Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 68 Longquan Ancient Temple

After leaving Yunmengze, Zhou Ning headed north.

He wrapped the ambergris in talisman paper and carefully put it in his bag.

Once this medicinal herb is removed from the soil, its medicinal effects will gradually diminish, and it must be refined into a pill with other ingredients within three months.

Time was of the essence, and he dared not delay.

After traveling for five days, he arrived at a small town called "Cangwu".

Cangwu City is not large, but it is located on a major transportation route, and merchants and travelers come and go in an endless stream.

Zhou Ning found an inn in the city to stay overnight, planning to enter the Cangmang Mountain early the next morning.

As night fell, he was meditating and regulating his breathing in his room when he suddenly heard a quarrel coming from downstairs.

"I told you, I'm not going. That place is haunted; anyone who goes there will be unlucky."

A man's voice, tinged with fear.

"If you won't go, I will. That's a hundred taels of silver, enough for my whole family to eat for three years."

Another man's voice, tinged with greed.

"Is money more important than life? You know that ancient temple is haunted. Several people went there, and none of them came back."

Zhou Ning frowned, got up and went downstairs.

In the lobby of the inn, two middle-aged men were arguing heatedly.

Several guests gathered around to watch the spectacle, pointing and commenting.

"Brothers, where is the ancient temple you mentioned?" Zhou Ning walked over and asked.

The two men looked at him at the same time.

One was tall and thin, the other was short and stout.

The tall, thin man looked him up and down: "Why are you asking this?"

Zhou Ning said, "I am a cultivator, perhaps I can be of help."

The short, stout man's eyes lit up: "A cultivator? That's great! Young man, if you can help us solve the problem of that ancient temple, you can have half of that hundred taels of silver."

"Tell me what happened first."

The short, chubby man pulled him down to sit and told him everything.

Originally, on the Cangmang Mountain north of Cangwu City, there was an ancient temple called "Longquan Temple".

The temple had fallen into disrepair and was long abandoned.

But in recent months, every night, the sound of bells and chanting can be heard from the temple, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere that frightens nearby villagers from going out.

Even more bizarrely, a few daring villagers went to investigate together, but they never returned.

They were nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.

"A few days ago, a wealthy man named Wang in the city offered a reward of one hundred taels of silver to someone investigate Longquan Temple," the short, stout man said.

"My brother and I want to give it a try, but we're also afraid..."

Zhou Ning said, "I'll go take a look."

The tall, thin man quickly said, "Young man, have you thought this through? That place is very eerie; several people have gone there and never returned."

Zhou Ning smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The next morning, Zhou Ning left the inn and headed towards Cangmang Mountain.

The Cangmang Mountain is steep and rugged, with dense forests and swirling clouds and mist, giving it a mysterious aura.

Longquan Temple is built halfway up the mountain. From a distance, its blue bricks and gray tiles are nestled among the green pines and cypresses.

Zhou Ning climbed upwards along the mountain path.

After walking for about an hour, a dilapidated temple appeared ahead.

The temple gate was open, and a mottled plaque hung above the gate, bearing the three characters "Longquan Temple," the writing of which was now blurred and illegible.

The yard was overgrown with weeds, some as tall as a person.

The roof of the main hall has collapsed halfway, revealing a dark, gaping space inside.

The Buddha statues in the hall had long since disappeared, leaving only empty shrines that looked particularly eerie in the morning light.

Zhou Ning entered the main hall and examined it carefully.

The hall was filled with dust and covered in cobwebs.

There were several sets of footprints on the ground, which looked fresh, and there was more than one person.

"Someone's been here." Zhou Ning squatted down and measured the size of the footprints with his fingers:

"Men's footprints, and more than one."

He followed the footprints and walked towards the back of the palace.

Behind the main hall was a deserted area of ​​monks' quarters, most of which had collapsed, with only a few remaining relatively intact.

The footprints disappeared in front of one of the monks' cells.

Zhou Ning pushed open the door and went inside.

It was a small, empty room with only a worn-out wooden bed and a crooked wardrobe.

He opened the wardrobe, and it was completely empty.

Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly heard a slight noise coming from under the bed.

Zhou Ning crouched down and looked under the bed.

A person was curled up under the bed.

It was a young man, pale-faced, with his eyes closed, his lips purple, and his whole body trembling.

"Hey, are you alright?" Zhou Ning reached out and pulled him out from under the bed.

The man opened his eyes, saw Zhou Ning, was startled at first, then grabbed his arm as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Help...help me..."

Zhou Ning helped him sit down on the bed, took out a "calming pill" from his bag, and put it into his mouth.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The man, panting, said haltingly, "I...I'm Wang Er, a hunter from Cangwu City. I...I came to Longquan Temple to investigate, and then...and then I encountered..."

"What happened?"

A flicker of fear crossed Wang Er's eyes: "A ghost... there's a ghost."

"What kind of ghost?"

Wang Er shook his head: "I don't know. I... I only saw a white shadow, drifting around, and then... and then I don't know anything else."

Zhou Ning frowned.

A white shadow?

Is it a ghost, or something else?

"Wait here for a moment, I'll go check."

Wang Er quickly grabbed him: "No...don't leave me."

Zhou Ning said, "Don't worry, I won't leave you. You rest here, I'll be right back."

He left the monk's cell and continued walking deeper into the temple.

Behind the temple, there is a bamboo grove.

In the bamboo forest, there is a small stone pagoda.

The stone tower is not tall, with only three stories, but it is relatively well preserved.

Zhou Ning approached the stone tower and discovered some runes engraved on the tower gate.

The runes were ancient and somewhat similar to those he had seen before in the Ten Kings Palace.

"What is enshrined here?"

He pushed open the tower door and went inside.

Inside the stone tower is a small stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, there was a stone platform, on which sat a black wooden box.

A yellowed talisman was pasted on the wooden box.

The runes on the talisman were blurred and indistinct, but the spiritual power was still there, albeit very weak.

Zhou Ning reached out, wanting to open the wooden box.

"Don't touch it!"

An aged voice came from behind.

Zhou Ning turned around abruptly and saw an elderly man with white hair standing at the entrance of the tower.

The old man was dressed in a tattered gray monk's robe, holding a wooden staff. He had a thin face and sunken eyes, and looked like he hadn't eaten for a long time.

"Who are you?" Zhou Ning asked warily.

The old man said, "I am the abbot of Longquan Temple, and my Dharma name is Huiming."

Zhou Ning was taken aback: "Wasn't Longquan Temple abandoned?"

Huiming sighed, "It's been abandoned, but I haven't left. I've been guarding this place for thirty years, just to protect what's in this wooden box."

"What's in the wooden box?"

Huiming walked to the stone platform, reached out and stroked the wooden box, his eyes filled with a complex expression.

"It is a Buddha relic."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "Buddha's relics?"

Huiming nodded:

"Three hundred years ago, there was a high-ranking monk at Longquan Temple, whose Dharma name was Zhiyuan. He practiced Buddhism throughout his life, and after his death, he left behind this relic. The relic contains powerful Buddhist power that can suppress all evil spirits."

He paused, then continued:

"Thirty years ago, a group of sorcerers broke into Longquan Temple, intending to steal the relic. My fellow monks fought desperately and managed to protect it. But everyone else in the temple was killed by the sorcerers."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "Were those demons wearing black robes?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Huiming's eyes: "How did you know?"

Zhou Ning said, "They are from Black Mountain."

Huiming's expression changed: "Black Mountain... So that's what they're called. This humble monk has been waiting for thirty years, just to find someone who can deal with them."

He looked at Zhou Ning, his eyes full of expectation:

"Benefactor, since you have managed to get this far, it means you are no ordinary person. This humble monk has a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Take this relic with you. The people of Black Mountain won't let this go; they'll come back sooner or later. I'm old and can't guard it for much longer. This relic cannot fall into their hands."

Zhou Ning hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay. I promise you."

Huiming was overjoyed. He took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the wooden box.