Chapter 48: Escape

With a creak, the wooden door slowly opened a crack. Li Huowang peered through the gap, vigilantly scanning the surroundings outside.

The soft afternoon sunlight filtered through the swaying leaves, casting specks of shadow on the ground.

At this moment, the outside was incredibly quiet. The only sound was the distant sound of a monk sweeping the ground.

However, to Li Huowang, who had already fully understood the situation, this peaceful scene felt entirely different.

"Hmph! It's all just an act. They can't fool me! They're doing this to calm me down, to make me willingly participate in their so-called Great Universal Meal ceremony!"

Just as he muttered this, a thought flashed through Li Huowang's mind.

"Wait a minute. Why are they doing this? I'm just an ordinary person. They're so strong, why don't they just come at me directly?"

This question was destined to remain unanswered, but at this moment, Li Huowang didn't need an answer. All he cared about was leaving this damn place as quickly as possible.

As Li Huowang was still speculating whether the distant sweeping monk was keeping an eye on him, the monk, seeing that there were no fallen leaves on the ground, picked up his broom and turned to leave.

"The monks of Zhengde Temple haven't noticed anything unusual about me. This is the only advantage I have right now," Li Huowang thought to himself.

With no one outside, Li Huowang didn't leave immediately but instead waited silently for something.

Time passed bit by bit, and soon his palms began to sweat.

"Dong~ dong~ dong~" The deep, resonating sound of a bell rang throughout Zhengde Temple, making Li Huowang's body tremble.

Having stayed here for some time, Li Huowang knew that this bell marked the arrival of the evening. It was also the signal for the monks' dinner time.

With a creak, Li Huowang calmly exited his room and joined the monks heading to the dining hall.

He blended in seamlessly, as he had been doing the same thing for the past few days—heading to eat at this time every day.

Compared to his own quarters, the dining hall was much closer to the bustling main hall where the pilgrims gathered. Since the monks were using illusions, they definitely didn't want ordinary people to witness their terrifying and dark side.

Along the way, Li Huowang noticed many monks watching him secretly and whispering among themselves. It seemed they were discussing the events of the afternoon.

Their eyes were filled with mockery, hostility, and curiosity.

But Li Huowang understood that all of this was just for show. These monks were merely putting on an act.

"They're all in cahoots with Master Xinhui. There isn't a single good person in Zhengde Temple. They're all trying to harm me!" Li Huowang firmly believed.

After walking for about half the time it would take to burn a stick of incense, Li Huowang saw the monks with shaved heads swarming into the dining hall. However, he didn't run away immediately but instead entered along with the crowd.

He picked up a wooden bowl, filled it with rice, and sat down to eat his meal calmly.

Today's dishes were taro soup, stir-fried tofu with konjac, oil-drenched bok choy, and stewed potatoes with wax gourds.

Although there was no meat, the taste was still decent.

But after everything that had happened, Li Huowang had completely lost his appetite.

In order to deceive them, Li Huowang dared not act out of the ordinary and continued eating, taking big mouthfuls.

"Clap!" A hand suddenly landed on Li Huowang's shoulder, making him tremble. "Little Daoist, you're here too? Hey! Why were you in such a hurry earlier?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Li Huowang, with his mouth full, turned around and, as expected, saw the familiar toothless grin.

It was the old monk he had met on the way, the one who had dragged him to see the stone statues earlier. If it weren't for him, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

The old monk sat down next to Li Huowang, forcing his bowl of rice onto the table. "Let's eat together."

Li Huowang glanced around at the monks, who seemed to have no suspicious behavior. He chewed the food in his mouth and continued eating. "Suit yourself."

"Daoist, where are the others? Tell them not to stay at the inn. They should come and eat here. I tell you, the meals here are free!" The old monk, oblivious, was still his usual carefree self.

But this time, Li Huowang, eager to leave, couldn't be bothered to respond.

He ate at the usual pace, finishing his dinner without any visible changes. Afterward, he let out a contented burp and stood up to leave the dining hall.

As he stepped outside onto the stone-paved path, the old monk followed him again. "Don't leave yet, let's chat for a bit. It's so boring here."

Li Huowang, licking the remnants of food off his teeth, shot the old monk an impatient glance. "Don't follow me, go sleep."

"Sleep? What time is it? Let me tell you something--"

Before the old monk could finish, he noticed that Li Huowang, who had been calm earlier, now had a grim expression.

Li Huowang lowered his voice, speaking urgently to the old monk, "Hurry! The faster, the better! This temple is dangerous!"

In the next moment, Li Huowang pushed off the ground with all his might and bolted toward the main hall.

His sudden run immediately attracted the attention of other monks. They looked his way, but he didn't pay them any mind as he kept running.

Li Huowang's heart raced, and his mind was highly alert, constantly scanning for the possible appearance of the old monk Xinhui.

Ten paces! Five paces! One pace!!

As Li Huowang dashed through the side door, a deafening noise filled his ears—footsteps, voices, the sound of the wooden fish being struck.

At this moment, he had entered the bustling main hall, where pilgrims from all over the place were worshiping. They collided with him, shaking his body.

Standing in the midst of the crowd, Li Huowang froze for a moment, as the seemingly natural expressions on the people's faces were silently telling him something.

Gasping for breath, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something and quickly turned to look at the side door.

It was empty. There was no sign of any pursuers.

No one, whether it was the monks receiving guests or the ones interpreting divinations, paid him any attention.

To Li Huowang, everything seemed so normal—too normal.

"Could it be...? Were those just my hallucinations? Did I imagine all those disgusting things?"

But soon, Li Huowang dismissed this absurd thought. He shook his head vigorously and took a large stride toward the temple's exit.

This was something he couldn't take a gamble on, even if there was just a tiny chance.

Exiting the temple was as easy as entering it.

Li Huowang quickly made his way back to the inn.

When the people there saw him, they greeted him warmly, as if they had not seen him in days.

"Brother, you're back! Did you finish your business at the temple?"

"No time to catch up. Pack your things, we're leaving! We need to get out of here!"

"Alright, I'll go inform Boss Lü."

"We're not waiting for anyone! We leave right now! Hurry, hurry!!"

"Brother, where are we going?" Bai Lingmiao asked, puzzled.

"Out of here!" Li Huowang replied urgently.

Cultural Explanation and Annotations:

1. Buddhist Rituals and Practices

In this chapter, the atmosphere and rituals of a Buddhist temple are crucial to the tension in the scene. In Chinese Buddhist culture, the evening bell signifies the end of the day's activities, and the monks' daily routine revolves around ritualistic practices. For Western readers, understanding the rhythm of monastic life can help contextualize Li Huowang's movements, as they follow a set time. The concept of a "Great Universal Meal" (普渡大斋) is also an important Buddhist ceremony in which food offerings are made to monks and deities. However, the protagonist feels something sinister about the ritual, which is not entirely explained to him by the monks.

2. The Role of Illusions in Chinese Folklore

The concept of illusion or deception, especially within Buddhist monasteries, is not new in Chinese folklore. Temples and monasteries often represent places of both physical and spiritual illusion—appearing peaceful, but possibly hiding darker secrets. This duality plays a central role in Li Huowang's suspicions and the tension throughout the chapter. The use of the word "illusion" or "disguise" highlights this concept of deceit and psychological warfare, common in Chinese narratives involving religious figures or temples.