Chapter 55

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Gu Yan Fei walked forward with calm composure.

Compared to the room full of richly adorned women, she was dressed in simple, unembellished clothing. Yet her every glance and movement radiated brilliance and sophistication, like the fabled snow lotus of the Tianshan Mountains—pure, ethereal, and untouchable, evoking reverence rather than familiarity.

She casually chose an empty chair and sat down, lifting her gaze slightly to look at Wang Shi, who stood by the bedside. Her starry eyes, carrying a faintly amused yet indifferent expression, were as clear and transparent as a pristine spring.

Even though she was physically looking down at Gu Yan Fei, Wang Shi inexplicably felt an immense pressure, as though she were the subordinate reporting to a superior. The unsettling feeling gnawed at her, leaving her deeply uncomfortable.

Wang Shi had prepared a slew of accusations—she intended to call Gu Yan Fei unfilial and cold-hearted. But now, the words seemed stuck in her throat, as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over her carefully crafted indignation, extinguishing it entirely.

Clearing her throat, Wang Shi awkwardly forced herself to continue. “Your grandmother has been unwell for several days now, and there’s been no improvement. Today, we specifically invited Shangqing Zhenren to treat her.”

Gu Yan Fei offered a faint smile, her posture perfectly poised. Even with countless pairs of eyes on her, she showed no hint of discomfort, maintaining her serene and confident demeanor.

Seeing that Gu Yan Fei remained silent, Wang Shi’s expression became slightly stiff. She was left with no choice but to awkwardly continue, her tone dry: “Shangqing Zhenren said that your grandmother’s condition is severe. She not only needs medicinal treatment but also the heartfelt prayers of the family. Your elder brother isn’t in the residence, so the responsibility falls on you as the eldest in the main branch.”

As the saying goes, “Ten parts of Daoism, nine parts medicine.”

Daoist medicine has a history stretching back thousands of years, with renowned medical figures such as Sun Simiao, the Medicine King; Zhang Zhongjing, the Sage of Medicine; and Bian Que, the Divine Healer, all of whom were Daoists.

Daoist medicine encompasses three primary approaches: physical treatment, health preservation, and spiritual treatment. The spiritual aspect includes methods such as Daoist rituals, virtues, talismans, divination, fortune sticks, incantations, fasting, offerings, and prayers.

A skilled Daoist physician is often regarded as a living immortal by their followers, with the most legendary example being Tiangang Zhenren of old.

The Shangqing Zhenren before them had gained significant fame in the capital over the past few years. His Daoist practices were profound, and his medical skills were extraordinary. Many in the capital believed him to be the reincarnation of Tiangang Zhenren himself.

Wang Shi dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a frost-white handkerchief, glancing toward Shangqing Zhenren, who stood not far away. She said, “Zhenren, everyone is present.”

“Wushang Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun (The Supreme Taiyi, Savior of Suffering),” intoned Shangqing Zhenren, lightly flicking the silver-white horsetail whisk in his hand. His demeanor was lofty and serene, tinged with a compassionate aura that seemed to pity all beings.

With a graceful sweep of his broad sleeves, Shangqing Zhenren strolled to the large table near the window. On it, a variety of items had already been meticulously arranged—an incense burner, talisman papers, ink, teacups, and more.

The maids in the room carefully laid out prayer mats on the floor. Everyone knelt down, clasping their left hands over their right and performing the respectful Daoist hand salute with solemn reverence.

Gu Yun Rong knelt behind Wang Shi and glanced at the empty space beside her. Turning her head, she saw Gu Yan Fei still seated calmly in her original spot, as serene as ever. She frowned slightly, thinking: Gu Yan Fei caused Grandmother’s condition to worsen, yet she hasn’t shown the slightest sign of reflection?

Just as she was about to speak, Shangqing Zhenren moved. With a gentle flick of his silver-white horsetail whisk, his half-lidded eyes dropped further, and he began to calculate with his fingers. His lips moved soundlessly as he chanted an incantation under his breath.

Though there was no wind, his broad Daoist robes stirred faintly, as though lifted by some unseen force, as if he might ascend to the heavens at any moment.

Gu Jian, Wang Shi, and the others held their breaths, their eyes fixed on him in awe. The others saw nothing unusual, but Gu Yan Fei’s vision was sharper. She could clearly see faint streams of qi gathering and flowing toward Old Madam Gu’s forehead, circling around her brow.

Gu Yan Fei raised an intrigued eyebrow, her interest piqued. How interesting. In this small world where spiritual energy is so scarce, he can still manipulate it. Not bad at all.

Moments later, Shangqing Zhenren suddenly opened his eyes. His long, intelligent gaze gleamed with a piercing brilliance, as if capable of seeing through all the mysteries of the universe.

He raised his hand and picked up a brush, dipping it lightly into the ink before drawing intricate, winding symbols onto the talisman paper. His movements were fluid and precise, the brush gliding across the paper like a dragon in flight.

Once the talisman was complete, Shangqing Zhenren held it between his fingers and began chanting once more. Suddenly, one corner of the talisman ignited spontaneously, a small orange-yellow flame appearing out of nowhere and consuming the paper.

Gu Jian and the others watched the scene with awe, not daring to make a sound or interrupt the ritual. Gu Yan Fei leaned forward slightly, her right elbow resting on the armrest, her fingers cradling her delicate chin. Her gaze sparkled with growing interest. Not bad. This talisman for dispelling illness is drawn quite skillfully.

The talisman quickly burned to ashes, which fell neatly into a white porcelain teacup nearby. A faint, elusive fragrance of herbs and wood drifted from the cup.

“Have the Madam of your household drink this talisman water,” Shangqing Zhenren instructed calmly. His posture remained upright and dignified, his tone measured, carrying an air of unfathomable depth.

“Thank you, Zhenren, for your blessing,” Wang Shi replied hastily, bowing low. Her attitude toward Shangqing Zhenren was one of utmost reverence, as though she dared not defy him in the slightest.

Wang Shi personally took the cup of talisman water, cradling it in her hands as though it were sacred. She then ordered for Old Madam Gu to be propped up from the bed. The unconscious Old Madam Gu lay motionless, her lips tightly pressed together. Wang Shi had to carefully pry her mouth open while gently bringing the cup of talisman water to her lips, attempting to feed it to her.

Gu Yun Rong looked at the cup of talisman water, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she let out a silent sigh. Instead, she quietly reached out and held Old Madam Gu’s hand.

The talisman water was slowly poured into Old Madam Gu’s mouth, bit by bit. A maid gently massaged her chest at intervals, but some of the tea, mixed with ashes from the talisman, still spilled from the corners of her lips.

It took nearly half a cup of tea’s time to carefully feed her just over half the cup.

Suddenly, Gu Yun Rong, who was holding Old Madam Gu’s hand, exclaimed in surprise, “Grandmother’s hand just moved!” Her expression was filled with both joy and doubt as she glanced at the half-finished cup of talisman water in Wang Shi’s hands.

Wang Shi leaned closer and noticed that Old Madam Gu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Beneath her closed eyelids, her eyeballs seemed to shift faintly, and a weak, barely audible moan escaped her lips.

“Mother, Mother!” Wang Shi quickly passed the teacup to a maid and called out excitedly.

The others in the room, overcome with hope, all crowded around the canopy bed. Gu Yan Fei remained motionless, her gaze falling once more on Old Madam Gu’s forehead. The dark aura that had previously lingered around her brow had completely dissipated.

For a mortal, this Shangqing Daoist does indeed have some skill, she thought. If the spiritual energy in this small world were richer, he might even have the opportunity to draw qi into his body and step onto the true Daoist path.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Gu Yan Fei’s eyes shifted again to Shangqing Zhenren, who stood by the window. His once-bright, piercing eyes now betrayed a hint of weariness. The wind stirred his Daoist robe, making it billow like drifting clouds or rising mist.

Amid the crowd’s eager calls, Old Madam Gu finally began to open her eyes. Her cloudy, unfocused gaze darted around uncertainly, as if she couldn’t quite place where she was.

Overcome with joy, Gu Jian exclaimed, “Mother, you’ve finally woken up!”