The main hall was dark and damp, with deep green mold growing in the corners of the walls.
"Am I... am I hallucinating?"
The influencer clung tightly to her rich boyfriend's arm.
Those words were clearly self-deception.
Everyone was looking at the Headless Great Buddha, which meant they had all heard it.
"There's something dirty here!"
The white-collar woman gasped, her legs wrapped in black stockings trembling from fear.
"What the hell is this? Playing tricks?"
The musclehead cursed. He wanted to go check by the Headless Buddha, but after taking one step, he stopped, his gaze sweeping over the office worker, the delivery guy, and Lu Jiuling.
One must be cautious.
Find some cannon fodder first.
The office worker was gaunt, with heavy dark circles behind his glasses—the kind you only got from pulling overtime for three or four months straight. At first glance, he was a corporate slave who had been beaten down by society and resigned to his fate.
The delivery guy was physically robust—pass.
That left a high schooler.
Song Xue saw that thug who looked like bad news staring at the boy beside her and quickly tugged him. "Don't look, you'll get targeted!"
Lu Jiuling didn't look away. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared right back at the musclehead.
Most people had a mentality of seeking fortune and avoiding disaster. Faced with such scrutinizing eyes, they would basically choose to back down—better less trouble than more.
But Lu Jiuling knew he couldn't do that.
Including himself, five men and three women, eight people total.
On the men's side, the musclehead was physically strong and clearly the best fighter. Add to that his politeness toward the rich kid—once they teamed up, they'd have the power to suppress anyone.
The musclehead clearly had brains. As long as he roped in one more man, he'd have absolute say.
Lu Jiuling noticed one detail: the musclehead only glanced at the delivery guy, which meant he thought dealing with Lu Jiuling and the office worker would be easier.
Therefore, it was obvious—if he didn't put on a reckless hothead attitude, he'd definitely be sent as cannon fodder.
Refuse?
That would certainly earn him a beating.
"Heh, young and impetuous!"
The musclehead had indeed planned to pick cannon fodder between the office worker and the high schooler. Now, seeing Lu Jiuling's tough gaze, the kid clearly looked like a reckless hothead. That meant the office worker would have to take the hit.
"Hey!"
The musclehead barked at the office worker. "Go check what's going on with that Headless Buddha!"
"Huh?"
The office worker froze, then shook his head. "Why me?"
The musclehead didn't answer. Instead, he strode over, grabbed him by the hair, and swung his fan-sized right hand, slapping him hard across the face.
*Slap! Slap! Slap!*
After the beating, the musclehead shoved the office worker in front of the Headless Buddha.
Song Xue was so frightened she hugged Lu Jiuling's arm.
*Bam!*
The office worker crashed to the ground, his glasses falling off.
"Talk back again and I'll beat you to death!"
The musclehead made as if to kick him. "Go!"
Having suffered a big loss, the office worker learned his lesson. He picked up his glasses, put them on, and tremblingly walked toward the Buddha.
"Mister, if you want to get out, you'll have to check the Buddha as well."
The rich kid chose that moment to play the good cop, placating the office worker.
The office worker walked up to the Headless Buddha and began to inspect it.
"You're lucky. Otherwise, you'd be the one getting beaten."
Song Xue patted Lu Jiuling's arm, let out a long breath, and whispered, "Don't make eye contact with him next time. That kind of person is vicious!"
"..."
Lu Jiuling was speechless.
Are you a silly sweetheart with powdered sugar for brains?
If I had listened to you just now and hadn't bared my teeth, I'd be the one inspecting this creepy Buddha right now!
[Where is my head?]
[Give me back my head!]
Another roar.
The office worker staggered back in panic as if bitten by an evil ghost.
This time, everyone heard it clearly. The sound was indeed coming from this Headless Buddha.
"What is this thing?"
The white-collar woman nervously swallowed and looked toward the main doors again.
She couldn't wait to leave this godforsaken place.
[My head... is lost!]
As the Headless Buddha wailed, with a creak, the tightly shut doors of the main hall swung open as if pushed by an invisible ghostly hand.
The white-collar woman didn't think twice. She bolted for the exit.
The heels of her shoes struck the ground with crisp clacking sounds.
The others quickly followed.
Once outside the main hall, everyone froze on the steps.
The cold moonlight spilled over them, chilling them as if stroked by a dead man's hand.
Terrified, Song Xue pressed close to Lu Jiuling and grabbed his clothes.
Below the steps was a large courtyard enclosed by red brick and green tiles.
Because of long neglect, foxtails growing atop the walls swayed in the wind, as if summoning the souls of the dead.
Besides being overgrown with weeds, the courtyard was scattered with Buddha heads all over the ground.
These Buddha heads were made of bronze, stone, wood, and even expensive jade. Some looked fearful, some weeping...
Even though they were rotting on the ground, covered in cobwebs, every expression on each Buddha head remained lifelike, as if they were real human heads freshly severed, their expressions not yet faded.
This scene was utterly ghastly.
"Holy shit!"
The musclehead exclaimed, feeling like a snake had crawled up his spine, giving him goosebumps all over.
"What the hell kind of place is this?"
The white-collar woman's voice already carried a sob.
"There's a gate over there!"
Song Xue pointed.
The delivery guy and the office worker had already run over.
"Hurry!"
The influencer pulled her boyfriend.
No one needed urging. In such a bizarre place, nobody wanted to stay a second longer.
Song Xue ran a few steps, then saw the high schooler hadn't followed. She anxiously looked back. "What's wrong? Did you hurt your foot?"
"Don't run around wasting energy. The odds are ten to one that we can't get out!"
Lu Jiuling felt that the key to escaping lay in these Buddha heads scattered on the ground.
The delivery guy was indeed in excellent shape. Running less than ten meters, he overtook the office worker and reached the wooden door first.
He pushed hard a few times. With a bang, the door swung open.
Outside was another courtyard, also with weeds, but no Buddha heads on the ground.
The delivery guy glanced over, saw no danger, and noticed another door in the opposite wall. He immediately stepped over the threshold to take a look.
But the moment both his legs crossed the threshold, his head suddenly exploded with a bang, like a hot water bag crushed by a heavy truck tire.
Brain matter mixed with blood and flesh splattered everywhere with a splat.
The office worker behind him was sprayed across the face, his glasses blurred, but he didn't bother wiping them. He fell on his bottom and scrambled backward nonstop.
"Ahh!"
The white-collar woman and the influencer let out shrill screams, their faces twisted.
"Shut up!"
The rich kid roared. He was worried that the women's screaming would attract something dirty.
"Huh?"
Song Xue cried out, covering her mouth, and instinctively turned to look at Lu Jiuling.
He had actually been right!
"Let's go find the Buddha head."
Lu Jiuling began wandering the courtyard, searching for the Headless Buddha's head.
Song Xue followed behind. The moment she thought of the delivery guy's head exploding, she started dry heaving.
The musclehead looked back and sized up Lu Jiuling.
This kid...
...was interesting!
"It seems the key to getting out is finding that creepy Buddha's head in the main hall!"
The rich kid looked at the main hall, then called out to Lu Jiuling: "Hey, bro, any discoveries?"
This high schooler looked like he had brains.
"No!"
Lu Jiuling replied.
"Wuwuwu, what do we do now?"
The white-collar woman burst into tears. She hadn't expected that after leaving the main hall, they'd be trapped in this courtyard full of Buddha heads.
"What else can we do?"
The rich kid cursed irritably. "Find the Buddha head!"
Everyone got moving.
"Aren't these Buddha heads too small?"
The influencer recalled the Headless Buddha's dozen-or-so-meter-tall body. "Its head should be even bigger than an ox head!"
"Find a similar-sized one first and try!"
The musclehead found the largest Buddha head and ordered the office worker: "Carry this into the main hall!"
"Why me again?"
The office worker was unwilling. "I was the one who just got beaten!"
He wasn't stupid either. If the Buddha head didn't match, he might die.
"I think you're asking for another beating!"
The musclehead sneered.
"That high schooler should do it!"
The office worker fought for his interests. "I'll go next time!"
"A ball-less waste like you, comparing yourself to him?"
The musclehead mocked.
Everyone saw the wooden door and ran, but that high schooler didn't, which showed he had already predicted they couldn't escape. That showed he had brains.
Not to mention when the delivery guy's head blew up, he remained calm. That showed he had guts too.
Unless absolutely necessary, the musclehead wouldn't clash with this kind of person, so naturally he continued squeezing this weak and bulliable office worker.
"Stop jabbering and hurry up to deliver the Buddha head!"
The influencer urged impatiently.
Seeing he couldn't avoid it, the office worker compromised. "I can go, but I'll find the Buddha head myself!"
"You have five minutes!"
The rich kid raised his wrist, checked his watch, and confirmed the time.
...
"Do you think this is the one?"
Song Xue squatted down, examining a stone Buddha head.
"Don't know!"
Lu Jiuling was terse.
"Right, the Headless Buddha's head definitely has certain characteristics!"
Song Xue reasoned, continuing to search.
The temple was as quiet as a mass grave at midnight.
Song Xue was scared and tugged Lu Jiuling's sleeve. "My name is Song Xue, a senior in high school this year. What about you?"
"Lu Jiuling!"
"Six-nine-zero?"
Hearing this name, Song Xue couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. "Why did your mom give you a name like that? Does it have some meaning?"
"Want to know?"
Lu Jiuling asked back.
"Mhm! Mhm!"
Song Xue nodded hurriedly, waiting for Lu Jiuling's explanation.
"I'll tell you after we get out!"
Lu Jiuling had no time to spare for idle chatter with Song Xue. He searched around, his gaze landing on the main hall. After hesitating a few seconds, he walked back.
Song Xue had wanted to keep asking, but seeing Lu Jiuling heading back to the main hall, she was greatly startled. She quickly ran a few steps to pull him back.
"Don't go, it's dangerous!"