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After leaving the abbot’s courtyard, one would arrive at the central courtyard of Lianfo Temple.
The central courtyard was a place for visitors offering joss sticks to rest and view the scenery. Just as Wu Ruo and Hei Xuanyi stepped onto the sheltered corridor1It looks like a little veranda right outside the door of the individual buildings, with about two to three steps up from the ground itself. This area is sheltered, whereas the rest of the courtyard will be exposed. The sheltered corridors usually connect between a few different buildings within the same courtyard., they spotted three men walking over towards them hurriedly from ahead. The sheltered corridor that was only half a zhang wide simply couldn’t accommodate five people at the same time, so Wu Ruo and Hei Xuanyi took the initiative to step aside, allowing the three men to pass by first.
“I hope the Guardian2护法 (hu fa): this term, in Buddhism, should refer to a type of deity known as the ‘Dharmapala’ in Buddhism. However, in most novels of this genre, it refers to a living person of mid to high ranking authority. Although they’re in a Buddhist temple, I highly doubt that this is an accurate religion specific portrayal of the dharmpala and JYB is most likely using it in the novel genre specific manner. As such, I’ve opted to translate this term as ‘Guardian’ rather than the accurate religious term. hasn’t noticed that we came out.” One of the men said worriedly.
“We’ve only been out for less than half a shichen, we probably won’t be discovered that quickly.”
Wu Ruo noticed that their accents were strange and their demeanour didn’t seem like that of Huangdu City natives. He couldn’t help but take a few more looks at them because of this. In doing so, he saw that one of the men was wearing a skeleton bracelet made of silver.
In that instance, he narrowed his beautiful gaze and watched as the three of them headed towards the courtyard that visitors stayed at.
Hei Xuanyi followed Wu Ruo’s gaze: “What are you looking at?”
Wu Ruo lowered his voice and said quietly: “I saw one of them wearing a skeleton bracelet.”
Hei Xuanyi immediately understood what he was referring to: “You suspect that that person is Sang Lun, or perhaps they’re Sang Lun’s accomplices?”
“Yes. Wait for me here. I’ll go and take a look.”
“Hn. Call me if there’s anything.” Wu Ruo was currently already a sixth level practitioner. Hei Xuanyi already didn’t have to worry about him being bullied by others. Besides, Wu Ruo had all types of defensive magical equipment.
Wu Ruo walked to a place where there was no one and used his ‘Shadow Conceal’ technique, hiding himself within the shadows. He followed them to the courtyard where guests resided. Following after, he heard someone say angrily: “I3The person is using the 老子 (lao zi) form of self-address, which is arrogant. already said! No one is allowed to go out today, but what did all of you do?”
“We only went out for a little while to take a look at things. We probably weren’t discovered by anyone.”
“How do you motherfuckers know that you weren’t discovered by anyone? Do you want them to send Gui clanspeople to come and kill us before you learn how to be afraid?”
“Sang Lun, lower your voice a little. Otherwise, even if no one noticed their identities, they’ll still be attracted over by the sound of your voice.”
“Damn it.”
After that, there were no more voices.
The monk sweeping in the courtyard glanced at their room and muttered: “Arguing everyday, how did Elder Tongmiao get to know these hooligan-like people and even agree to let them stay here long-term? They’re simply destroying the tranquility of the temple.”
Wu Ruo, who was hiding behind the sweeping monk, took another look and then discreetly left the courtyard. He returned to Hei Xuanyi’s side: “It’s Sang Lun and his lot. They’re hiding right in the courtyard of the visitors. No wonder our people couldn’t find them at all.”
It was inconvenient for the human guards4JYB doesn’t specify that the guards are human but it’s implied, so I decided to point it out since JYB compares them with the Gui clanspeople in the next line. that they sent out to infiltrate into other people’s homes to investigate, so it was more convenient to send out Gui clanspeople. However, against a Buddhist temple, the Gui clanspeople would hide as far away as they could, so how could they have investigated to such a place?
“Let’s discuss this after we get home.” Hei Xuanyi left the residential quarters, holding onto Wu Ruo’s hand, returning to the Buddhist hall to look for Wu Qianqing and the others.
Wu Qianqing, Guan Tong and the others were currently watching Dandan playing with his other little friends. The smiles on their faces were extremely bright, it was as though they were especially happy.
Wu Ruo walked toward them and asked: “Mum, you’re all smiling so happily, did something good happen?”
Wu Xi giggled as she ran over to Wu Ruo’s side: “Erge, just now, Elder Tongzhou predicted dage‘s fortune and said that dage is safe and well right now!”
Wu Ruo: “…”
Elder Tongzhou was truly powerful. He could divine what Hei Xin couldn’t.
Guan Tong said, smiling: “Look how happily Dandan is playing. It’s rare that other children can play together with him.”
Dandan was currently playing cuju with the children. Amongst them, he was the youngest. With his short hands and short legs, there was just no way that he could outrun the other children. However, the person playing the most joyfully was him. The children’s guardians who were watching all laughed discreetly, hiding their mouths behind their hands. Wu Ruo and the others couldn’t bear to tell Dandan to leave either.
When chenshi57am to 8:59am. came, everyone had dispersed. It was only then that Dandan reluctantly returned to Wu Ruo’s side.
As they were descending the mountain, Wu Ruo took the opportunity when Guan Tong and the others were walking behind them to ask Hei Xuantang, who had been accompanying Guan Tong the entire time: “How did Elder Tongzhou tell my mum and the others that my dage is safe and well?”
Hei Xuantang repeated Elder Tongzhou’s words: “Madam is a person with good fortune. Your esteemed son will definitely be safe and well.”
Wu Ruo: “…”
Just a sentence like this had made his family members happy?
Had Elder Tongzhou really divined his dage‘s situation?
On their way back into the city, Wu Ruo and the others happened to run into Tutor Yan who was currently carrying out the sacrifice to the deities at the city square. Because of this, the streets were especially crowded. It was only after several joss stick’s time that the carriage finally rolled forward.
The citizens outside of the car were all discussing the matter of Tutor Yan conducting the sacrifice to the deities.
“In the past hundred years, it was always State Tutor Wu conducting the sacrifice to the deities. This is the first time that another practitioner is conducting the sacrifice to the deities during the Midautumn Festival. I heard that the process of the sacrifice won’t be the same. Not only will there be sacrificial dances for everyone to watch, they’ll even be distributing blessed copper coins! Whoever can get them will have good luck for half a year!”
“Then I’ll definitely have to snatch up a copper coin!”
“I heard that, in order to maintain order, we’re not allowed to snatch the copper coins. We’re only allowed to stretch our hands out when the copper coins are being distributed. Only those who have the copper coins land in their hands will be lucky. If you snatch or pick up a copper coin that dropped on the ground, you’ll become very unlucky! Tutor Yan did this also because he didn’t want anyone to get stomped on if everyone snatches the copper coin, causing a chaotic scene.”
“Tutor Yan is really considerate! Honestly speaking, I’ve gotten quite sick of always watching State Tutor Wu conducting the sacrificial rites. They’re always extremely old-fashioned. From the start to the end, he’s just chanting sacrificial prayers. There’s nothing enjoyable to spectate at all. I hope that in future, it’ll always be Tutor Yan conducting the sacrificial rites.”
“Shh, you had better lower your voice. There’s people all around us. Saying such treasonous6Technically, you can’t be ‘treasonous’ towards the Lord State Tutor, only the Emperor. However, the idiom being used here just goes to show you how influential and powerful Wu Chenzi is within Huangdu City. The regular commoners use phrases that would normally only be used towards the Emperor on Wu Chenzi as well. things, do you not want your life anymore? If State Tutor Wu hear this, it’ll be the end of your little life!”
After Wu Ruo was done listening to the people outside of the carriage, he counted the days. After the ten major clans’ competition, Wu Chenzi would be able to return to his position of State Tutor. They had managed to stop him from his work responsibilities after much effort; they couldn’t just let him return to them so easily.
The closer the carriage got to the city square, the more people there were. Wu Ruo and the others weren’t interested in the sacrificial rites, so they instructed the guards to return to Hei Manor using another route.
After returning to Hei Manor, Wu Ruo told Nu Mu about seeing Sang Lun.
Nu Mu immediately said that he would bring his men to capture Fu Jin, but he was stopped by Wu Ruo: “Shifu, that’s the stronghold of the Buddhists. You can’t capture someone just by bringing your men. The monks in the temple will definitely stop and hinder you. On top of that, they’re people who were brought there by a temple elder. They won’t just stand by and watch you take him away.”
Hei Xuanyi added on: “Xiao-Ruo is right. If you bring your men over so rashly, not only won’t you be able to take him away, you’ll also alert the enemy and allow them to put up defenses.”
He already knew where Fu Jin had hidden himself, yet being unable to capture him, Nu Mu was naturally feeling stifled: “Then what? Does that mean that if they never come out, then we’ll just keep waiting like this?”
“Shifu, now that we already know where they are, then we don’t have to worry that there isn’t a way to force them out of Lianfo Temple.” Wu Ruo narrowed his eyes: “Right now, I’m more curious about how a jiangtou practitioner knows Elder Tongmiao of Lianfo Temple.”
He felt that Sang Lun and the others hiding in the temple could be a good thing. Perhaps they could even make use of them.
Hei Xuanyi said: “It’s probably someone else who knows Elder Tongmiao, and Elder Tongmiao is allowing them to stay within the temple on account of that person.”
Wu Ruo looked at Hei Xuanyi: “You’re saying…”
Hei Xuanyi nodded in agreement.
Nu Mu looked at them, then rolled his eyes: “Can you husbands stop beating around the bush? As a shifu, I never taught Xiao-Ruo to communicate with his gaze. I don’t understand the looks between you husbands at all!”
Wu Ruo was stumped: “Shifu—”
“Alright. I’ll listen to you two and not capture Fu Jin first. Then what do you two intend to do to force him out?”
“I haven’t come up with anything yet, but I won’t let shifu wait for too long.”
“Then I won’t stick my nose into this matter and I’ll just wait for your good news. If you need me to take action, you must tell me, understand?”
“I will.”
Wu Ruo and Hei Xuanyi returned to their own courtyard. They had just entered their room, when Wu Ruo was tugged onto Hei Xuanyi’s lap. He very smoothly wrapped his arms around Hei Xuanyi’s neck. When he saw Hei Xuanyi’s solemn expression, he asked curiously: “What’s wrong?”
Hei Xuanyi asked: “Do you still remember what Elder Tongzhou said?”
“I remember. But which sentence are you talking about? The one about us being compatible as a couple? Or the one that about us being destined to be together?” Wu Ruo knew what Hei Xuanyi was bothered by, but he purposely pretended not to understand. However, seeing that Hei Xuanyi’s expression was serious, it wasn’t a good idea to go too overboard with the joke either: “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Are you bothered about him saying that our destiny together as a married couple only lasts fifteen years?”
For magic practitioners who lived long lives, fifteen years really was too short, especially so for ninth level magic practitioners like Hei Xuanyi. For someone who can live over five hundred years, it would pass by as quickly as the blink of an eye.
Hei Xuanyi hummed in agreement with a heavy voice. Ever since Elder Tongzhou said this, he had kept it in mind the entire time. At that time, he had wanted to ask more about it but it seemed that Elder Tongzhou could only see as much and so he’d left things as they were.
However, Elder Tongzhou’s words reminded him that Hei Xin had once said that Wu Ruo would be extremely short-lived in this lifetime and would only live to his thirties at the most. However, later on, it had changed. It changed so that it was no longer the short life that was set in stone. As for why it would change, there was no way to tell. However, he secretly felt that Wu Ruo definitely knew the reason behind it.
“Don’t worry. We’ll definitely grow old together and love each other until we die. Didn’t Elder Tongzhou also say, although our destiny together as a married couple is clearly only for fifteen years but it also looks as though we can be together for a long time?”
Hei Xuanyi’s gaze traced across Wu Ruo’s entire face, and only then did he nod in agreement. Internally, he was even more certain that Wu Ruo knew about the change in his own destiny. Now, with these words of his as a guarantee, it was clearly showing that Wu Ruo wouldn’t die an early death.
Wu Ruo yawned: “Let’s go and rest quickly. We’ll still have to moongaze until the small hours tonight.”
Hei Xuanyi stood up and carried him into their bedroom.
At night, everyone didn’t leave the manor to admire the lanterns7The entire city would’ve been decorated with lanterns for Midautumn Festival, and people would often be on the streets late into the night for the festival to admire the lanterns.. They stayed within the manor’s main courtyard to moongaze, chatting with each other. The atmosphere was extremely delightful, and everyone only returned to their rooms to rest at zishi811pm to 12:59am..
After the Midautumn Festival, the atmosphere in Huangdu City became extremely intense. Because of the upcoming competition, the members of the ten major families’ began to do all kinds of preparations. Those who needed medicinal ingredients bought them, those who needed equipment crafted them, and they often even got into fights because one party had snatched up the resources of another. Just walking idly on the streets, one would be able to see the members of the ten major families’ fighting each other, causing all of the citizens to be on tenterhooks.
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