4 Suspicious

Tong Zhi proceded into the woodlands, completely dissuaded by the temptations from the disembodied voice. In lieu of the big, bustling Basin City or the calm Xun Kuang Sect, the surrounding woodlands vibed a cleansing nature. There was something about the smell of fresh herbs, the striking greenery, and the sounds of distant flocks and inhabiting insects.

Tong Zhi immersed herself, maintaining a reserve of alertness.

Life designated a time and a place for all happenings, and Tong Zhi chose a fate to learn the Buddhist sutras. Having browsed through the teachings of the Xun Kuang Sect and having experienced the teachings put into practice, Tong Zhi foresaw Young Master after Young Master flouting the purpose of their education and domineering the world.

She shuddered to think what would happen if the incomplete and exploitable teachings eroded her principles and values. Would she not be a husk, perpetuating a discarded mantra? Then again, Tong Zhi never was talented in cultivating those sentiments, so it didn't matter.

But if Tong Zhi did not get to a Temple, she squandered her chance. Luckily, the Xun Kuang Sect resided at the base of the Violet Peaks Mountains. No self-respecting organization left themselves in the wake of threats, so minimal danger should be expected.

"Still, I feel like something is wrong," Tong Zhi muttered to herself. "Even when I ran away shortly after being banished, it shouldn't be this easy?"

Tong Zhi stopped on a knoll and cupped a hand over her ear. Other than the odd rustling of leaves, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Yet, the strange knell of danger kept tolling in her mind.

"Why hasn't this unlucky day ended?"

Cracking sounded off from the path Tong Zhi took! The ground rumbled and trees shook! Tong Zhi bolted from the knoll and dived through the woodlands!

"There it is!" Tong Zhi grumbled. "Just my luck!"

She pushed past hanging branches that pulled at her hair and clothes. With the dagger in hand, Tong Zhi unhesitatingly cut her way through.

The ceaseless shaking set Tong Zhi tumbling left and right. Snapping wood thumped heavily behind, sending a cascade of leaves and dirt splashing over.

A tree trunk crashed through the trees, barely missing Tong Zhi's head as it landed in front of her.

"F**k! Why me, why me, why me!?"

Tong Zhi scrambled atop the fallen trees. Several branches caught her robes, forcing Tong Zhi to hack its length short of her thighs. As she pushed past, Tong Zhi slipped on the uneven bark and fell.

"Mommy!"

"Tong Zhi!"

"Fatty!?"

Dà Máfan splayed out on the grass, serving perfectly as a cushion. Tong Zhi clambered off from him and brushed herself off.

"Fatty, are you okay?"

Dà Máfan grabbed his belly and winced, but still rocked up to his feet. He put on a brave smile.

"I'm alright."

"Didn't Tōng Pèifú cripple your arm? How could you be fine?"

"Don't worry, comrade! Uncle saved me!"

"Sect Elder Yu Fu!?"

Tong Zhi felt the threat peaked from behind her. She took a glance and found the dark face of Yu Fu scowling. His imposing, intellectual figure looked down on her.

"Because of you, I wasted the Yu Clan's Life Renewment Pill! If you explicitly displayed your friendship with my nephew, we didn't need to go through this drama! Foolish woman, do you know what you cost us?"

"Uncle, it's my fault!"

"Nephew, be quiet, before you destabilize my cultivation further! It was a nightmare that I regressed to Lǐ Rites Realm! Do you want me to fall from the three rituals I established!?"

"...Sorry, Uncle," Dà Máfan bowed down in apology. "It still isn't Tong Zhi's fault. She had her own troubles and nesting under my wing would be begging for more trouble. I simply wasn't strong enough."

Yu Fu sighed and rubbed his glabella.

"Following the wishes of a fool makes you more than a fool."

"I'll have to apologize to you, Uncle, but my comrade is worth it to me."

Tong Zhi noticed a wheelbarrow behind Yu Fu.

"Pardon me, Sect Elder Yu Fu, but why are you here with Disciple Dà Máfan?"

"You, you talentless trash!"

Yu Fu charged over, yet Dà Máfan intercepted him with his fat body.

"Uncle, calm down! Remember, it isn't her fault! She is a victim!"

Yu Fu heaved in anger while Dà Máfan kept talking his Uncle out of murdering Tong Zhi. Eventually, Yu Fu took a deep breath and turned around.

"If I had the chance, you would be dead, trash!"

Yu Fu went over to the wheelbarrow and sat on it, among the bamboo baskets.

"Why is Sect Elder Yu Fu so angry?" Tong Zhi worried.

"It's complicated. Because I was always around you, I got blamed for bullying and crippling you, a fellow disciple, on the Dueling Grounds. There were too many witnesses, so even Uncle got implicated for aiding and abetting these crimes.

Banishing me would be enough, but the new Core Disciple Tōng Pèifú accused Uncle of stealing the Life Renewment Pill when he used it on me. As its effects are legendary, not only was I completely healed, my Organ Systems also got refined from the first Chicken Bloodstone State to the second Agate State at the cost of my cultivation.

This Life Renewment Pill is the Yu Clan's secret treasure, so only direct inheritors knew of its existence. Sadly, Uncle and I are the sole survivors of the direct Yu Clan bloodline. There are no records to prove our ownership, even if our Yu Clan has a dignified history of service where being rewarded a Life Renewment Pill would not be strange.

What Uncle is most angry about now is that he was exiled and must serve the Xun Kuang Sect from the outside to repent. The stain of the crimes brought shame to the Yu Clan and Uncle can no longer pay respects to the family from afar. Since the basis of Uncle's cultivation is filial piety, this shame caused him cultivation deviation…"

Tong Zhi smacked her agonized face with her palm.

"I must give my apologies to you and your Uncle."

Dà Máfan shook his head.

"No, it's that damnable Tōng Pèifú's fault. If anything, he aimed to crush any other disciple in his way. Trust me, it won't be long until those arrogant Young Masters follow suit!"

Tong Zhi gave a wry smile.

"I don't know about that. Young Masters have more survivability than cockroaches!"

Dà Máfan gave a hearty laugh.

"You don't have to say that again!"

Tong Zhi smiled, unlike her downcast eyes.

"Anyway, you must've saved me from Elder Yu Fu's irreconcilable wrath. How can I thank you for saving my life twice over?"

Dà Máfan blushed and humbly said, "Ha, you're exaggerating! I didn't do much!"

Tong Zhi thought, 'If you didn't stop the old bull before, I would be squashed by a tree! Catching me from my fall and claiming it was not much? Humility has to have a limit! Sometimes, I think it is too easy to care for this fatty.'

"I could cook you up a meal, if you'd like."

"Sure, sure! It'd also put my Uncle in a good mood! A full belly makes you less silly! Uncle!"

"What is it?"

"Tong Zhi is going to cook for us! We're in for a treat!"

Yu Fu sighed again and hopped off the wheelbarrow.

"Somehow, I think I'm going to be disappointed."

"Ah, don't be that way, Uncle!"

Tong Zhi casually searched through the bamboo baskets while Yu Fu and Dà Máfan set up a fire pit. When the two men set down logs for seats, Tong Zhi pulled out a prepared chicken, some sweet potatoes, a wok, a wok shovel, a knife chopsticks, three bowls, and vegetable oil.

Yu Fu already set a fire blazing, so Tong Zhi swiftly skinned the sweet potatoes and set them on the wok. She diced them as evenly as possible and poured the vegetable oil in. Holding the wok over the fire, Tong Zhi made sure to cook the pieces as equally as possible.

Dà Máfan lovingly watched her cook while Yu Fu judged both of them. Yu Fu's irritation grew as he realized this Tong Zhi wasn't skilled in cooking.

Like he expected, Yu Fu received a bowl of roasted sweet potatoes and ate the plain pieces without seasoning. While Dà Máfan sang praises to Tong Zhi, Yu Fu cursed both of their ineptitude.

When they ate the chicken, Yu Fu's face completely blackened.

"Where's the rice? Where's the rich flavor? Why is it so plain? It's almost completely mediocre! How dare you call this a treat!"

"Uncle, don't be like that! Tong Zhi isn't a top class chef, but her meals have a homely taste!"

"Homely? Homeless, more like it! Like a veteran of the slums, she's without any knowledge of proper Chinese cooking!"

"Tong Zhi still has room to grow!"

"Grow to be a bigger pain in my *ss! The best she could do is barely passable! Why do you even care so much about her?"

"Uncle!"

The two men stared down at each other, leaving Tong Zhi completely uncomfortable.

'Hm,' Tong Zhi thought. 'I'm grateful Elder Yu Fu didn't taste my earlier works or Dà Máfan wouldn't be able to defend me.'

Yu Fu let out a lengthy and exasperated sigh, before rubbing his reddened glabella and turning back to the wheelbarrow.

"Pack up. We're breaking through to the Pine Meadows Temple."

"Thank you, Uncle!" Dà Máfan excitedly exclaimed.

Yu Fu pulled the wheelbarrow and continued kicking down trees, just in a more controlled manner to create a path. Dà Máfan and Tong Zhi followed after him.

"Pine Meadows?" Tong Zhi asked.

"The Xun Kuang Sect might hate Inanity Cultivators, but Buddhists can't be stopped. So, the Pine Meadows Temple gathers most of the Buddhists in exchange for reforming prospective disciples who strayed from the path of Sanity Cultivation.

The strongest Practitioner is at the start of the Śūnya Exploration Realm, which is comparable to the Lǐ Rites Realm. This Abbot is not much of a threat, and since the Pine Meadows Temple lost their core teachings, he can't advance in cultivation, regardless.

However, that's why they are troubled. Initially, Inanity Cultivators of the Pine Meadows Temple began disappearing about 20 years ago. They thought the first left on his own. Then, another disappeared 15 years ago. Then, another 13 years ago. Then, two disappeared 10 years ago.

More and more disappeared more and more frequently until prospective Xun Kuang disciples began disappearing without explanation this year. The last report the Xun Kuang Sect received said the Abbot disappeared.

Uncle told me it was against the Xun Kuang Sect rules to leak this information, but he also told me the Xun Kuang Sect rules should only apply to members of the Sect, and not exiles."

Tong Zhi couldn't help but nod along with what the fatty was saying. She didn't really care what it was about. What mattered more was that she could get her sutras at the Temple.

The sky turned closer to night as the trio got near their destination. In front of them, a breathtaking Pine Meadows spread across the flatlands ahead. They took a breather and finally took the last trek towards the Temple in the center.

It looked more like a Monastery rather than a true Temple, as only one large building stood tall. The sweeping roof, decorated windows, carved columns, and raised platform provided the three travelers relief of civilization from their walk in nature.

When they reached the raised stone platform, they could see an old man sweeping leaves into piles on the floor.

Tong Zhi instantly grew suspicious.

Yu Fu stepped away from his wheelbarrow and greeted the old man with a cupped palm.

"Salutations. I heard the Abbot vanished and wish to find his whereabouts."

The old man looked up and then back down. He continued sweeping, as if Yu Fu never spoke a word.