Chapter 14: Jingwei and Yao Yi Catch the Eye

The old Assistant Prefect really had not expected that the person invited to treat the Prefect would be a girl who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen, but observing her skillful technique and focused expression, it really did seem like she knew what she was doing.

Prefect He's symptoms were not quite the same as the others: his eyes were tightly shut, his lips had no color at all, there was no whimpering sound in his mouth, his pulse was faint, and his Qi was weak and powerless.

Upon asking, it turned out that when he was found at the time, he had injuries on his body, and he was not found together with the other two people that month, but rather inside a hut used for watching over fields in the outskirts.

That was no wonder; the Prefect was originally someone who knew martial arts. He must have discovered the perpetrator and had a fight with them, and after being defeated and suffering heavy injuries, his essence and cultivation were both sucked away, which was why he was like this.

Over this past month, his external injuries had healed somewhat, but there was internal damage after all, which was why he was so weak.

Lingxiang had him take a Qi-Nurturing Pill and used Silver Needles to pierce his acupoints for regulation. She checked the time, then ordered people to carry him out, cover his eyes, and expose him to sunlight; only after two quarters of an hour was he carried back into the room.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, one could only hear whimpering in the Prefect's mouth; he had indeed been struck by witchcraft.

Looking at it this way, it was impossible to obtain any clues from him.

The old Assistant Prefect had been happy to see the Prefect's complexion improve, thinking that this girl really did have some ability, but upon hearing that the Prefect had also been struck by a strange art, he became anxious again.

Seeing this, Lingxiang hurriedly comforted him, saying that Prefect He's life was not in danger, and as long as the art he was struck by was undone, he would be able to recover after a month or so of recuperation.

Although she said this, how could this witchcraft be undone? And the day after tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival; wouldn't that mean three more people would fall victim!

Thinking of this, the old Assistant Prefect became even more anxious.

The only plan now was to strengthen night patrols and implement a curfew; perhaps that could avoid it.

It was just that Lingxiang felt one thing was suspicious. By rights, when such things happened in the city, the hearts of the people should be filled with panic, but when observing the pedestrians that day, they all seemed completely unaware. Even if the Prefect's matter was kept hidden, neighbors going missing should have been noticed, yet no one reported it to the authorities. Could it be that the people of Liangcheng were as cold and indifferent as the city's name suggested?

She voiced this doubt. In fact, the Assistant Prefect had long been suspicious of this, but he could never find an answer. Previously, he had sent people to inquire, but was told that no one had gone missing.

Three days passed quickly, and sure enough, three more people were harmed in the western suburbs. One of them was actually Lu Zheng. A man who was usually tall and sturdy now had his shoulders slumped and his head hanging low, which made Lingxiang sigh endlessly.

Seeing Lu Zheng in this state, Long Qi smashed a fist into the ground, and immediately his skin split and blood flowed.

That evil thing is truly hateful! Such a good person has actually been harmed to this extent...

That night, after settling the three people, Long Qi actually took the initiative to find Lingxiang and requested to cultivate. Thinking of his appearance during the day, Lingxiang pondered for a moment and agreed.

He was now able to perform Yinqi Ruti and refine Qi into form, which was not a waste of the Spirit Plants she had used for over a month, but to step through the door, he still needed to wait for an opportunity.

However, for now, she could teach him the Nian Talisman technique.

There are many kinds of talismans. Blood Talismans are mostly drawn by mixing chicken or dog blood with Cinnabar, but these talismans harm living creatures and are mostly abandoned. Some people with profound Daoist attainments also use their own blood to make talismans.

Nowadays, Cinnabar and Yellow Talismans are mostly used. Cinnabar is formed from the pure Yang of heaven and earth; drawing talismans with Cinnabar can increase the talisman's power and lengthen its divine might.

Red is Yang, black is Yin, so there are also some Yin talismans that use ink scripts.

Talismans can be used to summon gods and impeach ghosts, subdue demons and suppress monsters, treat illnesses and eliminate disasters, and can also be used to calm the spirit and settle the heart, or for invisibility and erecting shields. The banner-type magical treasures of the ancient era were also a kind of talisman.

But not all talismans are effective just by being drawn; one must perform the Nian Talisman to make them take effect.

The so-called Nian Talisman is, while drawing the talisman, to transform one's personal understanding of the Great Dao of nature into thought-Qi and inject it into the talisman, allowing it to resonate with all things and thereby respond to the one who casts the talisman.

However, although talismans are the foundation of Daoist Technique, not everyone is adept at this art.

For example, Long Qi.

After several days, although he could draw seven or eight out of ten from the first volume of "Talisman Theory," his ability to perform the Nian Talisman was truly worrying; even the most basic Calm Spirit Talisman could not be made effective.

Clearly, he was not suited to practicing this art.

Lingxiang pondered for a night and had a plan; this is a story for later, so it will be set aside for now.

However, her explanations of the Great Dao over the past few days had made Long Qi suddenly enlightened, as if he had signs of stepping into Qi Refining.

Those who had been struck by the art had been recuperating under Lingxiang's care for nearly a month and were doing better, but they whimpered incessantly in their mouths all day long, yet no one knew what they were actually saying; it was especially eerie at midnight.

This day, just after Lingxiang finished treating Prefect He, she decided to visit Mr. Zhuang Wei—she was truly curious about what kind of means had allowed him to recover as normal.

At the third quarter of the Shen hour, Lingxiang and Long Qi arrived at the study. It happened to be the time when school was dismissed, and they saw a group of half-grown children, either in groups of three or five or accompanied by elders, filing out from the study.

After handing over their visiting card, a page boy soon came out to greet them, saying that the teacher was changing his clothes and had ordered them to be led inside first to be served tea.

The Jingwei Study was furnished simply and elegantly. Inside the courtyard were rockeries, flowing water, pebble paths, and vigorous pines and cypresses. It was leisurely, refined, and harmonious in form and spirit, making one's heart involuntarily calm and peaceful; it was truly a good place for reading literature and practicing etiquette.

The tea was autumn chrysanthemum, which clears away internal heat; it was sweet and light, leaving a lingering fragrance on the teeth. After drinking only half a cup, they saw a person turn out from the back hall. The person was thin but stood with a straight back, possessing the ancient air of a scholar; it was none other than the teacher, Zhuang Wei.

After the two sides exchanged greetings, Lingxiang stated her purpose. Although Mr. Zhuang was a scholar, he did not cover up or avoid the subject, speaking directly about his own hidden illness.

It turned out that when Mr. Zhuang's mother was pregnant, she accidentally fell into water, and it was winter, so she nearly lost her life, which led to him being weak ever since he was born.

Later, after both his parents passed away, his depressed mood made things even worse.

One day, upon returning home, he happened to encounter Yao Yi in distress. Seeing how pitiful she was, he felt compassion and settled her in the guest room. Who would have thought she had such a good craft, brewing Qionghua wine for him to express her gratitude. Later, the two spent every day together and gradually developed feelings. He originally did not want to drag her down, but she insisted repeatedly, so he informed his ancestors and parents and they became husband and wife. He did not expect that he would actually get better day by day.

"Come to think of it, perhaps it was a fox immortal manifesting its spirit, bestowing this marriage," Zhuang Wei said with a faint smile.

"A fox immortal?" Lingxiang was puzzled.

"It is a coincidence. That day, I went out to purchase books and encountered a yellow fox whimpering incessantly in the fields. I walked closer and saw it was entangled in a fence net and could not get free. I had read in a book before that foxes can communicate with spirits and are immortal creatures, so I saved it. I didn't expect it to not fear humans; it even rubbed against me before leaving."

"There is actually such a thing?" Long Qi said in surprise.

Lingxiang glanced at him with a look of disdain.

"All things have spirits, especially those in the mountains. The tiger is the god of a mountain, and the fox is the immortal of a land; this is a common principle. Why be so surprised?"

Zhuang Wei smiled softly, then his face filled with worry again.

"It's just that I observed its hind leg seemed to have an injury, and I don't know where it suffered such a disaster, or if it is alright..."

"Mr. Zhuang is kind-hearted; it is truly rare. Mountain spirits all have the ability to heal themselves, so there is no need to worry," Lingxiang comforted him.

Afterwards, she took Zhuang Wei's pulse. Although the pulse seemed strong, there was a hint of suspension hidden within it, but it could be confirmed that he was undoubtedly an ordinary person.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask about other things, a woman with a coiled bun walked in from outside.

She saw her with a dangling hairpin slanted into her hair, her eyebrows and eyes flowing with grace, her gaze bright and moving, and her posture elegant; how could one describe her as anything but peerless in beauty.

The person bowed to Lingxiang's side and then walked behind Zhuang Wei and stood still.

"This is my wife, Yao Yi," Zhuang Wei stood up and introduced, "These two are the immortals who came specifically to check on my illness."

After hearing this, Yao Yi bowed to the two of them again: "This humble one, Zhuang Liu Shi, has met the two immortals."

Lingxiang hurriedly stood up to return the greeting, but she saw that Long Qi was staring at Lady Zhuang as if he were stunned.