Chapter 17: You Can’t Catch a Tiger Without Entering Its Lair

After leaving the guest hall, Bai Jinxi and Banxia huddled together, whispering and giggling Lu Yian tried to join their conversation several times, but the two maids brushed him off casually.

He simply fell behind a few steps, unwilling to make a fool of himself anymore, following them at a distance.

After secretly glancing at Lu Yian, who was looking bored and trying to suppress his annoyance, and making sure he couldn’t hear their conversation, Bai Jinxi lowered her voice and said to Banxia,

“Later, I’ll ask to go back to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva again. You take the opportunity to check if Zhang Ze has followed us.”

Banxia nodded slightly, then asked, “Miss, are you really going to the back mountain? Yun Mo Yi specifically mentioned the back mountain. She must be up to no good!”

“Don’t worry. Since Yun Moyi dared to let her son follow me closely, it means that the danger is not great. It’s something she can control.”

Bai Jinxi was actually a little nervous, but you can’t catch a tiger without entering its lair!

“Later, Lu Yian might try to get rid of you. Just leave and don’t stay nearby, understand?”

Bai Jinxi thought for a moment and added.

“No!” Banxia unconsciously raised her voice. Realizing her mistake, she quickly glanced at Lu Yian. Seeing that he wasn’t paying attention to them, she continued.

“Miss, it’s too dangerous. This servant can’t leave you alone!” Even though she had been a little afraid before, Banxia’s attitude was particularly firm now.

“Listen to me. I’m not asking you to stay out of it. Go around and see if there’s anyone around, then hide nearby. I won’t go deep inside. That way, if things get out of control, you can find someone to save me in time…”

Bai Jinxi put on a serious expression, her face serious and determined, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes… Miss, don’t worry. This servant will definitely bring someone to save you!”

Looking at Banxia’s serious little face, Bai Jinxi felt a little powerless to complain—this silly girl is cursing her own mistress…

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“Brother An, Sister Xi wants to go to the Ksitigarbha Hall to pray again.”

Bai Jinxi looked up at Lu Yian, who was beside her.

“Didn’t you already go?”

Lu Yian was a little impatient. After leaving the guest hall, those two maids had been chattering nonstop. It was true, as the saying goes, a woman’s chatter is like three thousand ducks.

“Ah… there were so many people just now… Sister Xi still had a lot to say, and she didn’t have time to tell the Bodhisattva…” The little girl seemed to be frightened by his attitude. She took a small step back and said in a low voice.

Realizing that his attitude was inappropriate, Lu Yian quickly put on a gentle expression and comforted her. “Brother An was rude just now. Brother An apologizes to Sister Xi.”

Lu Yian quickly explained. “I was just worried that you would be tired later and wouldn’t be able to go to the back mountain to enjoy the flowers, which would be a pity. I heard that the crabapple blossoms are in full bloom this year, covering the entire mountain. It’s a rare sight.”

He was also a little worried that the little girl would be tired and wouldn’t go to the back mountain. Then his mother’s plan would be ruined!

Thinking about what his mother had said in the carriage, he looked at Bai Jinxi with a hint of strange pity.

Bai Jinxi caught the change in his expression and felt a chill in her heart. It seems that they want to destroy her later. She just didn’t know what method they would use…

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“I, Bai Jinxi, have been blessed by heaven to be reborn. But my entire Bai family died so unjustly. I have to do some things…”

Entering the Ksitigarbha Hall, Bai Jinxi knelt straight on the kneeling cushion in the middle and spoke to the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in a voice that only she could hear.

Lu Yian was aimlessly looking around, bored. Banxia, following Bai Jinxi’s instructions, took the opportunity to leave the hall while Lu Yian was looking away.

She anxiously scanned the crowd with her eyes, trying to find Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze, somehow, had gotten a straw hat and was staring at them. Seeing that Banxia seemed to be looking for him, he silently walked past her and quietly patted her shoulder.

Suddenly being patted on the shoulder, Banxia was startled. Then she realized and followed Zhang Ze to the side, telling him about Miss’s arrangements.

Zhang Ze frowned when he heard this. “Since Miss told you to leave, you should just go back to the guest hall. I’m here. I can do all these things.”

Banxia rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not comfortable leaving Miss with you! Stay close to Miss later. Don’t let anything happen and then you can’t get there in time.”

Zhang Ze wanted to persuade her further, but Banxia ignored him and went straight back into the Ksitigarbha Hall…

At this time, Bai Jinxi had also finished praying to the Buddha. But Banxia hadn’t come back yet, so she looked around and bowed to the ten kings on both sides of the hall, stalling for time.

She saw Banxia coming over with her peripheral vision, so she quickly went to meet her.

Perhaps there would be a tough battle ahead. Before leaving, she looked back at the compassionate and majestic Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and silently prayed in her heart, May the Bodhisattva bless me!

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The back gate of Luoyun Temple.

Because it was lunchtime, they only met a few people on their way out of the temple gate.

Banxia’s palms were sweating nervously.

Bai Jinxi felt the nervousness of the little girl beside her and gently squeezed her fingers to comfort her.

“It’s good that there aren’t many people now. We can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the entire mountain. Such beautiful scenery cannot be without poetry. Banxia, go back to the guest hall and get some paper and pens.”

Lu Yian, as if he was excited about the hunt, looked at the crabapple blossoms covering the entire mountain and suddenly felt inspired to write poetry.

Although Miss had instructed her beforehand, Banxia still hesitated at this moment. She looked at Bai Jinxi. “Miss…”

“Go. We won’t go deep inside. We’ll wait for you nearby.” Bai Jinxi looked at her deeply, her words implying something.

“Yes…”

Banxia gritted her teeth and turned to go back the way they came…

Seeing Banxia walk away, Lu Yian, as if he had discovered a new beauty, couldn’t help but say excitedly,

“Sister Xi, the flowers are even more beautiful ahead. Why don’t we walk a little further?”

Bai Jinxi naturally knew his purpose. He wanted to get her further away from Luoyun Temple, didn’t he? She wasn’t just a reckless person. She wanted revenge, but the prerequisite was to protect herself.

She shook her head and said obediently, “No, Banxia will be worried if she can’t find us. I told her to wait for us nearby. She’ll be anxious if she can’t see me.”

“Sister Xi is so kind, thinking so much for a servant. Then let’s just walk a little further. Banxia will still be able to see us when she comes back.”

Lu Yian actually used a gentle voice to coax her. Bai Jinxi couldn’t help but shiver. She was so disgusted that goosebumps were falling off her.

“Well… alright… just a little bit.” She looked back towards the way they came without a trace, as if she was looking to see if Banxia had come back. But her eyes were scanning the bushes by the roadside.

She saw a clump of bushes three zhang away move. Her pupils constricted, unsure if it was Zhang Ze or…?

So, she pretended not to see it. She deliberately scanned the area again. When her eyes swept over that area again, she saw the bushes shaking more violently.

Seeing this, Bai Jinxi knew what was going on.

A distance of three zhang, as long as the other person wasn’t aiming to kill, then there was still time!

If…

Bai Jinxi glanced at Lu Yian with a cold look.

If he wanted to kill, then he wouldn’t be able to get away with it either!