PCA Chapter 123

Su Cen woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare.

 

In the dream, he stood on the edge of a cliff, unaware of his peril, with only the sound of the wind in his ears. Someone emerged from the mist, taking his hand to guide him. They walked for what felt like an eternity until the hand suddenly slipped, as if stepping into thin air!

 

In his panic, he could do nothing as the hand let go of him to avoid dragging him into the abyss. Before falling, it seemed to whisper in his ear, “Go back.”

 

Everything disappeared—the cliff, the thick fog. He crouched down and saw an ink jade ring in his hand.

 

Then he woke up, startled.

 

Dreaming in a temple wasn’t a good sign, and coupled with the abbot’s words earlier, it felt like a premonition. Feeling the cold wind blowing through the door, Su Cen was still shaken. He glanced beside him and suddenly became fully awake.

 

Li Shi was gone!

 

They had planned to act at midnight, when the temple’s inhabitants would be asleep, to check the well. However, Su Cen had overexerted himself during the day and started dozing off as soon as night fell. Li Shi told him to rest first and that he would wake him later.

 

He had fallen asleep without realizing it, not even knowing when Li Shi had disappeared.

 

The despair from the dream overwhelmed him, almost suffocating him. He steadied his mind, put on his shoes, and went to knock on the door of the next room.

 

Qu Ling’er, also just woken up, opened the door with sleepy eyes, being shaken by Su Cen who asked, “Where’s Qi Lin?”

 

“Isn’t he…” Qu Ling’er squinted, pointing backward, then suddenly opened his eyes wide. “Where’s Brother Qi?!”

 

Su Cen felt slightly relieved. With Qi Lin accompanying Li Shi, there shouldn’t be any major issues.

 

Su Cen instructed Qu Ling’er to get dressed; they were going into the bamboo grove.

 

The night was dark, with only a few stars visible. Fortunately, no one was guarding the bamboo grove at night, or else Su Cen feared Qu Ling’er would be at a disadvantage against the warrior monk.

 

As they ventured deeper into the bamboo grove, the fog grew thicker. By the time they reached the well, they saw thick mist rising from it.

 

The legendary smoke of Caotang Temple was real.

 

In daylight, it might have been considered a magnificent sight, but at night, it looked eerie, as if monsters were lurking.

 

Li Shi and Qi Lin were not there.

 

The two approached the well, and Su Cen peered inside, seeing nothing as expected. He threw in a small stone to confirm there was no water, then turned to Qu Ling’er. “Let’s go down and take a look.”

 

“Go, go, go down?” Qu Ling’er was already trembling with fear, asking cautiously, “Aren’t we waiting for the Prince and the others?”

 

“They’ll come looking for us if they return and see we’re not in the room.” Su Cen tested the well rope, finding it sturdy enough, and with a playful intent, handed the rope to Qu Ling’er. “You go down, I’ll hold onto you.”

 

“Me?!” Qu Ling’er’s face turned pale. “By myself?!”

 

“Otherwise, who would pull you back up?”

 

“No, no, no, I can’t,” Qu Ling’er took several steps back. “Brother Su, I can’t do it.”

 

“Train for a thousand days, use it in one moment.” Su Cen wrapped the rope around Qu Ling’er’s waist. “Go quickly and come back quickly.”

 

“I… I can’t, I can’t go down…” Qu Ling’er hurriedly tried to untie the rope from himself, as if Su Cen would push him into the well if he was a moment too late. “I, my butt hurts!”

 

Su Cen was taken aback and rolled his eyes, not daring to say that he was also in pain.

 

As they were arguing, a sudden flash of light appeared not far away, and a voice called out, “Who’s there?!”

 

Su Cen and Qu Ling’er immediately fell silent.

 

The light approached step by step. There was nowhere to hide near the well. Su Cen decided not to hide and calmly observed the approaching figure.

 

It was a bald man, taller and more irritable than the one they had seen during the day. He looked at them in shock—how could two people have sneaked in while he was just taking a moment to relieve himself?!

 

Seeing the one in front looking even more composed than him, caught in the act yet still smiling at him, the bald monk was stunned for a while before he reacted, shouting, “What are you doing here?!”

 

“We’re looking for someone,” Su Cen said. “A woman, surname Huang, given name Wan’er. Have you seen her, Master?”

 

“What woman? This is a monastery, not a nunnery,” the monk waved his hand impatiently. “This is a sacred place in the temple. Please leave, donors.”

 

The monk didn’t seem to be lying. Su Cen asked further, “Wasn’t this a famous sight in the temple before? When did it become a sacred place?”

 

“Why do you care so much?” the big monk said. “Come over here quickly; it’s slippery by the well, don’t fall in.”

 

Su Cen smiled. “Alright.”

 

After taking just two steps, Su Cen suddenly pulled Qu Ling’er hard, and the next moment, he truly fell into the well.

 

Li Shi and Qi Lin followed the black-clad figure all the way to the Sutra Repository.

 

A faint light was still on in the second-floor attic of the repository, with flickering firelight, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.

 

Li Shi said, “Guard the door; I’ll go in and check.”

 

Qi Lin frowned. “Master, let me go!”

 

Li Shi raised his hand, interrupting Qi Lin. “Give me the dagger.”

 

Qi Lin tightened his lips, then drew a dagger from his waist and handed it to Li Shi.

 

Li Shi gripped the dagger and pushed the door open. The old door creaked softly, and Li Shi nimbly slipped into the darkness.

 

The first floor was filled with bookshelves neatly stacked with various scriptures. Since the light was upstairs, Li Shi didn’t linger on the first floor, quietly finding the wooden ladder to go up.

 

As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he saw a flash of cold light against the firelight. Abbot Huikong was sitting in meditation, and behind him, the black-clad figure’s sword was already at his neck!

 

In a flash, Li Shi threw the dagger, which collided with the black-clad figure’s sword with a loud “clang,” sparks flying, narrowly missing the figure’s face and embedding itself in the window frame behind.

 

The black-clad figure’s pupils contracted, quickly looking over to meet a pair of unfathomable eyes, feeling a chill in his heart.

 

The dagger was still vibrating, and the black-clad figure’s hand holding the sword felt numb. Who would have thought that the pampered Prince Ning of the capital had such skill?

 

Li Shi, now weaponless, calmly ascended the stairs. The black-clad figure clearly recognized Li Shi, knowing his confidence stemmed from the presence of his ever-present lone wolf.

 

The black-clad figure’s thoughts were fleeting, gripping his sword tightly before leaping out the window.

 

Li Shi quickly approached the window, seeing Qi Lin already engaged in combat with the black-clad figure. Both were skilled swordsmen, their weapons clashing in the darkness, sparks flying like lightning, their movements agile, their swordplay magnificent, evenly matched.

 

Seeing that the fight would soon alert the monks in the temple, the black-clad figure threw down a smoke bomb and tried to escape.

 

“Go after him,” Li Shi ordered.

 

Qi Lin, following orders, chased in the direction the black-clad figure had disappeared.

 

Li Shi turned back to look at Abbot Huikong, who was still sitting calmly at the desk, undisturbed by the commotion. He must have been in deep meditation, right?

 

He patted Huikong’s shoulder, and the seated figure swayed with his touch, falling to the ground.

 

The man had been dead for quite some time.

 

Qu Ling’er managed to grab the well’s pulley just before Su Cen hit the ground, thinking to himself how fortunate he was to react quickly, or else his Brother Su would have been killed. Then he wondered when Su Cen had tied the rope around himself.

 

The big monk panicked at the sight, rushing over to try and take the pulley from Qu Ling’er. Qu Ling’er wouldn’t let him, guarding the well tightly, fearing the monk would cut the rope.

 

“Quick, pull him up!”

 

“Now you’re scared?” Qu Ling’er raised his chin. “Why weren’t you scared when you kidnapped that young girl?”

 

“Damn it!” The big monk wiped his bald head. “The one locked down there isn’t some girl; it’s a great demon!”

 

Su Cen’s waist was being pulled painfully, and it took him a while to stand up. He thought to himself, thankfully the well wasn’t deep, or with Qu Ling’er’s slow reaction, he would have been snapped in half when pulled up.

 

The bottom of the well was quite spacious, a natural stone cave, shrouded in darkness and thick fog. Su Cen took out a fire starter from his pocket and tried several times before lighting it.

 

As soon as the light came on, he heard Qu Ling’er calling his name from above.

 

“I’m fine!” Su Cen replied while untying the rope from his waist.

 

“The monk said there’s a great demon at the bottom of the well; be careful!”

 

“What kind of demon?” Su Cen frowned, not stopping his hands. “Why not say there’s a monster down there?”

 

As he spoke, he had already untied the rope. Su Cen, holding the fire starter, ventured further into the well.

 

Qu Ling’er and the big monk exchanged glances.

 

After a moment, the big monk’s face fell. “Young man, that great demon is really fierce. He kills anyone he sees. Several of our temple elders were injured by him, and it was only the abbot who managed to subdue him and personally went down the well. You should call him out quickly; if you run into that great demon, you’re done for.”

 

Qu Ling’er was half-believing, half-doubting, guarding the well’s mouth tightly to prevent anyone from approaching, and asked tentatively, “What’s the name of the great demon you’re talking about?”

 

“What name?” The monk touched his forehead again. “It seems to be… Song Fan!”

 

Su Cen explored deeper into the well, which, although dry, was muddy and difficult to walk through. The fire starter’s flame was weak, and with the thick fog swirling around, it could only illuminate about a foot around him.

 

Su Cen noticed several deep cracks in the ground from which the mist was emerging. It was as if a wild beast was locked beneath the earth, its breath stirring with each inhale and exhale. Knowing it was impossible for such a large beast to exist, Su Cen still moved cautiously with each step, as if afraid to wake something.

 

As he ventured further, the cracks disappeared, and the fog lessened until it was gone entirely.

 

Su Cen stuck the fire starter into a nearby stone wall to shake off the dew from his body. Suddenly, a cold wind blew from somewhere, extinguishing the already faint light.

 

Su Cen immediately stopped moving.

 

It was too dark. Having adapted to the light, the sudden darkness felt like a black cloth had been thrown over his eyes, completely depriving him of sight. He could only rely on his hearing to discern his surroundings.

 

It seemed like something was rustling towards him. He couldn’t see, so he reached out to feel. First, he touched the stone wall, then tried to find his fire starter along it.

 

Suddenly, the light flared up.

 

Right in front of him, at arm’s length, was a pale human face.

 

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