The Amazing Son in Law The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Maria’s words set off a subtle alarm in Charlie’s mind. He couldn’t resist asking Maria, “Do you suspect there’s

something off about her identity?”

Maria nodded thoughtfully and asserted, “I have encountered accomplished Buddhist Masters in the past and they

all shared a common trait, they strictly adhered to Buddhist teachings in their lives, quoting scriptures and drawing

wisdom from Buddhist principles in their daily conduct and speech. To put it simply, they lived in accordance with

Buddhism. However, this Master, except for Amitabha, rarely mentioned Buddhism. This discrepancy makes me

wonder if she’s a genuine nun.”

Charlie’s vigilance heightened instantly. He remarked, “If she’s not a real nun, then she’s concealing herself as a

nun, awaiting our arrival. Whether friend or foe, there’s certainly an external force behind her besides the Warriors

Den.”

Maria nodded gravely. “But, Young Master, don’t be overly concerned. I believe they’re not hostile and there’s a

good chance they hold some grudge against the Warriors Den. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ as the

saying goes. However, they’re still cautious around us, or there could be other reasons preventing them from

revealing their true identities at the moment.”

Charlie fell into contemplation for a moment and inquired, “What Greek mythology did she mention?”

Maria, cautious not to divulge too much, replied, “She spoke of the tale of Achilles, emphasizing that even the

strongest could meet their downfall if they’re not careful.”

Charlie, without delving further into the matter, made a firm decision. “Let’s turn back and investigate.”

Surprised, Maria asked, “Young Master, do you intend to visit Greenwood Nunnery?”

“Yes.” Charlie affirmed, “I want to discover who they are, why they possess such knowledge about us and why

they’ve adopted nun disguises to await us. Initially, they asserted Buddhism’s sanctity and

denied us entry. It’s only right that I respect their wishes. But now, it’s evident that they may not truly be Buddhists.

It’s better to confront them directly.”

Maria hesitated momentarily and then consented, “If the Young Master wishes to investigate, I will accompany you.

Just exercise caution and avoid inadvertently turning potential allies into adversaries.”

Charlie nodded, resolute. “I simply want to know who they are. If there’s a chance to become friends due to a

shared adversary, we should be open and honest. Keeping secrets would be shameful.”

Maria concurred with Jagoan’s perspective, perturbed by the other party’s secrecy despite their knowledge of her

and Jagoan’s backgrounds.

Thus, the two of them retraced their steps and descended the mountain, heading straight for Greenwood Nunnery.

Passing the Y-shaped intersection, Jagoan and Maria continued along the path. After a while, Jagoan furrowed his

brow and remarked, “There’s no one left at Greenwood Nunnery.”

“Ahh?” Maria exclaimed in surprise. “Did you use your aura to confirm?”

“Yes,” Jagoan confirmed, “There’s no one left, they’ve probably departed.”

“This…” Maria furrowed her brow. “When I left, I looked back several times, but I didn’t spot anyone coming down

the mountain.”

After Jagoan conducted a more extensive aura sweep, he concluded, “There’s a path behind the mountain.”

Regretfully, Maria confessed, “It’s my oversight. I should’ve thought of that.”

Jagoan offered a small, reassuring smile. “No worries. Since they’re gone, let’s head up and investigate. Maybe we

can find some clues.”

Maria proposed, “Shall I ask Keagan to help us gather surveillance information from nearby towns?”

Jagoan shrugged, skeptical. “You can try, but I doubt it’ll yield much. These individuals are different from Morgana,

who’s inherently suspicious. This time, she came to Shiwan alone, unaccompanied, making it challenging to cover

her tracks. In contrast, these people appear to be working as a team and came well- prepared. I doubt they left any

traces behind.”

“That’s true…” Maria sighed and acknowledged, “They likely anticipated our arrival in advance and made

preparations within Greenwood Nunnery.”

Maria then had an idea. “We can inquire about Greenwood Nunnery from the locals. Perhaps we can unearth some

clues.”

Jagoan agreed. “Let’s proceed and take a look first.”

Upon arriving at the main entrance of Greenwood Nunnery, they found the door closed. However, when Jagoan

gently pushed it, the door creaked open.

Stepping inside, Jagoan noticed the thick wooden door bolt and furrowed his brow. “It seems they were aware of

our arrival and left the door open intentionally.”

Maria wore a worried expression and murmured, “They’ve calculated every step we’ve taken.”

Jagoan self-deprecatingly chuckled and commented, “I thought I was well hidden, but it turns out they know

everything. What’s baffling is how they calculate it all.”

Maria, somewhat disheartened, admitted, “I’ve never had any cultivation in over three hundred years. My

confidence has always been in my intellect. Now it seems I can’t match up to them.”

Jagoan offered a comforting smile. “It’s normal. Two fists are no match for four hands, especially if there’s a

formidable organization backing them. With so many people working together, it’s difficult for

the two of us to stay ahead.”

Maria, although somewhat consoled by Jagoan’s words, still appeared shaken.

Changing the subject, Jagoan said, “Let’s go inside and investigate.”

“Agreed,” Maria replied, following Jagoan inside.

Greenwood Nunnery was rather modest in size, comprising two courtyards, one in front and one in the rear. The

front yard had side halls on either side and a main hall in the center. A small courtyard behind the main hall

featured three tile-roofed houses.

Jagoan and Maria first examined the side halls, where they found little beyond a few Buddha statues.

In the main hall, an evergreen lamp continued to burn, with three sticks of sandalwood almost reduced to ashes in

the incense burner.

Jagoan examined the incense burner, gauged the length of the remaining ash and commented, “These three sticks

of sandalwood seem quite long. They’ve likely been burning for over an hour.”

Maria calculated the time. “From the time I left the house, met you, explained everything and we journeyed up the

mountain and back down… it has indeed been an hour.”

Jagoan concurred, “These three sticks of incense were lit when you left. They predicted our arrival.”

Closing his eyes, Jagoan inhaled the sandalwood’s fragrance deeply and sighed, “This sandalwood aroma is

extraordinary, better than any I’ve encountered.”

Maria agreed, “I was about to say the same… This sandalwood is truly exceptional. As a connoisseur of tea and

fragrances, I’ve encountered some excellent aged sandalwood, but none have matched this scent. It’s rich, deep

and subtly sweet.”

Jagoan couldn’t help but marvel, “It seems they’ve calculated every step, even predicting that you’d notice

something was amiss and that we’d turn back. These three sticks of incense were undoubtedly lit for us.”

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