After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 10

What is meant to come must eventually arrive.

Ever since Lin Zheng moved into Yingyue Pavilion, Lu Ting’an’s life had completely descended into deep water and scorching fire.

Setting aside the grueling academic workload, Lin Zheng’s punctuality—which bordered on the tyrannical—was enough to make Lu Ting’an wail in misery. As soon as the Hour of the Rabbit (5:00 AM) was about to pass, Lin Zheng would relentlessly drag her out of her warm blankets. No matter how much Lu Ting’an threw a tantrum, rolled around, or played dead, Lin Zheng remained unmoved. She would simply urge her to wash up in a cold voice and then escort her to the backyard pond to practice swordplay.

At this time, the first light of dawn had not yet broken. The mountain air was thick with a biting chill and heavy dew. Lu Ting’an, possessing a frail constitution, shivered uncontrollably. Just as she thought of relaxing her already aching arms, a sharp gaze immediately fell upon her. Holding a ruler, Lin Zheng stepped forward. She lightly propped up Lu Ting’an’s sagging wrist and said flatly, “If the form does not follow the rules, the momentum will not enter the law. Practice for another half hour.”

Hearing this, Lu Ting’an turned around in a fit of rage and shouted at her, “I’ve been practicing for several days straight! Even a person made of iron needs rest, right? Do you think I’m a donkey pulling a grindstone?”

Lin Zheng stared at her expressionlessly, her tone level. “The last time a sparring match was held at the martial arts arena, Elder Luo stated publicly that your progress has regressed rapidly. Not only is your swordplay rusty, but you even use the Black Gold Whip perfunctorily. If you refuse to cultivate diligently like this, how do you intend to face the Sect Grand Examination in a few days?”

Lu Ting’an was rendered speechless by this interrogation, her heart filled with bitterness. She couldn’t exactly tell Lin Zheng that she was a transmigrator who had forgotten all her martial arts, could she?

Gritting her teeth and enduring for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Lu Ting’an felt her arms go so numb they no longer felt like her own. Beads of sweat fell pitter-patter, drenching her snow-white collar. Finally unable to hold back, she pleaded, “Senior Sister, I really can’t hold on any longer. Just spare me this once today. Tomorrow! Tomorrow I’ll practice a bit longer, okay?”

Lin Zheng stood with her hands behind her back and refused bluntly: “You said the same thing yesterday.”

Lu Ting’an wailed, “Lin Zheng, how can you treat me like this?”

Lin Zheng said calmly, “Stop shouting. Keep practicing. You still have to study your books later.”

Lu Ting’an wished she could strangle her past self for wanting Lin Zheng to move into Yingyue Pavilion. She blamed her own overeagerness to curry favor with the female lead; now she was truly riding a tiger—stuck in a mess of her own making.

Once Lu Ting’an had finally practiced to Lin Zheng’s satisfaction, the latter finally relented, allowing Lu Ting’an to bathe and change before she began organizing the scrolls on the desk, waiting for Lu Ting’an to join her.

After a long while, Lin Zheng grew suspicious that Lu Ting’an had not yet finished bathing. She called out to her from across the screen: “Lu Ting’an, are you done yet?”

Lu Ting’an submerged half her body in the pool water, sullenly blowing bubbles and pretending not to hear. Over the past few days, she had been forced by Lin Zheng to cram alchemy, medicinal theory, the origins of various sects, and various methods for subduing demons. During the day, she studied until her eyes grew blurred; at night, she recited formulas in her dreams. She was already dizzy and physically exhausted; at this moment, she truly didn’t want to deal with her at all.

Lin Zheng understood the situation perfectly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said flatly, “If today’s tasks are not completed, you won’t be having lunch.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Ting’an wanted to curse her. However, both her Master and her father had spoken—she had been placed entirely under Lin Zheng’s discipline. Harboring resentment but not daring to speak out, she could only slowly dry herself, change clothes, and come out.

Lu Ting’an sat down at the desk dejectedly, looking at Lin Zheng helplessly. “Don’t you need to attend classes lately? How do you have time to watch me every day?”

Lin Zheng spread a stack of scrolls out before her and said calmly, “The Sect Grand Examination is imminent. Master has told us to prepare on our own; there are no classes these few days.”

Lu Ting’an let out a heavy sigh and pressed her face against the table. Looking at the scrolls filled with Lin Zheng’s red ink corrections gave her a toothache. She asked, “What are we covering today?”

Lin Zheng reached out and grabbed her back collar, pulling her into a proper sitting posture. She pointed at the test paper where almost not a single answer was correct and said, “I only taught this content the day before yesterday. How did you still get it so wrong?”

Lu Ting’an could only smile bitterly. The knowledge required for cultivation was as vast as the sea. She only now realized that swordplay was actually the simplest part. The rest—things like heavenly treasures, alchemical taboos, demon classifications, and so on—how could she possibly memorize it all in just a few days?

Lin Zheng shook her head and said, “The Grand Examination is only a few days away. If you can’t even master these basics, how will you manage to get a Grade B?”

Clutching her head, Lu Ting’an said in a self-destructive manner, “If I can’t get a Grade B, at most I’ll be scolded by Master and Dad. If I keep studying like this, I’m going to hang myself!”

Lin Zheng lowered her eyes and gave her a displeased glare. Scared, Lu Ting’an shrank her neck and said with a mournful face, “Fine, fine, fine, I’ll learn.”

Lin Zheng took out a fresh roll of paper from under the table and handed it to her, saying, “If you can’t remember it, then copy it a few more times.”

“Oh.” Lu Ting’an sprawled half her body across the desk and began copying the books with a soul-crushed expression. Lin Zheng caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye and said flatly, “The handwriting is not upright. Recopy it.”

Lu Ting’an: “…”

After tossing and turning for half the day, it was nearly the Hour of the Monkey (3:00 PM). Only then did Lu Ting’an, under Lin Zheng’s supervision, finish copying all the incorrect test questions. Her stomach was growling with hunger, but at this hour, it was impossible for the dining hall to have any food left. Lu Ting’an rubbed her empty stomach and looked at Lin Zheng somewhat pitifully.

Lin Zheng nodded slightly and pondered for a long moment before asking, “Is there a kitchen in Yingyue Pavilion?”

Lu Ting’an nodded and pointed toward the door. “In the west wing. Disciples deliver fresh vegetables every day.”

Lin Zheng stood up, nodded to her, and said, “Good. Wait here.”

A short while later, as Lu Ting’an sat in the room, she heard a series of clattering and clanging sounds coming from the west wing. Just as she was thinking of going out to take a look out of concern, Lin Zheng stepped in first, carrying a steaming bowl of Plain Noodles.

“Eat.”

Lu Ting’an looked down. Although it was a bowl of plain noodles, Lin Zheng had specially fried a golden-brown egg for her, added some tender green vegetables, and a bright, clear broth. It looked incredibly appetizing.

Despite being so hungry her chest was sticking to her back, Lu Ting’an forced herself to ask politely, “Uh, there’s only one bowl. Aren’t you eating?”

Lin Zheng shook her head slightly. “I have been practicing Inedia (fasting) lately.”

Lu Ting’an’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. “I see. Then I won’t be formal.”

Lin Zheng sat by her side, quietly watching her gorge herself for a while before finally reminding her in a deep voice, “Eat slower.”

“Mhm, mhm.” Lu Ting’an’s mouth was stuffed full, yet she didn’t forget to praise her. “Not bad! Your cooking skills are great. Hey, why didn’t you mention you could cook before? It’s a waste that I had to go to the dining hall to squeeze through the lines every time. If I knew you could do it yourself, I definitely would have stayed at Yingyue Pavilion to eat.”

Lin Zheng was looking down, flipping through a thin booklet, her slender fingers lightly gripping the pages. “The dining hall has prepared meals; wouldn’t it be a waste of time to cook for oneself?”

Lu Ting’an silently rolled her eyes, complaining in her heart that she truly lived up to her reputation as the number one “Involution Queen” (overachiever) of the Baiyun Luying Sect. She said, “Cultivation is cultivation, but there’s no need to push yourself this hard, right? Life would lose a lot of its joy.”

Lin Zheng glanced at her but did not reply.

Lu Ting’an rolled up her sleeves, intending to lecture her on the harm that “involution” brought to fellow disciples. However, before she could speak, a cold system prompt suddenly rang in her mind.

[Beep—The Sect Grand Examination Arc has been activated. The plot node ‘Poison the female lead’s food’ has finished loading. Host, please be prepared. Current Female Lead Blackening Value: 33%.]