Chapter 528: The Master’s Blessing

Kongkan Prefecture, a small town south of A Tai, was a famous tourist destination known for its beautiful scenery, drawing in visitors from all over.

The town boasted many local culinary specialties, beloved by tourists.

After Su Qing arrived in Kongkan Prefecture, she wasn’t in a hurry to find Master Zhang. Since she had finally made the trip to A Tai, she felt she should first enjoy the local food and experience the local culture.

"Young lady, you’re here as a tourist, aren’t you?" Su Qing had casually stepped into a small restaurant, and the proprietress greeted her with a warm smile. Because so many people from Xiangcheng visited this town, most of the local vendors could speak a bit of their language.

It wasn’t mealtime, so the little restaurant was empty. The proprietress, seeing how pretty Su Qing was, was happy to chat a bit more.

"That’s right," Su Qing replied with a faint smile. "I heard the scenery here is beautiful, so I came to see for myself and try some of your local food."

"Oh, then you’ve come to the right place," the proprietress said to Su Qing with a chuckle. "The scenery here is just spectacular. No one who comes ever has a bad word to say about it. And not only have you come to the right place, but you’ve also come at just the right time."

Hearing this, Su Qing grew curious. "What do you mean by that?"

"Today is the day the Master gives out free peace charms. Anyone who goes to see the Master today can get a peace charm for free. If you hang it in your home or carry it with you, it will protect you." The proprietress smiled at Su Qing and added, "I’m going to see the Master myself in a little while to get one."

"Peace charms?" Su Qing asked. "You’re saying the Master here is giving out free peace charms today?"

Su Qing had a bad feeling. Throughout history, anything free was rarely a good thing. Although she didn’t know much about these Masters, she knew that creating peace charms must consume some kind of energy, just as her Wood Ability consumed her superpower when she controlled plants.

And this Master was handing out peace charms to everyone today, which was no small feat. After all, Kongkan Prefecture was a tourist town. Never mind the permanent residents; the number of tourists alone was not to be underestimated. With so many people, the number of peace charms needed would be immense.

’To expend so much energy just to hand out free peace charms... this Master is either a true saint who cares for all humanity or a villain with ulterior motives.’

’I just don’t know who this Master is, or if he’s connected to that Master Zhang.’

"That’s right," the proprietress chuckled. "Young lady, you’re from Xiangcheng, aren’t you?"

"Yes," Su Qing nodded.

"Oh my, I could tell you were from Xiangcheng at a glance," the proprietress laughed. "The girls from Xiangcheng are all so lovely and radiant. Speaking of which, this Master is actually a Feng Shui Master from your Xiangcheng! He’s settled down here in our Kongkan Prefecture now. Not only has he taken on many disciples, but he also frequently gives blessings to the people here."

Su Qing put on a surprised expression. "He’s really a Master from our Xiangcheng?"

’Hearing this, Su Qing had a better idea of the situation. This so-called Master must be one of Master Wen’s disciples. Hah. Taking on an apprentice like Master Zhang... Su Qing highly doubted any disciple of Master Wen would be a good person. This whole business of handing out peace charms definitely involved some underhanded scheme.’

"He is," the proprietress said with a smile. "This Master is wonderful. If a child from around here can become his disciple, not only do they learn a skill, but even their family receives blessings. They get money and lots of goods every month. You could say the whole family is basically provided for. They live such good lives."

The proprietress said this with a look of envy on her face.

Su Qing couldn’t help but narrow her eyes slightly. "If the benefits of becoming a disciple are so great, then a lot of people must be fighting to have this Master take them on, right?"

"Isn’t that the truth," the proprietress replied. "Actually, I thought about having my son become a disciple, too. But the thing is, many of the children who become his disciples rarely ever come home. Besides the family receiving money and goods, you basically never see the kid again. I only have one son, so I can’t bear to part with him. Besides, I have this little restaurant and can make a living. I couldn’t stand not being able to see my son."

The proprietress laughed as she spoke. "Oh, well. I can only look on with envy."

The proprietress’s words gave Su Qing a slight shock. ’The children who become disciples almost never come home? Where do they go?’

So, Su Qing quickly asked, "Then what about the families whose children became disciples? Don’t they miss their kids? Don’t they ask how their children are doing?"

"Sigh. If a family has many children, they don’t really mind if one or two don’t come back. Besides, with the money and goods they receive, the whole family doesn’t have to worry about food or clothing, so they don’t bother looking into it too deeply. Once a child is taken as a disciple, it’s like they’ve been given away," the proprietress explained. "Not like me. I only have this one precious son. I couldn’t stand it if I couldn’t see him."

’So that’s how it is.’

’If a family has many children,’ Su Qing mused, ’and one or two of them can bring money and benefits to the household, then whether that child returns or not naturally becomes less important. They wouldn’t bother asking about the child’s situation.’

’But could all the families really be like that?’

Thinking of this, Su Qing asked, "Don’t tell me every family is like that? Their child becomes the Master’s disciple, and then they just don’t care about them anymore?"

"Of course not," the proprietress said. "Some families do miss their children and go ask about them. But I heard that the Master, out of his compassion, allows those families to visit their children. Some families come back after seeing their kids, and some who don’t want to be separated from their children are arranged by the Master to live with them."

Su Qing asked nonchalantly, "Since it’s possible not to be separated from your child, why don’t you let your son become a disciple?"

"It’s because I don’t want to leave my hometown," the proprietress chuckled. "I heard from the families who came back that their children are all abroad. To become a disciple, you have to cultivate, and that means going out into the world to gain experience. So, none of them are in the country. If you want to be with your child, you have to stay abroad with them. I’m a homebody. I don’t want to go to some unfamiliar place where I don’t know a soul."

The proprietress’s words made Su Qing’s heart grow heavy. It seemed her earlier suspicions might have been heading in the right direction.

’The people behind the Hetian Association in Xiangcheng are most likely these so-called "Masters" right here!’