Chapter 151: The Haunted Taoist Temple

The Taoist temple was located on a nearby mountain. The distance wasn’t far, and the Taoist had been traveling on foot for years, so his stamina was well developed. Qin Yang, of course, was even less fatigued after walking for over an hour. It was Liu Yan who suffered the most; she was grateful she hadn’t worn high heels, but even so, her legs were beginning to go numb from exhaustion. Seeing their weariness, the Taoist sat down on a stone bench by the roadside to rest. As soon as Liu Yan plopped down, she immediately began massaging her legs.

Qin Yang bought three bottles of water from a nearby stall, handing one to Liu Yan and tossing one to the Taoist.

After some conversation, they got to know each other. The Taoist’s name was Zhang Ming. He boasted that his ancestors were descended from Zhang Guolao, and that generations of his family had been Taoists. During times of turmoil, his family had secluded themselves in the mountains of Haitan City. With years of savings, they built this temple, and later, when the local authorities wanted to develop tourism, the temple was renovated. Now, it attracted a fair number of worshippers. Zhang Ming had taken on several disciples who managed the temple during the day, while he himself wandered about aimlessly.

Recently, after returning from a few days of travel, Zhang Ming heard his disciples say that the temple had been filled with strange wailing sounds every night, loud enough to disturb sleep, yet there was no noise outside. During the day, everything seemed perfectly normal. This led Zhang Ming to suspect some unclean presence in the temple. Today, he had planned to visit the antique shop to look for some talisman or artifact to suppress the evil spirit, but unexpectedly met Qin Yang. He was certain that with someone of Qin Yang’s fate sitting there, the evil presence would calm down.

“Could it really be a ghost?” Liu Yan asked timidly.

Zhang Ming shook his head. “I don’t know. Although tales of ghosts and spirits are common, I’ve never actually seen one. Miss Liu, you need not fear. Your destiny is blank; to ghosts and spirits, you are invisible. Brother Qin’s fate is special, and his aura is strong — he looks like someone who’s been through battle. From the faint killing aura I sense, I’d guess he was fighting on the battlefield just ten days ago. If it really is a ghostly presence, such spirits fear nothing more than those who have emerged from battlefields, for their killing intent is too strong.”

Hearing this, Liu Yan instinctively moved closer to Qin Yang.

After resting for a while, the three set off again. Zhang Ming, accustomed to wandering, had good endurance, and Qin Yang, who could lead thousands through perilous escapes, never feared exhaustion. By the late afternoon, around four o’clock, they arrived at the foot of the mountain. Looking up at the winding mountain path, Qin Yang held Liu Yan’s hand, while Zhang Ming led the way ahead.

As the saying goes, “looking at the mountain tires the horse.” Although the mountain wasn’t very high, climbing it was quite exhausting. The temple was not at the summit but above the halfway mark. The mountain rose over a thousand meters. After an hour and a half of climbing, Liu Yan was panting heavily, while the two men remained as fresh as ever. Seeing that it was already six o’clock and considering Liu Yan’s fatigue, Qin Yang bent his knees slightly and said, “Come here, I’ll carry you.”

Liu Yan hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed, but eventually climbed onto Qin Yang’s back, her body pressed close. Qin Yang instinctively wrapped his arms around her thighs but found her surprisingly fragile. This made Liu Yan blush, letting out a soft sigh, her warm breath brushing against Qin Yang’s ear. He quickly shook his head and said, “Let’s pick up the pace.”

“All right.” Zhang Ming, already aware that Qin Yang was no ordinary man, no longer dawdled and increased their speed considerably.

Qin Yang carried Liu Yan steadily from behind, moving without any sign of disorder.

“Am I heavy?” Liu Yan asked softly.

“Not even a hundred pounds. How can you say that?” Qin Yang laughed. “From now on, I’ll make sure you eat more. I once carried over seventy kilograms of gear and could run fast for more than five hours. You’re too light.”

“Hmph,” Liu Yan responded with a faint huff.

With their pace quickened, they reached the temple in less than half an hour. Only then did Qin Yang set her down.

The temple was clearly old, with red-painted walls and gray tiles, some parts already dilapidated. The door was a simple wooden one, with an incense offering stand outside containing plenty of bills. Zhang Ming led them inside. Perhaps wary of what Zhang Ming had said, Liu Yan clung closely to Qin Yang’s arm.

In the courtyard stood a large cauldron burning fragrant incense. Inside the main hall were statues of the three great Taoist deities. Though the rest of the space was simple, it was meticulously clean. Three young men were tidying up—many worshippers had come today, so they were busy cleaning. Upon seeing Zhang Ming, they all greeted him as “Master.”

They looked curiously at Liu Yan and Qin Yang, especially at Liu Yan, who was strikingly beautiful. Their eyes nearly glazed over.

“What are you staring at?” Zhang Ming scolded them with a glare before turning to smile at the newcomers. “This is my three disciples: Zhang Guo, Zhang Fu, and Zhang Qiang. Alright, you three head home to rest.”

The three nodded and left.

“Don’t they live here?” Liu Yan asked, curious.

Zhang Ming smiled. “Their homes aren’t far, but it’s been quite unsafe at night lately. They don’t dare stay here, so I told them to go home. But with Brother Qin here tonight, they probably have nothing to fear. Alright, Brother Qin, you two rest for a while; I’ll prepare some food in the kitchen. It’s still early.”

With that, Zhang Ming went to the kitchen.

Qin Yang and Liu Yan wandered around the temple. It was small; the front was for worshippers, while the back had a small courtyard where the disciples lived. Some modern amenities were visible but scarce. The mountain nights were bitterly cold, and it was only April. Seeing Liu Yan shiver, Qin Yang took off his jacket and draped it over her. “Let’s go inside; it’s too cold out here.”

“Okay,” Liu Yan nodded.

They settled in a side room where a television surprisingly stood. When turned on, the signal was quite good. While watching, Qin Yang opened his spiritual vision and scanned the surroundings.

“No unusual findings,” he frowned. “But Zhang Ming’s collection of artifacts is quite good; most contain spiritual energy.”

The Taoist manager yawned lazily. “Why rush? Wait until night. That ghost might be hiding or maybe there’s nothing at all. The strange wailing could be caused by some chaotic factors during the night.”

Qin Yang smiled and closed his eyes slightly, entering the Hell Star.

The Hell Star was a dark crystal shard he had received as a reward for slaying Azazias. It seemed to be a piece cut from a larger whole, suspended in the Hell Realm’s space. Qin Yang could enter the Hell Star’s world directly. Inside, it was pitch black but allowed his mind to clear completely. After emerging, he felt his spiritual power greatly enhanced. At night, he often immersed himself in the Hell Star’s fragments to wake refreshed the next day.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Ming returned carrying delicate dishes.

Qin Yang exited the Hell Star and sat at the table, inhaling the aroma. “This smells excellent.”

“You’re my honored guest, so I must treat you well. Miss Liu, come try my cooking. It’s all simple fare, but I guarantee it’s no worse than some five-star chefs’,” Zhang Ming said confidently.

Curious, Liu Yan tasted some greens and exclaimed, “Really delicious.”

Zhang Ming retrieved a bottle of wine from a cabinet and poured a glass for Qin Yang and one for himself. “It’s late now. You’ll have to bear with staying here tonight.”

“No problem; as long as I can sleep,” Qin Yang smiled.

The three ate and chatted until well past ten at night. Qin Yang wanted Liu Yan to rest, but she refused, afraid to be alone. After clearing the table, Zhang Ming glanced at the time. “Brother Qin, it’s about to happen. Take a look.”

Qin Yang nodded.

Liu Yan moved even closer to Qin Yang, who smiled and took her hand gently.