Chapter 90: The Stench of Corpses in the Ruined Temple
Following the map, Fang Xiaocao led Aquarius through the dense forest. Before long, a dilapidated small temple appeared in front of them.
Looking at the weathered plaque, Fang Xiaocao could barely make out the three large characters: “Mountain God Temple.”
“Mountain God Temple?” she muttered.
“Your Highness, is this the place?” Aquarius asked softly.
“Yes, this is it,” Fang Xiaocao nodded.
“Your Highness, let me go in first to scout the area,” Aquarius said in a low voice, pulling out the gun at her waist.
Fang Xiaocao hesitated for a moment before nodding.
According to Hot Noodles’ intel, this trip was just to retrieve a treasure, and there was no mention of danger.
But something felt off.
For instance, who had dug the tunnel?
If the tunnel was already there, why was the treasure still inside?
With so many unanswered questions, Fang Xiaocao decided that a little caution wouldn’t hurt.
Watching Aquarius cautiously approach the Mountain God Temple, weapon in hand, Fang Xiaocao also drew her weapon, staying on high alert, ready to provide backup if needed.
Aquarius reached the entrance, crouched down, rubbed the ground with her hand, sniffed it, and then proceeded inside cautiously.
As Fang Xiaocao watched Aquarius disappear into the temple, a sense of unease settled over her.
Something about this place felt… wrong.
“Tap, tap, tap—”
Footsteps echoed from inside the temple.
Fang Xiaocao tensed immediately, staring at the half-open wooden door.
“Whoosh—”
Aquarius’s figure appeared in the doorway.
Fang Xiaocao exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her tense nerves relaxing slightly.
“How is it inside?” she asked in a low voice.
“A bit strange…” Aquarius answered with a frown.
“Strange? In what way?” Fang Xiaocao asked.
“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Aquarius replied, her brows furrowed.
Hearing this, Fang Xiaocao was taken aback.
“The temple has chaotic traces—some left by humans, some by wild animals. There are also bloodstains and a strong stench of decay,” Aquarius explained.
Hearing this, Fang Xiaocao’s brows knit together.
“I knew it!” she murmured. “Something’s not right about this temple.”
“Your Highness, what should we do?” Aquarius asked in a hushed voice.
“Let’s go in and take a look,” Fang Xiaocao said firmly.
“Yes!” Aquarius responded.
Aquarius loaded her gun and switched off the safety.
She took the lead, stepping into the Mountain God Temple.
Fang Xiaocao followed closely behind, weapon in hand.
Even if this temple was a den of tigers and dragons, she was determined to enter.
She trusted Hot Noodles wouldn’t lead her into harm’s way.
As soon as she stepped inside, a pungent, putrid stench filled her nose.
Fang Xiaocao gagged, her stomach churning with nausea. She instinctively covered her nose.
“What’s that smell?” she asked, frowning.
“That’s the stench of rotting corpses,” Aquarius confirmed.
“The smell of corpses?” Fang Xiaocao murmured.
“Yes, and a lot of them,” Aquarius added.
“Which means a lot of people have died here?” Fang Xiaocao asked, deep in thought.
“Many have died, but merely dying wouldn’t leave such a strong stench if the bodies were disposed of quickly,” Aquarius explained.
“But with a smell this strong, it means there are corpses hidden here.”
Hearing this, Fang Xiaocao nodded and began examining the dilapidated temple.
It was in terrible condition.
Judging by its structure, it seemed to have been built in the last century.
Inside, the space was empty, except for a clay statue of a deity and a broken offering table missing a leg.
Dark brown stains dotted the ground—undoubtedly the bloodstains Aquarius had mentioned.
Among them were scattered, chaotic footprints.
Some human.
Some animal.
One particularly large paw print caught Fang Xiaocao’s attention.
“This is…”
She crouched down, examining the print. It looked familiar.
She placed her palm over it for comparison—her hand couldn’t even cover it.
She estimated that the owner of this footprint had paws as large as an adult man’s hand.
“If the paw print is this big… then how big must the creature be?” she muttered.
“Your Highness, this is likely a tiger’s footprint,” Aquarius said in a serious tone.
“A tiger?” Fang Xiaocao exclaimed.
Everything suddenly made sense.
No wonder the print looked familiar—it was just an oversized version of a cat’s paw print!
“Aquarius, do you think the bodies hidden in this temple were killed by a tiger?” she asked, blinking.
“It’s hard to say…” Aquarius hesitated.
“Tigers kill people, but they don’t usually hide the bodies,” Aquarius analyzed.
“If they stash them, it’s for food.”
“But if they’re not eating them, why hide them?”
Hearing this, Fang Xiaocao nodded in agreement.
Tigers were known to sometimes kill for sport, but that was in places where food was abundant.
She highly doubted this temple could hold so many uneaten corpses.
Judging by its size, the front hall was only as big as a bathroom.
She wasn’t sure how big the backyard was, but it couldn’t be larger than the front hall.
That wouldn’t make sense architecturally.
Fang Xiaocao scanned the temple, looking for the entrance to the tunnel, but saw nothing.
She decided to check the backyard.
“Aquarius, have you been to the backyard yet?” she asked.
“No,” Aquarius answered.
“Then let’s go take a look,” Fang Xiaocao said with a grin.
“Understood,” Aquarius replied and started walking toward the backyard.
Fang Xiaocao followed a few steps behind, staying alert to any movement around them.
“Aquarius, what’s wrong?”
After just a few steps, Fang Xiaocao noticed that Aquarius had stopped dead in her tracks.
“Shh!”
Aquarius turned back and gestured for silence.
Fang Xiaocao instinctively shut her mouth.
Aquarius’s expression was strange—her face had gone pale, and her eyes were filled with fear.
She turned back toward the yard, staring fixedly at something ahead.
Slowly, cautiously, she began to step backward, her gun raised, her hands trembling.
Seeing Aquarius’s reaction, Fang Xiaocao was baffled.
But she trusted her.
Without asking questions, she matched Aquarius’s retreat.
At the same time, curiosity got the better of her—she followed Aquarius’s gaze, wanting to see what had scared her so badly.
And then she saw it.
Fang Xiaocao’s eyes widened in horror.
Her breath hitched.
She almost screamed.
(End of Chapter 90)
