"The whole thing was stirred up by the Third Child and his wife."
Ji Youyuan raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Hmm?"
Huo Xing’Er sighed. "They had a quarrel, right in front of Mother at the Eighth Child’s celebration banquet. Mother got angry and reprimanded the Third Child. When Xiaosuisui chimed in with a word, Mother took her away. We didn’t think much of it then, figuring at worst the Third Child would just lose some money. We never imagined it would escalate into such a disaster, practically a calamity."
Ji Youyuan’s frown deepened as he listened.
"Then what does this have to do with the Buddhist faction?"
"It just so happened that you wrote to the Second Child, asking him to go to the Illusion Sect. Mother, worried something might be wrong with Eldest Sister-in-law, took us to Qixia Temple to offer incense. There, she attracted a Tiger King, learned its Solar Staff Technique, and also inadvertently revealed her power where her words can manifest effects. While the Third Child and Zhu Xiuxiu were boasting about Suisui’s past glorious deeds, they didn’t realize that old monk Liao Kong had overheard."
The more Ji Youyuan heard, the darker his expression became.
"Now, Liao Kong is adamant that Xiaosuisui must become a nun and be edified by the Buddhist Dharma to reduce the negative karma she has unknowingly accumulated!"
Every word Huo Xing’Er spoke made Ji Youyuan’s face darken further.
Although she hadn’t provided all the details, he wasn’t a fool. With a bit of logical deduction, he could grasp the general situation.
"Becoming a nun and converting to Buddhism is out of the question! Suisui is still so young; she has her whole life ahead of her. We can’t just let her become a nun!"
Suisui quickly nodded, showing she didn’t want her head shaved. "Being bald is so ugly! Suisui doesn’t want to be bald!" She gripped the little tufts of hair on her head tightly with her small hands.
"If you didn’t want your head shaved, why did you pull me in here so early? I was just three breaths away from getting you out and fleeing to the Capital City! Once you were in the Imperial Palace, under the protection of His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, what could that old monk Liao Kong possibly do to you?"
But just when they were on the brink of escape, Xiaosuisui had unexpectedly thwarted her plans.
This little troublemaker!
Xiaosuisui blinked, looking utterly innocent. "I didn’t know!"
She hadn’t left the space since entering it, so she had no idea what her Second Aunt was doing.
Huo Xing’Er was left speechless and eventually chose to remain silent.
"So, you’re saying all of you are being detained at Qixia Temple?"
Liao Kong? He was the foremost figure in the Central Plains Buddhist community. With him present, forget Huo Xing’Er; even he himself couldn’t hope to escape Liao Kong’s grasp unscathed!
"I reckon everyone from our Ji Mansion is probably locked up in a secret room in Qixia Temple by now."
Indeed, Huo Xing’Er was right. However, it wasn’t everyone from the Ji Mansion who was held captive—only Huo Xing’Er and Xiaosuisui. Qixia Temple only wanted Xiaosuisui. Huo Xing’Er was detained solely because of her high Cultivation and her many magical artifacts.
The Punishment-Bestowing Divine Brush was highly spiritual. After its Master fainted, it automatically entered her Sea of Consciousness. Even Liao Kong and the Abbot, working together, couldn’t manage to seize it.
"So, do you have any countermeasures now?" Ji Youyuan asked.
Huo Xing’Er hesitated, not speaking immediately. Actually, she had considered simply staying at Qixia Temple, waiting for her Eldest Brother to receive her letter and come to their rescue. But she also feared that delays might lead to unforeseen complications, which is why she had thought of sending Suisui to the Imperial Palace first to buy time.
Before she could speak, Old Lady Ji interjected, "A tentative plan has been formed, but it requires your deliberation. And ultimately, Eldest, it will likely require you to return and take action personally!"
Ji Youyuan hadn’t expected his own mother to already have a plan. Hearing this, he quickly said, "Mother, please tell me!"
"Suisui’s inability to control her power, where her words manifest effects, is indeed a problem. She’s always causing trouble with what she says. This must be addressed. I was thinking of having her cultivate the Buddhist vow of silence..."
"Absolutely not!"
Old Lady Ji hadn’t even finished her sentence when both Huo Xing’Er and Ji Youyuan vehemently objected.