Zhao Wenrong watched in a daze as Yingniang transformed into a ferocious ghost, lunging at him. He closed his eyes, bracing for death.
If it came to it, becoming a ghost was better than vanishing entirely, right?
He only regretted not inviting that Taoist back. One misstep, and the whole game was lost…
This Master Lu was too young. If he’d been cautious and brought some sect elders, he wouldn’t have risked his life here.
Zhao Wenrong sighed softly, waiting for his soul to leave his body and turn ghostly.
He’d have to get along with Yingniang in the future, so he needed to adjust his mindset.
Feeling a pat on his shoulder, Zhao Wenrong slowly opened his eyes, forcing a smile.
“Ying… huh?”
Before him was Lu Zheng, looking at him oddly.
“That tender expression, is it for me?” Lu Zheng grinned, flicking his fingers.
“Where’s Yingniang?” Zhao Wenrong asked, stunned.
“What do you think?”
Zhao Wenrong stood frozen, then tentatively asked, “Dead… she’s dead?”
“What, still want to live happily ever after with her?”
“No! No!” Zhao Wenrong shook his head frantically, finally catching on.
He’d seen Yingniang’s confident aura, certain she’d kill Lu Zheng, assuming Lu Zheng was no match.
So Yingniang made the same mistake he did?
Lu Zheng was this powerful!
Not just his status, but Lu Zheng himself was a force to be reckoned with!
Zhao Wenrong dropped to his knees, “Zhao Wenrong thanks you for saving my life!”
This time, he meant it sincerely.
Lu Zheng lifted a hand, pulling Zhao Wenrong up, “Get up. I said the past is done. Seeing you entangled with a ghost, I couldn’t just watch you die.”
“Master, your heart is vast, noble, and radiant, your presence extraordinary…”
“Enough!”
“Right!”
Zhao Wenrong immediately complied, standing respectfully.
“What’s with that whisk?” Lu Zheng asked.
Zhao Wenrong recounted meeting a Taoist on his way home that evening.
Lu Zheng nodded.
As a Taoist cultivator, encountering someone harmed by a ghost meant stepping in, but if the person rejected help and lashed out, one couldn’t force it.
So, the Taoist lent a whisk to let the truth dawn on the target, who would then seek help.
This Taoist was confident his whisk could protect Zhao Wenrong, believing the ghost wouldn’t risk injury for him.
But he hadn’t expected the ghost’s determination to make Zhao Wenrong her ghostly partner, even at the cost of injury.
Thankfully, Lu Zheng arrived, or Zhao Wenrong would’ve been a ghost for sure.
Zhao Wenrong understood the stakes, his expression a mix of self-reproach and resentment. The Taoist had nearly sent him to his doom.
This made Lu Zheng’s kindness even greater.
“You bear no grudges, acted righteously, and showed great virtue. I, Zhao Wenrong, will never forget this. From now on, if you say east, I’ll…”
“Alright, alright!”
Lu Zheng cut him off again, “Just don’t bother me, and that’s thanks enough.”
Zhao Wenrong, “…”
“By the way, that Taoist’s at Tonglai Inn, right? Return the whisk tomorrow,” Lu Zheng said. “I… never mind, give it to me. I’ll deliver it.”
“You’re busy, managing countless affairs and cultivating. How could I trouble you with this? I…”
“I’ll deliver it!”
“Right!”
Zhao Wenrong scurried out to fetch the whisk.
Lu Zheng stepped out of the room, glancing next door.
With Yingniang dead, the ghostly aura there was slowly dissipating. A few days of sunlight would likely turn it into an ordinary house.
“Too deep an obsession, turning into a ghost,” Lu Zheng mused, rubbing his chin, as Zhao Wenrong ran back with the whisk.
“Master, the whisk.”
“Mm.” Lu Zheng took it. “You’ve been with a ghost for a month. You look fine, but your vitality’s damaged. Get a prescription for tonics.”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Zhao Wenrong nodded repeatedly, about to say more, when Lu Zheng waved the whisk before his eyes. Zhao Wenrong blinked instinctively, and Lu Zheng vanished.
“Hiss—”
Zhao Wenrong gasped, then slapped himself hard.
“Old Zhou!”
…
Meanwhile, Lu Zheng returned home, starting round two with Liu Qingyan, who was waiting.
…
The next morning.
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan headed out together. “I’m going to see that Taoist,” he said.
Liu Qingyan nodded, turning to see Du Yueyao and her guard running down the alley.
“Sister Liu! Brother Lu!”
Panting after her sprint, Du Yueyao stopped before them, her face a mix of excitement and fear as she looked at Lu Zheng, “What happened last night? Did you save him? What about the female ghost?”
Lu Zheng chuckled, “Saved him. The ghost’s gone.”
“Brother Lu, you’re amazing!”
As they walked, seeing Du Yueyao’s eager curiosity, Lu Zheng briefly recounted the night’s events.
“Ah! Wow! Oh!”
Du Yueyao gasped and exclaimed, her guard listening with a racing heart, thinking he’d have had his heart ripped out if it were him.
At Renxin Hall, Du Yueyao and Liu Qingyan entered to prepare for rounds, while Lu Zheng headed to Tonglai Inn.
…
Tonglai Inn.
A middle-aged Taoist sat in the hall, eating porridge and steamed buns. He’d taken two bites when a refined scholar holding a whisk entered.
“Huh? Different person?”
The Taoist was bewildered as Lu Zheng sat beside him, presenting the whisk, leaving him momentarily stunned.
“Lu Zheng, outer disciple of Baiyun Temple, greets you, fellow Taoist!”
“Baiyun Temple?”
The Taoist nearly choked on his bun.
“Zhang Chunyuan, from Qingsong Temple!”
…
Lu Zheng hadn’t heard of Qingsong Temple, but from Zhang Chunyuan’s words, it was likely a small sect.
Not every temple was a major faction like Baiyun or Jinhua Temple.
Zhang Chunyuan, bored at his temple, had set out to wander and vanquish evil.
Hearing Lu Zheng’s account of last night, Zhang Chunyuan was embarrassed, thanking Lu Zheng repeatedly for fixing his mistake.
They discussed the Dao for half a day, shared lunch, and then Zhang Chunyuan took his leave.
…
It was an ordinary encounter, with no karmic light gained, but Lu Zheng wasn’t disappointed. Most days were mundane, after all.
After seeing Zhang Chunyuan off, Lu Zheng leisurely returned to Renxin Hall, hearing a familiar voice inside.
“Old Master Liu has an immortal air, clearly skilled in wellness, medicine, and compassion, raising a divine figure like Miss Liu!”
“Miss Liu’s skill and kindness are miraculous, like a fairy from a painting, a goddess of healing, a perfect match for Master Lu, truly admirable!”
“Miss Du is kind and gifted, destined to master medicine and save lives with Miss Liu and Master Lu. My congratulations in advance!”
Entering the clinic, Lu Zheng saw Zhao Wenrong lavishing praise.
“What are you doing here?”
Zhao Wenrong bowed repeatedly, “My vitality’s drained by the ghost. Renxin Hall’s the best clinic in the county, and Doctor Liu’s a renowned healer. I’d like her to check me and prescribe some tonics.”
Lu Zheng smirked. Zhao Wenrong knew how to play the game.
Renxin Hall’s medical expertise outshone other clinics, and its herbs were twenty percent pricier.
Lu Zheng had refused their gifts last time and told him not to bother him last night, so Zhao Wenrong didn’t dare offer.
Visiting Renxin Hall meant getting the best doctor and buying expensive herbs, a form of gratitude.
