The voice at the door spoke ingratiatingly, "Senior Brother, do you have any other instructions?"
The previous voice paused, with a tone that was both suspicious and covetous, "Is that girl really that beautiful?"
The person at the door understood imdiately and exaggeratedly said, "Senior Brother, there’s no one on this mountain as beautiful and radiant as that girl. Her face is so delicate that it looks like water could be pinched from it. Otherwise, how could the brothers be unable to resist?"
Huangfu Jingchen caught the words "all of them," and his eyes darkened again. So, it seed there were other won on this mountain, not female guests, but won held against their will!
It appeared those won were kept in the back mountain.
However, he needed to find out who they were and how many there were.
Upon hearing the response, the Supervisor didn’t speak. On the roof, Huangfu Jingchen couldn’t see their expressions.
He only heard the person at the door eagerly urge, "Senior Brother, why don’t you go check personally? Or I could have the brothers send her to your room?"
The Supervisor grunted, "Didn’t I tell you to observe first?" Though, his tone was a bit tempted.
The person at the door, while laughing, said, "Senior Brother, don’t worry. How big is the world? Just around this Shian Temple alone, how many miles are there? Our temple’s reputation is known far and wide. Who would dare to suspect us without reason? Besides, she’s just a little girl. Even if her family has so influence, there are many powerful factions in the Jianghu. Many of those with grand reputations are just for show, ant to intimidate others. If she were truly that extraordinary, why doesn’t she have a maid or so secret protector with her? So, Senior Brother, relax and enjoy the beauty!"
"You do have a point!" the Supervisor, more tempted, said, "Let’s go and have a look!"
The person at the door imdiately bead and said, "After you, Senior Brother!"
He lifted the lamp to light the way, walking beside the Supervisor, continuously praising Sang Xuewei’s beauty. The Supervisor initially hesitated, but the more he listened, the more eager he beca, quickening his pace.
From the rooftop vantage, the Supervisor appeared robust, like an iron pillar, while the lamp-bearer limped slightly, with an ingratiating face.
Huangfu Jingchen did not descend but secretly followed from the rooftop.
The two headed in the direction the La Monk had co from, which was likely where the woodshed was located.
Huangfu Jingchen moved with great agility, making no sound on the tiles. However, he knew that while height had its advantages, there were downsides too. Besides the Supervisor and the La Monk, if soone else happened to step outside and looked up, they could spot a silhouette on the roof.
He kept his body low, still as a tile when motionless, and like a darting cat moving with only a fleeting shadow.
Following them for quite a while, he saw them heading towards a corridor. Huangfu Jingchen couldn’t continue on the roof there, so he landed in a shadowy spot and followed at a prudent distance behind them.
Neither the Supervisor nor the La Monk expected outsiders here. One spoke eagerly, the other listened intently, thick with anticipation; both appeared desperate to see the beauty, quickening their pace.
Huangfu Jingchen realized that this back mountain seed larger the more he observed it, its terrain complex.
Hiding soone here would be all too easy.
Though tracking them, he remained observant of his surroundings.
By now, the Supervisor and the La Monk had entered a courtyard, pushed open a door in the western corner, revealing a dim-lit room. A girl was thrown to the floor, tightly bound, in a corner piled with firewood, dust layered thickly, the place a filthy ss.
The girl’s mouth was stuffed with a towel. She tried to speak, but with her mouth blocked, all she could emit were muffled sounds.
In the dark night, within the empty, dark, and spacious woodshed, these muffled sounds seed even weaker than the rustling of branches in the night wind.
Sang Xuewei was genuinely frightened.
She had relied on her decent martial arts skills, putting in hard work learning Qinggong, ranking at least a high second-tier, if not first, in the Jianghu.
With backing from her Sword Sect heritage, doting from her father, uncles, and brothers, she held herself in high regard.
This ti, she wanted to help Huangfu Jingchen and had Master Lu and others look for anything amiss in the temple, but she stumbled upon the back mountain by accident.
After dinner, she intended to et Master Lu and exchange any findings.
Before reaching Master Lu’s location, she saw a monk erging furtively from the kitchen, deliberately choosing secluded paths.
Wasn’t this the anomaly she was looking for?
Why would soone walk normally, yet constantly look around as if afraid of being caught?
This monk surely had sothing to hide!
This discovery thrilled Sang Xuewei. It was like finding a golden opportunity by sheer luck. Helping Huang Zheng, he would notice her virtues, change his opinion, and she might marry soone so handso and capable.
All she needed was an opportunity, which had now presented itself.
Sang Xuewei’s eyes glead as she excitedly followed, forgetting about eting Master Lu and the others.
She followed all the way to the back mountain, seeing how the more secretive the person acted and the more secluded paths they took, the more jubilant she felt. Indicating it was a big catch!
Focusing on catching her big fish, Sang Xuewei followed further, seeing the person take a small trail at the back mountain entrance, seemingly well-acquainted with its direction. She waited a mont before following.
Being experienced in the Jianghu, she was cautious, though her caution was more of a formality than effective practice. While navigating the vegetable patch, even during the monks’ dinner hours, standing in the open plain would catch anyone’s eye, especially at dusk when the light was not fully dim. A man or woman’s figure was easily distinguished.
Two monks imdiately blocked her way.
The two monks looked fierce and formidable, glaring eyes, and their appearance threateningly robust. Several other equally brawny monks were peering from under a nearby porch. Sang Xuewei suddenly felt unsure.
Although she knew martial arts, it seed those people weren’t weak either. Her father had warned her about not underestimating imdiate risks.
That was why back in the Yuqing County Governor Mansion, upon realizing she couldn’t beat Huangfu Jingchen, she had not persisted and chose to leave.
The two monks asked Sang Xuewei what business she had there.
Sang Xuewei feigned being an incense guest, claiming she had wandered in by mistake, attracted by the buildings, wanting to look around out of curiosity.
The two monks first scrutinized her with suspicion, then unexpectedly stepped aside, warmly inviting her to tour.
Sang Xuewei hadn’t expected their suspicion and wariness to switch so suddenly, especially noticing that from under the corridor, though they were all smiling, there seed to be sothing unsettling in their eyes.
That sa look was also in the eyes of the monks who had questioned her, albeit well-masked. Despite her carefree nature, when she paid attention, she instinctively felt the urge to retreat.
She had to escape!
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