Chapter Thirty-Three: The Monk in the Temple

The inspection room was shrouded in gloom, with the moonlight barely revealing the little girl's corpse. Fang Mu stepped closer and noticed that the body had changed. During the daylight examination, her eyes had been normal, but now something had shifted. The girl's eyes were wide open, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, and both pupils were blood-red.

Fang Mu was experienced in such matters; a corpse less than a day dead should not exhibit such abnormalities.

“You’d best not touch her. That would violate the laws of ancient Yue,” Magistrate Yu’s voice sounded from the doorway.

Without turning, Fang Mu replied, “There are things you don’t understand. To borrow Qing Ruowu’s words: the less you know, the better it is for you.”

Magistrate Yu froze in place, silently standing his ground.

Fang Mu ignored him and began to examine the corpse, but before his hand could reach the girl, something strange happened.

“Ball! Ball!”

The little girl suddenly sat bolt upright, emitting an eerie howl as she lunged at Fang Mu.

The voice was exactly the same as the headless ghost’s from before!

This scene terrified Magistrate Yu at the door, who stumbled backward several steps.

“So you were hiding here all along. Too bad, your plans were flawed. You thought you could escape Bai, but you cannot escape me!”

Fang Mu’s Yin Ghost Dagger flashed as he severed the girl’s limbs.

She collapsed to the floor, howling incessantly, as if intent on devouring Fang Mu.

He shook his head and reached out to touch her.

As his hand made contact, a prompt sounded:

[You have touched Headless Ghost + Ghastly Corpse, obtained clue: Ball, effect unknown.]

[You have touched Headless Ghost + Ghastly Corpse, obtained a strand of True Qi.]

[You have touched Headless Ghost + Ghastly Corpse, obtained clue: Meng County Bark, effect unknown.]

A strand of True Qi merged into his reverse-flowing Qi, making it even stronger.

Ball and bark?

Fang Mu frowned; the two clues made no sense, except for the mention of Meng County. Aside from that geographic detail, nothing seemed abnormal.

On his shoulder, Bai had returned to normal, licking his lips and gazing hungrily at the girl.

With the examination complete, the blood-red in the girl’s eyes remained, and her howls did not cease.

The ghastly corpse—bearing the same name as her parents—had become a monster after her death.

The Headless Ghost was hidden within, so there were two monsters in total.

After a moment’s thought, Fang Mu nodded to Bai. “Eat.”

The corpse examination was finished; the monster had served its purpose.

Bai let out a cheerful cry, exhaling swirling black mist that enveloped the girl.

Moments later, the smoke dispersed, and the grass mat was empty.

Having absorbed the monster, Bai had grown slightly larger, though not noticeably so.

Fang Mu stood and moved to Magistrate Yu’s side. He pondered, then said cryptically, “Qing Ruowu… do you understand now?”

Magistrate Yu hesitated, falling silent.

Fang Mu said no more and strode out of the county office.

His words were ambiguous, hinting at a connection with Qing Ruowu; as to the truth, Magistrate Yu could puzzle it out himself.

Leaving the office, Fang Mu decided to visit Meng County.

In these times, monsters were merely tools for him to strengthen himself.

He was not one to wait passively for trouble to find him—he preferred to strike first.

Before departing Jinglong County, Fang Mu made a thorough circuit of the area.

With the boost from True Qi, he moved swiftly.

Regrettably, Bai did not emit any unusual growls; aside from previous encounters, they found no other monsters.

Ball and bark lingered in his mind, but Fang Mu was in no hurry to retrieve them: once out, they could not be put back, and they’d take up space.

With nothing gained, Fang Mu took advantage of the night to head for Meng County.

…

Meng County was far from Jinglong County, and ordinary people could never cover the distance on foot.

With True Qi in his body, Fang Mu was far stronger than most.

He traveled by moonlight, crossing long mountain paths; when he was halfway to Meng County, he suddenly stopped.

The reason was simple: Bai began to cry out.

In the desolate hills, Bai’s eerie cry was full of mystery.

Fang Mu followed Bai’s gaze and moved in that direction.

Beyond the trees before him, a dilapidated temple appeared.

The temple stood in the wilds, a peculiar place for such a structure.

A ruined temple in the mountains, far from any village or inn—its placement seemed pointless.

Fang Mu approached and glanced at the entrance.

The doors were tightly shut, offering no glimpse inside.

No sound emerged, as if the temple were empty.

On his shoulder, Bai’s cries grew more urgent.

Fang Mu picked up a stone and hurled it at the temple door.

With the force of True Qi, the stone smashed the door to pieces.

Inside, the lights were bright; a monk sat with his back to Fang Mu, his figure bent.

“Boundless is the Dharma…”

After the door was broken, the monk, still facing away, intoned a Buddhist chant.

“Meow—”

Bai arched his back, fur bristling instantly.

Fang Mu stood at the threshold, drawing both the butcher’s knife and the Yin Ghost Dagger.

“Blades and blood—calamity,” said the monk as he slowly rose.

A sudden gust of wind made the temple lights flicker.

Then the monk turned to face Fang Mu.

Half of his face was rotten, exposing pale bone; the other half was tranquil, radiating a sense of peace.

Not just his face—his exposed hands and feet were also half bone.

Half the visage of Buddha, half the visage of a ghost.

“Traveler, may I invite you inside for a talk?” The monk’s tone was calm, as if he had attained enlightenment.

Fang Mu shook his head and stayed outside.

His golden finger was corpse-touching, not gaining strength from being attacked by monsters; entering rashly could have unpredictable consequences.

“Traveler, dangers abound outside.” The monk extended a skeletal hand, pointing behind Fang Mu. “Look.”

A haze of white mist rose, soon thick enough to obscure even an outstretched hand.

The dense mist grew until even the temple faded from view.

Fang Mu gripped the Yin Ghost Dagger, patted Bai’s body. “Let’s go.”

The fog was a deliberate trap laid by the monster.

To stay out meant no path forward; to enter meant peril.

Hesitation solved nothing—better to stake everything.

Fang Mu stepped over the threshold.

As he entered the ruined temple, the monk slowly sat back down.

Once solemn, the temple now brimmed with sinister energy, and the stark contrast made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

The shattered doors floated up and reassembled before Fang Mu, sealing the entrance once more.

“Trav—”

“What traveler?”

Hairpin Technique, Butcher’s Blade!

The Yin Ghost Dagger and butcher’s knife, charged with True Qi, slashed down toward the monk’s skull…