Shen Cuiyu took two steps closer. The scroll was exquisitely crafted. The scroll shaft was made of extremely precious Indian rosewood. The material of the canvas seemed somewhat special. It was delicate and soft, presenting a very pale yellow color, not like ordinary silk. The scroll was now fully unfurled, reaching almost half a person's height.
In the painting was a young woman in her twenties. She was extremely beautiful with a graceful figure. She was standing by the water, smiling faintly at her reflection. The brushstrokes were delicate and the colors were soft. It was truly a picture of a beauty admiring herself by the water. Anyone who saw it would exclaim at her peerless beauty.
However, as Shen Cuiyu stared at the painting, she always felt something was off. The woman's mouth was curved into a smile, but there was not a trace of mirth in her eyes. Although she was not looking straight ahead, her gaze seemed to be reflected through the water's surface, coldly and menacingly staring at those outside the painting!
It was as if the next moment, she would suddenly turn her eyes and look directly into the eyes of those outside the painting...
Pei Yu turned his head and saw Shen Cuiyu silently staring at a painting with a solemn expression, completely different from her charming and shy appearance just now.
He didn't interrupt, curious to see what Shen Cuiyu was up to.
Shen Cuiyu leaned closer and sniffed. She was sure that the faint stench just now was coming from this painting! And the closer she got to the painting, the stronger the cold feeling around her became!
Although she didn't see any ghosts, she was almost certain that there was something strange about this painting...
Before she could investigate further, a shrill and high - pitched voice suddenly rang out from behind, breaking the tranquility of the corridor.
"Pfft, such a shabby painting dares to be hung out for show? A random painting from my father's study is a hundred times better than this!"
The pilgrims, who had been quietly admiring the paintings, frowned in dissatisfaction and turned to look.
A rich young lady in luxurious clothes and adorned with pearls and jade was surrounded by a group of young ladies from noble families and maids and servants. Like the moon surrounded by stars, she was pointing at the paintings in the corridor with a look of disdain on her face.
This rich young lady seemed to be fifteen or sixteen years old. She was of average looks, but there was a spoiled and arrogant air between her eyebrows.
The little Taoist priest who was leading her way kept wiping the sweat off his brow and explained dryly, "These paintings are meant to create good karma and be admired. They cannot be measured by money..."
The rich young lady snorted. Immediately, someone beside her echoed, "Master, you're wrong. Everyone in the world knows that Merchant Qin, the salt merchant, is extremely wealthy. Miss Qin naturally has extraordinary taste! How could these ordinary ink paintings catch Miss Qin's eye?"
Qin Keyun nodded proudly. But when she turned to look at the next painting, a flash of amazement suddenly crossed her eyes.
"Tsk, this painting is quite good. Who is the woman in it?"
The little Taoist priest replied, "According to the pilgrim who brought this painting, the woman in it is a young lady from an official family of the previous dynasty. It's a pity that she passed away at a young age."
Hearing this, Qin Keyun actually let out a sneer. She stretched out her finger painted with red nail polish and pointed at the woman in the painting with delicate features and a gentle temperament. She exaggeratedly exclaimed, "So she's a dead person. It's really a pity for her beautiful appearance!"
There was no trace of sympathy in her tone. Instead, there was a hint of excited curiosity and a condescending sense of superiority.
The smart maid beside her quickly stepped forward and flattered, "That's right, miss. It's always said that beautiful women have bad luck. How could they compare to you, miss, who are in the prime of your youth and blessed with good fortune!"
Almost in unison, everyone began to praise Qin Keyun one after another. Miss Qin was in a great mood and proudly raised her chin. But when her side - glance fell on the perfect face of the woman in the painting, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.
How could a dead person have such great charm?
She reached out and touched the canvas. It was unexpectedly smooth, making the woman in the painting look even more vivid and beautiful, as if she was about to step out of the painting at any moment, which made people feel inexplicably uneasy...
"Although she had a short life, her looks are truly good. Look at those eyebrows and eyes..." Qin Keyun pursed her lips. Her tone was almost flirtatious. "Tsk, if only I were as good - looking as her!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a cold gust of wind suddenly blew through the corridor, making the painting sway slightly.
I don't know if it was just Shen Cuiyu's illusion, but the smile on the woman in the painting seemed to deepen...
"Little Taoist priest!" Qin Keyun suddenly felt a bit tired and didn't even want to watch the blessing ceremony. "I'll take this painting. Name your price."
The little Taoist priest, who had never seen such a situation before, waved his hands repeatedly. "My master said these paintings cannot be moved without permission!"
Qin Keyun impatiently waved her hand. The maids and servants behind her immediately understood and were eager to take down the beauty painting.
"Wait!" Shen Cuiyu suddenly stepped forward and blocked between the painting and the servants. Her eyes were deep and her voice was firm. "Miss Qin, this painting is filled with resentment and is an inauspicious object. If you take it away, you will surely be harmed by it."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar around. People all looked at Shen Cuiyu, sizing up this unfamiliar young girl with skeptical looks in their eyes.
The girl in front of them was too young. It was hard not to suspect that she was just a novice swindler!
Qin Keyun was slightly stunned. When she saw the young girl of similar age in front of her, her willow - like eyebrows immediately stood on end. She shouted angrily, "Where did this crazy girl come from? How dare you spread such terrifying rumors during the blessing ceremony?! I bet you also want this painting, right? Humph, once I set my eyes on something, there's no way I'll give it up!"
With that, Qin Keyun suddenly threw a silver ingot on the ground. Ignoring the little Taoist priest's obstruction, she snatched the painting and gave Shen Cuiyu a cold glare. Then she swaggered away surrounded by the crowd.
Watching Qin Keyun's back about to disappear in the corridor, Shen Cuiyu knew something was wrong. She grabbed the maid at the end of the group. Her voice was cold and she spoke extremely fast but clearly, "Remember my words! If anything happens to your miss, come back to the Lotus Cloud Temple and find me immediately!"
The maid was originally a bit impatient, but when she saw Shen Cuiyu's calm eyes, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart and actually nodded involuntarily.
The blessing ceremony lasted for a whole day.
Early the next morning, after the Shen family finished their devout rituals, they were slowly leaving the solemn main hall with the crowd. Just as they reached outside the hall, they saw an extremely luxurious carriage galloping towards them. It stopped abruptly in front of the temple, raising a cloud of dust.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a middle - aged woman in luxurious clothes staggered out of the carriage. She took two steps at a time towards the temple door, forgetting all about etiquette. She cried out, "Taoist master! Taoist master, save us—"