The two of them went to many more places and did many of the same things.
She seemed tireless, always interested in matters like this.
They had already drawn attention from various sides, but she did not care, and neither did he.
One day, they arrived at another small mountain village they had investigated. Outside the village, on a tree stump, sat an old monk in meditation.
The old monk looked serene, as if he had no breath, yet his complexion was ruddy. It was obvious he was still alive.
A faint, gentle Buddhist light radiated from him.
Beside the old monk stood Fang Yunchi, holding a sword, his face filled with hatred.
Tang Guo floated down from Qin Jiu’s back and looked at the old monk with a smile. The old monk opened his eyes, his gaze calm and without sorrow or joy as he looked at her.
He stood up, chanted Amitabha, and said to Tang Guo, “This female benefactor must be Tang Guo?”
“It’s me,” Tang Guo replied.
During this exchange, Qin Jiu held her hand and stood in front of her, as if he would not allow anyone to harm her. Tang Guo was in an excellent mood.
She liked it when the person she chose cared about her like this.
“Ah Jiu, don’t be afraid. He’s no match for me. I’m stronger than he is. I can protect you too.”
Qin Jiu could not help but laugh. “I’m not afraid. Alright, I’m afraid he might hurt you.”
“So don’t be afraid. I’m very powerful.” Tang Guo lifted her chin proudly, which only made him like her more.
How could his ghost wife be this adorable? He also liked the feeling of being cared about by her.
“May I ask how to address you, Master?”
“This poor monk is Mingxuan.”
Seeing that the two of them were speaking leisurely and did not look as though they were about to fight, Fang Yunchi grew impatient. “Master Mingxuan, why haven’t you subdued this evil ghost yet?”
In his view, Mingxuan had agreed to come precisely to deal with this evil ghost.
He had invited Master Mingxuan for a long time before the monk had finally agreed to take action.
“This female ghost is best at deceiving people with sweet words. Master, you should quickly subdue her to avoid being misled by her ghostly tricks.”
Mingxuan glanced at Tang Guo and then shook his head at Fang Yunchi. “If the evil ghost you speak of is Benefactor Tang before us, then forgive me, but I cannot act against her.”
“Why?” Fang Yunchi could not believe it. His eyes widened, his expression twisted. “Master, she is an evil ghost. She should be subdued. She should have her soul scattered.”
Master Mingxuan remained calm. No matter how Fang Yunchi addressed him, he continued to smile faintly. “Benefactor Tang is protected by immense merit. How could she be an evil ghost? Your killing aura is too heavy, so you cannot sense it. Blinded by hatred, you also cannot perceive the power of faith flowing from all directions into Benefactor Tang’s soul.”
“Not only do I not wish to act against her, even if I did, I would not be her opponent. Her strength is unfathomable. I am unwilling to fight her, and even if I were willing, knowing I could not win, why would I step forward only to invite humiliation?”
Tang Guo smiled when she heard this. This world was indeed interesting. Most people in the metaphysical circle were intelligent. They carefully analyzed karma and situations and would never rashly make enemies or act against someone.
“Master Mingxuan, I once respected you deeply,” Fang Yunchi said angrily. “I did not expect you to fear a mere evil ghost. You are unworthy of being called a master of the Buddhist path.”
Master Mingxuan was not angered in the slightest. He continued to smile serenely.
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