The Charismatic Charlie Wade

As Jagoan and Maria descended from Greenwood Temple, Jagoan held the agarwood bracelet tightly in his hand. He was determined to decipher the meaning behind the bracelet left for him, but after much contemplation, he remained perplexed.

He decided to consider Maria’s interpretation, the twenty-eight beads on the bracelet symbolized his current age. The mysterious sender had deliberately placed these twenty-eight beads within the bracelet, anticipating that Maria would notice the anomaly and return to Greenwood Temple to investigate.

But what message did the sender intend to convey by leaving this bracelet behind?

Puzzled, they descended the mountain only to retrace their steps back up the winding mountain road.

During their uphill journey, they encountered a group of local elderly women. These women walked together, descending the mountain slowly, each carrying a basket woven from vines containing various items, including sesame oil, paper money, and earthen incense.

Observing this, Maria approached the elderly women and inquired politely, “Where are you all headed?”

One of the elderly women replied, “We heard that Greenwood Temple has reopened. We’re on our way there to pay our respects to Buddha and offer incense.”

Maria asked with curiosity, “Has Greenwood Temple been closed for a long time?”

The woman nodded, “It’s been shut for about ten or twenty years. There are fewer and fewer people in the mountains, and the temple lacks incense. All the previous nuns have left. Yesterday, the villagers informed us that a new nun had arrived, so we decided to visit together.”

Maria quickly interjected, “You may want to reconsider. The new nun at Greenwood Temple has also departed.”

“Left again? Why?” Several elderly women looked disappointed. “Why did she leave just a few days after arriving?”

Maria explained, “Perhaps she felt there wasn’t enough incense being offered here.”

The elderly women hesitated, torn between continuing or turning back. Eventually, one of them suggested, “The nun may be gone, but the Buddha statue remains. Since we’re already here, why not light a few incense sticks?”

not to dissuade

to the elderly women, Maria turned to Jagoan and remarked,

or Morgana’s intention to come here, prompting them to prepare in

certain now is that they know us and Morgana quite well. They

ever get the

***

highway leading from Shiwan to the outside world, three inconspicuous Buick commercial vehicles smoothly cruised along the road. These vehicles bore license plates from Bloomington, the capital of the southern province, and belonged to a reputable car rental

was one of the most common MPVs in China, blending in seamlessly with the traffic. No one would suspect that the individuals inside these vehicles were connected to great wealth

in common with their commercial counterparts. Undergoing systematic modifications, these vehicles had evolved significantly in terms

Maria at the mountain’s base. Seated beside her was the elderly lady

middle-aged woman referred to as Madam sat, the very person who had left the bracelet for Jagoan at

Turk turned to the lady and inquired respectfully, “Madam, what are

We’ll stay at a Temple there for now, and both of you will accompany me. Upon reaching Aurous Hill, keep a

Turk nodded and added, “I’ll inform

“Madam, whom would you like to meet next among these girls? I’ll see

lady raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I’m interested in Nanako Ito. Among these girls, she

and said, “I’ll do my

she’s

Turk confirmed. “She’s there, along

Unless they encounter a great opportunity, they won’t have a

her concern. “Madam, Nanako Ito is Japanese. If she joins Taoism, could it pose

intentions.