After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 24

Lu Ting’an: Scumbag, tui

Seeing Lin Zheng actually snub him in public, Cui Daorong’s expression instantly turned grim. He stood up abruptly and pointed at her, shouting, “You monster! What nonsense are you spouting? Where did these soul-eating ghosts come from?”

Lu Ting’an coughed twice and interjected, “Young Master Cui, they really do exist. Before you arrived, they had already kidnapped me twice.”

Cui Daorong froze, appearing somewhat incredulous. “Is that true? Then how are you still alive?”

Lu Ting’an shrugged with an innocent look on her face. “I’m not sure; I guess I’m just tough. But I can testify for Lin Zheng—those soul-eating ghosts are indeed driven by Liyin.”

The disciples of the White Baiyun Luying Sect were rarely united against outsiders, but this time they nodded in agreement.

Cui Daorong felt a bit uncertain. He exchanged looks with his fellow disciples and asked in a suppressed tone, “Then tell me, what should be done now?”

Lin Zheng took a step forward, her expression calm. “Lu Ting’an mentioned before that the snake demon has been asking about my whereabouts. Although the reason is unknown, since it is interested in me, I will personally act as bait this time.”

Lu Ting’an was stunned and blurted out instinctively, “You can’t!”

As soon as she spoke, the surprised gazes of everyone in the room shifted toward her. Lu Ting’an felt so embarrassed her toes curled, and she quickly explained, “Uh, what I meant was, you are seriously injured; this move is too dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Chen Yunxiao, standing behind her, suddenly interrupted. He sneered at Lin Zheng. “Senior Sister Lin has a profound cultivation level; drawing the snake out of its hole is a mere trifle for her. Besides, we will be lying in ambush nearby. Nothing will happen.”

Hearing this, Cui Daorong’s arrogant face showed a rare look of approval. “Yes, Brother Chen is right. You are both of the demon race; your auras will certainly attract each other. It’s perfect for you to be the bait.”

Watching them go back and forth, itching to push the wounded Lin Zheng out to her death, Lu Ting’an was fuming with rage. However, she couldn’t lash out directly, and her silver teeth crunched together audibly.

Lin Zheng remained cold, her gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd. She said softly, “Fine. Tonight we will finalize the plan. In three days, we enter the mountains to slay the demon.”

During the latter half of the meeting, Lu Ting’an sat stiffly in her seat, watching Lin Zheng strategize and arrange the formation with composure. Yet, the people below each had their own hidden agendas. They felt deep resentment that Lin Zheng, a member of the demon race, dared to give orders, and their responses were extremely perfunctory. Lu Ting’an was anxious but helpless.

When everything was finally settled, Lin Zheng carefully rolled up the topographical scroll on the table. Seeing Lu Ting’an still standing there, she gave a slight nod. “You’ve worked hard today. Go and rest early.”

Lu Ting’an was taken aback, feeling flattered by the sudden concern. She happily caught up with Lin Zheng’s pace, then suddenly remembered her “persona” and composed herself. “Lin Zheng, are you stupid?”

Lin Zheng didn’t look back. “What do you think?”

Lu Ting’an pursed her lips and sighed helplessly. “Those people look down on you from the bottom of their hearts. Why did you volunteer to be the bait? What if they just stand by and watch you die?”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng paused. Lu Ting’an didn’t stop in time and bumped her forehead against Lin Zheng’s waist, letting out a small cry of pain. “Ow! What are you doing?”

Lin Zheng turned around. Her blue-grey eyes, unique to fox demons, were indifferent and shallow—like a deep pool reflecting the moon—causing Lu Ting’an’s breath to hitch.

“I understand everything you’ve said, but I must do this.”

Lu Ting’an was stunned. “Why?”

Lin Zheng fell silent for a long while, as if remembering a painful past. She sighed softly, “Do you remember the person Liyin mentioned?”

Lu Ting’an looked confused. “Who?”

Lin Zheng’s gaze sharpened, and her voice sank. “Lin Qingyao.”

Lu Ting’an’s brow furrowed slightly. “What do you mean? You know him?”

Lin Zheng nodded and looked directly at her. “More than just know him. He is my biological father.”

Lu Ting’an’s eyes widened. “Huh?!”

Before reading the novel, Lu Ting’an only knew that Lin Zheng’s biological father was a total scumbag. However, because she hadn’t finished the book before transmigrating, she didn’t know his full history.

Lin Zheng said, “Since that snake demon specifically asked if you knew this person, it means they must have been connected in the past. Perhaps I can learn something about my mother from its mouth… In short, I must ask clearly about this matter.”

Lu Ting’an could understand her feelings, but thinking of the hideous wounds on her forearm, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. “Actually, it doesn’t have to be like this. We can ask after we capture it together.”

Lin Zheng shook her head. “No. Liyin is proud. Once caught, she will never tell me those old stories.”

“I see…” Lu Ting’an replied softly, feeling a bit dejected. After a moment of hesitation, she couldn’t help but ask, “Then your father… what kind of person was he?”

At the mention of Lin Qingyao, Lin Zheng’s face darkened. She tilted her chin at Lu Ting’an and said, “I’ll tell you after we get back to the room.”

With that, Lin Zheng walked upstairs. Lu Ting’an followed closely behind. Once inside, Lu Ting’an impatiently poured her a cup of tea. “Can you tell me now?”

Lin Zheng lowered her eyelashes, her fingertip touching the rim of the cup. She took a sip of tea and said, “Actually, I know very little about him. I only know he was a heartless and ungrateful man. Back then, although he was a disciple of a great sect, he was kicked out for committing an error. He was penniless and destitute. When he passed through Qingqiu, my mother saved him.”

“My mother was kind-hearted. Seeing him covered in wounds and without a penny, she kept him there. Over time, my mother fell for him. But humans and demons have always been incompatible; their private commitment violated the Qingqiu clan rules, and they were driven out. Afterward, they went to Jinling City.”

As Lu Ting’an listened, she suddenly felt something was off. “Jinling City? No wonder Liyin asked me if Lin Qingyao was an elder of the White Baiyun Luying Sect.”

Lin Zheng’s fingers clenched inside her sleeve, and her voice was pained. “Later, he met a songstress in a brothel in Jinling City and secretly took her as a concubine behind my mother’s back. Unfortunately, for some reason, his concubine and son were afflicted with a strange poison. To save them, Lin Qingyao plotted to take my mother’s demon core and even suppressed her under the Demon Locking Tower.”

Lu Ting’an nodded; she already knew this part from the original work.

Lin Zheng continued, “But later I heard that his concubine and son did not survive, and he himself vanished without a trace. But if I ever find him, I will make him spit out the method to break the Demon Locking Tower and rescue my mother from that misery.”

Lu Ting’an looked at that face, which was usually so restrained, and rarely saw the ripples of emotion in her eyes. She said softly, “No wonder you work so hard in the White Baiyun Luying Sect… So it’s to save your mother.”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng turned her head away uncomfortably. “It’s… not entirely for that. Seeking the path of immortality is also my own choice.”

Lu Ting’an sighed softly. Lin Zheng, oh Lin Zheng, your life is truly bitter. But as the female lead of destiny, this kind of tragic background was standard equipment; it was just a trial from heaven before the sweetness arrives.

“But it is strange. Your father has been missing for so many years, yet he knows Liyin? And from what I saw, there’s even a grudge between them.”

Lin Zheng shook her head slightly. “I am also very confused about that. Everything can only be known after we capture Liyin.”