Chapter 54: Chapter Forty-Seven: Miss Zi

At nightfall, the commercial street was desolate and cold. Winter rain had fallen that day, causing Jin Ling’s temperature to plummet; the ground was damp, the air dark and chilly.

A car slowly pulled up and stopped before Luoyunzhai. A young woman in professional attire jumped out from the passenger seat, opened an umbrella, then silently walked to the rear door and opened it, carefully placing her hand above the doorframe.

A figure slowly emerged from inside the car.

Her neck was long and elegant as a swan’s, her bearing refined and graceful. She wore a purple qipao, tailored snugly to accentuate her curves. Her hair was pinned into a neat bun, every strand in place.

Her face was clean, lightly made up, with a pair of delicate rimless glasses perched on her nose—adding a scholarly air to her natural three-tenths of beauty.

The woman appeared to be around thirty. She stepped out and stood still, gazing up at the shop’s sign—“Luoyunzhai”—and slightly furrowed her brow.

“There’s still a trace of ill qi, Brother. You’ve offended a high cultivator.”

The purple-clad woman shook her head with a sigh.

The young assistant beside her whispered, “Miss Zi, the wind is strong outside. Why don’t you wait in the car?”

“No rush. Bring me my things,” the purple-clad woman said calmly.

She carried an aura of quiet authority—her voice soft, her tone not stern, yet carrying an unmistakable air of inevitability.

The assistant, her subordinate, said nothing further. She turned, retrieved a flat wooden box from the car, opened it gently, and took out a white jade compass, offering it with both hands to the purple-clad woman.

The purple-clad woman held the white jade compass in her left hand, used her right fingers to calculate, then walked toward the street to the left of the shop, tracing along the outer wall.

The assistant hurried after her, taking small steps, straining to hold the umbrella over the purple-clad woman’s head.

After a moment, the purple-clad woman stopped beneath a corner of the wall, glanced down, and said: “Cut open this brick.”

“Yes.”

Though she answered, the assistant glanced at the umbrella in her hand and hesitated: “Let me first take you back to the car to rest, then I’ll come back—”

The purple-clad woman frowned: “Who among the Xuanmen is so precious? Rain is rootless water from heaven, naturally formed. Why do you act like this? Where did you learn such pretense? Give me the umbrella!”

Saying this, she took the umbrella from the assistant’s hand, then watched as the assistant knelt by the wall, pulled out a small tool knife, and began digging at the bricks.

The purple-clad woman held the umbrella over the assistant’s head, occasionally directing: “Second brick on the left. Cut it out. Hmm… yes, right here…”

In just a few minutes, though sheltered by the umbrella, fine raindrops had dampened the ends of the purple-clad woman’s hair. She paid no mind—until the assistant finally handed her a half-rotted talisman, soaked by rain, pulled from the brick crevice. Only then did her eyes brighten.

“As I thought.”

She unfolded the talisman gently, glanced at its markings, then extended a fingertip to lightly trace the vermilion ink.

“I don’t recognize this talisman script—it seems highly advanced. But the paper and vermilion are ordinary, like something bought casually from a shop.”

The purple-clad woman frowned: “That’s strange. A high cultivator who understands such talisman arts would never use such crude paper and ink.”

After a brief pause, she shook her head: “The opponent likely planted more than just this one talisman—but its power is spent. No need to search further. Let’s return to the car.”

The assistant quickly took back the umbrella and guided the woman back to the car.

Once inside, the woman sat in the back seat. A subtle aura naturally flowed around her, and soon, the dampness from the rain on her hair and clothes had completely evaporated.

The assistant in front carefully tidied the items, then looked up and saw a car slowly approaching. She whispered: “Miss Zi, Uncle Qing has arrived.”

The woman in purple reopened the door and stepped out of the carriage, standing beneath the shop’s eaves.

The purple-clad woman opened the door again and stepped out, standing beneath the shop’s eaves.

The car pulled up and stopped. Uncle Qing stepped out. He wore a baseball cap and a long coat, his expression gloomy—but upon seeing the purple-clad woman, he hurried forward two steps: “Sister, why are you here so early?”

The purple-clad woman remained calm: “It’s fine. I’m only ten minutes early.”

Seeing Uncle Qing about to speak, she shook her head: “I’ve already inspected the surroundings. Let’s return and talk.”

“What? Already inspected?” Uncle Qing hesitated: “Shouldn’t we check the courtyard again?”

“No need. I understand what happened. Let’s go back—I have something to discuss with you.”

Uncle Qing seemed uneasy, but seeing the purple-clad woman’s cold expression, he said nothing.

The two reentered the car. The two vehicles drove off in sequence, leaving the commercial street, then turned into a quiet side street and stopped before a small courtyard.

It appeared to be a tea house. The courtyard was clean, with only some flowers and plants planted, no excessive decorations.

The main hall was small. Beside a tea table carved from tree roots sat four chairs—all made of redwood.

Uncle Qing invited the purple-clad woman to sit, then moved to brew tea. But she flickered a hint of impatience in her eyes and turned to her assistant: “Bring me a glass of water.”

“Ah! You’re in my tea house now—why drink water? I’m brewing tea for you right now. A friend gave me premium Jin Jun Mei, Sister—”

“Water clears the heart,” the purple-clad woman said coldly. “But Brother, your fine tea, your luxurious home—every item here is priceless. I dare not drink your tea.”

“Tea is meant to cleanse turbid qi—but your tea, each sip, drinks only of extravagance.”

Uncle Qing froze, stammering: “Sister…”

The purple-clad woman sighed: “I don’t mean to scold you the moment we meet. But your conduct—how can you call yourself a cultivator?”

Uncle Qing shook his head: “With you in the sect, Sister, your arts are divine. As your elder brother, I naturally take it easy…”

He grimaced: “This time, I’ve been badly fooled. I’ve been cheated hard. I’ve been waiting anxiously for your return, begging you to help me resolve this. Yet you arrive, don’t even look at my shop, refuse my tea, and just scold me.”

“Enough, Brother. Don’t play the victim,” the purple-clad woman said coldly. “I’ve already seen your shop. I understand—someone powerful has targeted you, planting several talismans.”

She placed the talisman she had retrieved from the wall crevice onto the tea table.

Uncle Qing picked it up carefully, studying it again and again.

“No need to look. The talisman’s power is gone,” the purple-clad woman said, rubbing her temple. “The script is advanced—I’ve never seen anything like it. But I can tell it’s a talisman that gathers yin qi.”

Seeing Uncle Qing’s blank expression, she sighed inwardly but patiently explained: “Plant it at certain directions, and it draws surrounding yin qi into your home. Snakes, insects, rats, and vermin all favor places rich in yin qi.”

“Fortunately, your shop is on a commercial street—crowded with yang energy. Snakes and vermin are rare here.”

“But there are several restaurants nearby, so rats are plentiful. Once the talisman activates, it draws all those rats into your shop.”

Uncle Qing, now curious, picked up the talisman again.

The purple-clad woman shook her head: “I told you not to look. Even I can barely understand this script.”

Uncle Qing blushed and put the talisman down: “Then, Sister—can you find out who the opponent is?”

“Why find the opponent?” the purple-clad woman said, half-smiling.

“Of course to retaliate! Sister, you don’t know how much I’ve lost! I spent years building Luoyunzhai’s reputation—now it’s collapsed overnight. Everyone in the trade says my shop is cursed. Who dares come to me now?”

“I’ve spent a fortune on Luoyunzhai! Just rent alone costs over a million a year—and now I can’t even open the door. For the foreseeable future, I can’t do business. How can I accept such losses?!”

“So?”

“So I called you back to find the opponent—and make them pay!” Uncle Qing growled.

The purple-clad woman looked at him, then sighed softly: “Brother… you don’t think your sister can conquer the world, do you?”

“Uh…”

“Our Master did ask me to look after you. But the world is vast—countless talented cultivators exist. Do you truly believe you can act recklessly just because I’m here?”

Her expression grew colder: “How many times has this happened? Brother, I’ve warned you before—your behavior will bring disaster. Though Xuan arts are subtle and powerful, using them to harm others will eventually lead to a brutal reckoning.”

Uncle Qing frowned: “Sister! I called you back to help me! I’ve suffered enough already—look at me! Two days ago, I was beaten. My bruises haven’t even faded! My shop is ruined! I—”

“Fate turns, karma returns,” the purple-clad woman said coldly. “You studied our sect’s texts. The first page of our scripture bears these eight words—have you forgotten?”

She rose slowly: “If you remain deluded, Sister, I can do nothing. I’m leaving.”

Seeing her stand, Uncle Qing’s face turned anxious. He rushed to block her path, his expression shifting between red and pale, his tone now humble: “Sister! Don’t go! Don’t go! Why are we arguing? I won’t talk back—I’ll sit down, I’ll listen. If you want to scold me, scold me more—I’ll listen quietly!”

“I only have you as a sister. If you won’t help me, no one else in the sect will.”

The purple-clad woman looked at him, then shook her head: “Let me be clear, Brother. The opponent’s talisman art is advanced—the script is beyond my understanding.”

“A foe with such skill—I cannot fathom their cultivation level.”

“Yet such a master targeted you… think about it!”

“If they can create a talisman that gathers yin qi, don’t you think they could create even more powerful ones?”

“The opponent held back.”

“What if the talisman planted in your shop wasn’t meant to draw rats… but blood-sha qi?”

“Would you even still be standing before me now?”

Uncle Qing trembled—finally afraid.

“Sister, don’t scare me… is the opponent really that powerful?”

“I’ve never seen such a talisman. It’s truly advanced. And the opponent used the most basic, low-grade paper and vermilion to create it—I cannot do that myself.”

“I don’t know who she is, but the talisman she drew—I’ve never seen anything like it; it’s truly brilliant. Moreover, she used the most ordinary, inferior talisman paper and cinnabar to create such a sophisticated talisman—I myself have no such ability.”

【Two weeks until Spring Festival—just to note, updates will continue during the holiday.】

【Two weeks left until Spring Festival—I’m letting you know in advance: updates will continue throughout the holiday.】

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