amaotonovel Chapter 48 Transcendence
Chapter 48 Transcendence
Master Xuanqing smiled, revealing his large teeth: "How can His Majesty not urge us to get involved in matters of gods and ghosts?"
Xiang An cut to the chase: "Have you discussed with the emperor how to deal with me?" She had already anticipated what Master Xuanqing would say when he came.
"The old Taoist priest has indeed come here today for this matter."
Master Xuanqing sat cross-legged, making an awkward Taoist gesture as if performing some mysterious ritual. Then his features relaxed, revealing a kind and benevolent expression: "Matters concerning gods and ghosts have always been taboo in the royal family, and are never to be discussed lightly."
“Now, Princess, you have been gone for many years, but your soul remains in the mortal world. This is a very serious matter in the eyes of His Majesty and all the people of the world.”
"Therefore, His Majesty sent this old Taoist priest to ask two questions: First, does the princess have any unresolved worries? Second, why does the princess stay by His Majesty's side instead of by Marquis Fu's side?"
Instead of answering, Xiang An asked, "You just offended me, and now you're asking me?"
Although what happened in the morning had no impact on her at all, it didn't mean she didn't care.
Today, all the yellow talismans in the house were torn off by Fu Qingbai. It was so obvious that Master Xuanqing would have noticed it when he went in afterward.
But as soon as he entered the prison, the first thing he asked about wasn't the Yellow Talisman. Xiang An knew that the Yellow Talisman wasn't important, or rather, that it didn't matter if the Yellow Talisman wasn't pasted on the wall.
In this case, the important thing is the array drawn on the ground. After all, Fu Qingbai can't erase the array no matter how he tries, so it must have been drawn with some special paint.
Now she's bringing things out into the open without any pretense or concealment; she's being completely honest and straightforward. All she wants is an answer.
"Princess Miankang, this old Taoist priest offended you only to save General Anwu, you—"
"Shut up!" Fu Qingbai interrupted, "Spreading rumors and misleading the public! Get out!"
Master Xuanqing smiled faintly, his eyes sweeping over the two men in the prison one by one, and said unhurriedly, "If this old Taoist is really being superstitious, I will just say it if I want to. Why should Marquis Anwu be angry? Why should he care? I'm afraid you have already sensed it. Indeed, with a soul by your side, how could you not sense it?"
Fu Qingbai's face was cold and stern. He leaned against the wall and stood up shakily. Xuanqing Daoist watched him without moving, and Xiang An also did not move, letting him walk unsteadily. Then he sat down with a thud, his two thin arms easily passing between the wooden pillars and tightly grabbing Xuanqing Daoist's collar. His eyes were fixed on him, and his handsome face was unusually calm: "I advise you to speak properly."
Master Xuanqing grinned: "What? Is the Marquis afraid that Princess Miankang will feel guilty if she hears this?"
"Even if I don't say anything, doesn't the princess herself know what's going on? Do you think she's a fool, or are you just putting on an act for her?"
The hand on his robe trembled but did not loosen its grip. Daoist Xuanqing did not struggle, but tilted his head, avoiding his gaze and staring straight at Xiang An behind him: "How can the majesty of the emperor tolerate the oppression of ghosts and monsters above him?"
"It is widely rumored in the capital today that the heavy snow that has lasted for a month is due to the Emperor's lack of virtue and benevolence, and therefore ghosts and monsters have been sent down to punish him. The people of the capital are in great turmoil."
"Rumors can kill. I advise you two to clarify what you know as soon as possible, both for your own sake and for the sake of our nation."
Fu Qingbai's tightly clenched hands slowly loosened, and he slumped to the side, silent and unable to speak.
Xiang An glanced at him, unable to understand why he looked so distraught after losing his wife. It wasn't like she was being helped to pass on her soul; the yellow talismans and magic arrays couldn't harm a living person like him. He just needed to cooperate.
Even when Master Xuanqing could see her, she knew that she would eventually be saved from suffering.
Although the Taoist priest refused to admit it, those who cultivate Buddhism and Taoism care about their reputation. Even when doing the most despicable things, they need to have some justification in their words to make their misdeeds seem legitimate, otherwise they risk being drowned in spittle.
At first, she was a little scared when she thought about being given a proper rite of passage. She was afraid of the pain, the torment, and the thought of living a life worse than death. Later, she thought about it over and over again in the small study of the restaurant and realized that if she was to be given a proper rite of passage, then so be it. The only person in the world who could see her was Master Xuanqing.
She'd had enough of this boring life, where she was treated like air. If it could end sooner, it wouldn't be so bad.
What if the dead Taoist priest was powerful enough to help her return home? The longer she stayed in this other world, the stronger her homesickness became. Wait, why can't she remember what her parents look like?
An indescribable panic instantly swept over him: [System! System! Why can't I remember what my parents look like?]
This is the price you have to pay every time you start a game.
It felt as if his head had been struck hard by a clock hand, leaving him buzzing for a long time, unable to react for a while.
[You're sick! You're all sick! Let me go home, I want to go home! I want to go home!]
Time and again, he crashed into the invisible barrier, bleeding profusely but refusing to stop. After an unknown amount of time, a black shadow flashed before his eyes.
When he woke up again, Fu Qingbai was sitting in a chair, bound hand and foot, his body covered with whip marks, his white prison clothes stained with bloodstains. His eyes were closed, his head was leaning back in the chair, and his face was as pale as paper.
It was tragic and pitiful. But not terrifying.
Looking at him calmly, Xiang An confirmed again and again that his chest was rising and falling slightly as he breathed, but he was just unconscious. A sense of disappointment inexplicably swept over him; the experiment he wanted to verify could not be carried out.
Looking around, she saw various instruments of torture piled up on the walls and floor. She was shocked and then realized that she was in a torture chamber. She confirmed that after she was knocked unconscious, the emperor had ordered Fu Qingbai to be beaten.
She raised her hand to touch her forehead; it was smooth as ever. She looked at her clothes; they were spotless, as clean as new. Only the pain she felt before losing consciousness and the choking sorrow in her heart reminded her that she had once wished for death.
She whispered her name to the system, but received no response. Xiang An remained calm and composed, as if she hadn't been the one who had recently gone on a rampage and banged her head against the wall. In fact, she herself wondered why she was so calm.
Perhaps they've given up hope, or perhaps they're utterly disappointed.
She sat cross-legged on the ground, her head resting lightly against Fu Qingbai's relatively clean and uninjured legs.
Suddenly, the door on the right opened, and white light quietly entered the dimly lit torture chamber. Someone stepped into the light and saw one person sitting and another leaning inside. Their steps faltered, and then the door closed and the light disappeared.
Master Xuanqing smiled as before: "It's good that Princess Miankang is alright."
Ignoring him, Xiang An's empty gaze was fixed on the rough stitches on the white prison uniform of Fu Qingbai.
Master Xuanqing wasn't embarrassed at all. He slowly approached, raised the white whisk in his hand, and gently brushed the tail of Fu Qingbai's nose and eyelids. Seeing no reaction, he nodded in satisfaction, sat down cross-legged, and stood at the same level as Xiang An: "Princess, what happened to you yesterday?"
"Suddenly, he started crying uncontrollably, and blood was streaming down his forehead. Was his soul uncomfortable, or did something happen?"