After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 30

Lu Ting’an: Senior Sister really flirts without even realizing it…

Hearing this, Lin Zheng froze on the spot.

Her expression shifted slightly as she looked down at the little girl. Living in the Yinxian Pavilion and surnamed Lu… could she be the Sect Leader’s daughter?

Lu Ting’an didn’t understand what she was thinking. Her small, chubby hand tightly gripped Lin Zheng’s hem, and she tilted her tear-stained face up, looking at her with watery eyes. “Sister,” she said softly, “I don’t know the way. Can you take me back?”

Lin Zheng sighed softly. According to sect rules, outer disciples were forbidden from entering Yinxian Pavilion. But in this situation, how could she find the heart to refuse?

She crouched down with her back to Lu Ting’an, her spine straight. She looked back with a smile and said, “Don’t be afraid. Sister will take you back.”

Lu Ting’an immediately beamed through her tears. She clumsily wiped her eyes and scrambled onto Lin Zheng’s back, wrapping her small arms around her neck. “Thank you, Sister. You’re so nice. Sister, what’s your name?”

Lin Zheng hoisted her up a bit, secretly thinking the little one was quite heavy. “Lin Zheng,” she replied calmly.

“Lin Zheng, Lin Zheng,” Lu Ting’an repeated happily, as if she had found a treasure, hugging her tighter. Her small face pressed against Lin Zheng’s ear, her warm breath making Lin Zheng feel a slight tickle.

Carrying Lu Ting’an, Lin Zheng walked along the mountain path toward Yinxian Pavilion. The sun was sinking in the west, and the sky was filled with fiery clouds, making the mountain gate glow brilliantly.

From a distance, Lin Zheng saw two people standing in front of Yinxian Pavilion.

One was Lu Qingchen, standing tall and upright in his formal robes. The other man was elegant and poised, dressed in expensive attire, holding a folding fan. He wore a deer-horn mask over his face and was speaking in low tones with Lu Qingchen.

Lin Zheng paused, instinctively stopping.

However, Lu Ting’an’s eyes lit up, and she cried out crisply, “Daddy!”

The two men turned simultaneously. Lu Qingchen was startled at first, but when he saw the dirty little face behind Lin Zheng, his expression changed. He hurried forward, taking Lu Ting’an into his arms and bouncing her gently. “An’an, what happened? How did you get like this?”

Seeing her father, Lu Ting’an’s lip trembled as if she were about to cry again. But noticing Lin Zheng still standing there, she seemed afraid of losing face and forced herself to hold it back. With red eyes, she hugged Lu Qingchen’s neck and muttered, “I was playing hide-and-seek with Brother Yunxiao and accidentally fell into the bushes…”

Lu Qingchen was heartbroken. He gently touched her ankle and coaxed her, “Oh, my darling, did you get hurt? Come, let Daddy see.”

Lin Zheng stood to the side, watching this scene of fatherly love. Her heart felt a pang of bitterness as she suddenly thought of her own mother. Her eyes dimmed, and she lowered her gaze.

“Is your name Lin Zheng?”

A clear male voice suddenly drifted down from above her.

Startled, Lin Zheng looked up and met a pair of warm, smiling eyes. Even through the mask, the man gave off a feeling as refreshing as a spring breeze.

She quickly performed a formal salute. “Yes.”

The man nodded slightly. “I watched today’s arena match. Not bad. Your comprehension is excellent; you are a talent worth cultivating.”

Perhaps because it had been so long since she had heard such praise, Lin Zheng was stunned. Looking up, she saw that the admiration in his eyes was genuine. A sudden, inexplicable ache rose in her heart. “Thank you, Sir,” she whispered.

At that moment, Lu Qingchen had finished comforting Lu Ting’an. Holding his daughter, he approached and smiled at Lin Zheng. “Lin Zheng, quickly pay your respects to Elder Sun Youqing. He has been traveling at the foot of the mountain and only just returned to the sect.”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng bowed again but was stopped by Sun Youqing’s hand gently supporting her arm. He lifted her up and said, “No need for such formalities.”

Lu Qingchen watched with a gratified expression. He turned to Sun Youqing and smiled. “Junior Brother, you were just praising her outstanding talent. Since you’ve met her now, and Lin Zheng has yet to join a master’s lineage, why don’t you take her under your wing?”

Lin Zheng froze. She instinctively cupped her hands and said, “Sect Leader, but I failed the trial this morning, and besides, I am…”

Before she could finish, Sun Youqing cut her off with a light wave of his fan. “Sect Leader Lu has already told me about your background. As for the sect rules, do not worry. Every elder has the right to choose a disciple. After the others finished choosing, it was naturally my turn.”

Lin Zheng was stunned by the sudden good news. Her body stiffened, still holding the posture of her salute. She opened her mouth, but her throat felt blocked; she couldn’t say a single word.

Sun Youqing reached down and patted Lu Ting’an’s head, his gaze gentle. “Consider it my thanks to you for bringing An’an back. This child will also be entering my lineage in the future. Since you two have this destiny, it would be perfect for you to practice together, wouldn’t it?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Ting’an immediately became unhappy. She pouted and grabbed Sun Youqing’s arm, whining, “No! Master can only be An’an’s Master!”

Lu Qingchen chuckled and pulled his daughter back, his voice turning slightly stern. “An’an, don’t be willful. From now on, you should follow Lin Zheng’s example and cultivate diligently. Don’t be lazy anymore, do you understand?”

Only then did Lin Zheng snap out of her shock. Her gaze swept over the three of them, and the emotions surging in her chest could no longer be suppressed. Her eyes instantly turned red. She hiked up her skirt and knelt heavily, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she kowtowed three times to Sun Youqing and Lu Qingchen.

“Thank you, Sect Leader,” her voice trembled with every word. “Thank you, Elder Sun!”

Soon after, Sun Youqing called a general assembly of disciples at the Baiyun Luying Sect .

In the presence of the elders and disciples, he officially took Lin Zheng as his disciple. Overcoming all objections, he appointed her as the Head Senior Disciple, surpassing even Chen Yunxiao, who was at the height of his fame.

The news caused an uproar in the sect.

The young Lu Ting’an threw a fit on the spot. She threw a tantrum and locked herself in her room, refusing to eat no matter who came to persuade her. After a long standoff, it took both Lu Qingchen and Sun Youqing taking turns to coax her before the little ancestor finally calmed down.

However, from that day on, she held a deep grudge against Lin Zheng, which led to her constant antagonism later on.

Thinking of this, Lu Ting’an couldn’t help but laugh at herself. This “Junior Sister” had indeed been willful since she was a child—though Lin Zheng’s stroke of bad luck had turned into a blessing.

Lin Zheng hoisted her up firmly, her voice indifferent. “Your memory has always been poor.”

Lu Ting’an immediately huffed in defiance. “Who could remember something like that? Besides, I was only four or five years old then!”

Lin Zheng didn’t reply, but a very faint smile touched the corner of her lips.

She carried the girl all the way back to the room and carefully placed Lu Ting’an on the couch. After a moment of thought, she leaned down to take off her boots.

This move startled Lu Ting’an, who reached out to stop her. “Hey, hey, no need, no need! Just go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, Madam Cui is going back to Shiya Yeyue Pool, and there will be a lot to do. Don’t bother.”

Lin Zheng acted as if she hadn’t heard. Her movements were crisp and efficient as she removed the shoes and socks, then gently placed the injured foot on her own lap. Her long fingers moved between the ankle and the top of the foot with moderate pressure. When she reached the swollen area, spiritual power condensed on her fingertips, penetrating through the skin and deep into the bone.

Caught off guard, Lu Ting’an felt a wave of numbness surge up her spine, and her whole body stiffened.

For some reason, her cheeks began to flush. She instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but Lin Zheng’s fingers tightened, holding it firmly. Lu Ting’an’s strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree against Lin Zheng’s grip; it was futile. She could only lie back on the couch and let the other woman massage her.

By the time Lin Zheng tucked her foot back under the quilt and straightened the corners, the tips of Lu Ting’an’s ears were red enough to bleed.

Lin Zheng looked at her strange expression and was slightly puzzled. “What’s wrong with you?”

Lu Ting’an bit her lip, her chest feeling tight. She cursed inwardly, “Every time, she does this with that cold, abstinent face, yet she’s so practiced at it, making it seem like I’m the one being dramatic.”

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt.

“Nothing. I’m sleeping,” she muttered. She turned her back to Lin Zheng and pulled the quilt over her head, wrapping herself up tightly.

Lin Zheng stared quietly at the silhouette of her back. Her eyes darkened slightly, and then she looked down at her hands that had just massaged the ankle. A lingering warmth seemed to remain on her fingertips.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sensation stirred in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it. Only the sound of quiet breathing remained in the room.

The next morning.

Lin Zheng maintained the same routine she had at Baiyun Luying Sect . The hour of the Rabbit (5-7 AM) had just passed; Lu Ting’an was still sleeping soundly and haphazardly on the bed, but Lin Zheng was already up. She folded the bedding neatly and sat cross-legged, quietly circulating her internal energy for one full cycle.

Once her breath stabilized, she looked at Lu Ting’an, who was still sprawled out. She reached out and pulled her up from the bed, her voice as flat as ever. “Wake up. We need to go pay our respects to Master and Madam Cui.”

Lu Ting’an didn’t react at all. She just groggily rolled over, found a more comfortable position, and went back to sleep.

Lin Zheng sighed softly. She had no choice but to pick the girl up and place her on a chair, then began washing her face and changing her clothes.

Throughout the process, Lu Ting’an never opened her eyes. As soon as the clothes were changed, her body went limp, and with a “thud,” she collapsed back onto the table.

Lin Zheng: “…”

After finally finishing the ordeal and having breakfast, the two of them headed to Lin’yuan Pavilion to see Sun Youqing.

Before they even entered the hall, they saw a dense crowd of people kneeling outside. Both of them paused simultaneously, exchanging a look as an ominous premonition filled their hearts.

When they got closer, they could see the situation inside. Sun Youqing was standing in the hall, and beside him, a woman in lavish clothing was leaning over a couch, weeping uncontrollably. A coffin stood silently next to the couch—it was simple in style but made of extremely expensive wood. Cui Daoyan, whom they had seen last night, was kneeling to the side. His face was pale as he clutched his chest and coughed low, his eyes red and swollen.

Lin Zheng and Lu Ting’an entered the hall and bowed together. “Master, Madam Cui.”

Madam Cui struggled to lift her head. Her expression was gaunt. She gave a slight nod as a return greeting and then said weakly to Sun Youqing, “Master Sun, that Rong’er was able to keep his life… is truly thanks to you.”

Sun Youqing sighed. “Sister-in-law, there is no need for thanks. Elder Cui was like a brother and a father to me.” He paused and said in a low voice, “Please restrain your grief. Shiya Yeyue Pool still needs you to take charge of the overall situation.”

Unexpectedly, these words seemed to strike a nerve with Madam Cui. Her expression shifted sharply as sorrow overwhelmed her. She choked out, “My life is so bitter! In just a few days, my husband has lost his life, and my son has become like this… Oh, how bitter my life is!”

She beat her chest and wailed, her cries so piercing that everyone in the hall was moved.

After several bouts of heart-wrenching crying, Madam Cui’s breath suddenly hitched. Her voice stopped abruptly, and she fell straight back, collapsing heavily onto the couch.

“Madam Cui!”

Lin Zheng and Lu Ting’an rushed forward almost simultaneously, but Sun Youqing had already reached her first and held her steady. He looked up at them with a serious expression. “Go to the pharmacy immediately and get that Liyin Demon Core. I need to stabilize her heart meridians first. Quick!”