Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Lingyun Temple

"Luo Xi, Senior Brother," I called out to him.

He stopped, turned, and walked over to me. "Qingyue? Did you see Uncle Que Han and Aunt Lingluo? I saw them this morning."

Thinking about the morning's events, I felt a bit stifled and replied softly, "Yes, they said we should split up to catch the culprit faster."

"Do you believe that?"

His question puzzled me.

"What do you mean, believe?" I asked, confused.

Seeing my confusion, he picked out a few key points to explain, "Do you believe what Uncle Que Han said? Considering what happened last night, do you really think it's normal for him to make such a decision today?"

Luo Xi's words reminded me of something. For some time now, I've noticed troubling signs, all seemingly connected to one person. Whenever these incidents occur, suspicion conveniently falls on me. Even if one problem is resolved, a bigger one soon follows. To truly solve these issues, I need to address the root cause.

However, I couldn't act too hastily. Every incident pointed to Lingluo and the Xinghuo Hall. If she were indeed connected to Xinghuo Hall, there must be a larger conspiracy at play. Clearing my name now might risk losing the bigger picture.

Looking into his eyes, I spoke with firm conviction, "I believe in Da Xian because I know he believes in me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made this decision this morning." I smiled at him, feeling a sense of relief.

"That makes sense," he agreed, nodding. Then he asked, "Qingyue, are you free later? Come with me to Lingyun Temple."

Lingyun Temple. Why does that sound so familiar? Oh right, Sister Lüyin mentioned that the Daoist Master she's looking for resides there.

"Are you going to Lingyun Temple too, Senior Brother?"

He nodded, "Yes, I heard that Daoist Master Lingyun, who resides on a mountain north of Luoyang, is highly skilled in Daoist arts. He likely knows about the disturbances in Luoyang. We should ask him to understand our enemy better." He glanced at me and smiled, "What, did you think of the same thing?"

I waved my hand, "No, I met a girl this morning who needs to go there as well, so I thought the four of us could go together."

"Four people? Who else?"

I recounted the entire story to him.

After listening, he agreed that helping her was worthwhile. As evening approached, Luo Xi and I went to find Sister Lüyin together.

It was quite a coincidence that as we were about to enter, we heard a man and a woman arguing inside. The man's voice was particularly loud, accompanied by the clattering sound of dishes and utensils, making it seem like a wild beast was wreaking havoc.

Sister Lüyin's brother sure has a terrible temper.

It looked like I could skip the first and second options. Using a spell, I opened the door and stormed in, only to see Sister Lüyin sitting to one side, a slight frown on her face, while a man glared at her with a face as red as a tomato. I coughed a few times to announce my presence and stepped aside to let Senior Brother Luo Xi in. He entered with a mischievous grin, cracking his knuckles.

"Go." With that single word, we both lunged at him. In no time, we had him subdued.

The man had considerable strength, making my hands ache from his struggles. He did indeed seem to be affected by malevolent energy.

Rolling up my sleeves, I grabbed his ear and scolded, "You little brat, how dare you treat your own sister like this? Today, your Sister Qingyue will teach you what it means to respect your elders."

Just as I was about to discipline him, Sister Lüyin, unable to bear it, interjected, "Miss Qingyue, Lianmu didn't mean it. Please let him go."

"He needs to be taught a lesson so he'll remember it. Don't worry, Sister Lüyin, I know what I'm doing." I placed my elbow on his shoulder and looked at him smugly, "Well, how about now? Admit you were wrong, or we won't let you go."

Seeing his silence, I threatened, "Apologize now, or we'll make you kneel and apologize. It's your own sister, after all. A single kneel won't kill you."

"No, Miss Qingyue, you really don't have to. Once Lianmu meets Daoist Master Lingyun and resolves this malevolent energy, he'll understand my intentions," Sister Lüyin pleaded on his behalf again.

Before I could respond, he became agitated, shouting that he didn't want to go to the temple. Finding him too noisy, I chopped him on the neck, knocking him out. Finally, there was peace.

We could now proceed without issue. The third option had indeed been the most effective. By the time the moonlight was shining, Senior Brother Luo Xi was carrying the unconscious Lianmu, and we had reached the entrance of Lingyun Temple together.

The temple stood amidst green stones and lush greenery, its large wooden gate adorned with golden talismans and celestial diagrams. Inside, a massive stone bore the inscription "Lingyun Temple" in bold, black characters, exuding a sense of spiritual elegance.