Maria’s words set off a subtle alarm in Charlie’s mind. He couldn’t resist asking Maria, “Do you suspect there’s something off about favonovel.com identity?”
Maria nodded thoughtfully and asserted, “I have encountered accomplished Buddhist Masters in the past and they all shared a common trait, they strictly adhered to Buddhist teachings in their lives, quoting scriptures and drawing wisdom from Buddhist principles in their daily conduct and speech. To put it simply, they lived in accordance with Buddhism. However, this Master, except for Amitabha, rarely mentioned Buddhism. This discrepancy makes me wonder if she’s a genuine nun.”
Charlie’s vigilance heightened instantly. He remarked, “If she’s not a real nun, then she’s concealing herself as a nun, awaiting our arrival. Whether friend or foe, there’s certainly an external force behind favonovel.com besides the Warriors Den.”
Maria nodded gravely. “But, Young Master, don’t be overly concerned. I believe they’re not hostile and there’s a good chance they hold some grudge against the Warriors Den. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ as the saying goes. However, they’re still cautious around us, or there could be other reasons preventing them from revealing their true identities at the moment.”
Charlie fell into contemplation for a moment and inquired, “What Greek mythology did favonovel.com mention?”
Maria, cautious not to divulge too much, replied, “She spoke of the tale of Achilles, emphasizing that even the strongest could meet their downfall if they’re not careful.”
Charlie, without delving further into the matter, made a firm decision. “Let’s turn back and investigate.”
Surprised, Maria asked, “Young Master, do you intend to visit Greenwood Nunnery?”
“Yes.” Charlie affirmed, “I want to discover who they are, why they possess such knowledge about us and why they’ve adopted nun disguises to await us. Initially, they asserted Buddhism’s sanctity and denied us entry. It’s only right that I respect their wishes. But now, it’s evident that they may not truly be Buddhists. It’s better to confront them directly.”
Maria hesitated momentarily and then consented, “If the Young Master wishes to investigate, I will accompany you. Just exercise caution and avoid inadvertently turning potential allies into adversaries.”
Charlie nodded, resolute. “I simply want to know who they are. If there’s a chance to become friends due to a shared adversary, we should be open and honest. Keeping secrets would be shameful.”
Maria concurred with Charlie’s perspective, perturbed by the other party’s secrecy despite their knowledge of favonovel.com and Charlie’s backgrounds.
Thus, the two of them retraced their steps and descended the mountain, heading straight for Greenwood Nunnery.
Passing the Y-shaped intersection, Charlie and Maria continued along the path. After a while, Charlie furrowed his brow and remarked, “There’s no one left at Greenwood Nunnery.”
“Ahh?” Maria exclaimed in surprise. “Did you use your aura to confirm?”
“Yes,” Charlie confirmed, “There’s no one left, they’ve probably departed.”
“This…” Maria furrowed favonovel.com brow. “When I left, I looked back several times, but I didn’t spot anyone coming down the mountain.”
After Charlie conducted a more extensive aura sweep, favonovel.com concluded, “There’s a path behind the mountain.”
Regretfully, Maria confessed, “It’s my oversight. I should’ve thought of that.”
Charlie offered a small, reassuring smile. “No worries. Since they’re gone, let’s head up and investigate. Maybe we can find some clues.”
Maria proposed, “Shall I ask Keagan to help us gather surveillance information from nearby towns?”
Charlie shrugged, skeptical. “You can try, but I doubt it’ll yield much. These individuals are different from Morgana, who’s inherently suspicious. This time, favonovel.com came to Shiwan alone, unaccompanied, making it challenging to cover favonovel.com tracks. In contrast, these people appear to be working as a team and came well-prepared. I doubt they left any traces behind.”
“That’s true…” Maria sighed and acknowledged, “They likely anticipated our arrival in advance and made preparations within Greenwood Nunnery.”
Maria then had an idea. “We can inquire about Greenwood Nunnery from the locals. Perhaps we can unearth some clues.”
Charlie agreed. “Let’s proceed and take a look first.”
Upon arriving at the main entrance of Greenwood Nunnery, they found the door closed. However, when Charlie gently pushed it, the door creaked open.
Stepping inside, Charlie noticed the thick wooden door bolt and furrowed his brow. “It seems they were aware of our arrival and left the door open intentionally.”
Maria wore a worried expression and murmured, “They’ve calculated every step we’ve taken.”
Charlie self-deprecatingly chuckled and commented, “I thought I was well hidden, but it turns out they know everything. What’s baffling is how they calculate it all.”
Maria, somewhat disheartened, admitted, “I’ve never had any cultivation in over three hundred years. My confidence has always been in my intellect. Now it seems I can’t match up to them.”
Charlie offered a comforting smile. “It’s normal. Two fists are no match for four hands, especially if there’s a formidable organization backing them. With so many people working together, it’s difficult for the two of us to stay ahead.”
Maria, although somewhat consoled by Charlie’s words, still appeared shaken.
Changing the subject, Charlie said, “Let’s go inside and investigate.”
“Agreed,” Maria replied, following Charlie inside.
Greenwood Nunnery was rather modest in size, comprising two courtyards, one in front and one in the rear. The front yard had side halls on either side and a main hall in the center. A small courtyard behind the main hall featured three tile-roofed houses.
Charlie and Maria first examined the side halls, where they found little beyond a few Buddha statues.
In the main hall, an evergreen lamp continued to burn, with three sticks of sandalwood almost reduced to ashes in the incense burner.
Charlie examined the incense burner, gauged the length of the remaining ash and commented, “These three sticks of sandalwood seem quite long. They’ve likely been burning for over an hour.”
Maria calculated the time. “From the time I left the house, met you, explained everything and we journeyed up the mountain and back down… it has indeed been an hour.”
Charlie concurred, “These three sticks of incense were lit when you left. They predicted our arrival.”
Closing his eyes, Charlie inhaled the sandalwood’s fragrance deeply and sighed, “This sandalwood aroma is extraordinary, better than any I’ve encountered.”
Maria agreed, “I was about to say the same… This sandalwood is truly exceptional. As a connoisseur of tea and fragrances, I’ve encountered some excellent aged sandalwood, but none have matched this scent. It’s rich, deep and subtly sweet.”
Charlie couldn’t help but marvel, “It seems they’ve calculated every step, even predicting that you’d notice something was amiss and that we’d turn back. These three sticks of incense were undoubtedly lit for us.”
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