Yun Ran’s longed-for, masterfully carved stone stele was hidden deep within the bamboo forest.
There were also several ancient cliffside murals nearby, but due to their age and the trees shrouding them, they were no longer clear.
She bowed three times to the Old Master Laozi Stele, then quickly cleared away some of the surrounding weeds. Seeing that it was getting late, Yun Ran retraced her steps.
When she reached the Lingguan Hall, Qingling happened to climb up as well. “Young Lady, I think I just saw the Cui Family’s Brother. Did you run into him?”
Yun Ran feigned ignorance. “Did you? I didn’t see him. Maybe he also came to the temple to offer incense.”
Qingling had only mentioned it in passing, and seeing that the Young Lady wasn’t interested, she didn’t bring it up again.
The mistress and her maid returned to the first floor’s Taiji Hall. Zhike Shixiong and the two sisters-in-law were already waiting in a side hall.
When the hour of Shen arrived, Zhike Shixiong led everyone to the Cangshu Pavilion behind the hall.
The ancient path to the Cangshu Pavilion was serene and secluded, a place of tranquility amid the bustle.
Seated at the desk within was Xuandu Temple’s abbot, Ziqing Daoist Master.
With white brows and a long beard, his purple robe billowed, and the curling blue smoke from the crane-shaped incense burners on either side lent him an aura of otherworldly wisdom and the presence of an immortal hermit.
“Master, these three are the honored guests from the Marquis of Changxin Manor.”
Zhike Shixiong introduced them in a low voice. When mentioning Yun Ran, he specifically added, “The Yun Family’s Young Lady once cultivated for many years at a Yangzhou Daoist temple and has remarkable comprehension.”
Receiving such praise from a fellow Daoist made Yun Ran beam with joy, though she kept her expression modest. “Not at all, Shixiong flatters me.”
Ziqing Daoist Master did not rise, only lifting his eyelids to cast a faint glance over the three ladies, finally letting his gaze settle on Yun Ran’s face. “Are you the one about to marry into the Jing Prince’s Manor?”
Yun Ran was taken aback, then straightened her robes and posture. “That is me.”
Ziqing Daoist Master asked, “Why have you come to see me?”
“To inform the Daoist Master,” Li Wanrong spoke up, “we came today to request some talismans for my younger sister to ward off evil—”
“Dashao Furen, this old Daoist is asking the Young Lady. Please let her answer herself.”
Ziqing Daoist Master calmly stopped Li Wanrong and nodded at Zhike Shixiong.
Zhike Shixiong immediately understood and stepped forward to Li Wanrong and Qian Sijin. “Since today’s visit is for the Young Lady, it’s best to let her speak directly with Master. Why don’t you two ladies step next door for a cup of fine tea?”
Li Wanrong and Qian Sijin exchanged a glance, then looked at Yun Ran.
Yun Ran smiled calmly. “Please go ahead, sisters-in-law. Once I’m done here, I’ll come find you.”
With her assurance, the two finally left with Zhike Shixiong.
Soon, only the old and the young remained in the ink-fragrant Cangshu Pavilion, making the place feel even more tranquil.
“Little Daoist friend, now that no one else is here, whatever you seek, feel free to speak plainly.”
“Senior, I only came today to have a look around and see the style of Changan’s foremost temple. I have no particular request.” Yun Ran rubbed her fingers somewhat sheepishly. “It was only after I got off the carriage at the gate that I learned my elders at home had arranged a meeting with you…”
Ziqing Daoist Master, “So you hadn’t planned to meet me.”
Yun Ran replied, “That’s not quite it. Since the meeting was arranged and I’m already here, it’s a blessing to be able to greet a senior.”
Seeing her candid and natural manner, utterly lacking the increasingly worldly air found in Changan’s temples nowadays, Ziqing Daoist Master’s half-closed eyelids slowly lifted, revealing a pair of old yet clear eyes that regarded this Young Lady of unusual background before him.
“Little Daoist friend, which temple in Yangzhou did you cultivate at, and who was your teacher?”
Yun Ran answered openly and honestly, giving her background.
She knew Shuiyue Temple was remote and obscure, and didn’t expect the famous purple-robed Daoist before her to know it.
Unexpectedly, after hearing her origins, Ziqing Daoist Master murmured, “So Shuiyue Temple still exists.”
Yun Ran’s ears pricked up at once. “Senior, you know our temple?”
Ziqing Daoist Master came back to himself and smiled. “I know it well. Your Shizu, Xie Miaozhen, once did me a great kindness.”
Xie Miaozhen, the first abbot of Shuiyue Temple, was the daughter of a wealthy merchant who became a nun after being widowed.
To Yun Ran, Shizu was as distant as a figure from a book. She never imagined that this senior before her had known her Shizu and even shared a connection.
Her face was full of curiosity, and Ziqing Daoist Master, harboring some fondness for this disciple of an old friend, said, “Come, sit by the window and let’s talk.”
Yun Ran eagerly walked to the window. Only after Ziqing Daoist Master took his seat did she respectfully sit down.
Unhurriedly, Ziqing Daoist Master recounted an incident from seventy years ago—
That year, he had just come down the mountain to travel. Passing near Yangzhou’s Taiping Mountain, he unfortunately caught an epidemic, became cold and hungry, and fainted at the Land God Temple.
It was Xie Miaozhen who, while gathering herbs, found him, gave him a bowl of medicinal soup and a bowl of brown rice porridge, helping him pull through that difficult time.
Because it was a women’s temple, he felt it inappropriate to visit in person to thank her, so he left a Shan Gui Coin at the gate as a token of gratitude.
“Never thought that after all these years, I would meet the disciple’s disciple of an old friend.”
The elderly Daoist, now in his twilight years, stroked his beard and looked at Yun Ran with deep feeling. “Have you ever seen that Shan Gui Coin at your temple?”
Yun Ran thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I haven’t seen it. Perhaps Shizu put it away, or it was lost, or maybe someone took it away…”
After all, it was an object from seventy years ago.
Ziqing Daoist Master hadn’t held out hope, and Yun Ran, curious, asked about Shizu Miaozhen’s appearance.
The old and young chatted back and forth, reminiscing about the past and discussing the present. After catching up, they spoke of the future—
“That Jing Prince has a fearsome reputation. Aren’t you truly afraid?” Ziqing Daoist Master raised his brows at her.
Yun Ran choked for a moment, then said, “I think he probably offended someone, or perhaps some wicked Daoist deliberately ruined his reputation. But—”
She suddenly changed her tone, smiling brightly at the elder before her. “If Senior here has any useful magical items, I wouldn’t mind taking some back with me.”
“You little rascal,” Ziqing Daoist Master chuckled, pointing at her wrist. “Aren’t you already wearing an excellent protective artifact? Why covet more?”
Yun Ran glanced at the Thunderstruck Jujube Prayer Beads on her wrist, agreeing wholeheartedly.
But, “Since I’m already here… Besides, Senior and my Shizu once met, so by that connection, I can call you Zushi Shu. Could you really bear to let me leave empty-handed?”
“You, you…” Ziqing Daoist Master laughed. “Fine, since you call me Zushi Shu, I’ll write a few Prayer Talismans for you. Keep them as protection, just in case.”
Yun Ran had only said it offhand, thinking it didn’t matter whether she got anything or not. She never expected to actually succeed!
“Then I thank you, Zushi Shu!”
There were ready-made Zhisha Huangfu in the study. Since he had agreed, Ziqing Daoist Master immediately picked up a brush to draw the talismans.
“As expected of a senior, your Prayer Talismans are superb,” Yun Ran watched without blinking. “The lines are smooth, the brushwork is powerful— these are truly fine pieces.”
No wonder, when she’d drawn talismans before, her Senior Sisters always teased her that her work looked like ghostly scribbles, and her Master would gently advise, “Bazi Mingli is enough for you to study. Leave talisman-drawing to your Senior Sisters.”
Truly, comparing goods can be shocking.
Once the talismans were finished, it was already late. Yun Ran thanked Ziqing Daoist Master, saying she would visit again when she had time, and left with a large pile of Prayer Talismans.
Watching his little grand-disciple leave so contentedly, Ziqing Daoist Master smiled and shook his head. But when he looked out the window at the thick, black rain clouds that had gathered, he raised his hand to calculate a bit, and his smile gradually faded.
Heavenly Lord of Boundless Life, may this little grand-disciple turn misfortune into blessing and have all go smoothly.
***
Before the heavy rain began, Yun Ran and her two sisters-in-law returned to the Marquis’s Mansion.
As soon as they stepped into the Listening Summer Pavilion, the sound of rain poured down outside.
Yun Ran turned to look at the dark sky, patting her chest in relief. “Thank goodness, thank goodness.”
If the Prayer Talismans had gotten soaked, that would have been a big loss!
“Young Lady is back. How was your outing today?”
Langui Mama lifted the curtain and came out, looking Yun Ran up and down.
Seeing that, aside from her slightly messy hair at the forehead, she was otherwise no different from when she left, Langui Mama was reassured. “Come inside and have some tea to rest.”
Yun Ran smiled and agreed. Once she was seated by the couch, she drank two cups of tea in quick succession, then had Qingling bring out the pastries she bought from Xuandu Temple.
“These are Xuandu Temple’s Zhaibing, made by grinding poria, hawthorn, astragalus, dried tangerine peel, and other herbs into powder, then kneading them with wheat flour into dough, and steaming them into cakes.”
Yun Ran smiled as she spoke to Langui Mama. “There’s also Rose Honey Filling inside, so when you bite into it, the rose fragrance fills your mouth. Not only does it taste good, but it’s also good for dispelling dampness, strengthening the spleen, and promoting circulation. Mama, you must try some.”
Langui Mama was touched. “How thoughtful of you, Young Lady, to remember this old servant even while out having fun.”
She took a piece and tasted it; it was indeed delicious.
Yun Ran took a piece as well, eating as she chatted with Mama about the lively sights at Xuandu Temple— though she skipped over the bamboo grove part, and the Prayer Talismans Ziqing Daoist Master drew for her.
On the way back, the two sisters-in-law had repeatedly reminded her to hide the Prayer Talismans well and not let Langui Mama find out.
Yun Ran naturally understood the importance of this. All those Prayer Talismans were hidden safely in her bosom.
That night, Yun Ran lay in bed, savoring the day.
The temple was fun to explore, the food was delicious, the scenery beautiful and the people kind, and she even got a pile of Prayer Talismans— truly a perfect day!
Just as that thought rose, an alluring and handsome face flashed unbidden through her mind.
Yun Ran’s upturned lips stiffened slightly.
She was the type to remember the good and forget the bad. If something bothered her, a couple of good meals would wipe it away.
But the encounter with that Green Snake Langui in the bamboo forest that afternoon kept replaying in her mind like a lantern reel.
She could recall every frown, every tone of voice, even the last look he gave her before he left.
That look was indifferent and calm, yet carried a meaning she couldn’t quite grasp.
Yun Ran tried to drive these memories from her mind—
Though he was very good-looking, his personality was cold and odd. Meeting him hardly counted as a pleasant experience.
People and things that aren’t good aren’t worth remembering; they should be cast out of memory.
Yet the harder she tried not to think about him, the more that man’s image lingered before her eyes.
In the end, Yun Ran simply sat up in bed, crossed her legs, and began reciting the Calming Mantra.
Whether it was the effect of the Calming Mantra or simply the fatigue of the day, she eventually drifted off to sleep in a daze.
It is said that each autumn rain brings a chill.
After that day at Xuandu Temple, it seemed even Longwangye was in a bad mood. The rain fell one after another, drizzling on and on without end.
It was inconvenient to go out on rainy days, and with the wedding day approaching, Yun Ran could only stay quietly in the manor, awaiting her marriage.
Earlier, the Changxin Marquis and Zheng Shi had wanted to hold a Washing Dust Banquet for Yun Ran, but after the imperial Granting Marriage, everyone in Changan knew about the Fifth Miss Yun of the Marquis of Changxin Manor.
The Washing Dust Banquet was quietly dropped and replaced with a Family Banquet, inviting only close relatives and friends to two tables.
Even so, the atmosphere at the banquet was somewhat heavy.
When everyone saw Yun Ran dressed up, there was more formality than intimacy, and a touch of indescribable pity and avoidance.
The next day, Third Sister-in-law quietly told Yun Ran, “After the banquet ended yesterday, Mother cried again.”
Yun Ran felt a sour ache in her heart and could only spend more time with Zheng Shi each day, using the Prayer Talismans from Ziqing Daoist Master as a talisman of reassurance, boasting endlessly about the power of the ancestral master and promising Zheng Shi that she would surely be safe and everything would go well.
As for how much Zheng Shi believed, that was beyond Yun Ran’s control.
When the last parasol leaf in the courtyard fell, it was already November.
The day before the Grand Wedding Date, Yun Family Erlang and his wife, who worked in Yuzhou, finally made it back.
As soon as they got off the carriage, they saw that the Marquis’s Mansion’s gates were spotless, with a pair of big red Hong Denglong lanterns, each pasted with a Propitious Character, hanging on either side.
The two majestic Shishi at the gate had red silk tied around their necks.
However, the gatekeepers looked listless and dispirited, showing none of the joy of an impending wedding.
Just as the couple were about to ask, the gatekeeper saw them and his eyes lit up at once.
He rushed inside, excitedly announcing the rare good news of recent months: “Erlang Jun and Ershaofuren have returned!”