When Qiku handed him that golden bead, he had not explicitly said it was not to be shown to others.
It was better to get to the bottom of this matter.
Chen Qing asked, "May I ask, Master, do you recognize this?"
Jingming's gaze fell upon the golden bead, and his brows immediately furrowed, as though he suspected his own eyes.
He reached out and took it, his expression gradually turning grave. Then a complicated, unreadable look flickered through his eyes.
"This... is a relic."
Jingming spoke slowly, his tone carrying a trace of disbelief. "If I am not mistaken, this should be a Buddhist relic condensed through Qiku's own arduous cultivation."
"A relic?" Chen Qing's heart jolted.
Naturally, he understood that what the Buddhist Sect called a relic was also known as a Golden Core.
It was the very foundation of one's life, forged from a lifetime's essence, qi, and spirit.
Once the Golden Core left the body, one's cultivation would inevitably suffer a tremendous loss, with not even one-tenth remaining.
"Master Qiku actually gave me his own relic?"
Chen Qing found it unbelievable. This went far beyond ordinary trust; it was practically entrusting him with the foundation of his life.
"He gave you his own relic. It seems he trusts you greatly."
Jingming returned the relic to Chen Qing, his gaze profound. "What did he entrust you to do? What were his exact words?"
Chen Qing recounted Qiku's instructions from that time. "Master Qiku said that once I reached Thousand Lotus Lake, I was to sink this bead into the deepest part of the lake's center."
"Sink it into the deepest part of the lake's center..."
The fingers Jingming used to turn his prayer beads paused, and he sank into prolonged contemplation.
Sandalwood incense curled through the Zen