As the year-end approached, two unexpected guests arrived at the house.
One of them was an old acquaintance of Cherry, Mr. Ghost Hayes.
The other introduced himself as Taoist Priest Clarity, claiming to be a taoist priest from the White Cloud Temple on Mist Glow Mountain.
Cherry had no love for taoist priests. If it weren’t for the fact that Mr. Ghost Hayes had taken her cat, she wouldn’t have bothered coming out to et them.
But the black cat didn’t seem to miss her at all, lounging happily on Mr. Ghost Hayes’ belly, lazily wagging its tail.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Mr. Ghost Hayes had been the one taking care of its daily needs, even sharing the sa couch to sleep on. Besides, they’d been wandering outside together for over a month now, so its bond with Mr. Ghost Hayes naturally ran deeper than with Cherry.
Pets are pretty straightforward; whoever feeds them, they grow attached to.
Gavin Graves, however, focused more on Taoist Priest Clarity.
This person wore a black hat typical of a taoist priest and had a long beard, but he wasn’t dressed in a robe. Instead, he wore a traditional Chinese cotton jacket and cotton shoes, albeit sowhat old but clean and spotless.
Compared to that fake taoist priest before, this one looked quite unremarkable; even his deanor was plain and unassertive.
According to Mr. Ghost Hayes’ introduction, Taoist Priest Clarity was his forr senior brother, though he appeared younger and much slimr than Mr. Ghost Hayes.
He said, "I was traveling afar when I ca across this junior brother selling a cat outside. I noticed there was sothing unusual about the cat and asked him about it. That’s how I learned about your wife’s situation."
Cherry’s eyebrows imdiately shot up, and she glared at Mr. Ghost Hayes: "You’re selling my cat? Why haven’t you changed a bit?!"
Mr. Ghost Hayes seed particularly ek, hanging his head in silence, unclear whether he feared Cherry, his senior brother, or perhaps both.
Cherry turned to Clarity beside him and bluntly asked, "Old taoist priest, what do you want coming to my ho?"
The other remained calm and said warmly, "Evil spirits are the source of chaos. Even with a heart set on goodness, it’s hard to endure the world’s evils. Why not co to Mist Glow Mountain? There you can listen to the bells, chant the scriptures, and cultivate yourself. That’s the righteous path."
Cherry frowned, stayed silent for a mont, and muttered, "Are you even speaking human language? I don’t understand a word."
Clarity smiled wryly and looked at Mr. Ghost Hayes beside him: "Junior brother, though you’re no longer in the sect, you can still be considered half a renunciate. Why don’t you try persuading her?"
Mr. Ghost Hayes finally lifted his head, sneaking a quick glance at Cherry, "Ahem... His point is that you’ve got great talent. It’d be a sha if you didn’t beco a taoist priest at Mist Glow Mountain."
Gavin Graves’ expression turned grim, "Taoist priest, you’re trying to convince my wife to renounce the world right in front of ?"
Clarity chuckled, "Mr. Graves, your wife isn’t an ordinary person. She harbors too much malevolent energy; as long as it’s not resolved, it’ll bring woes. Inviting her to Mist Glow Mountain is a way to help her dispel this energy to prevent future troubles."
Mr. Ghost Hayes chid in agreent: "The malevolent energy of an evil god indeed influences the surroundings. Even if she does nothing, mishaps can occur near her. When soone with ill intentions contacts her, it might cause even more trouble."
Cherry angrily retorted, "So according to you, all those incidents on the ship were my fault?"
Mr. Ghost Hayes chuckled awkwardly, "It seems unrelated... but everything in the universe is interconnected. Humans can even sense the stars above, can’t they? It’s like a street that’s always gloomy; people passing by are more prone to fall. Of course, you could bla it on their clumsiness, but the chance of falling certainly increases with the gloom..."
"You’re the gloom!" Cherry cursed with glaring eyes, "Ever since I started hanging around with you, nothing good has ever happened!"
Gavin Graves asked Clarity, "If she goes to Mist Glow Mountain, how long will it take to dispel her malevolence?"
"Gavin!" Cherry anxiously grabbed him.
Gavin gently patted her, offering a reassuring look.
Taoist Priest Clarity kindly said, "At least three years, at most ten. It ultimately depends on her fate."
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