After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 14

Lu Ting’an: I was wrong, Senior Sister, wuu wuu (frantically petting)

Yuancheng was situated in a remote location with a sparse population. Lin Zheng and Lu Ting’an walked north along the main street, and before long, they spotted a three-story wooden building. It featured beams and pillars made of deep ochre sandalwood, with upturned eaves at the four corners like a bird about to take flight. A sign hanging in front of the building bore the words “Fusheng Hall” in gold-rimmed lacquer, and wine banners fluttered in the wind, looking quite grand.

Lu Ting’an raised an eyebrow, feeling a flicker of surprise in her heart. According to the original novel’s description, Fusheng Hall was the most prestigious intelligence hub in the martial world, with a deeply entrenched influence and secret agents spread across the four seas. Even disciples of great immortal sects like theirs had to show it some courtesy. She had initially thought it would be some sort of mysterious, inscrutable residence, but she hadn’t expected it to look like an ordinary tavern, no different from any other marketplace establishment.

It was nearly the hour of Sishi (10:00 AM), yet the doors of Fusheng Hall remained tightly shut. Lin Zheng stepped forward and knocked, but there was no response for a long time.

Lu Ting’an chuckled, her tone tinged with mockery. “What’s going on? Fusheng Hall invited us here, yet they’re shutting us out?”

Lin Zheng, however, frowned slightly as a premonition of unease surged in her heart. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the doors open with a sudden force.

The interior was silent. All around were displays of a dazzling variety of fine wines; the scent of alcohol lingered, looking as though it had just been organized. Squatting on the counter was an enormous golden toad, its body bright and solid, looking like a sculpture yet not quite. Lu Ting’an’s curiosity was piqued, and she stepped forward to poke it, turning back to Lin Zheng. “Hey, look at this thing, it’s actually kind of fun…”

Before the words had even left her mouth, she suddenly sensed something move slightly beneath her fingertips. Her heart tightened, and she immediately looked down, only to meet the golden toad’s cold, amber eyes staring dead at her.

“Ah—!”

Lu Ting’an screamed in terror, scrambling and crawling to hide behind Lin Zheng, her voice trembling. “Mommy! It—it’s alive! Lin Zheng, save me!”

Lin Zheng shook her head helplessly and bowed toward the golden toad, saying, “Old Jin, please stop scaring her.”

The golden toad croaked twice. In the next instant, its short, stubby limbs suddenly lengthened, and its skin pulsed as if something were struggling to break free from within. Amidst a shimmer of golden light, the originally massive toad body slowly shrank and took shape.

Moments later, a lean elderly man with a face full of mottled patterns stood before them. He cupped his hands in a respectful greeting and smiled. “The two of you must be the Immortals from the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect? I am Jin Youdao, the Master of Fusheng Hall. My apologies for the lack of manners.”

Lu Ting’an was dumbfounded. In the original novel, this Hall Master Jin was a pure “tool” character with very little description; she hadn’t known that he, like Lin Zheng, was also of the demon race.

Lin Zheng asked, “When I knocked just now, why didn’t the Hall Master answer?”

At the mention of this, Jin Youdao couldn’t help but sigh softly. “Immortals, you may not know, but my Fusheng Hall was originally an intelligence station for the martial world. Normally, people from all corners of the world gather here, including no shortage of wicked and desperate criminals. Being a bit more cautious is always for the best.”

Lin Zheng nodded. “Understood. May I ask why the Hall Master sent an invitation to the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect for assistance?”

Jin Youdao pondered for a moment, stepped forward to close the door, and then turned back to them with a solemn expression. “This matter is truly strange. A few months ago, an Immortal came to the shop, claiming to be a guest official of the Stony Cliff Night Moon Pond. He said a small demon they were raising had escaped and was hiding near the Cold Ridge Mountain area. He asked me to help find it, promising three bars of gold as a reward upon success.”

Lin Zheng pursed her lips. “What kind of small demon?”

Jin Youdao clicked his tongue twice, his face full of regret. “I asked him, but he wouldn’t say. He only told me it was a snake demon. Its body is blood-red with a faint purple belly, and it is extremely venomous. One must be exceptionally careful when capturing it.”

Lu Ting’an rolled her eyes, cursed him silently in her heart. In the original novel, this Hall Master Jin was afraid Lin Zheng would notice something was off, so he deliberately lied and called it a “small demon.” In reality, this snake demon was named Liyin; she had a thousand years of cultivation and was bloodthirsty, cruel, and incredibly cunning. Years ago, she had run rampant in Jizhou, and it had taken Elder Cui and several disciples years of effort to capture her and lock her in the Stony Cliff Night Moon Pond. It was only because of a guard’s negligence that she had escaped.

Lin Zheng nodded. “And then?”

Jin Youdao’s eyes darted around, and he invited the two of them to sit, smiling with a fawning expression. “Alas, I am old and frail. I’ve entered the mountains several times but failed to find any trace of the snake demon; instead, I injured my leg. As the agreed-upon date approaches, I had no choice but to send the invitation to your noble sect, hoping the Immortals could come and lend me a hand.”

Lu Ting’an, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, her voice cold. “Heh, since you knew you couldn’t handle the commission from Stony Cliff Night Moon Pond, why didn’t you just say so clearly and return the deposit? Why go through all this trouble?”

Jin Youdao gave a sheepish laugh and hurriedly poured tea for Lu Ting’an. “Oh, Immortal, you truly make this old man feel ashamed. Business is not what it used to be; Fusheng Hall hasn’t made ends meet for several months. I truly couldn’t bear to let go of those three gold bars from Stony Cliff Night Moon Pond. How about this? If the two of you can help me catch that snake demon, we will split the three gold bars equally?”

Lu Ting’an’s eyes lit up, and she was just about to agree when Lin Zheng interrupted unexpectedly, “There is no need. According to our sect rules, as long as we accept a request for help, we will take action regardless; it has nothing to do with the reward.”

After speaking, she gave Lu Ting’an a cool, sidelong glance.

Lu Ting’an cracked her knuckles, her heart erupting in a frantic internal monologue: Look at you being so noble! Just wait until this old toad cheats you so hard you’ll cry.

Jin Youdao was overjoyed and repeatedly bowed in gratitude. Lin Zheng waved her hand, saying calmly, “There is no need for such formality, Hall Master. However, we still need some time to prepare. We will enter the mountains to find the snake demon tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes, of course, Immortal. The guest room has been cleaned. Please, upstairs.” Jin Youdao made a gesture of invitation. Lu Ting’an glared at him and asked crossly, “There are two of us, why is there only one guest room?”

Jin Youdao rubbed his hands awkwardly. “This… the reply earlier said seven Immortals were coming, but this small shop only has three guest rooms. I originally thought the Immortals would distribute themselves, so… but please rest assured, Immortal, the room is very spacious. It’s not crowded for two people at all.”

Lin Zheng cut him off. “It’s fine.”

Lu Ting’an rolled her eyes and said irritably, “Fine, one room it is. But the food must be good—three dishes and a soup for every meal, and you must boil hot water for us to bathe in the evening.”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng frowned slightly, looking at her with some displeasure. But Lu Ting’an was determined to make this old toad bleed a little; she folded her arms and said haughtily, “Did you hear me?”

“Yes, yes, I will remember.” Jin Youdao wiped the sweat from his forehead and agreed repeatedly. He had long heard that Sect Leader Lu’s daughter had come to Yuancheng this time. This girl was pampered and domineering, and since he needed help from the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect, he absolutely could not afford to offend her.

Lu Ting’an gave a small huff and turned to go upstairs. Lin Zheng followed behind her. As soon as they entered the room, Lin Zheng asked with an unkind tone, “Why were you so rude to Old Jin? Do you really want to split those three gold bars?”

Lu Ting’an sat down at the small table and stretched comfortably, glancing at her sideways. “You’re so quick to lecture me. Can’t you tell that Hall Master Jin is deliberately setting a trap for you? Cold Ridge Mountain is covered in thick mist year-round with treacherous terrain, and it’s filled with countless demons and monsters. What will you do if you can’t catch that snake demon then?”

Lin Zheng said, “So what? We descend the mountain to subdue demons to rid the people of a scourge. As long as our consciences are clear, it is enough.”

Lu Ting’an jumped up, hands on her hips. “Naïve! I won’t argue with you. You’ll know regret when the time comes.”

Lin Zheng’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

Lu Ting’an looked around and saw that the bed was very spacious, but there was only one set of bedding. Her throat suddenly tightened, and she subconsciously glanced toward Lin Zheng.

Lin Zheng had clearly realized the problem as well. She looked up at her and said, “It’s fine, you use it. I will just meditate to the side.”

Lu Ting’an held the bedding, and in a momentary lapse of judgment, she blurted out, “How about… you turn into a fox? That way you won’t take up much space.”

As soon as the words fell, both of them froze.

Lin Zheng stared at her blankly, as if doubting her own ears. “That… is probably not necessary.”

“Oh, oh, okay.” Lu Ting’an wished she could evaporate on the spot, her toes curling in embarrassment. “I’m exhausted after all the tossing and turning last night. I’m going to sleep for a bit.”

With that, she hurriedly crawled onto the bed, burying her face deep under the covers, not daring to look at her again.

Lin Zheng sighed softly and sat down by the table. She regulated her breathing and began to circulate her cultivation. However, the moment her technique was activated, a chill suddenly rose from her dantian, followed by waves of intense, dull pain. Startled, she immediately tried to force a stop, but it was too late.

Lin Zheng’s upper body slumped heavily against the table, her teeth clenching until they creaked.

Out-of-control spiritual energy rampaged through her meridians, the pain turning her face as white as paper. Cold sweat instantly poured down. She thought to herself, This is bad.

“When did I… get poisoned by Purple Sun Powder?!”

Lin Zheng dragged her body, kneeling and shuffling a few steps, intending to call Lu Ting’an on the bed for help. But a biting chill seeped into her limbs and bones from her dantian, sweeping through her entire body in an instant. Before she could make a sound, she collapsed forward.

Thump—

The noise startled Lu Ting’an, who had been faking sleep. She quickly threw off the covers, only to see Lin Zheng collapsed on the floor, eyes tightly shut, her breath as thin as a thread. Shocked, she cried out, “Crap, no way! Is this Purple Sun Powder really that powerful? The book said it would only block the meridians for a while!”

She hurried to drag Lin Zheng onto the bed. Unfortunately, her spiritual power was too low to help her circulate energy to heal. She could only press her ear to Lin Zheng’s chest to listen for a heartbeat while frantically checking her pulse. She was so panicked she was on the verge of tears. “Lin Zheng, it’s my fault! You can’t die! You…”

Before she could finish, she felt Lin Zheng tremble slightly. Before she could react, several flashes of white light flickered before her eyes. In the next moment, she watched as Lin Zheng’s body rapidly shrank, her robes sliding off. A layer of fur sprouted from her skin, and nine tails unfurled softly, slowly curling back together as the afterglow of the light faded.

In the blink of an eye, a snow-white little fox with weak breathing was curled up in her arms.