Danger at the End of the Corridor When Gu Xinglang ran into the corridor, four monk corpses were already lying in the stone chamber behind him. A few injured ones remained, but none pursued him into the corridor. A chilling wind cut through from north to south, carrying a stench of blood and decay so…

The Brocade Box Hidden in the Stone Buddha “Did you just hear something?” Gu Xinglang asked Xiao Wei. Xiao Wei shook his head. With the wind and snow howling outside, he could hear nothing but the wind’s roar. “Someone shouting inside?” Gu Xinglang rotated the knife in his grip and began descending the stone steps.…

Bodhi Temple Faces North, Turns Its Back to the South “Where is Jing Shi?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked after toppling the Grand Buddha Hall. Only now did she feel a little better. She turned to the old Daoist. Tian Xingzi replied, “We’ll have to search the temple.” “You still need to search?” Yu Xiaoxiao frowned. “Aren’t…

The Princess Says: Grab Your Weapons Everyone waited all the way until nearly noon the next day, and still, there was no sign of Jiang Zhuojun and his group. At this point, not only were the Jiang clansmen feeling uneasy—even Yu Xiaoxiao’s group was growing anxious. “Something must have happened,” the chief muttered. Yu Xiaoxiao…

The Old Daoist Says: Love Brings Ruin “What did you say?” Jiang Zhuojun called out through the wind and snow, unable to hear the old Daoist’s muttering. The Daoist squinted carefully at him. Concentrating his gaze, he could faintly see a cloud of muddled, shifting mist behind Jiang Zhuojun. Compared to the sea of blood-red…

Winter Thunder Rolls, Summer Snow Falls In the end, Xiao Wei was a reliable young man. Seeing Granny Wang staring down Gu Xinglang, he leaned in and whispered, “Prince Consort, Granny Wang is waiting for you to make the call.” Gu Xinglang thought for a long moment, then raised his hand to pat Jiang Zhuojun’s…

Granny Wang Shows Her Might Madam Liu cast a glance at Jiang Yueniang, then let out a tearful laugh. “So now the Jiang family is run by just you siblings? My lord, husband, open your eyes and look at this!” Her outcry opened the floodgates—these women, grieving for their children, now let loose all the…

Conditions for Rescue: The Red Jade Phoenix Jiang Zhuojun and his group of five didn’t return to the cave until nearly noon the next day. They were covered in snow and clearly half-frozen. The chief and the others rushed over to pull them toward the fire to warm up. Yu Xiaoxiao stopped them and said…

The Couple Playing in the Snow “Let’s wait for Jiang Zhuojun to return,” Gu Xinglang said, wrapping his arm around Yu Xiaoxiao’s shoulders. Standing upwind, Young Master Gu shielded Yu Xiaoxiao from the snow and wind. Tian Xingzi coughed lightly behind his hand and said, “Allow this poor Taoist to say one more thing.” Gu…

The Daoist Says “Politeness Before Force” “You telling the truth or just making stuff up?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked the old Daoist. Tian Xingzi replied solemnly, “Princess, how could I joke about something like this?” Yu Xiaoxiao said, “Where exactly is this temple?” The Daoist pointed straight upward and said, “Zhuque’s Bodhi Temple is located at…