When the morning bell of Mount Zhongnan shattered the thin mist, the young Daoists of Yuxu Taoist Temple gathered at the entrance of the Yi School, whispering to one another while casting frequent glances at Daoist Master Yuqing on the lecture platform. Today she had changed into a light gray Daoist robe embroidered with abacus bead patterns. The abacus bead hairpin in her hair caught the morning light, shimmering with delicate highlights and revealing an ineffable softness beyond her usual demeanor.
"The Daoist Master has a rouge stain on her robe!" Huwa suddenly pointed at Yuqing's sleeve and cried out, as the abacus beads on her robe bounced into the character for "red." The students broke into an uproar. Yuqing hurriedly used her horsetail whisk to cover it, but accidentally brushed aside an abacus bead that Zhang Yifan had left on the lecture platform—its surface was clearly engraved with the two characters "Qingfan," and the painted eyes on the bead looked up at her blushing ear tips.
"You rascal!" Her whisk struck Zhang Yifan's shoulder, only for him to catch it lightly with an abacus bead. The bead bounced between them into the character for "brawl": "I calculated for the Daoist Master yesterday; today is auspicious for Breaking the Tribulation—" He suddenly pointed out the window. "Look, Boss Pei's 'Breaking the Tribulation Brocade' has arrived!"
Chapter 142