I told Fatty that the Fox Demon had been dealt with by Ku Qubi and Wang Baochang, and then briefly recounted the fierce battle just now, deliberately leaving out the part about Liu Qingqing.

Fatty listened with great enthusiasm and ran over to ask Ku Qubi if he could accept him as his disciple. Ku Qubi replied with just one sentence to Fatty: "Your... talent is not enough!"

Fatty rubbed his head, looking puzzled, "I thought I had quite a talent!"

Zhang Yuxin asked me why they suddenly passed out just now. I casually explained to her that the Fox Demon had used its demonic powers and put everyone into a daze.

"Oh, by the way, here you go!" Suddenly, I remembered the jade Buddha on my neck and quickly took it off and handed it to Zhang Yuxin.

This jade Buddha is pretty good. It saved my life when I was in the secret room. It's a good talisman.

To my surprise, Zhang Yuxin smiled at me and said that she was giving me this jade Buddha and asked me to keep it.

I said it couldn't be, this jade Buddha is very precious and has a spiritual presence. Wearing it can ward off evil spirits. Zhang Yuxin has relied on this jade Buddha since childhood for safety.

With a serious expression, Zhang Yuxin said, "It's precisely because this jade Buddha has spiritual power that I gave it to you. I hope you understand my intentions!"

At this point, Zhang Yuxin blushed slightly, lowered her head, and shyly said, "We're about to enter high school soon, and everyone is likely to go their separate ways. I'll leave this jade Buddha to you as a keepsake. I hope that every time you see the jade Buddha, you will think of me and feel like I'm by your side!"

After saying this, Zhang Yuxin held her face in her hands and ran away shyly.

Fatty came over and hugged my shoulder, asking me what I had said to Zhang Yuxin that made a cold and proud goddess suddenly become so shy.

I tightly gripped the jade Buddha in my hand and felt moved. If it weren't for Liu Qingqing's presence, I would definitely accept Zhang Yuxin. But... that's how life's fate goes. Who let Liu Qingqing enter my life ahead of time?

Old Gu, who was previously crazy and confused, seemed to be in much better spirits now. He walked up to me, expressed sincere thanks, and then turned around and walked towards the deep forest alone.

I was surprised and asked him why he was going deeper into the forest.

Old Gu forced out a bitter smile and said that the bodies of his three brothers were still in Youlan Temple, and he wanted to bring their bodies back together. As a group, they should return together.

Old Gu's face was filled with sorrow. He was the only survivor among the four travelers, but he couldn't be happy at all. Dragging his tired body, he walked step by step towards the depths of the forest.

I thought for a moment and pulled Faty along to catch up with him.

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Old Gu was puzzled and asked why we were following him. I said, "There are three bodies in Youlan Temple, how can you handle them alone? Let Fatty and me go with you. We know each other, and it's like being friends. I'm also very sad about the deaths of Zhang Peng and the others!"

Old Gu was deeply moved and repeatedly thanked me.

Fatty, on the other hand, wore a displeased look as he pulled me aside and asked in a low voice, "We just managed to escape from Youlan Temple, why do we have to follow him back? Isn't this... isn't this a brainless move?"

I had a stern face and earnestly educated Fatty, "Helping others is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and that's exactly what you lack!"

Fatty muttered, "Can't I not go? Why did you specifically drag me along among so many people? Do you think I'm easy to bully?"

I was very angry, rolled my eyes at him, and scolded him, "The thousand-year-old fox has been eliminated, what are you afraid of? If you're scared, then go back, coward!"

Fatty responded unhappily, "Why am I a coward? In Youlan Temple, wasn't it me who helped you catch ghosts? Look at those people like Dragon Lord, do they have the courage to step forward? Let me tell you, I'm definitely your golden partner!"

I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Golden partner? More like 'Brain Platinum'!"

The others naturally didn't dare to go back to Youlan Temple again. They were all frightened and barely managed to escape with their lives. Who would want to go back? I guess they wouldn't go on wild trips anymore. This trip must have left them with serious psychological trauma.

I asked Ku Qubi and Wang Baochang to take the others back the same way we came, while Fatty and I followed Old Gu back to Youlan Temple.

When we arrived at Youlan Temple, it was already bright outside. The morning sun bathed this thousand-year-old temple. I don't know if it was just a psychological effect, but suddenly, we felt that the temple wasn't as eerie and terrifying as before.

The Ghost Queen Xiaoxiao had been defeated by me, and the thousand-year-old Fox Demon had returned to its mortal form. There would be no more evil spirits coming to cause trouble in Youlan Temple.

In the morning breeze, I seemed to faintly hear the ancient chanting and the crisp sound of wooden fish coming from inside the temple. I seemed to see each monk sitting solemnly in front of the Buddha statue, with a dignified and solemn demeanor.

After dealing with the bodies of Zhang Peng and the others, I walked into the Buddhist hall. Before leaving, I still wanted to bow to the seated Buddha statue.

I knelt down in front of the Buddha statue, devoutly kowtowing and thanking the Buddha for his blessings that allowed us to survive this ordeal unscathed.

Fatty called me from outside the Buddhist hall, "Yang Cheng, let's go!"

I nodded and stood up, about to turn around and leave when I suddenly noticed something strange on the face of the Buddha statue.

I furrowed my brows and curiously walked up to the Buddha statue.

To my astonishment, tears were flowing from the eyes of the Buddha statue!

Two lines of red tears slowly flowed from the eye sockets of the Buddha statue, rolling down the cheeks and gathering in the palm of the Buddha's hand.

I stood frozen on the spot, incredulously watching this scene. I couldn't tell if it was magical or eerie. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that a stone Buddha could shed tears!

The two lines of tears converged in the palm of the Buddha statue, forming a ruby the size of an orange, shining brightly.

I was both shocked and delighted. I leaned closer, the red light reflecting on my face. Curiously, I reached out my hand and grabbed the "ruby" in my hand. It felt warm, just like a freshly baked sweet potato.

I held the "ruby" between my fingertips and raised it, squinting my eyes. It was as translucent as crystal.

Hey, this thing is really something rare! It's actually formed from the tears of the stone Buddha. It may not be as valuable as a real gem, but it's precious because of its rarity. It is definitely an excellent work of art. If I make it into a pendant, it will surely look beautiful.

I thought for a moment, so I put the "ruby" in my pocket, planning to bring it back as a gift for Qingqing. If appropriate, I would ask my mother to go to the jewelry store in town and make it into a pendant, hanging it on Qingqing's snow-white chest. It will definitely look elegant.