Chapter 279 Searching for the Dog at the Shrine

Ling Xiaoning felt a chill run down his back, subconsciously stepping back two paces to put some distance between himself and the incense burner.

"Th-that... if we're standing here now, will we also..."

Qi Huan shook his head.

"Those demons are already dead, and with no one left to fuel the illusion, this is just ordinary incense. At most, it'll make you dizzy for a while; nothing serious will happen."

As he spoke, he brought the incense stick to his nose and sniffed it again, his brows knitting slightly.

"However, the blending of this incense is truly clever. I can't immediately identify the medicinal herbs used; I can only faintly detect a few scents, like rosemary and datura, along with some other unidentifiable ingredients. Mixed together, it really can pass the fake off as genuine."

Ling Xiaoning scratched his head. "Rosemary? Datura? What are those?"

Qi Huan glanced at him. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. In short, it's something that clouds the mind. Whoever prepared this has real skill; they've enhanced its hallucinogenic properties, causing people to lose their mental defenses without even realizing it."

As he spoke, he extinguished the incense stick against the offering table, then pulled several unburnt sticks from the incense burner, carefully wrapped them in the oil paper he carried with him, and tucked them away.

"I'll bring these back for Medical Officer Duan to examine. He's knowledgeable and experienced, so he might be able to determine the origin of this substance. If we can follow the trail to find the person who made this incense, we might be able to uncover something more."

Chen Mu nodded without speaking, his gaze sweeping across the temple. Zhuifeng.

The Five-Tailed Fox Demon had said before she died that Zhuifeng was under the shrine.

Chen Mu walked to the shrine, squatted down, and scanned the gap between the base of the shrine and the floor.

The shrine was made of wood, its base raised about half a foot off the ground. It was pitch black underneath, making it impossible to see what was inside.

Chen Mu reached in to feel around, but his fingertips only brushed against the cold bluestone floor; there was nothing there.

Seeing this, Ling Xiaoning also squatted down, lying on the ground to peer under the shrine.

"I can't see anything, it's too dark. Chen Mu, should we move the shrine?"

Qi Huan also walked over and circled the shrine, his gaze finally settling on the mortise-and-tenon joints on either side.

"This shrine is built with mortise-and-tenon joints and doesn't use any nails. It should be possible to dismantle it, though it will take some effort."

Chen Mu stood up and swept his gaze over the entire shrine.

The statue of the old man sat within the shrine, his expression benevolent and his eyes lowered, still quietly gazing down. The faint, elusive smile at the corners of his mouth now seemed to carry a strange, indescribable eeriness.

Chen Mu did not hesitate any longer. He raised his hand and pressed it against the side of the shrine, quietly circulating his Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi as power surged from his palm.

"Crack!" With a sharp sound, the wooden panel on the side of the shrine shattered.

Ling Xiaoning was startled and hurriedly stepped back. "Chen Mu, what are you..."

Chen Mu ignored him and struck again with his palm, cracking the wooden panel on the other side. The entire shrine wobbled, causing the statue to sway, yet it remained sitting motionless.

Qi Huan stepped forward to help, and together they dismantled the shrine piece by piece.

As the wooden panels shattered and the joints loosened, the statue finally lost its support. It swayed for a moment before toppling over with a crash onto the offering table, smashing several coarse porcelain bowls and sending fruits and pastries rolling across the floor.

The base of the shrine was now completely exposed.

Chen Mu squatted down and peered in by the candlelight. The space beneath the base was empty and pitch black, but he could vaguely make out a curled-up figure.

He reached inside, his fingertips brushing against something fluffy, warm, and trembling slightly. It was Zhuifeng.

Chen Mu carefully lifted it out from beneath the shrine base.

The little black dog was curled into a ball, its body stiff. Its four little legs were pressed tightly against its torso, its tail was tucked between its legs, its eyes were shut tight, and its body was still trembling slightly.

Ling Xiaoning hurried over, his voice wavering. "Zhuifeng! Zhuifeng!"

He reached out to touch it, but Chen Mu raised his hand to stop him.

Chen Mu held Zhuifeng in his arms, his palm pressed against its back, and slowly channeled his Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi into it to check its condition.

A moment later, his brows gradually relaxed. It was still alive.

Although Zhuifeng had been badly frightened and had some bruises, there were no fatal injuries. The demons likely wanted to use it as bait, so they hadn't dealt a killing blow; they had simply locked it under the shrine, waiting for Chen Mu to take the bait.

As Chen Mu's palm pressed against Zhuifeng's back, warm Protective Aura slowly flowed into it, and the little black dog's body finally stopped trembling. Its tightly shut eyes opened a crack, revealing eyes that glinted with a golden light.

Those eyes were dim now, lacking their usual spirit. They blinked blankly after opening, finally settling on Chen Mu's face.

"Whimper..." Zhuifeng let out a low whimper and struggled to get up, but its four little legs were as soft as noodles, completely unable to support it. It could only lie in Chen Mu's arms, sticking out its tongue to gently lick the back of his hand.

Chen Mu looked down at it, said nothing, and gently patted its head.

Ling Xiaoning's eyes turned red watching from the side. He leaned in, carefully reaching out to stroke Zhuifeng's back, his voice thick with tears.

"Zhuifeng, you scared me to death! I thought those beasts had..."

He couldn't finish his sentence, simply stroking Zhuifeng's fur. Zhuifeng turned its head and licked his fingers, as if to comfort him.

Qi Huan stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over the toppled statue and the little black dog in Chen Mu's arms, before finally settling on the pile of unburnt incense.

"This place is not simple," he said in a deep voice.

"Those demons were able to set a trap here, bind you with illusions, and use this specially crafted incense, which means they were well-prepared. Furthermore, they are extremely familiar with this temple; they may have long regarded this place as their lair."

Chen Mu nodded without speaking, stood up while holding Zhuifeng, and scanned the interior of the temple.

The statue of the old man lay horizontally on the offering table, his expression still benevolent, eyes lowered, and a smile on his lips.

"What is the background of this temple?"

Qi Huan shook his head. "I'm not sure. Although I've visited many villages around the Prefecture, this is my first time here. However, judging by the scale of the incense offerings, there must be many people who come to worship regularly. The villagers clearly revere this statue highly; otherwise, they wouldn't have built a temple for it."

He paused, his gaze resting on the toppled statue. "Who this statue represents and why it is called the Life-Saving Temple—we will have to investigate these things when we return."

Chen Mu was silent for a moment before turning and walking toward the temple entrance with Zhuifeng in his arms. "Let's head back."

Ling Xiaoning hurriedly followed, and Qi Huan took one last look at the toppled statue before turning and stepping out of the temple.

As the three stepped out of the temple, the night wind rushed in once more, dispersing the lingering scent of incense inside.

Ling Xiaoning followed behind Chen Mu, reaching out now and then to stroke Zhuifeng's back, chattering away incessantly.

"Zhuifeng, you're so lucky to be alive! Those beasts locked you in such a dark place—you must have been terrified, right? It's okay, it's okay, you're out now. Follow me from now on, and I'll protect you..."

Zhuifeng lay in his arms, its eyes half-open and half-closed. Whether it was tired or simply too lazy to pay attention to him, it only let out an occasional, very low whimper as a response.

Qi Huan walked at the rear, clutching the packet of leftover incense wrapped in oil paper, his brows remaining furrowed.