chapter 19

I found the Goddess Painting.

Miaofa deceived me.

There was indeed a figure on the painting, her robes fluttering in the wind, bestowing blessings upon the Crown Prince.

But whether it was due to faded pigments or the painter’s deliberate omission,

the face of the “Goddess” was blurred and indistinct.

A wave of frustration welled up in me. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that Miaofa knew something.

He not only knew, but also tricked me!

Fuming with anger, I got up, ready to storm the Star-Gazing Pavilion.

But then I heard the sound of a bell, rippling through the palace like a stone cast into water.

I stopped a passing Eunuch.

“What’s happened?”

In my previous life, I had heard the mourning bell for Xiao Qi.

It was not like this.

“The State Preceptor… has passed away.”

There were truly many visitors to the Star-Gazing Pavilion today.

I squeezed through the bustling crowd.

My gaze swept over the withered bones on the lotus pedestal, searching the pavilion in confusion.

Where was Miaofa?

A sleeve brushed against mine. Xiao Qi looked up at me, worry in his eyes.

“Goddess, why are you crying?”

I touched my face, only then realizing my hand was wet with tears.

“I don’t know.”

Empress. Miaofa. Goddess Painting.

The world spun before my eyes.

The mottled, layered colors of the scroll filled my vision.

I could even see the fine downy feathers on the Phoenix’s wing.

But no matter how I tried, I could not make out the features of the Goddess in the painting.

I must have-surely-forgotten something very important.

I made inquiries everywhere and finally found Miaofa’s disciple outside the palace.

Upon learning why I had come, the Fat Monk lowered his eyes and chanted a Buddhist verse.

“You have come, Benefactor.”

It seemed he had long expected my arrival.

“Master did leave a message for you.”

The Fat Monk smiled. “Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?”

I was taken aback. “What?”

“The lie is: Cherish the one before you.”

“The truth is…”

“‘The Little Monk hated you to death! But, following you was great fun. I want to meet you again in the next life.'”