Chapter 857: Chatting

"Ow! You're hurting me!" Li Sui's tentacles pushed forcefully, sending the old Taoist priest, his sword, and himself flying away.

"Get away from me! I don't want to kill anyone! Just get out!"

Hearing Li Sui's words, the two Taoist priests exchanged a glance, their faces immediately lighting up with joy. "The evil spirit is showing weakness! It must be trying to escape!"

"Disciple, let your soul fly into the sea!"

"Yes, Master!"

The two Taoist priests began circling Li Sui, forming complex hand seals and treading unusual steps. Their footprints gradually formed an inverted Taoist array on the ground, and the surrounding geomancy began to shift.

Li Sui sensed something was wrong. Unwilling to sit still, she immediately pulled out a piece of turmeric-colored paper from her body, bit the tip of a tentacle, and quickly drew talismans on it.

"Ma... Master? My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they? This evil spirit... this evil spirit is drawing talismans?"

Li Sui pulled out three talismans and pasted them onto her tentacles. Three vein-popping tentacles pushed forcefully, sending Li Sui flying towards the river. She intended to escape through the water, directly evading their pursuit. But just as she was about to enter the water, she saw the tips of white flags standing upright beneath the surface! They had anticipated Li Sui's move and had set up an ambush in the water as well!

Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao's heart tightened. Holding her teacup with both hands, she leaned slightly towards Li Sui. "What happened then? What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Li Sui gently placed her teacup down and chuckled. "Naturally, I overcame the danger. If anything had happened, I wouldn't be here today. Those Taoist priests weren't really my match. It was just my first time away from Father, and I panicked for a moment. Of course, I won in the end, but... I did get a little hurt."

As Li Sui spoke, scenes from over a hundred years ago flashed in her eyes.

"Wuwuwu... wuwuwu..." She stumbled out of the blood-stained river, dragging her broken body. Most of Li Sui's tentacles were broken, her body was covered in dents and holes, her eyes were almost blind, and a large hole in her head continuously seeped black liquid.

"Wuwuwu... Father, where are you...? They're bullying me... It hurts so much..." Li Sui cried out mournfully to the white clouds in the sky. Her injuries were too severe; instinct drove Li Sui to seek flesh and blood to heal her body. Li Sui returned to the water, fished out the drifting Taoist priests, and laboriously dragged them, preparing to leave the area.

Someone blocked Li Sui's path. It wasn't a yamen runner or a You family guard, but the You family's First Madam.

"Great Immortal!" The extremely haggard woman stumbled and knelt before Li Sui. "Great Immortal! You are a benevolent elder! Please release my son! He was the top scholar in the provincial exam! He is destined to become the Zhuangyuan! If you must eat someone, eat me instead!"

"I'm sorry..." Li Sui, choked with emotion, bowed remorsefully to the woman and walked past her.

"Great Immortal!" The woman's sudden, piercing cry made Li Sui stop. Four plump children, boys and girls resembling figures in New Year's paintings, wearing red traditional vests, were pushed in front of Li Sui.

"Great Immortal! These are four virgin boys and girls, all bought by me. How about we trade? Four for one! You won't lose anything!"

"I... don't want them... I want to go home... I want my father..." Li Sui continued to walk laboriously, dragging the corpses.

Li Sui suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back. Madam You, with disheveled hair, wildly stabbed Li Sui with a hairpin. "Give me back my son! Give me back my son!"

Faced with the deranged woman, Li Sui helplessly backed away. These minor injuries were nothing, but as the hairpin repeatedly pierced her and she saw the woman's hateful gaze, Li Sui's heart grew increasingly distressed, like a child being scolded for a mistake. Eventually, terrified, Li Sui dropped the corpses and fled frantically into the forest.

The sky gradually darkened, and it began to rain. She was so tired and wanted to find a place to rest, but she couldn't find anywhere. Cold, hungry, and in pain, Li Sui crouched under a large tree and wept despairingly. "Father! Mother! Where are you?!"

Wisps of white smoke rose from the teacup in Li Sui's hand, gradually dissipating into the air under her gaze.

"Later, Madam You didn't cause me any trouble. She was a reasonable woman and said that since it was unintentional, it was fine. After I established myself in Daqi, I even helped the You family, ensuring one of them became a fourth-rank official, which served as compensation. Although it was unintentional, I did indeed crush their son to death back then."

Hearing the story's conclusion, Bai Lingmiao sighed with a touch of emotion. "Ah, since everything is resolved, don't dwell on it."

"I'm not dwelling on it, just chatting with Mother to pass the time," Li Sui said, picking up the gifts she had brought. "Mother, these are brown sugar, donkey-hide gelatin, and candied dates. If you drink them steeped in water when you have your period, they can make you feel a little more comfortable."

Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao's heart instantly warmed. No one had ever shown such detailed care for her before.

"Also, I made a set of clothes for you, Mother. I know you prefer plain colors, so I didn't choose very vibrant fabrics. The back is designed to be separate, so Second Mother can also wear it."

"I didn't spoil you for nothing when you were little," Second God said, reaching out to touch the smooth silk brocade.

Just as the two continued chatting, hurried footsteps were heard from outside the door. It was Li Huowang. He rushed directly through the wall and asked Bai Lingmiao, who was trying on clothes, "Miao Miao! Where are those books we found under the Bai family ancestral hall? I need them!"

"The divine martial arts and spirit medium techniques? They've all been moved to the White Lotus ancestral hall for copying; they're not here."

"No! I mean all that miscellaneous stuff the White Lotus cult followers used to remember!"

"In the second cabinet on the east side."

Hearing Li Sui's words, Li Huowang immediately rushed over, opened the cabinet, and began rummaging.

"Does it fit? If it's too big or too small, I can alter it for you now." Li Sui examined the clothes on Bai Lingmiao.

"It fits perfectly, Sui Sui. What's wrong with your father?"

"Nothing, don't mind him. He'll come running over himself in a bit to tell us what happened. Mother, I actually came here to discuss something with you."

"Oh? What is it?" Bai Lingmiao widened her eyes, watching her, and sat back down beside her.

"Mother, do you remember why you became the White Lotus Saintess?"

"Back then? The Wusheng Laomu chose me; it wasn't my own choice."

"Then if you had a chance to give up being the White Lotus Saintess, would you be willing? I remember what you wanted to do before wasn't this, right?"

"Sui Sui, what's going on? Why are you asking this?"

"Clang!" A book dropped to the floor.

Li Sui paused, then said to Li Huowang's rummaging back, "Father, can you be a little quieter? I'm chatting with Mother."