Chapter 57: The Prince Anqing’s Residence
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Gazing upon such a sacred Buddhist treasure and listening to the Living Buddha’s earnest teachings, the shopkeeper was so moved that he immediately knelt before Du Yuan, repeatedly bowing his head and saying, “Thank you, Living Buddha, for your compassion! Thank you for your mercy!”
Du Yuan hurriedly helped him up and said, “My actions are merely a means of accumulating virtue for myself; it’s just a fortunate coincidence that benefits both the people and myself. There’s no need for you to be so overwhelmed.”
Yet the shopkeeper grew even more deeply touched. A high monk of such spiritual attainment, the Living Buddha himself, had gone so far as to say he came for the sake of this little bit of virtue, simply to console a humble commoner like him!
It was just a porcelain bowl touched by the Buddha’s light, capable of killing three malevolent spirits from a distance. Even if he didn’t understand cultivation, he should realize that such power required no such measures!
Clearly, this was the merciful Living Buddha seeking to soothe a mere commoner like himself.
“Living Buddha! To behold your true visage is truly a blessing for three lifetimes!” With that, the shopkeeper broke down in tears.
Du Yuan could only sigh helplessly.
‘Sigh, well, this is going off track...’
She inwardly sighed but then thought, ‘Forget it, this will do. After all, it’s ultimately something that benefits both the people and myself.’
Indeed, the previous demonic wolf, the spiritual pearl of Qiaoshui Town, and the serpent demon of Qing County all had someone behind them. So could the sinister presence the shopkeeper encountered now be something else secretly at work?
The waters of Qingzhou are indeed murky!
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Meanwhile, in the Qian family estate, the gatekeeper hurried to find the eldest young master.
Upon meeting, the gatekeeper said anxiously, “Young Master, the Taoist priest that the second young master spoke of just visited our place!”
“Hm? He came?!” Qian Youde’s heart leapt. If he dared to come, and did so bypassing his own brother, then this person was either recklessly bold or truly formidable.
Lost in thought, Qian Youde hurriedly asked, “Where is the Taoist priest now?”
Out of consideration for his father and brother, Qian Youde used the respectful but neutral term “Taoist priest.”
“He has already left, Young Master. But he said he will come again to pay a visit!”
Gone? It seemed he realized something was amiss and slipped away at the first opportunity — a charlatan on the run.
What was I expecting just now?
Qian Youde rubbed his temples helplessly and said, “You just let him leave like that?”
“Well, Young Master, I truly think this Taoist priest is no ordinary man, and he also said...” The gatekeeper glanced around, noticing many servants nearby, then hurriedly leaned close to Qian Youde and whispered:
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“Young Master, that Taoist priest said that the plaque in our mansion inscribed with ‘Filial Piety, Brotherly Love, Loyalty, and Trust’ now only has the character for ‘Brotherly Love’ still shining!”
Qian Youde’s face darkened in shock. “Such a vile insult?!”
Only the character for ‘Brotherly Love’ remained on the plaque for ‘Filial Piety, Brotherly Love, Loyalty, and Trust.’ Wasn’t that a blatant curse, implying the Qian family lacked filial piety, loyalty, and trust?
The gatekeeper understood the gravity but still whispered softly, “Young Master, if you go to the gate and take a look at the plaque, you’ll see for yourself!”
Qian Youde glanced suspiciously at the gatekeeper but eventually nodded and followed him.
At the gate, Qian Youde, like the gatekeeper, frowned deeply as he stared at the plaque with its golden paint still lustrous.
The difference was that the gatekeeper was only uncertain, while Qian Youde was truly trying to suppress the surge of anger in his heart.
As the gatekeeper searched for the right angle and pulled him into position, Qian Youde was suddenly struck with horror.
“Is it really true?!!!”
“No, no, bring the ladder!”
As the servants hurried to fetch a ladder, Qian Youde, unsteady on his feet, hastily climbed up.
He wiped and scraped, looked closely—and his heart froze. Nothing had been tampered with!
“Father! Father! Father!”
In his frantic movements, Qian Youde lost his footing and fell.
The nearby guards and servants rushed forward to help.
But the martial artist, who had long suffered injuries and become something of a healer himself, was astonished as he examined him.
“Strange, the Young Master only fainted! No injuries?”
From such a height, even a seasoned fighter like him might be seriously hurt on a fall. Yet this delicate scholar was unscathed?
He instinctively glanced upward at the plaque high above the Qian family estate.
The four golden characters for ‘Filial Piety, Brotherly Love, Loyalty, and Trust’—though three had lost their luster—only served to make the last character, ‘Brotherly Love,’ stand out more starkly.
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Inside the Anqing Prince’s mansion in Qingzhou.
Anqing Prince strode briskly through the manor accompanied by several aides.
Their steps were quick yet steady.
Though their pace was swift, their bearing remained composed; this alone showed these men were scions of aristocratic families raised under strict Confucian discipline, not idle scoundrels relying solely on ancestral prestige.
Amid their quiet walk, one aide suddenly stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, the matter concerning the Han family has taken shape!”
The Anqing Prince immediately stopped and turned to look.
The aide quickly bowed his head and said, “They claim to have found the old ancestral temple that the Han ancestors personally built by carrying tiles and earth. Therefore, they all went out together to pay respects to the ancestors’ virtuous legacy!”
Before Han Cheng went out, he knew the truth couldn’t be concealed, so he prepared two strategies.
One was to hide the actual existence of the deity. The other was to claim that they were not provoking the court by worshipping the temple but simply honoring their ancestors’ legacy.
With this, he retained considerable room for maneuver.
Yet Han Cheng did not expect the Han family to lose...
Looking at the bowed aide, the Anqing Prince suddenly said, “Your surname isn’t Han, is it?”
The aide was startled and bowed even lower, saying, “Your Highness, I owe my promotion to you and have no ties to the aristocracy. But since I serve you, I must tell you honestly — this matter will be difficult to handle!”
“Then don’t say such foolish things.”
Saying this, the prince turned and left without waiting for further response.
The aides had no choice but to follow.
As they walked, passing by a small lakeside pavilion, the prince suddenly paused briefly.
Among the aides, only the last one in line noticed the subtle change.
He pondered and glanced at the pavilion.
He only knew that two people lived there but had no idea exactly who, since the prince kept the place heavily guarded.
Even the guards outside the pavilion were the prince’s personal soldiers.
At this point, as an aide, he dared not entertain suspicious thoughts.
Lost in thought, a companion suddenly asked, “Brother Zhang, about the Qing County matter, should we tell the prince now?”
Zhang withdrew his gaze from the lakeside pavilion and considered carefully before saying, “Actually, the prince already knows. Since he hasn’t given any reply, we best say nothing.”
“Ah, the prince knows?”
“Sigh, if you and I know, how could the prince not?”
The companion immediately cupped his hands to thank him.
After they departed,
Inside the mysterious lakeside pavilion,
One Taoist priest looked troubled as he stared at the water basin in his hands.
“Truly a hardship for me, the Taoist priest. Such a great matter, and yet I’m the one who has to face it?”
“And it hasn’t even started, yet three are already missing?”