Liusu smiled when Qin Yi fell silent. “What happened this time really was very interesting, and even someone as advanced as Minghe might learn a thing or two from it not to mention you, who has been very deeply involved. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If he insists on cultivating, teach him. Nanli is only a halfway house of your journey, so don’t get too invested.”
Qin Yi sighed, “Is there nothing you can do about this curse?”
“Maybe I could if I were at my best, but as I am now, forget about it,” Liusu said. “But all of you are too distraught to realize one important thing. As an onlooker, Minghe has a much clearer view of the whole picture. She’s an interesting person. Although she’s been saying that you don’t act like a cultivator, she’s as conflicted as you are and is already trying to help you.”
Qin Yi was surprised and only then did he realize that Minghe was still underground.
He immediately saw the light. “That’s right. Donghuazi must have records of the witchcraft he used where he cultivated!”
Qin Yi ran back inside and immediately saw that a small door was open next to where Donghuazi was killed. Walking in, he saw Minghe standing there with her hands behind her back and frowning at a bookshelf.
Qin Yi asked expectantly, “My friend, did you find anything?”
“They’re all Taoist scriptures and records of skills and formations,” Minghe said. “A lot of them belong to different systems, and mixing them up can get one killed… Donghuazi only collected them, but he didn’t know much about them.”
Qin Yi couldn’t care less about Donghuazi’s well-being. “So, no witchcraft here?”
“There is, but there’s no solution.” Minghe handed him a scroll and said, “I think you should look at this. Maybe it’ll help you.”
Qin Yi unfolded it to find illustrations of Taoist manuals inside, which seemed to be records of this curse.
The paper didn’t look ancient and was probably only a few years old. Donghuazi could’ve transcribed it himself. But Qin Yi knew why Minghe thought he should have a look, because the shape of the lines, the style of the patterns, and the little captions on the side all gave him a familiar feeling.
They reminded him of Liusu.
Taking the paper, he moved closer to the door as though he was trying to get some light. In fact, he was only trying to get away from Minghe to let Liusu speak.
“That’s really the style of my time, and people nowadays might see it as ancient witchcraft. I wonder where Donghuazi found it.” Liusu indeed started talking. “But it only records the spell without the counterspell. I can’t make backward deductions.”
“Could we find a counterspell if we found someone who knows witchcraft?”
“Probably not. Only the most capable masters can do that by looking at the curse alone. Where are we supposed to find one of those?” Liusu said. “But this is only an incomplete section of a book, and there has to be an entire system. If we can find the whole thing, we’ll be able to find the solution there.”
Qin Yi then relayed the same to Minghe. Minghe pondered it for a moment and sighed. “Perhaps I should send a letter to my sect. Someone there might be able to solve it.”
She hesitantly took out a paper crane, put the illustration on it, and waved her hand. The paper crane immediately turned into a streak of light and disappeared. She shook her head after that and said, “Please don’t place high hopes on this. If no one in my sect can or is willing to do it, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Qin Yi bowed. “I’m already very grateful.”
Minghe studied him with her pretty eyes and suddenly smiled. “You were the one who told me to be an onlooker and enjoy the show, but you’re also the one dragging me into the show. But why are you always so self-righteous?”
“Well…” Qin Yi didn’t know how to reply.
What’s so strange about that? Everyone can switch freely between different principles according to their emotional tendencies. If you’ve seen arguments on Twitter or any forums, you wouldn’t feel so confused. My friend, you still have a lot to learn in this world, Qin Yi thought.
Minghe said, “It’ll take a while before my sect replies. My friend, can I go study your sword formation now?”
Qin Yi made a welcoming gesture. “Fairy, you can stay as long as you want.”
Minghe found his switching back and forth between “my friend” and “fairy” rather irritating. Somehow, most people only addressed her as “fairy” when they wanted to show respect, but with Qin Yi, there was a teasing tone that she couldn’t quite pinpoint.
…
They went back to the crown prince’s residence to find Night Wing sitting on the stairs with her arms wrapped around her knee. She looked up, saw Minghe behind Qin Yi, and immediately buried her head between her knees. Her wings skillfully turned back up and wrapped tightly around her head.
She kept asking in her head what that savage woman was doing here and hoped Qin Yi would soon talk her into leaving.
She then heard Qin Yi saying, “Minghe will be living with us for a few days.”
With a thump, Night Wing rolled down the stairs like a ball.
Qin Yi picked her up and asked, “Where’s Qingjun?”
Still holding her head, Night Wing looked timidly at Minghe and answered, “S- She’s inside with her sister-in-law. The crown prince’s wife seemed to have been frightened by the two demons.”
Qin Yi scratched his head and remembered that Li Qingjun had mentioned before that her brother had quite a collection of concubines. However, Qin Yi had been living here in the residence for a while by now but he hadn’t even met the wife. He didn’t know if Li Qinglin had any children, let alone other women.
In this era, someone in their twenties like Li Qinglin should’ve become a parent already, but Qin Yi had never heard him mention any children. That man never cared about household affairs, nor did he talk about such “boring” things with other people.
Qin Yi didn’t know what to think of it. That behavior should be considered quite heartless, but compared to modern family gatherings when all relatives talked about marriage and children, he seemed to prefer Li Qinglin more.
Speaking of which, if Li Qinglin already had children, he only had to wait a few more years until they were old enough to take over, and the kingdom could still follow the path as he had planned.
Turning around, Qin Yi saw that Night Wing was still stealing glances at Minghe from behind him. Amused, he pulled her out and said, “Minghe won’t hit you anymore. Don’t be nervous.”
“R- Really?”
Minghe suddenly said, “I can’t say for sure.”
Night Wing jumped to her feet and ran off, her legs moving so fast that they looked like spinning wheels.
Qin Yi sighed. “Did you have to frighten a child?”
“If you really think she’s a lively child, then you’re naive,” Minghe said indifferently. “Plus, she’s twelve already, and many influential men have pregnant wives of her age. Are you still going to call her a child?”
“Gross! You…”
Minghe ignored him. After that, she went straight into his backyard to study the sword formation.
Qin Yi wanted to follow her but he saw Li Qingjun returning, looking rather haggard, so he hastily walked up to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Has something happened to my brother?” Li Qingjun looked up at him. “He sounded decades older when he came back and threw a tantrum at my sister-in-law as soon as she asked him about it.”
Qin Yi asked tentatively, “The child wasn’t frightened by the demons, right?”
“No,” Li Qingjun said, “The girl is so little that she doesn’t understand yet.”
“A girl…” Qin Yi was dumbfounded.
Li Qingjun said, “Something must’ve happened, so stop trying to keep it from me. He’s my dearest brother, and you’re the man I’m in love with. Why won’t you tell me anything? Am I that untrustworthy?!”
Her voice grew louder until she lost her temper.
Holding her gently, Qin Yi tried to calm her down. “I’m sorry about before… I just don’t want the two of you to turn against each other.”
“What about now?” Li Qingjun struggled out of his arms and asked angrily, “What’s going on now?”
After a moment of silence, Qin Yi asked quietly, “If I told you that Brother Qinglin isn’t going to be the king, what would you do?”
Li Qingjun’s stomach lurched, and she looked into Qin Yi’s eyes.
After a long moment, she said slowly, “Are you telling me that my brother is going to die?”
Before Qin Yi could answer, she went on: “If my brother dies, I’ll take the throne and give it to the child when she grows up.”
Liusu heaved a deep sigh.
Out of the three people who walked out of the village together…
One had refused to cultivate but had started now.
One didn’t believe in immortals until now.
And the one who wanted to cultivate and travel freely between heaven and earth might be trapped in the capital city from now on.
Minghe stood by the sword formation in the backyard but she was watching the way Qin Yi and Li Qingjun stood there through the doorway. She was lost in her thoughts.