Chapter 531: Chapter 523: Don’t Ask, Just Know That I’m Awesome
Bai Renting vanished, and Qin Liuxi didn’t waste a word, immediately taking the Yin Road back to the Daoist Temple.
Xuan Qingzi and Yao Feifei followed her in a daze back to Qingping Temple, still somewhat baffled. Was that the end of it?
Qin Liuxi yawned, ready to return to her Daoist Room, but Xuan Qingzi called out to her. She turned back, saw he had something to say but hesitated, and spoke, “Don’t ask. If you do, it’s just that I’m more capable than you. Go wash up and sleep.”
Xuan Qingzi: “…”
He watched as Qin Liuxi’s silhouette disappeared, revealing a bitter smile.
“Sister.” Yao Feifei stepped forward and tugged at his sleeves.
Xuan Qingzi looked back, saying, “Tired, right? Go and rest. Tomorrow morning, we should also attend the early session at Qingping Temple.”
Yao Feifei uttered an ‘Oh’, held back her urge to ask further, but still inquired, “Brother, has the karma been settled?”
“Yes.”
The karma had been settled without the clash of swords they had anticipated. No spells were even cast, it was just resolved like that.
Yet this resolution had nothing to do with them; it was all due to Qin Liuxi.
Xuan Qingzi couldn’t quite describe his feelings but realized that the talents he once took pride in had been completely overshadowed.
He even had a flash of new understanding; this was the point of journeys: beyond the heavens, there are more heavens; beyond people, there are people supremely better.
However, Yao Feifei was still haunted by their illusory experience, rubbing her hands with a chill in her heart, “Brother, I’ll return to my room first.”
Xuan Qingzi didn’t notice her pale face, simply nodded his head and headed to his own Daoist Room.
…
The next morning after breakfast, Qin Liuxi went back to the city. She still needed to administer acupuncture to Yue Ding, and as for the brother and sister, they wouldn’t stay for long.
True enough, a few days later, she received a letter that Xuan Qingzi and company had started their journey back to the capital.
Qin Liuxi didn’t pay it much heed, feeling a premonition that they would meet again in the future. For now, the most important thing was Yue Ding’s leg.
After treatments spanning less than two months, he was finally able to stand again and could walk a few steps with support. Qin Liuxi was very satisfied.
“People who practice martial arts have a good foundation. You should get a pair of crutches, support yourself, and walk slowly. After all, you haven’t walked for two years. Once you get used to it, you can slowly start walking independently and recover bit by bit,” Qin Liuxi said with a smile.
Yue Ding bowed in gratitude: “Thank you for your efforts during these days.”
“No need for thanks; it’s just the concern of a doctor,” Qin Liuxi handed over the newly formulated prescription and added, “This is a new prescription, focusing on Solidifying Foundation and Nourishing Yuan. Once you can walk normally, you won’t need to take it anymore.”
Yue Ding expressed his gratitude again, and after a pause, asked, “Are you planning to go to Shengjing?”
Recently, Xiong Er had frequently visited his courtyard to seek guidance on Martial Arts and had mentioned going back to Shengjing, hence his conjecture.
Qin Liuxi was surprised at his sharpness and nodded: “Why, you want to go too?”
Yue Ding smiled and said, “I would like to, but I also know that my leg is not quite convenient yet, and it would be inconvenient to drag you down. Moreover, I would like to spend more time in the Daoist Room of Feichang Dao during this recovery period to better facilitate walking with this leg.”
“You are right to think so. Although you can now walk a few steps, everything is about gradual progress, just like eating one bite at a time. You should not rush. For you, the recovery of your legs is more important than anything. You should not bother going to Shengjing.” Qin Liuxi paused, then smiled and said, “Besides, with your identity, it’s possible that some people might want to extend your ‘resting days’ in the capital.”
Yue Ding looked at her in astonishment.
The underlying meaning of her words was nothing but the suggestion that his identity might arouse the Holy Emperor’s wariness, and he could be detained in the capital as a ‘hostage’ under the guise of recuperation. After all, his grandfather was in good health and could walk.
Such was the life of a general with military command authority. Even with complete loyalty, over time and with increased power, one would to some extent provoke the Saint’s wariness.
Since he was a child, Yue Ding had been personally nurtured and taught by his grandfather, so he naturally understood the struggles for power in the court. Yet, he did not expect that Qin Liuxi, a female who grew up in a Daoist Temple, would also understand this principle.
This woman was smart and perceptive.
A trace of admiration flashed in Yue Ding’s eyes as he said, “The Junior Temple Master is even more shrewd than I had thought.”
“You should recuperate in peace in Li City, and it’s also a good opportunity to take care of any underlying ailments,” Qin Liuxi said as she stood up. “If there is truly an urgent matter, you can leave once you are able to walk completely.”
“Alright,” Yue Ding responded and handed her a jade token that symbolized identity: “Since the matter of the Jiao Pearl is not settled, I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon to have Think Tank Mou wait for you in the capital, so you can consult with him when you arrive.”
Qin Liuxi did not decline.
To go to Shengjing, Qin Liuxi also needed to make arrangements before departing. In the shop, she drew several talismans to protect the business. If there were customers, they could go to the Daoist Temple to seek exorcism and ghost hunting, and if they needed a doctor, they should first go to the medical center.
The shop was easy to manage; as the Boss, she could just take a leave of absence when necessary. At the Qin family, she mentioned it to Mrs. Wang.
Mrs. Wang was genuinely surprised to hear that she was going to Shengjing: “Why the sudden trip to the capital?”
“There is something I must personally retrieve, so I need to make the trip. With you at home taking care of everything big and small, I am at ease. Also, regarding the Qingming ancestral worship, please instruct Uncle Li to arrange it. This year, let Qin Mingqi and Xiao Wu go to pay respects,” Qin Liuxi said.
The Qin family’s ancestral tomb was actually not far from Qingping Temple, located behind a hill in a village that also bore the Qin surname.
This Qin Family Village was not originally of the same lineage as the Qin family. It was Qin Liuxi’s great-grandfather, who was also Qin Yuanshan’s father, who took Qin Yuanshan to settle in Qin Family Village during difficult times. After cultivating a Scholar, Qin Family Village considered themselves part of the Qin family, as they all shared the Qin surname anyway. Eventually, when Qin Yuanshan succeeded in the imperial examinations, he even arranged for his father’s Yin House to be placed in the hill behind the village.
When Qin Yuanshan became distinguished, he selected a piece of land with good Feng Shui around his father’s Yin House as the Qin family’s ancestral grave. He bought some sacrificial land and entrusted the management to Qin Family Village as compensation for taking care of their ancestral graves.
Over the years, the worship of the Qin family’s ancestral graves, which were essentially the joint tomb of Qin Yuanshan’s parents, had mainly been conducted by the second and third elders of the Qin family. After paying their respects, they would leave.
Last year, after the Qin family fell from grace and as Qingming approached quickly, this year’s ancestral worship could only fall upon the only two male members left in Li City Mansion.
Mrs. Wang’s face darkened slightly at the mention of Qingming ancestral worship but quickly regained her composure with a smile, “Rest assured. But you, be careful when you go to Shengjing. After all, there are many powerful people there, and it’s rife with schemes and intrigues.”
Qin Liuxi thought to herself that in front of absolute strength, all schemes and intrigues were meaningless.
But she decided not to voice this thought, to save herself the need for explanation. Sometimes speaking too much is not a good thing, so she pretended to be obedient and agreed.
After settling everything, and having Qi Huang secretly take care of the family, she left Gu Family at home to recuperate due to a sudden bout of chill and weakness. She also informed old Taoist Master Chi Yuan; Qin Liuxi then set off for Shengjing with Feng Yu and Teng Zhao, along with Xiong Erjing, Xiao Si, and others.