Chapter 43: The Daoist’s ‘Alms’ and a Miraculous Display

The swaying carriage finally came to a halt.

From outside the carriage, Master Qian’s voice, tinged with a hint of flattery, resonated at just the right moment.

“Two lady heroes, Wangyue Town has arrived.”

Lu Hongzhuang, whose sleep had been light amidst the constant jolting, slowly stirred awake at the sound.

She rubbed her eyes, then gently nudged Su Qinghan, who was leaning against a soft cushion, sleeping soundly beside her.

Su Qinghan, roused by the push, lazily opened her eyes and let out a long yawn, her entire being exuding the languor of someone not quite awake.

“It’s already late, and most inns in town are likely full,” Master Qian’s voice continued from outside.

“If you two don’t mind, why not stay at my humble abode for the night? This old man would be honored to prepare a modest meal as a token of my gratitude.”

“Master Qian, there’s no need…”

Lu Hongzhuang, without a second thought, was about to refuse; having already accepted a free ride, she felt it improper to impose further.

Before she could finish her sentence, a soft, cool hand suddenly reached out, gently pinching her lips and forcing her to swallow the latter half of her words.

Su Qinghan, facing the carriage window, spoke clearly, though her voice still carried the lingering traces of sleep.

“Then we shall trouble you, Shopkeeper Qian. May your wealth flow abundantly and your blessings be boundless.”

Upon hearing this, Master Qian immediately beamed with joy, repeatedly assenting: “It’s my pleasure, my pleasure! You are too kind, lady hero!”

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Master Qian’s subordinates deftly moved the specially made four-wheeled chair from among the goods, placing it steadily on the ground.

Lu Hongzhuang glared at Su Qinghan, but seeing her utterly unapologetic expression, she could only resign herself.

She bent down and, with practiced ease, lifted Su Qinghan horizontally from the carriage, the light weight barely registering as a burden.

As she carefully settled Su Qinghan into the wheelchair, she finally couldn’t help but complain, lowering her voice and leaning close to Su Qinghan’s ear.

“We already hitched a ride with them, how can we possibly impose further by eating and staying for free?”

Su Qinghan leaned back in the chair, adjusting to a comfortable position, then weakly lifted her eyelids and retorted.

“Do you have any silver?”

Lu Hongzhuang instinctively reached for the already deflated money pouch at her waist, then honestly shook her head.

“There you have it.”

A ‘teachable student’ expression appeared on Su Qinghan’s face as she slowly declared.

“I, your Daoist master, am teaching you the unique secret to not starving to death when traveling.”

Lu Hongzhuang was left speechless by this twisted logic, ultimately letting out a soft hum and pushing the wheelchair to follow Master Qian and his entourage.

“‘Twisted logic.'”

****

Master Qian’s residence in Wangyue Town was indeed grand, an imposing mansion with numerous servants.

A banquet was quickly prepared, the table laden with an array of delicacies from land and sea.

Master Qian himself raised his cup, his face flushed with joy as he addressed Lu Hongzhuang.

“Today, thanks to Lady Lu’s timely assistance, my old bones and my precious daughter would surely have met our end in the jaws of those wolves!”

At his toast, Lu Hongzhuang’s cheeks flushed with heat.

The wolves, after all, had been conjured by Su Qinghan using illusion and paper arts, and this profuse gratitude made her feel utterly uncomfortable.

She stood there awkwardly, holding her wine cup, unsure whether to drink or not.

A hand reached out, taking the wine cup from Lu Hongzhuang’s hand and replacing it with a cup of clear tea.

Su Qinghan raised the teacup, making a distant gesture of respect towards Master Qian, her expression serene.

“It is by your boundless good fortune that you happened to encounter us passing by.”

She took a sip of tea, then, changing the subject, spoke in a quiet voice that nonetheless carried clearly to everyone present.

“Actually, my friend’s methods are, after all, a bit crude. I, however, possess some minor techniques that could help Master Qian further his prosperity and ensure an abundance of wealth.”

Master Qian’s eyes instantly lit up, and his body involuntarily leaned forward, though still with a merchant’s shrewdness and hesitation.

“Oh? And… what remuneration would this method of yours require, lady hero?”

“Oh, talking about money is so vulgar.”

Su Qinghan waved her hand dismissively, adopting the air of an otherworldly master.

“It’s all a matter of fate. Master Qian only needs to prepare a few small items for me.”

She paused, then recited a list.

“Plenty of yellow paper talismans; one dou of premium glutinous rice; a bundle of white candles; and a box of cinnabar.”

Lu Hongzhuang’s eyelids twitched as she listened, and she tugged at Su Qinghan’s sleeve, leaning close to her ear and lowering her voice to a whisper.

“What trick are you up to now?”

“Our talisman-drawing materials are almost depleted,” Su Qinghan replied, without turning her head, her tone righteous.

“This isn’t deception; this is ‘seeking alms,’ understand?”

Over there, Master Qian, having heard the list, was overjoyed.

He twirled his small mustache and quickly instructed a young man who looked like a steward.

“Xiao Li, hurry! Prepare everything exactly as this lady hero has specified, not a single item missing!”

The young man named Xiao Li, who was holding a wine pot, had his eyes fixed on Master Qian’s beloved daughter, who was chatting and laughing with a maid not far away.

He was utterly captivated, completely oblivious to his master’s instructions.

It wasn’t until a nearby guard, unable to bear it any longer, lightly kicked his calf that he snapped back to attention with a jolt.

“Ah? Master, what is it?”

Master Qian, exasperated, repeated the list of items to be prepared, his tone impatient.

Only then did Xiao Li awaken as if from a dream, nodding repeatedly and blushing as he hurried off to make the preparations.

****

Before long, a large square table had been set up in the center of the courtyard.

Lu Hongzhuang pushed Su Qinghan to the table.

Su Qinghan retrieved her treasured, half-foot-long peach wood sword from her precious bundle.

With a flick of her wrist, the peach wood sword executed a graceful flourish in the air, its tip precisely piercing the bowl filled with premium glutinous rice.

It picked up exactly three glistening, translucent grains of rice, no more, no less.

Immediately after, she arranged three thick white candles on the table in a ‘pin’ character shape, symbolizing the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

Master Qian and his family and guards gathered not far away, watching with curiosity.

Su Qinghan extended two fingers and lightly pinched the three grains of glutinous rice on the peach wood sword.

An incredible scene unfolded.

The three grains of rice spontaneously ignited, without a flame, suddenly emitting three faint blue sparks!

With another flick of her wrist, Su Qinghan’s peach wood sword traced three elegant arcs in the air, and the three sparks from the sword tip landed with perfect precision on the wicks of the three candles.

“Whoosh,” went the sound, as three bright flames instantly flared up.

“Excellent!”

Master Qian’s eyes widened, and he instinctively clapped his hands in praise.

Madam Qian, beside him, couldn’t help but pinch him, muttering softly: “Do you even understand what’s happening?”

Master Qian’s old face flushed, and he stiffened his neck, shaking his head righteously: “No, I don’t, but it feels incredibly powerful!”

Su Qinghan paid no heed to the surrounding chatter.

Her expression solemn, she began to chant under her breath.

“Three lamps brightly shine, three scenes brightly clear.

Above, they illuminate the three heavens; below, they connect to the nine underworlds.

Heaven is pure, Earth is tranquil, humans and spirits all listen.

I now respectfully invite the three powers to manifest.

As urgent as the law and command!”

As she recited, the flames of the three candles abruptly shot up more than half a foot high, their light casting flickering shadows across her pale face.

She pointed her peach wood sword towards the thick stack of yellow talismans at the corner of the table, and softly commanded.

“Rise!”

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—

Dozens of yellow talismans, as if pulled by invisible threads, defied gravity and flew up on their own, circling and dancing above her head, quickly forming several slowly rotating layers of a talisman array.

This was not all!

Su Qinghan pressed her left hand into a sword-finger gesture, dipped it lightly into the cinnabar box, then raised her hand and began drawing in the air!

With each stroke and dot of her fingers, vibrant red cinnabar marks simultaneously appeared on the dozens of yellow talismans swirling in the air!

Flowing like clouds and water, executed in a single breath!

The entire courtyard fell silent, everyone stunned by the miraculous display before their eyes.

Madam Qian watched with a pounding heart, secretly tugging at her husband’s sleeve, her voice filled with unease.

“Husband, isn’t this… isn’t this one of those mystic trickery schemes strictly forbidden by the authorities? What if…”

“What do you, a mere woman, know!”

Master Qian glared at her, his voice kept low but brimming with confidence.

“Look at this display; could an ordinary charlatan pull something like this off? Besides, has the lady hero asked me for a single copper coin from beginning to end?”

He puffed out his chest, wearing an expression that said, ‘I’m a shrewd man, you know.’

“Would I not know in my heart if I was being deceived?”

In the air, the final talisman stroke descended.

Dozens of yellow talismans, now adorned with profound symbols, rotated slowly in the air as if imbued with life, emitting a faint spiritual glow.

Su Qinghan retracted her sword-finger, exhaling a breath of stale air, her complexion appearing even paler.

She looked up at the talismans dancing in the sky, her face devoid of emotion.

With a wave of her peach wood sword, the talismans flew out evenly, adhering to each pillar in the small courtyard, forming a rhythmic talisman array.

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