Capítulo 741: Chapter 725: The Eight Characters of a Dead Person

Qin Liuxi stepped out of the side courtyard’s small gate, only to hear a burst of children’s laughter and scolding from the alley.

“Ha-ha, idiot, freak.”

“It’s not a freak; it’s Evil Ghost.”

“I think it’s a Demon, beat him to death.”

Someone loudly retorted: “I’m not an idiot.”

“You are, you definitely are, big idiot!”

As soon as Qin Liuxi came out, a pebble the size of a baby’s fist was thrown over. She reached out to catch it, clutching the stone in her hand.

Silence from the other side, then a sudden burst of astonished screaming.

Impressive.

Qin Liuxi glanced down at the stone; had it hit her head, it would have definitely caused a gory wound.

But who was this stone meant for?

She looked down to see a Taoist dressed in dark blue Daoist robe, hair disheveled, squatting by the door. Noticing her appearance, he abruptly stood up, his face breaking into a silly grin: “Junior Brother.”

Indeed, this fool had come.

Qin Liuxi eyed Sha Yuanzi, who stood a head taller yet dim-witted as ever, her expression flat as she first turned to the rowdy children, demanding in a deep voice, “Who threw it.”

The unruly kids, shameless as ever, retorted: “What if it was us?”

Qin Liuxi snorted and, with a flick of her hand, tossed the stone back.

“Ah! Ah!” Cries of alarm as the children scrambled to dodge, but they were met with a more horrifying sight—the pebble stopped mid-air, as if held and tossed by someone right in front of them.

Stunned for a moment, the children then screamed even louder: “Ow-ow, there’s a ghost ahhh!”

They clutched their heads and bolted out of the alley.

The male ghost clicked his tongue, tossed the stone away—really, he hadn’t even started to show off yet, and they ran off; truly narrow-minded.

Qin Liuxi, however, was giving Sha Yuanzi an icy stare: “What are you doing here, and how did you find this place?”

“Followed the scent.” Sha Yuanzi giggled, pulling out a bunch of wild berries from his chest and offering them: “Here, for you to eat.”

Qin Liuxi looked at the wild berries without accepting them.

Unperturbed, Sha Yuanzi conjured as if by magic from his wide sleeves a flower crown woven from wild vines and flowers, placing it on her head: “Pretty.”

Qin Liuxi removed the crown; the wildflowers had been crushed while in his sleeve, only a few tiny wild daisies remained intact amongst them.

Her gaze at Sha Yuanzi was complex.

After undergoing Soul Search, he had become foolish and simple-minded. Qin Liuxi had wanted to drive him away, but it was Chi Yuan who kept him at the Daoist Temple, where he would do menial chores like sweeping the floor. Whenever he had nothing to do, he would run off to the back mountain, and whenever Qin Liuxi showed up at the Daoist Temple, he would stick to her. A few times, she even gave him a good beating.

Unexpectedly, this time, he had actually found his way to her home.

Qin Liuxi pinched the flower crown and said, “Come, I’ll walk you back.”

Sha Yuanzi saw her leave and followed along, suddenly rushing ahead of her. Only then did Qin Liuxi notice his missing shoe, his Daoist robe appeared torn perhaps from thorns in the forest, and his previously tied hair had come undone.

No wonder those rowdy kids called him an idiot, a Demon; with that scarred face of his, he truly resembled one.

Qin Liuxi didn’t know what to feel; this man had become what he was purely as a result of her own displaced rage—angry that he had hurt the old man, and even more infuriated that he was Chi Zhenzi’s disciple.

Yet, upon learning of his past and how despite being a disciple, he hadn’t exactly lived well under Chi Zhenzi’s guidance, she found herself at a loss for words.

Now that he’s become foolish, I don’t know whether that is good or bad for him.

Qin Liuxi led him out of the alleyway, visiting a grocery store first to buy a pair of cloth shoes to change into, and then used a bamboo hairpin to re-tie his hair.

Sha Yuanzi grinned foolishly, constantly calling out “Good Junior Brother”.

Qin Liuxi gave him a glare and raised her fist, saying, “You’re not allowed to enter the city again. If you leave the Daoist Temple and come down the mountain next time, I’ll beat you to death.”

Sha Yuanzi shrank his neck with a submissive look, yet with a face full of grievance.

Qin Liuxi was holding back a surge of anger.

Just then, someone bumped into her, and when she touched, her large wallet around her waist was gone.

“You’re looking for death.” Before Qin Liuxi could react, Sha Yuanzi darted out with lightning speed, grabbing the little thief and pummeling him like torrential rain with his fists.

Soon enough, he cheerfully ran back with the large bag, diligently handing it over to Qin Liuxi: “Junior Brother’s.”

Qin Liuxi: “…”

Is he truly foolish or is it just an act?

She took the wallet and saw the little thief, with a bruised face, rubbing it and talking about reporting to the officials. With a sneer, she sent a wisp of yin energy his way, then proceeded to walk away with Sha Yuanzi.

The onlookers: So arrogant!

In the city, Qin Liuxi did not employ any magic but instead properly rented a carriage from a big cart store to return to the Daoist Temple.

Throughout the journey, Sha Yuanzi wouldn’t stop chattering incessantly.

“Shut up, don’t talk, it’s annoying!”

Immediately, Sha Yuanzi covered his mouth, his eyes blinking constantly.

Qin Liuxi felt the itch to strike, agitated and disgruntled, thinking she could vent by dispersing a ghost.

Returning to the Daoist Temple, Qin Liuxi asked Wuwei to take Sha Yuanzi down.

Master Chi Yuan asked, “Did he really go looking for you?”

“I don’t know what got into him, but don’t let him run out again. His face would scare people in the city, he could be beaten anytime.” Even unruly kids were throwing stones at him; who knows how street ruffians might toy with him.

Master Chi Yuan’s eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement, “How about when I go into retreat, I take him back to that valley?”

Qin Liuxi hesitated for a while, then shook her head, “No need. If you’re going into retreat, then retreat. With him there, it’s likely he’ll cause trouble. And now that he’s become so foolish, he can’t even take care of himself; it would be a bother for you to care for him. What’s the point of retreating then? We haven’t driven him away just because of you!”

Master Chi Yuan’s gaze warmed further, hard-mouthed as if it was a needle, but wasn’t that just a soft heart?

Seeing the old man’s somewhat smiling expression, Qin Liuxi felt a bit uncomfortable, so she stood up with a darkened face: “I’ll go have a walk around; there seem to be quite a few devotees.”

“Go on, these days people are in a rush to match their birth dates. Since you’re free, help out with that.”

Qin Liuxi went out and saw several pairs of men and women, under the attendance of their servants, talking from afar. She also observed this scene of mutual evaluation, feeling uncomfortable about how shy and awkward it looked; she almost wanted to pull both hands together.

Approaching the back hall, Qing Yuan was frowning and calculating with two sets of birth dates in hand. Upon seeing her, he immediately beamed with joy, “Junior Temple Master, you’ve come at the right time. Come take a look at this birth date; something seems off.”

Qin Liuxi walked over, “What’s wrong with the birth dates?”

Qing Yuan handed over a set of birth dates, “Take a look.”

Upon receiving it, Qin Liuxi pinched and calculated with her fingers, then said, “A dead person’s birth date, what’s wrong with that?”

Qing Yuan slapped his palm, “That’s right, isn’t the person of this birth date gone? But someone is using it to match with another birth date, isn’t that strange? Look, here comes the person.”

Qin Liuxi turned her head to see two elegantly dressed ladies walking in together, one of them a familiar face.