Chapter 575: Chapter 567 I Absolutely Had No Intention of Extorting the Golden Statue
Tong Jijiu regretted his actions.
He touched the tiny needle hole at his philtrum and glanced furtively at Qin Liuxi, suspecting that this person was taking revenge. Why use a needle to wake someone up? Wouldn’t applying medicinal oil suffice?
But now was not the time to fuss over that. He looked at his daughter lying quietly comatose on the bed, then at the soul of his daughter before him, his vision darkening as he once again turned his gaze towards Qin Liuxi.
What was she looking at? The carvings on the roof beam?
Mrs. Tong and the others were extremely worried, having exhausted all niceties in vain as Qin Liuxi kept sidetracking them, refusing to follow the script.
Whimpering, could they really just watch as their daughter became a lost soul?
Granny Tong took Lin Qingying, whose eyes had been opened to the extraordinary, by the arm and forced a smile, "Dear sister, look at this mess. What should we do?"
Please plead for us.
Lin Qingying felt an inexplicable surge of pleasure—oh no, she was becoming a bit malicious, delighting in others’ misfortune. That was truly inappropriate.
Yet the injustice she had felt when she was looked down upon and accused, now morphed into the thrill of being vindicated—it was genuinely exhilarating.
Serves you right for being so insufferable earlier, ignoring others, and now you can’t reach high enough, can you?
Lin Qingying coughed lightly and said, "Junior Temple Master, it’s almost midday. What do you think?"
Qin Liuxi turned her head to look at Tong Jijiu: "A child does not speak of strange forces and gods; I am but a charlatan God Stick, a deceiver not to be trusted."
Tong Jijiu choked back a lump in his throat. This had to be deliberate retaliation.
"Sir," Mrs. Tong said with tears in her eyes, looking at him. For their daughter’s sake, what was the harm in bowing their heads in apology?
Tong Jijiu looked at his daughter beside her, his eyes dimming slightly as he gave a respectful bow to Qin Liuxi: "Junior Temple Master, I failed to recognize Mount Tai and misunderstood you. Please overlook my offense for my daughter’s sake."
Qin Liuxi snorted, feeling that enough pretense had been made, and she took vermillion to directly draw a talisman on Tong Miao’er’s forehead, telling her, "Come back in yourself."
Attracted by the Soul Summoning Talisman, Tong Miao’er without hesitation lay down, and her two souls and six spirits were restored.
Seeing this, everyone was amazed, yet their hearts also felt as if they were struck hard, causing a shiver to run down their spines.
Tong Jijiu swallowed hard, silently reminding himself, "A child does not speak of strange forces and gods." His daughter must have encountered an unusual event to end up like this.
However, when the daughter’s soul entered her physical body and she opened her eyes to sweetly greet them, Tong Jijiu felt his entire world view reforming.
Forget unusual events, this was entirely the work of strange forces and gods.
Watching as Tong Miao’er’s two souls and six spirits had returned, making her appear as usual—albeit slower to respond and a bit dazed—but no longer as foolishly unresponsive as in the past two days.
Mrs. Tong held her daughter and sobbed uncontrollably. Why did her daughter have to suffer so much, even encountering such bizarre incidents?
Tong Jijiu sighed and turned his gaze to Qin Liuxi, wanting to express his thanks, but the sight of her staring intently at his daughter made him anxious again.
"Junior Temple Master, what’s wrong now?"
Everyone looked over.
Qin Liuxi asked, "You said that the child’s brain was damaged by a high fever when she was young. How old was she then?"
Mrs. Tong’s eyes reddened as she replied, "Seven years old. It’s all my fault. I dozed off for a moment and didn’t notice her fever. The illness receded, but it left her brain damaged."
"Mother, don’t cry," Tong Miao’er slowly began to wipe away her tears.
Granny Tong, however, thought of Qin Liuxi, who was a Daoist doctor, and a flash of inspiration struck her. She asked, "Junior Temple Master, can my sister still be healed like this?"
Mrs. Tong’s sobbing paused, and she looked over eagerly, even the staid Tong Jijiu sneaked a glance with his small eyes.
Qin Liuxi shook his head and said, "She hasn’t become foolish from the fever; it’s that among her three souls and seven spirits, one spirit of intelligence is missing. So, even if her Primordial Spirit returns to its place, her soul is still incomplete."
Everyone was taken aback and subconsciously looked towards Tong Miao’er.
Tong Miao’er pursed her lips and smiled shyly.
"Junior Temple Master, what exactly is going on? My child isn’t brain-damaged from the fever, but her soul is incomplete?" Tong Jijiu was anxious, crossing his hands, wanting to understand the situation.
Qin Liuxi explained, "Humans have three souls and seven spirits. Souls are Yin, and spirits are Yang. Among the seven spirits, one is Heavenly Chong, another is the spirit of intelligence. Now, this spirit of intelligence is not present, making her responses slow, appearing dull and foolish. According to medical knowledge, missing this spirit means there’s a neurological issue, leading to slower and less sharp responses."
Mrs. Tong cried out in alarm, "How could this happen?"
"Junior Temple Master, where has my sister’s missing spirit gone, and can it be found?" Granny Tong asked urgently.
"It’s hard to say. A person’s soul, if separated, might drift to the Underworld and get reborn in confusion. Of course, if reborn, her incomplete soul will only result in becoming an imbecile," Qin Liuxi looked at Tong Miao’er and said, "Whether her spirit has gone and can be retrieved is hard to say; we have to search for it."
"How do we search for it?"
Qin Liuxi did not speak and only glared at Tong Jijiu, who was an easy mark.
You were trying to send me away just a moment ago.
Tong Jijiu: "!"
Regret began to climb like vines – what to do now?
Tong Jijiu swallowed hard, "If the Junior Temple Master could help, our Tong Family will surely not treat you poorly."
Granny Tong, having heard the words ’golden statue’ from Lin Qingying’s mouth, also said, "If the Junior Temple Master can restore my sister to normal, we are willing to donate a golden statue to honor the deity of your temple."
Qin Liuxi smiled.
Tong Jijiu’s eyelids twitched a few times, and his heart ached, but he didn’t utter a word.
"I really was considering her situation when I brought her back; there was no intention to extort a golden statue," Qin Liuxi pointed towards Tong Miao’er and said to everyone, "But since good people are greatly kind, our Grandmaster will accept it, Blessings to the Infinite Heavenly Venerate."
Tong Jijiu and the others barely managed a smile, thinking if your eyes weren’t shining so brightly, maybe we’d believe you.
"Why do you always say it’s for Miss Tong’s sake? Why is that?" Lin Qingying was puzzled.
Qin Liuxi had already sat down, took out a vermillion talisman pen to draw a talisman, and said, "She radiates Merit Golden Light all over, even if not a benefactor of several lifetimes, her previous life must have done many kindnesses to accumulate such merit. She is a true good person; being born into your Tong Family is also because your family has accumulated virtue and hence attracted a good soul."
The Tong Family was delighted to hear this, and Lin Qingying’s thoughts stirred – a family that accumulates virtue would make for good relatives, and it would be wise to interact more in the future.
Qin Liuxi then asked about where Tong Miao’er was when she fell ill. Hearing that they had already been living in this house by then, her heart eased a bit.
Given the child’s protective aura of merit, even if a spirit has been lost, it shouldn’t have gone far, and it would be easier to find.
Next, she asked Granny Tong to prepare some offerings for worshipping the gods.
Tong Jijiu, seeing the setup, felt his temples pulsing; a bit worried. Children should not speak of strange forces and gods, he thought, and resolved to silently watch.
Isn’t that sufficient?
No, with those students yet to visit, should he not take leave and ask them not to come? Otherwise, what would become of his face if they saw this?