He Shiqi's face was still confused, but Lin Tingjun had already smiled faintly. He lifted up his clothes and flew up slowly with the lotus. His feet stepped on the gravel, as light as a swallow. His green figure was like a bluebird flying over the cliff, neat and agile, elegant and handsome.
He Shiqi came to his senses, jumped up, and fell back to the ground with a "bang". His face darkened. He forgot that he only had a part of "brute force" in his body now, which meant that he could run fast and jump far, but he definitely couldn't fly. He stretched out his hand in frustration. Since he couldn't fly, he would just crawl.
With one claw he chiseled five holes in the stone wall. He felt it, nodded, and suddenly jumped up. "Bang, bang, bang!" He quickly jumped up the stone wall. The gravel that was chiseled by his claws fell like rain with a crackling sound. From a distance, it looked like a huge black ape was climbing up quickly to avoid the stone.
The lotus floated down slowly, her dress fluttering on the mountaintop. She looked down at the Temple of Heaven below, where flags fluttered and bells echoed, signaling the beginning of the prayer.
Praying is a very tiring thing. First, the formal attire is too heavy, and second, the arms have to be kept raised high. So after praying, Duanmu Qingchen looked like he was completely exhausted.
He collapsed in the guest room, and a young monk from the temple gave him a massage. Women were not allowed to go up the mountain for such a blessing activity, let alone eunuchs who were neither male nor female.
"I'm so tired... I'm so tired..." Duanmu Qingchen said as if he was dying.
Duanmu Yankang, who was standing beside him, helped Duanmu Ruifeng take off his formal attire: "Finally, you can take a break. It's like this every year, Prince, you have to get used to it."
"Yes, Prince, it's time for you to preside over the ceremony on behalf of our father. It's so tiring, and our father is old and his body can't handle it." After Duanmu Ruifeng took off his clothes, he began to help Duanmu Yankang take off his clothes.
Duanmu Jinhong sat aside and took off his formal clothes in an orderly manner. After taking off his formal clothes, he breathed a sigh of relief. Inside was a light blue bamboo-patterned casual suit, which highlighted his elegance and handsomeness.
He elegantly lifted his robe and sat down, picked up the brewed tea and sipped it quietly.
Duanmu Qingchen was lying on the couch, enjoying the massage while looking at his third brother Duanmu Jinhong with drooping eyelids. He looked at him for a while, then smiled evilly, waved away the little monk, and then sat up with great effort holding the heavy belt. Now this heavy suit could just support his body.
He looked at Duanmu Jinhong with a sly smile: "Third brother, I heard that you have a crush on Lin Shiyue?"
Immediately, Duanmu Jinhong paused in his hand that was holding the teacup, and all the coldness in his body burst out from his elegant clothes.
Duanmu Yankang and Duanmu Ruifeng tensed up all over, feeling that the atmosphere was not right, but they couldn't suppress their curious hearts. They looked at each other, gritted their teeth and refused to run away. They sat aside, grabbed a handful of peanuts, drank tea and watched the show.
Duanmu Jinhong said nothing, just looked at the tea and drank it slowly.
Duanmu Qingchen would not let Duanmu Jinhong go, and took off the heavy white jade belt with great effort. While unbuttoning the complicated inner buttons of the formal suit, he looked at Duanmu Jinhong mischievously: "Although I was not there at the time, I know everything. I heard that you were holding Lin Shiyue's little hand~~~~"
"Stop talking!" Duanmu Jinhong shouted coldly.
Duanmu Yankang and Duanmu Ruifeng were grinning from ear to ear, the show was about to begin!
Duanmu Qingchen also had peach blossom eyes and was smiling.
Duanmu Jinhong looked at Duanmu Qingchen coldly: "Don't look at Miss Lin and me with your lustful eyes, we didn't do anything!"
"I didn't say what you did~~" Duanmu Qingchen also looked innocent. He opened his thick collar and fanned the air, blowing out the heat that had been trapped inside for the whole morning. Fortunately, the clothes were filled with the scent of sandalwood, which covered the sweat smell all over his body. "You look nervous. If you like Miss Lin, just go and ask your father."
Duanmu Jinhong glared at him coldly: "Are you too idle? Since you are so idle, you can go and check what kind of monsters and demons are suppressed in the national temple!" Duanmu Jinhong said unhappily.
"Monsters and demons!" Sure enough, upon hearing these four words, Duanmu Qingchen jumped up immediately, "There are monsters and demons in this national temple?! How did you know? Do you know?" Duanmu Qingchen looked at Duanmu Yankang and Duanmu Ruifeng.
Duanmu Jinhong glanced at Duanmu Qingchen and pursed his lips, seemingly not wanting to pay attention to Duanmu Qingchen, but in fact he was thinking about how to explain it so that others would not suspect that he had deliberately asked Duanmu Qingchen to go.
Unexpectedly, Duanmu Yankang said: "I heard about it too!"
Duanmu Yankang's words made Duanmu Jinhong stunned, and he looked at Duanmu Yankang.
Duanmu Yankang said: "During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a few girls were telling ghost stories, and then the eunuchs heard them. Later, when they returned to the palace, they talked about it and said that the National Temple was actually the palace of the previous dynasty..."
"Tsk, I know that too." Duanmu Qingchen became a little bored. He lay back on the couch and began to take off his heavy formal attire.
"Brother Prince, there is more behind." Duanmu Ruifeng continued, "It is said that the back part of the palace is very evil, and everyone who enters can come out, so the emperor of the Qian Dynasty changed the palace and built a national temple here to suppress the evil palace."
"Really?" Duanmu Qingchen was alert again, "Where is the evil palace?"
Duanmu Yankang and Duanmu Ruifeng both shook their heads.
Duanmu Qingchen looked at Duanmu Jinhong again, and Duanmu Jinhong looked confused: "Why are you looking at me? I know less than them. I thought that demons and ghosts were suppressed here." Duanmu Jinhong's tense heart finally relaxed. Now, no one would doubt that he had deliberately instigated Duanmu Qingchen to go. Because the two brothers Duanmu Yankang said more than he did...
Duanmu Qingchen was anxious: "How come you guys don't know when it comes to the crucial moment!"
"Brother Prince, why don't you just ask the monks in this temple and you'll know?" Duanmu Yankang said as a matter of course.
Duanmu Qingchen excitedly ran to Duanmu Yankang, hugged his face and kissed him hard: "You finally have a brain!"
Duanmu Yankang looked depressed, while Duanmu Ruifeng was laughing happily beside him.
Duanmu Jinhong frowned and said, "Today is a day for praying for blessings. Can you please stop making trouble? You are making father worry!" Duanmu Jinhong spoke in his usual tone, because if he did not say so at this time, it would be unlike him.
Duanmu Yankang and Duanmu Ruifeng's expressions tensed at his stern tone and they looked at Duanmu Qingchen.
Duanmu Qingchen looked at Duanmu Jinhong with disdain: "You are such a serious person, boring, if you don't want to go, then don't go."
Duanmu Jinhong was startled, his face became a little stiff, and he thought... was he adding unnecessary details
Unexpectedly, Duanmu Qingchen raised his eyebrows and smiled evilly again: "Just don't let father know~~~"
Duanmu Jinhong finally breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, Duanmu Qingchen was still the same Duanmu Qingchen, and she would not change. He was really startled by Duanmu Qingchen and broke out in a cold sweat. (To be continued)