After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 19

Lu Ting’an: “System, you are seriously not human!”

Lu Ting’an froze for a moment, her gaze falling upon that imperceptible flush on Lin Zheng’s cheek. In a fit of impulsiveness, the words slipped out: “It’s fine, being fluffy is actually quite cute.”

Lin Zheng snapped her head around, the tips of her ears reddening even further as she glared at her fiercely. “Shut up.”

Lu Ting’an’s shoulders trembled as she suppressed her laughter, continuing to tease her: “I never knew you were a white fox. I thought your original form would be red and white like ordinary foxes. Interesting.”

Lin Zheng’s lips turned pale with rage as she shouted, “Lu Ting’an! You still dare to make fun of me?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop joking.” Seeing her anger rising, Lu Ting’an immediately backed off. She fumbled around in her robe for a long while before pulling out the remaining half-piece of dry rations from their journey. Just as she was about to break it in half, she caught sight of blood seeping from Lin Zheng’s wound. Her heart tightened instantly, and she stuffed the entire piece of dry rations into Lin Zheng’s hand, saying, “Eat something to recover your strength. If that snake demon catches up, I won’t be a match for it alone.”

Lin Zheng said expressionlessly, “I’ve noticed your memory is truly terrible.”

Lu Ting’an nearly exploded with rage, jumping three feet into the air. “What do you mean? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!”

Lin Zheng raised her hand, pushing the rations back, and said calmly, “I am practicing Bigu (fasting).”

Lu Ting’an was speechless.

After a long silence, she sat down as if deflated, nibbling on the dry rations in small bites while complaining, “Fasting this, fasting that, what’s the point? The cultivation methods of the Baiyun Luying Sect don’t even require it. You’re just looking for trouble for yourself.”

Lin Zheng didn’t care to argue with her, asking instead, “Did you find out why that snake demon captured you?”

Lu Ting’an finally remembered the business at hand. She slapped her thigh and said, “Right, I was just about to tell you. It’s so strange—because of that jade pendant you gave me, the snake demon seemed to mistake me for you. It kept interrogating me, asking if I knew someone named Lin Qingyao.”

Upon hearing that name, Lin Zheng’s eyes suddenly widened. She stared at her in disbelief and asked, “What did you say?”

Lu Ting’an sighed and spread her hands. “Lin Qingyao! The snake demon said he was from our sect, probably an elder or something…”

Before she could finish, a faint rustling sound suddenly came from the nearby woods, as if something was rapidly approaching.

Lin Zheng’s brow furrowed instantly. She immediately summoned Sui Yue  (Broken Moon) and stepped in front of her. “Not good, it’s followed us.”

The image of Liyin’s grim, venomous fangs flashed through Lu Ting’an’s mind. Her heart went numb with fear, and she instinctively grabbed the hem of Lin Zheng’s clothes. “What do we do? You can’t beat it in your current state!”

Lin Zheng’s hand holding Sui Yue  trembled slightly, yet she still forced herself to say coldly, “You, hide first!”

“Want to leave? Too late!”

In the next instant, a giant python burst from the forest, its venomous fangs cold and its breath carrying a foul stench. Before Lu Ting’an could scream, Lin Zheng had already pushed her away forcefully. Sui Yue  shot out with a piercing cold light, aiming straight for Liyin’s seven-inch vital spot.

The two figures became entangled in a struggle, but Lin Zheng was heavily poisoned and soon fell into a disadvantage. Her vision went dark, her footsteps faltered, and Liyin seized the opportunity to swing its massive tail. With a “bang,” Lin Zheng was thrown heavily against a tree. A sweetness rose in her throat, and she spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Lu Ting’an was frantic with anxiety, preparing to pull a talisman from her robe to save her. But in the next second, the mechanical voice of the system suddenly rang in her mind:

[Ding—The plot node ‘Leave the heroine to face the dangerous demon beast alone’ has been loaded. Host, please be prepared. Current Heroine Blackening Value: 38%.]

Lu Ting’an was stunned. Once she regained her senses, she shouted in a fury, “In this situation, you’re telling me to leave? Are you even human?!”

The system replied coldly and ruthlessly: [Warning. Host is detected to be going OOC (Out of Character). If you continue to interfere with the plot, an electric shock punishment will be executed, and 5 Life Points will be deducted.]

Lu Ting’an was so angry her brain wasn’t thinking clearly. She snapped back, “Deduct them then! Do you think I’m afraid of you?!”

[Ding, executing electric shock punishment.]

“Hiss!” A jolt of electricity surged from the back of her neck down her spine to her heels. Lu Ting’an was forced to double over, clutching herself and shaking violently, while cursed the system’s ancestors eighteen times over in her heart.

[If the Host continues to resist, 10 Life Points will be deducted.]

Listening to the system’s icy sentence, Lu Ting’an gritted her teeth. Her fingertips were still trembling from the shock. She couldn’t help but let out a curse before turning around and sprinting into the depths of the forest.

Lin Zheng held her longsword tightly, the tip buried deep into the soil. She knelt on one knee, using the blade to barely support her swaying body. Hearing Lu Ting’an’s footsteps fading away, she suddenly looked back, her pupils shrinking violently.

Liyin glanced in that direction and couldn’t help but laugh, mocking, “Heh, mortals are indeed heartless things. Look at that girl—to save her own life, she runs faster than anyone. As for you? Even if you risk your life for her, she still discards you like an old shoe.”

“Little girl, with your cultivation and talent, staying in the Baiyun Luying Sect is a waste. Why not submit to this Seat? In the future, you and I can rule a territory and live happily, wouldn’t that be better?”

Lin Zheng squeezed a low growl through her tightly clenched teeth: “Wishful thinking! You monster, even if I die in battle tonight, I will never allow you to commit evil again!”

With that, Lin Zheng took up Sui Yue  to fight again. The sword light fell like stars, and the sound of a dragon’s roar echoed continuously, actually forcing Liyin back several steps. A bloody gash opened on its abdomen, making it roar at the sky in pain. “You seek death!”

Suddenly, Liyin lunged at her with its abyss-like maw wide open. Lin Zheng nimbly sidestepped to dodge, striking back with her sword. Unfortunately, Liyin’s scales were as hard as armor; sparks flew, but the blade couldn’t wound it at all. Liyin flicked its head, its body suddenly coiling. Its thick torso wrapped around her layer by layer, locking Lin Zheng tightly within.

The massive force tightened frantically, and her bones let out a series of cracking sounds as if they were about to break. Pushed to her limit, Lin Zheng finally let out a cry of pain. The wound on her arm burst open, and blood dripped down the scales in a line.

Liyin’s giant golden vertical pupils approached her with an overwhelming sense of pressure. As its flicking tongue brushed past the blood at the corner of her mouth, it suddenly froze. It said in disbelief, “You are of the demon race?”

Lin Zheng’s face was deathly pale, yet she still sneered, “Yes, I am a demon. But I am different from the likes of you. I focus on cultivation and have never harmed anyone.”

The force Liyin exerted on her body stalled instantly, as if it had heard something unbelievable. It asked in a lost voice, “You are of the demon race, yet a disciple of the Baiyun Luying Sect… are you… called Lin Zheng?”

Before Lin Zheng could answer, a commotion was heard nearby. Chen Yunxiao and his group arrived on flying swords. Seeing Lin Zheng entangled by the giant python, Chen Yunxiao’s expression hardened as he shouted, “Evil beast, let her go!”

Dozens of sword lights flashed past. Realizing the situation was grim, Liyin released its tail from Lin Zheng and retreated suddenly, turning into a black shadow that vanished into the depths of the dense forest.

“Don’t run!” Guo Jingchen roared, drawing his sword to give chase.

“Junior Brother, do not pursue!” Chen Yunxiao shouted to stop him, blocking his path. “That snake demon has deep cultivation; do not fall for its tricks!”

Guo Jingchen gritted his teeth and stopped, able only to watch helplessly as the snake shadow disappeared into the dark sea of trees.

Ye Yunlan looked at the unconscious Lin Zheng and then looked around, unable to help but frown. “Where is Little Junior Sister? Why isn’t she here?”

At these words, everyone was shocked. Zhao Jingyi hurriedly moved to Lin Zheng’s side to settle her, then looked at the battle marks scattered across the ground. His expression was heavy, but he was relieved not to find Lu Ting’an’s body. He let out a slight sigh of relief: “Don’t overthink it. Little Junior Sister probably escaped first. Everyone, split up and find her!”