Unyielding Bone of Dust

The old lady watched the young madam leave, and although she forced a smile upon retracting her gaze, one could still tell her anger hadn't dissipated. She explained, "My son's wife is not virtuous, her heart is full of jealousy over concubinage, making a fool of us in front of you two."

Lin Suqing was very understanding and said, "It's all right, it's all right, I understand."

Ever since he entered the residence, he had noticed that although the Ye family's young master had so many rooms filled with wives and concubines, there seemed to be no children playing around the mansion. It must have been the family's lineage that caused the old lady such headaches.

"The monk has finished eating, please take your time," Lin Suqing, who was eating with gusto, heard the young master of the Ye family put down his chopsticks, press his hands together in a sign of leaving the table.

The old lady heaved a heavy sigh, resignedly saying, "Ah, I don't know what's gotten into you. Go on then, Yuanbao, attend to the young master and see him back to his room for a rest."

"Yes, old lady." The servant who stood behind the young master at an angle stepped forward to respond and then made a move to help the master, but the young master raised his hand to dismiss the attendant and left the table on his own.

The concubines who had been eagerly watching from behind the pillars under the eaves hurriedly fluttered their silk handkerchiefs as they moved towards him, "My lord, let your concubine attend to your nap."

"It should be me, let me do it~"

"My lord, it's been a long time since you've called me to your room~"

But the young master of the Ye family kept his hands pressed together in front of his chest, not sparing them a direct glance, and said, "Amitabha, the monk is fine on his own." He then left, led by the butler around the corner of the corridor.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince too stood up and said, "I wonder if the old lady has any spare guest rooms available for lodging."

The old lady squinted her eyes and smiled, "There are plenty, the Ye mansion has plenty of guest rooms. Dafu, take these two guests to the west wing."

"Yes, old lady," Dafu immediately bowed and stepped forward, gesturing with an outstretched hand.

Lin Suqing was halfway through gnawing on an elbow he held in his hands, but seeing the Crown Prince turn to leave, he reluctantly set it down, wiped his mouth and hands with a towel that had been soaked in hot water, and quickly followed.

...

The west wing they were arranged in had a main room for the Crown Prince and a side room for his attendant. As soon as the butler left, the Crown Prince instructed him, "Come here."

He was momentarily taken aback, obediently following into the main room; he casually shut the door behind him and turned to ask, "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

The Crown Prince, with an emotionless face, lifted his wrist with a folding fan, causing a jolt in his heart and an instinctive urge to withdraw his hand.

However, he saw the Crown Prince turn his wrist over, revealing his palm facing up. Sensing that the Crown Prince must have intended something by this, he smoothly spread his palm open.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince pinched his index and middle fingers together, and deliberately traced over his palm. The path taken was like the strokes of cinnabar, leaving behind a vermilion talisman in the blink of an eye.

"I'm assigning you a task."

Lin Suqing swallowed hard, feeling somewhat faint-hearted. He truly didn't know what kind of task he, someone without the slightest ability to fight, could undertake.

The Crown Prince's tone was very calm as he continued, "Set off immediately to the Xu family in Sitian County."

He was astonished—was this because of what the young madam had said, that he was to investigate the Xu family? Yet, unfamiliar with the place and being a mere mortal, was he really expected to travel such a distance alone?

He was about to ask, but then he thought, this being the Mortal Realm, there were plenty of mortals traveling alone; it would be overly sentimental of him to bring it up.

So, he stared at the talisman in his palm and asked, "Your Highness, is this talisman you bestowed upon me an indication that I may encounter some danger on the way?"

The Second Prince replied indifferently, "It's just a precaution. If you have time, you should commit the drawing of this Spirit Talisman to memory. Should you encounter ghosts or demons in the future, you can draw this talisman to ward them off."

Lin Suqing was overjoyed. This was the first skill he had learned: "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness!" he said, and immediately bent over his palm, scrutinizing and tracing the outlines with his gaze.

The Second Prince glanced at him and spoke slowly, "Stay calm in the face of trouble, do not panic. With a righteous spirit, ghosts and demons will naturally not dare to infringe upon you." After a moment, he turned toward the door, which opened by itself. Holding a fan in one hand behind him, he said, "Take the back door of the Ye residence and go."

Although Lin Suqing still felt apprehensive, he bowed to take his leave. Using the branch from Mi Gu that he wore, he found the back door of the Ye residence and slipped out unnoticed while people were not paying attention.

Being in the Mortal Realm, it naturally didn't compare to the dangers of Danxue Mountain. Besides, with the Mi Gu branch guiding him, he was spared the need to ask for directions along the way.

The Ye residence was located in the outskirts to the west of Fuyu Cheng. After a long walk, he finally encountered people and a market. Previously, he had been forcefully dragged along while tied up, but now he was free to take in the sights of this town properly for the first time.

It was quite bustling, with the cries of vendors selling their wares coming from every direction. Most of the vendors were itinerant merchants. Even wild ginseng, rare in his original world, was laid out casually on the ground stalls for sale.

He dared not linger too long, and as he walked he looked around, quickly making his way out of the town, heading toward Sitian County.

He considered himself somewhat timid in the face of trouble, but he was still a responsible and committed person. Just like in the past, when he undertook a work task, he would conscientiously see it through to the best of his ability, even if it meant working through the night without sleep.

The situation was the same now. This was the first task he had taken on in this world, and he wanted to perform well no matter what.

The Second Prince had already taught him how to draw a talisman to drive away evil spirits. If he succeeded in completing this task, perhaps he could learn even more skills in the future.

...

...

Not long after Lin Suqing left the Ye residence, the Second Prince slowly made his way out of the western wing and headed for the main room of the eastern wing where that young master resided. He didn't knock on the door; instead, he passed straight through the wall.

The young master of the Ye family was sitting on the bed in a lotus position with his hands clasped together in prayer.

"Old monk," the Second Prince began, his voice echoing mysteriously. Startled, the young master of the Ye family immediately opened his eyes, then closed them again and replied slowly, "Everyone is blind to the truth. Only the benefactor has the wisdom to recognize a humble monk. Amen."

With a flick of his robe, the Second Prince casually sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. "Let's hear it then," he said.

The Ye family's young master slowly opened his eyes and began to recount, "Since my youth, I entered the monastic life and lived at Pingyuan Temple on Jingnan Mountain, keeping the company of the ancient Buddha by the dim light for over eighty years. It must have been this morning's fall that caused the error. When I stood up after the fall, I found myself in the outskirts, and my appearance had transformed into what it is now..."

At this point, the young master of the Ye family sighed with emotion, "Fate, oh fate… Amen."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door was abruptly pushed open by the steward. The old matriarch, leaning on a walking stick, stood outside the door with the young matriarch and a group of women, all with stern expressions on their faces.

The Second Prince glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, already having made up his mind. "In this clear and bright world, why don't you show your true faces to people?" he queried.

The old matriarch's face darkened, and with a sinister laugh, she said, "No wonder you deliberately sent away that foolish mortal boy. It turns out you're an enlightened one with discerning eyes."