Chapter 128: The Temple's Hidden Mystery
As time passed, the only sound remaining on the scorching road was the footsteps of Val and his two companions. Though faint, on this dry and open terrain, the sound carried far.
"Hey, look! That's a mark from our people. Looks like we're close to the destination," Val suddenly shouted with excitement after spotting something along the roadside.
"Shut up already, Val! Do you want the whole world to know about our mission?" the team leader scolded him again, though his tone carried a hint of relief.
Although they could endure it, walking under the blazing sun on such open terrain was mentally exhausting in itself.
Now that they were close to their destination, it meant the long, monotonous journey was almost over.
"Let's rest under that shade for ten minutes, then keep moving. Try to reach the temple vicinity before sunset, then we'll scout the area tonight," the leader said after glancing at the blazing sun overhead and pointing toward a patch of shade nearby.
Upon hearing the order, Val and the other man immediately let out a sigh of relief, each picking a shady spot to rest.
That night, somewhere near a temple in southern India.
As the night deepened and all was quiet, several figures dressed in dark clothing began to appear near the temple. They moved stealthily around the area, heading in different directions with remarkable coordination.
After carefully surveying the surroundings and terrain, they regrouped at the temple's perimeter, turning their attention to the interior.
Barty Crouch's order was to investigate the area around the temple. Since there had been no explicit instructions forbidding entry into the temple itself, the interior naturally fell within the scope of their mission.
As the largest temple of a princely Indian state, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple had its own defensive forces.
Especially given the vast number of Indian devotees, the offerings and donations collected by the temple were quite significant.
To protect this wealth from prying eyes, the temple's security was fairly strong. Even during the pitch-black night, there were two patrol teams carrying torches.
However, it was obvious that this security force, composed entirely of Indian civilians, was no match for the Royal Security Intelligence Bureau.
In areas unnoticed by the monks and guards, several agile agents slipped inside without a trace.
The temple grounds were massive. It wasn't a single unified structure, but rather a vast complex made up of several unconnected buildings.
After thoroughly exploring all the buildings, the agents found nothing unusual.
From their investigation, the temple was no different from other Indian temples—except for its enormous size, there were no apparent distinctions.
But surely Director Barty Crouch wouldn't send them here just for this? Australia was so far from India. Everyone believed their mission couldn't be as simple as investigating an ordinary temple.
"Hey! Over here! Look here!"
The others immediately heard the clear call and rushed toward the source of the voice.
It was a dilapidated-looking building located deep within the temple grounds. Unlike the lavish surrounding structures, this one looked aged and poorly maintained, clearly rarely used.
Even the path leading up to it was overgrown with weeds, a clear sign that it received very few visitors.
The agents exchanged glances, all sensing something suspicious. In such a grand temple, a neglected and unused building like this certainly stood out.
During the day, the temple swarmed with devotees, and nearly every building was crowded.
Under such circumstances, a rundown, deserted building felt far from ordinary.
They quietly slipped inside and indeed found that this place was different from the rest.
Most of the temple's security was stationed outside, patrolling with torches. There was little to no security within, which explained how their earlier exploration had gone so smoothly.
But now, inside this rundown building, there were two guards posted. Though both appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep, their very presence indicated that something important was hidden within.
Not wanting to raise the alarm, the team chose to retreat after a brief discussion.
They had already gathered ample information about the temple and discovered something suspicious within.
Now, they would wait for Barty Crouch's next order to decide whether they should explore the interior of that building.
What the agents didn't expect was that the true objective of their mission was indeed this very building inside the temple.
Though they had missed a good opportunity to enter, they now had a much clearer understanding of the layout and security of both the temple's interior and exterior.
Barty Crouch acted swiftly. After regrouping with all the teams, he decided to re-enter the temple that very night.
He knew exactly what was hidden inside and had prepared thoroughly.
While a small group would continue exploring the temple's interior, the rest would eliminate the outside patrol guards and keep watch for the team inside.
Once the external guards were neutralized, the interior team could transport any discovered treasure directly to the entrance and load it onto vehicles.
They returned to the same dilapidated building, with the same two sleepy guards posted outside.
This time, the action was swift and decisive. Two agents quietly crept up behind the guards, drew their daggers, and in one clean motion, took them down like collapsing marionettes.
The agents had already confirmed that there was virtually no other security inside the temple—only these two guards.
Most of the temple's defense had been concentrated on the exterior patrols, which gave the agents confidence to eliminate these two without hesitation.
With just a glance from Barty Crouch, the agents entered the building one after another.
Inside, the structure was lined with one statue after another. Due to the long absence of visitors, the idols were covered in thick layers of dust.
"Split up and check everything. If anything's found, regroup immediately," Barty Crouch ordered.
The agents began inspecting every inch of the building, knocking on and feeling around the statues, leaving no detail unchecked.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
One of the agents noticed something unusual and quickly called out in a low voice, "Director! This part is hollow!"
At once, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward the source of the voice.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Barty Crouch's eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered, "Pry it open!"
(End of Chapter)
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