Chapter 33

After returning to the Taoist temple, it was back to the routine of fetching water, washing clothes, meditating, and cultivating qi.

During this period, he bought rice once. When he went to the market, the people looked at him with a mix of respect. Several elders came up to greet him, probably because of the blood-stained snake incident or the news of his healing at the Liu residence had spread.

These peaceful days also had their troubles, such as the Hannyao grass, which had withered to just one leaf, the rest having turned into dead leaves.

Originally, nourished by the spiritual water, the Hannyao grass had gradually turned silver, resembling the ten-year-old Hannyao grass described in legends. However, Qin Xianyu was not short of money and did not pick it. But after his trip to the Liu residence, the other leaves of the Hannyao grass had withered, leaving only the top leaf.

This top leaf gradually turned golden.

"Could it be that taking away that mysterious small tripod caused this change?"

"According to the rules, the Hannyao grass needs to be cared for, but Wang Ji's family is poor, how could they have the means to care for a plant? Besides, he mentioned that this Hannyao grass is different and doesn't need care, which I thought was a joke at the time, but now it seems to be true."

Qin Xianyu buried the small tripod, known as the Ghost Suppressing Seal, back into the soil.

That night, the top leaf turned a golden yellow, as if made of gold.

Seeing this, Qin Xianyu was taken aback and smiled bitterly, deciding to let it grow on its own.

This phenomenon is like growing melons; to get good results, you need to prune the branches and reduce the number of fruits, so the remaining fruits can grow well. Otherwise, if all the fruits share the nutrients, they will grow poorly or even die.

Similarly, with the other leaves of the Hannyao grass withered, all the nutrients were concentrated in the top leaf, making it particularly special.

"Is this a hundred-year-old Hannyao grass?"

"Generally, Hannyao grass only lives for eight to nine years. A ten-year-old Hannyao grass is already rare, let alone a hundred-year-old one. If it really is a hundred-year-old Hannyao grass, it would be invaluable, with medicinal effects no less potent than a thousand-year-old ginseng or a Tianshan snow lotus. In terms of rarity, it would be even more precious."

"Since I don't need it for money, I'll let it be."

Qin Xianyu no longer paid attention, focusing on his daily routine of soaking jade pills in water, meditating, and practicing the sword technique from the Sword Dao True Understanding.

This peaceful life didn't last long before someone came to visit.

Opening the door, he saw several people outside, with an old man leading them, who bowed slightly. It was the steward of the Shangguan family.

The young Taoist was taken aback. He had been so engrossed in his cultivation and his visit to the Liu residence that he had almost forgotten the passage of time. Thinking about it, the old master of the Shangguan family's birthday was just a few days away.

"Long time no see, young master, you look even more handsome," the old steward smiled. "Today, I have been ordered to bring you a few items that will be useful for the birthday celebration."

With that, he waved his hand, and someone presented a set of white clothes, of excellent quality.

In addition to the long robe, there were white jade boots and a silk-wrapped belt.

Then another person brought a black inkstone with a hint of red, which glowed faintly.

The old steward bowed and said, "These are the clothes prepared for you. As for the inkstone, I am to ask the young master to present it to the old master as a birthday gift."

Qin Xianyu took the inkstone and examined it. Although he was not an expert, he knew it was not an ordinary item. He smiled and said, "The Shangguan family is indeed considerate. You've even prepared the gift for me, saving me the trouble. I wonder what this inkstone is called, so I can mention it when I present it. I can't just hand it over without saying anything, can I?"

The old steward smiled and said, "Young Master Qin is quite humorous. This inkstone was a gift from a noble in the capital, and it is not widely known, so you can present it at the banquet. As for the inkstone itself, according to the old master, it comes from Black Mountain. Black Mountain is known for its red silk inkstones, but this one is different. It is black with a hint of red, of rare quality, and has been intricately carved by a master. It is called the Crimson Dragon Inkstone."

The Crimson Dragon Inkstone, what a grand name. Qin Xianyu smiled and said, "I will accept it. When the birthday is near, come to pick me up."

The old steward nodded and bowed, "If that's the case, I will send someone to invite you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Qin Xianyu was slightly taken aback. He had been so engrossed in his cultivation that he had forgotten the exact date, only guessing it would be within a few days. Now, it was tomorrow, which seemed a bit rushed.

The old steward then left behind several sheets of paper, densely written with rules of etiquette and appropriate responses.

Qin Xianyu smiled to himself, "They're afraid I'll make a mistake and say something inappropriate. I don't have the time to read all this. I should be focusing on the challenges of cultivation and practice."

He put the papers in his pocket and nodded.

The old steward, not wanting to disturb him further, smiled and left with his people.

The servant who had been bought by the Chen family happened to be the last to leave. He discreetly threw a paper ball behind his back, which rolled to Qin Xianyu's feet.

The paper ball landed silently in front of Qin Xianyu.

After everyone left, Qin Xianyu picked up the paper ball.

The first line on the paper was a command to burn the papers from the Shangguan family and follow only the instructions on this paper. If he did not, it would be a mercy to let him die.

He continued reading, and the paper was filled with instructions on how to make a scene, how to show disrespect to the Shangguan family, how to break off the engagement, and how to embarrass the Shangguan family. In short, it urged him to use any means necessary to break off the engagement.

"Whether it's the Shangguan family or this so-called big shot, they both think they are superior."

Qin Xianyu sighed softly.

Although the Shangguan family sent a steward and several servants, no family members came. The so-called big shot, who had given him hundreds of silver, only sent a servant from the Shangguan family to deliver the message, never showing up himself.

Both families only sent word just before the birthday, seemingly forgetting about the young Taoist with the marriage contract, because they considered themselves superior and didn't really care about him.

They didn't think a young Taoist like him would have the courage to defy their wishes.

Qin Xianyu shook his head, took out the papers from his pocket, and crumpled them together with the one in his hand, throwing them into the stove.

"I was planning to practice drawing fire talismans, but it looks like I'll have to postpone that."

Suddenly, Qin Xianyu remembered that when the so-called big shot sent him hundreds of silver, he also included something else.

The Shangguan family's servant had tried to keep it for himself.

This thing looked strange, and he didn't know its origin.

"This so-called big shot is not a good person. He could easily buy off a young Taoist with hundreds of silver, but what is the purpose of this additional item? The Shangguan family's servant tried to keep it, so it must be valuable, but... what is it?"

"I have a feeling... it's a hot potato."

PS: Cutesy roll for favorites and recommendations...