Twenty years ago,

  There was a very ordinary temple, where the monks lived a simple and frugal life. The temple's abbot, whose Dharma name was Xu Neng, was known for his upright and generous character. He had a reputation within a ten-mile radius, though his fame did not stem from his personal qualities but rather from his remarkable skills. These skills were unmatched by anyone else in the world. It was this unique talent that brought a glimmer of hope to the otherwise poor temple, allowing it to support the livelihoods of the dozen or so monks living there. Every monk in the temple held deep respect for him.

  Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai suddenly appeared. They had once been three wandering beggars, but Master Xu Neng, seeing their plight, decided to take them in and gave them three beautiful names. Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai were grateful children. They worked diligently at every task in the temple, which greatly pleased Master Xu Neng. Especially Jing Ren, who was gifted with intelligence and, at such a young age, was exceptionally well-behaved. This earned him Master Xu Neng's deep affection. As a result, Master Xu Neng passed on all of his unique skills to Jing Ren.

  The temple had a rule: no one was allowed to step foot in the ancient tower. On the first day Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai entered the temple, Master Xu Neng emphasized this rule. However, the three of them were around fourteen or fifteen years old, and their curiosity was still strong, so they decided to take the risk and enter the tower.

  After several days of observation, they managed to figure out when Master Xu Neng would enter and leave the tower. They also discovered how he entered the ancient tower: rather than directly unlocking the door, Master Xu Neng would walk around to the back of the tower, move aside a heavy-looking stone, and enter through a secret passage beneath the tower.

  They chose to enter at night. So, one evening after Master Xu Neng left, Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai quietly made their way around to the back of the ancient tower, moved the heavy stone, and entered the tower.

  The old woman′s storytelling was strenuous, and her emotions seemed to fluctuate, but fortunately, everyone understood the story. Kong Bei, in particur, kept his ears sharply attuned, listening closely. He was well aware of many of the events from that time, including how Jing Ren and the others came to the temple. He had witnessed it himself. However, why Master Xu Neng forbade anyone from entering the ancient tower was something that even all the monks in the temple did not know.

  The old woman paused briefly to rest before continuing her tale.

  The three of them entered the ancient tower out of curiosity, forgetting to bring candles or anything to light their way. They were still children and not accustomed to being completely surrounded by darkness. So, they decided to leave. Just as they were about to exit, someone else entered the tower. This person was holding a ntern, and when they came face to face, they recognized each other.

  Master Xu Neng looked at Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai with anger in his eyes. He felt heartbroken because these three children, whom he cared for most, had disobeyed his orders and secretly entered the ancient tower.

  Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai felt a sense of fear. They had never seen Master Xu Neng with such a serious expression before.

  Master Xu Neng scolded them angrily and ordered that the three be expelled from the temple. Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai felt terrified. They didn’t want to leave the temple—there was food and clothing here. Though it wasn′t luxurious, they lived comfortably and freely. They didn’t want to return to the days of begging. So, they knelt down, begging Master Xu Neng repeatedly.

  But Master Xu Neng was furious beyond measure. He commanded them to leave the temple immediately.

  Suddenly, the old woman stood up abruptly and cried, "It was you who killed him! Because Master Xu Neng ordered you to leave, you killed him!"

  Kong Bei's body trembled slightly as he turned to look at Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai. "You... you are Jing Ren, Jing Zhong, and Jing Hai? How is that possible? Aren't you Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai?"

  Lao Fu continued to smile, his gaze never leaving the old woman. In a low, eerie voice, he asked, "Who are you?"

  "I am Xu Neng's wife!" The old woman could no longer contain the excitement in her heart and shouted.

  "Master Xu Neng had a wife?" Kong Bei stared at the old woman in disbelief. He couldn't trust his own ears, nor could he trust what he was seeing.

  "How do you know these things?" Lao Fu was still smiling, but this smile felt strangely unsettling.

  "Someone told me," the old woman′s words seemed a bit hesitant.

  "Who was it?" Lao Fu pressed on, his tone tightening.

  "I don't know; I've never met him," the old woman replied helplessly. "He just left me a letter, and everything is written in it." With that, the old woman took out a yellowed letter from her clothing.

  "The person who wrote the letter surely doesn't want us to know who they are," Lao Fu said, gncing at the old woman. "The story you′re telling doesn′t seem quite complete. I think I should help you finish it; perhaps you′ll have more 'surprises' in store."

  The old woman looked at Lao Fu in surprise, waiting for him to continue his story.