Guide to the Rebirth of the Evil Woman in the Immortal Realm - Chapter 24.2

They had a bad premonition and looked back to see a figure in scorching red robes flying toward them.

But according to the plan, the Hongjing Immortal was supposed to lift the curtain from the front.

Before they could react, a series of gasps erupted from the banquet. The person arriving from the rear had already torn open the red curtain. It clearly was not Zhao Lanying. The immortals leading the sedan recognized the intruder and said in shock, “You… you are Yu Zhanxu of Xuanyuan Terrace?”

The Master of Xuanyuan Terrace herself was sitting at the banquet; was her student seriously trying to snatch someone’s partner?

Yu Zhanxu tore open the curtain and saw “Shen Fuxin” sitting inside. She let out a breath of relief. She reached out to take her hand. “Junior Sister, come with me!”

In the next instant, a long sword, cold as the moon and light as the wind, slashed toward her, aiming straight for Yu Zhanxu’s heart.

Zhao Lanying, dressed in wedding robes, had arrived with her sword, her face expressionless.

Her eyes flickered, looking first at Yu Zhanxu and then at the motionless Shen Fuxin inside the sedan chair. “You intend to take her away?” she asked coldly.

Yu Zhanxu summoned her natal longsword, parrying Zhao Lanying’s strike. Rainbow light and dragon scales clashed. Knowing her cultivation was inferior to Zhao Lanying’s, Yu Zhanxu realized she needed a swift resolution to escape. She reached out again to grab Shen Fuxin. “You treat her poorly! Why shouldn’t I take her away?”

 

Most immortals in the Celestial Realm had spent thousands of years in bitter cultivation before ascending. Once they arrived, they typically became poised, aloof, and detached from worldly desires. It was truly rare to witness such a melodramatic “wife-stealing” spectacle. Seeing the two engage in battle, the crowd of guests appeared worried, but in truth, they were itching to fly closer to watch the fight.

 

Some of the more impatient ones had already pulled out their communication talismans, surreptitiously messaging their friends or partners:

 

“Did you hear? Zhao Lanying of the Azure Emperor’s Spirit Mountain and Yu Zhanxu of the Xuanyuan Terrace are fighting over that former ‘trash’ cauldron, Shen Fuxin!”

 

Zhao Lanying swept her sword toward Yu Zhanxu, slicing the top off the bridal sedan. She seemed to have no concern for her bride-to-be inside, her expression remaining unchanged. “Whether I treat her well or not is not for you to decide.”

 

Yu Zhanxu took the opportunity to pull Shen Fuxin up. Zhao Lanying froze, seemingly surprised that someone would simply snatch a person away like that. She lowered her sword and reached out to grab Shen Fuxin’s other hand.

 

Each held one hand, pulling the veiled figure up from the sedan Zhao Lanying on the left, Yu Zhanxu on the right. Yu Zhanxu tightened her grip, her voice urgent. “Junior Sister, you promised to leave with me!”

 

Zhao Lanying’s cold fingertips tightened instinctively, as if unwilling to let Shen Fuxin break free. She whispered, “She’s lying, isn’t she?”

 

Caught in the middle, Shen Fuxin seemed uncomfortable. She shook her hands free, her voice devoid of emotion. “Let go.”

 

Fearing she might hurt her, Yu Zhanxu immediately released her grip. Zhao Lanying let go as well, but used the moment to swiftly tear off Shen Fuxin’s veil.

 

The moment the red silk fell, Zhao Lanying felt her head snap to the side.

 

Holding the silk, she slowly covered her face, realizing belatedly that Shen Fuxin had slapped her.

 

Yu Zhanxu was triumphant at the sight. But just as a smile began to form, her own face was struck aside, leaving a stinging, fiery pain.

 

Shen Fuxin smiled faintly, a hint of malice glinting in her cold eyes. “You get one, too.”

 

…Something was wrong. Zhao Lanying lowered her hand. Unlike the embarrassed Yu Zhanxu, she felt no shame. She looked closely at the cruelly smiling Shen Fuxin. A cold light flashed as she swung her natal sword directly for Shen Fuxin’s head!

 

Yu Zhanxu’s pupils contracted as she watched the puppet’s head fall, tumbling down and crashing into the center of the banquet…

 

Only to transform into a scattered petal of a water-colored lotus.

 

Zhao Lanying lowered her pale eyes and wiped a trace of blood from her lip where the puppet had struck her. “We were tricked,” she said calmly.

 

“She ran off with her celestial envoy.”

 

Scene II: Descent to the Mortal Realm

 

At that moment, Shen Fuxin and Ji Ting were plummeting toward the human world.

 

The token in Shen Fuxin’s hand was glowing with silver light. Even though Ji Ting hadn’t been ordered to undergo mortal trials, she was able to follow simply by holding Shen Fuxin’s hand. Shen Fuxin frowned. “What exactly are you?”

 

Ji Ting blinked and smiled happily. “Just a minor immortal whose household registration was deleted. Neither god, nor immortal, nor human, nor ghost. My name isn’t in the Three Realms or the Underworld, so I can go anywhere.”

 

She really is like a ghost, Shen Fuxin thought. Coming from nowhere, heading nowhere, wandering aimlessly—surely that was a sadder existence than her own, living a life fueled by hatred.

 

She looked away, letting her body fall… until they reached the human world she had never stepped foot in before.

 

Scene III: The Country of Qi

 

In the Country of Qi, the streets were bustling. This was the most prosperous main road in the capital. It was midsummer; the streets were lined with vendors, acrobats, restaurants, and gambling dens. Perhaps because of the prosperity, the people—both women and men—rarely looked worried.

 

Under the scorching sun, two figures stepped out of the capital’s most popular candy shop.

 

The first was dressed in green, her long hair tied back simply, exuding a clean, refreshing aura that felt cooling in the summer heat. Beside her was a woman in jade-colored robes carrying a bag of sweets, her beauty nothing short of breathtaking.

 

Shen Fuxin reached out, and Ji Ting handed her a hawthorn candy from the bag. Crunching on the sweet, Shen Fuxin’s steps became light, revealing a rare, genuine happiness.

 

Watching her eat, Ji Ting asked softly, “Are we not looking for your father anymore?”

 

“Looking while eating,” Shen Fuxin replied indistinctly.

 

It had been seven days since they arrived. They had already tasted their way through every sweet shop in the capital. Shen Fuxin had scrounged through her spatial bag and found some pearls and gold to pawn for mortal currency, making them quite wealthy.

 

With money in hand, candy was just the beginning; they moved on to trendy iced desserts, then salty foods, then spicy ones. Shen Fuxin couldn’t handle spice, so Ji Ting quietly finished their “all-spicy” feast at the tavern.

 

Ji Ting found this happy version of Shen Fuxin somewhat unfamiliar. She was used to Shen Fuxin’s gloom in the Celestial Realm—even when she smiled there, it was clearly a facade. The only other time she’d seen a different expression was when she gave her the plum candy…

 

If she gets used to these mortal delicacies, what will happen if she returns to the God Realm?

 

Ji Ting’s thoughts drifted until Shen Fuxin suddenly stopped. After sensing her surroundings, Shen Fuxin said excitedly, “He’s nearby. Hurry and find him before someone accidentally treads on him and kills him.”

 

Ji Ting looked down and caught Shen Fuxin’s gaze. Those emerald eyes were sparkling, like a cat finding a small insect to toy with before the kill. Seeing Ji Ting just staring, Shen Fuxin urged, “Find him!”

 

Ji Ting snapped back to reality and joined the search. Shen Fuxin was remarkably enthusiastic about finding her father, who had been reincarnated into the animal path. The token given by the High God Yandan could track positions; her father was bound to a lower-realm token, so as long as Shen Fuxin held hers, she could follow the spiritual energy.

 

Scene IV: The Cricket

 

They walked to the end of the street, where Shen Fuxin stopped abruptly. She looked at an old woman sitting by the roadside with several dozen straw-woven cricket cages.

 

Shen Fuxin knelt and began inspecting the cages one by one. Seeing the two “pretty girls,” the old woman smiled and pointed to one. “This one is good. Its chirp is loud, and it’s a fierce fighter.”

 

Shen Fuxin didn’t want a fierce fighter. She held up a cage, looking at it with sheer fondness. The cricket inside was wilted from the sun, chirping feebly when she lifted him.

 

Satisfied, she told Ji Ting to pay. “I want this one.”

 

She didn’t immediately crush the cage. Instead, she studied the “Immortal Guteng,” now reincarnated as a cricket.

 

Ji Ting teased, “Having a change of heart?”

 

Shen Fuxin shook her head and smiled. She flicked the cage, speaking to the terrified, realizing cricket inside: “Father, it’s time you learned to earn some silver for your daughter.”

 

Moments later, they were at a cricket-fighting stall. Shen Fuxin placed her adoptive father on the table and pulled out her silver. “I bet on the other one.”

 

Ji Ting couldn’t help but laugh as the formerly pampered Immortal Guteng was forced to fight for his life. He might have had cultivation in the Celestial Realm, but here, he was no match for a mindless insect. Soon after the start, his leg was torn off by a cricket named “Black Whirlwind.”

 

As he struggled to crawl toward Shen Fuxin, he was dragged back by the other insect.

 

The crowd cheered. Shen Fuxin collected her winnings, indifferent to her father being eaten, and led Ji Ting away.

 

“Nine lives left,” Shen Fuxin said in a good mood. “We can take our time. What about you? Aren’t you looking for someone?”

 

Ji Ting smiled. “I don’t have your tracking abilities. Finding someone in the three thousand worlds is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

 

“Then how do we find them?”

 

“By going where she might appear,” Ji Ting said, her eyes following the female soldiers patrolling the city. “There is no one in this world I cannot find if I want to.”

 

Shen Fuxin decided not to worry about it. Her only goal was parricide, and with nine lives to go, she had time.

 

Scene V: The Country of Ruo

 

They traveled for over six months, eventually reaching a border country called Ruo. Unlike the vibrant Country of Qi, this place felt backward.

 

In Qi, both men and women wore bright colors. But the further north they went, the darker and more conservative the clothing became. In Ruo, Shen Fuxin noticed there were almost no women on the streets.

 

Is this a country of men?

 

She ignored the men pointing at them, eventually spotting a woman in a corner. The woman wore dark, plant-dyed clothes and a yellow cloth over most of her face, leaving only timid eyes visible. These women hovered in the shadows, looking at the two newcomers with a mix of longing and restraint.

 

A thin hand grabbed Shen Fuxin’s trouser leg. It was a child with short-cropped hair and a dusty face. “Sister,” she begged, “my mother is starving. Please, give us something.”

 

Shen Fuxin, uncomfortable in this environment, reached for her silver. But Ji Ting stopped her.

 

Ji Ting pulled out some flatbread and sugar. “Take these for your mother.”

 

The child thanked them and vanished into an alley.

 

“Why not give her silver?” Shen Fuxin asked.

 

Ji Ting led her to the alley. There were no adults—only five gaunt children devouring the bread. “These kids are stolen,” Ji Ting said calmly. “There is no mother. If you give them silver, they can’t spend it; they have to hand it over to their captors. Food, they can eat immediately.”

 

“Have you been here before?” Shen Fuxin asked.

 

Ji Ting shook her head. She hadn’t been here, but she had seen such things. The higher one stands, the more one sees, yet how could one clear out every nest of pests?

 

Scene VI: The Butcher

 

Shen Fuxin followed the spiritual energy to a crowded market filled with the stench of livestock and fish. As she approached the last stall, the faint energy snapped.

 

He’s dead.

 

Shen Fuxin’s face darkened. Who had killed him before she could?

 

At the final stall, she saw a pair of large, sun-bronzed hands. A tall woman was expertly carving a pig with a sharp cleaver.

 

Ji Ting looked at the pork. “Should we have your father’s leg stewed with cabbage today?”

 

Shen Fuxin didn’t answer, mesmerized by the butcher’s skill. Ji Ting added, “It’s just butchering. I can do that too.”

 

Thwack!

 

The cleaver slammed into the cutting board. The tall butcher, her face splashed with pig’s blood, looked at them. She had deep features, amber eyes, and dark red hair. Her muscles were like those of a stalking tiger.

 

“Are you buying or not?” she growled. “If not, get lost.”

 

Shen Fuxin bought a pig leg. Ji Ting studied the woman. A passerby whispered to Ji Ting, “Don’t buy from her. Her meat is bad. She’s a ‘widow butcher’—cursed. Everyone she was close to died mysteriously.”

 

Shen Fuxin, hearing the man insult her “meat” (her father), slapped him twice. When the man tried to look at the “refined” Ji Ting for help, Ji Ting just checked Shen Fuxin’s hand. “Does your hand hurt? Let me do it next time.”

 

The man fled. The butcher, having watched the scene, chopped some meat into mince, wrapped it in a lotus leaf, and threw it to Shen Fuxin. “Eat this.”

 

“You’re not charging me?” Shen Fuxin asked.

 

The butcher grunted, washed her hands, and looked at the sky.

 

“What is your name?” Ji Ting asked.

 

“People here call me the Widow,” the butcher replied.

 

“No, your name.”

 

The butcher sat up. “My name is Shensha.”

 

Shen Fuxin was stunned. Shensha? Was this the “God of War” Shensha mentioned by High God Yandan? The God of War was now a butcher killing her father in his reincarnated forms?

 

“Shensha? ‘Sha’ as in ‘to kill’?”

 

“No,” the butcher said. “‘Sha’ as in ‘sand’.”

 

Ji Ting didn’t ask more. She leaned in and poked Shen Fuxin. “We’re looking for an old friend and have nowhere to stay. Could you help us?”

 

Shensha, looking flustered, rubbed her apron. Eventually, she succumbed to their earnest gazes. “I… I have space. But—”

 

“Thank you!” Ji Ting chirped.

 

As they followed her, Shen Fuxin whispered, “How did you know she had room?”

 

Ji Ting smiled. “Didn’t they say she ‘cursed’ everyone to death? If they’re all dead, the house must be empty.”

 

Shen Fuxin looked at the powerful, tiger-like woman. “Is she really the one you’re looking for?”

 

“We’ll find out,” Ji Ting said gently. “Just watch, Xiaofu.”