On the back of the mountain, Zi Qin gave Bai Yao an ancient book called The Secrets of Witchcraft.
He told her, “This book can help you use your inner strength to practice witchcraft. Take it and read it, and try to understand it.”
Bai Yao was a little excited. She took the book with trembling hands. Her fingers lightly touched the book cover.
This was the complete witchcraft-practicing manual, The Secrets of Witchcraft. Many pract.i.tioners wanted this treasure, but had no opportunity to see it. Now it was in her hands. With this book, she was sure she would be more powerful in a short time.
Zi Qin understood her, thus he reminded seriously, “Be careful! The methods in this book are forceful. Don’t be in a hurry and hurt yourself.”
“Thank you, Master, I will remember.” Bai Yao nodded to promise him. She would take this opportunity to study with all her heart.
Bai Yao went back to her room, and couldn’t wait to open the book. The characters in the first page appeared. Practice with the spirit, protecting life. Once the mind becomes clean and clear, heavenly witchcraft is reachable.
Bai Yao thought about the sentences carefully. What did it mean “the mind becomes clean and clear”? And what was “heavenly witchcraft”? Was it the most powerful?
She had not heard the words “heavenly witchcraft” in her previous life.
Her thoughts came back to the present as she sat on the bed. By reading the contents in the book, she began to practice.
Soon she felt herself enter an empty, dark s.p.a.ce with nothing in it.
She found a way out, and then she walked toward it. In an instant, she reached her house. Her parents were surprised but happy to see her. Bai Yao was shocked. Just a minute ago she was still at the mountain.
While she had doubts, her mother ran to her to hold her, and said, “Yao, finally, you are back.”
Bai Yao held her mother tightly. But soon she found the woman was cold. Then she understood that this was not her mother.
This was also not her family. Those scenes were illusions. This was a realm of illusions.
Bai Yao understood her mission was to break the illusions. She reached out a palm to try touching the realm, but before she could reach it, she was taken to another illusion.
She found herself standing in the emperor’s palace. The palace was decorated with red ribbons and lights; it looked like a wedding ceremony was going on.
Soon she saw two people standing on the high stage. They were Mo Xi and Baiyu. Mo Xi was in a yellow dragon dress; however, Bai Yu was in a red wedding dress.
A eunuch was reading aloud an imperial edict. “According to the heavenly wills, the emperor writes this edict: The Lady of the Bai Family is a virtuous and clever woman with a graceful demeanor. Therefore, I confer the t.i.tle of Empress to Bai Yu, to become the moral model of the harem, and of the whole kingdom. So it is.”
Bai Yao had not prepared for Bai Yu to become the Empress after her death.
Seeing Mo Xi and Bai Yu looking at each other with affection, she felt so angry and her heart was badly hurt.
Bai Yu, Mo Xi, why do you build your happiness upon my bitterness? No way! Why are you still living but I am already a cold body? No, I will destroy you!
Bai Yao felt that something in her was burning like a fire. Her mood was unsteady, and her pupils turned red as blood.
Beyond the realm, the body of Bai Yao was trembling and twitching. She was yelling heatedly, however her body was wet with cold sweat.
At this moment, Zi Qin pushed the door in. Seeing her situation, he was surprised and worried. She was possessed by her own evil thoughts.
Zi Qin hurried to her side, taking her body into his embrace, using his right hand to push against her palm.
“Bai Yao, wake up!” His voice was cold and oppressive. He was calling her name, trying to calm her down with his own power of “Cleansing Heart Craft”.
Bai Yao, in the illusion, heard Zi Qin calling her. She understood this was her own evil ideas led by the bitter past.
No, she had to wake up.
Bai Yao felt Zi Qin’s pure strength flow into her body. Her own energy followed his to flow though her whole body.
After about fifteen minutes, Bai Yao opened her eyes.
When she woke up, Bai Yao found herself lying against Zi Qin’s chest. She pushed him away immediately. Zi Qin stood up and walked to the side of the window.
He was angry at her deeds, and said, “I know you have hatred in your heart, but it is the biggest tattoo to bring your mood into the practicing process. If it were not I who came to visit you just now, you would have already become a demon. Do you understand your fault?”
Bai Yao lowered her head. She knew Zi Qin was correct. She had not controlled her own feelings. This time she had lost.
She acknowledged this, saying, “Yes, I made a mistake. I won’t be like this anymore.”
He knew she was a bearable person; this lesson would make her a good controller of her feelings. So he didn’t say more words.
In the days that followed, Bai Yao continued to study the book, and Zi Qin checked her progress each day.
Most of the checks were fights between them. Zi Qin spoke a spell, and soon fires flew to Bai Yao. Bai Yao used another spell to raise the river water to defend the fires.
Another time, Zi Qin flew the tree leaves to her as sharp knifes, but Bai Yao avoided them.
With the time pa.s.sing, Bai Yao’s witchcraft became more powerful. Zi Qin was satisfied with her.
But he was also worried with her. She had hatred, mostly because of her past experience. Therefore, she couldn’t have any love of men and women in the future.
Zi Qin decided to teach her the way of venomous insects, and he wanted her to plant an insect of romantic love in her body.
The way of venomous insects was different from witchcraft. The former needed insects as agency, but the result was more direct.
Bai Yao was very happy that Zi Qin liked to teach her this way. She wanted to be strong. Whether witchcraft or the way of insects, she wanted to learn.
Zi Qin opened a small insect box where there was a worm of romantic love laying. The worm was still moving.
Zi Qin said to her, “This is the worm of romantic love. If you fall for anyone in the future, your heart will be bitten by it. Do you still want to study the way?”
Bai Yao nodded. She would not fall for anyone in the future.
“Then, I will put it into your body.” Zi Qin used a knife to cut her palm. The blood flowed out immediately. Then she felt the worm enter her body with the blood. She felt a little itch. So, the worm of romantic love was not that harmful?
Maybe because she didn’t love someone. Her expression showed that she always thought that insects and worms were disgusting and harmful. But this one was just fine.
After that, Bai Yao continued to study the book and the way of insects. She achieved great progress.