214 Borrowing Life
Murong Hao and his wife looked at each other silently with embarrassed expressions.
Last night, Murong Hao had personally torn off a talisman from the window to play with the cat.
Now that he thought about it, Murong Hao was still a little confused. On the one hand, he didn’t understand why his brain stopped working, but on the other hand, he felt that he hadn’t done anything wrong.
What was wrong with such a good-looking kitten wanting to play with a talisman? Which kitten wasn’t playful!
However, facing the spiritual master’s question, the couple didn’t dare to tell the truth. Madam Murong could only say hesitantly, “Maybe it was blown away by the night wind.”
There was silence in the room for a moment, and the atmosphere was awkward.
“Spiritual master, please take a look at my mother first?” Murong Hao quickly changed the topic and asked worriedly, “Can she be saved?”
Old Madam Murong, who was on the bed, was placed back in her lying position. She was barely breathing.
Her face was even paler, and her lips were faintly a dull purple color. Even her wrists and the backs of her hands were beginning to show dark purple scars.
Shangqing Spiritual Master flicked his silver horsetail whisk again. With a hint of pity and transcendence, he walked to the bed and glanced at Old Madam Murong from head to toe. He sighed and said, “The Old Madam of your family is already on the verge of death.”
He meant that she was dying.
The two maidservants who served the old lady trembled and lowered their heads with pale faces. If anything happened to Old Madam Murong…
Madam Murong’s expression changed drastically and she hurriedly asked, “Spiritual master, do you have any other way to save my mother-in-law?”
Murong Hao also stared at Shangqing Spiritual Master without blinking. His entire body was tense, and his pupils were filled with abnormally complicated emotions. There was nervousness, unease, sorrow, and a hint of fear.
“Forget it, just prepare to send her off,” Shangqing Spiritual Master said as he strolled towards the big table in front of the window.
His servant immediately took out talismans, brushes, and special talisman ink and placed them on the big table. At the same time, Madam Murong dismissed all the servants in the house.
The house was silent except for the sound of the remaining talismans by the window rustling in the wind.
Shangqing Spiritual Master dipped his brush in ink and drew an extremely complicated new talisman like flowing water. Then, he instructed his servant to slap the talisman on Old Madam Murong’s chest.
The talisman seemed to have come to life. Ripples appeared on the talisman paper, making the winding runes on it exude a strange and mysterious aura.
Murong Hao and his wife stared at the old lady on the bed with bated breaths.
In the next moment, Old Madam Murong’s breathing visibly became clearer, and her nose twitched slightly.
Her eyes were still closed, and her eyeballs trembled under her eyelids. The corners of her wrinkled mouth were pursed in a stiff arc, as if she were in inhuman pain.
“This talisman can protect her heart meridians and temporarily protect her lifespan for six hours,” Shangqing Spiritual Master said slowly, his expression emotionless.
Murong Hao and his wife heaved a sigh of relief when they heard the first half of the sentence. However, when they heard the second half, their hearts skipped a beat.
Thinking that Shangqing Spiritual Master should have a backup plan, Murong Hao bowed respectfully to him and asked, “Please guide us.”
Shangqing Spiritual Master didn’t look at the couple and didn’t speak. He looked out of the window at the rising sun and calculated with his fingers.
The faint morning light outside the window illuminated half of his face. The other half was hidden in the shadows in the corner, making his temperament deep and unfathomable.
A few leaves were blown in by the morning breeze, but they automatically bypassed Shangqing Spiritual Master.
After a while, he lowered his eyes, put down his right hand, and said calmly, “My believers, the only solution now is to get the Second Young Master of your residence to get married immediately today and consummate to rush joy. Then, use the blood of the bride’s first night to borrow her lifespan.”
“In that case, Old Madam Murong can hold on for another three years.”
His tone was neutral and unhurried. As he spoke, he exuded the detachment of an otherworldly expert, and his wise eyes were calm.
Marriage today?! Murong Hao and his wife looked at each other in shock. Then, they looked troubled.
Yesterday, they had just agreed with the Gu family that Murong Yong and Gu Yunzhen would be married on New Year’s Eve. Today was the day the Gu family would send their dowry.
The Gu family was easy to talk to, and they had already agreed to “rush joy”. If they brought the wedding date forward at the last minute…
“That’s too rushed…” Murong Hao said with difficulty. He was really not sure if the Gu family would agree.
Shangqing Spiritual Master casually flicked his sleeves. His sleeves fluttered, and he looked sage-like. He faced the couple, his eyes shining with an abnormally bright light.
He continued, “I’ve just read the fortune. In three years, the Second Young Master of your residence will definitely make a name for himself!”
“Whether it happens or not is up to the two of you to decide. I’m an outsider, I’m just doing my best.”
Murong Hao and his wife could no longer listen to the last sentence of Shangqing Spiritual Master. They looked at each other again with burning eyes. As long as they thought of the words “make a name for himself”, their blood would boil with desire.
All their efforts at this moment would be worth it!
Three years was all it took. As long as Old Madam Murong held on for three more years, their Murong family could rise!
Murong Hao extended his hand respectfully and piously to Shangqing Spiritual Master. “Please sit in the central room first and allow me to discuss it with my family.”
Then, the couple sent Shangqing Spiritual Master out of the inner room to the central room outside, leaving Madam Murong and a housekeeper to entertain him for the time being. Murong Hao went to the outer courtyard to discuss this matter with his two younger brothers.
In fact, the three brothers hadn’t discussed it for long. They had been holding on for months and had finally held on until now. There was no way they would give up just like that.
Hence, after half an hour, Madam Murong personally prepared a cart of heavy gifts and rushed to the Dingyuan Marquis Household.
It was still early in the morning.
As she was going to worship her ancestors today, Madam Gu woke up earlier than usual.
Unexpectedly, the Murong family would suddenly visit at this time, so she asked Granny Li to invite them to the Benevolent Harmony Hall.
“Madam, forgive me for visiting without informing you. It’s really urgent.”
“This morning, my Old Madam was in a bad state again. My family specially invited Shangqing Spiritual Master to take a look at her again. He said that if we want to save Old Madam Murong’s life, we have to hurry up and rush joy.”
“I also know it’s presumptuous of me to ask Madam to bring forward the wedding of the two children to today.”
Madam Murong lowered her posture, afraid that the Gu family would be unwilling.
“…” Madam Gu’s expression didn’t look good.
The Murong family had repeatedly brought forward the wedding date. They were really pushing their luck and didn’t take the Gu family seriously.
However, when she thought of Gu Yunzhen’s disobedience yesterday, Madam Gu’s eyes flickered and her expression darkened. Her fingers slowly twisted the prayer beads, weighing the pros and cons.