Chapter 422: Chapter 416: If It Can Be Cured, Spare No Effort
Qin Liuxi required the birth dates of Master Deng’s daughter; Master Deng glanced at Luo before whispering them.
Qin Liuxi tapped her fingers and made a quick calculation before speaking: "She has the Life Chart of Changliu Water."
"Does this mean her life is not auspicious?" Master Deng asked anxiously.
Qin Liuxi shook her head: "A family that has accumulated virtue will surely enjoy enduring blessings. Being born into such a family signifies that she also accumulated merit in her previous life; her fate is certainly not ill-fated. It’s not considered a noble Life Chart. Regarding her personality, she is resilient and perceptive, possesses great virtue and generosity, and has the features of one who can bring prosperity to her husband. However, she may encounter twists and turns in her marriage during her prime years. Should she continue to do good deeds and become a bit softer in temperament, there’s no reason those obstacles can’t be overcome. What is the young lady’s name?"
"Her name is Shui Lan."
"That’s a good name, it nicely complements the water element that her life lacks."
Master Deng, hearing all these good things, felt puzzled: "Then does my daughter’s unconsciousness mean it’s unrelated to her Life Chart?"
Qin Liuxi hid her smile: "It’s unrelated to her birth dates, but her ongoing unconciousness suggests it’s related to an external object. You might consider whether she has encountered anything unusual before her spirits waned, or has she brought home something unclean? As even you have a trace of evil spirit clinging to you, it’s likely caused by an external object."
"This..." Master Deng frowned, "Since our family lives in our own manor, and though we are modestly wealthy, we have never restrained her. She runs freely throughout the manor, so I truly do not know if she has brought anything back."
With that said, he continued, "Master, we are laypeople and have no knowledge of these matters. Could you possibly make a house visit to help us out? We will pay whatever reward is necessary."
Zaozi Village wasn’t incredibly far, but not nearby either; traveling by horse carriage would take the better part of the day.
Yet, Qin Liuxi did not decline, "Then I shall make a trip the day after tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow?" Master Deng asked. "Couldn’t it be tomorrow?"
Qin Liuxi took an Amulet from her sleeve and handed it over: "Place this talisman on the child when you return. I assure you, she’ll be fine."
Master Deng received it with skepticism.
Seeing this, Luo spoke, "Won’t you express your gratitude to the little Taoist? Since she said so, you can rest assured that Nannan won’t face serious trouble. Just wait patiently."
Thus, Master Deng expressed his thanks.
Qin Liuxi said no more, took a prosthetic limb and left with the Dongyang Marquis.
Watching her leave, Master Deng turned to Luo: "Brother Luo, can this really work?"
"How old do you think the little Taoist is?"
"She’s younger than my third son. Barely in her teens."
"Without you saying a word, she immediately noticed there was an issue with Nannan. Do the witches and Taoist Nuns you consulted have this ability? She also mentioned your family has accumulated virtue, was she wrong?"
"Uh..." Master Deng touched his nose, certain there was no mistake.
Luo glanced at him, "I didn’t hint at anything to her; she gave the face reading based on her true skills. You just relax."
With reassurance, Master Deng was more at ease and put the peace charm into his pocket, "Alright, I’ll head back now, place the charm on Nannan and wait peacefully. I’ll take my leave now."
Luo waved his hand.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Dongyang Marquis said to Qin Liuxi: "What’s the deal with that man? Is his daughter truly in trouble?"
Qin Liuxi nodded: "She might have attracted some unclean thing that now haunts her, leaving some evil spirit clinging to him as well."
"But I see him with a glow of health and well-being, not looking as if there’s anything wrong."
"That’s because he’s protected by his merits," Qin Liuxi smiled. "His ancestors must have been kind, leaving him with their blessings, and he himself also follows the ancestral precepts of doing genuine good deeds; hence, he has many merits. Even if a good person like him gets stained with a bit of evil spirit, as long as it doesn’t continue to worsen, he won’t face serious issues."
"And if it does become severe?"
"If evil spirit entangles a person, once they can no longer break free, their fortunes will decline. Minor misfortune at the least or, in severe cases, it could cost a life."
Dongyang Marquis: "It seems that doing good and accumulating virtue is beneficial."
"It’s often said, ’Evil brings evil retribution; good deeds bring good rewards’. The time to settle causes and effects has not come; causality has always existed."
Dongyang Marquis chuckled, "You’re quite young to be so world-wise. You could rival my stiff old grandson."
Qin Liuxi said, "I am a monk, meant to inspire kindness rather than evil in others."
Dongyang Marquis hesitated, looking at the prosthetic limb beside her, "Your medical skills are not bad, and you help people by making these. If someone is paralyzed, can you cure them?"
Qin Liuxi did not respond, simply gazing at him with deep meaning.
Her penetrating gaze seemed to see through everything, and the Dongyang Marquis, with his rigid countenance, couldn’t hold back a sigh: "You read fortunes and even beforehand, you pointed out I would suffer the loss of descendants, which turned out to be true. I have a grandson, twenty-three this year, who in last year’s Dragon Boat Festival during a naval clash with pirates, got caught in an ambush. Although he narrowly won, he suffered serious internal injuries, resulting in paralysis and loss of sensation in the lower body. Now he is confined to a wheelchair."
"If it’s only an internal injury, it shouldn’t lead to paralysis of the lower body. Was he paralyzed due to an internal injury resulting from an external wound? Let me guess, was his spine injured?"
Somewhat agitated, Dongyang Marquis said: "Exactly, are there similar cases?"
"Paralysis of the lower body is usually caused by injury to the spinal nerves or spinal cord damage from trauma such as being trampled, collided, or struck."
"Can it be cured?"
"It’s hard to say," Qin Liuxi replied. "If it’s a nerve injury, acupuncture and medicine could be options, but this process isn’t short; at the very least, half a year to over a year might be needed for improvement, and that’s the optimistic view. If the spinal cord is injured, it’s much more difficult, and lifelong paralysis is possible. With the current state of medical skills, I have no solution. So without seeing the person and diagnosing through inspection, listening, and inquiry, I cannot be sure. After all, even if my medical skills are great, I am only a mortal, not a God."
The Dongyang Marquis looked solemn: "I’ll discuss it with him."
Qin Liuxi nodded: "If it can be treated, I will do my utmost. The common people need guardians like you. Saving one life is like saving ten thousand."
The Dongyang Marquis’s eyebrows relaxed and his eyes warmed slightly.
Qin Liuxi, glancing outside the window, picked up the prosthetic limb, "I’ll get off here and walk back. General, no need to see me off. Come over early the day after tomorrow for the acupuncture."
The old servant hurriedly tapped on the carriage wall, and as it came to a stop, Qin Liuxi opened the door and jumped out without looking back.
"Marquis, don’t lose heart. As the Junior Temple Master said, if it’s nerve damage, it can be treated. Perhaps Young Master Ding is just like that," the old servant comforted.
The Dongyang Marquis, with a resolute expression, said, "No matter what, we must try every possibility, we can’t simply wait for the end. If I regain my strength, there will be no need to wait for spring; right after the new year, you’ll accompany him over here."
The old servant concurred, while privately thinking they should donate more incense oil at Qingping Temple to pray for Grandmaster’s blessing.