After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 36.2

Lin Zheng, while keeping her eyes fixed on her work, replied calmly, “Since it is your first time fasting, I will give you some celestial dew later. It might make you feel better.”

“Huh? Only dew? My god, I’m dying…” Lu Ting’an broke down on the spot, clutching her stomach and rolling on the floor in a tantrum.

Lin Zheng glanced at her, her fingers gripping the page of her book tightening involuntarily. Ultimately, she couldn’t bear it and comforted her: “Once a cultivator fasts, they are no longer troubled by the desires of the palate. The mind becomes clearer, which is of great benefit to meditation and enlightenment. Later, I will teach you how to circulate your Qi and breathe spiritual energy. Once you master this method, you will no longer need to eat the five grains.”

Hearing this, Lu Ting’an gave a reluctant “Oh.” She struggled to crawl up from the floor and sat sluggishly beside her, her face a mask of misery. “Then teach me quickly. I’m afraid if I wait any longer, I’ll faint from hunger.”

Lin Zheng: “…”

And so, Lin Zheng began to lead Lu Ting’an in meditation.

Initially, Lu Ting’an only felt her legs go numb from sitting cross-legged for so long. Her stomach was empty and aching, her back wouldn’t stay straight, and sour fluid kept rising in her throat. She swayed unsteadily, ready to topple over at any moment.

Sensing something was wrong, Lin Zheng reached out to steady her waist, giving her something to lean on. She then tapped several of her acupoints with two fingers, infusing a bit of spiritual power. Her tone darkened: “Be careful. When circulating your Qi, you must sink your breath to your Dantian and have no distracting thoughts. Otherwise, the spiritual power will flow backward—at best, your meridians will be damaged; at worst, you will fall into a Qi deviation.”

Scared by these words, Lu Ting’an forced herself to focus. Following the method she was taught, she guided the spiritual power to wash through her meridians again and again. The sensation was like fine needles piercing her bones or a cold current eroding her marrow. The mixture of numbness, itching, and stinging was so painful that she couldn’t control the large tears leaking from her eyes.

Lin Zheng was taken aback. She watched her face for a moment, and after some hesitation, she reached out to gently wipe the moisture from the corners of Lu Ting’an’s eyes.

Lu Ting’an let out two aggrieved “woo-woo” whimpers like a startled little rabbit and quietly leaned closer to her.

Lin Zheng sighed silently. Once Lu Ting’an had barely finished a small circulation and her breathing had stabilized, Lin Zheng reached out and gently pulled her into her arms.

“It won’t hurt anymore,” she said softly. “When you successfully form your Core, I will give you a gift.”

Still immersed in the painful aftereffects of the cleansing, Lu Ting’an’s fingertips trembled, and her eyes remained closed. She didn’t answer.

Lin Zheng pursed her lips, her heart tightening, and she held her a little tighter.

After nightfall, considering how exhausted Lu Ting’an was during the day, Lin Zheng showed rare mercy and didn’t push her to practice in the backyard. Instead, she went to the west wing alone to boil water for her bath.

When she returned carrying a kettle of bubbling hot water, she saw Lu Ting’an sitting upright, leafing through a scroll with an air of seriousness that betrayed a hint of a guilty conscience.

Lin Zheng, not understanding, spoke up: “Stop reading. You’ve worked hard today; rest early.”

“Oh,” Lu Ting’an responded, obediently putting down the scroll. However, her eyes uncontrollably darted toward the side table. Then, as if afraid of being caught, she practically fled behind the screen to bathe.

Lin Zheng was slightly stunned. She instinctively followed Lu Ting’an’s previous line of sight.

On the table next to the teapot sat several scattered bottles of medicine. She picked one up—they were all top-grade ointments, highly effective for treating whip wounds.

Lin Zheng’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately looked toward the screen where steam was rising. Did Lu Ting’an know about last night…?

After a moment, she chose not to ask. Since Lu Ting’an knew but hadn’t exposed her, she was saving her face. Why should she spoil her good intentions?

A long-lost warmth bloomed in Lin Zheng’s heart. Her hand holding the medicine trembled slightly. Since joining the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect, almost no one had truly cared for her. Even among the Master’s many disciples, she was the most silent and the least favored.

When a person in a swamp suddenly tastes a bit of sweetness, the bitterness accumulated in the past uncontrollably begins to spread. The sourness surged, making her eyes sting instantly.

Lin Zheng took a deep breath, clutched the medicine in her palm, and silently mouthed a thank you.

When Lu Ting’an finished bathing and came out with a towel wrapped around her dripping hair, she saw the hall was empty. She glanced at the medicine on the table, and seeing one bottle missing, she nearly couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Nice. Lin Zheng saw it. This plan was truly flawless—it saved Lin Zheng’s dignity while ensuring her wounds were treated in time. How could there be someone as smart as her in this world?

In high spirits, Lu Ting’an couldn’t help but spin in a circle. But when she turned around, she bumped straight into Lin Zheng coming out of the side room. Their eyes met, and she froze, giving an awkward dry laugh: “That… I made a lot of progress today, so I couldn’t help but be a bit happy.”

Lin Zheng said nothing, only nodded. “Indeed. Rest early. Tomorrow at the Hour of the Rabbit, wake up to practice the sword.”

Hearing this, Lu Ting’an’s head began to ache. But thinking of the bold words she had spoken, she didn’t dare make a sound. She was about to head upstairs when Lin Zheng suddenly called out: “Lu Ting’an.”

She turned back. “What is it?”

Lin Zheng’s gaze fell on her wet hair. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Come here. I’ll help you dry it.”

Lu Ting’an blinked, instinctively waving her hands. “Ah, no need, I can do it myself.”

Before she could finish, Lin Zheng stepped forward and pressed her down onto a seat by the table. Lu Ting’an wanted to resist, but one sharp look from Lin Zheng made her behave instantly. She let Lin Zheng’s long fingers thread through her hair. As her eyes fell on Lin Zheng’s waist, cinched tight by her belt, her throat suddenly tightened, and she inconspicuously looked away.

Lin Zheng carefully dried every strand of her hair. When she looked down, she saw Lu Ting’an looking up at her with a pitiful, puppy-like expression. She was stunned for a moment and softened her movements, asking gently, “Did I hurt you?”

Lu Ting’an shook her head. “No, I wanted to discuss something with you.”

Lin Zheng said flatly, “Go ahead.”

Lu Ting’an: “Tomorrow morning, I want to sleep for an extra fifteen minutes.”

Lin Zheng: “…No.”

Lu Ting’an pouted, wearing the wounded expression of a small animal.

Lin Zheng: “…Just this once.”

Under Lin Zheng’s supervision, Lu Ting’an progressed at lightning speed. Half a month later, she could actually circulate her Qi through her major and minor meridians without help. She even learned how to use talismans, and some basic sword moves were looking quite decent.

Lu Ting’an couldn’t help but get a bit cocky. She nudged Lin Zheng, boasting proudly, “I think I have quite a bit of talent for cultivation, don’t I? I’m probably not far behind you, right?”

Lin Zheng raised her hand and lightly rapped her knuckles against Lu Ting’an’s forehead, her tone indifferent. “You’ve barely scratched the surface. Stay grounded and avoid irritability.”

Lu Ting’an immediately glared at her indignantly. “Are you looking down on me? I’m telling you, I’m very confident now. Even the written portion of the sect examination will be a piece of cake for me.”

Lin Zheng narrowed her eyes, looking her up and down with “I don’t believe you” written all over her face.

Lu Ting’an, provoked, started howling, insisting she would prove it.

Lin Zheng didn’t argue. She only said calmly, “Fine. As long as you can get a ‘B’ grade in the written exam, I will believe you.”

Lu Ting’an snorted at this. Standing tall with her arms crossed, she said arrogantly, “How hard can that be? I only need to put in a tiny bit of effort…”

…And she came in dead last.

When the news reached Yingyue Pavilion, Lu Ting’an felt like the sky had fallen. she went into a state of total social withdrawal.

For the next few days, she was completely wilted, refusing to leave Yingyue Pavilion. Even when Lin Zheng came to persuade her, she just hid under her blankets and played dead.

Actually, Lu Ting’an had seen plenty of low exam scores during her school days—it wasn’t that she was so sad about the grade itself, she just felt she had lost too much face in front of Lin Zheng.

Then one day, while Lu Ting’an was lying listlessly on her couch as usual, boredly fiddling with the jewelry box Chen Yunxiao and the others had sent, she suddenly heard someone calling her from outside.

She blinked, then got up and pushed open the window. She saw Lin Zheng standing under the corridor with her hands behind her back. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, and a bright red hair ribbon danced behind her, making her look exceptionally heroic and dashing.

Startled, Lu Ting’an shouted to her, “What is it?”

Lin Zheng was holding an object wrapped in silk. She nodded slightly and said, “Come down. I have something to give you.”

At this, Lu Ting’an’s eyes lit up. She couldn’t help but wonder to herself: A stingy person like Lin Zheng is actually willing to give me something? But her feet were very honest; she immediately “thump-thump-thumped” down the stairs and stood before her, asking impatiently, “What is it?”

Lin Zheng didn’t say much, only handed the object to her. Lu Ting’an, full of doubt, unwrapped it and was instantly dumbfounded.

“…A sword?”

She reached out in disbelief to stroke the blade. The sword was sleek and slender, shaped like a willow leaf—light but sharp. The hilt was cast from pure silver with exquisite patterns, and set within it was a high-quality blue gemstone that shimmered with a cool, moist luster in the sunlight.

Forgetting everything else in her joy, Lu Ting’an hugged the sword tightly. Heaven knew how long she had been longing for her own sword. But after the initial excitement, she remembered something. She frowned and looked up at Lin Zheng. “This looks like a top-tier celestial sword. It must be very expensive, right? How many spiritual stones did you spend? I’ll pay you back.”

Lin Zheng was momentarily stunned by the question, then shook her head. “I didn’t spend any money. This is a treasure left behind by a senior.”

She paused, then added, “The sword’s original name is ‘Jade Soul.’ If you truly like it, I will ask the Sect Leader and Master to re-forge it so the sword spirit can recognize you as its master. At that time, you can give it a new name.”

Lu Ting’an’s eyes rolled around as a mischievous idea popped into her head. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Then I know what to name it.”

Lin Zheng was slightly taken aback. “What name?”

Lu Ting’an grinned slyly. “It shall be called—’Wait a Minute’ (Qieman).”

Lin Zheng: “…What is the meaning behind that?”

Lu Ting’an immediately explained enthusiastically, “Think about it. My cultivation is low. If I meet a powerful enemy I can’t beat, I’ll first shout ‘Wait a minute!’ The opponent will definitely pause for a second, and then I’ll take the chance to summon my sword and sneak attack. How about it? Isn’t it brilliant?”

Lin Zheng was speechless for a while. After a long pause, she gave her a helpless look and said, “…As long as you like it.”

Lu Ting’an was overjoyed, completely immersed in her world of “I am indeed a genius.” She drew the sword, struck a pose with great ceremony, cleared her throat, and said to Lin Zheng, “Ahem! The Eldest Disciple of the White Cloud Deer Reflection Sect, I presume? I, Lu Ting’an, have come to challenge you!”

The corners of Lin Zheng’s mouth turned up slightly. She took two steps back and actually cooperated with a serious face: “Exchanging pointers through martial arts—Lin Zheng is more than happy to oblige.”