Lu Zheng naturally could not keep constant track of the ghost-headed infant’s movements, but he could occasionally glance at Chu Jin, the Zhen Fu Shi of Yizhou Prefecture.
Chu Jin was the Zhen Fu Shi of the Yizhou Zhen Yi Si. If the ghost-headed infant entered the yang world, he would very likely be requisitioned by the Lingbei Dao Zhen Yi Si.
If Lu Zheng happened to notice, he could secretly follow and observe the ghost-headed infant’s fate, deciding whether he needed to intervene.
What if he did not notice?
If he did not, then so be it. The ghost-headed infant did not know the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror was in Lu Zheng’s hands. The enemy was in the open while he remained in the shadows. Lu Zheng was in no hurry. When his cultivation grew higher in the future, he might even take the initiative to enter the Netherworld and settle accounts.
Besides…
Apart from Lu Zheng, Shen Ying was also a fragrance-and-fire god of the Great Jing, strictly speaking an off-establishment member of the City God Temple system.
Combined with the old peach tree’s own keen sensitivity, she could receive messages from the City God Temple network at any time, even faintly sensing disturbances at nearby boundaries between the Netherworld and yang world.
If a battle between the two sides grew loud enough, she might well perceive it dimly.
…
Thus the pair paid it no mind. After bidding farewell to Du Huanzhen and You Che, they flew straight back to Taohua Ping.
Upon returning, they found Tu Yuya once more gathered around a table with the three Peach Blossom Heavenly Maidens.
“Back already? You took quite a while!”
Tu Yuya glanced at them. “It really was ghostly creatures causing trouble?”
Lu Zheng nodded. “The ghost-headed infant.”
“An infant ghost?” Tao Qing asked curiously. “And it specifically targets children. Was it harmed by other children in life?”
“No,” Shen Ying shook her head. “This ghost was acting on the ghost-headed infant’s orders, coming to the yang world to abduct children in preparation for a Thousand Children Grand Banquet in the Netherworld.”
“Good heavens!”
Even Tu Yuya jumped at the sound of this Thousand Children Grand Banquet.
“This ghost-headed infant has quite the background, daring to do such a thing. The Great Jing is not at the end of a dynasty now, with chaos everywhere allowing such behaviour.
The Central Plains dynasty remains in its prime. Even the northern tribes of the three kingdoms dare not provoke unified enmity from the Great Jing. What is his origin that he dares this?”
“The Xuanyin Mountain lineage,” Lu Zheng said.
“Xuanyin Mountain lineage?”
The eighteen Peach Blossom Heavenly Maidens naturally knew nothing of it, and it seemed even Tu Yuya was not very familiar.
“I think I have heard the name once, but it does not seem a particularly powerful force,” Tu Yuya blinked, somewhat puzzled. “Does Xuanyin Mountain truly have such capability?”
Then she relaxed. “Fair enough. Ghostly creatures hide deep in the Netherworld. If they cause trouble, they can simply retreat deeper.”
“The Xuanyin Mountain lineage is not weak. Perhaps it is simply that your Tushan fox clan is too strong,” Lu Zheng said helplessly. “Likely because the lineage currently lacks a pinnacle powerhouse.”
Tu Yuya grew curious. “How so?”
Since the eighteen Peach Blossom Heavenly Maidens also did not know, Shen Ying explained the origins of the Xuanyin Mountain lineage and the matter of Lord Xuanyin.
“So impressive!” Tu Yuya exclaimed.
Ascended to the upper realms…
She knew full well the difficulty of ascending. Ever since the heavenly fox descended and transmitted the Tushan fox lineage, in the thousands upon thousands of years since, only two fox ancestors had managed to avoid death and ascend.
Tu Yuya shook her head. “The Xuanyin Mountain lineage has truly fallen. How could a pinnacle ghost king have nothing better to do than come to the yang world to seize children?”
After this remark, Tu Yuya lost interest in the ghost-headed infant and returned to playing mahjong with the Peach Blossom Heavenly Maidens.
…
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying had missed lunch during their outing, but the pair hardly minded one meal. They waved off Xiao Cui’s offer to prepare anything and strolled out of the manor hand in hand.
Peach blossoms bloomed profusely in Taohua Ping, and visitors thronged the paths.
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying, just the two of them, made no effort to conceal themselves. They wandered through the peach groves, no different from other young couples out enjoying the spring blossoms.
Watching many young men and women exchange subtle, affectionate gestures, Shen Ying felt her own heart stir quietly.
“Will my dear Lu stay tonight?” Shen Ying asked, her eyes alluring as silk.
Lu Zheng blinked, then nodded solemnly. “That was precisely my intention!”
“Hee hee!” Shen Ying giggled, reaching to take his arm. The smile on her face outshone even the full bloom of peach blossoms on the trees.
As they spoke, they spotted a man and woman emerging from the nearby Peach Blossom Shrine, talking and laughing softly as they admired the flowers and approached.
“Eh?”
The pair looked up and immediately saw Lu Zheng and Shen Ying standing out like cranes among chickens.
“Brother Lu! Sister-in-law!”
Zhao Wenrong’s eyes lit up. Pulling Lin Yushu along, he hurried over.
Shen Ying’s gaze shifted, spotting traces of the Peach Blossom Fortune Curse on them.
Lu Zheng smiled. “Congratulations to you both. It seems wedding bells are near!”
Zhao Wenrong and Lin Yushu had personally witnessed the group fighting the tiger demon, knowing these were highly capable heterodox practitioners, especially Lu Zheng as a disciple of the Daoist Baiyun Temple.
Thus they felt no surprise that Lu Zheng discerned their impending marriage at a glance. Instead, Zhao Wenrong cupped his hands and said, “Brother Lu has sharp eyes. Yushu and I have set the wedding date for ten days hence.”
“Congratulations, congratulations!” Lu Zheng and Shen Ying said together.
“Heh heh!” Zhao Wenrong winked, his face expectant and a little shameless. “Ten days from now, the family will hold the wedding banquet for me in Yizhou. If Brother Lu is free, please do attend.”
“Certainly!” Lu Zheng nodded with a smile.
Though Zhao Wenrong had some of the arrogant young master’s habits, in his two years in Tonglin County he had committed no misdeeds and had always treated Lu Zheng respectfully, sending gifts for festivals and holidays. Lu Zheng paid them no mind, but they were the other’s sincere intentions.
“You did not send an invitation to my home earlier?” Lu Zheng asked.
Zhao Wenrong scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. “Brother Lu is usually elusive as a dragon, appearing and vanishing at will. I know little of heterodox affairs, so I feared disturbing your cultivation with mundane matters and dared not presume.”
“No harm. We are old acquaintances now. No need to stand on ceremony,” Lu Zheng nodded with a smile. “But I do not know your family in Yizhou. Send me an invitation so I can properly enter your gates.”
Lin Yushu stifled a laugh. Zhao Wenrong nodded repeatedly. “Of course, of course. I will have old Zhou deliver it to your manor straight away.”
Truth be told, both Zhao Wenrong and Lin Yushu came from wealthy families and had met heterodox practitioners before. Yet someone like Lu Zheng, who spent his days listening to stories, watching plays, strolling the streets, with a beauty like jade at his side and such approachable manner, they had truly never encountered.
His affinity was astonishing.
Otherwise Zhao Wenrong would not have hesitated to send the invitation earlier, only daring to extend it after a brief chat.
And…
Zhao Wenrong gave a dry cough, then leaned in mysteriously toward Lu Zheng. “Brother Lu, a question.”
Lu Zheng looked at him curiously. “Ask away. What is it, all secretive?”
“Ahem! Well…” Zhao Wenrong asked with a sly grin, “Looking at Yushu and me, roughly how many children will we have? Boys or girls? Will they amount to anything?”
Lu Zheng, “…”
