Chapter 415

One Hundred and Seventy-Four, The Legacy Talisman of Old Heavenly Master Yuan

Miaosi was still sleeping.

Ouyang Rong, who was preparing to go out with the little junior sister, did not disturb her.

He didn't know what kind of habit she had formed; when the little ink sprite came to the Yinbing Zhai, she didn't sleep on a proper bed, but specifically chose the highest level of a wardrobe to use as a little nest.

Ouyang Rong shook his head, but before going out, he still placed the Mo family sword case beside it, just in case, so there could be some sense.

Ouyang Rong went out with Xie Lingjiang, said goodbye to Zhen Shuyuan who was showing concern, and took a carriage together to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

"How is the junior sister's reading?"

"Benefited a lot, suddenly enlightened."

Inside the carriage, facing Ouyang Rong's concerned gaze, Xie Lingjiang lowered her head to look at her palm lines and murmured:

"From a virtuous person, there is only one layer of obstruction left."

"It seems we need to flip the book again." Ouyang Rong nodded: "When Miaosi wakes up, let her help you again."

"Good."

Xie Lingjiang said softly, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked silently out the window.

Ouyang Rong suddenly let out an "Eh," stretched his head to the front of Xie Lingjiang to look at her expression.

"What's wrong, Ru Shixiong?" Xie Lingjiang touched her cheek and asked.

Ouyang Rong blinked: "How come I feel the little junior sister's temperament is a bit indifferent and desireless, especially this expression..."

Xie Lingjiang put down the carriage curtain with her slender fingers, tilted her head slightly, and asked him: "What's wrong with the expression?"

"Hmm, one word, I don't know if I should say it or not."

"Say it quickly."

"Full of holiness." Ouyang Rong touched his chin and described it seriously: "Hmm, your whole body is also emitting holy light. At a glance, you are a gentleman and a virtuous person. Now you really are a heavenly person."

"Then wasn't I before?"

"Before, when your complexion was serious, you looked silly. Now, you look holy. Anyway, it's different; I can tell."

Ouyang Rong sighed.

The Xie family noble girl, whose temperament was becoming increasingly holy, couldn't help but roll her eyes at him and patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder lightly:

"Don't talk nonsense."

Ouyang Rong smiled, then shook his head: "This Grade 6 virtuous person of the Confucian School really has changed your state of mind."

Xie Lingjiang suddenly said:

"When you see a virtuous person, think of becoming equal to them; when you see someone not virtuous, reflect on yourself internally."

Ouyang Rong was slightly stunned, turned his head to look, and discovered that the holy-style little junior sister, whose tone was serious, was staring at him without blinking.

Someone scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said seriously:

"Taking you to wash your feet... washing your feet, shouldn't count as not virtuous."

"..." Xie Lingjiang.

"Why did the Long-term Official Ouyang come too?"

"I heard Daoist Lu is leaving, so I came to see him off. In addition, I want to see Xiao Xuan off again."

"Oh."

At the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, at the entrance of a study where they often discussed matters, Lu Ya and Ouyang Rong exchanged a few pleasantries.

Xie Lingjiang took Huang Xuan, who was beside her, to the side, saying she had a gift to give.

Ouyang Rong looked around. Wang Lixian and Li Dalang had already arrived, but Lu Ya had no intention of entering the room to speak.

"Who are you still waiting for?"

"Her Highness the Princess."

"Good."

Ouyang Rong looked at Lu Ya's expression.

Anyway, it was a paralyzed face, and he couldn't see any specific clues, nor did he know what he was preparing to say after summoning the Xunyang Prince's family.

"Fellow Daoist Xie seems to be progressing well."

Lu Ya suddenly spoke, causing Ouyang Rong to be stunned for a moment before he reacted.

"She has already 'flipped the book' once. After one more time, the junior sister should be able to advance."

Lu Ya said calmly: "It was that Miss Miaosi who helped, right?"

Ouyang Rong smiled and looked at him: "Hmm. The little junior sister gets along quite well with her."

"That's good."

Lu Ya changed the subject and nodded:

"Fellow Daoist Xie is breaking through realms rapidly here. Since this poor Daoist has matters to leave temporarily, I can rest assured."

He chatted with Ouyang Rong for a few more sentences, and Xie Lingjiang and Huang Xuan returned.

Ouyang Rong took a look; Huang Xuan had a few more books in her hand, which should have been given by the little junior sister.

And looking at their expressions, the two girls were somewhat reluctant to part.

At this time, the figure of the little princess with plum blossom makeup arrived late.

Except for Huang Xuan, everyone walked into the room.

As soon as the study door closed, Lu Ya took out a small bundle from his bosom and opened it in front of everyone.

While lowering his head to open the bundle, he sighed and explained:

"This poor Daoist returning to the mountain gate early this time is outside the plan. Originally, I was going to stay by the side of the Prince, the Heir, and Her Highness the Princess... However, regarding the defense of the Prince's Mansion, there is Fellow Daoist Xie who is about to enter Grade 6, not to mention Young Master Ouyang is here.

"However, for the sake of insurance, it is better to make some worst-case plans. Summoning everyone here this time is also for this matter."

Wang Lixian asked curiously: "What worst-case plans?"

Lu Ya did not speak; he had already opened the bundle and taken out two items.

Unlike the curious and ignorant gazes of Wang Lixian, Li Dalang, and Li Guoer, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang's pupils widened slightly after seeing one of the items.

The senior brother and junior sister couldn't help but exchange a glance.

In Lu Ya's hand was a talisman paper with red characters on a black background, and a small azure porcelain bottle.

The talisman paper was ordinary, and the blood-written ghost-drawing characters on it were obscure and difficult to understand.

But in the eyes of Ouyang Rong, who had secretly read the "Zhen Gao," it was extremely familiar.

"Cough cough." Ouyang Rong covered his mouth.

Li Guoer glanced at him.

However, Lu Ya did not discover someone's slight guilt.

He had a serious expression, holding the small azure porcelain bottle in his hand, pinching the red and black talisman with two fingers, and walked to the table in front of everyone, pouring a cup of cold tea with one hand.

Seeing the paralyzed-face youth's gaze sweep over Wang Lixian's family and Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, he suddenly asked:

"Who will come?"

Li Guoer frowned slightly: "Who will come? What is this?"

Lu Ya pointed to the tea:

"Who will drink the talisman water?"

After a pause, he said solemnly:

"Those who drink the talisman water can trigger one Decree of Descending Gods. This is the supreme art of our Shangqing. At a critical moment, it can ensure the safety of the Prince's family once."

Except for Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang who had guessed it early, everyone looked at each other.

Wang Lixian couldn't help but ask: "Are there any side effects to drinking the talisman water?"

Lu Ya was expressionless:

"That depends on what the danger is at that time. This poor Daoist will tell you a mantra. Those who drink the talisman water, recite it at the appropriate time, and you can invite a god to possess you."

Wei Mei wanted to speak: "Descending a god? What if you can't bear it..."

Lu Ya rarely interrupted others: "It's better than everything going wrong."

Everyone was silent for a while, looking at the red and black talisman in the hand of the paralyzed-face Daoist from time to time.

Ouyang Rong also took the opportunity to quietly observe this living red and black talisman, seeking and memorizing something.

Lu Ya took the lead in speaking, breaking the silence:

"Prince, Princess, please rest assured. The person who drew this red and black talisman will never harm you, because..."

Facing the curious gazes of everyone in the study, he pursed his lips and looked at the red and black talisman in his hand with a hint of sadness:

"Because it is exactly my late teacher," he said.

"Old Mr. Yuan?"

Li Guoer asked with a puzzled expression:

"I have heard of the Decree of Descending Gods of your sect, but originally Old Mr. Yuan had already passed away, or is it that the 'god' invited is someone else..."

Lu Ya shook his head and did not explain, but his expression was faintly reluctant.

However, Ouyang Rong discovered that after Wang Lixian's family heard that this was a talisman made by Old Heavenly Master Yuan of Shangqing, most of their expressions relaxed slightly.

Very clearly, they trusted that Old Heavenly Master Yuan of Shangqing very much.

Xie Lingjiang took a step forward, rolled up her sleeves, and revealed her white wrists:

"Let me do it."

Lu Ya shook his head.

"Among everyone in this room, only Fellow Daoist Xie and Young Master Ouyang cannot. It's not that I don't trust you, but you haven't met my late teacher..."

He stopped his words, and his gaze passed over Xie Lingjiang and fell on Wang Lixian, Li Dalang, and the others.

Wang Lixian was a bit hesitant.

Just at this moment, Li Guoer took a step forward.

But there was a voice faster than her:

"Daoist, let me do it. Father is old, and his status is noble, so he cannot have any mishaps. I am the eldest son, so it should be me."

Li Dalang walked to Lu Ya, turned his head, and said seriously to his younger sister Li Guoer:

"Guoer, step back. Your body is not as good as mine. That time at Mount Dagu in Longcheng, when we were chased by Wei Shaoxuan and the others, you already stood up for us once. I already felt very guilty that time, how can I let you go up again."

Ouyang Rong and everyone looked sideways.

Wang Lixian and Wei Mei had ashamed expressions: "Dalang..."

Li Guoer was also dissatisfied: "Why is the elder brother showing off..."

Li Dalang suddenly smiled at her:

"It's fine, little sister, it's all the same."

Li Guoer pursed her lips.

Under the gaze of everyone, Li Dalang picked up the tea bowl and said to Lu Ya with a smile:

"Daoist, what should I do next, and what is the mantra?"

Lu Ya looked deeply at this Heir of Xunyang Prince.

Sensing his friend's firm gaze, Ouyang Rong spoke at the right time and said to Wang Lixian and Li Guoer:

"It's just a backup, it might not be used. Moreover, triggering the Decree of Descending Gods will not directly threaten life. Let's listen to Dalang this time."

Everyone stopped speaking, their expressions complex.

"Good, then it will be the Heir."

Lu Ya suddenly nodded, pinched the formula with a speed that everyone had never seen before, and immediately a drop of deep black blood flew out of the azure porcelain bottle in his hand, falling on the red and black talisman he was pinching with two fingers.

The talisman ignited spontaneously, and the dark red ashes turned into a wisp of blue smoke, slipping into the tea bowl.

Li Dalang did not hesitate and drank the talisman water in the bowl in one gulp.

After putting down the tea bowl, he looked as if he had drunk bitter medicine, turned his head and said to Wei Mei and Li Guoer: "Mother, little sister, should we have a candied fruit."

He had a bitter face.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh, and the atmosphere relaxed slightly...

After Lu Ya gave some instructions to Li Dalang who had drunk the talisman water, the study meeting soon dispersed.

Lu Ya took Huang Xuan and prepared to leave, returning to the Maoshan Ancestor Hall.

On a long corridor, Wang Lixian was somewhat reluctant to part, walking at the very front with Lu Ya to see him off.

Huang Xuan fell behind, walking side by side with Ouyang Rong.

She suddenly raised her head:

"Benefactor, if Father and I hadn't followed Ru Shixiong Lu and escaped that day, but were invited out by Lady Pei to toast you in public, would you have been very disappointed?"

Ouyang Rong looked at her, thought for a moment, and said:

"Truth or lie?"

"Truth... tell me the lie first."

"The lie is that I would be neither happy nor sad, firm in myself, continue to do good, and ask for no return."

Huang Xuan was stunned: "Then the truth?"

"The truth, ah."

Ouyang Rong turned his head to look at the night scene outside the corridor, his clear eyes reflecting the galaxy in the sky:

"The truth is that I would be somewhat dejected, and would feel uncomfortable for a long time. But I wouldn't blame your choices either. After all, everyone wants to live a good life. In my heart, I would also feel somewhat self-blaming. You are a part of Xunyang City, and I, this parent official of Jiangzhou, didn't let you live better, which is why you chose those wealthy merchants."

Huang Xuan asked: "Isn't it tiring for the benefactor to be like this?"

"Tiring? If I'm tired, I'll just sleep. After a sleep, I'll be energetic again."

"I mean the heart, heart-tired."

"Heart? A person's heart will naturally have times when it's tired. But what about the hearts of thousands of people?

"When the thing you want to do represents the hearts of thousands of people?"

Ouyang Rong muttered and shook his head, suddenly taking out a bronze mask familiar to Huang Xuan from his sleeve. He waved the mask at her:

"This was left behind by a friend in Longcheng. In the future, I might also be gone one day like that friend, but I will hand it over to the next person.

"Actually, when I first went to Longcheng, I didn't simply take it as my own responsibility to wear this mask. I had selfish motives; it was just incidental, and I was ready to take off the mask and resign to run away at any time."

Looking at Huang Xuan's surprised expression, the world-famous gentleman smiled:

"Is it a bit... a bit unexpected? Did you always think that a gentleman like me should have been devoted to the cause of pleading for the people from the very beginning with a noble reason? That it shouldn't be mixed with any selfish desires, otherwise it wouldn't be perfect?"

"A little... a little unexpected."

Ouyang Rong rubbed her drooping little head:

"I don't think there's anything hard to say. The time I truly realized I had to do something was after that friend of mine sacrificed himself.

"In a sense, he was infected by me, whose original intention was not pure at the time, and he resolutely chose to freeze to death for the sake of the crowd.

"I... feel very guilty."

Huang Xuan silently pulled his sleeve.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head and said to her:

"It's fine, I'm not sad. Some people are meant to live like fireworks, blooming passionately. Any behavior that blocks him from blooming brilliantly to the point of tragedy at that moment is, in a sense, an insult and murder to him.

"Only such brilliant fireworks can make some people among the masses who are burying their heads in silence... some of the same people wake up, and then one day they also turn into brilliant fireworks, lighting up the dark night.

"In a sense, the lifespan of this firework is definitely more than three seconds... Xiao Xuan."

He suddenly pressed the thin shoulders of the little girl in the red jacket who was listening intently:

"Now, where are we even at? My big firework hasn't even made its brilliant debut yet, so how could I be tired? Struggling with people is a joy without end; I can't wait!"

Huang Xuan turned her head, looking at the brilliant smile of the Long-term Official benefactor before her, somewhat stunned.

Ouyang Rong rubbed his face full of smiles hard:

"A-Shan bloomed once in Longcheng, which made me envious. But he only let the people of Longcheng see it, and I, at the very least, have to let the people of the world see it, and let A-Shan envy me."

Huang Xuan nodded vigorously: "Good, I... I will definitely watch carefully."

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but laugh.

After a while, he restrained his expression and suddenly pointed to the stack of books in her arms:

"Given by your Sister Xie?"

"Hmm, she said I might not be able to become a talented woman in the academy, but I still have to read more books."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "Right, sleep can be less, food can be less, but books cannot be read less, even if you become a Daoist."

"Good."

After a while, they finally reached the end of the corridor, and everyone stopped.

Before leaving, the little girl in the red jacket turned her head and took a look.

That Long-term Official benefactor, who spoke softly and had quietly vowed to become the firework above everyone's heads in the world, had already turned around and gone to be busy. It seemed that since they met, he had been busy without stopping.

Lu Ya carried the lantern forward without looking back.

"Yuan Xuanzi, do you really want to practice this Shangqing Dao of Maoshan?"

"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable of Saving People." She said.

(End of chapter)