Er Duo carefully extended a hand, cautiously feeling Lao Fu's face. The skin was stiff, without any esticity, and it had become rough, almost withered, giving off a shriveled sensation.

  The two Lao Fu′s, two Xu Mama′s, and two Mo Bais, but... why isn't there a 2nd Xue Qiuqiu? Wasn't she with them? But then, why are there two identical people?

  Only twins can be exactly the same in the world.

  Only disguise techniques can make two completely different people look identical!

  Er Duo believed that Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai must have been the tter. He couldn't believe that it was such a coincidence for three sets of identical twins to gather together. Therefore, his hand reached out again to touch Lao Fu's deteriorated face.

  The skin was hard, but Er Duo was certain that it was definitely something that was naturally grown, not something artificial. Er Duo supported his chin with his hand, deep in thought, pondering one question.

  The three of them were the real Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai! In other words, the true Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai had died twenty years ago. If they died so long ago, then who were the three people that Er Duo had seen? Why did they impersonate Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai? How did the real Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai die? What happened twenty years ago?

  Er Duo crouched down, suddenly very curious about one thing—how had Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai been able to stand for twenty years without falling? Although from their corpses it was clear they had become rigid mummies, standing upright in their coffins, Er Duo had touched Lao Fu several times earlier, and he hadn't moved at all. Er Duo found this odd, so he decided to crouch down and investigate further.

  There were no shoes, and perhaps they had long since decayed, leaving only a few broken bones of the feet, covered with rotting flesh that emitted a foul odor. Er Duo instinctively covered his nose, repulsed by the nauseating smell. He felt more uncomfortable than ever before.

  Just a few foot bones—how could it possibly stand upright? After emptying the contents of his stomach, his head suddenly felt much clearer. He wiped his filthy mouth, ignoring the stench emanating from the corpse, and reached out to give Lao Fu's body a hard tug.

  The corpse didn't budge; it remained standing perfectly still. Gathering his courage, he cautiously reached toward Lao Fu's back...

  There was a nail as thick as a finger! Er Duo was stunned. So Lao Fu had been tightly nailed to the coffin! Why would someone do this? Er Duo tried to feel behind Xu Mama's and Mo Bai's bodies, only to find the same answer.

  Why were all three corpses nailed in like this?

  Why were the coffins even standing upright?

  Er Duo couldn’t make sense of it, nor could he find an answer. He suddenly felt a headache coming on. Was he really going to give up like this? Was there really no other exit in this room except for that door?

  "Exit... Exit..." Er Duo murmured softly, his eyes lingering on the bodies of Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai.

  The bodies could have been pced horizontally in the coffin, lying ft on the ground, which wouldn’t have taken up a whole wall... A whole wall! Suddenly, Er Duo had a thought. He smiled, a cute smile, and reached out his hands...

  Er Duo only hoped that Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai would not hold it against him in the afterlife for his rashness. If anyone were to be bmed, it would be the person who nailed their bodies here. Er Duo didn′t mean to desecrate their remains, but if he didn′t do this, he wouldn′t be able to see the door.

  The door was hidden behind the three coffins. The bodies were nailed to the coffins, and no one would have thought to disturb them the way Er Duo did. He believed that the person who nailed the bodies there had also considered this, but unfortunately, it was Er Duo who had discovered the secret.

  Over the year of wandering, Er Duo had seen countless dead people—those who died from illness, those who were killed, and those who committed suicide. Though he always vomited afterward, it was merely a physiological reaction; he had long since grown used to it.

  The most important thing was that Er Duo needed to understand what had happened all those years ago!

  The door was not rge, but it retained its red paint and had two lion-shaped copper rings. It was locked, and when Er Duo pushed the door, he felt something blocking it. He was sure it was a bar. Er Duo casually picked up a small bone from one of the three bodies, threaded it through the rge gap in the door, and used it to pry the bar. The door creaked open, and Er Duo's heart suddenly began to race.

  He believed his heart had never beaten so fast, and he was sure that his face could not express the fear he felt inside.

  287 corpses! Once Er Duo finally calmed down, he patiently counted all the bodies he saw. He realized that he was standing in a graveyard, except they had not been buried but instead y silently on their own beds.

  They all wore their own clothes, though those garments were sealed onto their bodies. Their features were all bound with fine red threads.

  Only those who died unnaturally would have their features sealed, and Er Duo understood this very well.

  "You were right; he definitely has a problem!" Xu Mama gritted her teeth and said.

  Lao Fu's lips curled into a faint smile, his cold, lifeless expression resembling that of a corpse. "A timid, honest monk becoming the abbot of the temple—if there was no one behind the scenes guiding him, how could he have reached his current position?"

  "Who do you think that person behind the scenes might be?" Mo Bai said softly.

  No one answered, and they all chose to remain silent. Only Lao Fu's face showed a strange gleam as he suddenly thought of someone—the one who had set all this into motion, that emaciated, withered old woman.

  Xiao Xiang quietly hid in the corner of the wall, where a patch of dim shadows gently enveloped her delicate form. Her sharp, elegant eyes never left the movements of the three of them, watching until their figures had completely disappeared into the back of the ancient tower. She knew there was a secret passage there, one that led down to the lower levels of the tower. A faint smile appeared on her face.

  The old woman couldn't help but let out a faint sigh, her bony, corpse-like hand gripping the back of the chair tightly. Though her face was obscured, her body nguage revealed her current emotions—she was visibly agitated.

  "I was right after all," Lao Fu said, his greasy eyes narrowing as he stared intently at the old woman.

  "Hmph, you really are a clever one. I underestimated you!" The old woman's voice sounded as if it came from the depths of hell, cold and ominous.

  "Ha, you overestimated him," Xu Mama waved her handkerchief, pointing at Kong Bei with a smug expression. "You chose such a puppet—truly your mistake. We did come back to uncover the truth, but when we saw Kong Bei, this fool, after asking us a few questions, revealed his fws. That's when we knew something was off with him!"

  Kong Bei's face had turned as gray as a moldy wall. He lowered his head, standing motionlessly to the side, not daring to make a sound.

  The old woman gred at him fiercely, knowing that empty sorrow was nothing but a failure, always more of a hindrance than a help.

  "Who are you really? Why set up such a trap? What is your goal?" Mo Bai could no longer hold back and finally asked the question that had been pguing his mind.

  The old woman′s body trembled as if something dark and sinister were stirring inside her.

  At that moment, Kong Bei also raised his head. Though he had always obeyed her, it was only because she had helped him rise to the position of abbot. He had never known her true identity.

  "Who am I? Who am I? Ha ha..." The old woman suddenly let out a series of eerie wails, like ghostly cries.

  Kong Bei shrank back in fright, his body half-curling instinctively. Lao Fu shot him a disdainful gre.

  "Do you still remember how you came to this temple?" The old woman finally calmed down and asked coldly.

  "We..." Lao Fu hesitated, trying to figure out how to answer her question.

  "Is it hard to answer? Then let me answer for you!" the old woman said firmly.

  Lao Fu remained silent, waiting for her answer. He wanted to know what she would say.

  Xu Mama stayed quiet as well, also waiting for her response, curious to see if her answer would align with theirs.

  Mo Bai didn't speak either, silently awaiting her answer, wondering which direction it would take.

  "I'll tell you a story," the old woman said faintly.