Beauty Snake - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: “That Group, Long Silent, Can No Longer Hold Back…”

“What…?” Once again met with a denial—and a counter-question at that—Ji Yunfei’s voice trembled. Her hands, hidden behind her back, involuntarily clenched into fists.

Seeing Ji Yunfei in such a state, the young monk sighed and fingered his sandalwood prayer beads. “If what the Benefactor says is true, then there must be something significant afoot.” He paused, looking directly into Ji Yunfei’s eyes. “The Abbot happens to be free today; he is currently in the meditation room transcribing scriptures.”

“Would the Benefactor care to accompany this monk to see him?”

“Huff—huff—you… you absolute marathon runner! You vanished in the blink of an eye. I’ve been looking for you forever…” A hand clapped onto Ji Yunfei’s shoulder. Startled, she spun around only to find Chi Chang doubled over, gasping for air.

She had been so focused on chasing the monk that she had accidentally forgotten all about her friend…

“This Benefactor is…” The young monk blinked, surprised by Chi Chang’s sudden appearance.

“Hello, Little Master. I’m with her,” Chi Chang said, finally noticing the monk. She quickly pressed her palms together and bowed.

Seeing this, the young monk nodded and turned his back to them. “In that case, both of you follow me.”

“Huh? Follow? Where?” Seeing Ji Yunfei immediately start walking, Chi Chang was still in a complete daze. She had only been lost for a few minutes—how much had she missed?

“Stop talking and just follow,” Ji Yunfei whispered, tilting her head and shooting Chi Chang a look that commanded her to keep up.

They walked to a spacious courtyard where everything was silent, save for the sound of their footsteps and the dry rustle of wind sweeping through fallen leaves.

The young monk leading them stopped and gestured with his hand for them to stand back a bit.

Knock, knock, knock— He stepped forward and rapped on the closed door, calling softly inside: “Abbot, Jiyuan requests an audience.” A voice, aged but solemn, soon answered from within: “Enter.”

Having received permission, the monk did not step inside immediately. Instead, he turned back and bowed to the two women. “Please wait here for a moment. I will explain the situation to the Abbot first.”

With that, he gently pushed open the door to the Abbot’s study and stepped inside.

“Hey, now that the little master is inside, can you tell me what’s going on?” Left alone with Ji Yunfei, Chi Chang’s curiosity finally boiled over. She leaned in and whispered in Ji Yunfei’s ear.

Feeling breath on her ear that didn’t belong to Xie Yin, Ji Yunfei’s body instinctively flinched. Her expression twisted for a moment as she pushed Chi Chang away with a look of disgust. “Just talk normally. Don’t get so close.”

“What! Ji Yunfei! Who was the one crying like a water doll yesterday, clutching my clothes and soaking the chest of my brand-new outfit?” Pushed away, Chi Chang nearly lost her voice in indignation. Her eyes widened as she “indicted” Ji Yunfei for her behavior the day before. “Are you actually disgusted by me now?”

Reminded of her loss of control the previous night, Ji Yunfei realized she was in the wrong. She put on a fawning smile. “My good sister, you are my one and only elder sister. Little sister was wrong, truly wrong.”

“It’s just… it really was too close. Only Xie Yin is allowed…”

“Fine, fine, fine. I get it. Only Xie Yin can get that close.” Chi Chang held up a hand, fingers splayed in front of Ji Yunfei to cut her off. “And it’s true I didn’t mind the boundaries. I’ll watch it next time.”

“Back to the point. Tell me, what is going on?”

Ji Yunfei pursed her lips, organizing the information in her mind. “The last time I came here, I told you the Abbot gave me a sachet, and you teased me for being ungrateful about the ‘blessing.’ Remember?”

Chi Chang thought about it, nodded, and confirmed she remembered.

“That little master who just went inside—he was there that day too. He was the one who hurriedly called the Abbot away. So when I saw him today, I felt relieved…” Ji Yunfei paused. “But he told me that in June, the Abbot hadn’t even finished his seclusion, and he himself wasn’t even at the temple.”

“Then who did I (you) see?” Both spoke in unison, deep confusion mirroring in their eyes.

Creak— Before they could ponder further, the young monk stepped out and beckoned to them. “Benefactors, the Abbot requests your presence. Please follow me.”

Ji Yunfei and Chi Chang exchanged a look, straightened their clothes, and followed the monk inside. The moment they entered, a faint, elegant scent of sandalwood washed over them—a fragrance so pure it felt as though it could wash away the dust from one’s soul.

The room’s layout was extremely simple yet carried an air of ancient solemnity. Along one wall was a row of tall wooden bookshelves packed with various scriptures. Though the pages were slightly yellowed with age, they were organized meticulously. Opposite the shelves was an old desk where brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were neatly arranged. By the dark inkstone, the tip of a wolf-hair brush still held traces of wet ink.

The Abbot, dressed in red robes edged with fine gold thread, sat at the desk with his eyes closed.

“Abbot, the Benefactors have arrived.” The young monk bowed and quickly withdrew.

“Please, have a seat,” the Abbot said, opening his eyes and smiling at them, the corners of his eyes crinkling with age.

This man looked exactly like the one Ji Yunfei had seen that day. However, she felt something was off. This Abbot felt more grounded, softer, and brought a strange sense of peace. The one she met before…

Ji Yunfei didn’t dare think further down that path.

“Jiyuan told me everything. I indeed only recently ended my seclusion, and you do look like a stranger to me.” The Abbot looked at Ji Yunfei while pouring tea for the two of them. “I wonder, did the ‘me’ you spoke of give you any object?”

“Yes, look.” Ji Yunfei reached into her bag, pulled out the yellow sachet, and handed it to the Abbot. “He gave me this and said it would keep me safe in a moment of crisis… Huh?”

“Why is the mark gone?” Ji Yunfei noticed the sachet looked brand new. The blood that had accidentally stained it was gone. She frowned, turning it over in her hands. “I accidentally stained this with blood from a wound, but it’s gone now…”

“Let me take a closer look.” The Abbot took the sachet. As he examined it, his brow furrowed deeper, and his peaceful eyes grew grave.

“From the outside, it is indeed a sachet from my Qingshan Temple. But the inside is wrong.” With that, he pulled the drawstring and emptied the contents onto the table.

Seeing the items on the table, Ji Yunfei and Chi Chang gasped. It was a blood-red jade tablet. Inside the jade, the remains of various strange insects had been arranged to form a large character: “Huan” (Illusion/Mirage).

A faint, strange fragrance began to circulate in the room. Ji Yunfei’s sensitive nose picked it up immediately.

“Where is that smell coming from…?”

“From here.” The Abbot pointed to the objects on the table. “This is a long-lost technique of illusionary sorcery—a forbidden art that only works on demons.” The Abbot gripped his teacup tightly, his voice deep. “This type of technique manipulates the darkest thoughts of the victim and amplifies them through a mirage, awakening the demon’s primal, savage nature…”

“Only the legendary Demon Hunters use such arts. But those people have long been extinct. Why would they target a regular human like you?” He paused, his gaze turning inquisitive as he looked at Ji Yunfei. “Unless…”

“My partner… is a snake demon. But she is a good demon…” Under the Abbot’s meaningful gaze, Ji Yunfei felt her skin crawl. But thinking of Xie Yin’s unknown fate, she couldn’t care about anything else. Even a shred of hope was a lifeline to her.

“……” The Abbot sighed, his expression saying ‘just as I thought.’ Seeing Ji Yunfei trembling with nerves, he smiled and reassured her, “Do not be nervous. The world has changed; do not let the stories in storybooks brainwash you.”

He took a slow sip of tea. “Demons taking human form and blending into human society has long been common; it has been recorded since ancient times. As long as the demon does not commit heinous acts, we do not interfere. You need not worry.”

Ji Yunfei breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could even catch her breath, the Abbot continued: “However, just because we don’t interfere doesn’t mean others won’t. A demon’s inner core is a valuable item. Demon Hunters are a group that kills for those cores. You can think of them as the ‘poachers’ of the modern era.”

“Once targeted, they are like leeches you cannot shake off. Your partner was likely seen as their prey long ago.”

Hearing this, Ji Yunfei bit her lip, suppressing her surging emotions. “Her life and death are unknown. Does the Abbot have a way to find her whereabouts?”

“My apologies. To do so would be to go against the Heavens. I am powerless.” The Abbot shook his head, looking regretful.

A bucket of cold water extinguished the fire of hope that had barely begun to burn in Ji Yunfei. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Is this it? Is there nothing she can do?

“However… I will not let the person who used my identity to deceive people go unpunished. Benefactor, take this. If you ever face that group directly, burn it. I will come to your aid.” The Abbot produced a yellow talisman covered in dense, illegible cinnabar incantations.

Ji Yunfei accepted it solemnly, carefully tucking it into her breast pocket. She bowed to the Abbot. “Thank you.”

“You overstate it. Looking after all living beings is our mission. It is time; I must go check the disciples’ practice. Please, help yourselves.” The Abbot’s intent to see them out was clear. Ji Yunfei didn’t overstay; she nodded and pulled her “third wheel” friend out of the room.

After they left, the young monk Jiyuan stepped back inside, looking puzzled. “Abbot, you don’t have a schedule to check the disciples today…”

“Jiyuan, go call your other martial uncles to the assembly hall. I have urgent matters to discuss with them.”

“That group, long silent, can no longer hold back…”

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