Oh no!

I kicked Fatty, causing him to lose his balance and pounce on the door. As a result, he crashed into the door and rolled inside.

Behind the door was the front courtyard of the ancient temple. The courtyard was not large and overgrown with weeds, almost covering the original stone floor.

Several crows perched on the wall, their feathers soaked by the rain, sticking together in an unsightly mess. However, those crows continued to caw, their voices sending shivers down our spines.

In the courtyard, there was an abandoned bronze tripod, round-bellied with three legs and copper rings on the sides. It used to be a vessel for burning incense in the temple, but now it was dilapidated. The patterns and designs on it were already blurred and mottled.

The bronze tripod was filled with dirty water, and raindrops falling into it created splashes.

We passed through the front courtyard and ran towards the main hall of the temple.

Another dazzling lightning flashed, causing the group of crows to fly away. On the cornices of the main hall, one could vaguely see numerous stone-carved small Buddhas. However, most of these small stone Buddhas were damaged, some missing their heads, arms, or legs, and some even broken in half, completely losing their solemnity and instead revealing a deep sense of eeriness.

The main hall was dimly lit, and its area was not very large, similar to a basketball court.

Circular columns stood around, resembling four strong men, supporting the entire roof.

The surface of the columns was also mottled, with numerous ant holes. Many ants crawled in and out, giving people goosebumps.

Facing the main gate was a Buddhist altar with a seated Buddha carved on it.

This statue was the largest in the main hall, measuring about ten meters in height. The stone Buddha was already weathered, and the red paint on its surface had long peeled off, revealing the clay underneath. The lightning continued to flicker, giving the stone Buddha a mysterious and eerie appearance.

On the left and right sides of the main hall, there were statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, one holding a pipa, one wielding a sword, one holding a vajra umbrella, and one grabbing a snake. They looked somewhat ferocious.

The ground of the main hall was covered in dust, but we didn't mind. After all the running around, everyone was exhausted and couldn't run anymore. Some sat on the ground, some leaned against the columns, and some simply lay down in a sprawled position.

Many of the wooden lattice windows around the main hall were broken, making creaking sounds as the wind blew through. Cold gusts of wind entered the main hall, producing strange howling sounds.

We were soaked through, hastily dismantled two wooden windows, and used them as fuel for a fire, creating a bonfire in the main hall.

The crackling bonfire illuminated the main hall, casting flickering shadows. It also reddened our faces, finally providing a hint of warmth.

Our bodies were dirty and smelly, and our wet clothes clung uncomfortably to our backs.

For the boys, it didn't matter. They all took off their shirts, exposing their bare chests, and hung their clothes over the fire to dry.

The three girls, however, faced some trouble. Although they felt uncomfortable, they had no choice but to endure.

Under the roasting fire, white smoke rose from each person's body, making us all look as if we were practicing some kind of mysterious martial arts.

I pinched Zhang Yuxin's philtrum acupoint forcefully. Fatty bravely volunteered to perform artificial respiration.

The others cursed Fatty for being shameless and then competed to give Zhang Yuxin artificial respiration, creating a chaotic scene.

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Ju'an held her chest, panting, and said, "I feel so uncomfortable, as if I can't breathe. Can someone help me with artificial respiration?"

Everyone scattered in fright, but at this moment, Zhang Yuxin opened her eyes. She furrowed her brow and asked with a puzzled expression, "What are you all arguing about? Where are we?"

Seeing Zhang Yuxin regain consciousness, we finally felt relieved.

After all, we had come out together for a trip, and no matter who had an accident, the responsibility couldn't be avoided by others.

So, when going on an outing, safety is the most important thing.

Go out happily and return home safely.

We dried our clothes. Fortunately, the things in our backpacks hadn't gotten wet. We emptied them and shared the dry food and snacks.

Fatty rubbed the mud under his armpits. "It looks like our wild trip has ended prematurely. I'm so dirty right now; I just want to take a good bath!"

Curly-haired guy joked with Fatty, saying, "There's a big bronze bathtub outside in the courtyard. You can take a bath in it!"

In fact, we originally planned to play for three or four days, but the situation now was quite helpless, and we could only head back earlier. Everyone couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Zhang Yuxin seemed self-blaming. "It's all my fault for not choosing the right place and not planning this activity properly!"

I comforted her, saying that it was because of the weather and had nothing to do with her.

Seeing everyone's low spirits, Long Shao Ye suggested, "The atmosphere here is eerie, perfect for telling ghost stories. Let me start!"

After saying this, Long Shao Ye didn't care if everyone wanted to listen or not; he began telling the story with relish.

Long ago, there was a scholar who went to the capital to take the imperial examination. It was also a rainy night like this when the scholar stumbled upon a dilapidated temple named Lanruo Temple. So he took shelter from the rain and stayed overnight at Lanruo Temple.

In the middle of the night, the scholar was attracted by the sound of a qin. He opened his eyes and saw a thin-veiled maiden standing in front of him.

The scholar fell in love with the maiden at first sight and quickly became infatuated.

Little did he know that the maiden was not human but a wandering ghost from Lanruo Temple, specifically seeking men to absorb their yang energy.

As a result, that scholar... it was tragic. His yang energy was drained, and he turned into a skeleton!

Long Shao Ye vividly told the story and even elongated his nose, sniffing at Haofeiji beside him, saying, "Hehe, that maiden likes strong men like you!"

Crack!

Just at that moment, a lightning strike occurred, scaring Haofeiji, who fell backward on the ground.

Long Shao Ye laughed heartily at seeing Haofeiji being tricked by him, mocking him as a coward, "Hahaha, haven't you seen 'A Chinese Ghost Story'? I just adapted the plot from 'A Chinese Ghost Story'!"

However, Haofeiji's response was completely unrelated. He said, "I saw a pair of eyes!"

Haofeiji's inexplicable words startled us, and we quickly asked him what eyes he was talking about.

Haofeiji suddenly pointed his finger directly in front of him, towards the back of the statue of Buddha. His face showed fear, and his voice trembled, making his words incoherent, "Eyes... behind the Buddha statue... there are a pair of eyes..."

Haofeiji's words made our hair stand on end. What did he mean? How could there be eyes behind the Buddha statue?

Another lightning strike illuminated the main hall. The statue of Buddha appeared extremely eerie. Haofeiji screamed in fear, "Ghost! Ghost—!"