Shen Ying was even more excited than expected.
The sun was high in the sky.
Lu Zheng leaned against the doorframe, sunlight filtering through the branches of the old peach tree, bringing a sense of warmth.
“Where’s Qingyan?”
“Miss Liu said she had to attend to patients today. She had breakfast and left,” Xiao Cui said, carrying a copper basin to help Lu Zheng wash his face.
Lu Zheng nodded. Last night, the three of them had been in sync, with Shen Ying taking the lead, Liu Qingyan in a supporting role, so her energy wasn’t overly drained.
As the tank, Lu Zheng had taken the brunt of the action, which explained why he slept until broad daylight.
After washing up, Shen Ying rose, casually freshened up, and pulled Lu Zheng to the front hall for breakfast.
“Where are the Eighteen Peach Blossom Maidens?” Lu Zheng asked.
He hadn’t seen them when he arrived yesterday, assuming they weren’t at the manor, but they were still absent this morning.
Shen Ying smiled, “They’ve all merged into the peach trees, cultivating in seclusion.”
“I see!” Lu Zheng nodded in understanding.
While eating with Shen Ying, Lu Zheng mentioned his encounter with Hu Zhou and his son, and his visit to Dingfeng Mountain.
Shen Ying knew of Hu Zhou, as their first meeting had been at Peach Blossom Plain.
However, she hadn’t been involved in later events, so she hadn’t met Hu Zhou’s mother or Hu Yijun.
She was aware of what happened later, but she hadn’t expected Lu Zheng to coincidentally run into them during his trip to the southern border.
“To think, Lu Lang, you took on a disciple who’s the son of a great demon from the southern border,” Shen Ying said, resting her chin in her hand, smiling at Lu Zheng. “Qingyan is truly blessed, with hopes of longevity.”
“Just good luck,” Lu Zheng grinned. “Pity you can’t… Wait, could you join us in October?”
Shen Ying shook her head with a laugh, “Of course not. I haven’t even reached five hundred years of cultivation. How could I separate from the old peach tree’s essence?”
“So, if you had five hundred years of cultivation, it would be possible?” Lu Zheng asked.
“I don’t know,” Shen Ying shook her head. “Cultivation is cultivation. Though it’s related to spiritual power, it’s not the same. Without reaching that level, I can’t even sense it.”
“So…” Shen Ying mimicked Lu Zheng’s shrug with a smile, “it means I’m still far from purifying my soul and roaming the vast world.”
“Alright,” Lu Zheng nodded in understanding. “But it’ll get faster, right?”
Shen Ying’s eyes sparkled, “Of course!”
With *Peach Demon* as her foundation, Shen Ying was brimming with confidence.
…
After breakfast and some time spent with Shen Ying, Lu Zheng returned to Tonglin County.
Passing by Renxin Hall, he thought to greet Liu Qingyan and saw her treating a patient, with Du Yueyao sitting nearby.
“Lu Lang!”
Spotting Lu Zheng, Liu Qingyan’s eyes curved into crescents, and she greeted him with a bright smile, inviting him in.
“Uncle Liu, Qingyan, Yueyao.”
Lu Zheng entered, greeted them, and approached Liu Qingyan.
“The patient has lung swelling, sweating profusely, shortness of breath, and a throat so blocked it feels like vomiting. The illness is in the lungs,” Liu Qingyan explained.
She asked Du Yueyao to check the patient’s pulse again, while she wrote a prescription for lung heat.
Once Du Yueyao finished, Liu Qingyan sent the patient and their family to collect the medicine, then began explaining the difference between solid and deficient lung heat to Du Yueyao.
Liu Qingyan taught meticulously, and Du Yueyao studied earnestly.
Watching the two women so focused, Lu Zheng thought that besides being a doctor, Liu Qingyan might make an excellent teacher.
What am I thinking?
Lu Zheng shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
Seeing him shake his head, Liu Qingyan asked, “Lu Lang, what are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Lu Zheng said. “Just woke up, still a bit tired.”
Du Yueyao looked puzzled, but Liu Qingyan’s cheeks flushed.
Though she knew Lu Zheng was joking, she bit her lip, her eyes seductive, “Shall Qingyan prescribe you something?”
Her gaze subtly flicked downward.
“Ahem!”
Lu Zheng coughed twice, puffing out his chest. “No need. This young master is a martial artist, in excellent health. A little rest, and I’ll be fine!”
Seeing Liu Qingyan’s sly smile, Lu Zheng’s eyes gleamed, and he said deliberately, “By tonight, I’ll be completely fine!”
Liu Qingyan caught his meaning, blushed, and shot him a pleading look, mindful of Du Yueyao’s presence.
Lu Zheng winked, dropping the innuendo for normal conversation.
…
After lunch together, Lu Zheng went home and rested for the afternoon.
That evening, gently touching the sachet Liu Qingyan had given him, he saw her appear timidly at his bedroom door.
“Lu Lang~”
Seeing Lu Zheng’s eyes light up, Liu Qingyan’s cheeks flushed, her gaze soft and voice delicate, “Please, Lu Lang, be gentle~”
…
Lu Zheng proved his health was fine, no medicine needed.
Liu Qingyan agreed he was right!
…
The next morning, Lu Zheng comfortably crossed back to the modern world.
He spent the weekend with Lin Wan.
Lu Zheng’s modern life had been fairly regular lately.
He’d travel to the ancient world in the morning.
In the evening, he’d return before dinner, either cooking for Lin Wan or eating out together, then sleeping soundly.
Then he’d continue the next day.
Though the past two days had been less predictable.
Lin Wan was used to it, at least he hadn’t broken his weekend promise.
“You’ve all been quite free lately!” Lu Zheng said.
He and Lin Wan had wandered through Fulong Plaza, bought some summer clothes, watched a movie in the afternoon, and by just past six, they went to the fifth floor for hotpot.
“For most international cases, we just coordinate and share information, no need for the action team,” Lin Wan said. “But when the action team is needed…”
“It’s a big case!” Lu Zheng finished.
“Exactly, involving prominent figures or serious loss of life,” Lin Wan nodded.
“Got it!” Lu Zheng asked, “What about that last case? Any updates?”
Lin Wan scoffed, “I checked with Japan’s Interpol branch. After Haneda Masahiro’s assassination, only the assassin group was uncovered, most of them taken down, but the leader and the mastermind are still at large.
As for Silverlight Group, it was quickly divided up by major conglomerates.”
“You didn’t ask about the Matsushima family?”
“No, didn’t dare, afraid of drawing attention,” Lin Wan shook her head.
“What about the Osaka naval base?”
Lin Wan rolled her eyes, “Even less likely. There’s no public information on the naval base.”
Lu Zheng laughed, “The point is, it’s been nearly a month, and no one’s come sniffing around you, right?”
Lin Wan thought, “True.”
So they were definitely safe.
And since they were safe, it was time to celebrate…
