Chapter 392: The Mountain Rain Approaches, Talismans Fill the Tower
This was the first time Chen Ping'an had ever ascended a lady's embroidery tower and entered her boudoir.
He had Zhu Lian and Pei Qian wait outside, and only took Shi Rou inside with him.
Before entering, Chen Ping'an knocked and explained the reason, saying that Old Minister Liu hoped they could examine Miss Liu's room for any hidden fox demons.
After a brief moment, Liu Qingqing finished her grooming and had her maid Zhao Ya open the door.
Chen Ping'an recognized this maidservant—she was the daughter of the old steward, a gentle-natured girl. But he focused more on Liu Qingqing, the one rumored to be bewitched by a fox demon.
The first glance at Liu Qingqing made Chen Ping'an feel the rumors might be somewhat biased. A person's eyes and brows are the outward manifestation of their inner state. It's easy to pretend to be dim and lifeless, but very hard to fake a clear, bright spirit.
Chen Ping'an was both relieved and newly worried. The immediate crisis might be easier to resolve than he imagined, but the human heart is like a mirror—easily broken and hard to mend.
However, that was this young lady's own karmic fate. Chen Ping'an could save a person, but he couldn't mend the heart of a stranger he'd met by chance, nor would he try.
Although Liu Qingqing was a well-bred daughter of a prominent family, not overly restricted, who had seen many talented scholars of the Green Luan Kingdom, and even kept a phoenix cage for raising spirits in her boudoir, she was still very curious about true registered immortals and mountain cultivators. So when she saw a young man who wasn't particularly handsome but had a gentle demeanor, her reservations lessened a bit. After all, this was a young lady's private room; letting an outsider enter was bound to make her uncomfortable. What if he were a crude martial artist only good for fighting, or a so-called immortal with ulterior motives?
Chen Ping'an cupped his fist in apology, "I know this is improper, but Old Minister Liu and the Earth God of Lion Garden are both worried about Miss Liu's health. I hope you can understand. My surname is Chen, and my companion is surnamed Shi."
Only then did Liu Qingqing see the elderly man behind the white-robed, sword-carrying young immortal. His gaze was somewhat cold. She forced a smile and said, "Immortal Chen and Senior Shi have come to save me. You need not stand on ceremony—feel free to search thoroughly."
The maid Zhao Ya felt a bit awkward. Miss was really something else. Her first thought upon this sudden visit was whether the black-robed youth would be displeased knowing other men had entered her boudoir.
As for the handsome youth transformed from a fox demon, Zhao Ya had been terrified of him at first. The first time they met, she was so scared she grabbed scissors to fight the lecher who dared break into the boudoir, but Miss stopped her. After spending this time together, Zhao Ya had tried several times to persuade Miss to no avail, and could only watch helplessly as Miss grew increasingly haggard. She had to suppress her grief and do her best to take care of Miss's meals.
Chen Ping'an took out a Yang Qi Lamp-Lighting Talisman, which suddenly burst into flames, though the spark was small.
It was obvious the fox demon had indeed been here. Chen Ping'an walked slowly with the talisman, covering every corner of the boudoir. He found that the talisman burned a bit faster near the rosewood dressing table with flower-and-bird motifs and the bed.
Chen Ping'an maintained a calm expression throughout.
Liu Qingqing and Zhao Ya were both outsiders to cultivation and couldn't tell what the differing burn rates meant. Moreover, the subtle differences might not be noticeable to their eyes.
Shi Rou sneered inwardly at Liu Qingqing, who seemed delicate and dignified. So what if she was a noble lady from a ritual family? Still full of licentious thoughts.
Suddenly, Chen Ping'an thought of a problem. He had always regarded Shi Rou as the skeletal female ghost he'd first subdued. Even after her soul moved into a discarded immortal body, he still habitually thought of her as a woman. But some covert methods involving soul binding, seed planting of evil spirits in acupoints—like how the evil cultivator of Flying Eagle Fort had nurtured a ghost fetus in the fort master's wife's heart—were beyond Chen Ping'an's expertise. Shi Rou herself was a ghost, had experience refining the immortal body, and had been secretly taught by Cui Dongshan, making her well-versed in these sinister techniques with sharper instincts.
But now Shi Rou walked the mortal world in Du Mao's skin, which was problematic.
If Liu Qingqing adamantly refused to let Shi Rou touch her, wouldn't let her check the flow of qi and pulse, and threw a tantrum or threatened suicide, it would be very troublesome.
Chen Ping'an walked past Zhao Ya with the talisman. There was no change; it still burned slowly. Zhao Ya found it fascinating. After asking and getting Chen Ping'an's permission, she reached out a finger near the yellow paper talisman and found no heat at all. Smiling, Chen Ping'an went to Liu Qingqing's side. The remaining half of the talisman suddenly flared up with a palm-sized flame and burned out instantly.
Chen Ping'an asked, "Miss Liu, did that young man give you any token of affection? Are you perhaps carrying it on you?"
His words were tactful and not hurtful.
Liu Qingqing hesitated, as if wanting to speak but stopping.
Zhao Ya said softly, "Miss, what time is it now?"
Seeing Zhao Ya's pleading, pitiful gaze, Liu Qingqing had no choice but to turn around. Finally, she took out a colorful silk sachet hanging from her bosom, embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks.
Chen Ping'an asked, "May I take a look at it?"
Liu Qingqing shook her head, refusing.
Zhao Ya was nearly frantic.
Chen Ping'an's eyes were clear. "Miss Liu, you are deeply in love, and as an outsider, I dare not comment. But if this puts your entire family in danger, and if—hypothetically—you have placed your trust in the wrong person, giving your whole heart while the other has ulterior motives, how would you cope in the end? Even setting aside that worst-case scenario, and even if we don't speak of your sincere love with that stranger that would last until the seas run dry, let's just talk about something in between. If I look at this sachet, it won't diminish your love for him by even a hair, but it can help ease your conscience a bit toward the Liu clan and Lion Garden."
As Chen Ping'an spoke, he actually recalled his first distant journey to Great Sui, and the father-daughter pair Zhu He and Zhu Lu who accompanied him.
That girl Zhu Lu, for the sake of love, willingly threw herself into the flames for Li Baozhen, the second son of the Li family on Fortune Street. She went decisively, recklessly, abandoning everything, and still felt no regrets.
Liu Qingqing's eyes turned red. Trembling, she handed over her beloved sachet.
Her guilt toward her lover grew heavier. Handing over the sachet felt like gouging out her heart. With empty hands, her heart felt emptier still, and she turned away, crying.
Chen Ping'an took the sachet and examined it closely. The five-colored silk included black threads that matched the fox fur he'd seen earlier on the ground; the other four colors he couldn't identify.
Opening the sachet, he found only some Qiqiao Festival trinkets inside. Fearing his own lack of experience might miss something arcane, he turned to Shi Rou. She also shook her head and said softly, "This sachet is like a lantern lit at night, making it easy for the fox demon to find Miss. The contents inside probably aren't too significant."
Chen Ping'an handed the sachet to Shi Rou. "Hold onto this for now."
In addition, Chen Ping'an produced the demon-binding rope he had refined at Inverted Mountain, which used the golden dragon whiskers of an Infant-level old dragon from Dragon Ravine as its foundation. Among the myriad strange and wonderful magical treasures in the world, its quality was extremely high. Shi Rou took the sachet with one hand and tucked it into her sleeve; with the other hand, she took the golden demon-binding rope, which even a blind man could tell was extraordinary. This somewhat eased her resentment. The sachet in her hands meant she was attracting trouble, but having this rope for protection was a small compensation from Chen Ping'an for "making full use of her."
Chen Ping'an said to Liu Qingqing, "Miss Liu, please allow us to take your pulse. Many mountain arts are extremely covert; mere qi observation cannot reveal the full picture."
First entering her boudoir, then asking for the sachet, and now wanting physical contact.
Liu Qingqing felt utterly miserable. Her face was covered in tears as she glared at Chen Ping'an, choking out, "Don't push your luck! After taking my pulse, will you ask me to strip off my clothes before you're satisfied?"
Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Of course not."
Liu Qingqing was enraged and humiliated. She twisted around, bent over the flower-and-bird mirror stand, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably. Between sobs, she said, "I want to see my father... If he were here, he wouldn't let you humiliate me like this."
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, then said to Shi Rou, "I'll protect you. Reveal your true form and take her pulse."
Despite all her grievances against Chen Ping'an, Shi Rou had no doubt about one thing: when Chen Ping'an said something, he followed through.
So the maid Zhao Ya saw an ethereal, beautiful woman in colorful robes with wide sleeves drift out from the old man's body, half-real, half-illusory. It was breathtaking.
Zhao Ya quickly shouted, "Miss, miss, look!"
Before turning around, Liu Qingqing wiped her tears, then saw a strange woman whose beauty surpassed her own.
The old man earlier stood motionless in place, as if napping.
Shi Rou's expression was blank. "Give me your hand."
Liu Qingqing, stunned, raised her arm.
Shi Rou grasped Liu Qingqing's wrist, which was like a section of white lotus root.
While Shi Rou examined the flow of qi in Liu Qingqing's body, Chen Ping'an continued to inspect the room carefully. He noticed the maid Zhao Ya subtly signaling him. Following her hint, he saw a small, exquisite box that hadn't been put away, like a box for rouge or powder. Without a word, Chen Ping'an moved over and opened it. Inside were several pills with a faint, fishy smell. Pretending to have just discovered them by chance, Chen Ping'an turned to Liu Qingqing and asked, "Miss Liu, are these pills from Lion Garden's own tonic supply, or were they gifted by an outside immortal?"
Zhao Ya thought this young gentleman with the sword on his back was truly quick-witted and considerate, always thinking of others.
Unlike the other immortals who had come before, who were all arrogant, practically carving the word "immortal" on their foreheads, and who loved to mutter "fox demon wretch" in front of Miss, hurting her ears and heart.
Liu Qingqing said timidly, "He gave them to me as 'Calming Pills.' He said they could nourish my body, calm my mind, and settle my qi."
Shi Rou had already smelled the pungent medicinal odor. She glanced at them and sneered, "Calming Pills? Do you know what true calming pills are? These are one of the heretical elixirs used in the world for raising ghosts and making puppets. After taking them, the soul of a living person or ghost gradually solidifies, the vessel becomes fixed. The originally wandering, free three souls and seven spirits—like wild soil used for making porcelain—are pinched into a vessel blank by someone. Nourishing the body?"
Shi Rou's smile was mocking. "Of course, it's also possible your lover told you this was a supreme secret method from mountain immortals to mend congenital deficiencies and incomplete bones in younger family members, helping mortals without cultivation talent ascend in one step. That's not entirely false. But the mountain caves that are willing to do this are either small, insignificant sects, or those in a bad situation, weighed down by worries, who need to produce more junior cultivators taking shortcuts. After all, taking these so-called 'Calming Pills,' also known as 'Beheading Pills,' leads to endless troubles. Hated by heaven and earth, the person becomes half-dead, the ghost half-alive—neither human nor ghost. The cruelest method is to make someone a good vessel for carrying mountain and river qi, then smash the money jar and sweep away all the wealth inside. As for what happens to the broken jar? Hmph, either the soul scatters with no next life, or if a trace of spirit remains after death, they inevitably become a vengeful ghost."
Shi Ruo's words were blunt.
Zhao Ya's face turned pale.
Liu Qingqing was terrified at first, but still unwilling to give up hope. She quickly found a rationalization for herself, thinking that this woman's vision was limited and she couldn't see the deeper uses of the Calming Pills.
Chen Ping'an's face darkened.
This kind of immortal technique—wasn't it like the firing of natal porcelain in the Pearl Talisman Cave Heaven?
If earlier Chen Ping'an had changed his route and chosen not to go to the capital, instead coming to Lion Garden to wade into muddy waters, it was because of the incense burner's words about that scholar from the River God Temple, and because of the phrase "where demons and monsters lurk, there must be a heavenly master with peachwood sword." He had thought of his good friend Zhang Shanfeng, a non-surnamed heavenly master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. If Zhang Shanfeng hadn't followed his master to Dragon Tiger Mountain and heard about this, he would definitely have come.
But now Chen Ping'an really didn't believe it. A scourge—perhaps not even truly a fox demon—dared to do evil, manipulate the qi of mountains and rivers, covet the literary fortune of the Liu family, and also take lives. Such vile intentions and poisonous methods meant that even dying once wouldn't be enough.
Chen Ping'an went to the door, first called Pei Qian into the boudoir, then told Zhu Lian to go immediately to Lion Garden and request official gold ingots from the imperial court, grind them into powder, and make as much gold paint as possible.
He needed to draw suppressing talismans!
—
The old woman, acting as the Earth God of Lion Garden, did not follow them to the embroidery tower. Her reason was that with Immortal Chen in the boudoir, Liu Qingqing was safe for now. She needed to protect Old Minister Liu and the other Liu clan members.
In the Liu ancestral hall, the old woman, freed from the five fox-demon ropes, was full of energy.
In fact, successive generations of Liu family heads had known this Willow Tree Goddess, who was older than Lion Garden itself. Every year, among the rich offerings of incense and sacrifices to the ancestors, there was a large portion for this deity who protected the Liu clan.
Now the ancestral hall was packed. Many servants who normally wouldn't have been allowed inside had been brought in by Old Minister Liu's orders, via the old steward Zhao. If this got out, the old minister would surely be accused of "disgracing scholarship and blaspheming ancestors."
Old Minister Liu and over twenty Liu clan members were gathered in a secluded corner of the hall. Many were seeing this Willow Tree Goddess for the first time.
In addition, two outsiders who had lived in Lion Garden for many years stood at the edge, not interfering in Liu family matters.
Lion Garden had a family school. Thirty years ago, after a highly respected Confucian scholar resigned, they hired an obscure teacher.
This was a peculiar thing. At the time, both the court and literary circles were curious about which great scholar could be deemed worthy by Old Minister Liu to teach the Liu children.
Later, the old minister's eldest son succeeded in the imperial examinations but wasn't particularly outstanding—just a presented scholar with a low rank. His essays, poems, and rhapsodies were unremarkable. Compared to the brilliant Old Minister Liu, he was like a tiger father with a dog son. So interest in the new teacher's identity faded. If his disciple was so mediocre, how good could the teacher be?
As for Liu Qingshan, he was like his father Liu Jingting, a child prodigy known far and wide, with extraordinary literary talent. But that was his own ability, not much related to the teacher's scholarship.
At this moment, Liu Jingting was arguing with the Willow Tree Goddess.
The Willow Tree Goddess's view was that they must strive, even at the cost of dignity, to get the young man named Chen to kill the demon. They absolutely could not let him simply save people without killing the demon; they had to make him eradicate the root of the problem.
Liu Jingting then mentioned the incident where the female Daoist had destroyed the fox demon's illusion.
The Willow Tree Goddess sneered. An itinerant female Daoist—if Lion Garden placed all its hopes on her, things wouldn't end well.
The eldest daughter, Liu Qingya, timidly said, "But that Immortal Chen is also an outsider."
The Willow Tree Goddess shot a sidelong glance at this short-sighted woman, making her quickly shut up.
Then the old woman said something thought-provoking: "That young man surnamed Chen is, at least, a scholar!"
After weighing the matter, Liu Jingting still refused to use underhanded means to tie the young man to Lion Garden.
The Willow Tree Goddess pointed at the old minister's nose and scolded him mercilessly. "Seven generations of the Liu family have toiled to build this legacy. If you, Liu Jingting, die and let the incense of the Liu clan be cut off, will you have the face to meet your ancestors? Will you be worthy of the names on the tablets in this ancestral hall? Those who died for remonstrating to preserve the legitimate Tang lineage, beaten to death with rods; those who died for saving upright and loyal officials, exiled three thousand miles; those who died serving as officials for the people's welfare, exhausting their hearts and minds—do I need to recite their names for you?"
Liu Jingting's face was full of anguish.
The old woman continued to curse. "If you can't put aside your face and keep up your damned old minister's airs, then your Liu family will definitely not get past this hurdle. You, Liu Jingting, can die if you must, but you'll cause Lion Garden to change its surname, your children to scatter, and how many of those rare books in the library will remain by the time Liu Qingshan's generation reaches old age?"
Liu Jingting had no reply.
No one else dared to speak.
There was a long, heavy silence.
Finally, Liu Qingshan, limping forward a few steps, said to the old woman, "Willow Tree Goddess, I think you made a mistake."
The old woman narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Little child, what can you teach me?"
Liu Qingshan said solemnly, "The reason our Liu family has been passed down to this day without the incense being cut is precisely because our ancestors stood upright. They left ancestral teachings and family rules. Our descendants have strictly adhered to them, which is why today, when Lion Garden faces trouble, help comes from all sides. If today we act against our conscience and break the rites, even if we manage to save this Lion Garden, the family tradition of our Liu clan will have been corrupted from this day forward."
The old woman laughed loudly, mocking him. "Little boy, don't think that just because you've read a few books, you can talk to me about such nonsense. If everyone is dead, a hundred years from now, except for that collection of essays on Lion Garden, who will remember your fallen Liu family?"
Not giving the scholar Liu Qingshan a chance to speak, she continued, "You, a cripple with no hope of officialdom, have the nerve to spout such lofty nonsense while standing—haha, can you even stand steady, Liu Qingshan?"
Liu Qingshan had once secretly left Lion Garden with the old Daoist from the temple to find a true righteous immortal and save his sister—only to meet with disaster on the road. His broken leg was physical pain, but the fact that his official career was thus cut short, all his ambitions turning to dust, was the greatest agony for this scholar. Because of this, the maid Zhao Ya hadn't dared to mention this tragedy to Miss Liu on the embroidery tower. Liu Qingqing, who had always been closest to her second brother Liu Qingshan, would surely be overwhelmed with guilt. In fact, Liu Qingshan's first request when he was carried back to Lion Garden was that his father Liu Jingting conceal this from his sister.
Now, being publicly stripped of the scab over his heart by the Willow Tree Goddess, who had protected Lion Garden for over two hundred years—even for a scholar like Liu Qingshan, who had never shown any sign of distress in front of outsiders since his crippling—his face turned ashen, and his fists clenched tightly.
The old woman continued to rub salt in his wounds. "Before you were crippled, I still respected you a little. But now that you're crippled, you, Liu Qingshan, are destined to be a useless scrounger hiding in Lion Garden, just waiting to die. I suggest you take down that couplet from your study early. Aren't you afraid people will laugh?"
Liu Jingting said darkly, "Willow Tree Goddess, that's enough!"
The old woman snorted coldly.
Liu Jingting patted his second son's shoulder.
Liu Qingshan, his eyes moist, nodded to his father, whom he respected most in life, indicating he was fine. Then he lowered his head, his face covered in tears.
A man standing between heaven and earth sheds tears only when his heart is broken.
The Lion Garden family school had two teachers: a stern, elderly man and a refined, middle-aged Confucian scholar.
The latter frowned.
The old man gently shook his head, and the middle-aged scholar fell silent.
The old steward Zhao, who had been waiting at the bottom of the embroidery tower, rushed into the ancestral hall. He came to Old Minister Liu and the Willow Tree Goddess, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile, "Master Chen wants us to prepare gold paint for drawing talismans. He needs official gold ingots ground into powder. He said the more, the better. Then he'll draw talismans on the small street near the embroidery tower."
The old woman said sharply, "Then go prepare it quickly! What's a little gold and silver worth?!"
The old steward turned to Liu Jingting.
The old minister nodded. "Go ahead."
The old minister suddenly called the steward back. He walked out quickly, "Old Zhao, I'll come with you. Call some brave, strong men, but they must volunteer."
Unexpectedly, the old woman grabbed the old minister by the shoulder. "You go? Liu Jingting, have you lost your mind? What if the fox demon, having nothing to lose, kills you—the pillar—first and then runs? Even if your daughter survives, the situation in Lion Garden will still be a mess. Who will support the family then? A cripple? Or your mediocre eldest son, who might just barely become a commandery governor?"
Liu Jingting was furious.
Did this land god think he, Liu Jingting, had spent all those years as an official for nothing? Why was she so anxious? When it came down to it, wasn't she just afraid that if the Liu family's incense went out, it would affect her own golden body and Dao?!
Seeing Liu Jingting's rare fury, the old woman hesitated slightly and softened her tone. She advised kindly, "Don't the scholars also tell you learned men, 'The gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall'? You, Liu Jingting, a frail scholar, can't carry much gold ingot. You're no match for any strong male servant or guard in Lion Garden. What use would you be going? Aren't you afraid the fox demon will catch you and threaten the Garden?"
Liu Qingshan suddenly raised his head, his gaze resolute. "I'll go. Even if I can't carry much gold, I can at least watch on-site and prevent any mistakes."
Liu Jingting straightened his son's collar. "Be careful. Even if you can't become an official, so what? A scholar who is corrupt at heart yet steals a high position is no true scholar. My son may have a crippled leg and can't be an official, but he can still be a scholar for life. Since you can't govern the country and bring peace to the world, just focus on cultivating yourself and ordering your family. Can you do that?"
Liu Qingshan finally smiled. "Father, that's not difficult."
Liu Qingshan followed the old steward, leading a group of Lion Garden servants—nearly all of whom volunteered eagerly—and left the ancestral hall with fervent expressions.
Liu Jingting didn't even glance at the old woman. He walked over to the two teachers, one a generation apart in age, and bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Master Fu and Mr. Liu, for teaching our Liu family a scholar who can carry on the family tradition with righteousness."
The old teacher remained wooden and expressionless, not even nodding slightly. But Lion Garden was used to this; the old man had the same stony face in front of everyone.
The middle-aged scholar smiled. "Teaching disciples, imparting knowledge, and resolving doubts—that's the duty of a teacher."
—
In a small courtyard lived four chivalrous individuals who had come from afar. They had become guests of honor at Lion Garden even earlier than Chen Ping'an.
There was a young master with the compound surname Dugu, his close female servant Meng Long, and a master-disciple pair of cultivators who kept a little marten and a green snake respectively.
They had met by chance and together suppressed a mountain infested with monsters. Master Dugu had contributed more, but only picked a few ordinary objects related to elegance. Several precious spiritual tools and a large pile of immortal money he left for the master and disciple.
The master-disciples privately calculated that their lives together probably weren't worth the young master's long-term investment, so they shamelessly stayed with the master-servant duo. Later, they actually got a few benefits: two more demon-extermination missions netted them several hundred snowflake coins. Of course, the old cultivator had tested the waters many times. The noble young master, who claimed to be from the Zhu Ying Dynasty, truly seemed to have no interest in arguing over money.
The young master had never made a move, claiming he only knew some superficial martial arts. The master-disciples weren't fools and naturally didn't believe it.
But the maidservant's few displays of power were truly terrifying.
She was a sword cultivator.
Not only that, but she could also use the legendary immortal hall techniques, commanding a Night Wandering God three zhang tall!
Meng Long was no ageless old hag. She was actually a woman under twenty.
A sword cultivator on the verge of breaking into the middle five realms. Her several vicious moves clearly reached the level of the Cave Abode realm.
Using a genius with high hopes of becoming a land immortal sword cultivator as a maid serving tea and water, and her taking it for granted...
Anyone with a brain knew that Master Dugu's background was unfathomably deep.
Unfortunately, the old man racked his brains and couldn't think of any noble named Dugu in the Zhu Ying Dynasty. Searching north and south, he could find two wealthy clans or sects—one a pillar of the imperial court, another with a Golden Core cultivator—but neither matched the young man's revealed resources.
In the end, he just assumed that in the sword-cultivator-filled Zhu Ying Dynasty, there were too many old turtles lying low underwater. The young man was from some immortal mansion that didn't like to show off.
This was also why the profit-driven wild cultivator master and disciple dared to urge the master-servant pair to come to Lion Garden to subdue the demon.
At this moment, Master Dugu stood by the window, looking at the unusual sky outside. "Looks like that fox demon got its tail stepped on by that young man named Chen. Even better. We don't need to act. It's just too bad about those three things in Lion Garden—that painting and calligraphy and that plum blossom vase—they were both first-class scholarly treasures. I wonder if that Chen fellow will be willing to sell them to me after he gets them."
Meng Long smiled. "Appreciators all have their eyes on that heirloom treasure of the Liu family—a chicken rib in their hands. But you, Master, only want those worthless trinkets that don't cost much immortal money."
Master Dugu sighed. "Once this is done, we'll have to be on the road again."
Meng Long also frowned. "Master, searching for people and clues like this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It seems a bit difficult."
The young man said helplessly, "There's no other convenient way. We have to use this dumbest method. Let's treat it as a leisure trip. We'll wander around while waiting for news from the mountain."
Meng Long was a bit angry. "Those who were willing to talk, we found, but they knew nothing. Those who refused to open their mouths—each had a significant background. We can't afford to reveal our identity and provoke them. Those guys, relying on their Ju Lu Continent identity, were all high and mighty. What's so great about them? Just because they lived a few hundred years more and have higher realms now? If you ask me, within thirty years, Master can deal with them with one hand."
The Dugu master didn't respond to her complaints. "Let's find that young woman first."
Meng Long sat at the table, idly fiddling with the chess pieces on the board, moving them randomly. "We only know her name, and she was just an unknown little cultivator on that sacrifice boat from Da Jiao Mountain. Too few clues. If it weren't for that wandering monk mentioning her, we'd be like flies bumping into walls. Master, I'm a bit homesick. And don't you lie to me—once we find that little cultivator, we're heading straight back home, right?"
Master Dugu turned and teased, "Oh, you, a Qi practitioner of the lower five realms, have the nerve to call someone else a 'little cultivator'?"
Meng Long grinned. "But I'm a sword cultivator, after all."
Master Dugu glared and feigned anger. "Sword cultivators eat money like a gluttonous beast. What's there to brag about?"
Meng Long covered her mouth and laughed. "Anyone else could say that, but not you, Master. The immortal money I've already eaten—let alone the fact that I'll earn it back in the future—compared to what's in your family's vault, it's just a drop in the bucket, isn't it?"
Master Dugu shook his head. "When you truly break into the middle five realms, you won't say that. A land immortal sword cultivator consumes at least twice the heavenly treasures of an ordinary terrestrial immortal along the path of cultivation."
Meng Long nodded, speaking softly, "Master and Mistress truly spend money like water. Otherwise, our clan wouldn't be inferior to the Fu family of Old Dragon City."
Master Dugu laughed angrily. "You've gotten bold, daring to criticize my parents to my face?"
Meng Long acted coquettishly. "Master is so kind. What do I have to fear?"
Master Dugu smiled. "Sooner or later, a married daughter is like water poured out. Master is just a sucker."
Meng Long shook her head. "I don't want to get married. Marry those pretty, useless pillows for what? In this life, I'll only follow Master."
Master Dugu didn't comment. He turned back to gaze at the sky. "That fox demon's actions are strange everywhere. Not easy to deal with. I hope that young man, working with that female Daoist with the blade, can get through it without trouble."
Meng Long smiled. "Master has a heart of a bodhisattva."
Master Dugu said self-deprecatingly, "I'm just thinking about spending money without exerting effort to buy those two items. As for what happens inside and outside Lion Garden, I'm not really interested. Whether it's good or bad, life or death, they brought it on themselves."
—
About half an hour later, at the embroidery tower, Zhu Lian, the old steward, and Liu Qingshan arrived, each carrying a jar of specially made gold paint the size of a wine pot.
Inside the tower, Shi Rou's spirit had already returned to the discarded immortal body and was sitting in a corner, resting with eyes closed.
Pei Qian had been bored at first, regretting that she couldn't copy books, or else she would have had one less homework task to do today. Later, Zhao Ya found the little girl with a talisman stuck to her forehead amusing, so she went over to chat. After a while, Pei Qian, who had been too shy to ask, went with Zhao Ya to examine the phoenix cage. Pei Qian's eyes were opened wide.
The old steward and Liu Qingshan did not ascend the tower. They returned to the ancestral hall together.
Before leaving, Liu Qingshan bowed deeply toward the upper floors of the embroidery tower.
Inside the room, Chen Ping'an took a brush. Zhu Lian stood beside him, holding a pottery jar of gold paint "ink" like an inkstone. Chen Ping'an began drawing talismans on a pillar.
These were all talismans he had learned from the "True Traces of the Cinnabar Book" given to him by Li Xisheng.
The brush tip, dipped in gold paint, was full.
Without needing Chen Ping'an to say anything, Zhu Lian shook his shoulders and laughed. "Please, Master."
Chen Ping'an tapped his toes, floated up with the brush in hand, and stepped onto Zhu Lian's shoulder. At the top of the pillar, he began drawing a Pagoda Subduing Demon Talisman in one go.
Zhu Lian bent his knees slightly. Then, using the spiritual energy stored in his dharma robe, Golden Liquor, and water mansion, he drew another talisman of the same type in a different style.
After the first two, Chen Ping'an stepped on Zhu Lian's shoulder again and covered various beams with talismans.
After landing, he continued drawing on the boudoir's window shutters and walls. Besides the most targeted Subduing Demon Talisman, there were three other types from the beginner's section of the True Traces: Calm Mind and Peace Talisman, Purge Filth and Clean Dust Talisman, and several Yang Qi Lamp-Lighting Talismans near the door.
During the process, Zhu Lian asked quietly, "Master, do you need to rest a bit?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head without a word. "Maybe that great demon is already on its way here. No time to waste. Every extra talisman is a good thing."
After finishing the talismans inside the boudoir, Chen Ping'an had used only about half a jar of gold paint. He then went to the outdoor corridor and continued drawing Subduing Demon Talismans on the balustrade and the meandering bench. He also made attempts at a few Command Sword Talismans and Lock-Breaking Talismans, which were relatively more taxing.
Even after a talisman's "gall" was formed and the talisman successfully completed, one thing was how long its spiritual light would last and how well it could withstand the invasion of lingering, fierce energy. The other was how much assault from great demon techniques it could endure.
Chen Ping'an could only work like a diligent farmer on thin, poor soil—not good farmland—where the yield per acre was limited. He had to win by quantity.
There was still gold paint left in the jar. Chen Ping'an stepped onto the outdoor balustrade, then he and Zhu Lian floated up to the rooftop. Crouching on the ridge, he drew talismans.
Pei Qian finally found a chance to show off. Earlier, while Chen Ping'an was still drawing his first few talismans, she had bragged to the maid Zhao Ya, arms crossed and head held high. "Sister Ya, isn't my master amazing at drawing talismans? Don't you think those flower-and-bird seal script characters are beautiful? Isn't there a master's air about them?"
Zhao Ya was not a cultivator and couldn't judge the depth of Chen Ping'an's talisman skill. But as Miss Liu Qingqing's personal maid, she had considerable insight into music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She truly didn't think the ancient seal script characters in the talismans were particularly incisive. But since Pei Qian asked, she had to give some perfunctory reply so as not to disappoint the little girl.
Unexpectedly, after hearing Zhao Ya's dry, echoing words, Pei Qian shook her head and said, "Sister Ya, you don't understand. My master's calligraphy is good because... it has immortal spirit!"
Pei Qian was very satisfied with this spontaneous remark.
Zhao Ya couldn't help but laugh. She put on a face of sudden realization. "Oh, I see. Blame my poor eyesight. After all, I'm not an immortal from the mountains like you, so I can't see the real trick."
Pei Qian saw through her perfunctory attitude at a glance. She rolled her eyes secretly, too lazy to say more. She went back to lying on the table, staring wide-eyed at the scenery inside the phoenix cage.
Staring contest.
Many strange spirits inside the cage had flown out of the tower, all looking at the charcoal-black little girl.
Zhao Ya walked over to Liu Qingqing and said in surprise, "Miss, did you feel that? The room seems much fresher and brighter?"
Liu Qingqing said bitterly, "I don't feel anything."
Zhao Ya pulled up a stool and sat beside her, gently holding Miss's cold little hand.
Chen Ping'an and Zhu Lian descended back to the outdoor corridor. Zhu Lian, empty-handed, told Shi Rou to pick up the remaining two jars of gold paint. Shi Rou didn't understand why but complied. This eighth-tier martial artist was not someone she could provoke. Earlier, in the small courtyard, Zhu Lian had unleashed a murderous aura without any concealment, directed straight at her, which had truly frightened her.
Pei Qian saw Chen Ping'an, drenched in sweat, and quickly ran over. "Master, can I wipe your sweat for you?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and shook his head. "I need to go with Shi Rou to draw talismans in other parts of Lion Garden. That way, at the slightest sign of trouble, the talismans will respond. Here, with Zhu Lian protecting you, there shouldn't be much danger. Even if the fox demon comes, as long as it can't break through the tower doors and windows quickly, I'll be back in time."
Pei Qian patted the bamboo sword and saber at her waist and nodded. "Master, don't worry. I'll protect Miss Liu and Sister Ya!"
Chen Ping'an patted her little head and said softly, "Protect yourself first."
Pei Qian beamed with joy.
Zhu Lian smiled without a word.
On the rooftop earlier, Chen Ping'an had quietly instructed him to protect Pei Qian above all.
The implication made Zhu Lian feel very comfortable.
If he had followed a young master who steadily moved toward moral sainthood, aiming for a place in the Confucian temple, Zhu Lian would have been utterly troubled.
Chen Ping'an took Shi Rou and descended from the tower into the courtyard.
He told Shi Rou to take one of the pottery jars. "Go remind that Master Dugu and his group, as well as the Daoist couple. If they're willing, ask them to guard near the ancestral hall, preferably on some high ground with a wide view. The fox demon might appear somewhere soon."
Shi Rou silently left to deliver the message.
At a certain arched bridge in Lion Garden, two figures stood at opposite ends: a black-robed youth and a female Daoist with a dharma blade, facing off.
The handsome youth pressed one hand on the bridge railing, reducing it to powder. "Stinking Daoist nun, are you really determined to block me?"
The female Daoist stood on the railing and shook her head. "Block you? I'm going to kill you and take your treasure."
The handsome youth's face changed slightly.
The female Daoist from the Master's Blade Chamber sneered, "Greedy for the literary fortune of the mortal world, you demon have crossed the line more than once."
The handsome youth ground his teeth. "Aren't you curious how I, as a demon, can openly plot this right beside the bed of the Tang emperor, in the capital's outskirts?"
The middle-aged female Daoist pressed the dharma blade at her waist. "Mundane trivialities have nothing to do with me."