Chapter 27

"No, not him…" Monk Huicong was frantic, grabbing Fatty, then looking at Jiang Cheng with a pleading look, stammering, "You… it's… it's you."

Jiang Cheng thought this Monk Huicong was adorably foolish. What difference did it make who went? Besides, he and Fatty had already reached a tacit understanding. He gave Fatty a look, letting him choose, then he would draw.

But to his surprise, Fatty stared at the paper figures, his eyes somewhat blank. "What's going on? How did these paper figures… how did they all become the same?"

Jiang Cheng looked down at the paper figures. The seven figures were distinct, each corresponding to someone in the group.

At that moment, Monk Huicong also released his grip, looking at him with an indescribably strange smile, drool trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Heh, heh heh…"

Jiang Cheng understood. Huicong must have tampered with them, or it was a rule of the game, limiting Fatty's ability to play.

Without hesitation, Jiang Cheng reached out and took one of the paper figures, the one representing the maidservant.

Just then, a loud voice came from afar, "Huicong, little brother, your senior brothers have been looking for you!"

The familiar voice made Monk Huicong shiver instantly. Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw Monk Huide and his group walking towards them, Monk Huiming among them.

Huicong's expression changed drastically. Just like yesterday, he immediately grabbed the paper figures from the ground and stuffed them into his mouth. Jiang Cheng also quickly shoved the maidservant paper figure into his pocket.

Jiang Cheng and Fatty stood up, blocking Monk Huicong, buying him time to swallow the paper figures. For now, Monk Huicong was on their side.

Monk Huide was the same as always, his dark skin stretched over a kind face. "Amitabha, the two benefactors are here as well."

"Master Huide," Jiang Cheng said, pressing his palms together.

Monk Huide glanced at Jiang Cheng and Fatty, then looked at Monk Huicong, who was hiding behind them, afraid to raise his head. He smiled and said, "Huicong, little brother, it will soon be time for the midday meal. After the meal, we must prepare to cultivate merit later. I heard from Huiming that your merit cultivation was not good last night. This cannot continue. If you do not cultivate merit with your senior brothers, how will you dispel your inner demons?"

Upon hearing this, Monk Huicong's face turned pale, and he shook his head incessantly. "No, no cultivation… no cultivation of merit, no…"

Monk Huiming walked forward with several strong monks. "How can you not cultivate merit? Come with your senior brothers, be obedient. As long as you diligently cultivate enough merit, your hysteria will be cured!"

"Wait!" Jiang Cheng suddenly said, "Master Huide, there is something I don't understand. Yesterday, Monk Huicong did not look so haggard. How did one night of merit cultivation turn him into this?"

With a look from Jiang Cheng, Fatty turned around and pulled down Monk Huicong's tattered upper garment a little, revealing skin covered in blue and purple bruises, as well as bloody welts from whipping. Monk Huicong's skin was very fair, making the shocking marks of abuse even more prominent.

But Monk Huide chanted a Buddhist prayer, sighed, and then his eyes turned slightly red. "Benefactor, you do not know, Huicong's inner demons are too strong. When studying the Dharma and cultivating merit, he often goes mad, beating the monks in this temple for no reason. We are forced to bind him with ropes. In the struggle, it is inevitable that his body is harmed. We only hope that he will cultivate enough merit soon, glorify the Buddha's light, and dispel his inner demons."

Jiang Cheng almost laughed in anger, but he still pressed his palms together and returned the greeting. "So that's how it is. Then I must thank Master Huide, and all the masters."

"We are all disciples of the Buddha, it is our duty," Huide said, pressing his palms together, chanting piously, "Amitabha."

Monk Huiming led his men forward to drag Huicong away. Fatty wanted to stop them, but Jiang Cheng dissuaded him with a look.

While pulling him along, Huide persuaded, "Huicong, little brother, later I will ask Huiging to come to the merit hall to cultivate merit with you, so you will have a companion."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Huiging's name, Huicong seemed to be suddenly stimulated and went berserk. For a moment, several people could not hold him down.

"No, no cultivating merit! I don't want to… I don't want to lie on Huiging!"

Jiang Cheng and Fatty were stunned upon hearing this. They knew Huiging, a handsome young monk, but Huicong said he didn't want to lie on Huiging…

As if realizing something, Fatty shuddered, a chill running down his spine.

"Quick, hold him down!" Monk Huiming and the others were also flustered. Huicong kicked and punched them, even biting them. "Huicong's hysteria has relapsed! What nonsense is he talking about!"

Facing Monk Huide's plea for help, Jiang Cheng and Fatty only watched, not helping. They even hoped that Huicong could break free and run away, but the temple was so large, where could Huicong run to?

After all, Huicong's body was much weaker than his senior brothers, and he was soon recaptured, pressed to the ground. Monk Huide pulled off Huicong's upper garment and used it to tie Huicong's hands behind his back. It was then that Jiang Cheng and Fatty clearly saw the tattoo on Huicong's back.

Because his back was covered in scars, the tattoo was somewhat blurred, but it was not difficult to see that it was well-made, covered with stars of varying sizes, connected by lines, looking a bit like a constellation chart.

But before they could get a closer look, Huicong was carried away like a dead pig, his mouth stuffed, only able to look at Jiang Cheng helplessly, emitting "woo woo" wails.

"Alas—" A sigh drew Jiang Cheng and Fatty's attention back. Huide looked compassionate. "Alas, my poor Huicong, such talent, yet plagued by inner demons, driven to madness."

Without much pretense, Monk Huide left with the other monks. Seeing them walk away, Fatty became anxious. "Doctor, did you hear that? These fake monks are forcing Huicong to cultivate false merit. Drinking and eating meat is one thing, but he actually said he didn't want to lie on Huiging…" Fatty couldn't continue, the thought made him sick.

"We've met little Master Huiging. We thought he was pretty at the time, but we didn't expect… we didn't expect he was a woman. This temple is hiding a woman among them!"

Jiang Cheng was well-read and had seen many strange unofficial histories. It was not uncommon for temples to hide women, usually using drugs to make them mute to hide their identity, making their voices hoarse.

But now Jiang Cheng was most concerned about the two "compatriots" who had infiltrated. He wasn't sure of their purpose, and he was partly trying to trick Huicong, but he noticed that Huicong did not deny it.

According to Huicong's classification, two of those "benefactors" were like them. He judged that "compatriots" referred to those who came from the real world, while the remaining few were local natives, or NPCs originally from this world.

And the "compatriots" among the "benefactor" NPCs who harbored ill intentions towards them, the only thing Jiang Cheng could think of was the Night Watch.

Taking a deep breath, the image of Shao Tong appeared in his mind, along with the mentions of the missing Crimson members who had been taken away with Shao Tong by the Level 2 Deep Red threat with the ability of the sea of consciousness.