pertwk Chapter 381 Grouping
Chapter 381 Grouping
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
"Are we going to die again?!"
"Three people per group? How do we divide them up, who goes with whom?"
"What exactly are these strange pilgrims? How do you guide them?"
"And what exactly are the standards for 'inadequate service'?!"
"..."
Xia Ning stood quietly in place, waiting for the noise to subside slightly before speaking again:
"Now I will announce the rules. Once the groups are determined, each group can obtain a rule sheet from the deacon."
Everyone immediately held their breath.
Xia Ning's cool voice rang out, word by word:
Rule 1: Do not look directly into the eyes of pilgrims for more than three seconds while walking around the temple.
"Rule 2: Pilgrims must not exceed two meters from each other during the entire circumambulation of the temple; otherwise, it will be considered a failure to provide adequate service."
"Rule 3: When walking around the temple, you may only walk along the base of the outer wall and may not go more than one meter beyond the base of the wall."
Rule 4: You may respond to a pilgrim’s normal inquiries, but you may not respond to any whispers, groans or shouts.
"Rule 5: If a pilgrim suddenly kneels down, the group must stand still one meter behind him, remain solemn, and not approach or help him up. The group can continue to guide him only after he has stood up."
"Rule Six: Pilgrims release karmic energy during the circumambulation, and the guide will feel intense discomfort—such as chills, nausea, dizziness, auditory hallucinations, and visual hallucinations."
"The solution requires silently reciting the mantra for practice. The mantra is as follows—"
She paused, then read it clearly:
"When the mind is clear as a mirror, karma will not cling to the body; when thoughts return to their original stillness, all obstacles will be cleared away."
"Rule Seven: After completing three laps, a wisp of golden light of merit will emanate from the pilgrim and drift toward the guide."
"The guide must stand still, put his hands together, bow slightly, and receive the golden light into his body."
"You must not hide, and you must not speak."
"If the action is wrong—immediate death."
After the seven rules were announced, whispers immediately broke out in the crowd.
The complaints mainly focused on the sixth mantra: "When the mind is clear as a mirror, karma will not cling to the body; when thoughts return to their original stillness, all obstacles will be cleared."
This was clearly the mother tongue of the Dragon Kingdom, and many foreign chosen ones showed dissatisfaction, muttering words like "biased" and "unfair."
Xia Ning's cold gaze swept across the crowd, and an invisible pressure quickly spread out.
"If any of you feel pressured by your cultivation," her voice was not loud, but clear enough to seem to be right next to everyone's eardrums, "we can send you to the Silent Soul Palace to rest right now."
The crowd instantly fell silent, no one daring to utter another word.
Xia Ning raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Now, I'll give you five minutes to form teams."
"Start by forming groups of three. I'll manage any extras. Countdown begins."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dave immediately looked at Lin Feng with a fawning expression:
"Hey bro, we're in the same dorm, so being in the same group is definitely a sure thing!"
Park Ji-won quickly chimed in, saying that he felt a connection with Lin Feng and Wasim and hoped to be in the same group.
Wasim glanced at him indifferently: "Didn't someone say before that we were heartless and cold-blooded, leaving people to die?"
Park Ji-won blushed and quickly lowered her head to admit her mistake:
"I was blind! I failed to recognize the cruelty of the world of ghost stories. I was wrong!"
"I'm willing to make amends, and I'll definitely follow your orders obediently from now on!"
Lin Feng shook his head: "We still prefer to be in a group with our old partners."
As he spoke, he looked at Evelyn.
Evelyn walked over, stood neatly beside Lin Feng, and brushed her hair:
"From now on, we are the Iron Triangle."
Xia Ning, standing below the tower, was discreetly surveying the group assignments in the plaza when her gaze inadvertently fell upon Evelyn—
The woman stood very close to Lin Feng, so close it was almost conspicuous.
Her face remained expressionless, with only a faint, strange glint in the depths of her eyes.
Even she herself didn't realize that the inexplicable displeasure she felt was very much like jealousy.
........................
Five minutes passed quickly, and 35 three-person teams were gradually formed.
Two more people—
An elderly woman from the Republic of the Roses, over seventy years old, was once a teacher.
The other was a young man from Busy named Arno, whose face was as pale as paper, and who clearly had a chronic illness.
Xia Ning scanned the crowd: "Which group is willing to take them in?"
The entire room fell silent; no one dared to speak.
An elderly person or a sick person—bringing either of them along would be a fatal burden.
Xia Ning's gaze slowly swept over the crowd: "Then I'll just assign them directly."
Her gaze swept over Lin Feng, who was looking at her and giving her a gentle smile.
Her gaze didn't linger; it continued to move, finally settling on Dave, Park Ji-won, and Sergei.
Sergei was a lumberjack from the Grizzly Bear Country, and he was a strong and muscular man.
The strength of this trio lies in their balance, making their chances of passing the level quite high.
The three of them shuddered as Xia Ning's gaze fell upon them.
If either of those two were to be crammed in, the already sturdy wooden barrel would instantly develop a huge weak point.
Xia Ning's gaze swept over them, as if she was weighing something.
A moment later, her gaze swept over another squad and assigned the old woman to it.
Dave, Park Ji-won, and Sergei exhaled a breath of stale air almost simultaneously.
What they didn't know was that they were benefiting from Lin Feng's influence.
If she hadn't been worried that the early elimination of her two roommates would cause trouble for Lin Feng, she would have just put the old woman into their group.
The squad assigned to the elderly was of average strength, and its survival rate was originally about 50/50. Now that there was an elderly person in the squad, their chances of survival have plummeted to a worrying level.
Someone in the group couldn't help but complain with a long face, "Guide, Lin Feng's team is so strong, why didn't you hand them over?"
Xia Ning gave him a cold glance:
"I know what I'm doing, and it's none of your business to interfere!"
"As I said before, if you find the path of cultivation too difficult, I can send you to the Silent Soul Palace to rest now."
The man's face turned pale, and he immediately shut his mouth.
Subsequently, Xia Ning assigned the sickly Arno to another team.
The team's faces instantly fell, looking like they were doomed.
After all the teams were assigned, Xia Ning raised her hand and waved.
Thirty-five yellowed sheets of paper suddenly appeared in mid-air, each covered with fine writing, resembling a collection of pilgrims' files.
"These are the files of thirty-five bizarre pilgrims."
"You have five minutes to browse, then select the client you wish to serve."
"Once selected, the contract takes effect immediately and cannot be changed."
Lin Feng exchanged a glance with Evelyn and Wasim, and whispered:
"It seems that there are differences in the degree of ferocity among the strange pilgrims."
"If you choose someone with a relatively mild temperament, your chances of survival will be greatly increased."
As he spoke, he first looked at the first file—
[Number: 01]
Name: The Withered-Eyed Granny
[Type of Karmic Obstacle: Anger and the Suffering of Being With Those You Hate]
[Description of Karmic Obstacles:]
[He was violent and prone to anger during his lifetime, often taking out his anger on others over trivial matters, thus creating countless negative karmas through speech.]
[The resentment lingers after death, manifesting as eerie phenomena.]
[During each pilgrimage, he would verbally provoke the guide to test his character.]