"Miao Kong! Run! There's a ghost!"
When Nie Xiaoqian woke up and saw Miao Kong, she shouted in horror.
"It's fine now. Don't worry."
Miao Kong sighed. His fingertip was glowing with a warm Buddhist light as he tapped Nie Xiaoqian's forehead. The generous and benevolent Buddhist mana helped her calm down the fear in her heart.
"Phew…"
Nie Xiaoqian felt as if all the bones in her body had been sucked out. She let out a long breath and lay back down. She looked at Miao Kong and murmured,"Chen Ying 'er is a ghost."
"I saw that you didn't have a good dinner, so I went to the kitchen to make a bowl of white fungus soup. I came to your guest room and passed by Chen Ying 'er's room.”
"I saw…a green-skinned yaksha crawl into a leather bag, and then…she turned into me!”
"She saw me and smiled at me. I don't remember anything.”
Although Nie Xiaoqian had calmed down, she still couldn't help but tremble when she talked about that strange and terrifying experience.
"That's the Painted Ghost. He's already been executed, so there's no need to worry.”
Miao Kong consoled her and pointed at the human skin that belonged to Chen Ying 'er on the ground.
Nie Xiaoqian's face turned pale after taking a look. She didn't dare to open her eyes again and sighed."Has the real Chen Ying 'er been killed?”
"Yes…"
Miao Kong lowered his eyes and fell silent.
"It has nothing to do with you. You've already avenged her, haven't you?”
Nie Xiaoqian seemed to sense Miao Kong's disappointment and pretended to be relaxed.
"If you are afraid, you can sleep here. I will guard the door.”
Miao Kong smiled and kept the horrifying human skin into the alms bowl. He stood up and walked out of the door, turning around to close it.
Nie Xiaoqian looked through the window at the tall silhouette outside and closed her eyes in relief.
The next morning, Nie Xiaoqian was awakened by her father, Nie Yuanli.
"Venerable One, I have no way to repay you for saving my life. I heard that Venerable One is going to Lanruo Temple to cultivate.”
Nie Xiaoqian was stunned when she heard that. She hurriedly stood up and pushed the door open to walk out.
She first saw her mother. Her mother was holding a black porcelain jar with the words " Chen Ying 'er " written in white.
The real Chen Ying 'er was just an innocent person. After the Painted Ghost was killed, it was only right to help her rest in peace.
But father…
Nie Xiaoqian looked at her father.
He held a tray in his hand with ten golden ingots on it. He respectfully handed it to Miao Kong.
How could Nie Xiaoqian not see that this was the intention to send the guests off?
Putting aside whether Miao Kong would accept it or not, the family of three had saved their lives twice. Was a mere hundred taels of gold enough to repay them?
Nie Yuanli glanced at Nie Xiaoqian and continued to speak without any emotion,""Venerable One is an extraordinary expert. The Nie family is a small family and is not worthy of worshipping you.”
His intention to send the guests off was already clear.
Madam Nie's expression was ugly. She didn't understand why her husband, who used to believe in repaying a drop of water with a spring, would treat his savior like this.
"Husband…"
"I'm the patriarch of the Nie family!"
Nie Yuanli interrupted her rudely without waiting for her to speak.
"Father! Why are you doing this?"
Nie Xiaoqian asked in disbelief.
"Shut up!"
Nie Yuanli glared coldly at his daughter before turning to Miao Kong.
Miao Kong finally raised his eyes. There was still dew on his shoulders from the early spring. He and Nie Yuanli looked at each other.
After a long time, Miao Kong raised his hand and picked up a Yuan Bao. With two fingers, he pinched off a piece the size of a melon seed.
"With this golden melon seed, I can live well for three months. Thank you, Lord Nie.”
Miao Kong carefully put it away, put his palms together, and thanked him sincerely.
Nie Yuanli's eyes trembled. In the end, he lowered his head and said softly,""Mage, take more."
"There's no need. It's already intolerable for an outsider to take these. I wonder how Master will punish me when I return to the mountain.”
Miao Kong shook his head lightly and turned to leave the Nie residence without any reluctance.
Nie Yuanli watched Miao Kong's back disappear from the Nie residence.
"Father…"
Nie Xiaoqian looked disappointedly at her father, who had always been a saint.
Just as he was about to speak, he was shocked to see his father kneeling down in the direction where Miao Kong had left and kowtowing three times respectfully.
Then, he raised his head. There was already blood on his forehead.
"How could I dare to forget the kindness of saving my life? However, the Nie family was already a candle in the wind and a lamp in the rain. They did not dare to implicate their benefactor.”
"How can the Nie family repay you for saving my life four times?”
Nie Yuanli muttered as if he had made up his mind. He turned to look at his wife and daughter.
"Xiao Qian, go pack your things. You and your mother go to the Golden Mountain Monastery to find Zen Master Fahai immediately. Tell him that Master Miao Kong sent you there.”
"Within three months, even if there is news of my death, you are not allowed to come back.”
"If…if I really die, you and your daughter will settle down at the Golden Mountain Monastery and offer incense every day.”
Nie Xiaoqian was so shocked by her father's last words that she could not speak. She could only nod her head blankly.
Madam Nie had already regained her composure. After her daughter left, she helped her husband up.
"When you left the capital for no reason, you were demoted from a third-grade council member to a fifth-grade magistrate. I asked you what happened, but you didn't tell me. Is this the reason why you treated Master Miao Kong like this?”
Nie Yuanli shook his head with a bitter smile." Your husband is a fool. He offended someone he shouldn't have offended and knows something he shouldn't know."”
"If it weren't for the fact that that person still needs the stability of the court, our family of three wouldn't even be able to leave the capital.”
"But even if we hide in Hangzhou, what should come will come. That Painted Skin Ghost is just the beginning.”
Madam Nie's eyes were filled with shock, but she still held her husband's hand tightly.
"Fortunately, our family of three was lucky enough to meet Master Miao Kong.”
"Four life-saving graces…"
"Four times?"
Madam Nie was a little puzzled. The robbers, the evil in the river, and the painted ghost should have been three times. How did it become four times?
Was there any mystery in the conversation between her husband and Master Miao Kong?
Or could it be that Master Miao Kong had seen through something?
Nie Yuanli nodded.
"Yes, four times."
"If I can survive this time, I really don't know how to repay you.”
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。