Song Jue was truly angry. He knew that Song Chuyi had been personally trained by Song Chengru and Old Madam Song, and that whatever she did always had her own reasoning and purpose. But as her elder brother, he couldn’t bear to see his younger sister bear such a reputation.
Song Chuyi thickened her face several times to make pastries and visit him, but each time he glared her back. She could only tuck her tail and obediently stay in her room waiting for them to return from the spring hunt. Fortunately, now that her reputation as the Death Star of Solitary Fate had spread, the flies buzzing around her had instantly decreased. Even Madam He came to visit reluctantly a few times, but returned trembling and shaking. Who knew if she had been frightened out of her wits—the next day came news that she had caught a cold and was preparing to return to the capital.
When Master Yuanhui was leaving, he specifically came to see Song Chuyi. Madam Cui and Madam Yu accompanied her on either side, both somewhat restless, afraid that Master Yuanhui would say something more unpleasant that would truly be beyond salvation.
However, Master Yuanhui’s face still carried the same warm smile. He looked at Song Chuyi’s calm and composed appearance with deep meaning and asked her, “Is Sixth Miss truly this resolute? Actually, Sixth Miss’s rebirth with two fate patterns is enough to show a karmic connection with Buddha. If you could achieve enlightenment from this point forward, lay down your butcher’s knife and immediately attain Buddhahood, there is still a chance to turn back to shore. They say when a person dies, all matters end. The obsession in Sixth Miss’s heart… letting go is better than holding on.”
Buddhist monks were always softer-hearted than executioners with blood-stained hands, constantly speaking of laying down the butcher’s knife and turning back to shore. He felt this was giving Song Chuyi a way out, but Song Chuyi felt this was a dead end that would kill her even faster—things had already reached this point. Her enmity with Prince Duan and Chen Xiang was a fight to the death. If she laid down her weapons at this moment, those two hungry wolves would unhesitatingly tear her apart and devour her.
Song Chuyi never did such foolish things. She smiled and looked at Master Yuanhui’s compassionate expression, and shook her head imperceptibly yet with absolute determination: “I am a worldly person. Even if I renounced the world, my six roots would not be pure. I would probably pollute the pure Buddhist sanctuary. Master, please don’t try to save me.”
Buddha said there was no person in the world who could not be saved, but Master Yuanhui clearly saw in this young girl’s eyes a weariness and understanding of worldly affairs that didn’t match her age. He knew this was someone who absolutely could not turn back, so he simply smiled, stood up, and chanted a Buddhist invocation.
He had done what he should do. What remained was beyond human capability. Since some people insisted on seeking death themselves, they could not be stopped.
Madam Cui, anxious with concern, didn’t understand the riddles these two were exchanging. Madam Yu, however, gained some insight. Taking advantage of Madam Cui personally escorting Master Yuanhui out, she sat down and stared at Song Chuyi for a while, then asked somewhat hesitantly: “This Star Illumination fate and Death Star of Solitary Fate pattern… it wasn’t you who spread it yourself, was it?”
No wonder Madam Yu thought this way—her niece truly couldn’t be judged by common reasoning. Who knew how many convoluted schemes were hidden in that clever heart of hers? There was nothing in this world that Song Chuyi couldn’t make use of.
Song Chuyi honestly shook her head: “How would I have the capability to persuade Master Yuanhui to be my accomplice? Besides, this isn’t anything good.”
At least she knew this wasn’t anything good. Madam Yu resentfully poked her: “It better not be. If in the end I discover that this matter was your uncle indulging your recklessness again, I’ll skin both of you!”
Who knew how Cui Shaoting fulfilled his role as uncle? There was no doting on a girl like this. Look at Cui Yingshu—even as her blood uncle, he didn’t indulge his niece this much. Yet Cui Shaoting agreed to everything, regardless of what it was. Wasn’t he afraid of spoiling the child?
Princess Duanhui happened to enter with Cui Yingshu just then. Hearing these words, she turned her head to look at Cui Yingshu: “Don’t tell me you’ve secretly conspired with this girl about something again behind my back?”
Cui Yingshu was completely baffled, looking at Song Chuyi then at Madam Yu and Princess Duanhui with a blank expression: “I’ve been following His Majesty on hunts these past few days. Where would I have the time?” Moreover, as her blood uncle, he had to take a backseat to Cui Shaoting. This girl clearly preferred to seek out Cui Shaoting to collude with.
What he said was indeed true. During the day, he spent most of his time hunting with Emperor Jianzhang and his party. In the evenings, he was busy estimating the costs of bridge construction in Jiangxi. He hadn’t had time to concern himself with other matters. Even the matter of Song Chuyi having her fate analyzed by Master Yuanhui, he had only just heard about it, which was why he had rushed over in such a hurry.
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in fate, but like Madam Yu, he felt that this matter was very likely something Song Chuyi had orchestrated herself. Even if she hadn’t orchestrated it herself, it couldn’t be unrelated to her. Otherwise, Master Yuanhui had analyzed her fate at Princess Duanhui’s place, and he wasn’t some gossip with reason to spread it everywhere. How could it have spread to everyone’s knowledge in just a short while, and later even alarmed Her Majesty the Empress? Moreover, Song Chuyi had always had a good relationship with the Crown Prince Grandson. Who else but the Crown Prince Grandson could persuade Her Majesty the Empress to inquire about this matter?
Cui Yingshu frowned and stared at Song Chuyi hesitantly for a while, feeling he couldn’t get anything out of this little fox. He planned to turn and find Song Jue, but halfway there, he remembered something, turned back, and instructed Madam Yu and Princess Duanhui: “Isn’t there an archery competition for the young ladies tomorrow? This matter has been spreading like wildfire—don’t let her go. I haven’t settled my previous accounts with her yet.” This previous account naturally referred to the horse race with the Ninth Princess.
At this time, it was naturally best to avoid drawing attention as much as possible. Madam Yu and Princess Duanhui nodded without hesitation.
That evening, Song Chuyi went to Song Jue with a bitter face to plead: “If I don’t go, won’t all my previous efforts be wasted? If Chen Xiang really gets desperate and abducts and kills me, no one will even know.”
That’s why she had discussed with Zhou Weizhao beforehand that the bigger the commotion, the better, which was why tomorrow’s archery competition existed.
Song Jue glared at her irritably: “You’re so capable—how could your two aunts possibly stop you?”
This meant he had agreed. Song Chuyi let out a small cheer and thickened her face to get close to Song Jue: “Actually, this whole thing wasn’t my idea. Master Yuanhui was ordered to come. Whether I wanted it or not, he would have said it anyway.”
There was one more thing Song Chuyi didn’t dare say—Master Yuanhui’s fate analysis this time, though certainly directed by Chen Xiang’s malicious intent, was probably also the truth. His calculations were truly too accurate, even speaking of things like previous and present lives, as if he had reviewed Song Chuyi’s past and present existence—as expected of an eminent monk with true spiritual cultivation.