With a thunderous crash, the once-clear night sky was split by a sudden bolt of lightning. I stared blankly ahead as the lightning struck the ground with a deafening bang, sending both my cousin and me stumbling several steps backward in fright.
"Hahahahaha..." Yuna Ji let out a strange, unsettling laugh. She stepped forward, and suddenly, ominous clouds rolled in, blotting out the moon and stars. Thunder roared across the sky, and jagged bolts of lightning tore through the darkness.
"Ethan, let's go." Yuna Ji cast a strange look at me, making me shiver. She reached out, grabbed my hand, and tried to pull me along.
"Hey, hey, what's going on? I saved you, didn't I? Why aren't you holding my hand, but his?"
"Oh, thank you! Once we're down the mountain, I'll make sure to repay you properly."
In an instant, Yuna Ji switched back to her alluring demeanor. My cousin, delighted, hurried after her, practically skipping with joy.
"Miss Ji, let go. I can walk on my own."
As we walked along the path toward the main hall, Yuna Ji kept a tight grip on my hand, her fingers locked around mine. I noticed the strange smile lingering at the corner of her mouth—it was chilling, almost sinister.
"You two, slow down..." My cousin stumbled after us, struggling to keep up.
"Ethan, in a moment, let's walk together. Don't let your cousin follow us."
I was momentarily stunned, unsure what Yuna Ji meant. If everything is exposed tomorrow, Chongsheng is doomed.
"How can this happen?"
Yuna Ji fell silent as we reached a tightly locked gate. Chongsheng followed behind us.
"Let me open the door." He stepped forward, unlocking it. Beyond lay the plaza in front of the main hall—down the mountain from here.
"Amitabha."
Just as the door opened, Master Jianyun's voice rang out. A burst of golden Buddhist light appeared, and Yuna Ji screamed, hiding behind me.
Trembling, I stepped out. On the vast plaza, aside from Master Jianyun, eighteen monks stood, their bodies bronze and shimmering with flecks of gold.
Master Jianyun pressed his palms together, a string of prayer beads hanging from his hands. A gentle halo glowed behind him. Yuna Ji shook violently, her face pale.
"Chongsheng, go back at once. Remember tomorrow to sincerely apologize to your fellow disciples."
Chongsheng wanted to say something, but seeing Master Jianyun's stern face, he retreated unwillingly.
"Cousin..." I called out.
"Ethan, later you should speak honestly with Master Jianyun. He won't make things difficult for you. This is as far as I can help you."
After Chongsheng left, Yuna Ji and I huddled in the corner by the door as Master Jianyun walked toward us step by step.
"Heh, Mr. Zhang, don't be afraid. If you truly wish to leave the mountain, I won't stop you tonight. After all these days, I've consulted with my master. He said you have no affinity with Buddhism, and keeping you here by force isn't right. That's why, even knowing Chongsheng planned to let you go, I didn't intervene tonight. Who would have thought he'd let this thing out as well."
I turned to look at Yuna Ji. Her face was haggard, trembling as she gripped my hand tightly.
"Master Jianyun, this Miss Ji has refused to become a Buddhist for more than ten years. You should let her go home."
"Sigh, Mr. Zhang, that creature behind you is no ordinary person—she is a ghost."
I looked at Yuna Ji again, confusion rising within me.
"Ethan, don't believe him. Touch me—my body is warm, and my heart beats. How could I be a ghost?"
As she spoke, Yuna Ji pulled my hand to her chest. It was indeed warm, and her heartbeat was strong.
"Mr. Zhang, don't trust that ghost. She excels at manipulating people's hearts. Leave quickly."
I hesitated, torn inside. Who was telling the truth? Though Yuna Ji seemed strange, maybe she was just like me—someone with heavy yin energy. I had just been trapped by her Brahma Lock.
"Mr. Zhang, let me tell you a story. I entered Universal Temple at eight years old as a novice monk. My master, the venerable Mingde, once told me a tale. Over a hundred years ago, he and his own master encountered a powerful ghost outside and hoped to redeem her, to send her to the Western Paradise."
I swallowed, glancing at Yuna Ji.
"Alas, I was eight then, and now sixty-two years have passed. The Yuna Ji behind you still refuses to change. This is a mission passed down through three generations of Universal Temple abbots. My master entrusted me with it. In Buddhism, there is no hierarchy or distinction; he hoped I would wholeheartedly redeem Yuna Ji and guide her to the Western Paradise."
"Little monk, since I've come out today, I won't go back. Don't think you can lock me in the Brahma Tower again."
Fear gripped me; I tried to break free, but Yuna Ji held me tight.
"Amitabha. Yuna Ji, after sixty-two years of acquaintance, I have no choice but to subdue you today."
Suddenly, Master Jianyun made his move. The prayer beads in his hand glowed gold, flying toward us. In midair, they grew larger and instantly trapped me.
With a sizzling sound, Yuna Ji screamed and let go of me. Several monks rushed over, grabbing me and dragging me aside.