Chapter 53

Cheng Ru'an frowned; the Eldest Princess's niece behaved so disgracefully, that it tarnished the Eldest Princess's face.

She turned to Daoist Priest Xuanqing and said, "Please trouble the Temple Master to free a quiet room for her to change clothes and wash her hands."

Daoist Priest Xuanqing nodded and ordered the junior Taoist priests who had gathered after hearing Huo Wenxuan's scream, "Send them to the back courtyard and find a quiet room for her."

"Yes!" the junior priest hurried forward, "Everyone, follow me."

Lv Qianru supported Huo Wenxuan and hurried with her toward the back courtyard; Lv Zheng, being a man, could not follow and had to wait outside for them to return.

Cheng Ru'an waved to her son, and Xiao Ningxun stepped before her, his face showing shame, "Mother! It was I who failed to protect my sister, nearly causing her trouble; please punish me."

Tuan Tuan hugged his neck, "Mother! Third Brother is good, don't punish him!"

Cheng Ru'an smiled faintly, "Mother won't; come, Tuan Tuan, come down. This is Xuanqing Zhenren, the Temple Master of Xuanqiong Temple; pay your respects to the Daoist Priest."

Tuan Tuan looked up, seeing only Xuanqing Zhenren's beard fluttering in the wind, his face hidden, and shouted, "Grandpa Daoist Priest! Hold! Why is your beard so long! I've found mother and father, will you come home with me?"

Xuanqing Zhenren felt a sudden tremor in his heart at her call, looked down at her, and wondered, "Has this little child ever seen a humble Taoist before?"

The adult and the child stared at each other for a moment.

Tuan Tuan stretched both little arms, "Grandpa Daoist Priest! You used to love holding me the most! Now everything I pick up I keep in a big room at home; I won't hide anything here for you anymore! You needn't be afraid!"

Cheng Ru'an and Xiao Ningxun were bewildered: when had Tuan Tuan visited Xuanqiong Temple? And why call the Temple Master "Grandpa Daoist Priest"?

Xuanqing Zhenren lifted Tuan Tuan, who perched high enough to see clearly, and said, "Huh, you're not Grandpa Daoist Priest! Over here, Grandpa Daoist Priest," she pointed with her little hand to a dark spot above the right corner of her mouth, "there's a little black dot!"

Xuanqing Zhenren smiled faintly, "Has the Little Princess ever seen someone similar to this humble Taoist?"

Tuan Tuan tilted her head, thought, and nodded, a bit disappointed, realizing this Grandpa Daoist Priest wasn't the same as the former one.

Cheng Ru'an laughed, "So the little girl was mistaken. Come, don't let the Temple Master hold you; Mother will lead you inside to pray for big brother."

Tuan Tuan slipped from Xuanqing Zhenren's arms, grabbed her mother's hand, and followed her into the main hall, with Xiao Ningxun trailing behind.

The three arrived before the solemn statue of the Three Pure Ones, reverently offering incense and prayers, wishing Xiao Ningyuan a swift recovery.

When the three stood, Xuanqing Zhenren first intoned, "Boundless Celestial Venerable."

Then his gaze softened toward Tuan Tuan, "The spirit crane, through wisdom, perceives innocence; just now it carried a dead branch for you—a kind fate."

His words then shifted slightly, "Yet all things in the world are born and die by law; cause and effect circulate. The crane bearing a dead branch is both the origin of fate and a disaster, perhaps preordained."

He crouched so his sight met Tuan Tuan's, "Little devotee, your spirit sea is clear, bearing an unusual constitution; it is a gift of destiny."

"But you must understand, every person has their own destiny track, like stars each following its path, shining together yet not easily intersecting. If you forcefully use your power to meddle with others' cause and effect, not only will their original track change, but it will also rebound upon you."

Cheng Ru'an and Xiao Ningxun felt their hearts tighten, looking at Tuan Tuan, deep in thought.

Tuan Tuan looked at him for a moment, shook her head, "Grandpa Daoist Priest, I don't understand what you're saying!" Suddenly she giggled, reaching out to stroke Xuanqing Daoist Priest's beard, "Grandpa Daoist Priest, your beard is so long and soft!"

Xuanqing Zhenren let her tug his beard, "What I mean, humble Taoist, is that others' circumstances are each their own karmic cultivation; one cannot casually cross them. Those are their own karmic laws; you must not interfere."

Tuan Tuan played with his beard and said clearly, "That's not a stranger! Taoist Priest Grandpa, that's someone from my family. Grandpa, Father, older brothers are all fine, then Mother won't shed tears!"

Cheng Ru'an's tears fell in a flash; she couldn't help but bend down, lift her daughter, and plant a forceful kiss on her face: "Good child! Mother's good daughter!"

Tuan Tuan's little hand still tugged at Taoist Priest Xuanqing's beard; as she lifted and stood, True Immortal Xuanqing, caught by his own beard, hurried to rise.

Tuan Tuan laughed: "Hahaha… Taoist Priest Grandpa! You're so cute! Mother! Why are you crying again? Don't cry, Third Brother will be fine."

Xiao Ningxun looked at her younger sister with an expressive face, her eyes full of indulgence and pride.

True Immortal Xuanqing stood still, watching the small child's eyes filled with unquestionable sincerity and resolve; the words "family" that left her mouth weighed as much as a thousand pounds.

He ultimately did not continue to persuade; a faint sigh flickered in his deep eyes: "A child's pure heart is indeed precious. Yet if there is no desire, everything can be repaid."

"Princess Consort, I, the humble Taoist, take my leave," he said, then turned and left.

Cheng Ru'an and Xiao Ningxun watched his retreating figure, their hearts tangled with the worry his words had stirred and an inseparable deep familial love, a flood of mixed emotions, exceedingly complex.

Cheng Ru'an hesitated briefly, set her daughter down: "Xun Er, I'll go speak with True Immortal Xuanqing again; you take her for a walk outside, I'll be right back."

Xiao Ningxun understood her mother's unease, as she felt the same, and nodded: "Alright, we'll stay nearby and wait for you to return." Cheng Ru'an turned and walked toward the direction where True Immortal Xuanqing had vanished.

Xiao Ningxun led her sister to wander around the courtyard, arriving at a pavilion platform.

The railings of the pavilion were strung with prayer copper bells tied by worshippers, forming a vast display; as the breeze brushed by, hundreds to thousands of bells swayed lightly, producing a cascade of "ding-dong" chimes, exceedingly pleasant.

Tuan Tuan was instantly captivated, her big eyes wide open, little hand pointing: "Third Brother, listen! So beautiful!"

"Princess Jiayou, has your good luck run out? Do you still need to come here to tie prayer bells?"

The two turned to look, and it was Huo Wenxuan.

She had redressed herself, but her expression was ashen, glaring at them, her anger unabashed.

Lv Zheng and Lv Qianru stood on her left and right, each wearing an unfriendly sneer.

They had just emerged from the quiet chamber in the back courtyard, not expecting to meet the brother and sister here.

"What a little lucky star! It's just a fleeting bout of crap luck! I can't believe you're always so fortunate!" Huo Wenxuan, upon seeing Tuan Tuan, felt a surge of jealousy so intense it nearly burst forth, caring little for any decorum.

Lv Qianru took over: "Exactly! Using such ethereal nonsense to deceive others is downright condemnable! Can't you look at your own status, is it enough to compete with Sister Wenxuan for favor!"

The remark struck a sore spot in Huo Wenxuan's heart, and she couldn't help but glance at Lv Qianru with a hint of admiration.