After resolving the crisis at Wuxiu Manor, Lu Zheng and his group had a meal there before leaving amidst the warm hospitality of Hua Yixing and the other four women. They made plans to soak in hot springs together when they had time.
By the way, Liu Qingyan took Hu Cainiang along, inviting her to stay in Tonglin County for a few days.
Shen Ying hurriedly returned to Peach Blossom Terrace, as cracking the Blissful Heavenly Maiden Enchantment Realm was no easy task and would require considerable time and effort.
…
“Lu Zheng!”
“Huh?”
Lu Zheng looked at Lin Wan, who was brimming with excitement, unsure what she was so thrilled about.
“What’s up?” Lu Zheng asked with a smile. “Got a promotion and a raise, or cracked another big case?”
“Heh heh! Take this!”
Lin Wan grinned, throwing a punch straight at Lu Zheng’s face.
Her blood qi surged, filling the air with vitality!
Lu Zheng felt as if a mountain stood before him, pressing down on him.
“Nice move!”
Lu Zheng grabbed her incoming fist, dissipating the surge of her blood qi. He stepped back, pulling Lin Wan into the house.
With a press, a twist, and a turn, he pinned Lin Wan’s arm behind her back, stretching her police uniform to the point of nearly tearing.
Lu Zheng swallowed hard. Lin Wan ducked and twisted, breaking free from his hold, then spat, “Pervert!”
Lu Zheng protested, “You’re too reckless, surging your blood qi like that. If I hadn’t countered like this and clashed head-on, would our front door still be standing?”
Thinking of the power she had tested in secret after cultivating her martial blood qi, Lin Wan stuck out her tongue. “Fine, you have a point!”
Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she put her hands on her hips, chest puffed out, exuding confidence. “You’re scolding me?”
Lu Zheng saw clearly that, despite her bold demeanour, her eyes held the unspoken understanding and anticipation shared only between them.
“Scolding you? You haven’t seen real scolding yet!” With that, Lu Zheng casually shut the door, rubbed his hands, and pounced.
…
“How am I still no match for you?”
Lin Wan lay panting on the bed, feeling too exhausted to move even a finger.
“Heh heh!”
Lu Zheng chuckled, feeling the softness beneath his hand. “Beating me? That’s gonna be tough!”
Even the Peach Immortal and the Fox Lady together couldn’t take me down. You, just having cultivated martial blood qi, think you can beat me?
Of course, Lu Zheng didn’t say this out loud. Instead, he grinned. “Now you can’t escape my grasp.”
“Hm?” Lin Wan turned to look at him, unsure of his meaning.
Lu Zheng said matter-of-factly, “Because who else but me could handle you?”
Lin Wan: (*°ω°*)
“You’re asking for it!” Lin Wan bit him hard, mustered her energy, and pounced again.
Only to be subdued once more.
…
Early Saturday morning, Lin Wan was woken by the phone ringing. Groggily opening her eyes, she saw Lu Zheng already up, energetically answering the call.
Sighing, Lin Wan snuggled closer to him and heard him say, “What’s that? You’ve got everything ready for us?”
“Oh, oh, thanks!”
“Alright, I’ll ask Lin Wan. If she’s free, we’ll go.”
“No, no, we already thanked you with that dinner.”
“Got it! Bye!”
Lu Zheng hung up and looked at Lin Wan. “That was Tony, inviting us to travel to Italy for the National Day holiday.”
“He still remembers,” Lin Wan said.
Lu Zheng nodded. “So, are you off for National Day?”
“Should be,” Lin Wan thought for a moment. “I was on duty last year, so I should get a break this year.”
Lu Zheng asked, incredulous, “You guys take turns every year?”
Lin Wan shook her head. “Not exactly, it’s a bit longer than that. Depends on the cases at hand, though. If something urgent or high-profile comes up, everyone’s on duty.”
“Nothing lately?”
Lin Wan nodded. “At least in Haicheng, cases are getting fewer.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
Lin Wan pursed her lips. She certainly didn’t hope for more criminal cases.
“You’ve mastered the last two forms pretty quickly!” Lu Zheng said. “I thought it’d take you a few more months.”
The *Eighteen Forms of Mountain Bearing* weren’t easy to start with. The middle parts were somewhat simpler, but the final three forms presented a new level of difficulty, not easily mastered to circulate blood qi through the body’s meridians.
“Heh heh, because I’m a genius!” Lin Wan said with a cheeky grin, then added, “Of course, that medicinal wine you gave me later helped a lot.”
Lu Zheng blinked and nodded.
The medicinal wine he gave Lin Wan later contained not just lingzhi but a few drops of stalactite essence, rare treasures that greatly aided cultivation.
“Come on, let’s find a secluded spot. I’ll teach you to get familiar with your strength,” Lu Zheng said with a smile.
“Awesome!” Lin Wan’s eyes lit up, her fatigue instantly gone.
…
They drove to a park in the suburbs, finding a secluded grove.
“Too hard!” Lu Zheng sighed. “Finding an empty place is so tough. Haicheng’s got way too many people!”
“Stop complaining, hurry up!” Lin Wan urged.
“Alright, alright!” Lu Zheng nodded.
Then Lin Wan’s fist came flying at his face.
*Smack!*
Lu Zheng deflected it with a backhand, then thrust his left hand forward in a tiger claw, aiming for Lin Wan’s throat.
“Take this!” Lin Wan shrank back, lightly stepping and kicking at Lu Zheng’s kneecap.
“Not bad!” Lu Zheng raised his leg, stepping on her calf to block the kick.
*Pop, pop, pop!*
Light sounds echoed in the secluded grove as waves of air stirred gentle breezes, rustling and scattering the surrounding branches and leaves.
“To the trees!” Lu Zheng called softly, sweeping his leg low. Lin Wan leaped lightly, soaring three metres to the top of a nearby tree.
“This is qinggong, right?” Lin Wan was thrilled, feeling the surge of blood qi within her. Spotting a branch ahead, she tapped her foot and leaped.
*Whoosh!* A graceful arc cut through the air as Lin Wan crossed nearly five metres to land on another tree’s branch.
“Wow! If I went for long jump, I’d be unbeatable!” Lin Wan shouted excitedly.
“Have some ambition! Is this about long jumping?” Lu Zheng teased, reminding her, “High jump’s an option too. Olympic gold’s calling your name!”
“Nah, can’t steal the athletes’ thunder,” Lin Wan laughed, hopping from tree to tree with agile grace. She glanced back at Lu Zheng, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “Come catch me!”
Lu Zheng tapped his foot, his figure darting swiftly toward Lin Wan.
…
Two figures flashed through the grove, one chasing, one fleeing, soon delving deeper into the woods.
“Hm?” Lin Wan suddenly stopped, looking to the left not far away.
Lu Zheng stopped too, following her gaze. He saw a large black plastic bag, sniffed, and said gravely, “It’s a body.”
