Chapter 150: Encountering a Clear Day, Chapter 129: Heart-Attacking Talisman

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Shaowei

Liu Qi

"I've only heard it said..." Quan Wa's voice grew even quieter: "The Immortal Master told His Majesty that while sitting in meditation in Chengxiang Hall, his mind was unsettled, and many talisman papers were swept away by a strange wind; or perhaps it is improper to borrow a place of worship for a banquet, and there is worry of disturbing the spirits..."

"After the Immortal Master left, His Majesty seemed to have a nightmare at night; upon waking, he said that to be safe, they should still hold the banquet at Cangchi."

Quan Wa had a fellow villager who had recently been promoted to serve in the Emperor's Bedroom Palace, which was how she had these rumors.

"When I came, I had already seen disciples of Xian Tai Gong posting talismans inside and outside the Cangchi Palace Garden; His Majesty has ordered that the Immortal Master personally provide protection and ward off evil three days in advance, to ensure absolute safety."

After speaking, Quan Wa immediately performed a salute and took her leave.

"His Majesty indeed still places great trust in the Immortal Master's words." On the road back to Shen Dian, Shaowei had no expression on her face, as if muttering to herself.

"The Red Yang Immortal Master is the junior martial brother of the Baili State National Preceptor, so naturally he has true skill..." Yu Si Wu spoke with a serious expression in a low voice, advising: "There is no need to compete with him; where His Majesty holds the banquet is of no great concern to our Shen Ci; we just need to do our own duties well."

Shaowei looked forward.

She was doing her true duty, and the location of the banquet was even more closely related to her.

Chiyang sensed that she was setting a trap; he could not guess what would happen, but he was certain she was calculating against him.

He walked out of that trap, extricated himself with seemingly plausible yet clever words, and laid down a fallback: if Chengxiang Hall remained unharmed, it could be his merit in averting disaster; if Chengxiang Hall met with trouble, it would further prove his divine and unmatched ability to sense and avoid danger in advance.

This evil thief turned the tables on her, actually wanting to use her "precognition" ability to glorify himself; rather than greed, it was more like the condescension and mockery of one looking down from on high, attempting to probe her reaction through this.

Shaowei walked into Shen Dian, gazing at the tall statues of ghosts and spirits.

Since the Changling Grand Sacrifice on the third day of the third month, Chiyang had needed to take medicine every morning and evening to suppress his illness.

The medicine he took could not be made into pills; it had to be decocted to retain its potency. Previously, whenever ordered to enter the palace for protection, his disciple Shunzhen would borrow a stove at Taiyi Shu to cook the medicine.

The medicinal herbs were all brought in advance, not picked and mixed at Taiyi Shu. Not only that, while soaking and cooking the medicine, Shunzhen never left by half a step, nor would he let others do it for him. After cooking, once the medicine cooled slightly, he strained the medicine soup into a soup jar he brought himself, and the dregs were also taken away, leaving no trace.

This time was no exception; as dusk approached, Shunzhen came again to Taiyi Shu to cook medicine for Chiyang. After finishing everything, he held the medicine jar and stepped out of the medicine cooking room.

Stepping down three stone steps, he suddenly felt something crawling on the back of his hand. The next moment, a biting, stabbing pain arose; the pain carried a corrosive sensation. Shunzhen was caught off guard, and in the shock of the intense pain, he flung his hand, and the medicine jar "crack" fell and shattered.

In his blurred vision, he vaguely saw a large, long poisonous centipede quickly scuttle away. The centipede's venom was fierce; Shunzhen only felt the poison gas spreading rapidly through the wound on the back of his hand, and his entire hand burned with pain as if on fire.

A group of doctors heard the noise and ran out to look. Someone urged him to go inside immediately to treat the poison. Shunzhen endured the pain but said: "Trouble you to hold a lamp; just remove the poison for me right here!"

He quickly spoke out to stop two doctors trying to clean up the shattered medicine jar: "Don't move!"

He sat cross-legged on the spot, not allowing anyone to touch the mess on the ground.

Knowing he was a disciple of an Immortal Master, everyone had to comply. Soon, a doctor brought Suyao, silver needles, and other items.

As twilight fell and figures flitted about, Shunzhen felt his vision hindered by the poison; his eyes blurred for a while, until the poisoned blood was drawn out and medicine applied and bandaged, did he gradually regain clarity.

He still insisted on cleaning up the medicine jar himself, carefully noting the number of shards, confirming no mistake, then used his Daoist Robe to wipe the remaining medicine juice on the ground clean.

After such a commotion, he fetched more medicine to cook. By the time he presented the medicine soup to Chiyang, an hour had passed.

In the center of Cangchi was built a ten-zhang-high platform named Jiantai. Beside the pool was a high pavilion facing it, named Wangcang Pavilion.

Zhu-sha talismans were posted inside and outside Wangcang Pavilion. Chiyang sat in meditation on the second floor of the pavilion, while the other disciples chanted scriptures in the hall on the first floor.

Shunzhen poured the soup medicine from the jar into a bowl, holding it with both hands to Chiyang: "Master, please take the medicine."

Chiyang saw his hand wrapped in bandages and did not rush to take it, only asking about the cause of the injury.

Shunzhen explained the process of being bitten by the poisonous centipede. After listening, Chiyang said in a slow voice: "You have been schemed against."

Shunzhen was skilled in casting and mechanism arts; not exceptionally intelligent, but could be called cautious. He said in a low voice: "Master, rest assured. Your disciple has been guarding that shattered medicine jar and has not let anyone handle it."

Chiyang instead assumed the worst: "Since the other side came prepared, no matter how careful you are, that person most likely succeeded when you were unaware."

Shunzhen's expression turned solemn, and he immediately said: "It was your disciple's carelessness. Your disciple will now return to Taiyi Shu..."

"Forget it. Since you were unaware, how could you find out who it was?" Chiyang said calmly: "It's just a little medicine soup; nothing can be investigated for now."

Even if something was finally found, or even if something was involved, it was not what he cared about at the moment... There was someone else who truly needed to care about this matter.

"Tomorrow, you leave the palace and return to your residence once." Chiyang's tone was without a ripple: "Perhaps there will be some other movement."

This time, the other side used this scheme to trap him in the palace. Since one plan failed, they must be anxious. Besides taking the opportunity to inspect his medicine, they would likely not let go of other chances.

That night, several black shadows visited the Immortal Master's Mansion.

This mansion had been watched by Zhao Qie'an countless times. He had a clear target; taking advantage of Chiyang's absence, this time he went straight to Chiyang's residence.

This courtyard had arrays and mechanisms. Just as they had sneaked in, they were trapped within, and poison arrows fired all at once.

Fortunately, Zhao Qie'an had prepared early. He had mysterious weapons by his side, and two of them, each countering one thing.

When Shunzhen brought people to arrive, he was about to enter to check if the visitors still had any survivors. Just as the courtyard gate was opened, a Grey Shadow holding a blade came slashing down from midair!

Shunzhen was startled, raised his blade to block, and was forced back several steps. Fortunately, his guards quickly surrounded him, and another companion threw a hidden weapon at the Grey Shadow.

The grey-robed house slave with a handkerchief covering his face twisted his body to dodge the hidden weapon.

The thin man who released the hidden weapon was just as fast as a ghost. He instantly flew to follow, and the hidden weapons—poison needles—flew out like rain. The next moment, a sharp crossbow bolt flew through the air, stabbing straight at the man's face. He abruptly leaned back, narrowly avoiding it. When he straightened up and stared, he saw a dark-colored figure standing above the main hall roof of the residence, like one suppressing the formation.

Shaowei, her face covered, held a crossbow and fired another bolt, blocking the approaching guards and covering the house slave below.

Blood splattered in the courtyard. The chaotic noise of the fight began to alarm the surrounding mansions. Zhao Qie'an slashed back a dark guard with his blade, turned his head, and urged toward the house: "Quick!"

Not long after, a shadow like a black cat darted out of the hall.

Seeing this, Shaowei immediately leaped down from the roof, twisted and broke a dark guard's neck with her backhand, caught the torch falling from his hand, and threw it hard into the hall. Sparks flew everywhere, and the bamboo curtain was immediately ignited.

Zhao Qie'an grabbed her arm with one hand: "Let's go!"

As they were about to leap over the wall, Shaowei kicked the water jar at the foot of the wall hard, smashing it.

Three black shadows leaped into the night and soon disappeared.

Everyone was busy putting out the fire. The man who threw the hidden weapon gritted his teeth and had someone help treat the knife wound on his shoulder, cursing a filthy phrase under his breath.

Shunzhen's expression was somewhat strange; he looked at the mechanism in the courtyard that had been cracked, then recalled the black shadow that had drilled into the house to search, and a guess inevitably surfaced in his mind—could that person also be a descendant of the Mo Family?

"Are there secret rooms or hidden chambers?" Just returned to Jiang Zhai, arriving at the hall of the residence, Shaowei took off her night clothes, tore off the cloth covering her face, and immediately asked.

Under Shaowei's night clothes were ordinary robes; Xiao Yu carried the three people's bloodstained clothing separately, ran to the stove house to burn them, and by the way heated the soup noodles in the pot, distributing them to those returning from the night hunt.

Mo Li, who after removing his night clothes had only a half-sleeved inner garment left, honestly shook his head: "I felt everything over, there isn't any trace of a mechanism!"

Shaowei frowned, sat cross-legged in the air, and startled the household servant, comforting her: "This trip wasn't in vain; at least we can confirm she isn't at the Immortal Master's Mansion."

This trip's original intention was to confuse Chiyang's sight.

And it happened that while Chiyang was away, no one could adjust that troublesome array in time, so they took advantage of the vacancy to enter, letting Mo Li investigate whether there were hidden secret rooms.

Moreover, she broke into the rat hole, killed the rat soldiers, burned the rat nest, and kicked the rat jar to pieces; however you calculated it, it wasn't a loss.

But Shaowei wouldn't be satisfied; she sat there, frowning and said: "Not at the Immortal Master's Mansion, then where exactly is she hidden?"

Originally thinking Chiyang would definitely keep her nearby, yet this night's exploration found not a trace of a mechanism, nor a single strand of hair.

Mo Li, unable to bear the Young Master's worry, smelled the aroma of the soup noodles calling and immediately ran to the stove house.

The household servant sat down and drank water, while saying: "Looking at it this way, I'm afraid we really can only ask it from Chiyang's mouth."

She had already prepared herself mentally, expecting Chiyang wouldn't easily let them find the person or the corpse.

"The person who threw the hidden weapon today is the one in the carriage who dropped the shoes on the third day of the third month, disrupting your army's morale and luring me out of the city," the household servant said: "After exchanging blows with him today, I know his movement is extremely fast, and he is good at using hidden weapons... such characteristics and age, they remind me of someone."

Pausing, she then phrased it more accurately: "It can't be said to be a person; it is a beast called Song Ya in the jianghu. This beastly thief, relying on his strange movement, bullied and insulted daughters of wealthy families, and was very rampant. About seven or eight years ago, news on the road said he had been captured and executed by the Court, but I don't know why he didn't die, and instead was used by Chiyang."

Shaowei's tone was disgusted: "I should have shot him with a few more arrows just now."

"This time we don't want to make a big fuss; next time if there's a chance, we definitely won't spare his life." The household servant put down the earthen bowl.

The next day, in Wangcang Pavilion, a pale hand without blood slowly put down the medicine bowl.

Shunzhen knelt beside him, in a low voice saying: "It has been reported to the Brocade Guard for investigation..."

Chiyang smiled slightly, not thinking the Brocade Guard could find anything, but that didn't matter; what mattered was: "It should be that crow slave reporting to his master. This time his crow slave personally saw her boldness and audacity, and her safe retreat; he should know my words were not false."

Shunzhen answered in a low voice: "Song Ya went out to deliver news before dawn today."

Chiyang nodded in satisfaction, looking toward a group of witches passing by outside the wide-open window to one side.

Tomorrow is the fifth day of the fifth month.

Many palace maids' figures were busily moving about.

A palace maid raised her head from afar to look toward the pavilion, discussing in a low voice: "With the Immortal Master here to protect, these past two days there really haven't been any snakes or insects seen by Cangchi; it's much quieter... His Majesty asks the Immortal Master to protect until the banquet ends tomorrow night."

"Without snakes and insects, we can also rest easy and save a lot of effort."

"I don't know if there will be Hundred Tricks to watch this year?"

"There are every year; this year naturally there will be... so many princes and royal relatives have come; it should be lively, to properly drive away evil spirits."

"The Great Witch God will also enter the palace to drive away evil; I don't know if he will still descend as a god, calling forth what evil spirits to appear..." Saying this, the palace maid's voice became even smaller, and she stopped speaking reverently.

The palace maids and eunuchs outside the pavilion came and went in rotation, accompanying the alternation of sun and moon, arranging and preparing everything.

When the morning sun rose again, nearly a hundred witches of the Shrine appeared as scheduled together with the fifth day of the fifth month.

Shaowei passed by Wangcang Pavilion; a young Taoist waited outside, saluted her, and smilingly handed her an item: "This is a gift from the Immortal Master; I hope you will protect Tai Puzhe a little more, so that today's Nuo ritual can be completed more smoothly."

Shaowei accepted it without changing expression; it was neatly folded cinnabar talismans, but when opened, inside was a strand of pitch-black hair.

This hair was black and bright like silk; before Shaowei's eyes instantly flashed Jiang Fu's appearance combing his hair in the morning, his back with hair hanging down as he stretched outside the hall, the scene of him covering his head and not letting her pull out that glaring white hair...

Her whole body's texture instantly tensed, her blood boiled, and an uncontrollable killing intent burst from the gaps in her bones; Shaowei slowly raised her head, just seeing at the second-story pavilion window a patch of pitch-black robe—that was the black mountain she dreamed of splitting open.

Whether this strand of black hair was truly Jiang Fu's or not, both were an incomparably arrogant and vicious heart-attacking talisman.

Her extremely short and neat fingernails also dug blood from her palm; mixed with sweat, the black hair in her palm became damp and sticky, and by a strange twist of fate acquired an actual warmth and touch.

Shaowei's ears buzzed; she forcibly confined all her out-of-control emotions within her palm, and in a flat, slow tone said: "The Immortal Master's kindness; I will surely repay it."

After speaking, she immediately led the people of the Shrine away, without stopping all the way to Chengxiang Hall.

After the officials of Taichang Temple had prepared everything, the Emperor and Empress, accompanied by the heir and the princes, as well as the royal relatives, went to Chengxiang Hall and together completed the sacrifice of the fifth day of the fifth month.

After sacrificing to the ghosts and spirits, the witches needed to go to various palaces to perform the Nuo ritual and dispel plagues.

The weather was sultry, but many imperial clan children still wanted to follow and watch the Nuo ritual; Liu Qi also said carelessly: "We should follow and watch, to prevent someone who doesn't know death from taking the opportunity to do something."

These words clearly had a target; the Emperor frowned and rebuked: "Liu Qi, you must not speak such outrageous words again."

The youth wearing a Commandery Prince's court robe and crown clasped his hands and said: "Imperial Uncle, your child minister is merely guarding against unforeseen dangers."

After speaking, he immediately retreated two steps and naturally walked to the front, following five steps away from the side of the Great Witch God Hua Li, who had already put on a god mask.

Liu Ming and the others, seeing this, also hurriedly followed.

Liu Cheng was about to speak but stopped when he heard the Emperor instruct He Pingchun: "Send people to follow and guard; don't let that brat act recklessly and disturb the Nuo ritual."

The witches wearing masks either held ritual spears or held long feathers, entering the corridors and halls.

Beside Hua Li followed two witch men; they carried vermilion-painted wooden buckets, Hua Li held mugwort, and from time to time dipped into the water in the bucket mixed with realgar, sprinkling it around.

Whenever they entered a palace, the witches would divide into several teams to enter different chambers, but Liu Qi, who followed slowly and leisurely, always only followed Hua Li.

Under the surveillance that others saw, it was truly guarding against unforeseen dangers; the youth's words were sincere, but what he guarded against was not the unforeseen dangers of his royal father.

During the Nuo ritual at Changling, she alone had once fallen into a pitch-black tomb chamber; this time such a thing must never happen again; he would follow all the way.

With him there, with many imperial clan children there, and with the Brocade Guard supervising him so he wouldn't act recklessly, even if there were some conspiracy, they wouldn't dare show it easily.

Shaowei, with that strand of hair stuffed inside her collar and her heart full of emotions, felt the protection of that gaze, and bit by bit found back her calm breathing and heartbeat.

?? End of the month, asking everyone for a monthly vote mua! (*╯3╰)