Twenty taels of silver to break the spell.
Xie Chong was instantly dumbfounded, giving Qin Liuxi a look that said, "Why don’t you just rob ?"
Qin Liuxi smiled slyly: "Twenty taels isn’t enough to buy your life? Soone else has offered a hundred taels."
Xie Chong: "..."
Is that the sa thing?
He wanted to roar in frustration; he didn’t have two taels of silver on him, let alone twenty.
Just then, soone peeked in at the doorway, hesitated, and walked in. Chen Pi greeted him.
Qin Liuxi glanced at the newcor, then turned back to Xie Chong, saying, "What do you say? I’ve got business coming to . Make your decision quickly."
Xie Chong was near tears, "Master, as you can see I have absolutely nothing. Can’t you be rciful and save my life, considering I have elderly dependents? Saving a life is better than building a seven-story stupa!"
"Why don’t you go to Wuxiang Temple and tell that to the monks there? I’m a Taoist, not a builder of stupas," Qin Liuxi rolled his eyes.
Xie Chong: "Isn’t it the sa thing?"
"It’s not the sa. I’m not as compassionate as monks. If I were you, I’d be rushing to earn so silver. Your life might be saved once or twice, but I’m not sure about a third ti," Qin Liuxi said.
Xie Chong stiffened: "Twenty taels, not two. Even if I could scrape it together, who knows when that might be? What if I don’t live that long?"
"That would be your problem," Qin Liuxi, seeing his pitiful state, said, "Alright, I can protect half of your life for now, so you won’t lose it. When you earn the silver, I will break the entire spell for you."
Xie Chong was overjoyed: "That would be great!"
"Off you go," Qin Liuxi waved his hand, saying, "Rember, to save your own life, it has to be silver you’ve earned honestly. It can’t co from swindling or borrowing; it has to be earned by your own effort."
Xie Chong pointed at the mourning cloth, "Aren’t you going to cast a spell?"
"Afraid I’ll cheat you?" Qin Liuxi laughed. "If I can open a shop for business, naturally, I’m not going to send business away. I’ve not yet earned a single tael from you. Why worry?" He touched the mourning cloth and said, "With around, your life won’t be lost. But you’ll need to hustle since minor misfortunes will continue."
Xie Chong got spirited, "I’ll go right away, Master. You must rember to save my life."
Qin Liuxi gave a dismissive wave.
Xie Chong rushed out. The person who had co in, after listening a while and glancing once more at the odd shop, thought to himself, "Has the world beco so easy that conn don’t just set up stalls but open shops now!"
Looking at the servant who ca with him and standing at the entrance, he gave a aningful look, and the servant, catching on, chased after Xie Chong.
Qin Liuxi watched this, the corners of his mouth slightly curving up.
Chen Pi was already responding to the visitor, "... Our shop specializes in the Mystic Sect Xuann Five Skills and has various protective amulets and peace charms available. Should you seek healing, that’s also possible here. What do you need?"
The middle-aged man, dressed as a steward, forced a smile, "I see. I was just curious. The na ’Feichang Dao’ is quite unique; I wanted to see what you’re selling. So, it’s all about Taoism."
"That’s right, we run a business that looks just like peddling magic," Qin Liuxi smiled amiably. "Steward, once you’ve discovered enough, you may return and inform your Family Head. If you wish to seek healing, co anyti, but quickly. I won’t be here in the next few days."
The Steward’s heart leapt, and just as he was about to ask sothing, he heard a series of urgent and panicked cries from outside the door.
Everyone looked towards the entrance where soone rushed in, shouting loudly: "Master, it’s great that you are here, please take a look at my Dan Dan. He was playing just fine and suddenly turned like this."
The person who ca in was Manager Ji from the Ingot Candle and Incense Shop, holding his little grandson in his arms. The child was jerking convulsively, rolling his eyes back, stretching his fingers straight like chicken claws, breathing urgently, and crying out sothing indistinguishable.
Behind Manager Ji were his son and daughter-in-law, both with faces full of anxiety, and his daughter-in-law was crying so hard she was nearly collapsing.
Upon checking Dan Dan’s pulse, Qin Liuxi said, "It’s acute convulsions due to fright, get Chen Pi."
Chen Pi imdiately fetched the dicine box from the shelf, took out a needle bag, spread it out, and handed over a silver needle.
Qin Liuxi took it, instructing to remove his shoes and socks while she pricked each of Dan Dan’s ten fingers to squeeze out a drop of blood, then did the sa on all ten toes.
With the bloodletting done, Dan Dan stopped convulsing and kept silent, his little face becoming tranquil, though his eyebrows remained furrowed.
After feeling his pulse again, Qin Liuxi asked, "Did this just happen?"
Manager Ji, seeing that his precious grandson had stopped convulsing, quickly responded: "Yes, the child was playing in the backyard when he suddenly started crying and then had a convulsion."
Qin Liuxi said, "He has caught a chill with so fever, phlegm, dampness, and turbidity that agitated the liver fire, and in addition, he was frightened, which caused the acute convulsions due to fright. The weather has changed now, the child is young, so it is necessary to make sure he keeps warm and doesn’t indulge in the coolness. Also, he has heat from phlegm and food retention which can easily damage the spleen and stomach; don’t let him eat too much at and rich foods."
"Master, what’s going on? How could he get scared? He’s even wearing the amulet you gave him," Manager Ji said.
He reached for his grandson’s neck but didn’t feel the red rope, and was suddenly taken aback, turning to his son and daughter-in-law: "Where’s Dan Dan’s Peace Amulet?"
Ji Ming glanced at his wife and hesitated to speak.
Mrs. Ji Li stamred, saying: "My younger brother just had a baby boy, who cries day and night, so I put Dan Dan’s amulet on him first."
Manager Ji’s face darkened imdiately, and he scolded her harshly: "That is Dan Dan’s Amulet, why give it to your nephew from your maternal family, is your nephew more important than your own son?"
Mrs. Ji Li shrank her neck and said with tears: "Dad, I just wanted to try it."
"You!" Manager Ji glared at her fiercely, and then at his son, that useless child, he would deal with them when they got ho.
Taking a deep breath, he turned awkwardly back to Qin Liuxi: "Master, what do you think?"
"It’s okay." Qin Liuxi took another needle, positioned it under Dan Dan’s Ghost Letter and Ghost Heart points, reciting a spell for shock, while the other hand pinched a Daoist magic technique and gently pressed on his forehead.
Once the needles were removed, Dan Dan beca even more tranquil, his eyes opened, and he recognized his grandfather and parents.
Manager Ji let out a deep sigh of relief.
Qin Liuxi added: "Although the convulsions have stopped, he should still take two doses of dicine. After all, he now has wind evil that invaded his body, heat from phlegm internally lurking, and congestion that is unresolved, which is detrintal to his Qi chanism. If this is not treated, his intestines and stomach will remain weak; as ti goes on, it could lead to frailty in muscles and bones."
Manager Ji hurriedly said: "Then please trouble you to prescribe so dicine for him."
Qin Liuxi nodded, took so paper and brush, and quickly wrote a prescription while bent over the desk, handing it over: "Taking two doses should be sufficient. In usual tis, you can get so digestive pills ready and eat more vegetables and fruits."
"Thank you," Manager Ji took it, repeatedly expressing his thanks.
Qin Liuxi then took a Peace Talisman that was only the size of a fingertip but skillfully made to resemble a cute dog’s head, attached a section of red rope, and personally hung it around Dan Dan’s neck, smiling and saying: "Consider this as a gift I give to Dan Dan upon our eting, may it bless him with safety and health."
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