Chapter 70: Doubts About the Taoist Temple

  I called Chen Yan 'Lu' and after the phone was connected, I asked him where he was. Chen Yan 'Lu' fell silent for a moment before saying: "I'm in the car."

  I let out a sigh of relief and continued, "Then wait for me, I'll go wash up with Xia Bing and then come out. The two of us tacitly didn't mention what happened last night, now I'm almost certain that the strange occurrences are due to a ghost. This ghost doesn't seem to want to harm us, but I don't know why it's doing these things, is it just trying to scare people?

  It's completely unreasonable, and besides, is she the ghost in that courtyard or this neighborhood, or to put it another way, who did she follow, me or Chen Yan 'Lu' or Xia Bing?

  The greatest possibility of 'exposure' is Chen Yan, because when he was filming, the ghost appeared for the first time and even replaced his photo. Next is me, the scene in my dream is still vivid in my mind, Huang Quan San Lu and Duan Qiao.

  Finally, and also the least likely person, was Xia Bing. Xia Bing didn't see anything he shouldn't have seen, nor did he encounter any strange occurrences.

  I squeezed into the bathroom, and casually washed my face with Xia Bing's toiletries. But then I found out that Xia Bing was putting on makeup. My god! This 'girl' still has the mood to put on makeup at a time like this!

  "Homi, come and see if I put on this lip gloss, will Chen Yan 'Lu' like it?" Xia Bing said anxiously to me while holding a lipstick. She looked like a bride-to-be, but was shy about meeting her lover, as if confessing to a close friend.

  I sighed and said, "And I don't know what kind of 'woman' he likes."

  Xia Bing hesitated and said: "Chen Yan 'Lu' likes you, it can't be that she wants me to be like you too?" As he spoke, he looked at me with great difficulty.

  This little girl actually dares to tease me, I deliberately said: "Maybe she just likes women with a 'feminine' air, look at you, too 'flamboyant', like a fox spirit."

  Xia Bing hummed with satisfaction: "Fox spirit is just fox spirit, I want to perfectly take him down!" As he spoke, he began to fuss over his face in front of the mirror again.

  I don't like makeup, I always feel that putting those powdery liquids on my face is like painting colors, treating your face as a canvas, can you stand it?

  This is a habit that Xia Bing has been sarcastic about for so many years, and it hasn't changed. After Xia Bing finished dressing up, compared to yesterday, her beauty level has increased by more than just a little bit, and the degree of her stunning appearance is off the charts.

  We let out a sigh, and when we left the neighborhood, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. Chen Yan 's "exposure" was bored leaning against the Jeep, with sunlight shining obliquely on his face, his angular face was indeed very handsome, plus those dull eyes brought by contact lenses, his melancholy appearance could instantly kill countless young girls who were infatuated with him.

  He was worried about me, but somehow I thought of Shen's heavy profile and the faint smell of tobacco on him again. I shook my head to drive away these thoughts. Chen Yan had already taken the driver's seat. Xia Bing naturally sat in the passenger seat. I sat in the back, and the two of us tacitly didn't mention the photo frame again.

  Morning exercise 'Lu' should have put them in the trunk, broad daylight, nothing will happen.

  "Let's go eat something first and then look for that Taoist?" Xia Bing spoke up.

  Chen Yan said nothing, I knew he was waiting for my response, and I nodded somewhat unnaturally.

  "Great, I'll take you to a super delicious steakhouse."

  Chen Yan suddenly said: "I don't like eating beef." Xia Bing smiled awkwardly and said: "Okay, then let's go eat something else."

  I took a deep breath and ignored Chen Yan's dissatisfaction with 'Luo'. Xia Bing was very good, they were suitable for each other. I wouldn't intervene, but I also absolutely wouldn't get myself involved again. Chen Yan 'Luo' was already miserable because of me, now he was completely different, I couldn't hurt him anymore.

  I don't know why, but I always have a hunch that Shen Rong will come looking for me again, and Liu Ke will also appear. These things are not going to end so easily. Only if Morning Dew completely disappears from my life during this period of time, does he have the possibility of extricating himself from all these things in the future.

  Xia Bing suddenly regained his 'spirit', excitedly guiding Chen Yan to reveal the way, outside the car was bustling with people.

  But inside the carriage it was a bit chilly, I shivered.

  The car, however, had turned into a small hill.

  "I asked in surprise: 'Not going to eat?' "

  Xia Bing smiled and said, "There's food in this Taoist temple too. Chen Yan 'Luo' doesn't like to eat meat, so we can have some vegetarian dishes. It just so happens that the Taoist priest from yesterday also put up a sign inside."

  "Isn't it a monk who hangs the plaque?" I looked at Xia Bing in confusion, now the vehicle had entered the winding mountain road, the road was only about three meters wide, very steep, and I suddenly didn't dare to speak, afraid of affecting Chen Yunlu, then the three of us rolled down the mountain together.

  Xia Bing awkwardly said, "Actually, I don't really understand what it's called either. Anyway, he's just inside here. It's just that his status isn't high, those truly high-ranking officials wouldn't come to receive small orders like ours."

  The words were exhausted, and the vehicle had already stopped in front of the Taoist temple gate.

  This Taoist temple has a traditional mountain gate, with yellow walls and a huge stone step in the middle, followed by two red doors with bronze nails and two iron tiger heads.

  On top of the house is a somewhat yellowed stone carving of a lion's head.

  Under the stairs, many breakfast stalls were set up, and some people were eating breakfast while others entered the mountain gate.

  Looking at this platform, there are at least two or three hundred square meters, and a number of vehicles are parked. Chen Yan 'Luo' found a parking space, then stopped the car, we sat at the entrance eating something, I looked at this mountain 'door' with some doubt, said: "Can those people inside do it?"

  Xia Bing said uncertainly: "So many people come to worship, it shouldn't be too bad, right?"

  I took a deep breath and said: "The filming is all gone, it's good but not that great."

  Chen Yan put down his bowl and said, "I'm full." Xia Bing smiled and turned her head to the side, saying, "I'm also full."

  I looked at them awkwardly, just then I suddenly saw a familiar figure walking past the mountain gate.

  I ran quickly over there, just as Chen Yan 'Lu' and Xia Bing were calling out together, but was stopped by the stall owner demanding payment, while I had already chased after them to the mountain gate.

  Everything inside was grandly arranged but simple, I didn't have the heart to look at these things, my attention was still focused on that person from just now, that person, if I wasn't mistaken, should be Shen Zhong.

  "Morning study 'Luo' frowned and said: "What's wrong, what did you find?"

  I pretended to be calm and shook my head, Shen Zhong and Chen Yan 'Lu' had an unknown past that I didn't know about, and I couldn't let him know that Shen Zhong was here. Just then, another person walked by beside me, and I looked at him with some familiarity. Xia Bing suddenly ran over and patted his back, exclaiming: "Master, you're here! We were just coming to find you!"

  That old Taoist exclaimed: "Miss, your part in this play is over. I still have to go do my homework..."

  "We have something to discuss with you."

  The old Taoist's face was unnatural: "What's wrong?"

  "What happened last night." Chen Yan 'Lu' suddenly spoke up.

  The old Taoist's face changed, and he said: "Nothing happened last night. I'm going to do my homework now. Don't stop me. If you want to burn incense or ask for talismans, go to the main hall and someone will receive you."

  After finishing speaking, I broke free from Xia Bing's hand. Originally, Xia Bing still had an unwillingness to continue asking questions, but I stopped her and gave her a signal with my eyes.

  After the old Taoist left, Xia Bing's face was unhappy and she stomped her foot on the ground, saying: "Why didn't you let me catch him?"

  Chen Yan said, "He won't say it. People like him, when there's something dangerous, even if they're crushed into a piece of paper, will definitely hide in the most secret place. Or else, after seeing benefits, they'll sharpen their heads and rush forward."

  Xia Bing nodded in agreement and asked, "Then what should we do?"

  Chen Yan 'Lu' coldly smiled and said: "It's simple, entice him or scare him."

  After finishing, Chen Yan 'Lu' hinted that I should take Xia Bing and leave first. I don't know what he wants to do, but I think it's probably going to find that Taoist priest. So I pulled Xia Bing's hand and ran towards the direction of the main hall. Xia Bing asked me in surprise: "What are you doing?" I whispered: "Don't you want to get Chen Yan 'Lu' a jade pendant or something like talismans?"

  Women are easy to deceive, of course when they fall in love. We entered the grand hall, inside was a sea of people, just like a vegetable market. Xia Bing went to ask for a token.

  I stood bored at the entrance, when suddenly an old voice came from behind.

  "Miss, would you like to draw a fortune-telling slip? About marriage, wealth, or life and death crisis."

  I turned around in confusion, only to see an old man standing behind me with a warm smile on his face. He was wearing tattered clothes, but exuded an aura of cleanliness that was hard to ignore. I asked him in puzzlement, "What's the method?" His sudden appearance hadn't triggered any particular feeling in me, but his last words made my eyelids twitch involuntarily, and I subconsciously decided to ask him a question - this was what Shen Rong had taught me about being a detective: first and foremost, one must be responsible for their own intuition.

  The old man nodded and handed me a bamboo slip. I was puzzled and asked: "Isn't it 'drawing' lots?"

  The old man looked at me with a profound gaze and said: "Take a look at what's above, then tell me, and I'll help you interpret the sign."

  I'm getting a bit bored, furrowing my brow and saying: "It's not 'drawing' lots, I didn't 'draw', how do I know if this is mine or not?"

  The old man shook his head and said, "It belongs to whoever it is, and no matter what the owner wants to do, there's nothing that can be done. On the other hand, if it doesn't belong to you, no matter how hard you try to force it, you won't be able to get it."

  Listening to the old man's words, I shook my head slightly uncomfortably and then looked down at the contents of the sign.

  But saw a small sentence.

  In front of Green Water Mountain, chatting idly.

  I muttered it out subconsciously, and the old man sighed softly: "Do less useless work and do more things for yourself."

  After finishing speaking, he turned around and was about to leave, but I listened to his words and felt that he was trying to tell me something from the side. I immediately chased out of the main hall, and after passing through two crowds of people, the old man had disappeared.

  He is not ordinary, his dressing is not ordinary, his words are not ordinary, and what's even more extraordinary is his temperament. In a crowd of people, he is absolutely the most unremarkable, yet the most eye-catching one.

  But in the blink of an eye, where did the time go?

  Just then, Xia Bing suddenly ran out and pulled my hand, saying "I've begged for it."

  As he spoke, he took out a small red blood jade and shook it in front of me.

  I stared at this blood 'jade', and suddenly a chill rose in my heart, I tightly grasped her hand and asked: "Why is it red?"

  Xia Bing said: "I just bumped into a very neat and elegant person, he gave me this 'jade', and then said that this 'jade' can not only ward off evil spirits but also help my marriage." As she spoke, Xia Bing looked down with some shyness, giving me goosebumps.

  Frowning as I looked inside the main hall, was it me who met the Taoist first, or was it Xia Bing? It couldn't be just one person, could it?

  At this moment, Chen Yan 'Lu' walked over slowly, with the old Taoist who had just escaped following behind him. He looked at Chen Yan 'Lu' with a humble attitude, and Xia Bing hastily put away the blood jade and ran to Chen Yan 'Lu's side.

  Chen Yan nodded at me and said, "Let's go to the car, there are too many people here."