Juechen the monk looked at Su Xi before him and smiled gently, a picture of kindness.
Su Xi gazed at Juechen’s smile, but felt no reassurance. Instead, an inexplicable worry gnawed at her heart, as if she had seen through his true thoughts.
The smile on Juechen the monk’s face was clearly insincere, failing to reach his eyes. He might deceive others, but deceiving her was far from easy.
Thus, seeing his smile only made Su Xi feel it was more unreal, more false.
This feeling made her profoundly uncomfortable, as if she were a snake’s prey, her entire being on edge.
The young acolyte, having escorted Su Xi here, did not linger. He slowly retreated towards the back, thoughtfully closing the door behind him to shield them from prying eyes.
To him, these secrets were beyond his hearing.
Once the door was shut, only Su Xi and Juechen the monk remained in the room. Their silence instantly filled the space with an awkward tension.
Su Xi felt a profound discomfort in this atmosphere.
Though she longed to escape this unease, Juechen the monk’s aura seemed to envelop her, crushing any nascent thought of flight.
In Juechen the monk’s world, the slightest hint of an escape attempt would mean her life being forfeit.
Sensing Su Xi’s nervousness, Juechen the monk gestured to a cushion before him and spoke kindly, "Benefactress, please take a seat. I have been waiting for you for a long time."
"???"
This was the second time Su Xi had heard such a blatant deception, a cascade of question marks forming above her head, her intelligence feeling insulted once more.
She detested these Buddhist monks, their roundabout way of speaking instead of getting to the point, as if they had nothing better to do.
Wasn’t straightforwardness more comfortable?
Why must it be so full of guesswork, so utterly exhausting?
Therefore, facing Juechen the monk’s words, she couldn't help but retort, "Truly remarkable, to know of my coming in advance?"
Juechen the monk nodded, as if he hadn't heard Su Xi’s sarcasm, and calmly replied, "Benefactress, please rest assured, I am not deceiving you. I indeed knew of your arrival long ago."
Hearing Juechen the monk’s words, Su Xi couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up.
Lying with a straight face was indeed their specialty. Now that she had exposed him, he remained unblushing, unfazed.
Juechen the monk seemed to sense Su Xi’s thoughts and made no move to explain. Instead, he said, "I know you are hesitant, but look at this, and you will know I am not lying."
With that, Juechen the monk produced an exquisite small wooden box from his person and placed it before Su Xi, gesturing for her to open it.
Su Xi eyed the small wooden box, then without further thought, opened it.
She knew Juechen the monk’s cultivation far surpassed hers. If he truly intended to harm her, he wouldn’t bother with such elaborate theatrics.
Thus, while the small box might hold something unusual, it likely posed no immediate danger.
Moreover, she was quite curious to see what it contained.
Understanding this, Su Xi opened the small box.
Inside, there wasn’t much, save for a letter and nothing else.
Even before opening the envelope, disbelief washed over Su Xi’s face, a far greater shock than seeing anything else.
For the paper within was not the common paper of their current world, but the plasma paper used in the former interstellar era.
This type of paper possessed an intrinsic identification function; only the intended recipient could read its contents. Any attempt to read it by other means would result in its complete destruction, rendering the message illegible.
Because of this unique property, such paper became the ideal medium for correspondence.
Su Xi found it hard to believe she was the chosen recipient, and placed her finger on the envelope to confirm her suspicions.
As her finger touched the envelope, before she could utter another word, it suddenly flared with brilliant light. The light then vanished, and a series of characters began to appear on it.
"Holy hell."
Seeing what was written on the paper, Su Xi couldn't help but curse.
The paper was filled with dense English text, many words utterly foreign to her. After reading it a few times, her head began to spin, a feeling akin to facing a grueling college entrance exam.
What the hell was this?
Upon seeing this, Su Xi felt an urge to curse out the sender with every fiber of her being.
May all those who show off be struck by lightning.
Couldn't they just speak plainly? Was Chinese no longer sufficient, forcing them to resort to English?
With no other recourse, she had to use her supercomputer to scan the information and translate it.
After the translation, Su Xi’s expression grew even more grim.
Although she didn't know who had written her this letter, she was now certain it was indeed for her. This certainty brought a flood of questions to her mind.
Even if it was meant for her, why the need to humiliate her in such a manner?
Furthermore, the content of the letter was even more unbelievable. It stated that everything within Xiangguo Temple was to be handed over to her.
Holy hell.
Su Xi’s face was etched with overwhelming helplessness.
What in the world did this mean?
She, a woman, was to become a monk and the abbot?
Was this a retelling of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, where they mistook her for Linghu Chong? But the Hengshan Sect wasn't Shaolin Temple; how could she possibly become its abbess?
Su Xi found it difficult to believe.
Looking at Juechen the monk before her, Su Xi asked hesitantly, "Are you certain you feel the same way?"
Clearly, Juechen the monk was a man of integrity and would not act so rashly.
Seeing the contents of the letter, he would surely deem it fantastical.
Juechen the monk smiled at Su Xi and replied, "This humble monk will naturally obey the former abbot's wishes and entrust all matters here to Benefactress’s management. Henceforth, all of Xiangguo Temple will follow Benefactress’s arrangements."
Su Xi had initially thought the letter’s author was insane. Now, she suddenly suspected if Juechen the monk himself had written this letter, otherwise, why would he agree to such preposterous terms?
Su Xi shot Juechen the monk a peculiar glance and then asked, "Then, if I were to ask for the Bone-less Sarira now, would you be willing?"
"Of course," Juechen the monk replied with a smile, and truly produced the Bone-less Sarira, Xiangguo Temple's treasure.
Holding the Bone-less Sarira, a giant question mark appeared above Su Xi’s head.
What had happened?
Had the author made a mistake?
Or had the author gone mad, leading to such nonsensical events?
Why was this given to her out of the blue?
Though unsure of the reason, Su Xi knew she couldn't miss this opportunity. Who knew when another chance like this would arise?
Regardless of any oddities, as long as she could obtain the Bone-less Sarira, it was enough.
Having something was better than having nothing.
Confirming the authenticity of the Bone-less Sarira, Su Xi carefully placed it in her embrace. Her gaze then fixed on Juechen the monk, and she asked, "Can you tell me who wrote this letter to me?"
Until she understood this, Su Xi could not rest easy.
She was now certain that the person who wrote this letter must also be from the future, possessing the ability to foresee events, and was definitely no ordinary individual.
She could accept benefits, but she could not accept being manipulated.
Therefore, Su Xi wanted to know who was orchestrating all of this for her.
Since birth, she had never been this lucky, and she was certain she wouldn’t suddenly acquire such fortune. Thus, this unsolicited wave of goodwill was absolutely not normal.
Hearing Su Xi’s question, Juechen the monk shook his head. "Since I can remember, I have known of this inherited small wooden box. But as for who left it, I truly do not know."
Su Xi was about to ask further, but was interrupted by Juechen the monk. "Benefactress, the sky is darkening, and the temple is preparing to close. You should take your leave."
Seeing Juechen the monk’s unyielding demeanor, Su Xi knew that any further questioning would yield nothing. After a moment’s thought, she resolutely said no more.
After all, the most important thing for her had been obtained.
The remaining matters could only be addressed later.
Understanding this, Su Xi, holding the Bone-less Sarira, walked out of Xiangguo Temple.
As soon as she stepped outside, Ouyang Chuge immediately approached, asking with concern, "What happened inside?"
It had been a considerable time since Su Xi entered, so he was naturally curious.
Su Xi shook her head and briefly recounted the events at Xiangguo Temple.
Upon hearing Su Xi’s account, a large question mark appeared above Ouyang Chuge’s head. What was going on?
Clearly, he, too, was bewildered by the situation.
If he hadn't seen that Su Xi wasn't lying, he might have thought she was trying to trick him.
"Never mind, let's not overthink it for now. We’ll figure out how to deal with that second-generation brat Yu Fan tomorrow," Su Xi sighed in resignation.
Su Xi had indeed considered using the power of Xiangguo Temple to deal with Yu Fan, given she didn't know who had arranged her involvement.
However, the moment the thought arose, she immediately dismissed it.
She had no idea if this was a trap. If she were to involve Xiangguo Temple, she might expose her true intentions, not only failing to deal with Yu Fan but also putting herself in danger.
Therefore, even though it might be more arduous to handle it herself, it was undoubtedly safer.
Understanding this, Su Xi and Ouyang Chuge returned to the inn.
Shortly after arriving and while they were discussing their plans, a sudden commotion erupted from downstairs, followed by the furious arrival of soldiers.
"What's going on?" Su Xi asked the surrounding people, trying to understand the situation.
After all, such an event was highly irregular.
This was the capital city; how dare these people act so brazenly?
"Master Juechen, the abbot of Xiangguo Temple, has been ambushed. We are here to apprehend the culprit," a soldier declared. Su Xi’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
Was this a joke?