The morning mist had yet to disperse. Most of the shops along the street still had their plank doors tightly shut, though faint rustlings could already be heard.
Tang Jinxian, like a cat sneaking off after stealing fish, slipped quietly out of the An family’s little courtyard. She crossed the main street and reached the arched bridge leading toward the Patrol Yamen Office before the taut string in her heart finally loosened a little.
She tugged slightly at the skirt that felt rather chilly inside, breathing in the cool morning air as she calmed herself.
Why chilly?
Because from the moment she woke, she had discovered that for some inexplicable reason, there was a great deal of sweat beneath her skirt.
Clearly, it was a side effect of the spiritual object.
On those previous nights, when she had that nightmare, it had been sticky too.
“Mu Jiang, you bastard! I really should bite you to death!”
“May as well bite you to death…”
“What sin did I, Tang Jinxian, commit in my past life for the heavens to torment me like this!”
The more Tang Jinxian thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.
She wished she could truly turn into a wolfdog, charge back, and sink her teeth hard into that brat a few times.
The day before yesterday, she had finally managed to rally herself and, in terms of presence, had just barely gotten the upper hand over that brat for once.
Yet not even a day had passed before she, useless as ever, had once again turned into the other party’s tail-wagging “little pet.”
The contrast was so great she felt like hanging herself.
“No. I have to think of a way to completely remove the spiritual object inside me. I can’t actually become that brat’s pet in the future.”
Tang Jinxian clenched her delicate fist, her gaze sharp.
But how was she supposed to remove it?
That brat Mu Jiang did not seem to have any good solution.
After all, judging from the two times it had acted up, he could indeed be considered a gentleman. He had not taken even the slightest advantage of her while her mind was muddled.
If it had been any other man, she would already have been devoured clean.
Tang Jinxian was still very confident in her own charm.
Even the Eldest Princess, praised as the “number one beauty of the capital,” might not be able to steadily surpass her by much in looks and allure alone.
Yet the more confident she was, the more inexplicably irritated she became.
Why isn’t he interested in me?
Is that brat even a normal man?
Could it be that I really have grown old and faded?
For a moment, Tang Jinxian, who ought to have felt fortunate, fell into severe self-doubt.
“Greetings, Chief Tang.”
Suddenly, a figure blocked her path, startling Tang Jinxian, who was in the middle of feeling gloomy and irritable.
She looked up and saw a plump middle-aged Daoist priest bowing to her, his face carrying a somewhat fawning expression.
Behind him followed a young Daoist priest who looked timid and shifty.
“You are…”
Tang Jinxian’s elegant brows drew together.
The corner of Daoist Wenhe’s eye twitched. With an ingratiating smile, he said,
“Chief Tang, a noble person such as yourself is naturally busy with many affairs. This humble Daoist is Wenhe, a disciple under Zhenren Hongyuan of Chongtian Temple. Two years ago, I had the honor of accompanying my master to the capital to attend the ‘Dao Inquiry Assembly,’ where I witnessed Chief Tang’s distinguished bearing.”
Chongtian Temple? Wenhe?
Tang Jinxian quickly ran through her memories, but she simply could not recall where this random passerby had come from. She replied perfunctorily,
“Oh, I have some impression. Is something the matter?”
But as for Zhenren Hongyuan, she did know of him.
He was one of Chongtian Temple’s protectors and had quite a reputation among the Daoist sects. He could be considered someone of standing.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Wenhe’s plump face immediately bloomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile. He cast his disciple a smug look that said, See that? A big shot knows me, then cupped his hands and said,
“Some time ago, my master was still speaking of you. He said that at the last ‘Dao Inquiry Assembly,’ Chief Tang’s interpretation of one chapter from the True Martial Mud Lotus Sutra showed a uniquely perceptive mind and struck straight to the heart of the matter. Even he, in his old age, could not help but praise it.
“He often uses this to admonish us disciples as well, saying that cultivators must never shut themselves off in complacency, but should draw upon the strengths of all schools…”
“Enough.”
Tang Jinxian was already in an extremely foul mood, and now that some random passerby had stopped her to heap flattery upon her, she was even more vexed. “I know full well what I’m worth. There’s no need for all these polite words. What exactly is the matter? Speak quickly!”
Wenhe’s expression stiffened, and he looked somewhat awkward.
Beside him, Xiaohai shrank his neck in fright and thought to himself, “Do all high officials have such terrible tempers?”
“Well…”
Daoist Wenhe was still pondering how to begin when a yellow dog that had appeared from who knew where strutted past. It even bared its teeth at the three of them and barked twice, looking very arrogant.
Tang Jinxian froze.
Immediately after, the bellyful of anger she had been holding in surged up all at once with a whoosh. She completely saw red.
She walked over and slapped it twice across the face.
The big yellow dog was directly slapped senseless, standing there in a daze.
Its dog eyes were filled with disbelief.
Daoist Wenhe and his disciple Xiaohai were also stunned, staring with their mouths agape.
The yellow dog, naturally hot-blooded, had just been about to bark a few more times when it met the woman’s murderous gaze. Frightened, it let out a whimper, lowered its head, tucked its tail between its legs, and fled in disgrace.
This woman was even more of a mad dog than it was. It could not afford to provoke her.
“You dog thing!”
Tang Jinxian cursed, then suddenly realized there were still people watching from the side. She gave a dry cough, turned to look at Daoist Wenhe, and softened her tone somewhat.
“Speak. What did you come to me for?”
“No… nothing…”
Cold sweat seeped from Daoist Wenhe’s forehead. With a dry laugh, he waved his hand. “It was just that I happened to encounter Chief Tang here by chance, so I came over to offer my greetings. Just greetings…”
Tang Jinxian said lightly, “Since there is nothing else, I still have official duties to attend to, so I shall not disturb you further, Daoist.”
“Oh, yes, yes. Chief Tang, please take care.”
Wenhe hurriedly stepped aside to clear the way.
Tang Jinxian said no more and left with a cold expression on her beautiful face.
Only Wenhe and his disciple remained standing there in a daze, unable to recover for quite some time.
“M-Master, was Official Tang… cursing you?”
Xiaohai asked, stammering.
Wenhe immediately shook his head. “How could that be? She was cursing that dog. Her attitude toward me just now was quite good, wasn’t it?”
“This disciple couldn’t tell.”
Xiaohai spoke honestly.
Daoist Wenhe said awkwardly, “Chief Tang occupies a high position and is busy with official matters. It is only natural that her temperament be a little cold…”
Though he said this, when he thought of how he had been so thoroughly disregarded in front of his disciple just now, he still could not quite save face. His mood also became gloomy.
“Forget it. Let’s not talk about this.”
Wenhe sighed and rallied himself. “We should hurry and find that expert who drew the talismans. That is what matters.”
Just then, a carriage slowly stopped beside them.
The carriage curtain was lifted.
A middle-aged Daoist nun dressed in Daoist robes led two outstandingly beautiful young girls down from the carriage.
These two girls were none other than Shi Xueying and Jiang Zhenzhen.
“This junior, Zhao Ling, greets Daoist Wenhe.”
The middle-aged Daoist nun walked up to Daoist Wenhe and bowed with a nod.
Daoist Wenhe was stunned for a moment. After carefully sizing her up a few times, he finally smiled in realization and said,
“I was wondering who it was. So it is the Zhao girl from Shenhuang Island. Tsk, tsk. The last time I saw you, you were still only an inner disciple. In the blink of an eye, you have already become an elder of Shenhuang Island.
“My master once praised you back then, saying your spiritual platform was clear and your comprehension excellent, and that in the future you would surely be no ordinary person. Looking at you now, it has indeed come true.”
Among the Great Qian’s top sects, Shenhuang Island’s foundations were indeed slightly inferior compared to an orthodox Daoist leader like Chongtian Temple.
Although Wenhe was currently still only an inner disciple at Chongtian Temple, his master, Zhenren Hongyuan, possessed an extremely high reputation among the Daoist sects, and Wenhe himself had a rare talent in the Dao of talismans.
Thus, his status in the jianghu was transcendent, enough for many sect elders to treat him as a peer, or even with the courtesy due to a senior.
Even though Elder Zhao now held an esteemed position as an elder of Shenhuang Island, she still had to show Wenhe considerable courtesy.
Elder Zhao smiled slightly.
“Daoist, you overpraise me. This junior is ashamed to accept such words. This junior has just come from Prince Cheng’s estate and was preparing to go to Chongtian Temple to pay a visit to you and Zhenren Hongyuan. I did not expect to meet you here by chance. It seems we are fated.”
As she spoke, she turned slightly and gestured toward the two people behind her, introducing them.
“This is my disciple, Jiang Zhenzhen.”
“And this girl is the new disciple this junior has just accepted. Her name is Shi Xueying.”
“You two, why have you not greeted Senior Wenhe?”
Hearing this, Shi Xueying and Jiang Zhenzhen hurriedly stepped forward and saluted. “Greetings, Senior Wenhe.”
Daoist Wenhe’s gaze lingered on Shi Xueying for a moment longer. Stroking his beard, he nodded and praised,
“The little girl has spirituality. She is a fine seedling. Zhao girl, your eye is not bad. You have found another piece of unpolished jade for Shenhuang Island.”
Elder Zhao smiled modestly.
“Daoist, you flatter me. It was merely a coincidence of fate. I only hope she will cultivate diligently and not let down this talent.”
Daoist Wenhe took out two talismans from the sleeve of his Daoist robe and handed them respectively to Shi Xueying and Jiang Zhenzhen. “The Zhao girl and I are old acquaintances. Since this is my first time meeting you two martial nieces, these two ‘Clear-Mind Heart-Protection Talismans’ shall serve as a greeting gift.”
Elder Zhao’s gaze swept over the talismans, and a trace of astonishment flashed through her eyes. She then smiled and said,
“You two girls, quickly thank Senior Wenhe. These are high-grade protective spiritual talismans from Chongtian Temple. Ordinary cultivators would find it difficult to obtain even one. Today, you have received a great fortune.”
The two girls were both surprised and delighted, and they hurriedly bowed again to express their thanks.
Shi Xueying was extremely excited inside.
Just now in the carriage, when her master, Elder Zhao, had seen this Daoist from afar, she had quietly told them that he was a personal disciple of Zhenren Hongyuan, the talisman grandmaster of Chongtian Temple.
In the path of talismans, his talent was extremely high and his attainments profound.
Many spirit cultivators who had long since made names for themselves sought a talisman from him but could not obtain one.
Unexpectedly, before she had even formally begun cultivating, she had already received such a precious gift.
For a moment, Shi Xueying’s heart surged with emotion.
Sure enough, her choice had been right.
If she had listened to her elder sister back then and chosen to marry Mu Jiang, perhaps she could only have lived a mediocre life forever.
Fortunately, she had not narrowed her own path.