My Lady Always Lacks Ambition

Chapter 1290 - 1212: After Living So Long, Dying Once Is No Big Deal!

Walking into the ancestral hall, Qin Liuxi immediately saw the Stone Beast draped in red silk. Because its vicious evil aura had been devoured and stripped away, a crack had split open on the Stone Beast’s head, yet the cold, sinister stench on it still made one feel extremely uncomfortable.

She walked over and lifted the red silk. The evil talisman carved with her divine sense on the Kui Niu was releasing a dark, murky malice.

Qin Liuxi pressed her hand on it. As her intent stirred, the Karmic Fire erupted along with it, and under her palm the Stone Beast turned to dust, the malice vanishing in the flames.

Chengyangzi’s heart thumped chaotically.

And as this Stone Beast disappeared, far away Si Luo half-opened his eyes, his gentle face carrying a smile that was not quite a smile.

Almost there.

After cleaning up that pile of ash, Qin Liuxi walked out of the ancestral hall. Zhuzi had already woken up, just still a little dazed.

Qin Liuxi had Teng Zhao recite a Calming Spell for him, and the group headed once more to Wang Xiaoquan’s house.

A good number of people had already gathered there, bustling in and out.

When they arrived, the village chief immediately came forward to greet them. He had just opened his mouth when Qin Liuxi said the Stone Beast had already been destroyed.

"If this one is destroyed, can’t we just invite a stone craftsman to carve another one?" the village chief asked hurriedly. "Our village has been worshipping it for decades. Now that it’s gone, we can still invite a new statue and keep offering incense to it, right?"

Qin Liuxi said, "Inviting a God requires sincerity, and Divine Descent has its own rules. Fate begins and ends. Ever since the auspicious beast in the ancestral hall turned into an Evil Beast, its fate with your Juzi Village ended. Even if you try, you can’t invite it back, so there’s no need."

On hearing this, the village chief looked disappointed and downcast. "I’ve no face to see the ancestors of past generations."

Qin Liuxi said coolly, "You’ve preserved the village; that alone lets you face the ancestors of past generations. If today you had refused to let us in, then not a single one of your villagers would have been left alive."

The village chief’s pupils shrank, his whole body trembling.

T-That terrifying?

The village chief swallowed, then bowed to Qin Liuxi and said, "Thank you, Master, for saving us. If you don’t mind our coarse tea and plain food, please stay for dinner before you leave."

Qin Liuxi shook her head. "Once we’ve helped the Old Lady pass on, we’ll be leaving."

She thought for a moment, then took out two silver notes from her Qiankun Bag and handed them over. "Buy some grain and distribute it to the villagers."

The village chief froze, took them with trembling hands, then immediately knelt in front of her and kowtowed three loud times.

Teng Zhao and Su Ming together performed the rites to help Mrs. Wang, whose resentment lingered, pass on. Qin Liuxi sat outside, listening to Chengyangzi speak of the injustices they had suffered over the past half year.

Qin Liuxi had actually already learned of the Taoist Sect’s current situation from Teng Zhao and the others. She could see the shadow of the previous Emperor’s deliberate suppression of the Taoist Sect; to say there was no Saint’s hand in this—she wouldn’t believe it no matter what.

"He’s really a dog. When he wanted to cultivate for Changsheng, every word out of his mouth was ’Immortal,’ sparing no effort in flattering them, even wanting to build a cultivation Palace. But now he wants to suppress the Taoist Sect. Tsk, I wonder if that old face of his hurts."

Qin Liuxi’s fist clenched hard.

Chengyangzi coughed lightly and said, "There are also some Evil stirring the pot from the shadows. Two consecutive years without a good harvest; the common people naturally have grievances in their hearts, so they believe it easily."

Qin Liuxi said, "It’s been hard on you all."

Chengyangzi snapped, "Now that’s an insult to our kind. Saving the world and all living things has never been the duty of just one Cultivator or one temple, but something that people on the path of Cultivation must never ignore. If everyone only cherished their own life and feared death, then their Dao Heart would never advance."

"Don’t worry. He won’t be able to show off for much longer."

When Qin Liuxi said this, Chengyangzi met her gaze. He didn’t say anything.

They were both people who could read the stars, so they naturally understood what her words implied.

A gust of wind blew past, bringing a chill.

"The wind’s picking up," Chengyangzi exhaled.

Late autumn in the tenth month, and the wind had risen.

After parting ways with Chengyangzi and his disciple, Qin Liuxi took Teng Zhao and once again roamed all over Da Feng; they became frequent visitors of the Yin Road.

As long as they received word from Feng Xiu and Master Taicheng, she personally went to destroy those Stone Beasts. The evil spirit of the Divine Weapon grew heavier and its power greater and greater.

And its tacit understanding with Qin Liuxi deepened as well. Their unity of man and Divine Weapon made countless Evil shudder with fear.

In the twelfth month of winter, the Emperor Star dimmed and lost its light.

Qin Liuxi ended her travels and teachings, and sent Teng Zhao and the others back to Qingping Temple. Over this past half-year they had ferried many people and ghosts, gaining much merit and Power of Faith, each with their own harvest. Teng Zhao’s Daoist Skill and medical skills were already solid, and his cultivation had advanced steadily.

As for herself, she had completely drawn back her aura, like a Divine Weapon about to leave its sheath, gathering momentum.

"You are my disciple, and also the Junior Temple Master of Qingping Temple, the next temple master. If I’m no longer around, the matters of Qingping Temple will be decided and handled by you alone; guard the master. With the Emperor Star dark and about to fall, Da Feng will have an even harder year next year than this one. How to protect the Fire of Qingping Temple will depend on you. I’ve told you all this before, have you remembered it? Also, I’ve read your natal chart. You have only one disciple in your fate. In the future, if you become a master, you must remember what I taught you: those who betray my master, kill them without mercy!"

Teng Zhao frowned. "Where are you going?"

"I’m going back to the ruins of Qingping Sect to go into seclusion and refine array plate." Qin Liuxi did not hide it from him and said earnestly, "So, the glory of Qingping Temple will rely on you to continue it. Remember: Qingping Temple must burn the thickest incense and mold the shiniest golden statue."

Little Ginseng drooped listlessly, lifting its eyelids to glance at her, utterly dejected.

Teng Zhao’s face was cold and proud. "You’re just dumping everything and walking away."

"Nonsense, nothing of the sort." Qin Liuxi avoided his eyes. "The Emperor Star is about to fall; I’m just going ahead of time to watch the show."

Teng Zhao let out a cold laugh. Liar.

Seeing the disbelief written all over his face, Qin Liuxi thought that this formerly shut-in child had grown up; he was no longer easy to fool.

She had no choice but to look at Little Ginseng and say, "You stay with Zhaozhao. Good brothers don’t abandon each other."

Little Ginseng silently handed over a ginseng leg as thick as a thumb. "Didn’t you say you were going to do Alchemy? This is the best part."

Qin Liuxi took it, sensing that this ginseng leg still carried a bit of its ginseng essence. She parted her lips and said, "Cultivation well."

She turned and stepped into the Void, disappearing from sight.

As soon as she left, the two of them visibly wilted, looking just like little dogs abandoned by their owner, pitiful to the extreme.

The Golden Rat squeaked nonstop.

Little Ginseng said, "Let’s go back. It’s not that day yet anyway."

Teng Zhao pressed his lips together stubbornly. "I’m not going to listen to her."

What guarding the master—he wanted no part of that. Wherever she went, he would follow. When that day truly came, even if it meant being beaten to death, he’d still go.

"If you obey her openly but defy her in secret, aren’t you afraid she’ll expel you from the master?"

Teng Zhao’s face stayed cold. "When all living things are in peril, how can people on the path of Cultivation sit idly by? I am following my Dao Heart; that doesn’t count as betraying the master or defying my teacher."

Little Ginseng grinned. "What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing. When the time comes, we’ll rebel together."

Living long enough, dying once or twice is no big deal. A thousand years later, it’ll still be a fine ginseng!