After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 3

“You Must Accompany Me Tonight”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng’s brow arched slightly. She looked Lu Ting’an up and down with suspicion, her face practically writing out the words “I don’t believe you.”

Lu Ting’an crossed her arms, looking down at her with an air of arrogance. “What? Are you afraid I’m lying to you? As the Eldest Young Miss of the Baiyun Luying Sect, my word is my bond.”

Lin Zheng gazed at her face and pursed her lips slightly. She wasn’t the type who liked to play the hero or insist on enduring everything alone, but Lu Ting’an’s behavior today was truly abnormal. Looking back at this woman’s past actions, Lin Zheng found it impossible to believe she could be this kind-hearted.

After reconsidering several times, Lin Zheng eventually turned her head away and said coldly, “There is no need.”

Seeing her actually refuse, Lu Ting’an almost laughed out of frustration. In her mind, she frantically criticized Lin Zheng for being stubborn to a fault—didn’t she know that wounds from the Black Gold Whip would leave permanent scars if not treated in time?

Restricted by her persona as the “vicious junior sister,” Lu Ting’an didn’t dare force her directly. She simply flicked her sleeve in annoyance and huffed, “Fine, be ungrateful then. Just stay in pain.”

Lin Zheng remained indifferent. Just then, a disciple hurried over outside the window and bowed to the two women upstairs. “Eldest Young Miss, the Sect Leader and the Deputy Sect Leader have returned. They are waiting for you at the Yingxian Pavilion.”

Lu Ting’an nodded. “I’m coming.”

With that, she leaned down to pick up the Black Gold Whip from the table, but Lin Zheng suddenly pressed her hand down on it. “Wait.”

Lu Ting’an snapped irritably, “What now?”

Lin Zheng looked at her steadily. “My clothes. Give them back to me.”

Hearing this, Lu Ting’an let out a sneer, her willow-leaf brows arching. Her peach-blossom eyes were full of mockery. “They were covered in blood and filthy. I threw them away. What are you going to do about it?”

Lin Zheng fell silent for two seconds, appearing to struggle internally, but she eventually said firmly, “Then I will wear yours.”

Lu Ting’an: “…Are you serious?”

Lin Zheng paused and said very solemnly, “When paying respects to the Sect Leader and the Master, one must not be improperly dressed.”

Lu Ting’an: “…Whatever!”

Inside the Yingxian Pavilion.

Lu Ting’an and Lin Zheng walked side-by-side into the pavilion. The path was paved with hibiscus stone, and jade railings on both sides separated a lotus pond. White lotuses held dew as they bloomed, ripples fanned across the water’s surface, and red-gold koi swam slowly within.

Looking up, a “Floating Cloud Mirror” hung from the dome. The mirror surface reflected flashes of sky and shifting clouds; standing beneath it, one felt as though they were in a fairyland.

For the first time, Lu Ting’an felt the reality of being in a world of cultivation. This was far too breathtaking!

Not far away, two men stood with their hands behind their backs. The man on the left had a refined and elegant bearing, with bright eyes and a beautiful beard, exuding an aura of natural authority. The man on the right wore a deer-horn mask, revealing only the clean lines of the lower half of his face. Both were wearing warm smiles.

The two women stepped forward and bowed. Lin Zheng said, “Sect Leader, Master.”

Lu Ting’an said, “Father, Master.”

“An’an, did you miss your father?”

Lu Qingchen smiled and patted Lu Ting’an on the head. Lu Ting’an obediently hugged his arm and acted spoiled, just as the book described: “I did! Why did Father take so long to return?”

Lu Qingchen pinched her cheek dotingly and said softly, “Father didn’t want to stay away, but the world is difficult right now. Evil spirits are rampant in the Jizhou area. Elder Cui has led disciples down the mountain many times to eliminate the trouble, but they have never been able to quell the disaster completely. After much investigation, we discovered that members of the Demon Race are actually behind it. We spent quite some time discussing this, which is why we were delayed.”

Hearing this, Lu Ting’an instinctively glanced at Lin Zheng, but the latter acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, her expression remaining normal.

Lu Qingchen’s expression darkened as he stroked his beard and sighed. “On our way to the Night Moon Pond Immortal Gathering, we saw displaced and broken families affected by evil spirits everywhere. This is even in the lands under Elder Cui’s jurisdiction; the people in the remote parts of Jizhou must be suffering even more.”

Sun Youqing shook the folding fan in his hand. His eyes narrowed into slits behind his deer-horn mask as he said with a grin, “Alright, Senior Brother, why are you telling these things to a child? Come, An’an, look at the gifts Master brought for you. They are all good items that will greatly benefit your cultivation.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a spatial pouch as if by magic and poured out several strange and exotic treasures, making Lu Ting’an’s eyes light up.

“Master, what are these?”

Sun Youqing patted her small head and said dotingly, “Life-saving talismans, protective jade pendants, and detoxification pills. Oh, and there’s this little gadget called the ‘Void Light Mirror.’ Don’t let its plain appearance fool you; it has a great trick. If you encounter danger, shout its name, and it will suck you into the mirror. Without the password, no one can force it open. Master knows you are usually lazy with your cultivation; this might be of great use if you run into trouble.”

Lu Ting’an rubbed her nose sheepishly and muttered a small “It’s not that bad,” before tucking the items into her pouch. She said to Sun Youqing, “Thank you, Master.”

Lu Qingchen nodded with satisfaction. “Good, Junior Brother is very thoughtful. This way, even if I send An’an out for training, I won’t be as worried about her safety.”

Hearing this, Lu Ting’an was confused. “What training?”

At this moment, Lin Zheng, who had been standing silently by their side, suddenly spoke: “Next month is the Sect Examination. All disciples must descend the mountain for training to slay demons and eliminate evil.”

Reminded by her, Lu Ting’an suddenly remembered. Right—in the original story, the “vicious junior sister” repeatedly sabotaged Lin Zheng during the Sect Examination. She used every tactic from secret arrows to poison and framing. In the end, her schemes backfired; Lin Zheng still took first place in the competition, while she ended up at the bottom after all her meddling, making her the laughingstock of the disciples for quite a while.

Lu Ting’an rubbed her temples, already starting to feel a headache. she didn’t even want to imagine how awkward it would be to perform those clumsy tricks the junior sister used in the original book.

Lu Qingchen patted her shoulder and said seriously, “An’an, you are not young anymore. The prosperity or decline of the sect will eventually fall on the shoulders of your younger generation. Do not be lazy these few days; you must practice diligently. If you don’t at least get a Grade B in the assessment this time, Father will not go easy on you.”

Lu Ting’an nodded with a face full of sorrow. “Yes, Father.”

Sun Youqing smiled and lightly tapped Lu Qingchen’s sleeve with his fan, teasing, “Senior Brother, look at you, why are you being so fierce to An’an? Don’t be afraid, An’an. Cultivation is necessary, but don’t force yourself too hard. Regardless of the result, Master knows you did your best.”

After saying that, he turned to look at Lin Zheng.

Noticing his gaze, Lin Zheng started and quickly bowed. “Master, please rest assured. I will do my utmost.”

“Mm-hmm, you are always diligent; I never have to worry about you.” For some reason, Lu Ting’an felt that the smile behind Sun Youqing’s deer-horn mask had faded significantly. “I want to instruct you to put more effort into guiding An’an during this time. Her cultivation has not improved for a long time, and as the Eldest Senior Sister, you are also to blame.”

This shift in attitude was so sudden that Lu Ting’an was stunned for a moment. A nameless fire rose in her heart; she really wanted to argue on Lin Zheng’s behalf, but restricted by her persona, she had to endure it, her knuckles cracking beneath her sleeves.

But Lin Zheng seemed accustomed to it. She didn’t even raise her head; her voice only faltered for a split second before she responded respectfully, “Yes, I will keep it in mind.”

Lu Qingchen nodded with satisfaction. “Junior Brother, this eldest disciple of yours is most sensible. With An’an in her hands, we can both be at ease.”

Sun Youqing gave a faint “Mm,” then waved his sleeve, telling Lu Ting’an and Lin Zheng, “You may both leave. The Sect Leader and I have important matters to discuss.”

“Yes.” The two bowed and exited the Yingxian Pavilion together.

Once outside, Lu Ting’an finally let out a long sigh of relief. Thinking of the upcoming Sect Examination made her feel miserable, and remembering the string of terrible actions the original character took made her break out in a cold sweat.

“Hiss.” While she was lost in thought, Lin Zheng suddenly frowned and clutched her shoulder, bending over in pain.

It was likely that the whip wound was acting up, and since Lin Zheng hadn’t eaten or drunk all day, her body was probably at its limit. Lu Ting’an hurried forward to support her, but just as she reached out, a sharp alarm blared in her mind: “OOC Warning! OOC Warning! ‘Lu Ting’an’ would not care about Lin Zheng!”

Consequently, Lu Ting’an’s outstretched hand stopped mid-air. The system’s intervention nearly caused her to snap. It took a long moment before she asked in a stiff voice, “…What’s wrong with you?”

Lin Zheng waited a moment before slowly straightening up. Her expression returned to its usual coldness as she said faintly, “It is nothing. I am going to the martial arts field to practice my sword; there is an evening class today.”

Even in this state, this woman’s first thought wasn’t to find a medic, but to go to class? She truly was the “Queen of Grinding” in the Baiyun Luying Sect. Lu Ting’an slapped her forehead, complaining wildly in her mind. Seeing Lin Zheng walking further away, she quickly shouted, “Wait!”

Lin Zheng turned around and looked at her indifferently. “Do you have something else to say?”

Lu Ting’an caught up to her, panting. She phrased her words in her head and used the high-and-mighty tone of the original junior sister to command: “You are not allowed to go to class tonight. You have to accompany me.”

Lin Zheng’s face darkened instantly. Her grey-blue eyes, unique to fox demons, sparked with flickers of anger. She practically suppressed her rage as she said, “Lu Ting’an, I don’t have time for your nonsense. Because of you this morning, I already missed Elder Luo’s swordsmanship class.”

Lu Ting’an swallowed nervously. “Why… why are you being so fierce? Did you forget what Master just told you? You have to guide me during this time. If I don’t get a Grade B in the Sect Examination next month, Father will punish me.”

This was actually true. Lin Zheng’s anger softened slightly, but she still said with a cold face, “Fine, but tonight is Elder Feng’s pharmacology class. If I don’t attend, I won’t receive my Spirit Gathering Pills for this month.”

Lu Ting’an knew about Spirit Gathering Pills. They were just the most common type of medicine in the sect to help boost cultivation, insignificant compared to other rare herbs, and mostly used by beginners. Logically, given Lin Zheng’s level of cultivation, she shouldn’t need them anymore. Why was she fixated on the two pills the medicine hall distributed to disciples every month?

Could it be to sell them for money? Lu Ting’an wondered to herself. Although these things weren’t worth much to cultivators, they were genuine treasures in the mortal world. Taking one could, if not cure all ailments, at least prolong life. Therefore, they were sold at high prices among commoners, and many disciples would sneak down the mountain to sell them.

As if sensing her doubt, Lin Zheng immediately denied it: “I have never violated the sect rules. It is for another purpose.”

“Fine, fine, why are you getting so worked up? I didn’t even ask.” Lu Ting’an waved her hands and pretended to be troubled. “Alright then, you can go to your evening class, but you must guide me in sword practice when you get back.”

Lin Zheng nodded. “Fine. Where?”

Where? Lu Ting’an was a bit stumped. The martial arts field? The bamboo forest behind the mountain? None were ideal. Her eyes shifted and landed on Lin Zheng’s shoulder, which was slightly seeping blood. Suddenly, she had an idea.

“Come to the Yingyue Pavilion. How about by the pond in my backyard?”