117: Chapter 117 Ancient Temple and Desolate Forest

This ancient temple has existed for who knows how many years; its dilapidated buildings are covered by thick layers of dead branches and fallen leaves.

Between the ruined walls, thick spiderwebs are intertwined, yet not a single spider is to be seen. Only the hollowed-out remains of insects sway in the wind that blows through from time to time.

Judging by the large area covered by the courtyard gate, one can imagine how magnificent this temple once was—perhaps a grand temple where pilgrims gathered like clouds and believers were as numerous as raindrops.

But all those days of the past have faded like yesterday's flowers, leaving behind only a few ruined walls that make one sigh with regret!

However, this silent, uninhabited place has welcomed travelers seeking a place to stay.

Zhao Feng unhitched the carriage at the courtyard gate, holding a newly made torch in one hand and leading the horse with the other.

Everything was deathly silent; only the crunching sound of feet stepping on thick leaves and the horse's breathing could be heard.

Liu Xuan tugged at Zhao Feng's sleeve, her body almost pressed against him. She peered around cautiously, her every step light and airy, as if afraid of waking something up.

"Are you still afraid of ghosts?" Zhao Feng laughed.

Liu Xuan was startled by his sudden loud voice and angrily pounded on his back. "What are you doing, being so loud? You scared me!"

Strangely enough, after this little spat, Liu Xuan was no longer as nervous. "Hey! Benefactor, are you not afraid of... ghosts?"

"What is there to be afraid of? A Martial Artist has strong blood and Qi; if anything, the ghosts should be afraid of people." Zhao Feng gave a creak and pushed open the dilapidated courtyard gate. Little did he know that the door hinge was already damaged; the rotten door collapsed at a single push, slamming onto the ground and breaking into several pieces.

Dust puffed up into the air, and Zhao Feng blew out a breath to scatter it.

By now, the sky had turned completely dark; apart from the area near the torch, it was almost impossible to see anything.

By the faint light of the torch, one could see that this was a spacious plaza. Among the dead branches and fallen leaves, a trace of blue bricks could still be seen.

The large trees on both sides had lush foliage, appearing only as huge, dark shadows.

Under his super vision, nothing could hide.

Buried under the dead leaves were dozens of skeletons, their bones scattered everywhere. There were faint traces of gnawing on them, likely the handiwork of some wild beast.

The huge incense burner in the center of the plaza had also toppled to the ground, covered in thick verdigris; were it not for its shape, one would only think it was a large rock.

The four Vajra statues that originally stood on both sides of the plaza were also in ruins. Some had broken arms, others were missing chunks of their heads. Through years of wind and sun exposure, the original colorful paint had become mottled.

Under the faint light, they looked even more ferocious.

Fortunately, Liu Xuan could not see any of this. Zhao Feng deliberately walked around the bones, so they went straight into the Mahavira Hall without encountering a single skeleton.

Although the candles on the candlestick had endured the elements, they still looked usable. Zhao Feng scanned the surroundings, then picked up a few candles and lit them with the torch.

There were many candles, and Liu Xuan lit over twenty of them, filling the entire hall with light and allowing her to settle her heart.

The Buddha statue sitting high in the center, originally having a peaceful face, now looked somewhat strangely ferocious due to the mottled paint.

Liu Xuan dared not look at it anymore; instead, she hugged her arms and said, "Let's build a fire; why does it feel so cold?"

"That's fine; we can roast some dried meat," Zhao Feng nodded and replied.

Although the incense table in the hall had experienced who knows how many years, it was still sturdy, suggesting the wood was of excellent quality. But even though it had received the worship of thousands of believers, at this moment, it was nothing more than firewood for a bonfire.

The heat from the bonfire drove away the cold. After cleaning the floor casually, both of them sat down on the ground, and even the horse was tied to the side.

Zhao Feng took out the blade aura again to whittle some wooden skewers for roasting the meat.

"Sin, a sin!" Liu Xuan pressed her palms together and bowed to the Buddha statue; eating meat in front of the Buddha hall was truly disrespectful.

"Miss Liu, you often travel to and from Green Bamboo Villa; have you never heard of this temple?" Zhao Feng asked while eating the dried meat.

"Sister Lv Zhu did warn me not to enter this forest. As for the temple inside the forest, I have never heard of it at all," Liu Xuan tilted her head to think for a moment before answering.

"Hmm, it is strange. How is it that after passing through so many places, we haven't seen a single monk? It seems Buddhism in this Tu Country has declined severely." Zhao Feng thought about the situation over this period and realized this was indeed the case. Where had all the monks gone?

Liu Xuan looked at the dilapidated window with a sense of unease, then said, "I heard that the monks once participated in the royal succession disputes and annexed land or something, so they were wiped out by the Imperial Court. Let's not talk about this; in this desolate temple, talking about these dead monks makes me feel surrounded by Yin Qi."

"Alright, we won't talk about it," Zhao Feng laughed. "You, a legendary thief who can fly through the skies and burrow into the earth, are still afraid of this?"

"Oh!" Liu Xuan feigned anger, stomping her foot. "Benefactor, you are impossible! I'm not talking to you anymore."

With that, she snatched a meat skewer and began roasting it.

After a short while, Liu Xuan suddenly said, "Benefactor, where did you put that blade earlier? It looked quite sharp; can I take a look at it?"

Zhao Feng produced the blade aura from behind his back and handed it to her. "Be careful; it is called blade aura, and it is a Spirit Blade."

"A Spirit Blade." Liu Xuan's eyes seemed to light up. She carefully took the blade and examined it closely in the firelight.

"Is this the Magic Treasure used by Cultivators?"

"This is not a Magic Treasure; it is merely a Spiritual Artifact," Zhao Feng shook his head and said.

"Benefactor, this must be an ancestral treasure of yours; you should keep it safe." Although Liu Xuan looked like she couldn't bear to part with it, there was no greed in her eyes, only admiration.

Zhao Feng nodded to himself. Although Liu Xuan was a thief, she was able to see wealth without forgetting righteousness; she was indeed someone worth befriending.

He took back the blade aura and casually placed it behind him, but actually stored it away. Liu Xuan's Heart-Nature was good; it wouldn't matter even if he revealed some of his abilities.

After eating the roasted meat, the two meditated for a while before clearing a patch of ground and finding some thatch to lay down with a cloth, intending to make do for the night by the bonfire.

Before going to sleep, Liu Xuan walked over, stammering, her face slightly flushed, as if she had something to say but couldn't get it out.

Zhao Feng looked at her strangely. "Is something the matter?"

"Benefactor, can you... can you... accompany me outside for a moment?" Liu Xuan's voice was barely louder than a mosquito, but fortunately, Zhao Feng had super hearing and heard her.

Zhao Feng suddenly realized and nodded. "Alright!"

Outside the main hall, it was pitch black, as if some giant beast was about to pounce. Liu Xuan shivered and couldn't quite bring herself to take a step. In the end, Zhao Feng took her to a corner and stood a little further away, waiting for her to relieve herself.

In the darkness, Liu Xuan's face was as red as if it were dripping blood, but fortunately, no one could see, she comforted herself in her heart.

The rustling sounds ended quickly, and Liu Xuan walked to Zhao Feng with her head lowered.

A smile appeared on the corner of Zhao Feng's mouth. "Let's go; it's a bit cold outside."

Returning to the main hall, Liu Xuan didn't dare to look at Zhao Feng; instead, she quickly crawled into the thin quilt, facing inward.

Zhao Feng sat outside of her and whispered, "Go to sleep quickly; I am used to meditating instead of sleeping."

Hearing Zhao Feng say this, the tension in Liu Xuan's heart instantly vanished, but at the same time, she felt a faint sense of disappointment.

Amidst all sorts of messy thoughts, Liu Xuan drifted into a deep sleep.

As for Zhao Feng, he was still conducting his daily Cultivation. After finishing his spiritual power Cultivation, he proceeded to the Nine Palaces Visualization Method. Just as his consciousness focused on the Nine Palaces, an anomaly occurred.