Chapter 747
Extra 2
Chapter 747 Extra 2
In the blink of an eye, Lu Qing has been living in Shanqing Temple for almost a month.
The hermit from Qiyun Mountain who took him in that day didn't usually pay much attention to him. He would just come over every day to check his pulse and then have someone bring him the decocted medicine on time.
In this way, Lu Qing gradually regained her spirits from the initial faint state. She was not only able to sit up, but also to get out of bed and go outside to sit or walk around. Although she was still thin and frail, her eyes had become much more spirited.
He was assigned to a secluded courtyard, where he did not live with the other Taoists. Few people came to visit him, making it exceptionally quiet. While others might find it a bit boring, Lu Qing felt quite at ease.
That day, a light rain was falling outside. After taking her medicine, Lu Qing had nothing to do, so she moved a chair to the porch and sat there watching the rain falling from the eaves.
There was no incense or cosmetics in the Shanqing Temple, only a dry, faint scent of incense. Now that it was raining, the incense smell had faded, replaced by a slightly earthy smell.
Lu Qing breathed in the air greedily, inhaling the scent that made him feel so at ease. This was the first time in his life that he had left the palace, and the first time he had been able to stay here quietly by himself without worrying about anyone suddenly rushing in and accusing him of some crime, such as killing the imperial concubine's dog or breaking the imperial concubine's white jade vase, and then beating him to a pulp.
It turns out, there's such a big difference between just being alive...
Lost in thought, Lu Qing's attention was suddenly drawn back by a series of light footsteps in the distance. He turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see that it was Qiyun Shanren.
Lu Qing quickly stood up and respectfully bowed to the hermit of Qiyun Mountain.
Qiyun Shanren was always impatient with all sorts of formalities. He casually flicked his sleeves as a return greeting. He glanced at the chairs under the eaves, then took one for himself and placed it next to Lu Qing's chair. He sat down next to Lu Qing, put his hand on Lu Qing's wrist, and saw that his pulse was stable. He was indeed much better and seemed quite satisfied.
“I am quite skilled in physiognomy. These days, I have observed your face. Your forehead is full and bright, your glabella is open and clear, your nose is like a hanging gall bladder, your chin is square and full, your eyebrows and eyes are clear and bright, and your cheekbones and nose are well-proportioned. You are born with a blessed face.” After a while, he suddenly spoke to Lu Qing, “A person with such a face is of noble birth with deep ancestral blessings. All the minor ups and downs in your life will be like a gentle breeze, not damaging your foundation. In the future, you will surely be protected by noble people, and everything will go smoothly. In your old age, you will be healthy and wealthy, and you will enjoy both happiness and longevity.”
Lu Qing paused for a moment, then forced a bitter smile to her lips.
"What? You don't believe me when I say this?" Qiyun Shanren raised an eyebrow at him.
Lu Qing looked down at himself. He couldn't see it through his clothes, but he knew very well how many deep and shallow, new and old scars were on his thin, bony body.
"Master, how could someone of such noble birth, with such a profound family legacy, need your intervention to save his life?" he countered.
Qiyun Shanren raised an eyebrow, nodded, and changed his words, saying, "It seems you're not someone who only likes to hear nice things."
Then I will tell you the truth.
Judging from your face, although you have a broad forehead, it is narrow in your early years, which indicates that you have weak ties with your parents, an unstable foundation, and diminished fortune, leading to a difficult early life.
The lines between the eyebrows that slant towards the root of the nose, like a venomous snake, are signs that one will be plagued by petty people, plotted against, and suffer unexpected disasters throughout life.
Furthermore, the occasional appearance of bluish aura between the eyebrows and the sides of the nose indicates that one is surrounded by malevolent energy and lurking with illness.
This person's facial features indicate a life marked by hardship and misfortune, with a damaged foundation in youth, constant turmoil, and numerous threats from malicious people.
Lu Qing simply smiled faintly. "What? You don't believe this either?" Qi Yunshanren's interest grew even stronger as he turned around and asked.
Lu Qing shook his head: "If my fate were so bad, I would have died on the way to Shanqing Temple. How could I have had such good fortune to meet a master like you who would save me?"
"Then do you believe in the concept of destiny?" Qiyun Shanren asked again.
“I believe it.” Lu Qing thought for a moment, “but I don’t believe that fate is written on a person’s face.”
Perhaps everyone is indeed destined by fate, but fate is not unchanging from beginning to end. Under the circumstances, there are variables everywhere, and it cannot be generalized.
As the ancients said, "Where there's a will, there's a way."
The saying "Man proposes, God disposes" means, in my view, that each person's choices in the face of change lead to different outcomes. Since everyone's choices are different, their destinies will naturally differ as well.
After hearing Lu Qing's words, Qiyun Shanren smiled slightly, a smile that was not easily noticed.
After a while, he asked again, "Did you learn to read and write in the palace?"
“Since I started learning at the age of four, I have learned many characters. I originally studied at Chongwen Academy and read the books I was assigned to read many times. However, I was often injured and sick afterward, so I could not go to Chongwen Academy much. I relied on the nanny who took care of me to get whatever I could read, just to relieve my boredom,” Lu Qing said with a little shame.
When he was still able to study at Chongwen Academy, he had heard that many of the great sages and scholars of the past were already well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge at the age of eight or nine. Now he was also eight years old, and when asked by Qiyun Shanren, he could not even read the books properly. Even though there was the helplessness of his life hanging by a thread, he was still a little embarrassed.
"My Shanqing Temple has never lacked books to read," said the hermit of Qiyun Mountain, casually straightening his sleeves.
Lu Qing's eyes lit up.
He didn't know how long he would need to recuperate here, and he wasn't in a hurry to return to the palace. However, in the past few days, as his spirits improved and he had more lucid moments, he found himself feeling somewhat bored.
"Master, may I borrow the books in the Shanqing Temple?" he asked cautiously, his eyes shining. "I promise I will cherish the books and read them very carefully."
"Our Shanqing Temple's books are not meant for outsiders to read casually," Qiyun Shanren shook his head.
Lu Qing was a little disappointed, but in that instant, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he seemed to vaguely understand something.
He stood up and knelt down directly in front of the hermit of Qiyun Mountain: "Master, please accept Lu Qing as your disciple! I want to stay at Shanqing Temple and learn skills from you!"
The smile in Qiyun Shanren's eyes deepened, and he nodded slightly, seemingly very satisfied with Lu Qing's comprehension.
But he kept his mouth shut, his tone still nonchalant as if it were none of his business: "Being my apprentice is not an easy thing. If you want to learn a skill, you have to endure a lot of hardship first."
I advise you to think this through carefully. Don't just blindly beg and become master and disciple; it will be too late to regret it then.
"I'm not afraid of hardship!" For the first time, Lu Qing's face was full of joy. He understood what Qiyun Shanren meant, and without saying a word, he bowed deeply: "Master, please accept my bow!"