Chapter 499: Chapter 491: I Also Have Times When Disciples Filially Attend to Me till Death
With nothing pressing during the new year, Qin Liuxi, temporarily crippled, watched the spiritual energy of the Si family ancestral land revive. She decided to stay there for some time with Teng Zhao to seize the opportunity for cultivation. Teng Zhao recited various Taoist scripture mantras each day, practicing Taoism. Perhaps because of the rich spiritual energy of this place, his Taoism progressed by leaps and bounds. He could already draw protective amulets, fighting talismans, and evil exorcism talismans, and was precise in identifying human meridian points.
As for Qin Liuxi herself, after sending the Qinglan Temple Master back with Feng Xiu, she spent her days as though disabled. Apart from instructing her little disciple and occasionally exchanging knowledge of Taoism and witchcraft with Si Lengyue, she simply enjoyed eating and drinking, without getting involved in any affairs.
Si Lengyue, who had received the legacy, was indeed talented; it was uncertain whether it was due to her being of witch lineage, but she showed great aptitude and talent in practicing witchcraft and learned very quickly.
The Si family had not practiced witchcraft for fifty years, but that did not mean the ancient witchcraft scriptures and magic artifacts had vanished. Instead, they were sealed in a true secret place, waiting for the day to reemerge into the light of time.
Now, they had found their master.
After the Old Clan Chief solemnly handed over everything of the secret place to Si Lengyue, he fell.
Qin Liuxi checked his pulse, and under the hopeful gazes of Si Lengyue and Wu Qi, she shook her head.
Si Lengyue’s heart sank as she pursed her lips.
“Old Clan Chief was already advanced in years. What sustained him these years was the Si Family’s obsession with breaking the blood curse, and perhaps also the protective soul thought imprinted by the Holy Daughter from that time, which allowed him to reach the age of a hundred,” Qin Liuxi said. “Now that the blood curse has been lifted, his obsession has faded, and he has no regrets left, while the last vestige of the Holy Daughter’s concern has also vanished when she passed the legacy to you. There’s nothing left to support him now.”
When a person gets old, it’s time to go when it’s time to go.
Si Lengyue showed sorrow and said, “I understand.”
She did not insist on Qin Liuxi to keep the Old Clan Chief because she knew this old man had dedicated his life to the Si family.
“Family Head.” The Old Clan Chief suddenly opened his eyes.
Everyone looked at him, seeing him spirited and sitting up from the bed.
The final radiance before death.
This thought surfaced in everyone’s minds, filling them with even deeper sadness, yet they all gathered around.
Qin Liuxi did not approach. Instead, she asked Feng Xiu to take her outside.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death— although she did not become particularly sad like others, she disliked watching these scenes of parting.
“We’ll go back after offering incense tomorrow,” Qin Liuxi said.
Feng Xiu replied eagerly.
He had wanted to leave long ago—every day, guarding against Si Lengyue was suffocating for him. Coincidentally, Qin Liuxi’s legs were disabled, and there were some tasks that men could not conveniently help with, like using the bathroom, bathing, and dressing—intimate matters that Si Lengyue personally assisted with.
Every time it happened, Feng Xiu hated that he wasn’t a woman.
Snowflakes descended from the sky, while cries echoed from inside the house.
The Si family’s Old Clan Chief passed away at the age of a hundred, without any attachments left.
The following day, Qin Liuxi offered a stick of incense in front of the Old Clan Chief’s spirit tablet and bid farewell to Si Lengyue.
Si Lengyue was reluctant to let go, but she also knew she couldn’t keep Qin Liuxi forever. They could be good friends, but everyone had their own paths to walk and needed to grow, especially herself. Blessed with talent, she was just at the starting point. There was much she needed to learn, not only practicing witchcraft but also managing the Si Family affairs. She would be very busy.
“Little Xi, I’m afraid it might be a while before I see you again,” Si Lengyue said.
Qin Liuxi smiled brightly, “Why talk about meeting as if it’s a difficulty? We can simply take a road to find each other. Ayue, the affairs of love have never suited you or me. You carry a burden no lighter than mine, perhaps even heavier. Just do what you must, and if I really miss you, I’ll come find you for a drink or two.”
Si Lengyue nodded with a smile, “I’ll send someone to deliver the jade to your shop later.”
“Then I won’t be polite with you.”
Si Lengyue then handed her a token, “This is my token. With it, you can make use of any Si family property. You know our family emblem, right? Every Si family property will have such an emblem marked on it.”
“Ayue…”
“If you consider me a sister, don’t refuse,” Si Lengyue said. “I know with your ability, you probably wouldn’t want to use it since you might have many tokens like this. But if there really is a need, don’t be polite with me. Little Xi, this is my sincerity.”
Qin Liuxi accepted the token engraved with the Si Witch Clan’s emblem and said with a smile, “Alright then, I’ll hold onto it.”
Feng Xiu looked at them sideways, casually averting his gaze. All these flirting tricks, I’ve played them before, hmph.
With all said and done, Qin Liuxi bid farewell to Si Lengyue and vanished from her sight with Teng Zhao and Feng Xiu.
Si Lengyue watched them disappear, pursed her lips, and let out a long breath. Her warm expression faded, returning to that cool and steady young lady. Qin Liuxi was right; her path was long, there was much to learn, and her time was never meant for romantic entanglements.
She must strive to be a passable comrade.
Qin Liuxi was not able to move easily, so she went straight back to the Qin Mansion’s side yard. Seeing her feet crippled, Qi Huang, although distressed, could only sigh helplessly.
If their Family Head feared heavenly punishment, she would not have continued to stay within the Mystic Sect, renounce secular life early, and never touch Mystical Techniques again, ensuring peace and safety.
Little Ginseng Spirit, seeing Qin Liuxi’s legs crippled, generously offered a ginseng whisker to help her recover.
And Wang Chuan couldn’t stop crying.
Qin Liuxi was away too long this time, and she had missed her dearly. Moreover, Qin Liuxi’s immobility had filled the young girl with worry and panic.
Qin Liuxi held her in her arms and coaxed her, “After the new year, and you’ll be six years old. From then on, I’ll take you with me when I go out. But you’ve seen it; people of the Mystic Sect practice the Xuanmen Five Skills, defy nature to change fate, and interfere with life and death. Should you do such things, heavenly punishment is inevitable. Think it over, whether you want to continue down the path and practice Taoism. Even if you renounce it, your master will still invite reputable teachers to guide you in learning, and you won’t be short of spending money. After all, once a master, always a father.”
Seeing Teng Zhao ready to reply without a second thought, she added, “Not all heavenly punishments are temporary. Severe heavenly punishment can be life for life, or be crippling, the lifelong kind, irrevocable.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Teng Zhao replied sternly, “Once in the Daoist School, never regret. I’m not afraid of any heavenly punishment. Plus, when you die, I will also see to your final rites and continue the legacy.”
Qin Liuxi: “…”
Goodness me, your filial piety is about to kill me!
Master Chi Yuan: You have met your match today!
Wang Chuan also naively said, “I will be filial to Master with my senior brother.”
Qin Liuxi touched her head and looked into her clear and pure eyes, saying, “Then you must strengthen your Dao Heart and not let your master down.”
“Okay.”