Taboo Mage - Chapter 187 - Jue Chi Died

A buzzing sound echoed in my ears, and then a soft, enchanting voice reached me, “I have been in the meditation room all along. Master Jue Chi hasn’t come out of his room for several days.”

“Not even to eat, sleep, or use the bathroom?” I frowned. Was Jue Chi trying to practice fasting? But he’s a monk, not a cultivator; why would he torture himself like this?

“Did he go anywhere after leaving his room?”

“He brought me directly here.”

“What about others? For instance, did you sense anyone else’s presence in Chan Guang Monastery?” I had a gut feeling that Jue Chi must have encountered someone, and that person must have told him something.

Otherwise, Jue Chi wouldn’t be acting so unusually.

I asked the little fox a few more questions, and it affirmed that it hadn’t seen anyone else. Aside from not leaving his room, Jue Chi didn’t show any other peculiarities.

After leaving Uncle Lin’s house, I increasingly felt that something was off about Jue Chi, but I couldn’t find a breakthrough point. It felt like I had a heavy weight in my heart, pressing painfully.

When I returned to the shop, Lin Huan had already walked inside. By the time I parked and was about to head home, I heard Lin Huan’s voice echoing from the room.

“You shameless woman! You won’t leave and are bothering us while we try to run a business!”

Lin Huan’s yelling nearly shook the roof. I covered my ears and stood at the door, instinctively looking inside. Through the glass door, I saw Lin Huan standing in the middle of the living room with his hands on his hips, pointing a finger, his face flushed and red as he shouted like a shrew.

Opposite him on the sofa sat Li Mi, the woman who had stopped us in the alley that morning.

Seeing Li Mi made my heart race. This woman sure was persistent; how had I not noticed it before?

But now wasn’t the time for me to go in. If Li Mi saw me, who knew what sort of trouble might ensue?

Inside, Lin Huan was handling the situation. If it came down to it, Zhou Qifang was also there.

Zhou Qifang was very sharp; dealing with Li Mi would be a piece of cake for him.

So, without looking back, I turned and drove away. After aimlessly wandering around the streets for a while, I suddenly realized that I had no place to go.

As I aimlessly drove around, I unexpectedly found myself at the base of the Hanging Temple. I looked at the time on my wrist.

It was only just past two o’clock; going back might still be too early. Li Mi probably hadn’t left yet.

I surveyed my surroundings; since it was the weekend, many people were still visiting the temple to pray. After parking the car, I began my walk up the mountain.

I had visited the Hanging Temple many times, but most of those visits were just to go directly to Chan Guang Monastery to find Jue Chi. I hadn’t really spent much time in the main hall of the Hanging Temple.

Following the crowd, I walked toward the main hall.

The Hanging Temple is said to have been built during the Tang Dynasty, and many of the buildings inside have preserved original architecture from that time. Especially in recent years, after the government designated the temple and the entire mountain gate as a five-A tourist attraction, the other scenic areas expanded around the Hanging Temple have also largely mimicked Tang Dynasty architectural styles.

However, Chan Guang Monastery is different; it feels like it appeared out of nowhere, completely independent from the entire mountain gate. As I hiked up, I suddenly remembered the first time I met Jue Chi.

He had been wearing a full Kasaya and monk shoes, coming from a distance like a monk who had traveled through time from the ancient past.

Chan Guang Monastery is on the left side of the mountain gate, while the Hanging Temple spreads out on the right side, almost separated from Chan Guang Monastery by a mountain.

In front of me was likely a tour group, indicated by their matching red hats. The prettiest girl at the front was holding a flag and whistling.

As I followed the crowd, I noticed an elderly aunt resting against the railing. I was about to walk past her when I heard her sigh and say, “Oh, why is it so difficult to get to Chan Guang Monastery? I wonder if Master Jue Chi is still there.”

Hearing Jue Chi’s name, I immediately stopped and turned around. “Aunt, you must be lost; this isn’t the way to Chan Guang Monastery.”

The aunt paused for a moment and turned to look at me, her gaze subtly scanning me from head to toe. “You know Chan Guang Monastery?”

I chuckled, “What kind of question is that? Chan Guang Monastery isn’t a forbidden place; why wouldn’t I know about it?”

The aunt shot me a look, “Master Jue Chi isn’t someone just anyone can meet.”

As if Jue Chi were some immortal deity, I thought. Why couldn’t I see him? I had even shared a bed with him!

I huffed, and my initial intent to chat with the aunt quickly vanished.

However, the aunt seemed to find a kindred spirit and grabbed my arm, grinning as she said, “You know Master Jue Chi too?”

I stopped in my tracks and leaned against the stone pillar next to her.

“Yeah, I’ve met him a few times… So, Aunt, you know him too?” I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and stuck it between my lips, smiling as I asked.

The aunt’s eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned in close to me, looking rather frantic. “Of course I know him! Master Jue Chi is right in our village!”

As she spoke, her voice dropped to a low whisper, adding a sense of mystery. I felt my hand holding the cigarette tremble a bit, and I glanced at her, “Jue Chi… where exactly?”

“Oh dear! You don’t know? He’s in the neighboring village! It’s so tragic; such a great master suddenly died… such a loss.”

My body jolted at her words. The aunt continued, seemingly unaware of my reaction, “I came here this time to visit Master Jue Chi’s former residence and pay my respects…”

I shivered in disbelief, angrily exclaiming, “You’re the one who’s dead! You’re the one talking about former residences!”

My mind was buzzing, and all I could hear were echoes of the word “dead.” I couldn’t help but shout in frustration. When I finally regained my composure, I noticed everyone around us had turned to look, and the atmosphere suddenly became quite awkward.

The aunt paused momentarily but didn’t say much else. She merely sighed in resignation, “Ah, young man, I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I saw it with my own eyes… Master Jue Chi is really gone…”