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

Abbot Hong'an's gaze fell on the prince's face, but the Buddhist beads on his wrist swept over Xiao Zhuang, his doubts deepening.

However, since the prince had spoken, and his reason was quite plausible, if he insisted on refusing, it would make him appear as if he were only focused on getting on his way and disregarded human life, thus losing the compassionate duty of a monk.

Abbot Hong'an's fingers, which were twirling the prayer beads, paused slightly before resuming their normal movement, a look of compassion appearing on his face:

"Amitabha! Your Highness is so kind; how could this old monk refuse? However, this woman's origins are unknown, and what she says is quite strange..."

"In the desolate wilderness, a lone woman suddenly appears, claiming that a giant snake has swallowed people, yet no wounds are visible. Given this situation, one must be wary."

He pointed to two middle-aged monks who looked calm and composed: "Huijing, Huijue, you two will accompany this female benefactor."

"To prevent any treachery that might disturb Your Highness's journey," Hong An continued, his tone becoming more serious, "I request that you, my lord, bring more capable men with you."

"Be extremely careful and investigate thoroughly. If you encounter danger, prioritize your own safety. If what this woman says is true, then according to Buddhist teachings, deal with the harmful creature appropriately; if it is untrue..."

He glanced at Xiao Zhuang indifferently, and the coldness in his unspoken words made Xiao Zhuang instinctively shrink back.

"This old monk and the rest of my disciples will stay here to protect Your Highness and await news," Hong An concluded.

Chu Jingyu seemed oblivious to the deeper meaning in his words, and nodded with a smile, "The abbot's consideration is thorough, that's excellent."

He said to the guards, "Select twenty skilled fighters to accompany the two masters. Be careful in everything you do."

"Yes!" The guard accepted the order and immediately went to select the men.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Zhuang immediately stopped crying and smiled, kowtowing repeatedly, "Thank you, Master! Thank you, benefactor! Thank you, esteemed soldiers! Xiao Zhuang will lead the way!"

She got up and eagerly pointed towards the forest path, but her eyes quickly glanced at the Crown Prince, giving him a barely perceptible wink.

Seeing this, Chu Jingyu felt slightly relieved, knowing that this was most likely Xie Jinchen's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

So, the two monks from Huguo Temple, along with more than ten imperial guards led by the Crown Prince's bodyguard, followed the still-frightened Xiao Zhuang and quickly left the teahouse, disappearing into the forest path.

About an incense stick's time later.

Beside the teahouse, Abbot Hong'an was originally meditating with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, his fingers, which were twirling the prayer beads, froze. His eyes snapped open, and the calm on his face shattered instantly, replaced by shock, anger, and disbelief.

He suddenly stood up, his robes fluttering in the wind, and the peaceful aura around him suddenly became chaotic.

An invisible pressure emanated from him, startling several nearby imperial guards who instinctively took a half-step back and placed their hands on their sword hilts.

Chu Jingyu had been secretly observing, and upon seeing this, his heart tightened slightly, but he promptly showed concern and asked:

"Abbot, what's wrong? Has something happened over there?"

Abbot Hong'an stared intently in the direction of the woods where Xiao Zhuang and the others had left, his face ashen.

After a long pause, he slowly turned his head to look at the Crown Prince, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage:

"Huijing and Huijue's breath has ceased."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding area fell silent instantly.

The monks accompanying the group's expressions changed drastically, their eyes revealing shock, anger, and disbelief.

The imperial guards exchanged bewildered glances, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of everyone, Abbot Hong'an slowly raised his right hand, which was holding the prayer beads, and opened his palm.

Chu Jingyu followed his gaze and saw that two of the smooth, round Buddhist beads had become dull and lifeless, their surfaces covered with fine cracks, and they were turning into dust at a visible speed, falling through his fingers.

This is clearly some kind of sensory artifact connected to the disciple's life.

If the pearl is destroyed, the person will die.

"Amitabha!"

Abbot Hong'an took a deep breath, and the Buddhist chant was no longer peaceful, but instead carried a chilling aura.

He forcefully suppressed the murderous intent that was about to burst forth from his body, and abruptly turned to the Crown Prince, his tone no longer as calm as before, but with a hint of hardness:

"Your Highness, I fear my two disciples have met with misfortune. This place is dangerous; there may be extremely powerful demons causing trouble here."

"To ensure Your Highness's safety, we cannot linger here any longer. Please, Your Highness, depart immediately and accompany me to investigate!"

"This old monk must go personally to see what kind of demon is so audacious as to dare harm my Buddhist disciples!"

Chu Jingyu knew perfectly well that the old monk was currently filled with shock and anger, and his vigilance was at its peak. He would never let Chu Jingyu out of his sight.

What they call protection is actually surveillance.

His expression remained calm, even carrying a perfectly measured air of solemnity and worry, and he stood up without hesitation:

"Such a thing has happened?! Even the abbot's disciple... Alright, I will accompany the abbot to investigate the truth. If there are indeed evil spirits, we must eradicate them to bring peace to this place!"

This statement preserved the Crown Prince's dignity and pleased Hong An, leaving no room for criticism.

Abbot Hong'an gave the prince a deep look, said nothing more, flicked his robe, and led the way.

Chu Jingyu followed closely behind, and the five hundred imperial guards immediately drew their swords, forming a tight protective formation.

Protecting Chu Jingyu in the center, they sped towards the mountain hollow where the auras of the two martial monks had last disappeared.

Soon, they arrived at the ravine.

However, there are no houses here, only a relatively flat clearing in the woods.

In the distance, there was an even denser forest, eerily silent.

Abbot Hong'an's expression grew even more grim, and he waved his hand to stop the procession.

He solemnly instructed his two other close disciples who had always been by his side:

"Huitong, Huiwu, you two must stay by His Highness's side at all times and protect his safety."

"Yes, Master!" Two monks immediately stepped forward, subtly protecting the prince from the left and right.

Their eyes swept around, each holding a magical artifact in their hand, and a faint golden Buddhist light flowed around them, clearly indicating that their cultivation was far superior to that of Huijing and Huijue, who had been sent out earlier.

After giving his instructions, Abbot Hong'an walked alone to the center of the open space.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, raising the string of prayer beads high in his hand, and began to chant rapidly:

"The Mahaprajnaparamita is neither defiled nor pure, neither coming nor going!"

"With the Vajra eye of wisdom, one sees in all directions, the threads of cause and effect, the arising and ceasing of conditions."

"Show!"

Amidst the chanting, he suddenly tossed the prayer beads into the air.

The string of prayer beads hovered in mid-air, spinning rapidly, each bead emitting a faint golden Buddhist light.

The light shifted, subtly pointing in a certain direction.

At the same time, the seemingly ordinary nine-ringed staff in his hand flew up on its own, the nine rings at the top of the staff jingling and emitting clear and melodious Buddhist sounds, echoing the light of the Buddhist beads.

"go!"

Abbot Hong'an pointed his finger, and his staff transformed into a golden light, carrying the force of wind and thunder, flying towards the depths of the dense forest indicated by the light of the Buddhist beads.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Just as the staff was about to disappear into the forest, several sharp whistles pierced the air from different directions within the forest.

Seven or eight beads, also radiating pure spiritual light, flew out and struck the speeding tin staff one after another.

"Ding! Ding! Click!"

The crisp impact and the soft cracking sound rang out almost simultaneously.

The flying staff was struck by this sudden attack, causing its Buddhist light to dim and its momentum to vanish. With a mournful cry, it flew back.

Abbot Hong'an's expression changed, and with a flick of his sleeve, he caught the tin staff that was flying back in mid-air.

It felt heavy in my hand, and the staff was still trembling slightly.

After being struck, the prayer beads did not fall to the ground. Instead, they traced an arc and flew back into the forest, disappearing from sight.