A bunch of wronged souls never expected that before they could enter the grand gates they were aiming for, they’d be caught red-handed by two underworld officers right next door, much like a thief sneaking into a police officer’s home. Lan He and Old Bai tore off the ropes that bound them, tying them together in a string towards Juehui Temple, confused from beginning to end.
“You see, you’ve hooked too few souls. Don’t you know we envoys have a technique called the ‘Inescapable Knot’? Once tied, even if you hook dozens of ghosts, they can’t escape.” Old Bai showed him, “Unlike in the underworld court, their escape rate is much higher.”
He started dissing the underworld court because he already knew about Yan San’s idea of poaching talents. Even though Lan He probably wouldn’t go, it was better to be prepared just in case.
Having more skills does not burden one; Lan He genuinely started learning.
Old Bai laughed heartily: “And you said you didn’t want to become an envoy. Look how earnestly you’re learning now.”
Lan He glanced at him: “Old Bai, did you see four words written on my forehead?”
Old Bai: “I did.”
Lan He: “Read them out.”
Old Bai: “Since I’m already here…”
Old Bai: “…”
…Alright, he got it.
Upon arriving at Juehui Temple, they saw numerous wandering spirits. Occasionally, passersby would walk through them, causing those spirits with low ghostly power to disperse vaguely for a while before slowly gathering back together.
“It seems they’re holding a Dharma assembly today, so lively. Great, let’s blend in and help them achieve transcendence.” Old Bai listened carefully, indeed there were chanting sounds.
The temple holding a Dharma assembly naturally attracted wandering spirits to listen to the sutras, hoping to get a chance for transcendence. The ritual incantations included an invitation for the envoys to bring souls to the assembly, serving as an invitation for them to enter.
“Master Lan, Master Lan!”
Lan He suddenly heard someone calling him. Turning around, it was Xu Gui in a long gown, looking much more solid than last time, “It’s you, Xu Gui.”
“Master Lan, and this master too.” Xu Gui bowed, smiling honestly, “Greetings to both masters. Master Lan, I just had some offerings inside, you’ve come late. Hurry up and eat.”
“Oh!” Lan He remembered the vegetarian meals at Juehui Temple and grabbed Old Bai, “Let’s go!”
However, Lan He realized his mistake after entering; the assembly indeed had offerings, but they were only incense, flowers, and fruits, not vegetarian meals. Lan He picked and ate some, but he was tired of fruits since he had them for dinner.
“If I float around here looking for food, will the monks catch and beat me?” Lan He hesitantly asked Old Bai.
Old Bai: “You’re in uniform, what’s there to fear? If you encounter a high monk, just say you came for the assembly and got lost.”
Lan He: “Sounds good.”
Lan He floated towards the monks’ living area of Juehui Temple, looking for the kitchen. Instead, he saw Song Futan, casually sleeping on a wooden couch by the window, with the window open, allowing both the moonlight and Lan He’s gaze to fall on his handsome face.
“Eh…” Lan He didn’t wonder for long, as it wasn’t strange for Song Futan to appear here given his connections with Juehui Temple.
Almost without thinking, Lan He floated down, squatted beside him, and blew cool air on his neck, “Huโ Huโ”
Song Futan, reciting sutras, gradually fell asleep. The chilly sensation on his neck slowly made him open his eyes. Usually, such a cold breeze around the neck indicated the presence of ghosts, so he was prepared, but upon opening his eyes, he saw Xiao Lai squatting beside the bed trying to scare him: “Lalala.”
Song Futan paused for a moment, then realized it must be his dream, chanting the Golden Wheel Mantra, he truly dreamt of Xiao Lai.
Since it was a dream, Song Futan directly looked at him and said, “You’re here.”
“Ah? You’re too calm, aren’t you surprised at all!” Lan He thought he would scare Song Futan, but he was too composed, befitting someone who often encountered ghosts, “I and my colleague came to deliver wronged souls here, intending to find something to eat. I didn’t expect to see you here too.”
Song Futan: “?”
He found it strange how complete this dream was, even including details he himself was unaware of. Colleague, was he referring to that envoy from the underworld?
Still, it was just a dream, albeit with absurd bugs. How could an envoy from the Eastern Peak bring wronged souls to Juehui Temple?
Ignoring this bug, Song Futan went along and said, “Did you wake me to guide you to the kitchen?”
“You caught me. I bet you know where the food is.” Lan He held the soul-hooking rope, “Hey, why not float there with me? It’s more convenient. I seem to prefer seeing your soul form.”
“Hmm.”
Facing Xiao Lai and being in a dream, Song Futan willingly left his body.
Lan He hooked him, pulling him out, and then reached out his hand.
Song Futan held Lan He’s hand, fully detaching from his body and standing up.
The contact between souls is a peculiar sensation, icy and ethereal yet tangible. He thought, indeed, it’s a dream to be holding hands like this, but it felt very real.
“Come with me. Is the food not good at your workplace?” Song Futan thought of the envoys often described as alternating between hunger and fullness and felt that Xiao Lai indeed looked very thin.
“It’s terrible!” Lan He thought of his superior, Liu Chunyang, “Ugh, my boss won’t let me eat my fill.”
Even though it was a dream, seeing Xiao Lai’s condition, Song Futan still felt too sorry for him, as it was a reflection of reality.
Immediately, Song Futan led him to the kitchen, “Here are some radish cakes and vegetarian steaks left by my cousin for supper; you eat them.”
The radish cake made from white radish and sticky rice flour had a sweet fragrance and soft yet bouncy texture, perfectly balancing sweet and salty without being greasy. The vegetarian steak, made from tofu, almost perfectly mimicked real meat in taste and appearance after being doused in sauce.
Lan He happily began eating, “I’ve heard that the vegetarian meals at Juehui Temple are unparalleled, and I finally got to try them after looking for so long. How do they cook it so well?”
Song Futan: “The kitchen told me they add the ‘Surangama Sutra’ when cooking.”
Lan He: “…”
Lan He loudly protested, “I don’t believe it! Don’t lie to us envoys from the Eastern Peak Underworld Office!”
Song Futan found him incredibly endearing, “Because adding the ‘Surangama Sutra’ calms the mind, allowing them to cook high-level vegetarian dishes.”
Lan He: “Alright, that makes some sense.”
Since it was a dream without any worries, Song Futan asked, “If you’re hungry in the future, why don’t you come to Juehui Temple to eat? You can tell me what you like, and I’ll prepare it in advance.”
Lan He: “Yes!!!!!!”
Seeing his joy, Song Futan also smiled. He felt somewhat melancholic, thinking how nice it would be if this weren’t a dream.
Just then, Old Bai floated over, “Xiao Lai, did you find something to eat? I’m hungry tooโwho’s this?”
“This is a friend of mine.” Lan He gestured, then introduced Song Futan to Old Bai, “This is my colleague, Old Bai.”
Song Futan: “Old Bai???”
His expression was so incredulous that even Old Bai was somewhat puzzled, “Yes… me. Is there a problem?”
Song Futan suddenly felt something was amiss; he had never met Old Bai before, and the Golden Wheel Mantra should bring forth people he thought of in dreams, so how could he dream of someone he had never seen?
He asked calmly, “Am I not dreaming?”
Lan He: “Dreaming? What are you talking about?”
Song Futan: “…”
It took a moment for Lan He to react, then he exclaimed in astonishment, “Ah, you thought you were dreaming all this time?”
Song Futan: “…………”
He slowly raised his head and rubbed his forehead. While he wanted to see Xiao Lai, this wasn’t the outcome he had hoped for…
Old Bai was still clueless, “What’s going on? Is this person dead or what?”
Song Futan, with a headache, said, “But you’re an envoy from the Eastern Peak Underworld Office. How could you come to Juehui Temple for the assembly and promise to come often?”
“Wait, you think it’s impossible for me to be here, so you thought this was a dream?” Lan He felt like he might have grasped the key point, “But Old Bai and I came here to take advantage.”
Song Futan: “…”
Old Bai continued being clueless, “What’s happening? Do I still get to eat?”
Song Futan took out another dish from under the gauze and handed it to Old Bai, who took it and ate quietly, no longer speaking.
“Hahahaha, you’re too funny! I said you got scared by me, how could you be so calm, thinking it was a dream.” Lan He belatedly realized more, “Hahahaha!”
Song Futan felt even more embarrassed inside than Lan He could understand, trying to remain composed in front of him, “But you still shouldn’t come here often, let me show you around.”
He frequently visited Juehui Temple, but he had never seen Xiao Lai before.
Lan He immediately agreed, “Let’s take a stroll, and we’ll leave after Old Bai finishes eating.”
ใใโฆโฆ
The two of them walked out, still faintly hearing the chanting, the monks’ ritual for the salvation of souls was ongoing. If they floated higher, they could even see the ghosts seeking liberation.
“Actually, yesterday, I was thinking of you and the little lame donkey, not in a dream, haha, I didn’t expect to see you again.” Lan He laughed heartily, amused by the previous scene and in a good mood.
Hearing his words, Song Futan unconsciously began composing prose in his mind, hmm, he was thinking of me too.
Lan He chatted leisurely with him as they floated up to the rooftop, where they saw a young monk sitting motionless in front of a stone table in the courtyard, as if in deep meditation.
Lan He recognized him, thinking this was none other than Master Sikong, reputed to be the youngest head monk in the history of Juehui Temple, essentially the deputy to the abbot, a very important position. Plus, he was handsome and had been popular online for a while.
Not just famous online, his understanding of Buddhist doctrine was profound and well-regarded in the industry…
At this moment, a few more monks entered the courtyard, led by an elderly monk holding a cane, his face wrinkled but his gaze sharp, tall, and dressed in the simplest monk’s robe.
Seeing Sikong sitting there lost in thought, the old monk asked, “What is Sikong doing?”
Sikong returned to his senses, stammering, “I was pondering how to meditate in this oppressive heat.”
“Why not avoid it?” the old monk raised his cane and struck Sikong.
Despite his age, the old man’s movements revealed bulging muscles, and he was even taller than Sikong.
The normally serene and handsome Master Sikong jumped up, his face contorting in pain, and he warily bowed to the old monk.
To his surprise, the old monk struck him again, and Sikong grimaced, saying, “Understood, understood, one must not forcefully seek tranquility; I’ll go meditate with an electric fan!”
Only then did the old monk put away his cane, saying, “Go then!”
He watched Sikong leave dejectedly, then turned to instruct the monks beside him.
Lan He was stunned, “Who is that?”
Song Futan said, “The abbot here, Master Budong, also the previous monk’s master.”
No wonder he dared to hit Sikong; it turns out he was both the master and the abbot. Lan He had heard of Master Budong, sometimes mentioned in the news, a very famous monk. But the aggressive demeanor of this stick-wielding abbot was far from the benevolent image Lan He had of old monks.
Lan He, feeling a tickle in his throat, couldn’t help saying, “What was that about, talking and then hitting someone with a cane?”
Song Futan replied, “That wasn’t a cane.”
Lan He, “Ah? What was it then?”
Song Futan, “A stick he uses specifically for hitting people.”
Lan He, “???”
Lan He, shocked, said, “โฆAt such an age, this abbot is still a martial monk.”
Song Futan, amused, lightly laughed, “Have you heard of a ‘sudden awakening’?”
Lan He, not a Buddhist but familiar with the phrase, “Of course, it’s about shocking someone to make them realize somethingโฆ Eh, you mean the master was using the stick for a ‘sudden awakening’? Literally hitting with a stick?”
“This is one of the specialties of the Linji School, known in the Buddhist world as ‘Linji’s generals,'” Song Futan explained leisurely.
Indeed, not all monks are gentle, “picking flowers and smiling”; some are more direct with their teachings.
The Linji School’s approach has always been severe.
When Linji’s founder, Master Yixuan, was practicing, he wasn’t just hit with the stick once or twice but asked three times and hit three times. Master Deshan Xuanjian was even more fierce; whether his disciples spoke or remained silent, they would receive thirty strikes.
Deshan’s stick and Linji’s shout are the origins of the ‘sudden awakening.’
But their use of the stick was to enlighten others. After gaining fame, some imitated them, hitting and shouting randomly, but without the proper skill, it was futile and only invited ridicule, turning severity into recklessness.
Master Budong, very traditional, is skilled in using the stick on his disciples, a rare practice today. Known for his deep study of the “Diamond Sutra,” he is also called the Diamond Sutra Master in the industry.
Moreover, Deshan’s strikes were categorized, with different types for guiding scholars, verifying truths, encouraging progress, and so on.
The most formidable was the “blind and foolish stick,” which meant hitting without reason, just raising the hand and striking…
“Blind and foolish stick? Hitting you just to hit you, without choosing a reason?” Lan He learned for the first time that ‘sudden awakening’ was so systematic and a unique style of this school, swallowing hard in admiration, “Impressive, this is the kind of Buddhism a true man should pursue!”
Song Futan, “โฆโฆโฆโฆ”
At that moment, the elderly monk below suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp and piercing.
Lan He felt as though he was brushed by the arctic wind. However, Master Budong only glanced once before smiling and leaving the courtyard.
Lan He was silent for a while before he recovered, “Did he see us?”
Song Futan replied, “He’s always been able to see.”
Lan He awkwardly said, “Then, did he hear me calling them ‘real men’…”
Song Futan was about to offer comfort when Lan He quickly perked up, “That should be fine, I was praising them!”
Song Futan: “โฆโฆ”
Lan He then casually sat on the rooftop to chat with Song Futan, “I’ve heard the capital’s been quite chaotic recently, no wonder you’re always astray. Be careful.”
Seeing his concern, Song Futan nodded, “I know. You must be busy too.” Barely having time even to eat.
“It’s alright. By the way, my friend knocked out a tooth of that gatekeeper who tripped us last time, hahahaha!” Lan He shared the aftermath of their last adventure to the underworld with Song Futan.
Seeing the smile in his eyes, Song Futan couldn’t help but feel a stir of unease and said, “My surname is Song…”
Are you going to tell me your name? Lan He was half surprised and half understanding, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
However, Song Futan had only said two words when he uncontrollably began to move backward.
“What’s happening?” Lan He jumped up.
“โฆI’m being called back.” Song Futan, slightly annoyed, had just finished speaking when he was whisked away by an unseen breeze.
“Eh!” Lan He was initially startled but then smiled, appreciating that the other had the intention, “Well, next time then!”
Hmm…
Song Futan felt a whirlwind, returning to his body in an instant. Upon opening his eyes, Dou Chunting was anxiously looking at him from the bedside, “Cousin, are you alright? I saw you astray again and quickly asked Master Sikong to bring you back. He said it’s good you weren’t far… It’s terrifying, to astray even in the temple.”
Song Futan looked emotionlessly at Dou Chunting.
Dou Chunting: “Cousin?”
Song Futan got up and began to beat up his cousin.
…
Ying Shao stayed up until dawn, utterly exhausted, and nothing appeared.
He was frustrated, “Are they playing with me, saying they’d show me tonight, wasting so much money!”
His fellow disciples were also disheartened, not just because their enthusiasm was drained but also because of the money spent, “Exactly, it’s so poor.”
“It’s not over, maybe they’re trying to catch us off guard, planning to strike at the last moment.” Ying Shao washed his face with cold water, trying to keep his eyes wide open when suddenly his body shook violently, startling his fellow disciples into screaming.
“Brother, what’s wrong with you!”
“Did you get cursed?”
“It’s nothingโฆ” Ying Shao took out his phone, “Got a text.”
He opened it to find a message from an unknown number, with only one sentence: You’re tough! Just you wait!
Ying Shao: “??”
Crazy.
When Lan He went downstairs for breakfast early in the morning, he saw Ying Shao with two huge dark circles under his eyes, also buying soy milk and dough sticks. They exchanged glances, “Good morning.”
Lan He asked, “Did you not sleep all night?”
Ying Shao forced a smile, “Yeah.”
Lan He teasingly said, “Heh, I slept really well.”
Ying Shao: “โฆโฆ”
All for nothing! All for nothing!
Not only did he not hear any gossip, but there was also no disturbance to the neighbors! It was entirely like aiding the neighbors’ sleep!
ใใโฆโฆ
Lan He rested at home for another night before heading to the suburban filming location the next day.
The yards here are quite old, or rather, the buildings in this area are generally older, and there’s even a folk village tourist spot nearby.
Cheng Haidong quickly started gossiping, saying that the director had originally surveyed and approved the location, renting houses for the shoot. Unexpectedly, a last-minute mishap occurred: a local villager got drunk and managed to crash into several courtyard walls, causing damage to the houses and rendering the prepared scenes useless.
Liu Chunyang was furious, having to choose other houses and redo the sets at the last minute, which not only delayed the project by two days but also incurred extra costs.
Chen Xingyang said, “And now we all have to sleep in a big communal bed because these houses have kang.”
During the filming, they’ve faced tougher conditions, so Lan He nodded in agreement.
Lan He, Cheng Haidong, and Chen Xingyang all stayed in different rooms of the same courtyard with Liu Chunyang. Because this courtyard was a last-minute replacement, it wasn’t fully ready when they arrived, so they waited outside for a while.
The owner of this place was surnamed Yang, and the person taking care of them was the family’s youngest son, whom the crew called Little Yang, a very hospitable man.
With the arrival of the crew, many villagers gathered to watch, “Wow, the Yang family is making a fortune again. I’ve always said they have good luck. Even after a contract signing, when accidents happen, the business goes to them.”
“Heard they even got extra payment. That family has three or four courtyards; imagine how much more they’re making…”
Hearing this, Cheng Haidong whispered, “This family’s doing pretty well then. Even though the village is remote, with such a large piece of land and its historical value, renting it out for shoots or running a guesthouse could bring in a lot of money. Ah, much more comfortable than my situation.”
Saying this, he rubbed his back.
“You always think about eating hotpot, but it’s not convenient to have it here,” Lan He comforted him before they went inside to place their luggage as the preparation was almost done.
Changing the shooting location was still exhausting. Chen Xingyu and Old Lin arrived half a day later, bringing Miaomiao to visit, having a much easier time these days.
By this time, Chen Xingyu and his wife had grown to trust Lan He completely. When he was holding Miaomiao, Old Lin chatted with Chen Xingyang outside, and Chen Xingyu even took a napโcaring for such a small baby was still exhausting despite the lack of crying.
Seizing the opportunity, Lan He took out Hu Daguniang’s fingernail cover, filed off a small piece, wrapped it in paper, and lit it.
As the flame hissed and consumed the fingernail, emitting a faint blue light, Lan He felt as if a force surged into him, and he suddenly knew what to do nextโand
Lan He raised his left hand, noticing his fingernails had grown long and sharp like Hu Daguniang’s, shimmering coldly.
He quickly checked behind him, relieved to see no fox tail had grown.
He hurriedly covered Miaomiao’s head with his elongated fingernail hand. Miaomiao, seeing his hand, was not scared but instead smiled.
“Do you recognize this hand too?” Lan He smiled back and then chanted three times: “The golden light of merit shines brightly, illuminating the dark; wisdom and lotus flowers bloom, granting eternal peace to all souls…”
After the chant, Miaomiao fell asleep.
Lan He went out to greet Old Lin and then went to take a shower.
Soon after, Miaomiao woke up crying. Old Lin quickly picked him up, not immediately disturbing Lan He but soothing him instead. Seeing that Miaomiao might be hungry, he fed him, and after feeding, Miaomiao naturally calmed down, looking around with big eyes.
Gradually, Old Lin realized something was amiss.
Wait, Miaomiao cried, was fed, and stopped cryingโall without Lan He or his videos.
He pondered in confusion, wondering if this was a coincidence. Could Miaomiao be…completely healed?
When Chen Xingyu woke up, Miaomiao had been quiet for an hour. Chen Xingyang and Old Lin were excitedly holding him, sharing the news with Chen Xingyu.
It was then that Lan He came over.
Seeing him, Miaomiao clapped his hands, wanting to be heldโclearly, although Lan He was no longer his cure for crying, he remained one of his favorite people.
“Lan He, Miaomiao is better!” Chen Xingyu wiped away tears, handing Miaomiao to him. She believed from the bottom of her heart that it was because of Lan He that Miaomiao gradually recovered.
Holding Miaomiao, Lan He softly said, “Is that so, the little crybaby is better?”
The couple couldn’t hide their excitement. Old Lin even took a video, which Chen Xingyu immediately posted on her Weibo, passionately declaring, “My son’s favorite person!!”
Chen Xingyu rarely posted on Weibo unless there were new projects, and original posts with photos or videos were even rarer. Her post immediately attracted a swarm of fans.
However, the content confused them. Chen Xingyu’s circle was small, just a few close friends, so who was this person? And how did he become her son’s favorite person?
Moreover, based on everyone’s analysis of Chen Xingyu’s previous Weibo posts, she rarely uses exclamation marks when writing herselfโฆ
The detective skills of netizens are incredibly strong, and they quickly dug up that the person in question was Chen Xingyang’s new co-star, whom Chen Xingyu had even made a cameo appearance with recently.
Was this how they got in touch? But given Chen Xingyu’s personality, it’s quite rare for her to make friends with someone in such a short amount of time.
At this point, it’s unclear whether it was an extra from the film base or a staff member who leaked a photo that supposedly shouldn’t have been made public. However, with so many people around, leaks can sometimes happen.
And this was exactly a photo from the previous film set, showing Chen Xingyu’s family of three plus Lan He resting together, with Miaomiao lying on Lan He’s chest, Lan He holding a milk bottle, and Chen Xingyu and Old Lin wiping his sweat and handing him water. The leaker indicated that during the rest periods, Lan He was always helping the Chen Xingyu family with their child.
Journalists, eager for a scoop, quickly drafted reports filled with curiosity.
Netizens also watched with full curiosity:
“Why? Taking care of a child? This is the first time I’m seeing such behind-the-scenes footage??”
“My pupils are shaking. Has Chen Xingyu changed her ways, letting someone she just met take care of her child and even wiping his sweat?”
“And is he particularly good at it? I’m puzzled. I thought stars with their wealth could easily afford professional nannies. Unless he’s exceptionally skilled, I can’t see why she would ask a colleagueโฆ”
“I find the news about this actor to be all soโฆ strange.”
“Right? Either playing deadโwhat does that even mean, we’re still not clearโor doing makeup for a pig’s head, orโฆ using rest time on set to help the goddess Xingyu with her child? His skills seem quite varied!”