章)As the sun dipped low in the evening sky, a golden light bathed the worn walls of the Radish Temple on Whimsy Mountain, casting a hue as if newly painted.
In front of the dilapidated wooden door, a tiny figure, as lively as a sprite, shook her head vigorously.
"Ah! Lily, calm down! Master said this old lock is as old as him, its like an uncle, you must not impulsively break it, you must not disrespect Uncle Lock! Deep breaths, deep breaths!"
Little Lily, armed with a key larger than her palm, struggled to unlock the door.
Alas, despite her efforts that made the rickety red door creak as if it would collapse, the lock remained unopened.
With a sigh, the child, her plump little hand covering her face in exasperation, was a sight to behold.
She sported a towering bun on her head, styled like a radish top, and her body was draped in an oversized robe that was far too large for her frame.
One might mistake her for a child playing dress-up in adult clothes.
In truth, the attire was by her master, designed to fit her well into her tenth year.
The Radish Temple prided itself on frugality.
Master had planned to make her a new robe once she turned five, suitable for when she was ten.
However, fate had other plans.
Three days prior, the temples headmaster, Daozhang Sanbei, had passed away, leaving his sole disciple, Lily, with instructions to descend the mountain.
Lily was supposed to return home with her family, but mishaps abounded.
The little girl, carrying her bundle and taking small, determined steps, managed to walk two miles before realizing she forgot her masters ancestral tablet.
Thus, she turned back from noon till the evening, hours of walking, only to return to the deserted Radish Temple as night fell.
"Master, I promise this time I will take the ancestor with me and live harmoniously with my family, bringing honor to our Radish Temple and striving to promote our sect!"
Lily recited, bowing her head in a gesture that seemed to conduct a ritual.
Her towering bun swayed with the motion, as if part of the ceremony.
Determined to deal with the uncooperative old door, she decided to use both her hands and feet!
However, the next moment, the little one dodged behind the large stone at the entrance.
People were coming!
A sinister wind blew, and the sound of footsteps alerted Lily to hide instinctively.
A group of men in tight black clothing approached, led by a man adorned with a hefty gold chain.
Lilys eyes widened at the sight of the chain, her mouth watering at the thought of the offerings it could bring.
The leader with the gold chain signaled, and his men kicked the door down.
Bang!
The red door fell to the ground.
"Boss, the door is open, lets hurry in. Weve scouted for days and confirmed the emperors tomb is beneath the Radish Temple. There must be plenty of treasures, were going to make a fortune!"
The behind the gold chain leader spoke with gleaming eyes.
"Men, work hard this time, and when we return, Ill buy you cars, houses, and women!" The leader laughed heartily.
His followers cheered and laughed.
As they all entered the Radish Temple, Lily saw dark energies seeping from the ground, surrounding the temple.
These were the malevolent spirits, ready to strike.
Lily, crouching low and dragging her large bundle, quickly entered the temple as well.
Inside, a foul stench filled the air.
The smell of death.
But not from Daozhang Sanbei.
"These are the dark energies from the emperors tomb!" Lily whispered to herself.
Emperors tombs were filled with the spirits of those forced into burial, their resentment lingering, seeking to vent their grievances.
Today, these men were in for a disaster!
Lily didnt want to meddle; she just wanted to find her ancestor and leave.
But these guys were hellbent on courting disaster.
"Boss, this temple is as poor as it looks, even the statues are rusty bronze, tut-tut, the emperors tomb here hasnt even brought them more offerings, what a shame, no ability at all!"
The same sycophant who had spoken earlier was struck by a bolt of lightning from the suddenly cloudy sky.
Crash!
A lightning bolt struck the gold chain leader.
Zap!
The gold chain conducted electricity.
The leader instantly smelled like charred meat and collapsed unconscious.
Gold chains conduct electricity quickly?
Oh, a fake tycoon, a real!
Lily couldnt help but feel a bit of sympathy.
"Ah! Boss is dead! Someones dead!" The, now pale with fear, screamed in panic.
The others were terrified, some even dropping to their knees to kowtow to the statues.
"Immortal master, please help us, we dont want the money, please dont take our lives!"
Seeing her ancestors tablet in such disarray on the ground, Lily grew anxious.
"Heaven and earth, ancestors above, please let Lily take you away successfully, otherwise, Ill miss the last bus home!"
Lily whispered, moving in the dim light of the temple.
Her small, quick steps inched forward, her bun bouncing playfully.
Lilys hands were sweaty, yet she was determined to take her ancestor with her.
"Someones there!" The terrified looked up and saw Lily.
But in his dizziness, he couldnt see her clearly in the dark.
He kowtowed directly to Lily: "Temple god, I didnt want to disturb you, it was that damned Gold Tooth who forced me! Please, have mercy, let me go! Ill spend the rest of my life eating vegetarian and reciting Buddhas name, hoping to cleanse todays sins!"
Gold Tooth, now dead, attracted the dark energies outside, providing them with a host.
Gold Tooth was about to be possessed!
Seeing this, Lily couldnt think twice.
"If you want to atone, call the police! My temple is small, and the offerings are insufficient to suppress the dark energies from the emperors tomb completely! You need to call the light of righteousness to protect you!"
Lily imitated her masters tone, urging the tomb robbers to call the police.
The tomb robbers, desperate to live, frantically dialed their phones.
Just as they were about to make the call, Gold Tooth suddenly sat up from the ground.
He was silent, his eyes filled with a green light, his body rigid like a zombie, terrifying to behold!
"Ah, the boss is sitting up! Its haunted!" The tomb robber holding the phone fainted.
Looking at the group of men who were either fainted or soiled their pants in fear, Lily felt helpless.
"Well, well, only Lily can step in now!"