Volume One, Chapter Eighty-Two: Returning the Favor

Qin Yu did not hide the truth and nodded. “I’m going back to the mountains.”
Before she left, her master had told her:

First, she needed to venture out into the world for experience.
Her cultivation now was on a completely different level compared to when she first descended the mountain—this first task could be considered complete.

Second, she had to resolve the karma with the Su family.
She had helped Mr. and Mrs. Su survive a great tribulation, which could be seen as repaying the debt of birth. From now on, should they meet again in the world, they would simply be strangers passing by. The second task was also complete.

There was a trace of reluctance in Lin Jian’an’s eyes.
Though the young lady was not one to speak much, he knew she was kind-hearted, always dealing with troublesome matters behind the scenes.

“Was it something I did, Miss, that made you feel wronged?”
A pang of bitterness passed through Qin Yu’s chest. Wronged? Perhaps, a little.
Yet she offered no defense for herself, only shook her head gently.

Lin Jian’an was unwilling to let it go and pressed, “Does the madam know you are leaving?”
Qin Yu recalled the scene at the hospital and lowered her gaze.
Madam Su ought to know, shouldn’t she?
She hadn’t tried to stop her—that, in itself, was an answer.
“She tacitly agreed.”

Lin Jian’an opened his mouth to say more, but just then, a delivery vehicle pulled up. “Is Ms. Dian, ending with 3285, here?”
Qin Yu raised her hand. “That’s me!”
The courier eyed the antiques scattered about and hesitantly asked, “Are all these being shipped?”
When Qin Yu confirmed, his eyes sparkled with anticipation—this would be a windfall.
“Ms. Dian, would you like to insure the shipment? These things look valuable. It’d be a shame if they got damaged in transit.”
Qin Yu was confident. “No need. They won’t be harmed.”
She had already cast protective spells on each artifact; they would certainly arrive safely at the Imperial Museum.

Seeing her so sure, the courier could only sigh at the lost opportunity for extra commission.
Once all the antiques were tallied, Qin Yu hailed a cab and left.

Lifting her eyes once more to the shadowy little building, Qin Yu found her heart had changed.
Meanwhile, Lin Jian’an quietly tried calling Qi Huairou—surprisingly, there was no answer.
When he turned back, Qin Yu was already gone.
He let out a heavy sigh.

—

Qin Yu first returned to her rented apartment to pack up the two faceless stone statues.
Unlike her first anxious, budget-conscious arrival, this time she spared no expense and hired a private car directly.

After all, she now had plenty of money.
Mount Ling was an eight-hour drive from the Imperial Capital.
Qin Yu leaned back against the seat, her thoughts drifting far away.

Mu Ling, sensing her mood, chirped,
“Finally, we can return to Ling Mountain Temple! Wonderful!”
“This time, I’m going to spend three days and nights wild in the mountains without resting!”
“Little Yu, little Yu, soon you’ll be able to eat your master’s fresh greens again—aren’t you happy?”
“Little Yu, little Yu...”

Already irritable, Qin Yu found the lively presence before her even more vexing.
“Quiet!”
Mu Ling pouted in grievance. “I just wanted to comfort you because you looked down. Why are you being so fierce?”
Qin Yu paused, touching her face. “Is it that obvious?”
Mu Ling nodded. “But honestly, I think it’s good you’ve cut ties with the Su family.”
Qin Yu looked at him, puzzled.

“In your line of work, isn’t it common to suffer the Five Misfortunes and Three Lacks? Severing ties with your parents fits the ‘solitude’ misfortune perfectly. Now you never have to fear poverty.”
The Five Misfortunes: widowed, bereaved, solitary, isolated, and disabled.
The Three Lacks: money, power, life.

Qin Yu’s eyelid twitched.
“Excellent comfort—don’t do it again.”
Mu Ling grinned sheepishly.
Qin Yu: …

“I’m tired. I want to sleep. Don’t bother me!”
She closed her eyes, shutting out the relentless chatter.

Qin Yu had intended just to rest her eyes, but the lulling rhythm of the car soon drew her into real sleep.
When she next awoke, she realized the road they were on wasn’t the way to Ling Mountain.
Her gaze turned sharp as she looked at the driver’s seat. “Sir, you’re going the wrong way.”

The driver ignored her and instead sped up by another ten kilometers an hour.
Qin Yu narrowed her eyes, about to use her magic, only to find her spiritual energy blocked.
She called for Mu Ling, but there was no response.

Only then did she notice a faint, elusive fragrance in the car.
Distracted when she’d first entered, she hadn’t noticed it.
But now she recognized it as an incense capable of inhibiting spiritual energy.

Mu Ling, that fool, was probably unconscious from the drug.
Qin Yu traced a clarity spell on her palm, regaining some awareness.
With her mind clear, her thoughts sharpened.

The driver ahead gave off no trace of a living person. This was a corpse!
Qin Yu silently cursed her carelessness.

—

Several hours later.

A green taxi pulled up at the gates of Qingfeng Temple.
“Senior brother, you’re incredible—using a living corpse to drive and bring that girl who slandered our temple right back! The master will surely praise you!”
The man addressed as senior brother stroked his goatee, relishing his junior’s flattery. He put on airs and urged, “Well, what are you waiting for? Get her out and let the master see!”

The junior opened the car door, and sure enough, there was a young girl lying on the back seat.
Her face was tender and childlike—not at all the look of a formidable foe.
Both men exchanged disdainful glances.

“How dare she challenge Qingfeng Temple? Overestimating herself.”
The junior reached out, but the instant he touched the girl, she suddenly exploded with a loud bang.

The blast echoed through the entire temple.
It was midday, and the disciples, thinking an explosion had occurred, rushed out in a panic.
What they saw: two men blackened from head to toe, standing in front of a scorched car.

Not only were their faces pitch-black, but their hair had puffed into outlandish afros.
The disciples exchanged bewildered looks—someone recognized their revered first and second masters.

“Master, Second Master, are you all right?”
The second master opened his mouth and coughed out a cloud of black smoke, spraying the disciple before him.

“Cursed Dian Qiu! You’ll pay for this!”
The first master clenched his fists, wishing he could flay Qin Yu alive.

Meanwhile, at the foot of Ling Mountain, a young woman curled her lips into a smile. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, dappling her face with shimmering shadows.

“I’ll be waiting!”
From her bag, Qin Yu took out a remaining talisman for swift travel, slapped it on her foot, and shot up the mountain in one breath.

Yet as soon as she set foot on the summit, an ominous feeling surged within her.