The two of them left the village chief's house and went to a family at the east end of the village. The family's yard was not large, with a few fruit trees planted in it. A woman was sitting on the doorstep wiping away tears, and a five or six-year-old boy stood beside her, looking timidly at Wu Yong.
"This is the Li family. This is Immortal Wu from Budao Peak, here to investigate Li Dashan's disappearance," the village chief introduced.
The woman raised her head, her eyes full of tears: "Mr. Wu, please, you must find my Dashan. He wouldn't abandon us, his mother and child..."
Wu Yong said gently, "Elder Sister, don't worry, I will do my best. Could you help me find a piece of Li Dashan's clothing?"
The woman quickly got up, took an old piece of Li Dashan's clothing from inside the house, and handed it to Wu Yong. Wu Yong took the clothes and handed them to the Three-Flower Cat on his shoulder.
"Same old rule, it's up to you, Three Flowers."
Three Flowers leaned away in disgust. "Master, you're going too far. I'm a cat, not a dog!"
Wu Yong saw Three Flowers's disdain and could only comfort it, "Please be professional, okay? Saving someone is urgent."
Three Flowers meowed in agreement, sniffed, then perked up its ears, a hint of alertness flashing in its eyes. It jumped off Wu Yong's shoulder and ran out of the yard.
Wu Yong said to the village chief and the woman, "My Spirit Beast is good at tracking. I'll go investigate first and will notify you when I have news."
"Thank you, Immortal," the woman hurriedly kowtowed.
Wu Yong followed the Three-Flower Cat, heading west through the fields outside the village, and soon entered the depths of the dense forest.
The Three-Flower Cat occasionally stopped, lowered its head to sniff the ground, or perked up its ears, vigilantly looking around, and continued into the dense forest with its head down.
Wu Yong followed behind, vigilantly looking around, holding a long sword in his hand, ready to deal with any sudden situations.
The light in the dense forest gradually grew dim, the tree canopy blocked out the sky and sun, with only sporadic patches of light scattered on the ground. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, and occasionally a few bird calls broke the silence, making it exceptionally quiet.
The Three-Flower Cat suddenly stopped under a large tree, lowered its head to sniff the ground, then looked up at Wu Yong, letting out a low "meow," signaling him to follow.
Wu Yong approached and saw signs of dragging and struggle on the ground, as well as torn pieces of clothing from tree branches. The direction of the dragging pointed directly into the depths of the dense forest.
"Looks like the direction is correct," Wu Yong whispered, reaching out to stroke the Three-Flower Cat's head. "Let's go, keep leading the way."
The Three-Flower Cat nodded and started moving again, running towards the depths of the dense forest. Wu Yong followed closely, both man and cat leaping onto tree branches, jumping back and forth through the jungle. As they delved deeper into the forest, the surrounding air gradually grew colder, and even the bird calls disappeared, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the treetops.
After walking for about half an hour, emerging from the dense forest, the Three-Flower Cat suddenly stopped in front of a hillside.
The hillside was covered in weeds, and a faint path could be seen, winding its way to the top of the hill. The Three-Flower Cat looked back at Wu Yong, gave a warning "meow," and then ran up the path.
Wu Yong followed the Three-Flower Cat's gaze and vaguely saw a dilapidated temple at the top of the hill. The temple gate was ajar, the words "Faxiang Temple" on the lintel were entwined with vines, almost unreadable. The copper bells on the eaves were rusty, and when the wind blew, they let out a hoarse wailing sound.
Just as Wu Yong was about to go forward to investigate, the temple gate creaked open, and a round-faced monk walked out with a smile. His monk's robe was washed until it was pale, and he held a string of prayer beads in his hand, which glowed with an eerie dark black color.
"Benefactor, please stop." Heishi Huixin clasped his hands in greeting, his voice gentle but with a hint of undeniable authority: "This humble monk's dharma name is Heishi Huixin. This small temple has been in disrepair for many years, so I ask the esteemed guest to leave quickly."
Wu Yong bowed with his sword, saying, "I am Wu Yong, a Disciple of the Budao Sect. I am parched from passing through this area and would like to beg for a bowl of water."
Heishi Huixin smiled, a hint of imperceptible coldness flashing in his eyes: "The well water in this small temple has dried up. I trouble Benefactor to pass through the dense forest; there are people there, and Benefactor can go there to ask for some food."
After speaking, without waiting for Wu Yong's reply, he turned and slammed the temple door shut.
Wu Yong's eyes narrowed slightly. Heishi Huixin's cloth monk shoes had bloodstains on the edges, and the soles were blood-red when he walked. It seemed this was indeed the place, and the Three-Flower Cat's claws were already extended.
The night was as dark as ink, and the depths of the jungle were silent, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects and the low murmurs of night birds. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled shadows.
Under the night sky, Faxiang Temple appeared particularly eerie in the moonlight, its towering courtyard walls covered in vines, making it seem even more sinister.
Wu Yong and the Three-Flower Cat approached the courtyard wall, and with a light push of their toes, they flipped over the wall like swallows.
"Hush~!" Wu Yong hushed the Three Flowers beside him, motioning for it to be silent.
Squatting on the wall, Wu Yong looked down into the temple. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, the flagstones were covered in cracks, and moss grew in the crevices.
Several broken stone statues stood askew in the corner, their faces indistinct. A corner of the main hall's roof had collapsed, tiles scattered everywhere, and the incense burner in front of the hall was rusty, having long lost its former luster.
Wu Yong lightly pushed off the wall and leaped down, staying close to the base of the wall, using the cover of shadows to slowly approach the main hall. The hall door was ajar, its hinges making a faint creaking sound. He slipped sideways through the door, and a musty smell assailed him.
The hall was dim, with only a few rays of moonlight filtering through the broken roof, illuminating the scene within.
The gold lacquer on the central Buddha statue was peeling, revealing the mottled clay beneath. The offering table was covered in dust, the incense and candles had long since extinguished, leaving only a few broken candle holders stuck crookedly in the incense burner.
Passing through the front hall, deep in the back hall was a Buddhist shrine. The door to the shrine was tightly closed, and a faint light emanated from the crack in the door.
Wu Yong quietly went forward, dipped his finger in some saliva, poked a hole in the paper window, and looked inside.
"This humble monk has made it very clear. As long as you swear to the Buddha that you will feign ignorance after you leave, this humble monk will release you immediately."
"Pah!" Jiese was tied to a pillar, his clothes tattered and his body covered in wounds. His face was pale, and a trace of blood hung from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating he had suffered no small amount of torture.
"Fellow Daoist Jiese of Tianjian Peak!" Wu Yong's heart jumped. Just as he was about to act, he heard Heishi Huixin's voice coming from inside the Buddhist shrine.
"Since Benefactor has arrived, please come in." Heishi Huixin walked to a meditation cushion and sat down, holding a string of prayer beads in his hand, gently flicking them, producing a crisp sound.
Wu Yong reached out and pushed open the door to the Buddhist shrine. Heishi Huixin was sitting cross-legged with his back to him in front of a Buddha statue, turning the prayer beads in his hand while chanting in a low voice.