Chapter 34: Entering Again

Unexpectedly, after hearing those words, the old monk’s expression became even more bitter.

“Benefactor, you may not understand. Each of those three routes is guarded by a powerful ghost, and all of them are Liu Shang’s closest relatives. I only learned afterward that this beast personally skinned his daughter’s face, gouged out his son’s eyes, and slaughtered the entire family of his most loyal subordinate right in front of him. Then he chopped the bodies of all three into pieces and buried them beneath the crossroads, all to nurture ghostly energy through resentment so they would indiscriminately kill anyone who passed by.”

The monk paused, his brows tightly knitted.

“Even when this old monk was at the peak of his strength, traversing all three roads would have been extremely difficult. So, benefactor, do not waste your efforts. In a few days, the bodhisattva will completely break free of its seal. Leave this place of trouble as soon as possible and let my fellow disciples evacuate the population... Sigh. Saving even one person is better than saving none.”

Zhou You barely heard the monk’s subsequent words.

Instead, he suddenly recalled the clues he had encountered before.

The three specially separated routes that ultimately led to the same destination.

The three nearly unavoidable instant-death traps.

The several completion items that could never all be exchanged through normal means.

“Fuck, so this is where the trick was waiting for me!”

“Benefactor, what exactly are you talking about?”

Looking at the monk’s astonished expression, Zhou You gave no answer.

Instead, he slowly took two objects from his clothing.

A shriveled human face.

And a stick of cursed incense.

“Master, if we add these things, would it be possible to seal that bodhisattva again?”

The old monk stared blankly at the two objects.

Instinctively, he reached out to pick them up.

Then he immediately realized his hands were covered in grease.

Hurriedly wiping them on his monk’s robe, he finally lifted the objects with extreme care.

“A corroded human face and a fortune-gathering incense mixed with infant bone powder. These are cursed objects so wicked they couldn’t possibly be more wicked. Benefactor, where exactly did you obtain them?”

Zhou You merely smiled.

“Take a guess.”

The old monk froze for several seconds.

Then he suddenly burst into laughter.

“Excellent! Excellent indeed! I never expected Ghost Granny to distrust Liu Shang as well and secretly leave behind a few backup plans. And now they’ve fallen right into my hands. Then...”

The monk set down the two objects.

Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees before Zhou You.

He even prostrated himself completely upon the ground, performing a full-body bow.

“This old monk, no, this poor monk... on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people in this city, thanks you first.”

Even the way he referred to himself had quietly changed.

“With these two items, benefactor, countless lives may be saved. Originally, this poor monk could only buy a little time. But with these objects, there is now at least a thirty percent chance of suppressing that bodhisattva once more. And even if we fail, we can at least delay it long enough for my fellow disciples to evacuate the populace.”

The monk seemed so excited that he was breathing heavily.

“Time is short now. This poor monk must make further preparations and cannot accompany you. I shall send you out immediately. Afterward, you may travel to Qingjing Temple. I once left several things there, and you may take them all.”

The System notification immediately sounded.

“Congratulations, player. You have fulfilled the hidden quest condition: Gratitude of Monk Huipu. The other party has transferred all of his belongings at Qingjing Temple to you. You may inspect them after choosing to leave this scenario.”

“You have completed the main storyline of this scenario and may leave at any time. Would you like to return now?”

Zhou You did not make a choice.

Instead, he silently asked a question.

“What happens if I choose not to return?”

This time the answer came extremely quickly.

“Dear player, if you choose not to return, you will face the ghostly entity Auspicious Tranquil Ghost Mother Bodhisattva together with Monk Huipu. Of course, you may also use the monk’s gratitude to force him to wait until after your departure before challenging the three temples, allowing you additional time for exploration. However, this course of action carries an extremely high probability of causing the character’s death.”

Hearing the answer, Zhou You suddenly smiled.

Without the slightest hesitation, he directly chose “Do Not Return.”

Only then did he turn toward the monk.

“Master, don’t you think a thirty percent success rate is a bit low?”

The old monk understood what he meant.

However, he remained silent for a moment before firmly refusing.

“Benefactor, simply call me monk. And I understand what you’re trying to say. But you have already done everything that could reasonably be asked. First you rescued this poor monk, then you provided the key items needed to resolve this crisis. I absolutely cannot drag you into this any further. Whatever comes next, this poor monk will bear it alone. Therefore, benefactor, please...”

He really was a good man.

Even in a situation like this, he refused to guilt-trip anyone.

But...

Zhou You silently muttered to himself.

If you don’t drag me into this, then how am I supposed to meet that Auspicious Tranquil Ghost Mother Bodhisattva?

Suddenly, he remembered something his grandfather had once told him.

“You’ve got many good qualities. You’re smart and quick-witted.”

“But the problem is...”

“You’re far too much of a gambler.”

That’s right. I’ve always been like this.

Zhou You suddenly laughed.

Then he looked seriously at the old monk.

“If even you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the people of the city, then why can’t I?”

The old monk stared at Zhou You blankly for a while, as though seeing him for the first time.

Then he smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“In that case, this poor monk won’t stand on ceremony. Benefactor, please make your preparations. Tonight, I shall meet you at your location. Then the two of us...”

“...shall venture together into this demonic realm.”

“Player has abandoned return.”

“Player has chosen to enter the Fourth Night together with Monk Huipu.”

“This choice will directly or indirectly result in an encounter with the monster Auspicious Tranquil Ghost Mother Bodhisattva.”

“If you successfully suppress the Auspicious Tranquil Ghost Mother Bodhisattva, you will receive an extremely special reward.”

“The difficulty of this task may be beyond your capabilities. Please act according to your own judgment.”

Time passed in the blink of an eye as Zhou You and the monk discussed their plans.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the familiar security office.

To be honest, after spending so many days here, Zhou You had almost grown attached to the place.

Unfortunately, today he would have to say goodbye.

He walked forward and habitually glanced at the newspaper.

This time there was only one additional article.

The rest remained blurry as before, but the headline was crystal clear.

Several enormous printed words were displayed prominently.

“The City’s Richest Man, Liu Shang, Brutally Murdered. Body Dismembered, Head Missing.”

“So that’s how they explained all those scattered intestines and organs. They simply ruled it as a homicide. Then again, that makes sense. What normal person would assume a sacrificial ritual had failed? And ordinary people probably couldn’t see the head attached to the back of the statue anyway.”

Zhou You casually tossed the newspaper aside.

Then he sat down and waited quietly.

Several minutes later, the door of the security office opened.

A pair of trembling hands appeared first.

Then the familiar bald-headed man whom Zhou You had seen several times arrived right on schedule.

Zhou You flashed him a bright smile.

Before the frightened man could react, Zhou You suddenly lunged forward and drove a punch directly into his abdomen!