front of the quiet teahouse, drawing the attention of many of the imperial guards on the outskirts, who began to whisper among themselves.

The young monk's face turned even redder, almost as if it were about to bleed. He lowered his head, not daring to look any longer, and just kept fiddling with his prayer beads, silently reciting scriptures.

Since the woman appeared, Abbot Hong'an has kept his eyes half-closed, his hands moving the prayer beads at a steady pace.

He appeared to be in a meditative state, but in reality, his spiritual senses had already spread out, carefully scanning the woman's entire body.

The woman appeared abruptly, but strangely, her aura was devoid of any yin energy, malevolent energy, or the foul air typical of demons and ghosts. Instead, she faintly emanated a faint Buddhist light.

This Buddha light is not something obtained through spiritual practice, but rather more like the light emanating from objects worn for a long time and imbued with the pure energy of Buddhism.

Abbot Hong'an slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the woman, and said, "Amitabha. Female benefactor, please calm down. Where is the large snake you mentioned? Since it has escaped to the main road, why didn't it chase you out of the forest?"

As soon as the old monk spoke, the woman felt as if she had grasped his backbone.

She quickly got up from the ground, not even bothering to brush off the dust, and bowed respectfully to Abbot Hong'an, her demeanor displaying a rustic simplicity reminiscent of a country woman.

"Master! You look like a highly accomplished monk! My name is Xiao Zhuang. I live in a secluded mountain valley not far from here, making a living by gathering herbs."

"This morning, just as dawn was breaking, I got up to go to the kitchen to start a fire and cook, but when I opened the door... I saw a huge, spotted python coiled up next to the stove!"

"It was as thick as a bucket! When coiled up, it looked like a small mountain! Its belly was bulging, and its shape... clearly looked like it had swallowed a person! I was so scared I almost jumped out of my skin, my legs went weak, and I was all alone at home. I had no choice but to run out for my life to ask for help..."

"After stumbling and falling all the way to this official road, I saw the entourage of distinguished guests and the various masters, and only then..."

As she spoke, she seemed to recall the horrifying scene, her face turned pale, she choked up, and then knelt down and kowtowed to Abbot Hong'an:

"Master! I beg you, have mercy and send someone to catch that snake for me! What if, what if there really is someone inside it? Maybe there's still hope! Woodcutters and hunters sometimes pass through that ravine... I beg you!"

Chu Jingyu watched coldly from the sidelines. At first, he also felt that the woman's appearance was too coincidental. Although her words were sincere, the timing was too good, and he became slightly wary.

However, just as Xiao Zhuang raised his hand to wipe away his tears, his sleeve slipped down, and he caught a glimpse of the jade Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist.

Chu Jingyu's heart stirred, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He simply picked up his teacup and, under the guise of drinking tea, gave a wink to his trusted guard standing beside him.

The guard immediately understood, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in greeting to Abbot Hong'an:

"Abbot, if what this woman said is true, that giant snake that swallowed people is probably no ordinary wild beast, but rather the work of a demon, bringing harm to the village. Since we have encountered it, and it is a Buddhist matter of universal salvation and accumulating merit, perhaps..."

He paused, looked at Abbot Hong'an, and his tone became more sincere:

"Then the master shall send two of his highly skilled disciples, adept at exorcising evil spirits and capturing demons, and I shall take a few capable brothers to accompany this woman to the mountain valley she mentioned to investigate?"

"If it is truly something harmful, removing it would be a good deed. His Highness the Crown Prince is kind and benevolent, and I'm sure he would agree."

Chu Jingyu put down his teacup at the opportune moment, nodded slightly, and said in a gentle tone: "Indeed. Since we have encountered this matter, how can we sit idly by? Demons harm people, and regardless of whether it is true or false, investigating it is the right thing to do."

"The abbot's Buddhist teachings are profound, and he has many capable disciples. What are your thoughts?"