Lu Zheng looked utterly baffled. He first suppressed the restless energy in his body with his true qi, then turned to the girl in black. “And you are?”
From their exchange, one was a snake, the other a scorpion. Neither seemed easy to deal with.
The girl in black tilted her head proudly, letting out a smug “hmph” without answering. With a flip, she vanished into the white mist.
“Well, damn,” Lu Zheng smacked his lips. “What’s going on? Why do we keep running into female spirits?”
“Of course,” Shen Ying’s lips curved into a smile. “Because only female spirits are always keen on bathing.”
Lu Zheng blinked.
Dong Yong stealing the clothes of the Seven Fairies while they bathed, Zhu Bajie stumbling upon spider spirits bathing, Li Xiaoyao meeting Zhao Ling’er bathing, and countless online novels where the male lead falls into the female lead’s bath…
It did seem to be a one-way trope.
Maybe female-oriented novels had the reverse, but Lu Zheng hadn’t read any.
And didn’t want to.
“Qingyan, help Lu-lang detoxify,” Liu Qingyan said, leaning closer, ready to release her red pearl.
With her red pearl, Liu Qingyan was immune to all poisons and had already cleansed herself. Shen Ying, a plant spirit, was unaffected by snake venom. Only Lu Zheng, his face slightly flushed, was still battling the toxin.
“Uh… no rush…” Lu Zheng stopped her suddenly.
“Why not?” Liu Qingyan asked, curious.
“I realised this toxin, like that snake spirit said, is just for… spicing things up,” Lu Zheng said with a wink. “As long as… it’ll wear off…”
Liu Qingyan blushed, while Shen Ying’s eyes turned sultry.
…
A rare chance to experience snake venom, no sense wasting it. Better seize the moment.
…
A blissful day passed quickly. The trio tidied up and headed home.
Lu Zheng’s ears twitched. “Hear something?”
A rustling came from the distant woods, the sound of someone moving swiftly toward them.
“Looking for us?” Liu Qingyan asked.
“Probably a coincidence,” Shen Ying said, glancing at Lu Zheng. “Or maybe that girl wasn’t satisfied and came back?”
Before Lu Zheng could respond, a faint demonic aura drifted from afar.
Raising an eyebrow, Lu Zheng said, surprised, “An old acquaintance, no less!”
“Huh? Young Master Lu, Miss Shen?” The figure stopped, equally surprised.
It was Hu Cainiang.
“Hey? Little Cai?” Liu Qingyan’s eyes lit up with delight.
“Hm? Qingyan?” Hu Cainiang was just as shocked to see her.
Lu Zheng and Shen Ying exchanged a glance. “You two know each other?”
“We met as kids,” Liu Qingyan said, beaming as she approached. “When I was little, I sneaked into the woods to play and met Little Cai. We used to play together!”
Then, worried, she added, “But then you just vanished, stopped coming to our meeting spot. I thought something happened to you!”
Hu Cainiang explained, “I ran into a formidable hunter back then, so I fled for my life, no idea how long I ran. Later, I met Big Sister, and after my injuries healed, I went back, but we lost touch.”
“You were hurt?”
“All healed now!” Hu Cainiang smiled. “I also met some great sisters. These years, I’ve been living at Wuxiu Manor, grabbing snacks from the villages when I’m peckish. It’s been carefree.”
“That’s great!” Liu Qingyan happily took Hu Cainiang’s hand.
“Hehe, didn’t expect the pure little Qingyan to find herself a man,” Hu Cainiang teased.
Liu Qingyan, though shy, beamed with pride. “Lu-lang treats me wonderfully.”
“Good!” Hu Cainiang laughed. “Come visit Wuxiu Manor when you’re free. Your man knows the way.”
Liu Qingyan nodded eagerly. “Sure, and you come to Tonglin County too. Lu-lang has loads of unique treats.”
“Sounds great!”
After catching up, Lu Zheng and Shen Ying approached. “Miss Hu, what brings you here?”
Hu Cainiang nodded. “Young Master Ji told me he was going to Xiahe Town to collect debts and would be back in three days.
But it’s been six days, and he’s still not back, so I’m heading to Xiahe Town to check.”
Lu Zheng blinked. Seems Ji Zizhen couldn’t escape Hu Cainiang’s grasp.
But…
Had Hu Cainiang fallen for him too?
Liu Qingyan asked, “Who’s Young Master Ji? Your betrothed?”
Hu Cainiang waved her hands frantically. “No, no, just a fling. He promised to spend another night with me when he returned. Since he hasn’t, I got suspicious and came to look.”
Liu Qingyan: (꒪⌓꒪)
“Oh… right…” Liu Qingyan didn’t know how to respond.
“Yep,” Hu Cainiang nodded. “You lot heading back? Just came from Hundred Springs Valley?”
“Yes,” Liu Qingyan replied.
Hu Cainiang cautioned, “That valley attracts all sorts of odd beings, some with bad tempers. We always go as a group of five sisters. If you go, either find me or stick with Young Master Lu.”
“Got it!” Liu Qingyan agreed.
“Alright, you head back. I’m off to Xiahe Town. I’ll visit you in Tonglin County sometime.”
Liu Qingyan frowned. “You’re going to Xiahe Town alone?”
Hu Cainiang nodded. “Yeah, not my first time. I’ve gone a few times before, looking for handsome lads.”
Liu Qingyan: “…”
“But this time…”
Ji Zizhen hadn’t returned in three days, and the odds of trouble were high. After a few incidents, Liu Qingyan was sensitive to this and worried for Hu Cainiang.
Seeing her concern, Lu Zheng stepped in. “It’s not late yet. Xiahe Town’s on our way. We’ll go with you.”
“Really? Is that convenient?”
“No trouble at all,” Lu Zheng laughed. “Just a dozen miles of mountain road, not even a detour.”
“Great!” Hu Cainiang nodded.
So the four set off for Xiahe Town together.
…
“What? Ji Zizhen collected the rents four days ago and left Xiahe Town?”
“What? Strange things have been happening in Xiahe Town, with over a dozen people missing?”
“The missing are all young, mostly scholars?”
“The first incident was about ten days ago?”
“Many of the town’s young people have left to avoid trouble?”
“The town’s constables reported it to the county, but no follow-up yet?”
Lu Zheng and the others exchanged looks, stunned to stumble into something eerie.
“Dead or alive?” Lu Zheng asked.
The innkeeper nodded. “No one knows.”
Lu Zheng asked, “Do you have anything he touched before?”
The innkeeper said, “There’s a receipt.”
“Please let me see it.”
Lu Zheng took the receipt, marked as settled, and used his aura-reading technique.
“Hm?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, looking north of the town. “He’s actually not dead?”
