The Teng family’s affairs were all the buzz in the capital, with rumors that they had committed so kind of sin and could now see ghosts. As for the Commandery Princess Manor, things were even more preposterous—there were tales of madness afflicting a son, a concubine beaten to death, and talk of divorce, which added a new topic for the Beijing Circle to gossip about over tea and als.
As for the main Teng household, it was said that Old Madam Teng had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed, unable to utter a word.
Even though Qin Liuxi had left the capital many days ago, she still received news related to them. With her desire to seek dical treatnt, she didn’t even look at requests for help, and she also didn’t show Teng Zhao any news related to the Teng family, especially the details of his mother’s difficult labor.
Knowing that the Old Lady was full of sins, she never expected that Teng Zhao’s mother’s soul would not harbor any resentnt, nor linger, but instead was reincarnated imdiately—surely she must have been an exceptionally clear-sighted and kind person.
She burned the note over the fire, thinking that the dying do not warrant much pity—all is the consequence of karma!
Qin Liuxi took Teng Zhao with her towards Li City, teaching him both dical practice and Daoist Skill along the way. Such hands-on training enabled him to progress rapidly, and now he was able to diagnose and prescribe for common colds.
Moreover, Qin Liuxi used a rabbit to teach him suture techniques, and for human acupoints, she used herself as the practice object.
Initially, Teng Zhao was hesitant, but under the coercion of his wicked ntor, he had no choice but to be brave. After mistakenly needling an acupoint and making Qin Liuxi dizzy, he beca much more cautious in identifying acupoints.
He beca keenly aware that a single mistake could kill a person!
With such force-feeding thods combined with a sponge-like absorption of knowledge, by the ti May approached, they finally returned to Ningzhou Prefecture City.
Just as Qin Liuxi and Teng Zhao walked into an inn, soone called out to her.
"Junior Temple Master, is that you?" The voice carried imnse surprise and excitent, followed by soone rushing towards her like the wind: "It is truly you, Junior Temple Master, do you rember ? I am Nian Youwei!"
What kind of na is Nian Youwei? Why not say talented at a young age?
Qin Liuxi was almost shoved in the face, but Teng Zhao pulled her back a step. Only then did she raise her head to look at the person approaching.
She didn’t recognize Nian Youwei, but she did recognize that scholar who had passed the imperial examination. However, why was he enveloped with such heavy yin energy, even denser than when she removed it for him during his parade through the streets?
Looking at his face, she couldn’t tell if it was because of this yin energy that his fortune seed overshadowed by dark clouds, a downturn in luck, even hinting at a disaster of blood, quite serious!
His luck was tainted and on the decline.
What had he done? Wasn’t he just at the peak of his rise as a newly successful scholar, yet now he was facing misfortune?
Qin Liuxi frowned and said, "Oh, it’s you. Didn’t you beco a scholar? Why have you returned here so soon?"
Nian Youwei excitedly bowed to her and said, "Junior Temple Master is truly incisive. You said that I would be nad on the honor roll, and indeed, I passed the examination."
Those around who heard this couldn’t help but look over.
This man turned out to be the scholar of this year, and what did he an by incisive?
People naturally have a desire to emulate the strong and are also curious; they naturally asked questions.
Perhaps Nian Youwei intentionally wanted to promote the reputation of Qin Liuxi and Qingping Temple; he briefly introduced Qin Liuxi’s identity and background, as well as how she had foretold the fortunes of himself and his classmates with uncanny accuracy.
Ningzhou Prefecture City was not far from Li City; it just so happened that soone had co from there and ntioned that Qingping Temple was now bustling with incense, the Daoist Temple had been impressively renovated, and so Daoists were quite famous.
To their surprise, the Junior Temple Master of that temple had actually co here.
On hearing this, those who believed in her powers imdiately wanted Qin Liuxi to tell their fortune, while the skeptics jokingly asked if she could discern his life’s fortunes.
Qin Liuxi casually assessed the faces of a couple of people and then gestured for Nian Youwei to step aside for a chat.
Nian Youwei quickly led her and Teng Zhao to his private room.
After they had gone, those whose faces were read let out a cry of amazent: "Ethereal, truly ethereal!"
"Really? The reading was accurate?"
"Indeed true." One of them said, "My father passed away when I was three, and my mother when I was ten, she was right about it all."
The crowd: "!"
Both parents having passed away didn’t seem like sothing to be happy about, so why the excitent?
In the upstairs private room.
Nian Youwei poured Qin Liuxi a cup of tea, still unable to hide his excitent, and said, "Junior Temple Master, it really is a virtuous connection to encounter you here!"
"Why did you co back so quickly? I heard that the scholars had to stay in the capital to wait for their official appointnts," Qin Liuxi found it strange that he had returned to Li City so swiftly.
Nian Youwei replied, "Due to the Longevity Festival in May, the scholars who passed this ti were given a three-month break, firstly to celebrate the festival with the hundred officials and, secondly, to return ho to report the good news and thank our masters while waiting for our official appointnts. And I ca back quickly because one of my classmates fell ill with a strange disease, so I thought that since I had to go ho, and you Junior Temple Master, being renowned far and wide, I might as well co back early and see if you could figure out what’s wrong?"
"Oh? What kind of strange disease is it?" Qin Liuxi examined him closely. This man had not done evil deeds, so although he was enveloped in yin energy, there was no vindictive soul or karmic debt around him. Was this yin energy coming from his so-called classmate?
Nian Youwei furrowed his brow, seemingly embarrassed to say, speaking softly, "Actually, if you were to say it’s strange, it would better be described as being possessed by so evil."
He saw Qin Liuxi raise an eyebrow and hesitantly added, "After the Imperial Examination, I felt that Brother Lei’s behavior and actions were a bit off. At first, he just exhibited a few odd changes, only occasionally altering a small habit. But as ti went on, he beca less and less like himself, as if he had completely turned into a different person."
Possession or demonic possession?
Qin Liuxi inquired, "Was there anything unusual about him before he started to change?"
Nian Youwei sighed, "You don’t know this, but Brother Lei is already thirty-five this year and it was his fourth ti taking the exam. The previous three tis he failed, and last ti, he just missed passing due to one ranking."
"So unlucky, wasn’t he frustrated enough to break his heart?" To miss by a hair, that’s like being cursed by the Gods of Bad Luck!
Nian Youwei: "..."
It was quite frustrating, but hearing your tone, it felt as if life couldn’t go on!
"It was indeed weighing on his heart, but the road of the imperial examination is like thousands of soldiers crossing a narrow bridge. There are those who take the examination to their deathbeds as re child students yet still tirelessly rush to the examination halls," Nian Youwei sighed lightly, "and Brother Lei was the sa. He failed in three attempts, so he was particularly anxious and uneasy before this Imperial Examination, unable to sleep peacefully. I often saw him talking to himself as if he was speaking to soone, but upon closer inspection, he was indeed alone in the room. I asked him, and he just said he was morizing essays."
Qin Liuxi understood—it was anxiety and pressure, and he was ntally breaking down!
"Perhaps he was really talking to soone, but you just can’t see them."
Nian Youwei’s face changed slightly, does this an... does this an Brother Lei was really stricken by evil?
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