Chapter 27

Chapter 27: A Destined Catastrophe.

Chapter 27: A Destined Catastrophe.

As soon as Qin Liuxi entered the Taoist temple, she headed straight for the main hall, bowed several times in front of the ancestral master's effigy, and then began digging.

Suddenly, a flash of white light shot towards her, but she agilely dodged it.

“Ha, you can’t hit me!” she boasted, clutching a piece of jade-colored fragment in her hand.

Another white light, accompanied by a curse, swung towards her: “Hey, what kind of thief dares to steal right in front of our ancestral master? Aren’t you afraid of his retribution?”

“I already notified him, and his silence is his consent to my digging. Besides, I’m just retrieving what I buried here; it’s not stealing!” Qin Liuxi retorted.

The Sanqing Ancestral Master: I’m going to descend and strike her down one of these days!

“You might not be good at anything else, but your mouth never stops – like it’s been sharpened on a whetstone!” Standing in front of Qin Liuxi was an old Daoist in robes and a bun, not just any old man, but a senior Daoist priest, pointing at her with a white whisk.

Qin Liuxi smiled, “Look at how delicate I am. I certainly can’t use a whetstone, so my words have to be slick and smooth!”

Elder Daoist Chi Yuan eyed her skeptically, then glanced at her hand, "Did you come here just to dig up jade?"

Qin Liuxi smoothed the ashes in the incense burner and then revealed two small jade buttons in her palm. Approaching the elder, she explained, "We've had two weak twin brothers born in the family. They need these amulets for protection."

"Oh, usually so indifferent and heartless, and suddenly you're showing kindness. Did your conscience awaken?" Elder Daoist Chi Yuan scoffed.

Qin Liuxi gave him a sidelong glance, "Not a matter of conscience, but fear of being expelled from the sect by someone."

"You? Afraid?"

Qin Liuxi humphed in response.

The two walked out of the main hall towards the back, continuing their conversation.

"Has everyone from your family arrived?" Elder Daoist Chi Yuan softened his playful demeanor.

"Yes," Qin Liuxi replied. "Apart from my grandfather and a few others, it's mostly the elderly, women, and children."

"This calamity was destined in your family's fate, inescapable, only to be confronted. Being exiled is a stroke of luck compared to execution," said Elder Daoist Chi Yuan, holding his whisk. "If it weren't for your efforts over the years, your family might have already reunited in the underworld."

The Qins' tribulation was a karmic consequence from ancestors, a fate worse than the current situation. Qin Liuxi's accumulated merits over the years helped avert the worst, preserving her family.

Qin Liuxi remained noncommittal.

Elder Daoist Chi Yuan wasn't worried; he knew that with Qin Liuxi's willingness, the difficulties could be resolved.

"Did you encounter that group of people?"

Qin Liuxi glanced at him, "The noble young master?"

"Born into nobility, his status is beyond words, but..." Elder Daoist Chi Yuan trailed off, his expression enigmatic.

Qin Liuxi didn't press further, nor could she, as the old man extended his hand expectantly. Her mouth twitched.

"It's not a lot of money, how about we let it slide this time?" Qin Liuxi grudgingly said. "My whole family is dependent on me; we're really poor. Just this once..."

"Five calamities and three lacks. If you don’t pay, I'll just have to sigh at your plight," Elder Daoist Chi Yuan said, looking resigned yet determined. "And you just dug in the incense burner. I wonder what the ancestral master would say..."

Qin Liuxi: "..."

She'll pay, alright? What choice does she have?

Biting her teeth in reluctance, Qin Liuxi grudgingly handed over fifty taels to Elder Daoist Chi Yuan.

Elder Daoist Chi Yuan's eyes gleamed with joy as he swished his whisk, exclaiming, "Blessings as boundless as the heavens!"

Qin Liuxi huffed heavily in response.

This was one reason why she was always short of money; no matter how much she earned, half of it always went to the temple for oil and charitable deeds.