If what Bai Yu said was true, then the fire at the Great Avalokitesvara Temple was definitely not an accidental event!!
After the fire, although the Buddha's suppressing spiritual power still remained, the buildings had collapsed, which would allow those with ill intentions to take advantage of the situation.
Sheng Shixun was definitely one such person with bad intentions!
The Great Avalokitesvara Temple had been burned down. As an expert in ancient building restoration, Sheng Shixun didn't even need an invitation from the temple. He could come and offer help in the name of an expert and gain a great deal of favor.
"Sheng Shixun has some good tricks," I muttered to myself, my hands clenched tightly. It felt as if a huge stone was pressing on my heart. By now, Sheng Shixun was probably already figuring out how to release the evil ghost that had even prevented Lord Mu Yuan from returning to the mortal world...
Moreover, most importantly, the demon core that was meant for the Gu family's baby had been snatched away by Sheng Shixun. This was my fault. If he discovered the One - Eyed Buddha Mother inside the demon core, with his ability to arouse the desires of evil ghosts, he would surely re - stir up the resentment of the One - Eyed Buddha Mother that I had managed to soothe!!
The longer the demon core remained in Sheng Shixun's hands, the greater the chance that the One - Eyed Buddha Mother would be discovered.
"Grandma, there's no use getting anxious now. Our abilities are limited. If we act rashly, we'll only cause trouble for our family," Bai Yu whispered to me when he noticed my strange expression. "Didn't Mr. Si say he'd come? It's just a little over an hour. How much worse can it get?"
"Yeah, calm down," I finally relaxed my fists and forced a smile at Bai Yu. "I don't like acting on impulse."
I felt a natural sense of closeness to this prematurely mature boy. Maybe it was because of Granny Bai, or perhaps it was because our personalities were somewhat similar.
Like me, he had a somewhat aloof calmness. Even when his relatives and friends were in trouble, he could assess the situation and find the best solution.
"That's good. May I ask, can you draw talismans?" Bai Yu opened a small wooden door on the wall behind the counter and said to me, "If you can, you might as well use this hour or so to make more talismans. I don't think my grandpa can be counted on. He definitely went there to see his precious grandson. Even if the baby hadn't called, after he rescued you, he would have found an excuse to go see Gu Xiaoliu."
Bai Yu's words dispelled some of my nervousness, and I couldn't help but smile.
Following Bai Yu through the small door, I found that there was a whole new world behind the store. There was a small courtyard with a room on each side. There were several pots of succulents, their plump and round shapes making one want to reach out and pinch them.
Bai Yu fished out a key from under a red flower pot and opened the door on the left. "This is where my grandpa usually makes magical tools and draws talismans. You can use his things. The cinnabar and gold paper are all ready."
"…Thank you," I said as I stepped into the room. I was surprised to find that Lu Tianchang's room was antique and elegant, completely out of tune with his impatient personality.
Right in front of the door was a wide ebony table, on which was a complete set of Ru porcelain stationery in sky - blue color. The water container and pen rest were already filled with spider - web - like cracks, looking so beautiful with an ancient charm.
There were papers and brushes scattered on the table, and several yellow papers with the beginnings and endings of talismans drawn on them were casually thrown there.
When Bai Yu saw me walk to the table and pick up the cinnabar brush, he quietly backed out and closed the door.
I calmed my mind, recited incantations, and my fingers holding the cinnabar brush seemed to be guided by the gods. The brush danced nimbly on the paper, and the beginning, the core, and the end of the talisman instantly emerged. A demon - suppressing talisman was completed.
Demon - suppressing talismans, evil - expelling talismans, ghost - capturing talismans...
I wanted to draw all the talismans that I thought would be useful.
Sheng Shixun had laid out such a grand scheme this time. He probably had a sure - fire plan!
Actually, whether he became a god or not had nothing to do with me. But he wanted to use my relatives and friends as stepping - stones to become a superior being. This was something I could never tolerate!
My mind was completely immersed in communicating with the gods and injecting my spiritual consciousness into the talismans. I gradually entered a state of complete oblivion...
"Boom!" "Boom!"...
At some point, faint rumbling thunder came from the sky. The light shining in through the small window beside the door had dimmed. It seemed that the sky had turned overcast and a heavy rain was about to pour down.
"Creak..."
Since I had been distracted by the scene outside the window, the momentum of my talisman - drawing had weakened a lot. Just as I put down the brush and was about to take a break, the door was pushed open from the outside.
A young woman in her thirties walked in.
"Hey? Who are you?" The woman seemed very familiar with this room. When she saw me, she frowned slightly and asked, "Who allowed you to mess with my brother's things?"
I was a bit confused by her confident questioning. I walked out from behind the table and said, "Bai Yu said I could use the things here..."
"Bai Yu?!" The woman's slender eyebrows knitted together, and she snorted, "Even some little brute dares to boss around in our house?!"
"Your... house?" I was even more surprised. Bai Yu was Lu Xiyu's adopted son and seemed to be quite authoritative in this store. Why did this woman call him a "little brute" as soon as she opened her mouth?
"Humph, get out of here quickly. There are a lot of valuable antique magical tools in my brother's room. If you have sticky fingers and steal a few, who can we complain to?!" As she said this, she reached out to grab my arm.
I narrowed my eyes and suddenly took a step back. I casually picked up the cinnabar brush that I had placed on the Ru porcelain brush holder and pointed it at the woman's forehead between her eyebrows.
I had already noticed something strange about this woman!
I could never clearly see her clothes or her face... It was only noon. Even if the weather outside was gloomy, I shouldn't have been unable to tell the style of the clothes of the woman in front of me!
She was completely surrounded by a thick fog. I could only see a faint white dress and a blurry face.
She's not human!!
Just as my cinnabar brush was about to touch the woman's forehead, she suddenly let out a shrill scream and took a few steps back into thin air. Her body was tightly pressed against the door.
"You... Who are you? How dare you hurt me in my brother's house?!" Her shrill scream made me realize who she was.
No wonder she could enter this room at will. This was the room where Lu Tianchang made magical tools, and there was naturally a magical barrier. No ghost could enter... Except for the blood relatives of the Lu family!
Since ancient times, a house has been a kind of barrier. Strange ghosts from outside are not allowed to enter.
Unless the owner opens the door or a blood relative returns, the door god cannot stop them.
The woman in front of me... No, the ghost, should be Lu Xiyu's aunt who was suppressed under the Great Avalokitesvara Temple!