I dress up as a poor noblewoman, and I bring my whole family home with my literary talent.

Chapter 92: Strange Monk
The old lady was very pious and kept reciting scriptures.
After staying in the hall for half an hour, Song Lingyi's legs became numb from kneeling. After saying goodbye to her fourth sister, she left the hall to get some fresh air.

A thin mist rose from the mountains, and Lingjing Temple was shrouded in mist. Song Lingyi walked aimlessly along the corridor, and stopped only when he reached a less crowded place, leaning against a pillar to admire the Buddhist courtyard.

A gray-robed monk walked on the corridor opposite the courtyard. He brushed past a young girl. The gray-robed monk sniffed the air as the girl passed by, and when he turned back, his eyes were greedy and obscene.

When Song Lingyi saw this scene, she couldn't help but frown. How could a vegetarian monk have such evil thoughts of breaking the precepts in such a quiet place of Buddhism? The girl even said that this temple was very popular. It was ridiculous!
The gray-robed monk looked around with a sly look. Song Lingyi quickly hid behind a pillar and carefully peered out, and found that the gray-robed monk turned around and followed the young girl.

When the two of them turned the corner, they were already in Song Lingyi's blind spot. She had a bad feeling in her heart and walked quickly towards the main hall.

"Five girls!"

Ah Zhu saw Song Lingyi coming back anxiously from a distance, "What's wrong with you?"

Song Lingyi glanced at the main hall and realized that all the people praying in the hall were women, old and young. The gray-robed monk was not sure whether he would attack the girl. If he told others about it rashly, it might ruin her reputation. It would be better to take Ah Zhu to check the situation first.

Song Lingyi led Ah Zhu away from the main hall entrance and whispered, "I just saw a monk. There's something wrong with him. I want to take you to see him..."

Azhu didn't hesitate at all, "Fifth Miss, lead the way."

Song Lingyi felt an inexplicable heat in her heart

Apart from the fourth sister, Azhu is the only one in the family who trusts her unconditionally. If it were someone else, they would probably say that she is worrying too much.

This temple was built a hundred years ago and has a large and complex structure. The two of them searched all the way there for no more than a quarter of an hour, but they did not find any trace of the girl or the monk.

Just as Song Lingyi was wondering, a burly monk in a gray robe came out from the meditation room on the far right. Seeing the master and servant in the corridor from afar, he paused for a moment, then saluted them with one hand clasped together.

Song Lingyi looked at the monk inconspicuously.
The master often said that appearance is determined by the heart, and if one thinks too much, it will be reflected in the eyes.

Looking at this monk again, he has an untidy beard, skinny cheeks, triangular eyes, and a vicious look between his eyebrows. He doesn't look like a good person.

The monk walked behind the master and servant.

Just as he passed by, a faint sweet smell filled the air.

Song Lingyi stared at the monk's back, and when the monk walked a certain distance away, he whispered, "Azhu, do you smell a certain scent on him?"

Ah Zhu nodded with a serious expression, "There is a smell..."

The night when I and the eldest girl were tied up in the Song family's firewood room,
The smell is exactly the same!
The master and servant looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

This Buddhist actually took opium? ! !
……

The master and servant followed the monk from the temple out the back door and came to a rocky cave. The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds and trees, making it easy to hide.

The gray-robed monk looked around vigilantly before entering the cave, and only went in after confirming that there was no one.

The cave is deep and has several rooms carved out by humans.
The gray-robed monk walked into one of the stone houses. The stone house was built against the mountain. There were no windows, only a shabby brown wooden door, like a prison for prisoners.

The ground was covered with yellow and messy straw, and the ragged girl was lying on it with tears in her eyes. The short and thin monk who had followed her in the temple before was dressing beside her. He had a rat-like face, dark skin, and a satisfied look on his face.

The burly monk who entered the stone house later glanced at the girl coldly, "She is a pilgrim from the temple. What if you kidnap her and expose your whereabouts?" The short and thin monk looked indifferent, "This is a remote place. It's hard for me to find a girl to relieve my sexual desire. Who else would come?!"

"Don't you know that half of the goods in Chang'an City have been intercepted recently, and even the downstream in the east of the city lost contact the day before yesterday?!" the burly monk said sternly.

"So what? I was sent here, and I'm already angry. Stop ordering me around!"

A trace of murderous intent flashed across the burly monk's eyes, but he suppressed it. Without paying any attention to the shivering girl on the ground, he turned around and walked deeper into the stone house.

The short and skinny monk came out of the cave and spat at the bushes beside him, cursing, "Bah! Damn it, I've been in this damn place for more than half a year, and there's nothing to gain..."

Outside the cave, Song Lingyi, who was hiding behind the bushes, pointed at the short and thin monk and turned to Ah Zhu and said in a low voice, "That's him! I saw him in the temple. He was following a girl with lustful eyes..."

Ah Zhu said, "Fifth Miss, there's something wrong with these two people. Let's go back to the temple and discuss it."

Song Lingyi nodded

Indeed, they can't do anything alone, and it will only alert the enemy.

After weighing the pros and cons, the master and servant returned to Lingjing Temple first.

At this time, the temple was in chaos.

The reason was that a certain young lady from an official family went back to her meditation room to get her cloak and never returned to the main hall. The servants in her house couldn't find her, so they informed the abbot of the temple and asked the monks in the temple to look for her together. The noise alarmed many pilgrims.

When Madam Song and others came out of the hall, they were shocked when they didn't see Song Lingyi. Fortunately, Song Lingyi and Azhu came back in time, otherwise they would have to join the search.

Madam Song scolded, "You little girl, you said you were going out for some fresh air, but in the blink of an eye you disappeared, and you made me worry!"

"Fifth sister, where did you and Azhu go just now?" Song Lingwan asked gently.

Song Lingyi glanced at the gray-robed monks scattered around the courtyard.

The two men were also wearing temple attire. Even if they were not monks, they must have some connection with the temple. Who knows, there might be their accomplices among these monks. Song Lingyi shook her head, "Nothing..."

Return to the Zen Room
Song Changling and Song Lingwan began to pack their luggage, but Song Lingyi sat on the stool with a confused look on her face.

Song Lingwan noticed that she looked upset and asked with concern, "Fifth sister, what's wrong with you? Why are you so absent-minded?"

"..." Song Lingyi stood up and closed the door, "Fourth sister, is there a girl missing from the temple?"

Song Lingwan nodded slightly, showing no concern for the matter. "Maybe he is just as playful as you are, so he may have run away from the temple. Maybe he will come back soon."

Seeing that the two of them still had time to chat, Song Changling interrupted them and said, "Why are you concerned about this? There are so many people in the temple looking for you. You two should pack up quickly. We have to get into the city before sunset!"

Song Lingyi pursed her lips and said, "I saw that girl before she disappeared... She was followed by a monk. The monk had a face full of mischief and looked not serious at first glance!"

(End of this chapter)