Chapter 8 — Impurity Under My Shadow

“I escort you.” The Queen Mother glanced at him. “Who can you protect?” Luc Hoai Canh's face turned pale. I didn't say help him. In the past, he protected Tiet Chi Lan very well. Protecting Trieu Thi is also very good. When it's my turn, there's only one thing left forever: don't make trouble. The Department of Medicine is located in the west of the inner palace. One way through, the palace wall is dark red, the blue stone road after the rain shines with cold and damp air. Tiet Chi Lan was originally detained at Truong Lac Palace. But she clung tightly to Luc Hoai Canh, refusing to leave him no matter what she said. The Queen Mother was too lazy to deal with her, so she only sent two maids to watch over her. We go first. The closer we get to the Thuong Y Department, the stronger the smell of Phan Cot incense becomes. It's not an ordinary scent. Normally when burned, incense will rise upward. The Fragrance Essence penetrates deep into one's nasal cavity, as if it wants to drill into one's brain. The old mother said in a low voice: "Before His Highness became seriously ill that year, the palace often had this smell." The Queen Mother's footsteps stopped. She did not turn her head. The big door of Thuong Y Department is closed tightly. On the door are pasted two new golden talismans. The cinnabar has not yet dried and is so red that it is blinding. The guard next to the Queen Mother stepped forward and kicked open the door. There was not a single person in the yard. All lights are bright. But the light is blue. In the middle of the yard is a wooden man. The wooden person wears a red wedding dress. The embroidered pattern on the wedding dress is full of precious flowers, not like the uniform of a female official in the palace, but on the contrary like the bride's wedding dress. Our steps stop. Because the word Tham was embroidered on the cuff of that wedding dress. Luc Hoai Canh also saw it. His voice was deep and hoarse. "This is your wedding dress?" I smiled. "Master Marquis finally realized what I used to wear?" His face stiffened. That is indeed my wedding dress. Three years ago, I married into the Vinh Ninh Marquis Palace. Mrs. Trieu criticized the red color as being too bright, and the second day after we got married, she ordered someone to collect it and burn it. Turns out it didn't burn. It's in the palace. It is worn on a faceless wooden person. In front of the wooden man's chest was half a jade brooch. It is the other half of the relics my mother left behind. Tiet Chi Lan stepped back in fear, her voice trembling. "Why are you here?" No one answered her. I walked over and pulled out half of the jade brooch. The wooden man suddenly raised his head. On its face without five senses, two lines of black blood slowly oozed out. Tiet Chi Lan screamed. Luc Hoai Canh instinctively drew his sword to block in front of her. I stood still and did not move. Because that female voice rang out again. "Chieu Vi, don't be afraid." The wooden man's mouth did not move. But the sound came from all directions. "I've been waiting for you for a long time." My eye sockets suddenly became hot. The Buddha's neck shook violently at this moment. Like it doesn't allow me to come close. The Queen Mother said solemnly: "Who is there pretending to be a god and a ghost?" In the yard, the green lights simultaneously wavered. The door to the room behind the windless wooden man opened by itself. In the altar room there is a row of tablets. The tablet in the middle has no name. Just stick a yellow talisman. On the talisman write four words. Tham Thi Van Binh. My mother, Tham Van Binh. In front of the tablet, there is a person wearing a gray monk's robe kneeling. He turned his back to everyone, his back was thin, and he held a Buddha pearl in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned his head. That face is as old as dry tree bark. But we still recognize him. Lieu Tran of Tran Quoc Tu. He saw me, his eyes filled with surprise. "Karma, you still woke up." Finished speaking. The purple string of Buddha beads at my neck cracked and released the first bead. 10The sound of the first Buddha bead cracking was very soft. But when it reached my ears, it was like an iron door that someone had broken open from the inside. Lieu Tran's face finally changed. He suddenly stood up, waved the Buddha necklace in his hand, and cinnabar light shined from within

The sleeve flew off, straight into my face. I don't avoid it. The talisman suddenly stopped three inches away from me. Like crashing into an invisible wall. Immediately afterwards, the talisman spontaneously burned without fire. When the ashes fell to the ground, they gathered into a small animal claw mark. Lieu Tran's pupils suddenly constricted. "You were actually able to protect the body." I touched the cracked sandalwood seed on my neck. A little dark red seeped out from the crack. Unbloody. More like a fire that had been sealed for twenty years. Luc Hoai Canh held his sword in front of Tiet Chi Lan, his voice tense. "Master Lieu Tran, what exactly is this?" Lieu Tran coldly looked at him. "Master Marquis, what are you still asking?" "If it weren't for the poor monk who saved her life that year, your Luc family would have been eaten by this karma to the point of not even having any bones left." Trieu was pressed behind by guards, hearing this and immediately cried. "Master, you quickly take her in!" "She's gone." Today I lose control in the palace, the entire Vinh Ninh Marquis Palace will be dragged into the water by her!" I turned to look at her. "Mother's words are very interesting." "These past few years you have not dared to let me take off the Buddha's pearl, and dare to let me suffer all the torment."