As Qin Liuxi expected, the return journey was extremely smooth; however, when she stayed at a post station during the trip, she heard travelers there talk about two bizarre incidents.
At Qing County, some people died mysteriously; their blood was completely drained, leaving only mummified corpses. Logically, to become a mummy would take a long time, but those people had clearly just died.
And it wasn’t just one person, but two or three, nor did it happen in just one place; the two locations were hundreds of miles apart.
"...Everyone says these deaths aren’t caused by ordinary people, but by demons and evil spirits. Some Taoists say it’s a drought demon appearing, now bringing calamity to the mortal world, and next year there might be drought disasters!"
The emergence of a drought demon and the onset of a drought disaster, this is a legend from ancient times.
"I also heard about it, and some from the Taoist Sects have sent disciples to investigate."
"If it really is the doing of demons or ghosts, that’s truly frightening. How can living people withstand it?"
"Exactly. Hey, we should go get some peace charms for protection. Whether they work or not, let’s buy some peace of mind first."
"Right, right. By the way, I heard that in Qing State there’s a famous Qinglan Temple, their peace charms are very effective. I heard that Qinglan Temple has also sent people out to vanquish evil and suppress demons. After we finish our business here, shall we make a trip to pay our respects?"
The voices from the neighboring table weren’t too loud, but everyone nearby, including Huo Lang and several other guards, heard everything clearly.
Who has the strongest peace charms?
Definitely the talismans drawn by Master Buqiu!
Huo Lang and the others looked eagerly towards Qin Liuxi: Master, we also want to buy some peace of mind.
She put down her chopsticks, her brows slightly furrowed.
She remembered what the Ghost Messenger had mentioned before about an evil ghost escaping, could these strange incidents be related to that evil ghost?
"Young Master?" Chen Pi saw she stopped eating and asked, "Should I ask the kitchen to make you another bowl of clear soup noodles?"
"No need." Qin Liuxi turned to the man at the next table who first brought up the matter and smiled, "Good sir, if you seek a peace charm, I happen to have one here. One hundred taels of silver, interested?"
The man, who was burly and robust, had just taken a sip of tea, nearly choked to death when he heard Qin Liuxi’s offer.
"What nonsense, a peace charm for a hundred silver taels, are you planning to rob someone?" The man glared, "A peace charm from Qinglan Temple costs one silver and you can get one drawn by the temple master. Is yours imbued with the spirit of a god to be so effective?"
Against such sarcasm, Qin Liuxi remained unbothered and smilingly replied, "It’s true that one silver can get you a peace charm from the Qinglan Temple Master, but you need to be alive to seek it, right?"
"What are you implying? Cursing my Brother Niu?" Another person at the table stood up, slamming the table and glaring fiercely at her.
Huo Lang and the others swiftly stood up, taking a stance in front of Qin Liuxi’s table, looking imposing.
Seeing their readiness, the man swallowed his saliva, appearing somewhat intimidated.
Qin Liuxi stood up, walked over to the man called Brother Niu, took out a peace charm and said, "A hundred taels to save your life, it’s worth it. This way, you can still go home to see your two sons, can’t you?"
The man and his companion both froze, their faces changing slightly. How did she know?
Brother Niu immediately took out a silver note from his chest, exactly one hundred taels, and said, "Little brother, for a hundred taels in exchange for my life, it indeed isn’t expensive. I’ll take it."
Qin Liuxi handed over the triangulated amulet and added a piece of advice, "Brother, when you travel by water, you should be more cautious."
If it weren’t for the fact that this man’s ancestors had accumulated virtue, she wouldn’t have bothered to speak.
Brother Niu’s breath hitched; he wanted to ask a few questions, but Qin Liuxi had already walked away, while Huo Lang blocked his way, saying, "Brother, you’re lucky. If you really get through this ordeal, remember to go to Li City Qingping Temple and offer incense oil to the Grandmaster as thanks."
A brush with death – if one can survive it, isn’t that a stroke of immense luck?
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