For three consecutive days, Qin Liuxi had been treating the Old Princess Consort, and as the Mid-Autumn Festival was drawing near, the Qin Family in Li City, seeing that she showed no signs of returning home, grew increasingly restless.
Old Mrs. Qin had said more than once that she wanted to visit the Daoist Temple to see Master Chi Yuan. After much effort, Mrs. Wang managed to appease her, but the latter could not help but want to ask Qi Huang whether Qin Liuxi had decided not to come home for the festival.
Qi Huang was rather busy at that moment—busy stopping someone.
Mrs. Xie and her daughters.
"Second Madam, our Miss is not here, so we won’t invite you in for tea," Qi Huang said with formality.
Mrs. Xie was furious.
She had been feeling suffocated lately, cooped up at home every day, engaging in needlework, eating simple meals, wearing plain hemp clothing, unable to go out and wander, and even more unable to interact with anyone. This was a far cry from her previous life, and she was already harboring a fire inside her.
Especially seeing her own children becoming less lively, losing weight, and lacking the usual spiritedness, her heart ached greatly.
And now, a mere maid dared to stop her?
Within her anger, the once haughty demeanor of a mistress of a great household resurfaced.
With a fierce glare, Mrs. Xie scolded sharply, "What nonsense, even a cat or dog dares to lord over me? You have some nerve! I am Miss Xi’s legitimate Aunt, and if I want to sit in her room, is it your place, you lowly maid, to stop me? Move aside!"
She made a move to push, but before even touching Qi Huang, the latter stepped aside. Mrs. Xie stumbled, nearly falling over.
Qi Huang dodged the attempt and blocked her again, saying coldly, "My Miss said that when she’s not here, no one is to enter her room. Please, Second Madam, respect yourself."
Ah, now she had something to seize upon.
Mrs. Xie immediately retorted, "Why can’t I enter? Is there something shady in her room? Is she hiding some illicit man?!"
Hearing this, Qi Huang’s face instantly turned icy, staring straight at Mrs. Xie, "Say that again!"
Her tone was extremely cold, and her aura had become menacing, as if she had transformed into another person, chilling Mrs. Xie to the bone.
"What, what if I said it?" Mrs. Xie stammered.
Qi Huang, however, cracked a smile and said, "If you wish to enter, then please do. Just be prepared for bad luck."
Saying this, she stepped aside.
Suddenly being granted access so easily, could there be a catch?
Thinking this, she dared not act rashly for a moment, but seeing Qi Huang’s mocking and provocative gaze, her head grew hot.
Mrs. Xie took a step in, but she didn’t see that Qi Huang’s smile turned cold as she made a gesture towards a certain spot in the Void. It was on top of the wall, a place not seen by ordinary people, where two little ghosts were perched, engrossedly watching the commotion.
Qi Huang couldn’t see them, but Qin Liuxi had once said that those two little ghosts were fixated on the Array Formation Spirit Qi set up in her courtyard, absorbing it from atop the wall.
As long as they didn’t harm anyone, Qin Liuxi let them be. They knew their place and willingly served as Gate Gods. Over the years, any petty thieves who thought to scale the wall were scared off, running away in absolute terror.
Now, as they watched this shrewish woman attempt a brazen intrusion into Master Qin’s territory and saw Qi Huang give a signal, the two sprang into action with a flutter of sleeves.
Just as Mrs. Xie stepped onto the stairs, one of the ghosts grabbed her foot.
Mrs. Xie, caught off guard, moved one foot forward while the other was stuck, causing her to lunge face first.
Two streams of blood burst from her nose!