Qin Liuxi looked at the frail girl who was half opening her eyes towards her and restrained herself from reaching out. As for her father’s request, a na slipped off her tongue.
"Jing Yao. Let’s call her Jing Yao, bearing the reputation of the indomitable strength of the Yao Stone." She curved her lips and gently caressed the infant’s forehead: "Blessings to the Infinite."
The little girl cracked a smile.
Elder Yu, however, seed to be lost in thought. Looking outside as the weather cleared and recalling the servant’s words about a rainbow after the rain, and then thinking about the na Qin Liuxi granted, an epiphany seed to flash through his mind.
Jing Star Phoenix, Yao Terrace Qiong Trees.
He gave the child a surprised glance.
By now, Yunniang had been tidied up, and even though she was very weak, she still insisted on being supported by the servant to express her gratitude to Qin Liuxi.
"No need for such formality, to give birth safely in such circumstances, you’ve also shown great resilience," Qin Liuxi told her to lie back down, and said, "You’ve just given birth, and your body is frail, so don’t move around. Otherwise, if you start bleeding heavily, that would be troubleso."
Yunniang’s complexion was pale, but her spirit appeared to be good, and she said, "The ginseng slices you gave earlier were excellent. I feel spirited and my strength seems to be returning."
Qin Liuxi thought to herself, how could the ginseng whiskers of a ginseng that had beco refined not be effective?
"Don’t be careless. The most important thing is to recover well after childbirth." She alone settled Yunniang back onto the birthing bed and took her wrist to check her pulse, saying, "Your body actually wasn’t in bad condition to begin with. Otherwise, traveling such a long distance during these months of pregnancy, you would’ve been in trouble long ago."
"Yes. Originally, I planned to travel to Beihe after giving birth, but seeing that my pregnancy was going smoothly, I decided to join the journey. I never anticipated that the child would be so impatient to co out when we were almost there. It was fortunate to have encountered a master like you, otherwise, my daughter and I might have..." Yunniang’s face was full of fright.
Qin Liuxi’s eyes turned cold: "Originally, you could have carried the pregnancy to full term. It was because you were affected by yin energy that caused the fetus to be restless and the sudden change in weather to induce early labor."
Yunniang was stunned, and Tao Wencheng, who ca over and heard this, couldn’t help but be puzzled: "What is yin energy?"
"Did you bring so kind of object with you?"
"No, I don’t think so." Yunniang was sowhat bewildered. She lifted her hands – bare, without even a jade bracelet – and said, "I was afraid it would affect the child, so I didn’t even wear a sachet or any cumberso jewelry."
Qin Liuxi looked at her hairpin and then at her body; indeed, there was nothing. So she said, "It’s not sothing worn on your body. Have you worn anything in the past month or two? It doesn’t necessarily have to be on you; it could be sothing close by as well."
Yunniang was still shaking her head, but the servant seed to rember sothing, her face slightly changing. She went over to their luggage, searched through it and brought out a novice monk Buddha statue, presenting it with both hands, she said, "Master, do you think it might be this?"
Qin Liuxi looked over. It was a novice monk Buddha seated on a lotus pedestal, holding a flower, but it wasn’t a lotus or willow that The Bodhisattva Guanyin would typically hold. This flower was the red spider lily, known in common parlance as the flower of death, from the Yellow Spring Road.
And this novice monk had delicate features with half-open eyes. His gaze was gentle, no, not gentle.
It was disdainful.
To Qin Liuxi, however, such a Buddha statue did not appear kind and compassionate, but rather exuded an evil energy.
She took it into her hand and in an instant, yin energy entered her grasp, attempting to climb up, but with a thought from Qin Liuxi, the intention of Karmic Fire instantly dispersed the yin energy.
"It is this. Where did this co from?"
Yunniang’s face changed: "This, this cannot be."
The servant said, "This was sought by our lady from a temple, saying it could ensure safety."
Qin Liuxi raised an eyebrow, "To , this object is filled with malevolent and yin energy; venerating it for too long will only breed viciousness and irritability. Where is the so-called peace?"
"Is it because of this flower?" Elder Yu approached, glanced at the flower in hand, which indeed resembled the red spider lily described in unofficial texts that blooms along the Yellow Spring Road.
"Not exactly," Qin Liuxi replied: "Flowers offered to the Buddha include orchids and lotuses, as well as red spider lilies. However, those are offerings, but holding one like this in the hand is unheard of. When I say it is malevolent and sinister, it’s due to the clay used to mold this statue."
"What’s special about this clay?"
Qin Liuxi took it in her hand, sniffed it with a look of disgust, and said, "This clay has been stained with blood. Clay inherently belongs to yin, and once stained with blood, it becos even more yin and carries resentnt. If this clay is dug up from a graveyard, then its yin energy is much stronger. And as for the evil aspect, it’s this novice monk Buddha. A Buddha should embody tranquility of mind, and encountering one should bring a sense of peace like still water. And yet, upon seeing this, I feel only malevolent energy."
She held it up higher, allowing everyone to see clearer. Perhaps due to preconceived notions, after her explanation, the sight of the Buddha made everyone’s skin crawl with goosebumps, sending shivers down their spines.
Yunniang’s face was even paler than before, her bloodless lips quivering, "No, it can’t be."
Tao Wencheng, deeply distressed, said, "Could there be so mistake? Your Eminence might not be aware, but this was sought by my mother-in-law who adores my wife dearly."
Qin Liuxi said, "I’m not suggesting this was done with intent, you’ll need to investigate it yourselves. It may not have been deliberate. I’m just curious to know which temple this ca from."
"My mother sought this Buddha. The specific temple wasn’t ntioned, just that it was highly efficacious and recomnded to keep it by my side for safety," Yunniang said sowhat distraught. Her mother wasn’t her birth mother but her stepmother. Yet, their bond was as close as blood. Did she know or not? Was this intentional harm, and if so, why?
"Which temple was it?"
"Qi State."
Qi State again, now that’s interesting.
Qin Liuxi took out a talisman and sealed the novice monk Buddha statue, saying, "You should stop venerating this thing. Doing so will only harm you. I’ll be going to Qi State soon. Do you know of a temple there, called Lingxu Palace?"
"Lingxu Palace? We haven’t heard of it," Tao Wencheng and the others shook their heads.
Could it be sothing newly established? But that seed unlikely, considering the temple they saw appeared quite ancient.
Qin Liuxi did not dwell on this, raised the Buddha statue, and asked Yunniang, "No problem if I take this away, right?"
After hearing that the object was malevolent, Yunniang didn’t dare to keep it any longer and was eager for Qin Liuxi to take it away, "The Master can freely take it. But aren’t you afraid, since you said it’s malevolent?"
"A cultivator like , afraid of it?" Qin Liuxi said, "I simply wish to inquire which temple it’s from when the ti cos. If it’s convenient for you, perhaps provide with a letter, and I’ll ask your mother about it later."
"Or shall we wait a mont, Your Eminence? I could send a ssage at once to inquire?" suggested Tao Wencheng.
"No need, I’ll be faster. Just give an address and the letter," Qin Liuxi replied with a slight smile.
The couple naturally agreed.
Yunniang still looked sowhat despondent, "Master, is it really because I venerated this object that I attracted yin energy, leading to a premature birth? What would happen if it were venerated for a longer ti?"
Qin Liuxi looked into her eyes, "You’ve venerated it for a while now. Think about how you’ve been feeling, and you’ll understand."
Yunniang furrowed her brows in thought.
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