Xie Shan worried about his two daughters day and night, especially Xie Lin, who was sinking ever deeper into her own delusion realm.
Over the past few years, Xie Shan had exhausted every trick he knew and devised countless methods, yet none had brought his daughter out.
From a Buddhist perspective, he had long since lost his meditative composure. That was why Red Flower Princess had been able to influence him imperceptibly, gradually bringing his primordial spirit under her control. Without outside intervention, he could only sink deeper and deeper, never to free himself again.
These past few years, Xie Shan increasingly felt his thoughts tangled like hemp and his heart burning as though scorched by fire. When he meditated, it was difficult to enter a state of concentration anymore, and even when he did, it remained shallow.
At first, entering Xie Lin's delusion realm had been easy; a single thought had taken him inside. Since the beginning of this year, however, he had needed to bathe, change his clothes, purify his mind by reciting the Buddha's name, and sit in meditation for three days before he could enter. Now he needed seven days, and getting back out was becoming harder and harder...
He knew something was wrong with his elder daughter, Xie Ying, too, though he could not yet determine precisely what. Fortunately, her problem was less serious than Xie Lin's. His elder daughter had always been obedient, sensible, and steady, and she had always managed her own problems well.
He intended to get Xie Lin out first, then find a way to resolve Xie Ying's problem completely.
As for Xie Ying draining his essence qi, at first it had been so faint as to be almost imperceptible, taking only the slightest trace. Only later had the amount begun