She sighed, reluctantly preparing to pack up and leave—but just as she reached for her things, a sudden cool breeze swept past.
Carried on the wind was a strange and enchanting fragrance, and the ashes of the burned papers scattered into the air.
A familiar voice spoke.
"What are you doing?"
For someone of her level to even establish a connection with a celestial being was already an incredible feat. She knew there was no way she could summon the deity in person—so when a response actually came, her first thought was that she had made a mistake.
She was about to panic, but upon recognizing the speaker, she let out a breath of relief. Secretly, she was thrilled.
"I'm summoning the Flower Deity," she said.
Jin Xiu stepped forward with graceful, unhurried steps.
Hong Ning had originally intended to call him “Elder Brother”, but something about it felt inappropriate. Who knew how many centuries old he was? In the end, she dropped any form of address and simply asked, “What are you doing here?” Is he here to protect me too?
Jin Xiu did not answer. His gaze fell on the altar table, the scattered talisman papers, and the burning incense. With a slight smile, he remarked, “You won’t succeed this way.”
Hong Ning’s face flushed. “I was just trying.”
Jin Xiu’s voice was gentle. “You don’t wish to cultivate immortality, nor do you properly learn the Daoist arts. How do you plan to survive in this world alone?”
His tone carried no mockery, only a quiet sigh, as if there was a trace of genuine concern.
Hong Ning was momentarily stunned. Then, regaining her composure, she joked, “I’ll just have Master and Senior Brother take care of me. Since I won’t achieve immortality, I’ll definitely die before them anyway. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just enter reincarnation sooner and get reborn quickly.”
Jin Xiu was silent for a moment before he sighed. “No matter what happens, you must remember—it is all the will of heaven, a tribulation destined by fate.”
His words were cryptic, and Hong Ning found them difficult to decipher.
Jin Xiu then asked, “Why are you summoning the Flower Deity?”
Hong Ning snapped out of her thoughts and explained everything that had happened. When she finished, she said, “I suspect that the lotus flowers in the pond are responsible.”
Jin Xiu turned to look at the pond. “Why do you think so?”
Something within her wanted to trust him, so Hong Ning chose not to hide her reasoning.
“It’s been over ten years, and there’s no lingering resentment around. That means Master Hai Ming’s spirit can’t still be here. Last night, people heard a woman’s voice from that room, which further proves that it wasn’t him.
“The domain of flowers has always been overseen by the Flower Deity and flower spirits, yet the lotus flowers in this pond bloom strangely—they wilt completely before June 16th every year. That’s too specific to be caused by climate alone.
“If there’s any demon capable of controlling flower cycles so precisely, it can only be a lotus spirit.”
Jin Xiu said, “All things follow their destined course. Zheng Ke committed too many evils in life—this was simply his retribution.”
Hong Ning replied, “But that doesn’t mean she won’t harm others in the future. If she truly held a grudge against Zheng Ke, she should have come forward and made her case rather than causing trouble in secret—otherwise, she’ll drag the monks into this mess.
“The victim was Magistrate Tao’s relative. He’s already looking for someone to take the blame, and if this continues, he’ll turn his wrath on the temple monks.
“If she refuses to reveal herself and innocent people are implicated, I’ll have no choice but to force her out. By then, her cultivation will be completely destroyed, and she’ll have no one to blame but herself.”
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