The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus

41

The night the fire burned Xingshan Temple, Dowager Consort Zhao took the śarīra out amidst the panic in the pagoda, and quietly transferred them to the new temple.

It was unknown where the evil spirit, the "śarīra" originated from. After being tainted with the grievances of those who died in the raging inferno, it's killing aura only fiercened. The "śarīra" placed in the new temple was like a central remote control. Once the sandalwood incense was contaminated by the ashes of the dead, it would use the grievances ghosts carried within the ashes as weapons, controlling a horde of ghostly troops, haunting the poor Princess Duanyang, so the new temple is no less gloomy than the old one.

On the inside, it is haunted by evil spirits. On the outside, Lu Jiu and Pei Yu are cooperating. There was no way Duanyang could break free from this all-encompassing net until the entire truth was revealed to the world.

At the end of the climb up the seven-story pagoda, the stairs were steep and narrow, only allowing people to pass through by bending over.

The light was dim. In the middle of a cloud of dust, Miaomiao tried her best to protect the faint bit of candlelight in her hands.

The tower was empty.

Ling Miaomiao was choked by the dark and dank smell inside and coughed several times in a row, complaining endlessly as she poked her head out of the tiny window like a prisoner longing for light.

She looked down, only to see Mu Sheng looking up at her while standing under the tower with his arms crossed. She shouted anxiously, "Mu Sheng, the sartra is not up there!"

The young man's black eyes were watery and seemed to be smiling ambiguously. "That's natural. If it was still here, that Dowager Consort would not have used the words 'look for' when she gave her imperial decree."

Miao Miao threw the candle out of the window, aiming straight for his face: "You tricked me!"

Mu Sheng reached out to block it and easily caught the thin red candle. The pitiful flame had gone out and the candle wick left a thin line of smoke in the air.

Mu Sheng lowered his eyebrows. An orange spark exploded with a "bang" from between his fingertips and the candle flame was instantly rekindled. The flickering light shone on his white-jade-like face.

He took a closer look at the candle: "You're throwing it delightedly now, but l'd like to see how you'll come back down later."
The Ling Miaomiao trapped in the dark pagoda:"..."

Ling Miaomiao felt that she might have been a lizard in her last life. What else could explain how she was amazingly able to crawl backwards, on all fours, down the steep pagoda in the dark and do it all so quickly?

"Pei pei!" She had gotten a mouthful of dirt while descending. She began vigorously patting her sleeves, skirt and hair. Luckily, she had worn a few extra layers when she left home. She had gotten her outer garment scraped, revealing her very clean inner jacket and skirt.

After grooming herself, she stepped out from behind the pagoda and from afar, saw Mu Sheng staring dazedly at the candle.

In the twilight, not a single person was present in the inner courtyard of Xingshan Temple. The forest was partially shrouded and blood-red lanterns under the temple eaves were lit. The royal family's lanterns were the color of a winter flower 1, giving off a noble and cold aura.

The candle flame in the young man's hand was dim, carrying an illusory warmth. It outlined his long eyelashes, the silhouette of his nose bridge, and illuminated his pale face which seemed like a soap bubble that would break if you reached out to touch it.

A faint fishy smell floated in the air, accompanied by an almost nonexistent sweet fragrance.

Miaomiao pulled at her hem and walked over while arranging her sleeves. "How do you think we should look for it?"