The winter solstice morning mist, laced with the scent of cypress, drifted into Yuxu Taoist Temple. Daoist Master Yuqing stood on the altar in a Jiuxia Daoist Robe, the twenty-eight mansions abacus bead patterns on her cuffs gleaming faintly in the morning light. Pei Hongxiu had embroidered them overnight, with every constellation formed by Gilded Abacus Beads, and Huwa had even carved a little Daoist priest holding an abacus bead next to the "Shang Mansion".
"Daoist Master, your robe is livelier than the Lantern Festival in Chang'an." Zhang Yifan, shaking his abacus beads, hid behind a banner where the beads hopped across the "Tianshi Enclosure" on her robe to form the character for "bright". Yuqing glared at him, only to discover when Huwa handed over the ritual implement that the peachwood sword was covered in carved abacus bead ghost faces, their abacus bead tongues licking the sword tassel. "Huwa! Ritual instruments are not to be trifled with!"
"This is the 'Protector Ghost Face'," Huwa said, tilting his small face up, his abacus bead eyes gazing at the hilt. "Brother Fan said abacus beads can suppress evil spirits!" Zhang Yifan chuckled lightly, the abacus beads hopping on the instrument to form the character for " upright": "I specifically had Huwa carve the text of the *Qingjing Jing* into it; evil spirits have to go around the moment they see it—" He suddenly lowered his voice, "Besides, the Daoist Master's Dao heart is even more upright than abacus beads."
Chapter 134