Huo Sining’s mouth twitched. She wasn’t even twenty years old yet, and even if she sat among the experts, people might not believe her. Had her master’s brain been clamped by a door?
But Zhou Shitao didn’t care about what Huo Sining was thinking internally. He shoved the invitation into her arms, "That settles it then. The event is in August; by that time, you’ll be on summer vacation, so it won’t interfere with your studies. Besides, it’s just a show. Just take it easy."
Was she not allowed to refuse? From setting her up at Panjiayuan to coercing her into becoming his disciple at Chun Jing Garden, Huo Sining had long realized her master was unreliable. However, unreliable as he might be, she could never have imagined he’d be this outrageous.
It wasn’t child’s play, could he really do this? Imagining a minor sitting awkwardly among a bunch of elderly experts, the scene felt more and more bizarre the more she thought about it.
Quietly slipping the invitation into her backpack, Huo Sining suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, Master, how are things at the ancient tomb in Taicheng?"
"The excavation of the tomb is progressing smoothly. It has now been preliminarily confirmed to be Princess Yongmu’s Tomb."
Seeing the puzzled look on Huo Sining’s face, Zhou Shitao explained, "It’s the one who married and then became a nun at Mount Wutai, the eldest daughter of Emperor Tang Xuanzong."
Huo Sining was not very familiar with Tang Dynasty history or the details about Princess Yongmu, but thinking of that eerie Tri-colored Tang Horse made Xie Junwan shiver, "Master, what’s the deal with that Tang horse?"
Zhou Shitao had not planned on bringing it up, but since Huo Sining had asked, he no longer intended to conceal it:
"It’s not uncommon for tombs to hold secrets. That Tang horse was probably subjected to the Yan Zhen Witchcraft. This spell is mainly used against tomb raiders, but it usually only affects those with malevolent intent. Righteous individuals should not be influenced."
Huo Sining was stunned when she heard ’Yan Zhen Witchcraft,’ a term she was hearing for the first time but from the literal meaning, she could already guess what it was about.
However, Huo Sining still found the idea absurd, akin to the acts of charlatans performing spirit-possession rituals, but seeing Zhou Shitao’s serious expression, she knew he wasn’t joking.
"I know you probably don’t believe it. I didn’t when I was young, not until I had an encounter with some Miao People and witnessed Miaojiang Witchcraft firsthand. There are numerous historical records about Witch Gu in the Imperial Court annals. Though modern scholarship considers it superstitious nonsense, that’s not my view."
Zhou Shitao smiled, "That Tri-colored Tang Horse should be a Yan Zhen object, and having been stored in the ancient tomb for nearly a thousand years, it naturally possesses a strong malevolent aura. Ordinary people who lack robust vitality might fall under the spell, ensnared by that Witch Gu."
Zhou Shitao’s words would seem ridiculous to others, but Huo Sining, having personally seen the malevolent aura on the Tang horse in Taicheng, had no doubts. It’s just that she hadn’t expected the item to be related to Witch Gu.
Thinking of this, Huo Sining felt a chill run down her spine. Being a woman, she naturally embodied Yin, and if not for the protection of the Azure Pearl that day, or the subsequent rituals by Old Fangzhang, the dark, sinister energy would have likely entered her body by now, and she knew all too well that it would be harmful.
Zhou Shitao was unaware that Huo Sining had thought through so much in just an instant. Satisfied with her foundational knowledge over the past period, he finished discussing the TV station’s affairs and waved his hand to dismiss her, signaling that she could leave.
Just as she reached the doorway, she saw her master’s wife, Grandmother Zhou, wielding a small hoe in the yard.
Perhaps sensing Huo Sining’s departure, Grandmother Zhou, who was ready to work energetically, stopped her movements, "Are you planning to head back, Huo girl?"
Upon seeing the hoe in Grandmother Zhou’s hand, Huo Sining hurriedly approached, "Master’s wife, why have you started doing this?"
"This is the spring orchid Xiao Ji gave me at the beginning of the season. And as I was taking care of it, I somehow managed to make it sick. I was afraid it would die if I kept it in the pot, so I thought I’d try to transplant it into this patch of earth, see if it could survive."
Grandmother Zhou didn’t find it odd at all and, smiling, waved her hand and wiped her forehead with her sleeve:
"Ah, when you get old, your body isn’t what it used to be. I used to dig this bit of earth without it taking much effort, but now I get winded from barely any exertion."
From inside the house, Zhou Shitao followed Huo Sining out and, hearing Grandmother Zhou’s words, immediately laughed, "Digging is hard physical labor, meant for the young. Even if you were fit, you shouldn’t work yourself like you’re still young."
Huo Sining couldn’t help but smile, "I didn’t expect my master’s mother to have such an elegant hobby, and even know how to care for orchids."
The moment Grandmother Zhou heard Huo Sining say this, she laughed and waved her hands dismissively, "What do I know about orchids? It was all Xiao Ji’s doing."
Seeing Huo Sining’s gaze fall on the pot of orchids, Grandmother Zhou couldn’t help but sigh softly, and with a somewhat embarrassed air, she said, "There won’t be a ’next time’ for putting on such genteel airs. An old lady like me, what do I know about orchids? Orchids are precious and difficult to tend to; if you don’t pay attention, they easily fall sick. These few Spring Orchids were specially propagated by Xiao Ji from a cutting of a fine Spring Orchid, but what a pity..."
Huo Sining paused when she heard Grandmother Zhou’s words.
She had thought they were just a few common orchids and hadn’t paid much attention, but upon hearing that they were propagated from a fine variety of Spring Orchid, she couldn’t help but look more closely at the sickly orchid grass in the pot.
She remembered that at Qingmu Fish Farm, she had obtained seven Golden Lotus Seeds from Tian Tian and had used Azure Pearl’s Spiritual Energy to stimulate spores from those seeds.
If the Azure Pearl could stimulate spores and heal injuries and diseases in humans and animals, could it possibly be effective in treating plant diseases too?
This thought made Huo Sining pause, her eyes shining with excitement and anticipation as she looked at the orchid grass.
"Master’s mother, let me help you plant this. You should rest for a while!" Huo Sining said, taking the hoe from Grandmother Zhou’s hands and beginning to dig in the yard.
"My goodness, can you handle this, girl, with your delicate skin?" doubted Grandmother Zhou, as these days, youngsters were often too pampered to handle rough manual labor.
Huo Sining laughed, "You might not know this, but I lived in the rural areas of Bashu for eighteen years. I’ve done this sort of work since I was little. It’s not a problem for me!"
Laughing, Huo Sining worked quickly; soon, she had dug a hole and carefully transplanted the orchid grass from the pot into the ground.
While transplanting the orchid grass, Huo Sining did not forget to channel the Azure Pearl’s Spiritual Energy from the roots into the body of the orchid grass.