Seeing Qin Yi silent, Liu Su smiled a little and said, "This matter is indeed quite interesting. It probably has something to teach us about the level of cultivation in Ming He. Since you are in the middle of it, it’s even harder for you. Don’t feel too pressured. If he really wants to cultivate, just teach him. Nan Li is just a stop on your journey; don’t get too attached to it."
Qin Yi sighed, "Is there really nothing you can do about this curse?"
"If it were during my peak, I might have had a way. But right now, don’t expect much," Liu Su replied. "However, you all seem confused and have forgotten the most important part. I think Ming He is clearer about the situation. She’s a bit interesting; she says you don’t seem like a cultivator, but deep down, she’s also feeling complicated and is trying to help you all."
Qin Yi suddenly remembered that Ming He had been underground and hadn’t come out.
He realized, "Right! Dong Huazi's own cultivation place must have records of related witchcraft!"
Qin Yi rushed back and immediately saw a small door open next to Dong Huazi’s death site. Inside, Ming He stood with her hands behind her back, frowning at several layers of bookshelves.
Qin Yi asked with some anticipation, "Did you find anything, friend?"
"There are various Dao scriptures and records of techniques and formations," Ming He said. "Many of them are from different systems, mixed with techniques for both cultivation and death… Dong Huazi just gathered them without understanding their details."
Qin Yi didn’t care whether Dong Huazi could cultivate or not. "So, there’s no witchcraft?"
"There is, but it’s unsolvable," Ming He handed over a scroll and said, "I think you should take a look; you might gain something from it."
Qin Yi took it and unfolded it. It contained some spells and illustrations that seemed to relate to the curse. The paper didn’t look ancient, probably just a few years old, likely copied by Dong Huazi himself. But he understood why Ming He thought he should see it; the lines, textures, and style of the drawings felt somewhat familiar.
It was a bit like Liu Su's style.
He walked out a bit with the scroll, pretending to read it clearly while actually waiting for Liu Su to speak.
"This is indeed my style from back then. By today’s standards, it should be considered ancient witchcraft. I wonder where Dong Huazi got it," Liu Su said. "But it only has the curse, no solution. I can’t reverse-engineer a solution either."
"Can we find someone who understands witchcraft to break it?"
"Most likely not. To reverse-engineer a solution just from looking at the curse requires a great expert. Where would we find that?" Liu Su said. "However, this should just be a fragment. There must be a complete system somewhere. If we can find the full text, there should be a solution."
Qin Yi turned back to tell Ming He this. After thinking for a moment, she sighed, "Maybe I should send a message to my sect. Perhaps someone there can solve it."
She hesitated, took out a paper crane, placed the scroll on it, and with a flick of her delicate hand, the crane turned to light and vanished. After doing this, she shook her head and said, "Don’t have too much hope, friend. If my sect can’t solve it… or doesn’t want to, then I will be completely powerless in this matter."
Qin Yi bowed slightly, "Thank you very much."
Ming He gazed at him, suddenly smiling a bit, "You were the one watching the show before, and now you’re the one getting involved. But how come you seem so confident?"
"Uh…" Qin Yi didn’t know how to respond.
What’s so strange about it? People switch between different feelings based on their emotions. It’s just a lack of experience in the world, friend.
Ming He said, "It will take time for my sect to respond. Can you let me understand your sword formation now?"
Qin Yi gestured for her to proceed, "Stay as long as you want, fairy."
The way he switched between calling her friend and fairy made Ming He a bit annoyed. She felt that when others called her "fairy," it was out of respect, but when Qin Yi said it, it felt a bit teasing.
Back at the prince's residence, Qin Yi saw Ye Ling sitting on the steps with her knees hugged to her chest. When she noticed Ming He following Qin Yi, her head quickly dropped to her knees, and her wings flipped up to cover her head tightly.
She kept muttering to herself, wondering why this troublemaker had come. Qin Yi needed to hurry and get her out of here…
Qin Yi said, "Ming He will be staying here for a while."
With a loud "thud," Ye Ling rolled down the steps in a ball.
Qin Yi quickly caught her and asked, "Where is Qing Jun?"
Ye Ling held her head and cautiously peeked at Ming He, answering, "She’s in the inner courtyard, keeping company with her sister-in-law. Those two monsters came earlier, and the princess seemed startled."
Qin Yi tapped his head. Li Qing Jun had once said her brother had many concubines. But after staying in the prince's residence for so long, he hadn’t even seen the princess's face and didn’t know if Li Qing Lin had any children, let alone any other concubines.
At this age, Li Qing Lin should be in his twenties and have children, but he had never heard of any. That guy really didn’t take care of his own household and never talked about these "boring" matters.
Qin Yi didn’t know how to evaluate this… By his behavior, it seemed quite heartless. But compared to modern family gatherings where eight out of ten topics are about marriage and children, Li Qing Lin seemed a bit more comfortable.
On the other hand, if there were children, as long as Li Qing Lin could hold on for a few more years until they grew up, they could inherit his ambitions, and this country could still follow the path he wanted.
Turning back, he saw Ye Ling still hiding behind him, peeking at Ming He. Qin Yi couldn’t help but pull her out again, "Ming He won’t hit you anymore, so don’t be nervous."
"Really? Really?"
Ming He suddenly spoke, "That’s not necessarily true."
Ye Ling jumped up and ran away like the wind, her legs moving as fast as wheels.
Qin Yi was speechless, "Why scare a child?"
"Do you really think she’s just a cute child? Then you’re the real child," Ming He said calmly. "Besides, a twelve-year-old girl is not a child."
"Hey! You…"
Ming He ignored him, leaving that remark before heading into the back courtyard to observe the sword formation.
Qin Yi wanted to follow her in but turned to see Li Qing Jun coming back looking a bit haggard. He hurried over, "What happened?"
"Brother… did something happen?" Li Qing Jun looked up at him. "He just returned to the residence, and his voice sounded like he aged decades. When his sister-in-law asked, he exploded in anger."
Qin Yi cautiously asked, "Did the monsters come earlier? The child wasn’t scared, right?"
"No," Li Qing Jun replied. "The baby girl in swaddling doesn’t understand anything yet."
"A girl… baby?" Qin Yi was stunned.
Li Qing Jun said, "You must be hiding something from me. One is my closest brother, and the other is my favorite man. Why do you keep everything from me? Am I really that untrustworthy?"
By the end, her voice had risen, finally losing her temper.
Qin Yi gently hugged her and softly comforted, "I’m sorry about earlier… I just didn’t want you and your brother to be at odds."
"And now?" Li Qing Jun pulled away from him angrily. "What’s the matter now?"
Qin Yi paused for a moment and quietly said, "If, and I mean if, Brother Qing Lin doesn’t become king, what would you do?"
Li Qing Jun's heart skipped a beat as she looked seriously into Qin Yi's eyes.
After a long while, she slowly said, "You mean, brother will die?"
Before Qin Yi could answer, she continued, "If brother dies, I will become the king, and when the child grows up, I will pass the throne to her."
Liu Su let out a long sigh.
The three who left Xianji Village together…
Once rejecting immortality, now they cultivate.
Once doubting immortality, now they seek to cultivate.
Once wanting to freely seek immortality, they might now be stuck in the capital.
In the back courtyard, Ming He stood by the sword formation, but her gaze drifted outside, watching Qin Yi and Li Qing Jun standing face to face, lost in thought.
(End of Chapter)