Old man Zhuoyun didn't reply immediately but calculated with his fingers and said, "No, no, it won't work. Several destined individuals have yet to arrive. Besides, evil must be eradicated completely. Let's endure for a few more days, wait for their reinforcements to arrive, and then wipe them all out in one swoop, sparing the world from further harm. Although their numbers are small now in the ruined temple, we don't have many people either. Furthermore, the four Vajras, Mao Tai, and other followers under them, though practicing heretical arts, are still quite formidable. Wei Qing and Zhou Chun don't know swordsmanship; while Sun Nan and Qingyun do, they can only hold their own against Mao Tai and others at best. The other day, I met Sun Nan's master, Li Huzi. Since he's good at escaping, I asked him to invite a few friends to meet us at your Biwu Nunnery on the first day of next year. We can decide on a strategy for dealing with the temple then, to ensure no future trouble."
The drunken Daoist replied, "Your advice is indeed reasonable. However, on my way here, I met Qingyun, and she begged me several times to help her. She plans to scout out Ciyun Temple tonight. Since you can foresee things, can you tell me if it's wise to go?"
Old man Zhuoyun said, "The ascetic monk once told me that the success of our path depends on the two 'Yuns.' One is now in Jiuhua Mountain in deep cultivation, and the other is advancing rapidly, which is very promising. You may go, but don't reveal yourself. Only help her from the shadows. Once she gains some success, return immediately. The evil monk Zhitong is unlikely aware of our plans for next year's attack, so we must be careful not to alert him. Otherwise, he may rally the remaining followers of his deceased master, which would cause us much trouble later."
After saying this, he led Zhou Chun, Wei Qing, Sun Nan, and the drunken Daoist away. Zhou Chun had just reunited with his daughter after much difficulty and barely had time to exchange a few words before they had to part again, making their separation even harder. Old man Zhuoyun said, "Such sentimentality is unbefitting a swordsman. She will surely succeed, and you'll be able to talk freely with her tomorrow. Why rush now?" Zhou Chun then reminded Qingyun not to be careless and to follow the drunken Daoist's advice in everything. Qingyun agreed to all of this, and they went their separate ways.
Meanwhile, at Ciyun Temple, the evil monk Zhitong had been feeling very uneasy ever since the disappearance of Butterfly Zhang Liang while on a flower-picking mission, Zhou Yun's escape from the dungeon, and the Zhang family's departure from their home, all within a month or two. Mao Tai, eager for revenge, had repeatedly tried to leave the temple to search for Zhou Chun, but Zhitong stopped him every time. Mao Tai began to feel that Zhitong was overly cautious, which caused tension between them. One night, while they were practicing the Joy Meditation and watching the Heavenly Demon Dance together, they had a significant disagreement over one of Zhitong's concubines.
Although Zhitong was a lustful and wicked man, he had learned from his master's downfall and had painstakingly built Ciyun Temple. As a result, he refrained from committing crimes locally. Twice a year, he would send his four Vajras to neighboring provinces for some 'business,' bringing back a few beautiful women for his enjoyment. His appetite for new experiences was insatiable, and women of strong character were usually killed quickly. Those who were naturally promiscuous or submissive to his power might last a year before being demoted to dancers, to be used at will by his followers depending on their status.
Three years ago, he captured a female thief named Yang Hua at the temple. At first, Zhitong planned to have the entire temple's monks humiliate her and then kill her, as she was of average appearance, and he had no interest in her. However, once her clothes were removed, she revealed skin as white as jade, soft and delicate. Her pitiful and charming cries aroused Zhitong's lust, and he took her for himself. To his surprise, not only was her skin exceptionally fine, but she was also unusually licentious, making their encounter beyond his wildest expectations. Though Zhitong had been with many women, he had never experienced anything like her. She became his favorite, and he forbade anyone else to touch her. His disciples, who had eagerly anticipated their turn, were disappointed but dared not say anything. Fortunately, there were many other beauties in the temple, and over time they let it go.
When Mao Tai first arrived at the temple, Zhitong, seeking to form an alliance with Mao Tai's master and strengthen his own forces against the Emei swordsmen, offered Yang Hua to Mao Tai as a gift, much to Mao Tai's delight. However, without Yang Hua, Zhitong found no pleasure in other women, and though he regretted giving her away, he couldn't openly ask for her back. He could only wait for opportunities to be with her in secret. Yang Hua, sensing his feelings, began to tease him deliberately, making it even harder for him to let go. Recently, two new beauties had been captured from a neighboring province, so Zhitong hinted to Mao Tai that he wanted to exchange them for Yang Hua. Mao Tai, though reluctant, agreed out of respect for Zhitong. This led to a complicated love triangle that caused mounting tensions between them.
That night, it was Mao Tai's turn with Yang Hua. Annoyed that Zhitong had forbidden him from pursuing revenge against Zhou Chun before reinforcements arrived, Mao Tai privately left the temple during the day to gather information in the city. Though he didn't find Zhou Chun, he overheard that the county magistrate had executed a flower-picking criminal that morning. Suspecting it might be Zhang Liang, he hurried to the execution site, where he found Zhang Liang's decapitated body with his legs severed at the knees. Overcome with grief, Mao Tai knew that Zhang Liang must have been defeated by a powerful opponent, as the county's officials couldn't have killed him on their own.
Devastated by the loss of his disciple, who had been more like a lover, Mao Tai resolved to return to the temple and discuss revenge with Zhitong. Just as he was about to leave, a local official saw him peeking under the straw mat covering the corpse. Suspicious, they asked Mao Tai what he was doing. Mao Tai explained that, as a monk from Ciyun Temple, he couldn't bear to see such suffering and offered twenty taels of silver for a proper burial. Moved by his charity and the temple's influence in Chengdu, the official graciously accepted. Mao Tai stayed until the body was buried, weeping as though he had lost a parent.
Had it not been for a playful delay caused by Wei Qing and Zhou Chun, Mao Tai might have crossed paths with them upon his return to the temple. But that's a story for another time.
The story goes that Mao Tai, filled with grief and anger over the death of his beloved disciple, hurried back to the temple from the city. As he approached the forest, he suddenly noticed a thick fog, spanning dozens of feet in all directions, glowing beautifully against the setting sun. As he walked, he found the sight intriguing. However, it struck him that it was a clear, crisp autumn day, with the sun yet to set—so how could there be such thick fog in the forest? Moreover, beyond the fog, the forest was still brightly lit by the evening sun. This seemed strange to him. Could it be that some treasure was about to appear, causing this magical aura to rise? While pondering this, he arrived at the temple gates and hurried inside to look for Zhitong. He searched the meditation chambers and private rooms but found no trace of him. Just then, the guest monk Liao happened to pass by, and Mao Tai asked where Zhitong was. Liao replied, "I just saw Master heading towards the rear hall; perhaps he's looking for you?"
Mao Tai didn't think much of it and made his way to the rear hall. Beside the rear hall were two meditation chambers, one of which was Mao Tai's bedroom. As he approached his window, he faintly heard sounds like the patter of rain. Crouching by the window and peering inside, he nearly exploded with rage. There, lying on his bed like a helpless lamb, was his only lover, Yang Hua, the woman he and Zhitong shared. Zhitong stood by the bed, catching his breath, still engaged in his passionate act, whispering sweet nothings as he exerted himself.
Mao Tai initially wanted to barge in and confront Zhitong, demanding to know why he broke their agreement by taking liberties on the day that was supposed to be Mao Tai's turn. But then he reconsidered—after all, Yang Hua originally belonged to Zhitong, and their agreement was for mutual pleasure. Sneaking a bit on a day not allotted to him wasn't such a big deal. Besides, he was living under Zhitong's roof and had many things he needed his help with. It wasn't worth souring their relationship over a minor issue, and his anger slowly dissipated. However, what bothered him was that Yang Hua often claimed she truly cared for him and only yielded to Zhitong out of fear for her life. Now that he had a rare chance to witness the scene himself, he was curious to see if she was telling the truth. So he quieted his heart and decided to observe.
But the more he listened, the more his jealousy flared, nearly causing him to faint. It turned out that Yang Hua, being naturally lecherous and smooth-tongued, would say anything to please her partner. And just as Mao Tai was listening closely, Zhitong, weary from his exertions, slowed down and asked, "Tell me honestly, my little darling, how do I compare to that fool?"
Upon hearing this, Mao Tai became even more focused, eager to hear Yang Hua's response. He thought to himself, "Even though she and I are so close, even if she can't openly praise me in front of Zhitong, she wouldn't dare belittle me, right?"
But to his surprise, as soon as Yang Hua heard Zhitong's question, her eyes twinkled, and with a seductive pout, she let out some flirtatious moans and replied, "Oh, my darling monk, why did you have to mention that fool? Just thinking about him makes me so angry I could bite you a few times to vent my frustration. When you first took me in, we were so deeply in love, but then you had to act so foolishly, willingly playing the cuckold and giving me to him to make friends. And when you regretted it and tried to take me back, of course, he wasn't willing to let me go after getting a taste. That's how this ridiculous 'one family, one day' arrangement started. You're the one who turned from the master to the guest! If you want to be a cuckold, that's your business. But poor me, every time it's my turn to sleep with that crippled bandit, I can't wait for the night to be over. Just imagine—his two hairy legs as thick as tree trunks, his body as heavy as an ox, crushing me so I can barely breathe. And do you know how he lost those two fingers? He claimed it happened when he had sores as a child, but who'd believe that? I've seen enough fighting to know those fingers were cut off in battle. The only reason I tolerate him is because you asked me to, so we can use him later on. But honestly, he's all talk and no real skill. I dream of the day a strong enemy comes to fight him, so we can see if he's truly as capable as he claims. If he turns out to be useless, we should get rid of him as soon as possible, so you don't have to play the cuckold any longer and I don't have to put up with him anymore."