The Immortal Lord of the Path of Ruthlessness Bends for Me - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Her Foot Slid Up Again

“Crystal shrimp dumplings!”

“Can you eat these for dinner too?”

Ling Shu looked at the dishes with a cheerful, innocent expression, as if nothing had happened at all.

Zhuang Jinfu pretended to be unbothered, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat—while simultaneously giving Ling Shu a firm kick under the table.

Auntie Hai, seeing Ling Shu so happy, felt her own spirits lift. She answered eagerly, “The Immort—”

“Auntie Hai, eat more vegetables,” Zhuang Jinfu interrupted, cutting her off. She picked up a prime piece of fish belly and placed it in Auntie Hai’s bowl.

Auntie Hai didn’t dare say another word.

“What were you saying?” Ling Shu asked.

Her foot slid up again.

Auntie Hai’s mind raced. “These are made with fresh shrimp. Very fresh.”

Ling Shu picked up a dumpling and placed it in Auntie Hai’s bowl. “Auntie Hai, you’re so good to me.”

Zhuang Jinfu gripped Ling Shu’s thigh under the table, chilling her palm with spiritual energy to ice the girl’s leg.

“Of course I am! You’re the first disciple our Immortal has taken in three hundred years. If I weren’t good to you, the Immortal would have my head.”

Ling Shu gave a sudden shiver.

“Cold?” Auntie Hai asked kindly.

Ling Shu shook her head. She stopped teasing for a moment but wedged her leg firmly between Zhuang Jinfu’s calves. Keeping a straight face, she asked Auntie Hai, “How did you know I liked these?”

“That… I… well…” Auntie Hai glanced at Zhuang Jinfu. The Immortal acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, calmly eating her plain rice. Sweat began to bead on Auntie Hai’s forehead. Then, a spark of inspiration: “Last time I made breakfast, I noticed you finished every single one of the shrimp dumplings while leaving bits of everything else. So I guessed you liked them and made extra.”

Zhuang Jinfu, feeling embarrassed and indignant, lowered the temperature of her palm even further. When Ling Shu looked down at her rice bowl, she noticed a tiny, razor-sharp ice crystal buried in the grains—a clear warning of the Immortal’s lethality. Ling Shu finally yielded and retracted her leg.

“Auntie Hai, you’re so observant,” Ling Shu said, continuing to pile food into the older woman’s bowl. “Eat more. You worked the hardest to make this feast.”

Zhuang Jinfu retracted her hand as well.

“I get paid for it; it’s no trouble at all.”

After dinner, Zhuang Jinfu went to the kitchen and returned with a plate of pastries and a few slices of bitter melon. She sat in the courtyard to enjoy some tea.

Dongli City was in the south, so the winters were snowless and mild—perfect for moon-gazing in the yard.

The tabby cat, also full and content, groomed its fur. Suddenly, its ears twitched. Scenting catnip, it stood up and wandered out of the courtyard.

Zhao Chi didn’t dare leave her room, sitting inside in a state of restless anxiety. Ling Shu had planned to go for a walk, but the memory of that magical arrow from earlier had shaken her. Her gaze toward Zhao Chi grew increasingly hostile.

Ling Shu went looking for tea. Since Zhao Chi was sitting right by the tea table, Ling Shu walked over. Sensing the girl’s disheveled state, she said what she’d been thinking: “You should bathe and change your clothes.”

“I… I don’t have any clothes,” Zhao Chi whispered.

Ling Shu poured a cup of tea and intentionally let it slip as she handed it to Zhao Chi. “Oops, my hand slipped.” Serves you right for trying to kill me, she thought. Sit in wet clothes and freeze.

A large portion of Zhao Chi’s skirt was soaked, but she didn’t dare complain. “It’s fine. It was just an accident.”

Since it was a warm winter, there was no charcoal fire in the room. Zhao Chi had to wait for the dress to air-dry.

Ling Shu, feeling satisfied, finished her tea and went into the courtyard to find the cat.

The tiny kitten wandered to Zhuang Jinfu’s feet, meowing for a treat.

Zhuang Jinfu’s eyebrow twitched slightly. She ate a strawberry herself, then picked up a slice of bitter melon and tossed it on the ground. The kitten took a bite, immediately spat it out with a disgusted face, and began blowing bubbles.

A tiny smirk appeared on the corner of Zhuang Jinfu’s mouth as she raised her teacup to hide it.

On the other side of the courtyard:

“Miss Ling! What are you doing on the roof? Come down!” Auntie Hai shouted.

Ling Shu stood on the tiles, holding one she had just pried loose. “Have you seen Ruixue?”

“Wasn’t it just grooming itself at the door?”

“I don’t see it anywhere!”

Zhuang Jinfu paused her tea, using her power to scan the surroundings.

Auntie Hai urged, “Come down! Your wounds aren’t healed, the wind is too strong up there!”

Zhuang Jinfu set down her cup. “The cat went out.”

Ling Shu replaced the tile and jumped down. “I’ll go find it.” Auntie Hai stopped her. “It’s not safe for you. I’ll go.”

An hour passed, and Auntie Hai hadn’t returned. Ling Shu paced the yard, muttering, “Something’s wrong. This isn’t right.”

“How can it take this long to find a cat?” Ling Shu turned around and noticed a red glow. “Master, why is the jade pendant at your waist glowing red?”

“Auntie Hai is in trouble,” Zhuang Jinfu said. She set down her cup and walked into the house.

Zhao Chi was still in her dirty black robes. She stood up immediately when Zhuang Jinfu entered. “Immortal.”

With a sweep of her sleeve, a set of black robes appeared on the table. “Wear these for now. I’ve prepared bathwater in the kitchen. Bathe before you put them on; don’t get my clothes dirty.”

Zhao Chi touched the fabric. It was smooth, exquisitely woven, and emanated a faint white spiritual light. It was warm to the touch.

She’s letting me wear such high-grade clothing?

Zhuang Jinfu turned to leave, followed by Zhao Chi’s stunned gaze.

Zhuang Jinfu set up a defensive barrier around the courtyard and told Ling Shu, “No matter what happens, do not leave.”

“But Auntie Hai—”

“Auntie Hai won’t die,” Zhuang Jinfu said firmly.

“Master, I’m scared. This is clearly a trap to lure you away.”

“You and Zhao Chi stay in the courtyard, and you will be safe,” Zhuang Jinfu said calmly before departing.

Within fifteen minutes, a voice shouted a challenge from outside the gate.

It’s starting.

Ling Shu didn’t open the door. Zhao Chi, who had been bathing, rushed out.

Ling Shu looked at the high-quality robes she was wearing. “The Immortal gave those to you?”

Zhao Chi nodded.

Ling Shu was annoyed. “I don’t even have those. Why do you get them?”

“I… I can take them off and give them to you.”

Ling Shu crossed her arms. “Fine. I’m waiting. If you don’t take them off, I’ll strip them off you myself!”

The voice outside continued: “Zhao Chi! I know you’re in there! Don’t think hiding will save you!”

Zhao Chi’s hands shook as she reached for her collar. Her neck revealed scars from old burns. Her face turned pale. “The Fire Sparrow Fairy… she found me…”

Seeing her trembling and pathetic state, Ling Shu softened slightly. “Fine, stop undressing!”

She rolled her eyes at the gate. “Who is she? Everyone knows Zhuang Jinfu is the only ‘Immortal’ in the Upper Clarity Realm. Who is she to call herself a Fairy?”

Zhao Chi tightened her belt, her voice choking up. “She… her cultivation isn’t high, only at the Golden Core stage.”

“Then what are you afraid of?”

“She’s a soul-refiner. She’s lived for over a hundred and seventy years and specializes in capturing demons to extract their cores for artifacts. She has a weapon called Nightmare Fire, made from a hundred Golden Core demon souls. It traps people in a ‘beautiful dream’ that is actually a fire that consumes their cultivation. Those who fall for the dream are eventually devoured by the flames.”

“Then why is she only at the Golden Core stage?”

“Her natural talent is poor. She has mixed spiritual roots, so she hit a ceiling. Now she wants to… capture people to swap their spiritual roots.”

“You can swap roots?”

“Yes, but they don’t last. They have to be replaced every year, which means she has to keep killing and stealing.”

“So she’s targeted you?”

“No. Because I failed to assassinate you, I was handed over to her for ‘disposal.’ That’s how I ended up in her hands.”

“If you hadn’t taken that risk in the first place, none of this would be happening!”

“I know I was wrong…”

“Get lost.” Ling Shu ignored her and sat down.

Outside, the shouting continued. “Zhao Chi! Stop being a coward!”

Ling Shu ignored the noise. She sat in the rocking chair Zhuang Jinfu had occupied, popped a strawberry into her mouth, and rocked contentedly.

Suddenly, the smell of burning filled the air. Flames erupted outside the courtyard walls. Ling Shu jumped out of the chair. While the yard was secluded, there were neighboring houses with residents.

The woman’s voice outside turned shrill and piercing. “If you don’t come out, I’ll burn this entire street down!”

“That’s it! I’m going to kill her!” Ling Shu grabbed the sword from Zhao Chi’s waist and lunged for the door. Zhao Chi blocked her path. “The Immortal said we shouldn’t leave!”

Ling Shu glared at her. “But she’s burning houses! Innocent people are involved! I can’t just let her do this!”

“Let it burn.”

“Zhao Chi, do you have no soul?”

Ling Shu pushed past her and threw the gate open. A woman in red was sitting atop a leopard outside. Her nails and lips were black, and a giant black peony was pinned in her high hair.

The woman stroked the leopard’s head, and the beast crouched down obediently. She dropped her aggressive tone, her black lips curling. “Ah, the little demon girl is here too. Hand over Zhao Chi, and I’ll leave.”

Ling Shu stared at the Fire Sparrow Fairy in silence. Then, she suddenly spun around, grabbed Zhao Chi, and threw her out of the gate. Bang! She slammed the door shut.

Outside, Zhao Chi screamed, “Ling Shu! You traitor!”

Ling Shu scaled the wall in a few quick moves and watched the scene from above, laughing. “I gave her to you! Now put the fire out!”

“Not so fast. I need to check the goods first.”

The Fire Sparrow Fairy signaled the leopard. Zhao Chi scrambled back, but the Fairy raised her hand. Five black magical threads extended from her nails, chasing Zhao Chi. In the blink of an eye, they bound her tight.

The Fairy walked over barefoot, sliding a black nail under Zhao Chi’s chin. “Such a beauty. It would be a shame for this face to get burned.”

“Indeed, it is her.” The fires on the neighboring houses began to die down.

Zhao Chi spat, “Evil cultivator! Let me go!”

“So stubborn. How am I supposed to be nice to you?” The Fairy’s hand slid down Zhao Chi’s neck to her chest, giving her a squeeze before wandering to her waist.

“Fire Sparrow!” Zhao Chi gasped in humiliation. “I will return this insult a hundredfold!”

The Fairy’s hand moved back up, reaching into the collar of Zhao Chi’s new robes and pulling out a pale pink handkerchief. “Whose is this? This isn’t your style.”

“Give it back!”

Ling Shu recognized it. It was embroidered with white plum blossoms—the handkerchief she had used to wipe Zhao Chi’s sword. The girl had actually kept it.

“A gift from someone else, then?” The Fairy set it ablaze with a flick of her finger.

Zhao Chi roared, “You’ve gone too far!”

The Fairy looked up at Ling Shu on the wall, her gaze threatening. “It wasn’t a gift from her, was it?”

Ling Shu was enjoying the show. As long as she stayed inside the barrier, she was safe. She decided to add fuel to the fire. “It was from me! What of it?”

Enraged, the Fairy blasted the barrier with fire, but it didn’t move an inch.

Ling Shu made a face from the wall. “Lululu! Come and get me! Come on!”

The Fairy couldn’t break the barrier, so she pressed a blade against Zhao Chi’s throat. “If you don’t come out, I’ll kill her.”

Ling Shu teased, “Do you really have the heart to kill her?”

The Fairy pressed the blade deeper. This woman was a chaotic evil cultivator; she was unpredictable. Zhao Chi was terrified. Her poor neck had been threatened twice in one day! She had to save herself!

Who could she count on? Ling Shu and her thousand-year demon power!

Zhao Chi whispered a few incantations.

Suddenly, the sword Ling Shu was holding flew out of her hand.

“What are you doing, Zhao Chi?!”

The sword began “attacking” Ling Shu in the air. Ling Shu dodged and ducked, but the hilt struck her hard behind the knee. With a thud, Ling Shu fell from the wall, landing on the “cushion” of magic she had cast when she threw Zhao Chi out.

“Son of a—”

Before Ling Shu could get up, she fired a blast of demon power at Zhao Chi’s chest. Zhao Chi was sent flying, spitting blood.

When Ling Shu looked up again, the world had changed.

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