Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 103: Mission, Ambush 20

Under the system’s prompts, Cheng Xiaoxiao naturally knew that the passage didn’t have any traps or mechanisms, but she still waited for Qing Shi to confirm there was no danger before entering.

The flickering firelight illuminated the dark passage, casting long shadows and instantly creating a mysterious and eerie atmosphere.

Fortunately, there were living people locked below. Otherwise, in this narrow and cold space, it would be easy to think of graveyard explorations or something like zombies, a chilling thought.

Turning the corner, a staircase leading downwards appeared ahead, with a tightly closed stone door at the bottom.

System: "Host, the monks are confined behind this stone door."

"Do you know how to open the stone door?"

"Host, I’ve never seen anyone open this door, so I have no reference to know how. It was only when Ba Daokui tried to activate the outside door that I found out."

"What use are you then!"

System: "..."

Forget it, let’s not argue with the host. After all, it was at fault before!

Using her past life drama-watching experience, Cheng Xiaoxiao started feeling around the walls, knocking here and there, pressing her ear to listen for hollowness.

Qing Shi imitated her, searching for clues around.

"Host: Look at the oil lamp stand on the wall."

Cheng Xiaoxiao looked up, and indeed, this seemed more like a mechanism. But why was it set so high?

Is it bullying her because she’s under 1.5 meters?

Standing on tiptoe to try to turn the lamp stand, she was still a bit short, so Qing Shi raised his hand, "Let me!"

With his height advantage, he easily turned the lamp stand.

Shorty Cheng Xiaoxiao: "..."

It’s no big deal; I’m still young. No rush. I’ll eat more rice and drink more bone soup, and one day I’ll grow into a fair-skinned beauty with long legs.

While Cheng Xiaoxiao was comforting herself, there was a click!

The stone door ahead slowly opened, and the burst of dust forced Cheng Xiaoxiao to cover her mouth and nose, retreating several steps, while Qing Shi stood in front of her to prevent any danger from coming out of the door.

As the light seeped through, Cheng Xiaoxiao leaned her head over curiously from behind Qing Shi, wanting to take a look at what the group of bald monks inside looked like.

The group inside, silently meditating, was startled by the sound of the door opening. It wasn’t mealtime; why was someone coming?

Could it be that the bandits had come up with something new to trouble them? Each young monk stared at the stone door nervously, filled with anxiety.

Thinking back on how the bandits had tried to force their master and uncles to submit, the methods were incredibly cruel, sending shivers down their spines.

A young monk walked up to Jing Yuan and asked worriedly, "Uncle, are they going to torture us again?"

They had been captured for about ten days, unaware of when it would end, living in constant fear.

Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow; how would he know? The master had said to wait for a destined person, but after so long, not only had they not met one, but they’d been threatened several times. The master watched the bandits use torture but never compromised.

His heart was growing more uneasy by the day. The master might have a plan, but he didn’t. Although the bandits refrained from torturing him due to his family background, over time, they might become desperate and use him, the direct disciple, as an example.

A truly exasperating master, not divulging anything, leaving him to guess wildly and imagine absurd scenarios. Could the destined person the master spoke of be the person coming today?

Saying this, he couldn’t wait to look toward the slowly opening stone door. When Cheng Xiaoxiao stepped into the chamber against the light, his mouth dropped open in shock, in disbelief.

"Miss Cheng? How can it be you?" Could the destined one be Miss Cheng?

"What, can’t it be me?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao teased, "Who were you expecting to rescue you... Master Jing Yuan?"

The young boy in front of her no longer had the confident demeanor he had in the temple that day. He looked much thinner, his face pale, yet still undeniably a youthful sickly beauty.

"You... I didn’t mean..."

How was he supposed to explain? It was hard to articulate.

He turned and ran to the inner chamber, "Master! Master! Look... It’s the Miss Cheng I told you about. Is she the destined person you mentioned?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao was a bit confused!

What destined person?

Was that mysterious Master Liao Ming also here?

Suddenly, Cheng Xiaoxiao felt guilty. "77, Master Liao Ming won’t discover you, will he?"

"No, now I’m Level Three and can block all probing methods in this world."

"That’s good, but still... just to be safe, stay low-key and don’t use energy, okay?"

"Mm-hmm, no problem."

The system withdrew all investigative energy, pretending to be a quiet little bird.

Just as Cheng Xiaoxiao finished instructing the system to sever their connection, a voice called out, "Amitabha!"

Master Liao Ming, dressed in a crescent-white, gold-trimmed robe with cloud patterns and sporting a long white beard, appeared directly not far away, seemingly enveloped in a fairy-like glow, followed by the mission broadcast.

Ding!

[Mission target detected, host is advised to promptly extricate them from danger.]

Damn!

So much for being low-key!

"Amitabha!" Master Liao Ming put his palms together and slightly bowed, greeting Cheng Xiaoxiao.

Cheng Xiaoxiao twitched her mouth, giving an awkward and mismatched bow in return, "Master, you’re too kind; a young girl like me can’t bear such a grand gesture from you."

"Miss Cheng is too modest. Saving thousands of people from distress and sparing Tianqi from war is indeed a great virtue."

Cheng Xiaoxiao was extremely flustered. This old monk seemed to know everything, and she couldn’t communicate with the system right now. Without someone to confer with, she felt cornered.

"I don’t quite understand your words, Master. As an ordinary girl, I don’t possess such abilities."

On the side, Jing Yuan interjected, "Exactly, Master, could you be mistaken? An ordinary young girl with no profound martial arts or a powerful family background, how could she save anyone?"

"Besides..."

Liao Ming shot a warning glance at his unreliable disciple, and Jing Yuan had to awkwardly change his tune, "I’m just curious, merely curious!"

"How have I always taught you?"

Jing Yuan pouted, somewhat defiant, but said nothing more. The master was always strict, tediously boring.

Seeing such a student, Liao Ming was also helpless.

Oh well!

Whatever! Each person has their fate, and forcing things is just forcing.

He then looked at Cheng Xiaoxiao, "Fate is made by oneself, and one’s appearance reflects their heart. All things in the world have their causes and conditions, and all methods arise from fate. Since the girl is here, let her be at ease!"

Cheng Xiaoxiao was shocked. She didn’t understand the first part about fate, and didn’t care, but the phrase "Since you are here, be at ease"—was that directed at her?

Could this old monk know about her origins? How frightening.

She could only bravely deny his statement.

"I don’t understand what you mean, Master." As long as she didn’t admit to anything, it didn’t exist. She was indeed a part of this world.

Liao Ming, seeing the nervous and guilty look on the girl’s face, reassured her, "You need not guard against this old monk. This old monk merely wishes to thank Miss Cheng on behalf of the common people and hopes Miss Cheng continues to form benevolent ties."

What does Liao Ming mean? Form what ties? Does he want her to keep saving people? This old monk dreams too big.