Gu Hong Mountain.
Compassion Temple.
This was the oldest and most prosperous temple in City A.
The old abbot practiced asceticism in seclusion year-round, and very few predestined individuals ever had the chance to meet him.
But legend had it that if one received a gift voluntarily given by the old abbot, they would surely enjoy a smooth, healthy, and worry-free life.
The string of agarwood prayer beads on Xie Qing Ci’s wrist was precisely such a gift—bestowed upon his grandfather when he encountered the abbot while burning incense at Compassion Temple.
After returning home, Grandpa Xie gave that string of prayer beads to Xie Qing Ci, who had just reached adulthood at the time.
He had worn them for ten years since.
On a cool early autumn night.
At the foot of Gu Hong Mountain, a black Maybach sat silently parked.
Under silvery moonlight, a man in a black Tang suit with subtle patterns slowly made his way up the steep stone steps.
Xie Qing Ci, fingering his prayer beads, took one step and knelt once.
His expression was solemn and devout.
The mountain path consisted of a full 1,080 stone steps.
Just like that, he kowtowed his way up without changing expression.
His knees and trouser cuffs were long worn through, his palms and forehead stained with blood.
Though he looked disheveled, it couldn’t conceal his noble elegance.
Xie Qing Ci had timed it perfectly, starting his kneeling ascent from midnight.
At the break of dawn, he just reached the gates of Compassion Temple.
His steps were somewhat unsteady, yet he remained upright and graceful.
He offered the day’s first incense before the Mahavira Hall.
Then entered the hall, devoutly kneeling on the pufan.
Before the altar, eternal lamps burned as sutra chanting continued unceasing.
Holding the agarwood prayer beads, he pressed his palms together and silently prayed:
“May the compassionate Buddha grant that my beloved Yu Qing be shielded from all evil, free from taboos, safe and joyful, with all matters exceeding expectations.”
Entangled in worldly desires, he dared not look upon the Buddha.
Buddha was no longer his faith.
She was.
For five full days.
His deity lay silently in a hospital bed.
Every test had been run, yet she showed no problems.
He was nearly driven mad with despair.
His decision to come to Compassion Temple served two purposes: first, to repent, fearing the girl’s sudden misfortune might be Buddha’s wrath redirected; second, hoping to encounter the abbot and seek a blessing of peace for the girl.
Thus he came here step by kneeling step, stumbling along.
Bringing an utterly devout heart.
Xie Qing Ci knelt long before the Buddha statue.
“Amitabha.”
A young monk approached him.
Only then did Xie Qing Ci rise, bowing to the young master.
“Esteemed donor, our abbot invites you to meet in the Chan room at the rear courtyard.”
Xie Qing Ci hadn’t expected such luck to actually meet the abbot. Though he had visited many times before, he had never once managed to see this mysterious abbot.
He followed the young master to a secluded Chan room in the rear courtyard.
This was where the abbot practiced asceticism, normally a forbidden area where none were permitted to enter casually.
The young master was also puzzled—today the abbot had just ended his seclusion, yet upon emerging immediately requested to see the black-clad donor from the main hall.
Could this be the legendary predestined individual?
…
Under Yu Qing’s constant urging, Little Milk Candy finally accelerated system repairs.
Even managing to perform some upgrades along the way.
[Host A Li, the former Little Milk Candy is dead! Now before you stands Niuhulu Tang!]
[Then please, Niuhulu Tang, quickly send me back!]
[As you command!]
A flash of white light.
Yu Qing felt herself returning to that physical form.
She tried to move her fingers, then struggled to lift her heavy eyelids.
“Qingqing?”
Xie Qing Ci had returned from Compassion Temple, taken a bath, changed clothes, and immediately came back to watch over her.
Yu’s Father and Mother Yu had wanted to stay and keep her company, but he persuaded them to go home and rest.
The abbot had gifted him a Peace Talisman and told him that Yu Qing would awaken soon.
After thanking the abbot, he didn’t dare delay for a moment, bringing the Peace Talisman straight back to her side.
He had just finished putting the Peace Talisman around the young girl’s neck when he noticed she seemed to be waking up.
“Baby?”
Yu Qing finally managed to open her eyes with great effort.
During her days of unconsciousness, Xie Qing Ci had regularly given her water, so her throat didn’t feel sore.
“A Ci.”
Yu Qing wasn’t actually ill. After a brief period of adjustment, her body recovered completely.
She shifted, wanting to sit up.
This movement startled Xie Qing Ci, who was still dazed with overwhelming joy.
He quickly reached out to support her, helping her sit up comfortably.
His voice was low and hoarse as he asked, “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
The young girl shook her head obediently. “No.”
But this man—how had he managed to make himself look so haggard in just a few days?
The dark circles under his eyes were particularly noticeable, though his stubble had already been cleaned up.
He appeared noticeably thinner overall.
Yu Qing felt a pang of heartache, raising her small hand to touch his handsome, slightly cool face.
“A Ci has lost weight.”
Feeling the warmth of the young girl’s small hand, Xie Qing Ci finally felt a sense of reality.
His pale, slender hand covered her delicate one, his touch slightly cool.
Yu Qing felt something was off—since waking up, the man seemed different somehow?
[A Li, the Emperor Lord knelt at every step all the way up Gu Hong Mountain to Compassion Temple to pray for you.]
When Xie Qing Ci went up the mountain, Little Milk Candy was urgently repairing and upgrading itself, so Yu Qing hadn’t seen this part.
[He knelt the whole way?!]
[Yes, yes! He really did! I’m crying! Wuwu——]
?
Had the system’s vocabulary been updated after the upgrade?
Yu Qing watched the replay Little Milk Candy showed her.
Her deer-like eyes filled with tears.
This fool!
She threw herself forward wanting to hug him.
Xie Qing Ci was still wondering why the young girl had suddenly started crying when her soft, fragrant form crashed into his embrace.
His body reacted before his mind, steadily catching her and holding her comfortably in his arms.
“When did you learn to be so coquettish? Hmm?”
The man’s voice carried laughter, low and magnetic, his warm breath spraying by her ear.
Yu Qing felt somewhat shy, lowering her head without responding.
Only then did she notice a thin red cord around her neck, from which hung a small red lucky bag.
( . )
“What’s this?”
Her jade-white fingers lifted the thin red cord.
“It’s a Peace Talisman. Baby must wear it properly from now on.”
He said nothing about the talisman’s origin.
She didn’t need to know what he had done for her.
She didn’t need to carry that kind of emotional burden.
She only needed to continue being her happy, carefree self.
And he was willing to offer everything for his deity.
Yu Qing was brought to the Xie residence.
The Xie family’s main estate was located in the priceless central district of City A.
With carved balustrades and marble steps, soaring eaves that seemed to peck at the sky, it stood in stark contrast to the surrounding skyscrapers.
This was the ancestral home passed down through the Xie family for centuries, where only successive family heads were qualified to reside.
The Xie family maintained pure and upright traditions, advocating for withdrawal from worldly affairs.
Therefore, the old mansion usually had almost no outside visitors.
Xie Qing Ci spent half his time at Yujiang Garden and half at the Xie family’s old mansion.
Apart from him, the old mansion only had the old butler and a few servants, who were usually responsible for maintaining the property.
One can imagine how shocked everyone was when Xie Qing Ci, who had lived a celibate life for twenty-eight years, brought a young girl back to the Xie family’s old mansion!!
Butler Chen was even moved to tears.
Butler Chen: I’ve already thought of names for our future young master.