Mrs. Chen asked again, "Did the Daoist say anything before leaving?"
Zhang Pan thought for a moment and said, "He did not."
Chen Jishi, having gained some experience over these past few days, calmed down slightly after initial panic. He stepped forward to take Mrs. Chen’s hand and comforted her, "My wife, perhaps he’s nothing more than a thief come to steal valuables..."
Mrs. Chen shook her head and said, "If my guesses are correct, he must be Ma Daoist’s ally and has come seeking revenge."
In truth, she faintly suspected that the man was likely after the Soul-Gathering Bell. However, she dared not speak of it, as her timid and cautious husband would undoubtedly insist on handing the Magic Artifact over. She had planned to keep the artifact for their unborn child and thus remained tight-lipped about the matter.
She furrowed her brow in thought before turning to Zhang Pan and asking, "Little Daoist, do you have the ability to send a Flying Book to Zhang Daoist?"
Zhang Pan replied loudly, "The master has long instructed me about this. If anything unusual occurs, no matter how minor, I must promptly inform him. I’ve already sent him a message."
Mrs. Chen felt a slight sense of relief upon hearing this. She cradled her pregnant belly and took two steps forward before suddenly saying, "That Daoist didn’t anticipate the skills of the Little Daoist this time, which is why he wasn’t on guard. If he brings allies next time, it will surely not be as simple as before. It appears we can no longer stay here; we need to leave immediately."
Chen Jishi opened his mouth and asked in confusion, "Where should we go?"
Mrs. Chen decisively said, "To Baofeng Temple! We must leave right away!"
Zhang Pan had no objections and said, "The two of you go ahead; I’ll handle the corpse here."
His method, of course, would involve devouring the corpse, but he didn’t let the Chen couple witness it to avoid scaring them.
Mrs. Chen made a firm decision. Although she didn’t know if the enemy would return, lingering here even a moment longer posed increasing danger. For the sake of her unborn child, she couldn’t afford to take risks. On that note, she pulled Chen Jishi back to their room to pack their belongings.
After gathering a few changes of clothes and some jewelry, she turned around to see Chen Jishi still lingering over the book chest, carefully caressing dozens of volumes. Annoyed, she reached out and snatched them, tossing them aside as she scolded, "Husband, leave these cumbersome things behind and retrieve them later."
Chen Jishi hurriedly picked the books back up and reproached her, "Wife, your words are mistaken. How could books be considered useless, bulky items? You must know that every word and sentence within these pages contains the wisdom of sages and cannot be discarded lightly!"
Mrs. Chen felt a surge of internal frustration, thinking to herself, "They say the more one reads, the more enlightened they become. Why does he seem to grow more stubborn the more he reads? When my child is born, I’ll send him to Zhang Daoist to learn Taoist immortality. He must not turn out like him."
Realizing she couldn’t persuade him, she quickly called over the maid Qiao’er and instructed her to borrow a mule cart used for transporting goods to the Daoist Temple from the village entrance. She reminded Qiao’er that since they were fleeing, she must not haggle over the price.
After spending nearly an hour fussing about, they finally finished packing and left the village, heading toward Baofeng Temple.
After traveling a few miles, the sky seemed uncooperative, and a gentle drizzle began to fall. Before long, the roads became muddy and treacherous, slowing their progress.
Meanwhile, the Daoist whom Zhang Pan had beaten away fled all the way to a small Earth God Temple and stopped there, panting heavily.
He patted his sore legs, took out several broken-off pieces of incense, picked a few of the longer ones, and placed them on the altar before lighting them. He then pulled out a sheet of talisman paper, burned it atop the altar, and backed away two steps. With utmost respect, he declared, "Disciple beseeches the immortal presence of the great-uncle master."
Moments later, a beam of light flashed, landing in front of him, revealing a middle-aged Daoist. The Daoist’s figure was short and stout; he wore a sun scarf with a wide brim that obscured most of his face, leaving only his long beard cascading over his chest. His attire was a blue gauze Daoist robe paired with white socks and Mang Shoes, and he held an inconspicuous oiled paper umbrella in his hand.
The Daoist performed a bow and sheepishly said, "Great-uncle master, this disciple has failed in his entrusted task."
The middle-aged Daoist seemed indifferent as he remarked, "Min Chong, you claimed there’d be good news for me these past few days, yet now you leave me disappointed."
Min Chong hastily knelt down and, with a sorrowful expression, exclaimed, "Great-uncle master, please allow me to explain! It’s not that this disciple didn’t try, but the Chen couple has an exceptionally skilled Daoist boy protecting them. Even Manager Ji of Master Feng’s household was punched to death by him."
Min Chong and Manager Ji, upon hearing of Ma Daoist’s death, knew that the Chen couple resided just across the river. However, since the couple had some ties to Baofeng Temple, they dared not act hastily. They nonetheless lingered nearby, waiting for an opportune moment.
Just a few days prior, their informant within Baofeng Temple reported that Master Lu had gone traveling. This news brought them ecstatic delight.
The only person they feared was Lu Tianying. With him absent, what was left to worry about?
Thus, that very night, the two of them set out to confront the Chen couple, intending to extract the Soul-Gathering Bell’s location from them.
They believed their plan foolproof but entirely underestimated Zhang Pan’s nature as a spirit monster in human form. Manager Ji was killed on the spot, and had it not been for Min Chong’s "Thousand-mile Divine Travel Talisman" allowing him to flee swiftly, he would likely not have made it back.
The middle-aged Daoist suddenly asked, "Did you say Lu Tianying has gone traveling? Is this true?"
Min Chong immediately responded, "It’s absolutely true! I heard he left seven or eight days ago."
The middle-aged Daoist nodded.
The Soul-Gathering Bell in the Chen couple’s possession might not be a particularly powerful Magic Artifact, but it was part of a Dharma Treasure belonging to his sect and was something he must reclaim.
Initially, he had sent Ma Daoist to retrieve it, but Ma Daoist died in the attempt. Hesitant to make a move due to concerns over Lu Tianying protecting the couple—knowing Lu, like himself, was a Xuan Guang Practitioner—he opted to bide his time. With Lu now gone, he no longer had any hesitation. After all, what threat could a mere Daoist boy pose?
He said, "Very well. Since I’ve come this far today, I’ll accompany you and personally recover the Soul-Gathering Bell."
Min Chong eagerly flattered him, saying, "If great-uncle master takes action, success is surely guaranteed!"
The middle-aged Daoist remained silent, casually lifting Min Chong before stepping onto a beam of Xuan Guang. Together, they sped toward the Chen couple’s former residence.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) and cast your recommendation tickets or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)