Chapter 576: Chapter 568: Gaining More Merit
Qin Liuxi drew a Soul Summoning Talisman, but instead of using the traditional soul calling method to have family members call out for the soul, he transformed a Soul Summoning Talisman and integrated it into an incense stick.
“What is this?” Granny Tong noticed her parents-in-law were anxious but didn’t dare to ask, so she couldn’t help but ask.
As Qin Liuxi was making the incense, he explained: “Soul Summoning Incense. She has only lost a part of her soul, not her entire Primordial Spirit, so there is no need for you to call out for her soul. I made this Soul Summoning Incense, which when lit by her, will act as the best soul bait. It will resonate with the part she lost, making it easier to find.”
Everyone suddenly understood.
So this was another way to retrieve a soul, as they had only seen people calling souls by holding the clothes of the missing person.
Qin Liuxi’s method looked very sophisticated.
During the conversation, the Soul Summoning Incense was ready.
Qin Liuxi first lit a stick of sacred incense for the Heavenly Gods, stepped in a Gang Step, and recited the Summoning God Curse. Then, he let Tong Miao’er take the incense and light it.
“Heaven and earth merge with me, I merge with heaven and earth…Upon hearing, it arrives; upon calling, it appears; summoning with incense, the heart moves with the scent, souls unite.” Qin Liuxi took some talisman water and drew a talisman on Tong Miao’er’s spiritual platform, saying, “Follow the scent, go find your other soul part.”
Tong Miao’er found it very magical as she saw the smoke from the incense in her hand turn into a line and slowly extend outward, as if something was guiding her, making her feet move involuntarily.
Seeing her walk towards the door, everybody covered their mouths, afraid that making any noise might interrupt Tong Miao’er.
“Go.” Tong Jijiu saw Qin Liuxi following and couldn’t help but follow as well.
Today, he was determined to verify these strange forces and gods for himself.
Just as they stepped outside, the steward hurriedly came to report: “Master, the Scholar lords have come to give thanks.”
Tong Jijiu stumbled a bit and said, “Let them go, tell them I’m ill and can’t get out of bed, no need for such formalities.”
The steward watched him quickly follow the young lady’s direction and wanted to say that the Scholar lords had already entered the residence.
Therefore, the scholars, who had been invited outside by the steward sweating profusely, saw their supposedly bedridden National Scholar sprinting across the garden, leaving only a fleeting shadow, and were utterly dumbfounded.
Could it be that they had performed poorly in their rankings, and thus the National Scholar was too ashamed to meet them, preferring to lie and hide?
The National Scholar was indeed very considerate.
However, Tong Jijiu had no idea that his students had concocted an entire dramatic scenario in their minds; he was merely chasing after his daughter and her company until they reached the lakeside of the Tong Residence.
Mrs. Tong exclaimed in shock, “Why here?”
Granny Tong explained to Qin Liuxi, “My sister fell into the lake by accident while boating here years ago and later developed a fever from the fright.”
Qin Liuxi nodded, not looking at Tong Miao’er, but he also felt the pull of her soul part.
Tong Miao’er, holding the incense, entered the Lake Heart Pavilion and stopped.
“Found it.” Qin Liuxi saw the stunned part of Tong Miao’er’s soul in a small boat under the pavilion, formed a Sealing symbol with his hands, and drew the ephemeral soul part towards her, pressing it onto her spiritual platform: “Souls unite.”
As the soul part merged back, Tong Miao’er tenderly collapsed.
Qin Liuxi caught her and had a sturdy servant carry her back.
“Junior Temple Master, what’s wrong with my child?” Mrs. Tong was extremely anxious, wondering why she had collapsed.
Qin Liuxi replied, “It’s fine, the soul has returned to its place. Her body needs time to adjust. I will draw a Soul Stabilizing Talisman soon to stabilize it.”
“Is it all better now?”
Qin Liuxi nodded, “Her soul is complete, and with the merit protecting her, she will get better and better. You will know once she wakes up.”
Mrs. Tong let out a low, sharp scream, clutching excitedly at Tong Jijiu’s arm, “My Lord, did you hear that? Our daughter is better.”
Tong Jijiu’s eyes reddened, “She hasn’t woken up yet.”
Was it too early to rejoice?
Mrs. Tong fiercely pinched the soft flesh on his waist and said fiercely, “She is better.”
Tong Jijiu winced in pain. Could he no longer maintain his composure?
The group returned to Tong Miao’er’s room. Qin Liuxi drew a talisman and placed it on her, took her pulse, and prescribed a treatment to regulate her body. This thoughtful act nearly made Mrs. Tong and the others want to worship her.
After a while, Tong Miao’er woke up, sat up under the nervous gazes of everyone, and looked towards Qin Liuxi.
Her eyes were clearer and cleaner, her smile extremely sweet and pure, filled with undisguised joy as she looked at Qin Liuxi.
Walking up to Qin Liuxi, she bowed gracefully, “Sister, thank you.”
Mrs. Tong tightly gripped Tong Jijiu’s arm, “Okay, she truly is better now, not confused anymore.”
Granny Tong, holding Lin Qingying, also sobbed emotionally. It was indeed wonderful.
Lin Qingying silently shifted her gaze away from the handkerchief in her hand. It was a joyful occasion, but why had the handkerchief used to blow her nose ended up in her hand?
Qin Liuxi, however, felt the merit entering her spiritual platform. Her body felt like it was bathing in a warm current, the merit from good deeds bringing immense comfort.
Tong Jijiu also cried, but from pain; he felt his arm turning purple from his wife’s pinching.
While the Tong family celebrated joyously, the Changchuan Marquis Mansion had mixed feelings; joyful that the Young Master Heir had passed the scholar examination as the second-place laureate, but worried because Daoist Xu Gong had been mistreated by the dancing Master Tai Cheng, whose drum had also disappeared, raising concerns about potential troubles.
Uncle Changchuan, after watching Master Tai Cheng’s divine dance and ceremonies, paid a large sum for a protective magical artifact to give to his son.
Master Tai Cheng was initially reluctant, as crafting magical artifacts was difficult and his mansion was full of karma; he didn’t want the artifact to end up in those hands.
But Uncle Changchuan mentioned preparations to propagate Tai Cheng’s reputation as an exterminator of evil and defender of the Dao, even offering to build another golden statue for him. Only then did he reluctantly hand over a palm-sized jade plate, before leaving the Changchuan Marquis Mansion.
Wenyuan returned home triumphantly and was immediately summoned to his father’s study. Upon entering, his usually gentle demeanor darkened.
Uncle Changchuan, looking at his face which strongly resembled his wife’s, said, “Xu Gong is dead. This magical artifact was bought from Master Tai Cheng, who has reached an agreement with Jinhua Temple not to gossip about our family matters. But have you disposed of those things in your room, to avoid any mishap?”
Upon hearing this, Wenyuan’s eyes darkened and he looked at Uncle Changchuan, “Disposed of?”
They stared at each other.
After a long gaze, Wenyuan suddenly smiled, “I will listen to father and take care of it right away.”
Uncle Changchuan watched him leave, sighed deeply, and looked at the portrait on the wall, “He caused your ruin; I should hate him, yet he’s the only memory you left me, so I must protect him. Don’t blame me.”
After being melancholic for a while, he noticed the jade plate on the table and quickly picked it up to follow.
As Wenyuan returned to his room and was about to pick up the beauty bottle from the rack, a cold wind suddenly struck from behind, and a chilling voice echoed in his ear, “I want you dead!”