Chapter 534 - 534: The Bodhisattva Is Watching?

Only after stepping into the monastery did Zhao Yuan realize it was even smaller than it appeared from the outside.

Just inside the gate was a beautiful, lush bamboo forest, its stalks growing strong and vibrant. Beyond the bamboo was a single Guanyin Hall, unlike other monasteries that also had a Great Hero Hall and other buildings.

A statue of Guanyin in a white robe was enshrined within the Guanyin Hall, flanked by Sudhana and Sudhana. In this respect, it was no different from other Guanyin Halls. To the right stood a statue of the ascetic Mu Zha, while to the left was a Black Bear Spirit clad in armor.

There were no monks in the hall, and no sign of where they had gone. Incense was laid out on a table, and beside it stood a small sign with a line of elegant script: "Incense is free. Please help yourself."

Zhao Yuan and the others went forward, each taking three sticks of incense. They lit them, placed them in the Incense Burner, then put their palms together and murmured apologies under their breath.

After they had finished, the Bone Woman also took three sticks of incense. She knelt before the Guanyin statue, making wishes known only to herself.

When she was done, Zhao Yuan and his friends took out some money and put it into the nearby Merit Box before turning to leave.

Whether it was psychological or because the monastery was truly sacred, all four of them felt their minds calm and a measure of their Essence, Qi, and Spirit return.

None of them noticed that just as they turned to leave, the eyes of the Guanyin statue seemed to shift, its gaze fixed on Zhao Yuan's departing back…

'Hm?' A sudden feeling washed over Zhao Yuan. 'Someone's watching me.' But when he turned to look, the Guanyin statue was just as it had been. He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"What is it?" Ying Ji asked, noticing he had stopped.

"It's nothing. Just thought I felt something," Zhao Yuan said, shaking his head. He turned and started walking again, but he couldn't help but wonder, 'Was that really just my imagination?'

The White Cat, however, narrowed its eyes and let out a series of low growls at the statue. It was impossible to tell if it was a threat or a conversation…

The group left the monastery and had walked some way down the mountain path when they saw a monk heading up, a hoe over his shoulder and a basket of freshly harvested vegetables in his hand.

"So that's why there were no monks in the temple. He was out farming," Cheng Haoyu said, the realization dawning on him. He felt a surge of admiration for the man.

So many monks these days had become little more than businessmen, never performing manual labor and only thinking of how to squeeze more donation money out of their followers. Compared to those phonies, this monk was a breath of fresh air.

"Greetings, Master," the group said, politely greeting the monk.

The monk smiled in return—not a fawning grin, but a smile of genuine, benevolent compassion.

He chuckled. "Greetings, benefactors. Thank you for offering incense and donating Merit Coins at the temple."

Cheng Haoyu was taken aback. "How did you know we offered incense and donated Merit Coins?"

"The Bodhisattva told me," the monk said with a smile. Without another word, he bid them farewell and continued up the mountain toward the monastery.

"For real? The Bodhisattva saw us offering incense and donating Merit Coins? And then told him about it?" Hao Li clicked his tongue in amazement, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.

"You actually believe that?" Ying Ji said, rolling her eyes at him.

Hao Li threw his hands up. "What other explanation is there? You tell me how he knew."

Ying Ji said, exasperated, "Just smell yourself. Can't you smell the sandalwood? We picked up the scent when we offered incense, and there's only one temple nearby—the one up the mountain. He must have smelled the sandalwood on us and deduced we'd been there."

"Then what about the Merit Coins?" Hao Li asked, still unconvinced.

"If you've already offered incense, you're not going to be shameless enough to skip the donation, are you?" Ying Ji replied. "Especially when the incense was free."

"Well..." Hao Li scratched his head. What Ying Ji said made a lot of sense. He glanced back at the monk's retreating figure and muttered resentfully, "Great. And here I thought he was some enlightened High Monk. Turns out he's just a fraud who likes to play mysterious."

Zhao Yuan remained silent through the entire exchange. In his heart, however, he felt that Ying Ji's deduction wasn't quite right.

'There was something special about the monk's bearing. He didn't seem like a fraud.'

The incident was just a small interlude and didn't really affect them. Soon, they reached the foot of the mountain. As it happened, even though their chase had taken them through a remote part of the mountain, the path down led them right back to the village that had been ravaged by the Raccoon Power.

The villagers had already set up tents in an open area. It looked as if they planned to stay in them for a few days, in case another "earthquake" occurred.

The villagers were in the middle of making lunch. When they saw Zhao Yuan's group return, they immediately surrounded them, enthusiastically inviting them to join the meal.

It was an offer too kind to refuse, so Zhao Yuan's group had to stay. Besides, their identities hadn't been exposed. Stopping for a meal before leaving would make them look more casual and less likely to arouse suspicion.

Hao Li helped with the cooking, whipping up a simple but delicious lunch that had the villagers crying out in delight. It was so good they nearly swallowed their own tongues.

While they were eating, the police arrived to ask the villagers if they had seen any suspicious strangers. Spotting Zhao Yuan's group, they came over to question them.

With the villagers vouching for them, the police believed that Zhao Yuan's group were just tourists who had come to offer incense. Seeing that there were only five of them—three men and two women—with no backpacks and no weapons, their suspicions were further allayed. They simply advised the group to leave as soon as they finished their meal. A major crime had been committed, they explained, and criminals were hiding in the mountains; it wasn't safe.

Zhao Yuan's group readily agreed, thanking the officer for his kind warning. After the meal, they waved goodbye to the villagers, left the village, and headed for the docks.

The docks had been cordoned off. All moored boats had been searched, and anyone trying to leave was subject to police questioning.

Fortunately, they had loaded all the weapons from Cheng Haoyu's yacht into a Storage Ring before they disembarked. Otherwise, they would have been in serious trouble.

After passing through the checkpoint without a hitch, Zhao Yuan's group boarded their yacht, left Putuo Mountain Island, and set course for Huashang.

「At the same time」

On a stretch of beach away from the main docks of Putuo Mountain Island, a fishing boat was moored. The men on board were all on deck, craning their necks in anticipation. But they waited and waited, and their companions never appeared.

One of the men approached the captain, who was scanning the shore with binoculars. "Boss," he said, his tone worried, "something's not right... Should I take a few guys up the mountain to check things out?"

The captain considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Take some men and go have a look. If you find anything, call us immediately!"

"Got it!" the man responded. He quickly picked a few crewmen, and together they disembarked and headed up the mountain to find their comrades.

Their search, however, was destined to be fruitless.

Aboard the yacht, it wasn't until Putuo Mountain Island had completely disappeared from view behind them that Zhao Yuan and his companions finally, truly relaxed.