Red Raven eyed Mowen with a knowing look."I can only say, they're probably here because of you."
Mowen was about to probe further, but Red Raven had already devoured the plate of meat in front of him, leaving a few drops of oil on his lips."I need to use the bathroom. We'll continue when I get back," he said, patting his belly as he stood up. He had no grand expectations of this seemingly ordinary young man, thinking only of returning to enjoy a few more beers.
Sensing that the monk didn't want to continue the conversation, Mowen decided to change the topic.
When Red Raven returned, the table had been replenished with fresh dishes and beer. His eyes lit up as he grabbed a beer and took a deep gulp."Come on, let's continue the game!"
But round after round, Mowen won decisively, as if he could predict Red Raven's every move. Red Raven finally frowned, his chopsticks pausing in mid-air."If I'm not mistaken, you're from Moon Lake Temple, not from the capital, right?"
"What makes you say that?" Red Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Even though you introduced yourself as a monk from the big city, your accent has a strong northwestern twang. It's mixed, but you've definitely traveled around quite a bit, haven't you?" Mowen replied, a hint of pride in his voice.
"There are plenty of monks in the capital with accents from all over. You can't just say I'm from out of town because of that," Red Raven retorted.
"The marks on your scalp are faint; you must have taken vows at a young age. Combined with your accent, it's clear you come from the northwest." Mowen smiled confidently.
"Hmph, can't a monk in the capital have friends from the northwest?" Red Raven shot back.
"If you lose, you have to tell the truth. Of course, if you insist on lying, there's nothing I can do!" Mowen teased.
Red Raven glared at him but eventually nodded in admission."Fine."
"Master, you've come all this way to the city and approached someone like me. Is there a particular reason for that?" Mowen asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.
Red Raven's chopsticks froze for a moment, annoyance flashing through his eyes."How did he see through my plan so easily?" But having lost the wager, he had to answer honestly."My master sent me to protect you."
"Your master knew this place would be dangerous, didn't he?" Mowen pressed, his eyes fixed on Red Raven.
"Yes," Red Raven answered curtly, a complex look in his eyes.
"But how did he know about me?" Mowen asked, intrigued.
"I don't know. But my master was close to your father."
"That makes sense. My father often mentioned Moon Lake Temple, but he wasn't a Buddhist. They must have shared some common interest or topic, right?" Mowen nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, they often played chess and chatted," Red Raven confirmed.
"So, what was my father doing at your temple?" Mowen's brow furrowed.
"Our temple has many ancient Buddhist texts and early translations. My master hoped your father could help solve some of the puzzles left by the Buddha," Red Raven explained with a hint of reluctance.
"What does that have to do with me?" Mowen asked, puzzled.
"I'm just as confused. I can't understand why my master sent me to protect you," the monk admitted, scratching his head in frustration.
Red Raven had thought it was just a game of chance, but even after several rounds, Mowen kept winning. Red Raven drank heavily, his confusion growing.
"Wait a minute, you've been winning constantly and asking questions all the time. Are you cheating?"
"How could I cheat? We're both throwing at the same time. I can't read your mind," Mowen protested, spreading his hands innocently. Red Raven scratched his head again, trying to figure out Mowen's secret.
Quickly changing the subject, Mowen said,"Master, your kung fu is impressive, impenetrable by weapons. Shaolin's Dragon Claw is truly formidable!"
"Haha, of course! I'm the only one who mastered Dragon Claw at such a young age!" Red Raven boasted.
"You must be exceptionally talented. I can see old wounds on your arm, many of them from blades. It seems you were often on missions outside the temple in your younger days, right?" Mowen observed, studying Red Raven's arm.
"Hey, why can't they be from training?" Red Raven questioned.
"The cuts are clean, not likely from training. The scars are old, at least five years. It shows you perfected Dragon Claw in recent years. Though you've trained since childhood, you're well-versed in urban life, suggesting frequent trips to the city for dangerous missions."
"You know quite a bit, huh? Studied medicine?" Red Raven asked, half-believing.
"I just like observing life. Is that a problem?" Mowen chuckled confidently.
"Bah," Red Raven snorted, clearly skeptical.
"You must be cheating! How do you keep winning?" Red Raven finally felt something was off.
"How could I cheat against someone as experienced as you?"
Red Raven thought for a moment. He had thrown scissors last time, so he decided to throw scissors again. Mowen threw rock. Red Raven thought,"If I throw scissors five times in a row, he won't guess that." Mowen threw rock again.
"How can you throw rock five times in a row?"
"How can you throw scissors five times in a row?" Mowen countered with a mischievous smile. The monk's thoughts were written all over his face, making it hard for him to lose.
Still disbelieving, Red Raven threw scissors once more, only to lose again.