In the dim light of the tavern, amidst the noisy chatter and the pungent aroma of strong liquor, Dare Drake Tran sat in quiet contemplation. His sharp gaze swept across the room, ears tuned to every fragmented tale and whispered rumor about the Great Mercy Temple—a place shrouded in both reverence and mystery. Each story, whether exaggerated or subtle, felt like another piece to a growing puzzle that pointed toward a looming darkness.
"Something is definitely wrong," he thought, his eyes narrowing. "How could a place like the Great Mercy Temple harbor demonic energy?"
A faint sense of unease crept over Dare, disrupting his usual calm. The image he pieced together from these overheard conversations was unsettling: a shroud of darkness over the temple, chants turning into eerie moans echoing like cries from the underworld. There was a strong feeling that, beneath the temple's revered surface, something sinister lurked, waiting to be unleashed.
His expression grew even more serious as he listened to a hushed story from an old man nearby, who recounted it with a trembling voice and haunted eyes. "That night... I swear to you, I saw black energy rising from the Great Mercy Temple. Like demons… circling the place."
"Demonic energy and Buddhist aura cannot coexist…" Dare thought, feeling a chill run down his spine. He had faced countless horrors before, but this transformation within a holy temple was disturbingly new. He knew in his heart that he couldn't simply ignore this. His eyes sharpened with both caution and determination. A single thought crystallized: this temple wasn't just a sanctuary; it might also be a gateway to something far more terrifying.
Beside him, Zhu Bajie looked around warily, leaning close to whisper, "What do you think? I'm getting a really bad feeling about this."
Dare nodded slightly, whispering back, "This is more serious than I thought. The Great Mercy Temple is hiding something incredibly dangerous."
Leaving the tavern, Dare and Zhu Bajie walked along the winding path up a hillside overlooking the temple. As they walked, they could still hear hushed, anxious murmurs from the townspeople. The path was eerily quiet; the cold wind rustled the trees, carrying faint whispers of forbidden secrets. This unsettling atmosphere made the rumors they'd heard in the tavern feel even more ominous.
Stopping beside a large stone, Dare turned to Zhu Bajie, his face pensive. "What do you make of the rumors about demonic energy around the temple?"
Zhu Bajie frowned, his gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the temple. "I've heard of demonic energy infiltrating Buddhist sects, but nothing like this at a place as sacred as the Great Mercy Temple. If this is true, either there's a traitor in their midst, or something within the temple is being manipulated."
Dare nodded quietly, feeling Zhu Bajie's words deepen his own suspicions. In his mind, the fragments of conversation from the tavern replayed vividly:
"The abbot keeps demanding more donations, but nobody knows where all that money is going…"
"People swear they've seen demonic energy around the temple, like it's been invaded by dark forces…"
"There's this eerie noise from the temple—it doesn't sound like chanting at all, more like screaming…"
The stories painted a picture of the once-revered Great Mercy Temple now cloaked in shadows of mystery and fear.
Dare decided to livestream their discussion to gather more insight from viewers. He activated the live feed, greeting the audience with a calm expression, though his tone hinted at a concealed tension:
Dare: "Greetings, fellow cultivators. Today, we'll be exploring the mystery surrounding the Great Mercy Temple. The rumors I've heard are… unsettling. Some say they've seen demonic energy near the temple—a hard thing to believe for such a sacred place. What do you all think?"
Comments poured in rapidly:
Viewer: "Seriously? A major temple tied to demonic energy? No way!"Viewer: "Be careful! This could be a trap set by demonic forces."CelestialPalace_001: "Remember this, my friend: where there is light, there is also shadow. Trust not in appearances within the Great Mercy Temple."
The words from CelestialPalace_001 gave Dare pause, feeling as though he was on the brink of uncovering something much larger than he had anticipated.
Dare and Zhu Bajie stopped at a clearing near the edge of town, where they could see the faint silhouette of the Great Mercy Temple on the hilltop. Sitting down on a large, flat stone, they analyzed everything they had learned. Both recognized that the strange rumors and events were no mere coincidence.
Zhu Bajie nodded slowly, as though piecing together a larger picture. "The Great Mercy Temple has always been full of Buddhist energy, but if what the townsfolk say is true, then demonic energy there is clashing with the temple's aura. This isn't just dangerous—it could destabilize the temple itself and threaten the entire region."
"The question is, if this demonic energy has been around for a while, why hasn't anyone noticed sooner?" Dare wondered aloud, troubled. "How could a place as renowned as the Great Mercy Temple be tainted for so long without anyone realizing?"
Zhu Bajie glanced at him, his expression unusually serious. "Perhaps the people within the temple were hiding it on purpose. The abbot may have known for a long time but kept it quiet for some reason. He might be facing a power he can't control."
At this point, Dare started a new livestream, sharing what they had learned with a calm yet intensely focused tone that immediately drew the viewers in.
Viewer: "If there really is demonic energy at the Great Mercy Temple, that's definitely a bad sign! Could the abbot himself be under control?"Viewer: "Be cautious, my friend. Some might be using the temple to disguise their dark ambitions."
One familiar commenter, CelestialPalace_001, left another deeply foreboding message:
"Demonic energy only appears when there is chaos in the heart. Friend, beware of what cannot be seen. The Great Mercy Temple is a place where darkness may hide beneath the light."
As Dare read through each comment, his wariness only grew. With each message, he sensed he was inching closer to a truth that no mere rumor could capture.
When the livestream ended, Dare and Zhu Bajie were about to head back when they encountered a group of local monks emerging from a nearby forest path. Each wore robes of various colors, indicating their rank and status. A young monk in the group noticed the two men, his gaze full of suspicion.
Young Monk: "What business do you two have near the Great Mercy Temple? This is no place for outsiders to wander."
Dare clasped his hands politely, maintaining a respectful demeanor. "We merely heard of the temple's reputation and wanted to learn more. They say this is a sacred place, and our curiosity got the better of us."
The monks were not easily swayed. An older monk with silver hair and piercing eyes scrutinized them closely. "Curiosity? Curiosity is not a reason to come here. The Great Mercy Temple is not a place for those without high cultivation to approach."
Thinking quickly, Zhu Bajie stepped forward with a disarming grin, "We're just amateur cultivators, nothing more. Look, we're livestreaming, see? Nothing suspicious here."
Yet the monks remained unconvinced, their eyes full of guarded suspicion. The elderly monk stared directly at Dare, his gaze sharp, as though attempting to see through his soul. "You'd best stay away from the Great Mercy Temple, lest you bring misfortune upon yourselves. There are some things that no one needs to know."
Dare felt the tension rise, but he kept his tone steady and respectful. "If there's no secret to hide, then why forbid others from approaching? What is it about this place that even cultivators would fear?"
His words caused the old monk to pause, his gaze distant as though reflecting on something from long ago. Finally, the monk turned away, letting out a quiet sigh before leaving with his companions, leaving Dare and Zhu Bajie standing in a thick silence, as though the air itself had grown heavier.
When the monks had vanished from sight, both men exhaled deeply, but a lingering dread remained. The atmosphere felt denser, each passing breeze carrying a chill that was hard to shake off.
Zhu Bajie turned to Dare, his face serious, "Do you think we should keep investigating? It's clear there's something wrong at the Great Mercy Temple, but this won't be easy. I can sense the presence of something ancient—a dark force that's been lying dormant."
Dare nodded, a resolute glint in his eyes. "The more complex it is, the more we need to see it through. If there really is demonic energy infecting the Great Mercy Temple, it could endanger the whole area. I can't just walk away without finding out the truth."
Signing off from the livestream, Dare left his viewers with a tantalizing promise:
"Friends, what we've seen and heard is just the tip of the iceberg. Next time, we won't just be listening from the outside. If the Great Mercy Temple truly harbors something, I'll be the first to uncover it."
Excited and worried, the viewers filled the comments with their own theories, some speculating about a demonic plot hidden within the temple's walls.
The audience's enthusiasm bolstered Dare's resolve. The Great Mercy Temple loomed on the distant hilltop, a silent challenge that he was determined to confront. No matter the dangers, he knew that his journey was only just beginning.