Why is the Demon Venerable Like That? - Chapter 14

【Task deviating…】

【Automatically repairing the main quest. Congratulations to the host for successfully connecting to the new main quest. Current task: Find Lu Mingzhu 0/1】

The system popped up inopportunely: 【According to the normal, perfect, and well-known conventional task path, you should now be traveling to the old capital with Lin Jiangxue and Xiao Jingchun to investigate the rebellion of the Zhaowu King.】

【Then, you would honorably and fearlessly complete the mission, with your reputation and combat stats rising rapidly. But where exactly did things go wrong, leading you to end up here…】

Lu Yuan ignored it because he was currently doubting whether his junior brother had some issues; why had his expression suddenly become so vacant?

He was currently suspiciously patting the other’s forehead.

Ling Chuandu, who was in the middle of reminiscing about the past in Jiucang City, had his memories completely extinguished by Lu Yuan’s abrupt action.

He pushed Lu Yuan’s hand away expressionlessly.

The eyes were not bright enough, the chin was too pointed, and the cultivation level was too weak.

In no way was he like Lu Lingyue.

Steward Wang could wait no longer. Standing a few steps away from them, he urged, “Eldest Miss, there is no time left.”

Lu Yuan curled his lips. Was there really no time left, or was the thing hidden in the Lu estate becoming impatient?

He put on his Lu Yuan act, clutched his chest as if feeling weak, turned around, and leaned on Ling Chuandu’s shoulder. “Steward Wang, my heart palpitations must be acting up. It must be because we walked too hurriedly just now.”

Steward Wang remained in place, obviously unprepared to deal with such a situation. His hollow eyeballs rolled over Lu Yuan before he stammered, “Oh… oh, then I will go get a stool.”

Lu Yuan looked at this deep, secluded path; clearly, sitting here did not make any sense, but the steward felt that sitting in the middle of a hallway was perfectly normal.

Steward Wang backed away, swaying as he turned around to find a stool.

The two of them were, of course, extremely familiar with the Lu estate.

Lu Yuan had lived here since childhood, and Lin Chuan had frequently come to see his childhood sweetheart, Lu Mingzhu, during his youth; even after growing up, he could not stop climbing over walls and courtyards to find her.

It was just that if it were not for the fact that Lu Yuan had been weak and sickly since childhood, unable to be seen in her own boudoir, Lin Chuan would not have seen Lu Mingzhu first.

However, some things perhaps depend on who arrives first; missing one second is missing everything.

The two got rid of Steward Wang and moved through the Lu estate like fish. They did not go to Lu Mingzhu’s room but took a detour to Master Lu’s main house.

There were clearly people in the main house, as some human voices drifted out from the window cracks.

Lu Yuan signaled to Ling Chuandu an invitation to eavesdrop. Ling Chuandu followed him uncomfortably; two men who would be eye-catching in any crowd were currently standing openly beside someone’s window.

Because this courtyard could be seen at a glance, there was nowhere for them to hide if they wanted to be stealthy.

Master Lu’s voice sounded somewhat unbearable. “Why did you call Lu Yuan back?”

Lu Mingzhu’s mother, Concubine Zhang, snorted. “Why, are you feeling heartbroken?”

The movement inside stopped for a while, followed by Master Lu’s disjointed speech. It was not that he was too far away to hear clearly, but that he himself was speaking in a confused manner.

He said weakly, “No matter what, Yuan’er is… I watched her grow up. But… Mingzhu, she… alas… how did it come to this step? I have never done anything heinous in my life. Who on earth caused this catastrophe?”

Concubine Zhang was annoyed by his whining. She shook Master Lu’s arm forcefully to make him wake up. “The fact that things have become like this, is it not all to blame on Shen Qiuxin! If Mingzhu had been allowed to marry the young master, none of this would have happened! The family… now…”

She paused for a moment, as if remembering something, and her tone became terrified. “The family has become abnormal now! And Steward Wang… I do not even dare to speak to him. Shall we leave? I really cannot stand it anymore!”

Having said that, she let out a scream as if she could no longer bear it, but fearing that it would attract something, she suppressed the scream that was about to burst out and sobbed against Master Lu.

Although Master Lu was afraid, he persisted. “Leave to where? This is the Lu family ancestral home; I cannot just leave. Besides… are you not going to care about Mingzhu?”

Lu Yuan rubbed his chin and did not speak for a while.

It was obvious that the Lu estate was already on the boundary of life and death, slowly tilting toward death. Concubine Zhang and Master Lu were likely the last two normal people in this house.

If they stayed any longer, they would sooner or later become like Steward Wang, transformed into those strange figures, neither human nor evil spirit. Just one more step, and they would plunge directly toward alienation.

Ling Chuandu suddenly grabbed Lu Yuan’s shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, the two landed gently on the roof.

Although their cultivation was greatly weakened, it was clear that Ling Chuandu’s physical technique could still beat five Steward Wangs to death with one punch.

Steward Wang, who had finally discovered that he had been ditched, arrived late. He wandered around until he reached Master Lu’s room. He did not knock on the door, just calling out in a hoarse voice, “Master, have you seen the Eldest Miss?”

Someone inside walked quickly to the door, as if bolting it. Concubine Zhang said in a trembling voice, “No, go look elsewhere.”

Steward Wang did not try to force his way into the inner room; he seemed to still retain a bit of the concept of master and servant in his mind.

Since they told him to go look elsewhere, he should go look elsewhere for the Eldest Miss.

Steward Wang simply turned his aged body and walked slowly to other courtyards to check.

When Lu Yuan saw his back, he finally knew why this old steward had never turned his back to them before.

“So there is something hanging on his back,” Lu Yuan chuckled abruptly. He finally knew where the problem with this house lay.

After Steward Wang walked out of the courtyard, another thin human face slowly emerged from his collar, connected to a shriveled neck, hidden under his wide robes. The features were like a melted sugar figurine, but one could vaguely recognize it as his own face.

Seeing Steward Wang depart, Ling Chuandu leaped down from the roof. He placed his pale, jade-like hand against the door. He did not push; with a slight movement of his wrist, the energy shattered the door bolt into two pieces.

There was another gasp from inside.

Concubine Zhang cried out, “What to do, what to do, Steward Wang is coming in! He never used to come in before!”

Before she finished crying, she saw the person she never expected to see and automatically held her breath.

Master Lu was shocked. “How did you get here?”

Lu Yuan: “First by sedan chair, then on foot.”

“…” Master Lu moved his facial muscles with difficulty. He poked his head out to survey the surroundings. “Quick, come in. Come in and speak.”

Master Lu let them into the room and was about to bolt the door when he stared sluggishly at the wood on the floor that was broken into two pieces. Master Lu stiffened and looked up, his gaze falling on Ling Chuandu’s face.

Lu Yuan: “He has been diligent in practicing martial arts recently.”

Master Lu hurriedly moved the stool from the room to prop it against the door. He tried to push the table over, but the table was too heavy, so he gave up after a few attempts.

Lu Yuan watched Master Lu bustling about with composure. When he saw him stop, he said worriedly, “Father, what are you doing?”

Concubine Zhang stood in the innermost part of the room, clutching a handkerchief, and smiled forcefully. “Your father has also been diligent in exercising recently.”

Master Lu was just about to find a place to sit and rest. He looked around and found that all the chairs in the room had been placed behind the door. He looked at the standing Lu Yuan and his companion, racking his brain to find an excuse.

Lu Yuan tapped his palm. “Is Father doing this to tell us not to stay for long?”

Ling Chuandu had already reached Master Lu by now. He could not be bothered to play house with him, his gaze looking down from above. “What happened to Lu Mingzhu?”

“N-nothing happened. She is fine,” Concubine Zhang pretended to be stupid.

Lu Yuan seemed to heave a sigh of relief. “I knew my sister was fine. Someone went to the Prince’s mansion this morning saying my sister had caught the plague and was already quite ill. It seems it was indeed a false rumor.”

He had truly learned the etiquette of the original body perfectly.

Master Lu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “False rumor, false rumor. Your sister is just acting up because we arranged a marriage for her.”

“Xue Wei told me Lu Mingzhu was in trouble.” Ling Chuandu went straight to the point. If they kept talking, Lu Yuan would soon be discussing Lu Mingzhu’s criteria for a husband and who the candidates were.

He looked at Lu Yuan, who loved playing the role of Lu Yuan, and felt a headache.

This person liked to wear all kinds of masks, but seemed to dislike his own face the most.

Concubine Zhang twisted her handkerchief and looked at Lu Yuan hesitantly. “That girl Xue Wei just likes to exaggerate.”

Lu Yuan’s expression was blank: “So, did something happen to Mingzhu?”

Cold sweat also slid down Concubine Zhang’s temple. If she hadn’t observed Lu Yuan for a long time and found nothing unusual, she would have thought Lu Yuan had also gone abnormal.

In recent years, Lu Yuan and Lu Mingzhu had been at each other’s throats because of a man.

Now, this man was asking so straightforwardly about Lu Mingzhu, yet Lu Yuan was not crying and making a scene as before.

Lu Yuan: “I also want to see Lu Mingzhu. Father, come with us.”

“Ah?” Master Lu’s expression became terrified.

“Is the concubine not going?” Lu Yuan was literally calling names from the book of life and death, smiling at both of them.

“I, I…” Concubine Zhang stammered for a long time. “You just go. She has been very annoyed with us lately.”

Lu Yuan said distressingly: “But I am afraid.”

Concubine Zhang was stunned by his nonsensical words. “What are you afraid of?”

“Did the concubine see Steward Wang?”

Concubine Zhang swallowed nervously. “I saw him. I just talked to him a moment ago.” She blinked her eyes rapidly. “By the way, he is still looking for you two. Do not keep him waiting.”

“I am afraid of seeing Steward Wang.” Lu Yuan curled his lips, revealing his slightly sharp canine teeth. “Also, that is not right. Concubine, you should not have talked to him, nor should you have seen him.”

The room was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard. Concubine Zhang breathed rapidly. She glared at Lu Yuan—this woman who would only cry when encountering problems now gave her a dangerous feeling.

Concubine Zhang calmed herself down. “I did talk to him, indeed. Although I spoke through the door, there is no difference, is there?”

Lu Yuan spoke softly, his expression as calm as if he were saying he wanted to drink a cup of tea. Concubine Zhang’s pupils suddenly dilated, and the handkerchief in her hand had already been twisted into a ball.

“Steward Wang has that thing hanging on his back, and his throat is exposed. How exactly did you talk to him?”