Oops! The Black Lotus Can't Be a Female Supporting Character - Chapter 8
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- Chapter 8 - What Should Be Above is Below
Chapter 8: What Should Be Above is Below
… ?°•???•°? ..
“They say Duke Weiguo is seriously ill…” Lu San asked her question, “What exactly is the illness Duke Weiguo has?”
Princess Ning Shu replied, “My father said that Duke Weiguo has been on the battlefield for decades, with old injuries from years past. His health has not been good in recent years, and he started running a high fever and persistent cough after getting caught in the rain last month.”
“Duke Weiguo’s mansion has invited many physicians from the capital city, including several imperial physicians. They’ve tried acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary supplements, but nothing has worked. His condition has only worsened over time.”
“My father inquired at the Imperial Hospital, and the chief physician said that while Duke Weiguo may seem robust on the outside, he is riddled with internal issues, lacking vital energy, which led to his susceptibility to wind-cold stagnation and heat, resulting in abscesses. These past few days, he can hardly breathe, and he’s coughing up blood continuously, unable to get out of bed… It’s hard to imagine what might happen if this continues.”
“‘Hard to imagine’ is the polite way the physician put it, but anyone can tell that Duke Weiguo has essentially been sentenced to death by the physician.”
Xiao Yanfei listened and furrowed her brows.
High fever and cough after getting caught in the rain… Eventually, the patient struggles to breathe and coughs up blood.
Hmm, could it be that Duke Weiguo has pneumonia caused by a cold?
If pneumonia goes untreated for a long time and turns into severe pneumonia, with ancient medical practices, it can be quite challenging to treat. No wonder Duke Weiguo’s condition is worsening.
Xiao Luanfei sighed, “Gu Yue must be really worried these days.”
“Yes. Duke Weiguo’s mansion is in chaos right now, and unfortunately, Gu Feichi has been assigned to work outside the capital,” Princess Ning Shu casually added, “Otherwise, this…”
In her father’s words, it’s precisely because Gu Feichi is away from the capital that Duke Weiguo’s wife is running wild, alternately inviting Taoists and shamans to the mansion and stirring up rumors about blessings and ceremonies.
The words “ceremony” were on the tip of her tongue but were swallowed back, with a gentle bite on her cherry lips.
Mother Empress always said she talks too much, without a filter on her mouth.
“Don’t even mention that Gu demon!” Lu San shivered at the mention of that name and swallowed hard, “Let’s hurry up the mountain. I heard that seeking a talisman for safety before noon is the most effective.”
Duke Weiguo’s heir, Gu Feichi, disfigured his face in a battle with the Western Rong people when he was thirteen years old. Since then, he has worn a half-face mask all day and his personality has drastically changed. He became known for his ruthlessness and cold-bloodedness in the capital city and earned the nickname “Gu Luosha.”
(Luosha: fierce and malevolent being)
The original owner not only knew of Gu Feichi but had also seen him once.
It was about a year and a half ago. At that time, the original owner was still living in the village. A group of refugees had taken control of the nearby hills, burning, killing, and looting in several villages, causing turmoil in the region.
The original owner was terrified and sent a message to Concubine Cui to have her return to the Huo mansion, but the message seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
Later on, the village where the original owner lived was set on fire by the band of outlaws.
The fire spread quickly, and the original owner barely managed to escape. It was just in time for Gu Feichi to arrive with his troops to suppress the bandits.
Gu Feichi was wearing a black mask that covered half his face, and his entire body was stained with blood. He mercilessly cut the neck of one of the bandits with a sword, and in the next moment, an arrow pierced his right forearm.
The sharp arrowhead was dripping with blood…
Even in her memories, Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but shudder.
It must have been very painful.
Xiao Luanfei smiled and greeted her, “Second sister, let’s go quickly.”
The young princess didn’t like having a group of people following her, finding it annoying. She left all the maidservants at the foot of the mountain, and she and a few others walked up the winding stone steps towards the mountaintop.
On both sides of the mountain road, there were lush trees, and the dense tree canopy blocked the harsh sunlight. The shade was thick, and the greenery was abundant.
The incense in West Forest Temple is really good. Along the way, there were many people going up and down the mountain.
During the Great Jing Dynasty, compared to the conservative customs of the previous dynasty, both the laws and social norms were more lenient towards women, allowing them to go out freely.
Among the pilgrims traveling back and forth, there were also young girls traveling together with them.
Xiao Yanfei enthusiastically walked up the mountain while admiring the surrounding scenery.
The mountain breeze gently blew, and vibrant azaleas, peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and more swayed in the wind, creating a beautiful spring scene.
Clusters of beautiful flowers adorned the branches, and when the wind blew, the petals trembled and emitted a faint fragrance.
Xiao Yanfei took a few breaths, paused on a stone step, and continued her ascent. She then noticed Princess Ning Shu, who had her hair caught by a peach branch.
Ning Shu was tugging at the tangled hair with frustration, causing the peach branch to sway and exuding an impatient aura.
Xiao Yanfei looked closely and realized that there was a green and furry caterpillar crawling on the peach branch.
The caterpillar wriggled its chubby body along the branch, slowly approaching Princess Ning Shu.
“Ahh!” Princess Ning Shu cried out in fear, her eyes welled up with tears, on the verge of crying.
She tugged harder at her hair, but in her haste, it only got tangled more tightly.
“Don’t move,” Xiao Yanfei quickly bent down, picked up a twig from the ground, and gently brought the tip closer to the caterpillar.
Ning Shu bit her lower lip tightly, nearly drawing blood, and stared unblinkingly as the caterpillar slowly crawled onto the twig in Xiao Yanfei’s hand.
Xiao Yanfei smiled charmingly with a tilted face and casually tossed the twig into the nearby flower bushes, clapping her hands crisply.
Problem solved!
Princess Ning Shu’s eyes widened, momentarily forgetting about her tangled hair. Her pupils plainly expressed:
You’re not afraid? You’re amazing!
Xiao Yanfei smiled and casually helped Princess Ning Shu remove the strands of hair entwined on a peach branch, saying, “All done.”
Princess Ning Shu, still a bit shaken, dryly asked, “What are you… laughing at?”
Xiao Yanfei raised her chin and mimicked the tone of the princess, “Truly delicate, aren’t you?”
Princess Ning Shu:…
She pouted, stomped her foot, and tossed her head, walking away in a huff.
After a few steps, she sneaked a glance and accidentally locked eyes with Xiao Yanfei.
She quickly averted her gaze, made a slight hum, pretending to be admiring the scenery.
Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but laugh at this.
They continued on their way to the mountaintop, and when they arrived, they were all slightly out of breath from the climb.
Princess Ning Shu had informed the West Forest Temple in advance, so a young novice monk of about five or six years old was eagerly waiting at the temple’s entrance.
“Young novice Jing Wu greets the honorable female visitors,” the plump young novice monk greeted them with a smile and led them inside.
Inside the temple, ancient trees towered, and grand halls were scattered throughout, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere.
The air was filled with a rich aroma of incense.
“Novice Jing Wu,” stepping over the temple’s high threshold, Princess Ning Shu couldn’t wait and asked, “Have you finished making the protective amulets for today?”
“We have indeed. Honorable female visitors, please follow me,” the young novice monk Jing Wu grinned. “Would you like to draw a divination lot as well? Today, our temple’s abbot, Master Huai Yuan, will personally interpret the lots for the worshippers.”
While speaking, the young novice monk led them towards the Great Hero Hall.
Princess Ning Shu and Lady Lu San both had their eyes light up.
“That’s great. Our luck is really good today.”
“Let’s also get a safety talisman for Gu Yue. I’ll bring it to her later.”
“…”
As they chatted and laughed, they followed the young novice monk to the Great Hero Hall, where everyone prayed for safety talismans, including Xiao Yanfei.
Xiao Yanfei might not have believed in the supernatural before, but now that she had even crossed over, what couldn’t she believe?
She carefully placed the safety talisman in the purse at her waist and then joined them in queuing to enter the hall, offering incense, and paying respects to the Buddha, as if they were on a tourist outing, full of excitement.
She even imitated them and shook the divination cylinder, drawing a divination lot. However, while others received auspicious messages in their divination lots, hers read:
“Peach and plum trees bloom in response to the spring breeze, traveling west and then returning east, with no worries at home, the boat sails amidst the waves.”
(Short interpretation: Planting at the wrong time, drifting without a clear direction, a difficult journey when traveling far, and turbulence in the family.)
No matter how Xiao Yanfei looked at it, she felt like this was an unlucky divination.
She sighed silently but still followed the guidance of the novice monk, carrying the divination lot and heading toward the northwest corner of the main hall along with Xiao Luanfei.
“Abbot, these two female benefactors would like to inquire about their divination results,” Jing Wu respectfully addressed an elderly monk sitting in the corner.
Master Huai Yuan, well into his senior years, had slightly drooping eyelids and a serene appearance, clad in a crimson monk’s robe. He exuded an air of transcendence from the mundane world.
“You go first, younger sister,” Xiao Luanfei said.
Xiao Yanfei didn’t hesitate and handed her divination lot to the old monk, saying, “Thank you, Master.”
Master Huai Yuan took the divination lot, glanced at the message, and sighed, “Wandering without a fixed destination, troubles at home as well…”
As he spoke, he looked up at Xiao Yanfei, but to her surprise, he fell silent, staring at her intently.
The old monk’s eyes were wise and profound, as if he could perceive everything in the world, making Xiao Yanfei feel as though she was being thoroughly scrutinized.
Master Huai Yuan stared at Xiao Yanfei for a while, seemingly lost in thought and then baffled. He whispered, “Your fate doesn’t seem to be as it should be.”
“The universe is upside down; what should be above is below, and what should be below is above…”
Xiao Luanfei’s tail finger stiffened for a moment, and the bamboo stick in her hand dropped to the ground. She sighed, “Master, your understanding of Buddhism is truly profound, every word you say is deep.”
“Second sister,” she picked up the bamboo stick placed on the table, covering her lips with a handkerchief, seemingly unable to bear the strong smell of incense lingering in the hall, “the scent of sandalwood here is a bit strong, let’s go outside for some fresh air.”
She turned her face slightly, avoiding the gaze of Master Huai Yuan, and tightly held Xiao Yanfei’s wrist as if trying to grasp something.
“Let’s go.” Xiao Luanfei led Xiao Yanfei straight out of the Grand Hero Hall, all the way to the bodhi tree outside the hall, its lush canopy acting like a large umbrella above.
The tree branches were adorned with hundreds of red strings, each one hanging in mid-air like a tree full of flowers.
“Second sister, don’t worry too much about the divination stick.” Xiao Luanfei, holding the bamboo stick that Xiao Yanfei drew, consoled softly, “Grandmother said that if you draw an unfavorable lot, you can burn it with incense, and your bad luck will dissipate.”
With that, she tossed the bamboo stick into the copper incense burner in front of her, where paper money was being burnt.
The slender bamboo stick was devoured by the flames in the burner in the blink of an eye, and the flames shot up.
In this lifetime, Xiao Yanfei could only be a “concubine”!
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Translated By: Allthingsfluff