Not long after Elder Li left, Father and Mother Shen were still quite happy. They went out for a stroll, and they told everyone they met about Shen Lingxi being chosen as a Holy Maiden Candidate. The neighbors were very supportive, each offering their blessings with smiles on their faces.
However, after only one day, Father and Mother Shen were filled with worry.
Shen Lingxi didn’t understand why, so she leaned on the table and asked, “Father, Mother, what’s wrong? Why do you look so unhappy?”
Father Shen looked at the young Shen Lingxi and let out a long sigh. After a long silence, he actually raised his hand and slapped his own face.
Slap!
It was crisp and loud.
Shen Lingxi didn’t understand why her father did such a thing, and she couldn’t help but widen her large, watery eyes.
Mother Shen was also shocked, standing frozen in place.
While the two were in shock, Father Shen raised his palm again, intending to slap himself a second time. However, this time, Shen Lingxi stopped him.
She clung tightly to Father Shen’s arm, so anxious that tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes. “Father, what are you doing? Why are you slapping yourself! Lingxi doesn’t want to see Father like this. Please don’t do this, don’t do this, wah…”
Seeing the crying Shen Lingxi, Father Shen seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. For a moment, he appeared to have aged decades.
Sigh.
Father Shen let out a long sigh and gently stroked Shen Lingxi’s small hand. When his weathered eyes looked at her, they were filled with nothing but tenderness, along with a hint of chagrin and regret. “Lingxi, Father has failed you. I didn’t think it would be like this. I’m sorry, Lingxi.”
As he spoke, Father Shen couldn’t help but choke up.
He hadn’t cried when his stomach was empty; he hadn’t cried when begging on the streets; and he hadn’t cried when enduring the cold glares of others. Only when facing this matter could he not hold back his tears.
Shen Lingxi looked at her father, who was choking back tears, and said anxiously, “Father, you haven’t failed Lingxi at all. Aren’t I perfectly fine?”
Father Shen sighed again and patted Shen Lingxi’s little head. “I shouldn’t have agreed to Elder Li and let you go be some Holy Maiden Candidate. Father was wrong.”
“Father, you were so happy yesterday. You said our daughter was so successful at such a young age, and you kept bragging to the neighbors. What happened today, Father?” Shen Lingxi tilted her little head, sounding extremely confused.
“This morning, your mother and I went to the morning market. We wanted to buy some meat to have a nice meal and fill Lingxi’s belly. On the way back, we ran into the Landlord Master.”
“The Landlord Master?” Shen Lingxi wrinkled her nose upon hearing this.
Her impression of the Landlord Master wasn’t very good because he had a sharp, mean face and a handlebar mustache. He was also very caustic when he spoke.
“Father, don’t be afraid. Once I become the Saintess, I’ll teach the Landlord Master a lesson for bullying you.” As she spoke, Shen Lingxi even pumped her little fists.
Father Shen gave a bitter smile and shook his head, explaining, “The Landlord Master didn’t actually bully me. Don’t look at him that way; he’s actually a good person.”
“Hmph, only an honest man like Father would say he’s good. The neighbors all say he’s sharp-tongued, mean, and stingy.” Shen Lingxi puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
Father Shen just smiled and didn’t argue. Instead, he said, “The Landlord Master said that your family isn’t the only one with a Holy Maiden Candidate. Moreover, whether you can survive or not is another matter entirely.”
“Father, he just can’t stand to see our family doing well,” Shen Lingxi argued angrily.
Father Shen continued, “Afterward, I went to find the School Teacher in the village. He said the same thing. Those young children who become Holy Maiden Candidates go into Saintess Mountain and, within one week, all news of them vanishes. It’s said they are taken by a certain Elder for Refining Medicine.”
He tried his best to remain calm, but by the end, his voice couldn’t help but choke up again.
Although the village School Teacher was only a Xiucai, he was knowledgeable and well-informed. There was a 90% chance his words were true. The villagers always consulted him whenever something happened.
Upon hearing that even the School Teacher said such things, Shen Lingxi momentarily lost her spirit. But then she thought of Elder Li, and her energy returned.
“That… That’s all nonsense, just rumors,” Shen Lingxi countered. “Father, think about Elder Li. He was so polite and well-mannered when he spoke. No matter how you look at him, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
Father Shen thought about it, and his expression softened considerably. “The School Teacher also said it was just hearsay and couldn’t be taken as fact.”
“Exactly. Elder Li’s status is so noble. Not only did he condescend to visit our humble home, but he also didn’t look down on our family’s tea. He wouldn’t lie to us.”
Father Shen stroked Shen Lingxi’s head, feeling much better. “Perhaps I was just worrying over nothing.”
***
A few days later, Elder Li arrived as scheduled, with people carrying an Eight-person Sedan Chair. Behind them followed a group of musicians, making it a very lively scene. This drew all the neighbors out to watch the excitement. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought the Shen family was marrying off a daughter.
Seeing such a display, Father Shen’s previous worries were swept away, replaced by a face full of joy. Indeed, how could Elder Li be a bad person? It was even less likely that he would assist a villain in doing evil.
After Father Shen happily sent Shen Lingxi onto the Eight-person Sedan Chair, at the last moment, he specially handed Elder Li a large bundle.
“Elder Li, these are some pastries our family made. You can give them to the other disciples to eat on the way. They’re very delicious.”
“Oh, you… this is too kind. However, since you’ve gone to the trouble, I shall accept them.” Elder Li gave a polite refusal at first but eventually accepted them. Then, he called over a disciple and emphasized repeatedly for him to keep the pastries safe and distribute them when everyone got hungry on the way.
The disciple took the order and withdrew.
Seeing this scene, Father Shen became even more certain that his previous fears were baseless. He even began to agree with Shen Lingxi’s assessment of the Landlord Master — that he simply couldn’t stand to see their family doing well.
Seeing that Elder Li had accepted the gift, Father Shen hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously, “Elder Li, after our Lingxi becomes the Saintess, when can she come back for a visit?”
“Since she is the Saintess, she can return whenever she likes. In our Saintess Mountain, the Saintess is supreme. No one will restrict her,” Elder Li explained.
Hearing this, Father Shen’s courage grew, though he was still a bit timid. “Then… then when I’m free, would I also be able to visit our Lingxi?”
Elder Li laughed and said, “What are you talking about? Whether you can or not? Do you even need to ask? Of course you can. You are the father of the Saintess!”
Having received Elder Li’s answer, Father Shen’s heart was completely at ease, and a sincere smile finally appeared on his face.