Chapter 353: Trivial Tricks Can't Withstand a Blow

Ling'er pulled Qiao Mai to sit in front of the kang table, "Hehe, Mother has emerged from seclusion, we can now do whatever we want."

The old lady poured Qiao Mai a cup of tea, "Servant girl, it's your turn to step up again."

"Hmm, leave it to me. Ling'er, go tell Shopkeeper Niu to have Ming'er continue running the shop tomorrow, and you open yours as well."

"Yes, Mother."

Ling'er took Jin Mama for a while and then left; with no outsiders in the house, the old man let out a gentle sigh.

"Servant girl, why did this happen? You should know, right?"

"The Demon Qi is a false pretense, merely an excuse for the emperor to wipe us out and remove the invisible mountain behind the Eleventh Prince. They know I have ability, but they also want to test how great it is. Regarding the Demon Qi, if they see that I possess power equal to the emperor's, they'll give up; if not, the Eleventh Prince will be in danger."

"Indeed, the old man thinks the same."

"Ming'er, I'll let the rumors collapse on their own; a trivial trick, unable to withstand a single blow."

In an instant, the townsfolk began denouncing the rumor‑makers, the wind direction shifted immediately, and the whole street became overcrowded, all eager to see the purple‑gold aura.

"Madam, you finally emerged from seclusion; what is the purple‑gold aura above our house?"

"It was shown by their Supreme."

Qiao Mai curled her lip, flicked her hand back, and a Barrier enveloped Jixiang Yuan; Xiao Qing silently fluttered away from her hair ornament.

"It must have been someone else's set phrase; he's straightforward, so he just said it out loud."

The carriage rushed straight to the entrance of Yuexian Pavilion; the emperor stepped out, strode quickly inside, and tossed Yubao behind him.

Qiao Mai smiled; he finally asked after all.

"We're getting old, and we can't help you."

"I reckon the emperor will arrive tonight; he and the empress have come twice, and you've been in seclusion. How effective was this seclusion?"

"Where is Qingfeng Laodao recuperating?"

"Because of this, Jia Mei and Chuan'er's marriage has been postponed."

"Hmm,"

"When did it appear? Quickly, quickly, rush back to report—it's a big matter."

"It's okay, only a few hundred years; ordinary people who take care of their health can reach that age. With me here, we may not be born together, but we can be buried in the same pit."

"Damn it, who spread the rumor that Jixiang Yuan has Demon Qi? Demon Qi is black, this is purple; the purple aura comes from the east, a sign of wealth. Look, there's gold too—gold is the emblem of the royal family. I heard the Eleventh Prince is to marry the head of Tianshui Town; isn't that fulfillment?"

"What is the Auspicious Sign that opposes Demon Qi?"

In broad daylight, this matter can't be faked; some townsfolk, hearing the news, boldly surged into the streets of Jixiang Yuan.

"Exactly, which despicable brat spread it, making me take an extra half‑road home, living in constant dread, it's terrifying."

Xiao Qing, perched on Qiao Mai's hair, pursed her lips, "Master, they say rumors end with the wise; how shall we act?"

She flipped her hand, pulled out a huge peach and began gnawing it; the peach weighed two jin, truly massive, vivid and dripping.

Chuan'er stood to the side, face flushed, feeling especially troublesome here.

Upon arriving home, they learned Qiao Mai was in seclusion; both were delighted, and months of pent‑up gloom vanished at once.

"As for skill, they can pinch and calculate, each martial art is superb, and their feng‑shui insight is unmatched."

"Mother, nothing much, the son has returned."

When night fell, the sky was pitch black, and the street's people gradually dispersed.

"That's simple enough; Master, lay a Barrier over the whole house, and I'll create a lump of purple‑gold gas at the very top."

"Feel at ease retiring at my home; with me here, nothing will happen."

It was then that Yuan Jiaqi finally took Qiao Mai's hand, continuously rubbing it.

"Purple aura?"

"Not bad."

They all looked up at the purple aura, whispering to each other from time to time.

This isn't something anyone can just see; to ordinary folk, it's a miracle.

Even Yuan Jiaqi and his son, after stepping down, squeezed through; without Longxue and winter jujube's help, the family couldn't return.

"This matter is related to the Eleventh Prince, right?"

"Pah, as a sorcerer, keeping others' secrets is his duty; if he showed your family the feng‑shui and then bragged about it, wouldn't that give opportunists a chance?"

"Fine, stop twisting my words; even immortals can't last forever, let alone me—I'm just a cultivator."

"To hell with you, I've never heard of these two Exquisite, haha!"

"Go then."

"On the mountain there are two Supremes; they're said to live on the back mountain year‑round, never descending, already three hundred years old. Qingfeng is one hundred and six, the patriarch of Qingfeng Temple, with six disciples, all grown quite old. They wander the clouds year‑round, each disciple taking turns guarding the temple; when one returns, the other may go cloud‑wandering, never exceeding ten years per trip."

"Clear Breeze Temple, located on the Taihang Mountains in Liao Province of the South, enjoys spring‑like weather year‑round, better than Capital City's climate—a fine place for health cultivation."

"No, I wish the Madam may live long and prosper."

"If it's arranged this year, that's fine; the son isn't in a hurry."

In less than half an hour, the sky above Jixiang Yuan was shrouded in purple‑gold aura, lingering indefinitely; those who were peeking at Qiao Mai also kept watch over Jixiang Yuan.

"Outside the sky is almost dark, yet there are still so many people."

"Later give me a map; after arranging Jia Mei and Chuan'er's marriage, I'll personally visit those rag‑tag old Daoists."

Immortal Art

Upon entering the Keting, he immediately sat at Qiao Mai's feet.

Seeing Qiao Mai, he hurriedly tucked his head back.

"What abilities do they each have?"

"In a day, the rumors will collapse on their own, and the emperor won't have to trouble himself then."

"Mother‑in‑law, how did you create the purple‑gold aura?"

"Who are they? Be specific."

"No, she does Transformation Tricks in the palace, and the most she transforms are apples and Watermelons; maybe they're Apple Exquisite and Melon Exquisite."

"Hehe, isn't there a mother‑in‑law here?"

The onlookers leaned forward again, and upon seeing the scene, whispered among themselves.

"You say this Fu Wang Consort can't be a Peach Exquisite, right?"

I thought my eyes were deceiving me, rubbed hard, "Mother, since when does the Fu Wang Family have purple‑gold aura?"

"What do you mean?"

Qiao Mai left Penglai Pavilion, stood at her own Dameng, looked at the empty street, glanced left and right, and some people were still sticking their heads out on the street to peek.

"Hmph, wasn't it supposed to prosper you, how did it almost get wiped out?"

"Exactly, such a good family, calling them demons—I think it's jealousy that's really true."

"Damn, I heard that whenever the Nanfang suffers disaster, it's Fu Wang who leads people to quell it, without using a Yijian from the treasury; Fu Wang Consort makes money, and the earnings are given to the disaster‑stricken locals. Such a good person, how could they be a demon?"

"Then that's settled, can you make Zhai emit purple‑gold aura?"

The Old Emperor, without the Empress, went alone with a Yubao to Jixiang Yuan, where Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi were waiting for him.

"I'm furious, these ministers keep calling you a demon,"

"You think they also examined the feng shui of the Li clan tomb?"

That day, the Old Emperor received the news, and he wanted to leave the palace to see, but the street was packed, and entering was not looking optimistic.

"If the lady's cultivation keeps rising, does her lifespan also increase?"

"I made a small trick to dispel rumors,"

"Mother‑in‑law, don't be angry, I also think it might be the rumors he let slip, but definitely not sincere,"

"It's absurdly simple, didn't the Bull‑Nose Old Daoist see our Zhai's Demon Qi?"

"Mother‑in‑law, although he briefly harbored greedy thoughts, I still understand his character."

"If you search the soul, wouldn't you know?"

"Mother‑in‑law, if it really is him, I hope your subordinates will show mercy."

"Hmph, then it depends on whether he's sincere in opposing me. He wants me dead; on what grounds can't I cause his demise? We're in‑laws, how can we turn our elbows outward?"

(End of chapter)