A life of clearness

Chapter 38 Rong Rong
Generally speaking, the more complex the restrictions, the greater the energy they contain.

The so-called complexity does not mean a simple stacking. Rather, in the structure, each part is linked together and precisely matched. The larger the structure, the more sophisticated its core structure. It is not easy to lay it out, and it is also extremely difficult for others to dismantle it. If a single move affects the entire body, the calculation power required to dismantle it is extremely amazing. Rong Qing has seen some of the sect restrictions of the Liuguang Sword Sect, which are extremely complex and exquisite. The protective restrictions inside the Book of All Things are comparable to them.

She was so confident in her restrictions that she didn't dare to take action when she encountered this protective restriction. Rong Qing couldn't help but look a little embarrassed. If she acted rashly, it might involve the self-destruction core of the Book of All Things.

"What's wrong?" Dugu Zhi asked. Looking at Rong Qing's changed expression, he couldn't guess what the reason was.

"Nothing, I just thought about reciting it for you, but I'm afraid I don't have enough time." Rong Qing avoided the main point.

"That's not a problem." Dugu Zhi smiled and said, "Although my father doesn't think highly of me, I still have a skill. As long as this chapter is not too long, I can memorize it in a short time. Otherwise, I couldn't have remembered my father's hand gestures so clearly when I was a child."

"That's great." Rong Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but a thought flashed through her mind: If Dugu Zhi could practice, I'm afraid his future achievements would far exceed Yun Tong's.

Without further ado, she took out a pen and paper and recited the diagrams in the outer chapters, reciting the relevant formulas. Dugu Zhi listened attentively.

Although it was an extra chapter, it still took nearly half an hour to explain it.

Dugu Zhi slowly exhaled and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his temples. "Now, I remember everything." He nodded towards Rong Qing.

Rong Qing silently praised him in her heart. Her memory was also very good, but this was a change brought about by practice. If a mortal could do this, it would not only depend on natural talent, but also require diligent practice.

Dugu Zhi saw Rong Qing's eyes and explained, "My father didn't forbid me to watch the practice. So I am familiar with some of the terms used in the practice."

“That’s also amazing.”

This time, Dugu Zhi's smile reached his eyes, and it was obvious that he was very pleased with Rong Qing's praise.

He raised his hand and gestured. Dugu Zhi did not know the specific route of the spiritual energy, so he could only completely copy Yun Tong's gestures at that time, but his gestures were in vain.

But even if there is only its shape, for Rong Qing, knowing is better than not knowing.

The hand gestures were not easy. The more Rong Qing watched, the more frightened she became. Then she smiled bitterly. These hand gestures involved all the meridians in the human body and could not be reversed.

Rong Qing was very familiar with all kinds of hand gestures, so Dugu Zhi only needed to show her once and she would remember them all. But in the end, she didn't get the advantage, and Rong Qing still felt a little disappointed.

"I can't tell you exactly where Baishi Temple is." After seeing Rong Qing remember it, Dugu Zhi followed the agreement and talked about some information related to Baishi Temple. "Although it is a Taoist temple, it looks very ordinary, but it is in darkness."

"dark?"

"That's right." Dugu Zhi recalled. He had only been there once when he was a child, but the impression was very deep. "Except for the candlelight burning inside the temple, there was no other light. The candlelight was also very magical, always burning. My father strictly ordered me to stay inside the temple and never go out. So I guess I can go outside the temple, but I may not be able to come back. I don't know whether I am lost or dead."

“Is there anything else special about the temple?”

"It's basically no different from an ordinary Taoist temple. It's just that the Taoist portraits are blurry, I don't know if it's because I'm a mortal. Other than that, nothing in the temple can be taken away. As for whether you can bring anything in, I don't know, the furnishings there are very simple, I don't think it's possible." Dugu Zhi still remembers watching his father sitting cross-legged on a cushion and breathing in front of the portrait, so he quietly walked over to the side and watched. It was then that he discovered that he had the ability to remember everything he saw. "I was still young at the time, and my father didn't care. He did this hand gesture in front of the portrait three times."

Dugu Zhi smiled, "I remembered everything when he did it for the first time. When he did it for the second time, I was still wondering why he had to repeat himself. When he did it for the third time, I thought if he did it again, I would tell him that it would be better to let his son do this boring thing for his father." He chuckled and shook his head, not knowing whether he was laughing at Yun Tong, "So he still doesn't know that I have this photographic memory, and he doesn't know that I have secretly learned this hand gesture."

This is really a coincidence, Rong Qing thought.

"This matter is over..."

"You are going to look for Gong Xiuniang, right?" Dugu Zhi raised his head and met Rong Qing's gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? I just want to say that Gong Xiuniang often appears behind that wall."

Dugu Zhi pointed to the wall that separated the two houses. Given his ability to control his own yard, it was not surprising that he knew this.

"Thank you for letting me know." Rong Qing's brows relaxed and she waved goodbye.

Walking to the courtyard wall, Rong Qing could still clearly sense the breath of the person opposite her even through the thick wall.

She tiptoed up to the top of the wall and found a clean brick to sit on, not minding the dirt.

"Sir." Zhong Xiuyuan was startled by the sudden drop of the feet, but when he saw Rong Qing's face clearly, he was instantly surprised.

I saw a thin lady in a black robe sitting on the wall, with a gentle look in her eyes, holding a bird cage with her left hand. The mynah bird in the cage called out "Rongrong".

Rong Qing responded and said to Zhong Xiu, "How is Jia Jia?"

"She's fine." Zhong Xiu smiled, "The princess even sent a soldier to escort Jia Jia back that night."

"I will thank the princess for you. What about you?" Rong Qing didn't say it explicitly, but Zhong Xiu understood that Rong Qing was asking her if she was living well after returning.

"Everything is fine." Zhong Xiu smiled, but Rong Qing was sensitive enough to notice that she was feeling a little down.

"Are you worried about something?" Rong Qing's voice was very gentle. "If you don't mind, you can tell me. Maybe I can help. At worst, I can promise not to tell anyone."

"I don't have anything to worry about," Zhong Xiu shook her head, "it's just that the schoolwork is a little difficult. I was afraid that the teacher was here to check on me." She forced a smile.

"Then you don't have to worry. I came here this time to tell you that I will be away for a while. I can't tell you the exact time, but it will not exceed a month." Rong Qing was a little worried. "If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, Doctor Dugu next door is my friend, you can ask him for help."

"Okay." Zhong Xiu nodded and added, "It's not a big deal." She met Rong Qing's concerned eyes and some words turned over in her mouth several times but she couldn't utter them.

As for asking Dugu Zhi for help... that was impossible. Zhong Xiu recalled the look Dugu Zhi had given her at that time. Cold, even hostile!

It seems that Dugu Zhi discovered the clues while helping. So, did Mr. Yu know?
Zhong Xiu stared at Rong Qing. Doctor Dugu should be Mr. Yu's good friend, so he would definitely tell Mr. Yu. But if Mr. Yu knew, how could he be so nice to her...

"I can't take it with me when I go out." Rong Qing raised the birdcage in her hand, "I wonder if you have time to take care of it."

"Of course I'm free." Zhong Xiu nodded quickly.

"That's good." Rong Qing bent down and handed her the birdcage. "This myna hasn't been making a lot of noise lately. It's okay for Jia Jia to keep it for fun."

"Does it have a name?" Zhong Xiu took the birdcage. The starling in the cage was just as Rong Qing said. It stood there quietly, unlike ordinary birds that jumped up and down.

Rong Qing couldn't answer this question either, because Master Guo had never given it a name.

Before Rong Qing could give it a name, the starling in the cage spoke.

"Rongrong" "Rongrong"

"It seems her name is Rongrong?"

Rong Qing nodded silently. Now she understood that Rongrong was referring to the girl in the painting: Yunrong.

Rong Qing calculated the time. The hour agreed upon with Yun Tong and others was almost up. It was just the right time to leave and return to the palace.

She hesitated for a moment, but still wanted to consult Zhong Xiu's opinion. "I have a question I want to ask you."

Zhong Xiu's eyes narrowed, but she tried her best to keep her expression unchanged, "Sir, please speak."

"I got a box. There should be some great treasures in the box. But unfortunately, there is no key to open the box. I also have a key that can open any lock, but this key can only be used once. After that, it will be useless. I want to open the box, but I am worried that what I get after opening the box is not that worthwhile. A key that can open any lock is even rarer. If I encounter a more valuable box in the future, I am afraid it will be a pity to have lost this opportunity. If it were you, what would you choose?"

"I..." Zhong Xiu looked at Rong Qing with complicated eyes.

"Forget it," Rong Qing saw that Zhong Xiu seemed to be in trouble, "This is not a problem that concerns you, you don't have to choose. Forget it." After saying that, Rong Qing was about to get up and jump back to Dugu's yard.

"Wait." Zhong Xiu shouted hurriedly.

Rong Qing turned around to look at him. Zhong Xiu swallowed and said, "If it were me, I would choose to open it now. Since you want to use this key, you must have recognized the value of this box. In this case, if you open this box, there is at least a 50% chance that you will gain a lot. If you don't open it, there will be no chance at all."

"The key is this key. It's so hard to come by. I don't know if I'll ever get another one in the future."

"If we can't even grasp the present, how can we talk about the future?" Zhong Xiu said this, clenched his fists, and looked at Rong Qing with bright and firm eyes.

Rong Qing did not answer her immediately, but frowned and remained silent on the wall.

Zhong Xiu subconsciously pinched her skirt, and the tension quietly appeared and grew. Was the gentleman's words really a test? Did the gentleman approve of her answer?
Zhong Xiu didn't know that in just a few breaths, Rong Qing had already thought about all the possibilities. Finally, she made a decision and said slowly, "You are right. Treasures should be used when they are needed. The old ones must go before the new ones can come."

"Yes." Zhong Xiu breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that.

"I'm sorry to have made you worry." Rong Qing saw Zhong Xiu like this and thought it was her fault that made him so troubled, so she felt a little guilty. "I'm leaving now. If you have anything, go find Doctor Dugu. Or you can ask him to pass on a message. He has a way to contact me."

"I know." Zhong Xiu watched Rong Qing jump back to the other side of the yard. He silently prayed for her and wished her a safe journey.

(End of this chapter)