After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 12

To earn favor with the female lead, Lu Ting’an was truly giving it her all.

Hearing those words, Lu Ting’an was startled and said, “You’re going to follow them? What if it’s dangerous?”

Lin Zheng gazed into the distance, her expression solemn. “Their destination is Yushui Village, not far outside the city. Ordinary folk don’t recognize these malevolent entities; I fear they will suffer a great calamity. Since I’ve encountered this, there is no reason to sit by and do nothing.”

Lu Ting’an knew she couldn’t be talked out of it, so she could only say, “Then how about waiting for the senior brothers to return? More help would be safer.”

Lin Zheng shook her head, looked back at her, and said calmly, “These things move extremely fast. I’m afraid that even a small delay will lead to greater peril.”

Before Lu Ting’an could say anything more, Lin Zheng pulled a warm-colored jade pendant from her robe. The center was hollowed out in the shape of a fox; it was warm to the touch and brimming with spiritual energy—clearly a top-tier magical artifact. Lin Zheng pressed the jade into her hand and said in a heavy voice, “This is an ancestral protective charm from my Qingqiu clan. As long as you wear it, ordinary demons and evils cannot approach you. Wait here for Chen Yunxiao and the others; once dawn breaks, come to Yushui Village to assist me.”

“Hey, you…” Before Lu Ting’an could finish, Lin Zheng had already sped away on the “Broken Moon” sword, leaving her standing alone on the spot.

A cold wind blew, and the sound of wolves howling drifted from the depths of the forest, making Lu Ting’an shiver uncontrollably.

“She just left like that? Leaving me alone and unarmed to guard this place?”

Lu Ting’an hugged her arms tightly and huddled under a large tree. The endless night filled her vision, and she was so terrified she didn’t dare move a muscle.

Meanwhile, on the other side, several senior brothers who were bent on pleasing Lu Ting’an were scouring the mountains to catch fish and hunt wild pheasants. Unfortunately, the mountain was barren. After working for half a day, they still had nothing to show for it, except for Ye Yunlan, who had picked a few wild fruits. Though they were sour and astringent, they were barely edible.

On the way back, Guo Jingchen clutched his soaked sleeves and dejectedly said, “Such a large lake, yet not a single fish could be caught? Now I can’t make fish soup for Junior Sister; she’s going to be so disappointed.”

Zhao Jingyi was gnawing on a wild fruit, hissing from the sourness as he leaned over. He teased with a grin, “Oh, Junior Brother, in this pitch-black night, you actually dared to wade into the river to catch fish? With such sincere devotion, tell me truly, do you have some other intentions toward Junior Sister?”

Guo Jingchen’s cheeks flushed crimson at these words, and he shouted, “Nonsense! I am simply a senior brother caring for his junior sister. How could it be as foul as you think?”

“Ooh, blushing already? And you still deny it!” Zhao Jingyi laughed and slung an arm around his shoulder, suddenly lowering his voice to whisper in his ear, “Brother, don’t blame me for not warning you—that Junior Sister isn’t someone you can dream of. If the Sect Leader wants to choose a son-in-law from among the disciples, it would have to be someone like Second Senior Brother, a dragon among men. You kid should stop dreaming.”

Guo Jingchen’s lips moved as if to retort, but Chen Yunxiao, walking ahead, turned around and gave them a cold, disdainful look. He said, “Is Junior Sister’s marriage something you can joke about so casually? If you say anything else indecent, be careful or I’ll report it to the Master and have you caned.”

Zhao Jingyi and Guo Jingchen were startled and quickly bowed with cupped hands, saying, “Second Senior Brother’s criticism is correct; we spoke too much.”

Seeing this, Ye Yunlan stepped in to smooth things over, saying, “Senior Brother, it was just a few jokes. Why take it so seriously? Besides, the Sect Leader only has Junior Sister as his daughter. Someone must take charge of the century-old foundation of the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect! As the role model for us junior brothers, you are naturally the one for the task.”

Zhao Jingyi nodded repeatedly. “That’s right, that’s right. I remember overhearing a conversation between the Master and the Sect Leader saying that once Junior Sister reaches her coming-of-age ceremony, she will become Dao companions with Second Senior Brother.”

Hearing this, although Chen Yunxiao said nothing, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

“When… when did this happen?” Zhang Yunming, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up. He immediately felt Chen Yunxiao’s hostile gaze, realized his slip of the tongue, and lowered his head guiltily.

Guo Jingchen’s face shifted through various expressions as he trailed behind in silence.

When the group returned to the camp, they searched around and finally found Lu Ting’an huddled under a tree, her eyes closed and motionless. Terrified, they rushed forward to check her pulse. Only after realizing there was no great harm did they breathe a sigh of relief.

“Junior Sister! Junior Sister!”

Lu Ting’an had already caught a chill, and combined with the shock from those entities, she had a splitting headache. She forced her eyes open and said, “Second Senior Brother, you’re back.”

Chen Yunxiao took her hand, which was as cold as ice, and placed it in his robe, saying with concern, “Why are you sleeping here? Where is Lin Zheng?”

At the mention of Lin Zheng, Lu Ting’an woke up instantly. She snapped her hand back and said, “That’s right, Senior Brother, something terrible has happened! Just now, Lin Zheng and I encountered a Ghost Wedding!”

“A Ghost Wedding? What is a Ghost Wedding?” Guo Jingchen asked, puzzled.

Ye Yunlan’s expression tightened slightly, and he turned to scold him, “I told you to study harder. A Ghost Wedding is a spirit marriage for the dead.”

“Oh no,” Zhao Jingyi said, turning pale with fright. “Could you have encountered the Soul-Eating Ghost? Legend says that in the Jinbei region, ghost marriages are common, and this evil spirit disguises itself as a bride to steal the souls of anyone who approaches. It is extremely ferocious.”

Lu Ting’an stomped her feet in anxiety. “Exactly!”

Chen Yunxiao stood up and pondered for a moment before saying, “Junior Sister, did Lin Zheng go after those things?”

Lu Ting’an nodded. “Yes, she gave me a protective jade pendant and told me to wait for you all here, then go to Yushui Village to meet her at dawn.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd exchanged meaningful glances and smiled without saying a word.

Seeing that they had no intention of going to Yushui Village, a bad premonition rose in Lu Ting’an’s heart. She asked tentatively, “Senior Brothers, you don’t… you don’t intend to go support Lin Zheng?”

Chen Yunxiao slowly brushed a few withered leaves off her shoulder, wearing a meaningful smile as he said, “Junior Sister, we know you dislike Lin Zheng. Now that she’s gone off alone to chase that Soul-Eating Ghost, if something were to happen to her, wouldn’t that be exactly what you wanted?”

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Lu Ting’an felt a surge of anger. She wanted nothing more than to swing her arm and give him a resounding slap. But constrained by her “Junior Sister” persona, she could only squeeze out a smile through gritted teeth: “That is true, but for this Sect Examination, we are all carrying the Master’s Bright Mirror Talismans. Every move we make can be observed by Father and the Master. What if Lin Zheng complains?”

Ye Yunlan chuckled. “So what? Can the Master and Sect Leader watch us every second? Besides, if three people say there’s a tiger, people believe it. When the time comes, do you think the Sect Leader and Master will believe her lone word, or the words of all of us?”

Lu Ting’an was shocked. She never expected these people to be so cold-blooded. When a fellow disciple was in danger, their first reaction wasn’t to help, but to kick her while she was down. How on earth had Lin Zheng managed to endure the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect until today?!

Lu Ting’an’s expression was grim as she suppressed her anger. “Senior Brother, this isn’t right.”

“Oh, Junior Sister, you’re just too soft-hearted.” Zhao Jingyi approached, holding the wild fruits out to her with a smile. “Lin Zheng is just a member of the demon race; how is she worthy of seeking the Dao like us? To put it plainly, isn’t cultivation meant for slaying demons and monsters? Isn’t it a reversal of the natural order to be comrades with a demon?”

Lu Ting’an saw she couldn’t persuade them. She was anxious but couldn’t explode in anger. She could only play along, letting them set up camp and sit around chatting and laughing while she secretly made up her mind.

After midnight, the senior brothers fell into a deep sleep, leaving only Guo Jingchen to keep watch. Of course, Guo Jingchen was half-hearted and drowsy. Lu Ting’an got up stealthily and bypassed him easily. Clutching the jade pendant Lin Zheng had given her, she stared at the pitch-black forest—which looked like the gaping maw of an abyss—took a deep breath, and summoned her courage to step inside…

Lin Zheng followed the group of Soul-Eating Ghosts to the vicinity of Yushui Village. She saw the “porters” stop and cease their advance, instead staring around aimlessly with pupils of dead white, as if searching for something.

Lin Zheng quickly circulated her power to hide her aura and hid behind a large locust tree to observe the situation.

Suddenly, dots of firelight ignited at the end of the small path leading into the village, as if people were heading this way. Instantly, the small red sedan chair trembled slightly, and the “porters” vanished. The cold moonlight spilled down, reflecting the layers of eerie, seductive talismans on the sedan’s curtains, looking exceptionally terrifying in the quiet night.

As the figures drew closer, Lin Zheng realized it was a group of villagers, all carrying bright red lanterns with prominent “Double Happiness” characters flickering in the candlelight. Seeing the sedan chair sitting lonely at the village entrance, their footsteps faltered. They whispered to each other, not daring to step forward, and tentatively called out, “Is that Lady Qin?”

“It is I,” came a dainty response from inside the sedan. It sounded particularly jarring in the dark night, making one’s skin crawl.

The villagers were overjoyed and were about to step forward when suddenly, a cold flash of light erupted. The red-topped sedan chair instantly burst into pieces. A shrill, resentful shriek echoed through the air as black smoke scattered. Several people were so terrified that their legs gave way and they collapsed, their red lanterns rolling across the ground.

Lin Zheng sheathed her sword, her expression cold as she spoke to the terrified crowd behind her. “This is a Soul-Eating Ghost that specifically disguises itself as a bride to lure people into ghost marriages. I know that spirit marriages are prevalent in the Yuancheng area, which is why these evils are rampant. You must be more careful in the future.”

“Im-immortal.” An older villager, slightly braver than the rest, crawled forward on his knees and kowtowed to Lin Zheng. “Thank you, Immortal, for saving our lives. May I ask how to address you?”

Lin Zheng helped the man up and said calmly, “I am Lin Zheng, a disciple of the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect. There is no need for such formality, elder.”

“Ah, so you are an Immortal from the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect. No wonder your cultivation is so profound that you could see through the disguise of this evil spirit at a glance.” The villagers were so grateful they were almost in tears. But then, their faces suddenly turned pale. They hurriedly bowed to Lin Zheng and said, “Immortal, tonight it’s not just our Yushui Village having a ghost marriage. There is also one in the neighboring Lengquan Village where my sister-in-law lives. The time for the wedding procession is approaching; if they encounter these evils as well, what should be done?”

Lin Zheng’s expression sharpened, and she made an immediate decision. “Where is Lengquan Village? Take me there at once!”