After making up her mind, Huang Quan cleared her throat and said, “Master Fo Xin, we’ve only met twice. Your gift is too valuable, and I can’t accept it.”
Besides, she hadn’t confirmed whether the person in front of her was Qin Qin. Even if she had, the Buddhist items Qin Qin carried might help suppress the death aura on him, much like the Heavenly Buddha Beads.
“Prince Di Qin and I are very close friends,” Fo Xin said calmly as Huang Quan quickly pondered over these matters. “Prince Di Qin resided in Buddha City for a period, and we got along very well. And you, benefactor, are very close to the prince.”
His implication was clear: because she was close to the prince, it meant she was close to him too, so it was appropriate to accept the gift.
Huang Quan: “…” Honestly, his eagerness reminded her very much of Qin Qin when he gave her the communicator.
It was hard not to overthink it.
However…
The High Priest interjected at the right moment, “Huang Quan, the prince and he indeed have a good relationship. Since he’s giving it to you, just accept it.”
After listening, Huang Quan turned her head to look at the High Priest.
The High Priest’s expression was calm, showing no emotional fluctuations.
Huang Quan scrutinized him but couldn’t read anything from his face, so she turned back to Fo Xin. “Master Fo Xin, thank you for your congratulations, but I don’t like receiving gifts.” Except from Qin Qin!
Fo Xin smiled slightly and put the item away. “If that’s the case, I won’t insist.”
His expression seemed unchanged, but he felt both happy and a bit helpless inside.
He knew why she refused.
However…
Mindful of his identity, Fo Xin did not push further. His dark eyes scanned the surroundings, but he didn’t see Nangong Mian.
“Benefactor Nangong,” Fo Xin said warmly to Huang Quan, “I left suddenly last time without saying goodbye to your brother. It was quite rude of me. Has your brother come this time?”
“If he has, I would like to apologize to him in person.”
Huang Quan didn’t think much about it, as it was indeed true.
“My brother has come this time,” Huang Quan said, “but he can’t meet with Master Fo Xin for now.”
She didn’t explain the reason, but Fo Xin understood. Asking further would be inappropriate, so he nodded slightly. “In that case, I’ll wait until he is available to meet.”
Huang Quan nodded. “Mm.”
“Farewell,” Fo Xin said, turning to leave.
As he turned, Fo Xin glanced at the High Priest before quickly departing.
When Fo Xin arrived, the crowd made way for him. As he left, they did so again, showing just how much they feared him.
Even if someone from the Buddhist sect had immense power, they shouldn’t inspire such fear.
Watching Fo Xin’s departing figure, Huang Quan thought for a moment and understood the reason.
When she killed Qin Qianqian, Fo Xin witnessed it, and that was when she first saw him. Her initial focus had been on his face and those eyes…
At that time, she saw admiration in his eyes.
And that admiration was because she had killed Qin Qianqian.
Admiring her for killing…
She found it odd back then, but now she understood.
Fo Xin’s true nature was likely very different from his outward demeanor.
“Huang Quan,” Feng Jiuyuan called out.
Huang Quan turned her head to look at him. “What is it?”
Feng Jiuyuan looked at her, his usual casual smile gone, replaced by a serious expression. “Stay away from Fo Xin.”
“His true nature is nothing like the kind persona you see.”
“Feng Jiuyuan is right.” This time, even Jing Chen agreed with Feng Jiuyuan.
Huang Quan was a bit surprised and looked at the two of them. “Is he that terrifying?”
“Fo Xin may be a monk, but the rules and precepts of Buddhism cannot restrain him,” Jing Chen said.
In other words, although Fo Xin appeared to be a monk, he wasn’t bound by the Buddhist rules and could kill just like anyone else.
Seeing the solemn expressions on their faces, Huang Quan knew they were genuinely concerned for her. She nodded and said, “Thank you for the warning, I’ll keep it in mind.”
Although she hadn’t seen the frightening side of Fo Xin, the fear others had for him was evident.
“Fo Xin is here for the ruins. We don’t need to focus too much on him,” the High Priest said calmly. “Our immediate concern is to understand the current situation.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Jiuyuan and the others fell silent.
The current situation was clear: everyone who came for the ruins had been gathered in one place. It was uncertain why they were brought here, but it was definitely not for a good reason.
White beams of light continued to appear, each bringing more people. Everyone was uneasy, but after Fo Xin showed up, no one dared to surround Huang Quan and demand answers as before.
About a quarter of an hour later, the white beams stopped appearing, meaning everyone who had entered the ruins was now gathered here.
The act of gathering everyone together, combined with the High Priest’s earlier words about someone controlling the ruins, had everyone on edge.
As the crowd grew more anxious, a blinding white light flashed, forming a huge screen. On the screen sat a man in a black robe wearing a mask.
The man was seated, and behind him was a massive stone slab carved with tiny characters, different from any writing Huang Quan had seen in this world.
It was clearly a special script, perhaps belonging to the ancient city or used specifically for inscriptions…
Regardless, Huang Quan quickly memorized the characters on the stone before turning her attention to the man.
The man wore a mask, and his eyes were as deep and dark as the night, so profound that one dared not look directly at them.
However, Huang Quan was not an ordinary person.
She stared directly into the man’s eyes, examining every detail carefully to avoid missing anything.
Everyone present, not just Huang Quan, was scrutinizing the man. However, whenever they stared at him for too long, they felt a wave of dizziness.
Unable to look for long, the crowd grew more chaotic.
Someone shouted loudly, “Who are you?”
“Are you the one who gathered us here?”
“This is a ruin. How can you gather us all here?”
“Are you a resident of this ruin?”
Even without an answer, the very thought of someone residing in the ruins was terrifying.
“Luoyou City.”
The voice was extremely hoarse, causing those who heard it to frown involuntarily.
It was as if the person hadn’t spoken for a long time.
“This is Luoyou City,” the man said, his gaze sweeping across the crowd through the screen, devoid of any emotion. “If you can survive the upcoming dangers and reach me, you can choose anything from within the ruins.”
Upon hearing this, someone driven by greed eagerly asked, “What’s inside the ruins?”
