After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 23

Lu Ting’an thought: So you’re telling me it was negative all this time…

Lu Ting’an hadn’t expected to be exposed so quickly. Her mind went blank, and for a moment, she couldn’t even think of a half-baked excuse, freezing right where she stood. That was until the piercing system prompt exploded in her brain:

[OOC Warning! OOC Warning! Caution! Current persona is on the verge of collapse! The Heroine’s Blackening Value is about to double!]

The noise made Lu Ting’an’s head throb, snapping her back to her senses. She swallowed hard and said with difficulty, “Don’t overthink it. It’s only because I still need you to deal with that snake demon. Otherwise, if I fail the sect’s grand exam, what will I do when my father and Master punish me?”

Lin Zheng gazed at her quietly, her clear, cold eyes betraying no emotion. Feeling flustered under that stare, Lu Ting’an averted her eyes and rubbed her nose, her voice unnaturally high-pitched: “What, you don’t believe me? I’m telling you, I spent a fortune to save you this time! Once we subdue Liyin and return to the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect, you have to take the initiative to tell Master that the top credit belongs to me! Do you understand?”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng withdrew her gaze. Her eyelashes drooped slightly, and a rare trace of softness appeared between her brows as she said calmly, “That is only natural.”

Seeing that she didn’t press further, Lu Ting’an felt as if she’d been granted a grand amnesty. She hurried to slip away, but Lin Zheng suddenly called out to her: “Wait.”

Lu Ting’an’s spine stiffened. She turned back slowly, her voice dry: “What is it now?”

Lin Zheng looked her straight in the eye and bowed slightly, performing an extremely formal salute. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Lu Ting’an was stunned by her earnest expression. Her gaze uncontrollably drifted to those two beautifully lined, thin lips, and her ears instantly began to burn. She stammered, “No… no need to be so polite.”

With that, she fled like a defeated soldier, the door slamming shut with a “bang” that made the entire room tremble.

Back pressed against the door panel, Lu Ting’an’s knuckles were white from clenching them, her heart drumming against her ribs.

[Ding—Detected a change in the Heroine’s favorability toward you.]

Lu Ting’an started, thinking she had let something slip again. She asked nervously, “Wait! How did I offend her this time?”

The system replied solemnly: [Unclear. I am only responsible for broadcasting the news.]

“Broadcast your head! Explain it clearly!” Lu Ting’an scratched her head in frustration. “Why did her Blackening Value go up again? I didn’t even do anything just now!”

The system fell silent for a moment.

Then, it dropped a heavy bombshell: [Who said it was the Blackening Value? It is Favorability.]

“…What?”

[Current Favorability: 10%.]

Lu Ting’an completely froze. “Favorability? Wait, wait, wait—why have you never mentioned this before?”

The System: [Because it was negative before. Did you want to hear ‘Heroine’s Favorability toward you: -63%’ every single day?]

Lu Ting’an: “…”

She tried to struggle back to logic, muttering quietly, “Then… does this count as OOC?”

The system checked the panel. [The Blackening Value hasn’t decreased, so for now, it doesn’t count.]

Lu Ting’an was speechless for a moment before snapping, “Doesn’t the person who developed you think this is a bug? Who starts blackening while gaining favorability for the villain?”

The System: [That’s none of your business. Speak less of things that don’t favor the plot’s development.]

Once again, Lu Ting’an “friendly” greeted the system and its developer in her mind.

But on second thought—a person like Lin Zheng actually had favorability toward her?

Lu Ting’an dazed for a moment, a small spark of joy surging in her chest. She almost wanted to grab the system and demand to know exactly what kind of “favorability” this was. Was it the care of a Senior Sister for a Junior Sister? Was it the bond of sharing life and death? Or was it…

At that thought, Lu Ting’an stopped abruptly. She shook her head quickly, tossing those unrealistic thoughts out of her mind, and told herself silently: Don’t be self-indulgent. Lin Zheng is a heaven-chosen heroine with a pure career-oriented mind. Usually, she has no thoughts other than cultivation and sword practice. How could it be what I’m thinking?

Suddenly, an extremely impatient male voice drifted up from downstairs, rudely interrupting her thoughts: “What exactly is Lu Ting’an dawdling for up there? Why hasn’t she come down yet? We still need to discuss the arrangements for entering Mount Hanqiao to catch the demon beforehand.”

As soon as the voice fell, Guo Jingchen’s loud voice boomed like a clap of thunder: “What are you shouting for? Our Junior Sister has her own business to handle. Why are you rushing her?”

The disciple beside Cui Daorong immediately snapped back: “How dare you speak like that? Do you know who our young master is?”

Guo Jingchen sneered disdainfully, slapping the table. “I don’t care who he is! If he dares to boss my Junior Sister around, it won’t fly!”

The downstairs area fell silent for an instant, followed by the rustling sounds of onlookers whispering in discussion.

Frightened into full alertness by the argument, Lu Ting’an hurriedly straightened her collar and walked quickly downstairs.

Cui Daorong and Chen Yunxiao’s two groups were sitting in the main hall full of resentment. Though they were far apart, the atmosphere was at a breaking point. Lu Ting’an understood clearly; although Old Master Cui and her father were close friends, the friendship among the younger generation wasn’t that deep. The disciples of White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect disliked the “mercantile air” of the Rock Cliff Night Moon Pool disciples, while the latter despised the former for being self-important. They were always secretly competing, and if they met while hunting demons down the mountain, they wouldn’t even exchange more than a few words.

Seeing Lu Ting’an arrive, Cui Daorong seemed unable to hold back any longer. He turned to her and said, “Miss Lu, are you going to control your sect’s people? Every time I say a word, he snaps back. He’s intentionally making things difficult for me.”

Hearing this, Guo Jingchen slammed the table and stood up in a rage. “Who’s making things difficult for you? It’s your arrogant speech, acting as if you’re superior. Who do you think you are?”

“Alright, stop fighting!” Lu Ting’an rubbed her aching temples, her head spinning from these immature immortal disciples. She turned to Chen Yunxiao and the others. “Seniors, you’ve all fought that snake demon and know a bit about its background. Since the immortal friends from Rock Cliff Night Moon Pool are here, we are all grasshoppers on the same string. If we still have internal strife like this when we enter the mountain, I’m afraid things will turn out badly. Please, for my sake, let it drop.”

Chen Yunxiao never expected that his usually short-tempered Junior Sister would be so sensible. He couldn’t help but admire her secretly and said, “We’ll do as you say.”

After speaking, Lu Ting’an turned to Cui Daorong and said expressionlessly, “Young Master Cui, letting Liyin go for your own selfish reasons was already a major mistake. We are now helping out of goodwill. Please do not make things difficult for my Senior Sisters and Brothers again.”

Cui Daorong opened his mouth but couldn’t find a single word to say. He glared at her fiercely and reluctantly agreed.

Ye Yunlan spread a map of Mount Hanqiao on the table and said, “I drew this map from memory. It may not be detailed enough, but the general directions are correct. When the time comes, we will move separately and search for the snake demon with all our might.”

Cui Daorong scanned his eyes back and forth between them and said contemptuously, “Are you all fools? Liyin is extremely skilled in earth-tunneling techniques. How could you possibly catch it with a mere map? It’s better to rely on our Rock Cliff Night Moon Pool.”

As he spoke, he muttered a few incantations under his breath. He pressed his palms together and then slowly pulled them apart. A red flame of spiritual light surged up, and a longbow took shape between his palms. Vermillion birds were carved at both ends of the bow, looking lifelike. The bowstring was made of Northern Pole Ice Silkworm Silk, emitting a piercing chill and possessing immense strength.

Cui Daorong spoke quite proudly: “My Rock Cliff Night Moon Pool is a family of archers. Among our techniques, this Wind-Chasing Arrow can track demonic energy. No matter how good that snake demon is at hiding, it cannot escape our eyes.”

The disciples of Rock Cliff Night Moon Pool immediately cheered in unison: “Young Master is brilliant! Catching Liyin this time will be as easy as taking something from a pocket!”

Lu Ting’an and the others looked at each other, dismissing their arrogance but unable to lose their tempers on the spot. They could only sigh silently.

“No.”

A cold voice came from the stairs, instantly suppressing the noise in the hall.

Lu Ting’an’s heart jolted. She turned back almost instinctively, meeting Lin Zheng’s calm, pond-like eyes.

Lin Zheng nodded to her and then looked at Cui Daorong, saying calmly, “I have heard of Old Master Cui’s Flame Sun Bow, and the Wind-Chasing Arrow can indeed be called a supreme technique. But if I am not mistaken, that snake demon is controlling soul-eating ghosts at the same time. Although the Wind-Chasing Arrow can follow demonic energy, it cannot distinguish the difference between them. Using it rashly will only make it easy to be misled.”