Chapter 69 - 47 [Elder Zi]
Chapter 47 [Elder Zi]
At night, the commercial street was already deserted. It had rained a bit today, and the temperature in Jinling Prefecture had dropped sharply. The ground was wet, and the air was cold and damp.
A car slowly drove up to the front of Luoyun House and stopped. A young woman in professional attire jumped out of the passenger seat. First, she opened an umbrella and silently walked to the rear of the car, carefully opening the door and holding her hand to shield the top of the door, her demeanor serious and respectful.
A figure slowly emerged from the car.
Her neck was long like a swan’s, her demeanor elegant, dressed in a form-fitting purple cheongsam that accentuated her curves. Her hair was meticulously styled into a bun.
Her face was clean, with light makeup, and she wore a pair of delicate rimless glasses on her nose, adding an air of scholarly elegance to her already stunning appearance.
The woman looked about thirty years old. Upon stepping out of the car, she stood and raised her head to look at the "Luoyun House" sign above the shop, furrowing her brows slightly.
"There’s still a trace of calamity qi. Senior Brother, you’ve offended someone influential."
The woman in purple sighed slightly, shaking her head.
The young woman in the professional attire said in a low voice, "Elder Zi, the wind is strong outside. Why don’t you wait in the car?"
"No hurry, bring my things," the woman in purple said calmly, her expression composed.
She exuded a certain air of authority. Though her voice wasn’t loud and her tone wasn’t particularly strict, it carried an undeniable air of command.
The woman in professional attire was her assistant. Without further ado, she turned back to the car and took out a flat wooden box, carefully opening it to reveal a white jade compass, which she handed to the woman in purple.
The woman in purple held the white jade compass in her left hand and calculated with her right fingers, then walked to the street on the left side of the shop, walking along the outer wall.
The assistant hurriedly followed with small steps, trying her best to hold the umbrella over the woman’s head.
A moment later, the woman in purple stopped at the foot of a wall and glanced down. "Remove the bricks here."
"Yes," the assistant replied but hesitated, looking at the umbrella in her hand. "I’ll send you back to the car to rest first, and then I’ll..."
The woman in purple frowned. "A disciple of the Mystical Sect shouldn’t be so delicate. Rain is natural rootless water, formed by the heavens. Where did you learn to be so pretentious? Give me the umbrella!"
Saying this, the woman in purple took the umbrella from her assistant and watched as the assistant walked to the corner, squatted down, took out a small utility knife, and started prying at the bricks.
The woman in purple held the umbrella over her assistant, occasionally giving instructions. "The second one from the left. Open it up and see... hmm, yes, it’s here..."
In just a few minutes, though she held the umbrella, the fine rain had already drenched the tips of the woman in purple’s hair. She didn’t seem to notice, only perking up when the assistant finally handed her a piece of soaked and half-rotten talisman paper retrieved from the brick crevice.
"Indeed."
She gently unfolded the paper talisman in her hand, examined the runes on it, then extended a fingertip to lightly rub the cinnabar.
"I don’t recognize these runes, but they appear to be from a highly sophisticated talisman art. The talisman paper and cinnabar are of ordinary quality, likely bought carelessly from a shop." The woman in purple furrowed her brow. "That’s strange. How could someone skilled in such talisman art use such low-grade talisman paper and cinnabar?"
After a brief deliberation, the woman in purple shook her head. "There are likely more talismans buried, but their power is already spent, so there’s no need to look for others. Let’s return to the car."
The assistant carefully took back the umbrella and, holding it over the woman, led her back to the car.
Once inside, the woman seated herself in the back, and a faint aura of energy naturally flowed around her. In no time, the rainwater that had dampened her hair and clothes had completely evaporated.
At the front, the assistant was meticulously organizing the items. Looking up, she saw a car slowly approaching and whispered, "Elder Zi, Uncle Qing has arrived."
"Hmm."
The woman in purple reopened the door and stood under the shop’s eaves.
As the car arrived and stopped, Uncle Qing stepped out, wearing a flat cap and draped in an overcoat, his expression grim. Upon seeing the woman in purple, he hurriedly quickened his pace. "Junior Sister, why did you arrive early?"
The woman in purple remained calm. "It’s nothing. I was only ten minutes early."
Seeing Uncle Qing about to say more, the woman in purple shook her head. "I’ve already inspected the area. Let’s go inside and talk."
"Huh? You’ve already seen it?," Uncle Qing looked uneasy. "Should we, perhaps, check the courtyard again?"
"No need. I understand the situation. Let’s return; I have something to discuss with you."
Uncle Qing appeared rather anxious but, seeing the woman in purple’s cold expression, refrained from arguing.
The two got back into their cars and drove away from the commercial street, soon arriving at a quiet alley and turning into a small courtyard to park.
This appeared to be a tea house. The courtyard was quite clean, with some flowers and plants, but not overly decorated.
Inside the tea house, the hall wasn’t large. Beside a tea table carved from tree roots were four chairs, all made of redwood.
After Uncle Qing invited the woman in purple to sit, he attempted to brew tea by himself. The woman in purple, however, showed a flicker of impatience in her eyes and turned to her assistant. "Bring me a cup of water."
"Hey! We’re already at my tea house; why water? I’m brewing some top-grade Jin Jun Mei tea, given by a friend. Junior Sister, you..."
"Water can clear the mind," the woman in purple said coldly. "And you, Senior Brother, with your name-brand teas and luxurious house. Everything in this tea house is a valuable item, even the tea here reeks of extravagance."
Uncle Qing stood there awkwardly. "Junior Sister..."
The woman in purple sighed. "It’s not that I scold you upon meeting, but your lifestyle is far from that of a cultivator."
Uncle Qing shook his head. "With our sect’s affairs in your capable hands, I, as Senior Brother, naturally slack off...," he paused, his face showing frustration. "This time, Senior Brother has really taken a big hit. I’ve been seriously set up. I’ve been eagerly waiting for your return to help resolve this, but here you are, not inspecting my shop or drinking tea, just scolding me."
"Enough, Senior Brother, stop playing the victim," the woman in purple said coldly. "I have seen your shop and understand the matter. You’ve indeed been targeted by a highly skilled practitioner who has buried several talismans in your shop."
She placed the talisman retrieved from the wall on the tea table.
Uncle Qing carefully examined it.
"No need to look. The talisman’s power has dissipated," the woman in purple said with slight annoyance, furrowing her brow. "The runes are extremely advanced, something I’ve never seen before. However, I can generally decipher it as a type of talisman art that gathers yin qi."
Noticing Uncle Qing’s confused expression, the woman in purple felt a bit disappointed but patiently explained.
"Placing these at certain places can accumulate the surrounding yin qi, gathering it into your premises. Creatures like snakes, insects, rats, and scorpions are attracted to places filled with yin qi.
Fortunately, your shop is on a busy commercial street, so there aren’t many snakes and scorpions.
However, there are several restaurants nearby, so there are definitely a lot of rats. Once the talisman’s power activates, it attracts all the surrounding rats to your shop."
Uncle Qing listened with curiosity, examining the talisman again.
The woman in purple shook her head. "I’ve told you not to bother. Even I can’t fully decipher these runes."
Uncle Qing blushed and put the talisman down. "Can you find out who is behind this?"
"Seeking retribution?" the woman in purple replied with a slight smile.
"Of course! Junior Sister, you have no idea how much I’ve lost this time! Luoyun House’s reputation, built with great effort, collapsed in a single day. Now, everyone in the industry says Luoyun House is cursed. Who would dare visit me now?
I’ve spent a lot of money on Luoyun House over the years! To say nothing of the annual rent which costs millions, but now I can’t even open my doors. It’s impossible to run the business in the short term. How can I be satisfied with such a huge loss?"
"So what?"
"So I asked you back to help me find who is behind this and get back at them!" Uncle Qing said angrily.
The woman in purple looked at Uncle Qing, then sighed softly. "Senior Brother... don’t think I’m invincible and unbeatable in the world, okay?"
"Uh..."
"Our master instructed me to take care of you, but the world is vast, full of talented people. Do you think relying on me, you can act with impunity?"
The woman in purple’s expression grew colder. "How many times have I warned you? Senior Brother... I’ve cautioned you numerous times, your actions will lead to trouble. Mystical techniques are profound and hidden, but relying on them to deceive others will inevitably backfire one day!"
Uncle Qing’s face darkened. "Junior Sister! I asked you to help me. I’m already miserable enough... look at me, I was beaten up two days ago, and the bruises on my face haven’t even faded! My shop was ruined, I..."
"The wheel of fate, cause and effect!" the woman in purple interrupted coldly. "You’ve also studied the technique book. The first page states these eight characters. Have you forgotten them?"
With that, the woman in purple slowly stood up. "Since you are still stubborn, there’s nothing I can do. I will take my leave!"
As she rose, Uncle Qing panicked, hurriedly moving to block her, his face turning red in mortification. "Junior Sister! Junior Sister! Don’t leave... what did I say to make you angry?
I won’t argue anymore. Let’s sit down and talk. You can scold me all you want; I’ll listen quietly. Isn’t that enough?
You are my only Junior Sister. If you don’t help me, no one else from the sect will..."
The woman in purple looked at him and shook her head. "Let me be clear, Senior Brother. This opponent’s talisman art is exceptionally advanced. I can’t even decipher these runes fully.
Such a skilled practitioner, I can’t gauge their cultivation level.
This kind of expert was offended by you, retaliating... think about it!
Someone capable of using a talisman to gather yin qi could easily use more dangerous and sophisticated talismans.
The opponent probably showed restraint!
If they had used a talisman to gather evil blood instead of ordinary yin qi that attracts rats... would you still be here talking to me?"
Uncle Qing shuddered, finally getting scared!
"Junior Sister, don’t scare me. Is the opponent really that formidable?"
"I don’t know. The talisman they drew, I can’t recognize. It’s extremely sophisticated. Moreover, they used the most common talisman paper and cinnabar to create such an advanced talisman—I couldn’t achieve that," she said.
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[There are two weeks left until the Spring Festival. Just a heads up, there will be no interruptions during the festival.]
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