After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 20

Booting up all my assets for the sake of my wife!

Lu Ting’an dashed along the forest path, running until the terrifying roars of Liyin could no longer be heard. Finally, she skidded to a halt, leaning against a tree trunk as she gasped for air.

At that moment, the System popped up with “impeccable” timing: 【Congratulations to the Host for completing the third plot node! Female Lead’s Blackening Value +10. Current Blackening Value: 48%.】 【Original Plot Progress: 15%】

Seeing the blackening value soar by ten points, Lu Ting’an felt a chill run through her heart. She roared at the system in a fit of uncontrollable rage, “Are you sick?! Of all the times to show up, you pick the moment Lin Zheng’s life is hanging by a thread! You even forced me to abandon her and run! You did this on purpose, didn’t you?!”

The System happily played dead.

Lu Ting’an closed her eyes in despair, covering her face with her hands as her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. In her mind, the fleeting image of Lin Zheng’s shocked and disappointed expression sliced through her heart like a blade, leaving a dull ache in her chest.

This was great. Just great. She had no idea how she was supposed to face Lin Zheng when she went back.

“Little Junior Sister!” “Little Junior Sister, where are you?”

Familiar shouts echoed from nearby. Lu Ting’an felt a surge of relief. She hastily wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes and shouted back toward the voices, “I’m here!”

Before long, several senior brothers rushed out from the depths of the dense forest. Seeing her unharmed, their racing hearts finally settled. Chen Yunxiao stepped forward first, gripping her shoulders to inspect her thoroughly before letting out a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. As long as you’re okay.”

Ye Yunlan also stepped forward, his voice gentle. “Little Junior Sister, you must have been frightened. Don’t be afraid, we are here now.”

Zhang Yunming originally wanted to step up and offer some comfort, but Chen Yunxiao was firmly occupying the spot by her side. He could only nod and smile from a short distance away. “It… it is good that Little Junior Sister is unharmed. Speaking of which, I suppose Lin Zheng was of some use after all.”

The moment she heard Lin Zheng’s name, Lu Ting’an’s heart twitched violently. Casting aside her “Little Junior Sister” persona, she asked urgently, “Where is Lin Zheng? How is she now?”

The senior brothers were all taken aback by her question. Chen Yunxiao’s brow furrowed, his tone laced with dissatisfaction. “Lin Zheng fainted after fighting the giant python. In the end, it was her initial decision to leave alone that led to your capture by the Soul-Eating Ghost. This is merely her making amends for her mistake.”

Guo Jingchen spat on the ground and snorted coldly. “Amends? She’s just putting on a show of self-sacrifice because she’s afraid of being punished by the Sect Master and the Master when we return! If she truly cared about you, she should have met up with us the moment she deduced you were at Mount Hanqiao!”

“Alright, alright, let’s stop talking about her.” Zhao Jingyi stepped forward and put an arm around Guo Jingchen’s shoulder, not forgetting to soothe Lu Ting’an with a smile. “The most important thing is that Little Junior Sister is safe. Now that Lin Zheng is injured, we brothers will naturally protect you and help you take the top spot in the Sect’s Grand Examination. By then, the Master and Sect Master will see you in a whole new light.”

“Enough!” Lu Ting’an listened to them criticize Lin Zheng one after another until the suppressed anxiety and guilt finally exploded. She hugged her arms tightly and turned away, snapped, “I’m tired! We can talk about everything else later!”

Sensing her shift in mood, the senior brothers immediately fell silent and followed her back. When they returned to the site of the battle between Lin Zheng and the giant python, the small fire they had previously lit had gone out, leaving the forest shrouded in deep shadows. Lin Zheng lay there alone under a tree, her clean robes stained with dust and grime, traces of dried blood still at the corners of her mouth. Her breathing was as thin as a thread.

Lu Ting’an’s heart trembled violently, and a stinging sensation flooded her eyes. She desperately wanted to rush over and check on her, but trapped by her persona, she could only look back and tilt her chin toward Guo Jingchen. “Seventh Senior Brother, carry Lin Zheng on your back. We’re going back to Fusheng Hall first.”

Guo Jingchen was filled with disdain, but he didn’t dare disobey Lu Ting’an. He reluctantly hoisted Lin Zheng onto his shoulders and followed the group back to Fusheng Hall.

It was now past the hour of the Ox (around 3 AM), and a curfew had long been in effect within the city. Fusheng Hall was closed for the night. Carrying a belly full of rage, Lu Ting’an kicked the front door open. The Golden Toad, who had been dozing on the counter, jolted in fear. He quickly transformed into his human form, bowing and scraping toward them. “Oh my, distinguished Immortals, what is the meaning of this?”

The moment she saw him, Lu Ting’an’s anger flared. She couldn’t resist raising her hand and delivering a harsh slap. Jin Youdao cried out a “Gua!” in pain, clutching his face and looking at her piteously. “Immortal Lu, what is this for? Have I somehow offended you…”

“You still dare to speak?!” Lu Ting’an gritted her teeth. “You had the audacity to say there was only a common snake demon on Mount Hanqiao. But the result? That was Liyin, a Great Demon with a thousand years of cultivation who plagued Jizhou years ago! For a mere three bars of gold, you tricked us into going to our deaths!”

Hearing this, Chen Yunxiao and the others were stunned. Their expressions changed instantly. “Little Junior Sister, are you saying the snake demon that injured Lin Zheng is the one Hall Master Jin told us to catch?”

“Well then! You old toad, you dared to trick us?!” Guo Jingchen, known for his hot temper, lunged forward and began pummeling Jin Youdao. Jin Youdao dodged and ducked, pleading repeatedly, “I was wrong! I was wrong! It’s just that the Shiya Night-Moon Pond offered too much money! I truly didn’t mean to deceive you all!”

“That’s enough!” Lu Ting’an raised her hand to stop him, staring coldly at the bruised and swollen Jin Youdao. “Hall Master Jin, do you realize that because of you, our eldest senior sister Lin Zheng is heavily injured and her life is hanging by a thread? Do you think a ‘didn’t mean to deceive us’ can just brush this aside?!”

“It is my fault! It is my fault!” Jin Youdao bowed his head repeatedly. He looked up to see the grim faces of the Immortals, and his eyes darted around. He immediately offered a flattering smile. “Fusheng Hall has a treasure of the shop known as the ‘Lamps of Pure Breath and Restoration.’ This lamp has miraculous effects on soothing the soul, nourishing the spirit, and sustaining one’s breath. Forget simple external wounds; even those on the brink of death can have their final breath preserved. I am willing to offer it up to help Immortal Lin recover quickly… What do you think, Immortals?”

Lu Ting’an felt a surge of joy. What she wanted was exactly this treasure the old toad spoke of.

In the original novel, it was precisely by relying on this Lamp of Pure Breath and Restoration that Lin Zheng managed to survive the ordeal at Mount Hanqiao. Not only did her heavy injuries heal completely, but she also turned a disaster into a blessing, breaking through her bottleneck and mastering her cultivation technique.

She quickly composed herself, pretending to suppress her anger as she said coldly, “Fine. Considering you were only greedy and didn’t intentionally seek our lives, I’ll let you off this once.”

Then, her tone shifted to one of stern authority. “Now, bring the lamp out!”

“Yes, yes, yes! Right away!” Jin Youdao didn’t dare delay. He scrambled behind the counter and carefully took an ancient small box from among the myriad of compartments, softly chanting a mantra.

Click—

The lid slowly opened, revealing a lamp that shimmered with flowing light and a rich fragrance. The wick was shaped like a sprout, translucent like a young spring leaf, while the oil swirling in the basin was a mysterious dark red, moving slowly like fresh blood.

The senior brothers frowned in unison. Chen Yunxiao, having more experience, spoke gravely to Lu Ting’an, “Little Junior Sister, this item reeks of demonic energy and its origins are unknown. It shouldn’t be used lightly.”

Lu Ting’an’s mind was entirely occupied by Lin Zheng’s safety. She didn’t care about any of that. She dismissed them nonchalantly. “So what if the demonic energy is heavy? Isn’t Lin Zheng a demon too? This is perfect for her.”

Seeing that they couldn’t persuade her, the senior brothers could only watch anxiously. However, the Little Junior Sister in the original novel was used to being domineering, which allowed Lu Ting’an to play her unreasonable part perfectly. She put her hands on her hips and snapped, “What? Do you not trust me? Or do you think my cultivation is too low to control this lamp?”

The senior brothers looked at each other, wanting to argue further, but Lu Ting’an waved them off impatiently. “Alright, alright. I am the young miss of the Baiyun Luying Sect, and I have always been clear about my debts. Consider this as repaying Lin Zheng for risking her life to save me, so she won’t try to hold it over my head later.”

Finally, she added bossily, “If anyone tries to persuade me again, I won’t speak to them ever again!”

Ye Yunlan shook his head helplessly, exchanging a look with Chen Yunxiao. “Fine then. We will protect the door for you.”

Lu Ting’an nodded, took the lamp, and went upstairs.

The moment she pushed the door open, her eyes fell upon Lin Zheng, who lay on the bed with a face as pale as paper. Lu Ting’an’s fingers tightened uncontrollably around the lamp’s handle. She placed the lamp by the bedside and lit it with her spiritual energy. A curl of blue smoke rose, and a strange sweet fragrance began to fill the room.

Knock, knock.

A soft knock came from the door. Lu Ting’an asked, “What is it?”

Through the door panel, Chen Yunxiao’s voice sounded uneasy. “Little Junior Sister, how is it going?”

Lu Ting’an sighed and said, “It’s lit. Don’t worry, this lamp is harmless and is indeed a treasure for regulating breath and healing injuries.”

Only then did Chen Yunxiao feel at ease. He said deeply, “If anything happens, just shout. We are right outside.”

“Mm,” Lu Ting’an replied softly.

The candlelight flickered, the oil consumed inch by inch, and the glow grew dim. Lin Zheng’s brow was knitted tightly, her lips pressed together, and her breathing was intermittent, as if she were enduring immense pain.

Lu Ting’an hurried to take her hand and pressed her ear against Lin Zheng’s chest. Sure enough, her heartbeat was so weak it had nearly disappeared. She touched her forehead; it was terrifyingly cold.

She straightened up and stared intently at the fading flame on the wick. Hardening her heart, she picked up Lin Zheng’s Broken Moon Sword from the side table and made a cut on her finger.

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow!!” Lu Ting’an nearly cried from the pain, feeling for the first time what it meant for the heart to be connected to the fingers.

“Lin Zheng, you’ve got to pull through,” Lu Ting’an whimpered, her face crumpled in pain as she squeezed every drop of blood into the lamp basin.

After a short while, the candlelight burned brighter, the fragrance wafted out, and Lin Zheng’s complexion eased slightly.

Lu Ting’an finally let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. However, when her gaze fell upon Lin Zheng’s arm, she froze again. The wound that had been corroded by Liyin had split open once more during the fight. It was a bloody mess, with hints of white bone visible in the depths. The surrounding veins were black, a clear sign of deep poisoning.

Lu Ting’an gasped. It looked agonizing. No wonder Lin Zheng was still frowning in her sleep.

She bit her lip nervously, her mind racing. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her. She reached into her inner robes and pulled out a small string of Smiling Buddha pendants, cradling them in her palm and giving them a little toss.

This item was a protective charm the Little Junior Sister in the novel had worn since childhood. Inside the Buddha’s body was a Life-Saving Pill that Lu Qingchen had spent decades of cultivation to refine specifically for Lu Ting’an. It was perfect for neutralizing Lin Zheng’s poison.