Chapter 3: Daoist Master Qin, Incense Ash Water
Four people had appeared in the courtyard at some unknown time.
Two were dressed similarly to Li Xinze, another wore a Chinese jacket, and only one wore a long robe.
By age: one old, three young.
By height: three tall, one short.
The short one was so only because he was sitting in a wheelchair.
Xuan Xia’s line of sight swept over the four people once, then locked onto the one in the wheelchair.
Choosing to lock onto him had nothing to do with whether he was sitting in a wheelchair or not. Rather, this person’s appearance was the most handsome and otherworldly, and also because he had long hair tied into a bun on top of his head with a jade hairpin.
Just by image alone, he looked more professional than the other three, and more like a transcendent exiled immortal.
He looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a pair of clear, cold phoenix eyes.
When he looked over at people, it immediately gave the feeling of a treasure sword slashing through white plums, with snow perilously piled on the high pines of Hongya.
Xuan Xia met his gaze from afar, and in her heart, she was already certain that this was Daoist Master Qin, no mistake.
The next second, she heard him speak, “Sorry to keep Miss Xuan waiting.”
His voice was clear and gentle, giving the impression of a very good temper.
Xuan Xia couldn’t help but “tsk” in her heart; it was just a pity he had the surname Qin.
***
The entire backyard had only a few rooms, and the only spacious one available for entertaining guests was the kitchen with the dining table.
So Xuan Xia was invited into the kitchen and seated at the old-fashioned Eight Immortals table.
Before entering the kitchen, Xuan Xia had noticed that Daoist Master Qin had sent away the three young men, leaving only an elderly one to enter the kitchen with him.
Seeing how the three obeyed him without question, Xuan Xia secretly thought that those three wouldn’t all be his bodyguards, would they?
What kind of family background must this person have?
But he had become a Daoist priest, so did he still need bodyguards?
What did he need protection for? Could it be that he didn’t dare to sleep alone in the temple at night?
“Miss Xuan.” That clear voice pulled Xuan Xia’s wandering thoughts back.
Xuan Xia looked over at him.
“Please have some tea,” he said.
“?”
Xuan Xia glanced at the empty table; where was the tea?
The next second, one of the ones sent away earlier appeared carrying a wooden tray and handed a cup of tea to Xuan Xia and Lawyer Fang each.
Xuan Xia looked at her own cup, then at the glass cup handed to Lawyer Fang.
Was the temple so poor? They couldn’t even muster a matching set of cups for guests?
The one for serving her was a zisha cup with a steady, deep color, with something carved on the outer wall in cursive script.
She held it up and carefully made out the phrase “The human heart is naturally still, but desires disturb it.”
Just as she was about to set it down, she heard Daoist Master Qin speak again.
“Those who do not attain the true Dao have deluded minds; with deluded minds, they disturb their spirits… Troubled by delusions and fantasies, they torment body and mind. The true eternal Dao is attained by those who awaken to it; those who attain awakening to the Dao are constantly still and clear!”
“…”
Xuan Xia was stunned, and when she looked at him again, her gaze was a bit inscrutable.
“This is from Lord Laozi’s Scripture on Constant Stillness,” he explained.
She realized it; sure enough, the zisha cup was engraved with a passage from this scripture.
But why did it feel like he skipped the part on the cup and recited this latter section, as if pointing at her own concerns?
Was she overthinking it?
Xuan Xia held up the zisha cup and unconsciously took a sip.
The warm water entered her mouth, and Xuan Xia was stunned again; this water tasted subtly sweet, like pure mountain spring water.
After the warm water entered her stomach, her previously fatigued and stagnant thoughts suddenly cleared and refreshed, and her whole being felt enlightened.
This water was really too delicious.
However, Ningzhou’s terrain was almost completely flat with no mountains, not to mention this scenic area, which didn’t even have a dirt mound, so it probably wasn’t mountain spring water.
Xuan Xia pondered and took the initiative to praise, “This tea water is really delicious; the water has a bit of sweetness to it.”
Then she asked, “Is this tea brewed with well water?”
Lawyer Fang, upon hearing this, also took two sips of water.
It was indeed well water; there was a well in the backyard of Changsheng Temple, used for drinking normally.
But sweet? Lawyer Fang wondered blankly; could it be that he was used to it and felt nothing?
After Xuan Xia asked, she took two more sips; it really got better the more she drank.
“What kind of tea leaves are these?” It was called tea, but there was sediment at the bottom of the cup, yet no tea leaves visible.
When she had drunk about half a cup, Daoist Master Qin finally spoke leisurely, “It’s not tea leaves.”
“Then what is it?”
“Incense ash.”
“…”
“…”
Lawyer Fang and Xuan Xia had identical expressions; both were dumbfounded.
But Daoist Master Qin seemed not satisfied and added, “Lawyer Fang, yours is just plain warm water.”
“Oh… I see.” Lawyer Fang clearly let out a sigh of relief.
Thinking again, no wonder he hadn’t tasted anything odd; it turned out there were no additives.
But Xuan Xia was no longer calm.
Serving her incense ash water—what was the meaning of that?
Was this Daoist Master giving her a show of strength?
Xuan Xia furrowed her brows, about to express something, when she heard Daoist Master Qin speak again: “Mysterious Heaven righteous qi, essence of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. Three souls guarded, seven po at peace.”
“???”
Xuan Xia tensed up and hesitantly looked at Lawyer Fang.
She wanted to ask if Lawyer Fang had felt anything, but seeing Lawyer Fang’s reaction, she swallowed her words.
Her line of sight secretly turned back to Daoist Master Qin.
Looking at his otherworldly face like an exiled immortal, Xuan Xia felt a bit uneasy in her heart.
Why was this Daoist Master so mystical?
And those few phrases he just said were definitely a curse, right?
With curses coming out, incense ash water… what was that compared to it?
Most importantly, when he cast the curse, she really did feel something.
Xuan Xia pressed her lips together, not wanting to say anything.
But the elderly man who had been by Daoist Master Qin’s side spoke up with a smile to explain to Xuan Xia: “Miss Xuan, this is the Purification Curse. Looking at the dark circles under your eyes, you must not sleep much usually. Once this curse is recited, it guarantees Miss Xuan will have a good sleep tonight.”
Xuan Xia looked at him, unsure of his identity.
Fortunately, Lawyer Fang quickly introduced him: “This is Uncle Zhong. Uncle Zhong is the head chef of the temple; he personally handles the limited daily supply of plain noodles.”
Xuan Xia realized, “Hello, Uncle Zhong.”
Uncle Zhong smiled so widely his teeth were showing but eyes not, especially amiable, giving Xuan Xia a very good impression.
“Is that the effect of this curse?” Xuan Xia took the opportunity to ask: “Then this cup of tea water…”
“Expels evil and demons, calms the spirit and soothes the heart.”
This time, the otherworldly Daoist Master Qin gave the explanation.
“Oh…” Xuan Xia drew out the ending tone.
This one followed her great grandfather; he wouldn’t be extraordinary like her great grandfather, would he?
For some reason, she felt a bit guilty and panicky; what to do?
The room fell silent.
Before long, the other two who had left earlier also returned.
The two who returned were each holding things: one held several account books, the other a notebook computer and a storage box.
After entering, they first looked at Daoist Master Qin, then at his gestured signal, placed all the items on the table in front of Xuan Xia.
Daoist Master Qin spoke again, “These are the temple’s income and expenditure records from the past few years.”
“Miss Xuan can check the accounts.”
