"The outside is crowded. There's nothing interesting to see."
Calm as ever, Cui Jintang casually put the Buddhist beads into her sleeve and explained, "Since I'm already here, I thought I might as well come and pay homage to the Buddha."
Pei Zhaolin didn't comment. Seemingly in a great mood, he replied, "As long as you're okay."
But the moment he turned his back on Cui Jintang, when he looked up at the head - bowed and merciful Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a dark and terrifying look flashed across his face.
He never believed in gods or Buddhas.
After Cui Jintang finished offering incense, Pei Zhaolin suddenly asked, "I seemed to see the venerable Elder Chaojuzi just now."
Cui Jintang showed no reaction at all. She didn't even lift her eyelids.
She firmly inserted the three incense sticks into the incense burner. In the face of Pei Zhaolin's probing, she remained surprisingly calm.
"Master doesn't like this kind of place."
Cui Jintang walked to the side and washed her hands with warm water. Pei Zhaolin beside her quickly fetched a clean handkerchief for her.
Only then did she lift her eyelids and glance at him.
She lifted her skirt and walked out. Pei Zhaolin followed closely behind.
"Maybe... I was seeing things."
Pei Zhaolin wasn't annoyed. He quickly climbed up two stone steps, looking at her with slightly curved eyes and a clear smile on his lips.
"I heard that the abbot of Hanshan Temple is greeting the gods at the mountain gate. It's said that a highly - respected elder has been specially invited. Tangtang, do you want to go and see the excitement?"
Hearing this, Cui Jintang subconsciously stopped in her tracks.
It was this question from Pei Zhaolin that instantly made Cui Jintang realize the flaw in her previous words.
Her master had always lived in seclusion on Zhujin Mountain. Only a very small number of people had ever seen her master's appearance.
Even among the three - dynasty veterans in the court, due to Chaojuzi being a woman, there were few portraits of her.
Moreover, after Qi Xuan ascended the throne, because there were so many bad debts from the previous dynasty, he simply burned down the entire warehouse.
When Pei Zhaolin said it was a highly - respected elder, Cui Jintang subconsciously thought it was her master.
Her uneasiness at this moment just confirmed Pei Zhaolin's suspicion.
They were both smart people.
Cui Jintang's delicate face sank. Pei Zhaolin raised his eyebrows and subconsciously felt a bit guilty under her gaze.
Just as he was about to explain, Cui Jintang waved her hand.
"Tangtang—"
Cui Jintang held up three fingers in front of him, her face stern. "Do you still remember the agreement I made with Prince Pei before?"
"Don't bother me."
With that, she lifted her skirt and quickly jumped down the stone steps.
Pei Zhaolin didn't chase after her this time.
He suppressed his smile and coughed lightly.
A young monk from Hanshan Temple quickly stepped forward, put his hands together, and bowed slightly to Pei Zhaolin. "Amitabha."
Then he handed a pre - prepared booklet to Pei Zhaolin.
The young monk said, "Before you leave Hanshan Temple, sir, please burn this item."
Pei Zhaolin took it and thanked him.
Just as the young monk was about to turn around and leave, Pei Zhaolin called him back. "Thank you to the monks of Hanshan Temple for guiding me just now. Please convey my greetings to the elder on my behalf."
"Amitabha."
The young monk didn't reply. He just put his hands together and slowly retreated.
Pei Zhaolin nodded slightly.
It wasn't until the young monk was out of sight that Pei Zhaolin opened the booklet.
On it were the names of the secret agents Qi Xuan had placed beside various court officials.
When he saw his own name, surprise flashed across Pei Zhaolin's face.
This was the most deeply - hidden spy Qi Xuan had placed beside him.
He still needed to keep this spy around to give Qi Xuan the illusion from time to time that he was still behaving himself.
His eyes continued to scan down.
When he saw "the Cui family of Qinghe", Pei Zhaolin's eyes instantly turned cold.
Could this person also be one of Qi Xuan's spies?
—
As soon as the time for the sacrifice arrived, the mist that had previously enveloped Hanshan Temple completely dissipated.
The bell of Hanshan Temple rang slowly, filled with a sense of emptiness and solemnity, echoing in the area.
The monks in the temple, dressed in plain robes and holding ritual implements, began the sacrificial ceremony with solemn expressions.
When Cui Jintang was tying the purchased dogwood sachet to the pillar of the Buddhist hall, she suddenly heard a sound of footsteps coming from below the steps.
She looked up and saw that all the pilgrims in the temple were wearing masks.
The masks with golden eyes and fangs glowed intermittently in the light of the incense.
At first glance, it looked like a parade of ghosts.
"The sacrificial activity is about to start, miss. Would you like to buy a mask?"
A peddler, with various masks on his tray, happily stepped forward.
"According to the custom, you need to cover your face to attend the ceremony today. These are all the dogwood - patterned nuo masks hand - painted by the abbot of Hanshan Temple! Miss, take a look. Do you like any of them?"
Just as Cui Jintang was about to decline, she suddenly felt a tight grip on her wrist.
She turned around and was face - to - face with a black iron Taowu mask!
The mask was exquisitely carved. The patterns of Taowu were so lifelike that it seemed as if the fierce beast Taowu would come to life in the next moment.
Beneath the mask were a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes.
Cui Jintang was startled and subconsciously tried to pull back her wrist.
But she suddenly found that the hand holding her wrist exerted just the right amount of force.
It didn't allow her to break free, but it also didn't hurt her.
Cui Jintang looked up and reached out to remove the mask in front of her.
But he suddenly leaned down.
By her ear, his warm breath mixed with a faint scent of incense caressed the tip of her ear.
His deep, hoarse voice was like a tempting silk thread, twining around her heart word by word. "Don't be in a hurry, Tangtang. You can't take off this mask yet."
Pei Zhaolin took out a mask from his sleeve and placed it in her hand.
He said slowly, "Do you like this mask?"
Cui Jintang was still angry about being used just now. She flipped her palm, and the Hundun mask carved from a whole piece of jade was dropped to the ground.
She said indifferently, "I don't like it."
She added, "Because it's from you."
Pei Zhaolin's breath caught in his throat.
Then he saw Cui Jintang take out the purse hanging from her waist, take out a silver ingot, and throw it to Pei Zhaolin. She said in a calm tone, "This is to compensate you for the mask."
After doing all this, she seriously started to pick among the peddler's wares again.
Cui Jintang chose a brightly - colored one that she liked the most.
Looking at the silver ingot in his hand, the peddler's eyes lit up. He instantly regarded Cui Jintang as his patron.
"Miss has good taste!"
The peddler praised her repeatedly while not forgetting to show her other delicate masks on the stall.
"Miss, take a look. These are all rare good items."
But Cui Jintang waved her hand and carefully put on the red raccoon cat mask she had chosen.
The bright color made her skin look even fairer than snow.
After putting it on, without a mirror, she subconsciously wanted to ask the person beside her if it looked good.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it was Pei Zhaolin, and she immediately swallowed the question back.
But Pei Zhaolin said sincerely, "You look extremely beautiful in it, Tangtang."
Just then, the drums for the start of the sacrifice thundered.
The dance teams wearing various ghost and god masks filed in.
The common people who had come to watch the excitement automatically made way.
Cui Jintang was pushed back a few steps and was then held by Pei Zhaolin.
By her ear, she heard his inquiring voice.
"I heard from my subordinates that you really liked the fireworks set off by that acrobatic troupe back then. Do you want to see them again today?"