After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 27

Lu Ting’an: Hiss, I feel like something is not quite right.

Lu Ting’an froze, staring at the small preserved plum, and asked suspiciously, “Where did you get this from?”

Lin Zheng did not speak. He simply held the plum between two fingers and tucked it into her mouth. Lu Ting’an made a few muffled “woo-woo” sounds as she felt a wave of clear sweetness spread across her throat, forcefully overpowering the bitterness of the herbal medicine. She couldn’t help but smile: “It’s delicious; you really are the attentive one.”

Lin Zheng sat quietly by the couch, watching her finish. Lu Ting’an licked her fingers and suddenly remembered serious matters, asking, “By the way, how are Senior Brother and the others doing with Cui Daorong? I wonder how the medical cultivators of Shiya Yeyue Pond are; the poison in Li Yin is not easily neutralized.”

Lin Zheng asked, “Do you want to go see them?”

Lu Ting’an stretched, feeling as though her bones and muscles had gone soft from sleep. She happened to want to go out for a stroll, so she said, “Let’s go.”

Initially, Lu Ting’an was worried that Lin Zheng brewing medicine for her deep in the night at someone else’s sect might be too intrusive, but after stepping out the door, she realized she had overthought it. Midnight was exactly when snake venom tended to flare up. Shiya Yeyue Pond was brightly lit, and wails and howls occasionally drifted from the guest rooms, making her scalp tingle. She instinctively shrank her neck back, feeling a wave of relief: “Fortunately, my injuries aren’t heavy.”

The two of them walked up the stone steps. The scent of medicinal herbs mingled with the water vapor in the air. After a few steps, a magnificent hall with green tiles, blue pillars, and upturned eaves appeared, suspended over the cliffside. The moonlight fell like frost, and the shadows of lanterns made the pillars and walls seem to sway. Several medical cultivators carrying basins of water hurried through the area.

Lu Ting’an’s sharp eyes spotted Sun Youqing standing in the center of the hall, focused on administering acupuncture to the person on the couch. Overjoyed, she immediately ran forward and shouted, “Master! Why are you here alone? Where is Elder Cui?”

Seeing her sudden intrusion, Sun Youqing’s expression behind the deer-antler mask stiffened slightly before being replaced by a gentle smile. He said, “An’an, aren’t you injured? Why are you being so restless and running out on your own?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Lin Zheng following closely behind. His gaze darkened instantly, and he spoke in an icy tone, “Why weren’t you watching her?”

Lin Zheng lowered her eyes and was about to explain, but Lu Ting’an quickly grabbed the hem of Sun Youqing’s sleeve and said coquettishly, “I wanted to come out myself; it has nothing to do with Senior Sister.”

After saying that, she glanced at Cui Daorong nearby, who was wrapped in bandages like a zongzi (rice dumpling) and covered in silver needles—not even his forehead was spared. She felt her sense of humor battling her sense of morality and asked, “How is Young Master Cui’s condition?”

Sun Youqing sighed and shook his head. “Not very good. An’an, go to the back hall and help me check on Elder Cui’s medicine. After the needles are pulled, he must immediately take a medicinal bath to expel the poison, otherwise Young Master Cui’s life will be in danger.”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng immediately bowed to the two of them: “I will go.”

With that, she turned and stepped out of the hall, leaving only Lu Ting’an and Sun Youqing beside Cui Daorong.

Sun Youqing gently twisted the end of a needle, then reached out to sprinkle some brown powder into the incense burner on the side table. Green smoke curled from the mouth of the beast-headed burner, carrying a faint, chilly fragrance. In moments, it filled the hall.

Lu Ting’an blinked slightly, feeling her vision blur. she whispered, “Huh, why do I feel a bit dizzy?”

Seeing this, Sun Youqing smiled at her, his voice tender: “This is normal. This incense can temporarily paralyze the meridians; otherwise, Young Master Cui might not be able to endure the pain during the medicinal bath later.”

Lu Ting’an nodded in realization. Her gaze fell on Sun Youqing’s bent back, and she suddenly noticed a small bloodstain on his shoulder. Before she could find it strange, a commotion broke out outside.

“Something terrible has happened!”

Sun Youqing’s expression sharpened. He immediately stopped what he was doing and strode out of the hall. The disciples below were gathered in a noisy circle. Seeing him appear, they bowed and said anxiously, “Perfected Sun, this is bad! Something has happened to Elder Cui!”

By the time Sun Youqing and Lu Ting’an arrived, Lin Zheng was standing in the center with a furrowed brow. In front of her was a red sandalwood desk, and the medicine on the stove beside it was still bubbling. Lu Ting’an peeked forward, only to be startled by the sight before her.

Cui Runian’s face was pale, and his features were contorted as if he had been in extreme pain while clutching his chest. He was slumped in his chair, with traces of brownish blood leaking from the corner of his mouth; he was already devoid of life.

Lu Ting’an’s eyes widened in shock. “What happened to Elder Cui?”

Lin Zheng said in a heavy voice, “I have checked his pulse. Elder Cui has already… passed away.”

The accompanying disciple wiped away tears, his voice frantic and disorganized: “An hour ago, the Sect Leader told me to get medicine for the Young Master. He was fine then! For some reason, suddenly… suddenly he just…”

The sentence went unfinished, lost to sobbing.

Sun Youqing stepped forward two steps in disbelief, gripping the back of the chair tightly. Tears fell from beneath his deer-antler mask, and his voice was hoarse: “Elder Cui, how could you… who was it? Who harmed you?!”

Lin Zheng pondered for a moment, then turned to Sun Youqing and said, “Master, I have examined Elder Cui’s body. There are no external injuries or signs of poisoning. It looks like it was caused by a sudden wind stroke.”

Sun Youqing froze as if remembering something. “Elder Cui has indeed been troubled by wind ailments for a long time, but I have been treating him consistently for several years, and he had improved significantly. How could he die so suddenly?”

Lin Zheng’s brow knitted; she was clearly at a loss as well.

At this point, Lu Ting’an poked her head out from behind the crowd and raised her hand timidly. “Um, Master, should we inform Elder Cui’s family first? After all, Young Master Cui is currently seriously injured, and now Elder Cui…”

Upon hearing this, everyone present felt their breath hitch.

the Sect Leader had died mysteriously, and the Young Master’s life hung by a thread. Overnight, this vast Shiya Yeyue Pond had become a leaderless body.

Sun Youqing sighed deeply and said, “Elder Cui mentioned yesterday that his wife had returned to her family home in Yingchuan. I will write a letter immediately to ask her to return as quickly as possible… to act as the interim Sect Leader.”

Lu Ting’an nodded with a heavy heart, then suddenly remembered something and asked Lin Zheng, “Lin Zheng, does Elder Cui have any other children besides Cui Daorong?”

Lin Zheng replied, “Elder Cui has two sons and three daughters. The three daughters have long since married out. Cui Daorong is the youngest son; the eldest son is named Cui Daoyan.”

Lu Ting’an found it strange. “Usually in a sect, doesn’t the eldest son preside over the general situation? Why have I never heard his name?”

Lin Zheng remained silent for a moment before saying, “Because, like me, his mother was also of the demon race.”

Lu Ting’an was greatly shocked. “What?!”

“The Eldest Young Master is here! The Eldest Young Master is here!”

Several disciples ran over to report. Lu Ting’an turned her gaze toward the hall in surprise. She saw a pale young man sitting in a wooden wheelchair, being slowly pushed toward them by a group of people.

As he drew closer, Lu Ting’an could see clearly that his features were handsome and refined, bearing a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Cui Daorong. However, his frame was thin and frail, and he kept a handkerchief over his face to cover his coughing, appearing exceptionally weak and sickly.

Cui Daoyan bowed to Sun Youqing and spoke with effort, “Having heard the sudden tragic news, my heart is filled with grief. Thus, I have broken the restriction to come and see my father one last time.”

Sun Youqing shook his head with regret and said mournfully, “Young Master Cui, I am afraid it is too late. Elder Cui has… already departed on the back of a crane.”