Given the utterly inhuman ways that certain irresponsible and unscrupulous masters exploit their disciples, Qin Liuxi had no choice but to draw several Peace Talismans and other talismans for the Daoist Temple as a last resort.
Besides that, she contributed two-thirds of the ten thousand taels of silver she earned from her recent consultation.
According to her usual practice, she would have given half, but Qing Yuan, pointing at the peeling protective corner beasts and paint in the side hall with a melancholic voice, said,
"I heard from devotees who came to offer incense that the Qinglan Temple has been renovated inside and out, looking very grand. They said our Qingping Temple seems quite dilapidated in comparison, nowhere near as impressive. They even consecrated a golden statue for the Grandmaster, which is particularly majestic. Alas, the horns of the protective corner beasts have been struck by lightning for so long and still haven’t been fixed, and this paint is..."
"Stop talking!" Qin Liuxi’s eyes filled with anger as she clenched her teeth and pulled out another two thousand taels, "Let’s repair. If others have it, our Qingping Temple must have it too."
Qing Yuan guiltily reached out to take the silver, "How could this be right? You rarely do consultations, and if it wasn’t for the temple master taking the Incense money, you wouldn’t need to come to the rescue."
Such a green tea behavior!
Qin Liuxi gripped the silver note with reluctance, and just as Qing Yuan nearly tore it from her grasp, she loosened her hold and watched it fall into Qing Yuan’s sleeve with eyes closed.
Her hard-earned money!
As Qing Yuan pocketed the sum, he bowed, "Then I won’t disturb brother in his devoted cultivation anymore, I’ll arrange for repairs and stock up for winter right away. By the way, don’t forget to offer incense to the Grandmaster when you return, as instructed by the temple master."
Watching Qin Liuxi’s expression grow darker, Qing Yuan dared not provoke her further and hastily fled.
Arriving in the main hall with a look of utter despondence, Qin Liuxi picked up the incense to light it, held it with both hands to her chest, and bowed three times, holding the incense in her right hand, and first inserting one stick in the center, muttering words under her breath.
A Daoist boy came in holding fruits for the offering, thinking she was praying, but upon getting closer, realized it was not the same thing at all.
"...To take away the operation funds of the temple is one thing, but not even sparing the Incense money, weren’t you at home, old Taoist, when the temple master stretched out his hand? Were you off drinking with some fairy? Otherwise, why didn’t you strike down this unscrupulous old Taoist with lightning and let me take over as temple master?"
The Daoist boy’s hands trembled: Should he even be hearing this? Could he be silenced by Master Buqiu?
Qin Liuxi saw him holding the fruits and reached out to take an apple, biting into it with a crunch.
The Daoist boy nearly kneeled.
It was said that Master Buqiu was unruly and hard to control, but who would have thought she’d even dare snatch the offerings to the Grandmaster.
Grandmaster: Where is Duke of Thunder? Strike her!
Qin Liuxi looked up, noticing the Grandmaster’s brows seemed more furrowed, and smirked, saying, "Don’t worry, whatever Qinglan has, you will also have. Sooner or later, I will have someone regild your statue. We might lose some battles, but we won’t lose out altogether."
The Grandmaster’s brows relaxed, seemingly satisfied: Oh well, she’s our own rebellious disciple; we’ve spoiled her.
Meanwhile, at the Qinglan Temple.
Master Chi Yuan, currently in the Qinglan Temple Master’s courtyard, sneezed twice, saying, "It must be my disciple scolding me."
The Qinglan Temple Master said without amusement, "You can’t just take away all the silver from the temple."
"You don’t understand, she’s extremely lazy. If I don’t take it, she will rest on her laurels with silver at hand. You also know about her fate..." Master Chi Yuan sighed deeply, "Her deficit in merits is like a bottomless pit."
The Qinglan Temple Master pursed his lips, "In recent years, you’ve done quite a bit of good in her name to help her build up merits."
"It’s still not enough. If that day comes, then..." Chi Yuan paused, changing the subject, "Let’s not talk about this. How about we take a look at the matter of the dried corpse in Qing County?"