The Immortal Lord of the Path of Ruthlessness Bends for Me - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Ling Shu Felt Nothing but Gnashing Hatred for Her

The sword held her steady. Opposite her, the Golden Core cultivator sneered. “Impressive. You’ve got a stable lower body. Take this!” She unleashed a move—Mystic Needle through Hanging Dew—hitting Ling Shu with such speed that she staggered back.

Ling Shu intended to counter with an upward thrust, but as she struck, an invisible force tapped her elbow downward. In the same breath, a second force knocked the underside of her elbow back up. Just as Ling Shu wondered what this meant, her opponent lunged high, leaving her lower body wide open!

Following the guidance of this mysterious force, Ling Shu’s blade pierced a vital spot in the cultivator’s abdomen. The Golden Core expert instantly lost her advantage!

She stumbled back several steps. Seeing their leader falter, the remaining cultivators lost half their fighting spirit, their movements turning sluggish. Ling Shu wanted to see what other tricks they had, but her wrist was flicked up by that unknown force again, and she felt a shove from behind.

Of course! The Golden Core was down—now was the perfect time to break through!

Capitalizing on their lack of coordination, she pursued the advantage, knocked two more aside to tear an opening in their formation, and bolted!

The late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator took charge. “What are you standing there for? Chase her! The Family Head wants her! There’s a massive reward for her capture!”

Relying on the “street smarts” she’d picked up as a kid, Ling Shu navigated the alleys, vaulted over a wall into a small shop, and ducked behind the door. The footsteps of the cultivators drew closer, eventually stopping right outside. Ling Shu held her breath.

“In here! Open the door!” The door rattled under a heavy impact, followed by a flash of spiritual light. The lock shattered, and the door was kicked open with a bang.

Ling Shu prepared to rush out for a final stand, but a force blocked her at the waist. She froze. The cultivators entered.

The tiny red fox silhouette in the Golden Core leader’s palm pointed directly into the darkness where Ling Shu stood. Fuming with rage, the woman stomped forward. Ling Shu tried to swing her sword and push against the pressure on her waist, but the force held her firm as the cultivator reached her.

Suddenly, the leader stopped right in front of her. The red fox in her hand vanished, dissolving into a cloud of red spiritual energy. Ling Shu blinked in confusion.

“Strange… my Demon-Seeking Art has never failed before…” The leader muttered an illumination spell. Several Night-Glow Pearls flew out, lighting up the darkness. The pearls circled and hovered right over Ling Shu’s head, their white light washing over her, before returning to the cultivator’s hand.

“Out! Find her trail elsewhere, quickly!” The cultivators hurried out, their footsteps fading into the distance.

Ling Shu stood in the dark, stunned. The force that had guided her wasn’t heavy, but it was firm. From the sensation against her skin, the object that tapped her elbow was cold and hard; the thing barring her waist was long and straight.

A scabbard.

Ling Shu pushed the door open and stepped out. After a few paces, she stopped and whispered to the air beside her, “Who are you?”

Only the sound of the wind answered her. She had no choice but to walk alongside the wind.

The night watchman struck the wooden clapper three times—the third watch. The city gates wouldn’t open until the fifth watch. The night was still long. The snow had stopped, but it lay two feet deep on the roads. The streets were empty of even beggars. The cultivators were still searching, and patrol squads passed by frequently. Ling Shu moved like a shadow.

She realized she had nowhere to go. She thought of the kind owner of Jiahe Tavern. Returning would be foolish—it would only bring the woman trouble. But the streets were empty, and she was tired of hiding.

“Woof! Woof!” Just as she ducked behind a timber shop, a yellow dog barked at her.

The sound alerted a nearby cultivator. Ling Shu crouched under a basket in a pile of lumber. Through the gaps, she saw a cultivator flying on a sword, scanning the area before moving on.

“Xiao Hu?” a woman’s voice whispered. Xiao Hu was the alias Ling Shu had used at the tavern.

“Woof!” The yellow dog trotted up and sat in front of her basket.

“Xiao Hu, are you in there?” Outside the basket stood a plump woman in red silk and a heavy cloak.

Ling Shu lifted the basket, poking her head out. “Boss? What are you doing here?”

“You have nowhere to go, do you?”

“I… I’ll leave the city at dawn.”

“You can’t freeze out here all night! Come to my house, now! Don’t argue with me!”

“Who’s there?!” The curfew patrol heard them. Manager Zhang kicked the basket aside, grabbed Ling Shu, and ran. The mysterious force didn’t stop her this time. For some reason, Ling Shu felt a sense of relief.

They ran, the yellow dog trailing behind. Manager Zhang’s home wasn’t far from the tavern. Inside, it was warm with charcoal fires. A young daughter was asleep on a couch, but the noise woke her. She rubbed her eyes and asked, “Is this the big sister from Aunt Wen’s house that you mentioned, Mother?”

The little girl’s eyes were round and full of joy. “She’s so pretty!”

“Aunt Wen?” Ling Shu asked.

“I recognized you the moment I saw you,” Manager Zhang said, placing the clothes Ling Shu had worn on her first day on a silk cloth, along with some spirit stones. “Wen Ji’s daughter, little Ling Shu. It’s you.”

The daughter jumped down and brought a bag of naan bread to her mother.

“You… knew us?”

“I did. You and your mother saved us once.” Manager Zhang smiled, packing the bread and then going to her jewelry box. She pulled out gold and silver hairpins and a pair of jade bracelets, placing them with the clothes.

“But we are demons…”

“I, Zhang Yunji, only recognize my benefactors.”

Ling Shu was speechless. This was the first time someone had smiled at her after knowing she was a demon.

“It was three years ago. I had just lost my husband and brought Yaoyao to Wuyang City to start a business. My luck was bad—thieves stole my money, and human traffickers tried to snatch my daughter. I was desperate and collapsed in the outskirts. You two saved me, got Yaoyao back, and gave me a large sum of money to start over. I started with a small food stall and saved for three years to open that tavern.”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have this life.”

Ling Shu thought back. “I remember now… there was a poor woman collapsed under a tree, covered in bruises. Mother and I took you home.”

“That was me,” Manager Zhang said warmly. “By the way, how is your mother?”

“She… she passed away.” Ling Shu’s heart ached at the mention.

Manager Zhang walked over and hugged her. “If you ever have nowhere to go, come to me. My business is small, but I can provide for you and Yaoyao.” Ling Shu squeezed her hand. “Thank you, Boss Zhang.”

Yaoyao grabbed Ling Shu’s hand, her big eyes sparkling. “Big Sister, will you stay and be my sister?”

It was impossible to refuse such a sweet child. Ling Shu climbed into bed, and Yaoyao snuggled next to her. “Big Sister, you’re so warm! Please don’t leave.”

Manager Zhang tucked them in. “Don’t bother your sister, Yaoyao. she has to travel at dawn.” She hummed a soft lullaby, and in that warmth, Ling Shu fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she left the city and headed east. Stopping at a roadside tea house, she overheard a conversation.

“Big news in Wuyang City,” a woman with freckles said. “The Li family seized a mother and daughter. They say they were harboring a fugitive who killed the Li family’s Second Miss. There’s a bounty out: three hundred gold bars and ten thousand spirit stones.”

Ling Shu’s heart dropped. She hurried back to the city. The bounty posters were everywhere, featuring her face. Jiahe Tavern was sealed. She jumped the wall into Manager Zhang’s house—it was empty. As she turned to leave, a voice called out from above.

“Haha! I knew this trick would catch you.”

The Golden Core cultivator from before was standing on the wall, looking triumphant. Ling Shu snarled, “To hell with you! I didn’t kill your Second Miss! Let them go!”

“Surrender and come back to the Li family with us, and I’ll release them. Otherwise…”

Ling Shu drew her sword, but the pressure on her waist returned. Don’t fight? She sheathed the blade. “I’ll go with you.”

Mount Zimu, Li Family Estate, Three-Water Pavilion.

The pavilion was filled with alchemy furnaces. A massive bronze one stood against the north wall, the fire glowing within. A woman in lavish robes stood with her back to Ling Shu.

“Family Head, I’ve brought her,” the cultivator reported.

“Understood. Leave us.”

The woman turned around. Ling Shu exploded in rage. “You want to kill me that badly?”

The woman smiled slightly. “Let us introduce ourselves properly. My name is Li Qiaoyan, Head of the Li Family—the first great family of the Shangqing Realm. By etiquette, you should call me ‘Mother’.”

“I have a mother!” Ling Shu snapped. “I’m here. Let them go! They are innocent.”

“I know,” Li Qiaoyan said gracefully. “Dian Yun, take her to see the prisoners. Our Eldest Miss must see with her own eyes that we are releasing them.”

Ling Shu spat at her but followed the cultivator. After confirming that Manager Zhang and Yaoyao were safe, she was brought back to the pavilion.

Li Qiaoyan sat amidst the candlelight, looking regal. “Darling daughter, I just want to know what happened two nights ago.”

“What happened to me is none of your business!”

Li Qiaoyan stood up. “Did you kill my younger sister?”

“That woman was your sister? She tried to steal my demon core! She and her men killed each other while fighting over it!”

Li Qiaoyan nodded thoughtfully. “Fine. I believe you.”

“?” Ling Shu was baffled. She’s just letting it go? After all that? “Are you crazy?”

“You may go. I won’t hold it against you.” Li Qiaoyan waved her hand.

Ling Shu turned to leave, but her path was blocked by several cultivators in flame-patterned robes. They parted to let a woman through. She was nearly seven feet tall, wearing a dark blue cloak and a simple gold phoenix hairpin. Her face was like frost, her eyes sharp enough to make anyone tremble.

Her voice was clear but thundering with authority: “You won’t hold it against her? Well, I will!” She stared at Ling Shu. “It is my failure in discipline that led to this disaster. You don’t need to spare this brat on my account!”

Wang Lifu. Ling Shu felt nothing but gnashing hatred for her.

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