“Mr Fan followed Yueyao back to Yizhou Prefecture for the New Year and has already returned to the Southern Borders.”
“Little Sister Wang accompanied Guardian Yi back to the Qingwei Palace for a visit and is now home cultivating in seclusion.”
“Abbess Yuanjing dropped by once. When she saw you weren’t here she left again, but she gave us a few spirit herbs from the Cockcrow Temple secret realm. Oh, and Abbot Guangyue has gone back to Sunlit Temple; he hasn’t returned yet.”
“During the New Year, Cai’niang and the others came to pay respects. It was lively for several days. Such a pity you weren’t here.”
“We also paid a visit to the Luxia River God Manor and kept Lady Li company for a few rounds of mahjong.”
Later, while chatting, Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying snuggled up against Lu Zheng, one on each side. The three of them shared a single quilt, hands wandering mischievously beneath it as the girls told him everything that had happened over the past month.
“The funniest was Qian Bao’er,” Liu Qingyan said. “The Jade Dragon King told her the demonic dragon had been dealt with and she could go home.”
Lu Zheng blinked, already guessing what came next. “Qian Bao’er refused to leave?”
Liu Qingyan nodded, trying hard not to laugh.
“Not only did she refuse, when her parents asked where she was staying she wouldn’t tell them. She claimed she was worried the demonic dragon hadn’t been completely eradicated and needed to hide, I mean, play here for another three years just to be safe.”
“Hide for three years…”
Lu Zheng was speechless. “Is she trying to force the Jade Dragon King to use extraordinary measures?”
With the Jade Dragon clan’s foundations, if they couldn’t find Qian Bao’er, Lu Zheng was certain the Dragon King had ways. He just didn’t know how high the price would be.
Ever since obtaining the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror, Lu Zheng felt like he was watching a bunch of voyeurs whenever he looked at these big shots.
“The Dragon King and Queen still dote on her terribly. They weren’t angry at all, just thanked us profusely and said they would repay the favour later.”
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow. “You revealed yourself?”
“No, Qian Bao’er passed the message on.” Liu Qingyan turned to look at him. “The Jade Dragon King says the demonic dragon is gone. Is Lu-lang still worried?”
Lu Zheng shook his head. “I don’t know. Better safe than sorry. One can never be too careful. Now that Mr Fan and Guardian Yi have both left, if the demonic dragon did appear, the closest person would be Master alone.”
Liu Qingyan smiled. “Qian Bao’er is being very cautious too. She only communicates from inside the house and never reveals her location.”
Shen Ying snickered. “I suspect her real aim is to stop the Dragon King and Queen from coming to drag her home.”
Liu Qingyan, “…”
“Oh, there’s one more thing. Five days ago Lord Chu from the Anomaly Suppression Department came by and left a severed finger, asking for your help.”
“A severed finger?”
Shen Ying nodded. “It looks like the finger of a human woman.”
“Where is it?”
“In Peach Blossom Manor. There’s still a bloody aura clinging to it, so I sealed it beneath the old peach tree.” Shen Ying explained.
“Alright, I’ll go take a look shortly.” Lu Zheng nodded. “I didn’t expect so much to happen in just one month away.”
“No need to wait. Let’s go now,” Liu Qingyan said. “It’s a matter for the Anomaly Suppression Department after all. The longer we delay, the more innocent people might die. And Qingyan wants to see how Lu-lang uses that Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror to track someone.”
Lu Zheng thought it made sense, so the three dressed properly and flew together on a white cloud to Peach Blossom Manor.
The Peach Blossom Heavenly Lady and Little Cui came out to greet them. In the rear courtyard, Lu Zheng immediately spotted a jade box placed in the centre of the stone table beneath the ancient peach tree.
Around the table, eighteen pink peach blossoms had bloomed in mid-air. Strands of peach-blossom baleful qi enveloped the area, isolating the box’s aura.
Shen Ying beckoned with her hand. The illusory blossoms vanished, and the jade box flew into her grasp. She turned and passed it to Lu Zheng.
He opened it and saw a single index finger resting in the centre.
One cun and seven fen long, slender and pale, glossy and pink, with an oval nail that still bore a healthy crescent of white. The nail was trimmed short by three parts; clearly its owner took exquisite care of her hands.
From this finger alone, one could imagine its owner was an extraordinary beauty.
Unfortunately, now there was only the finger…
And furthermore…
“Corpse qi?”
A glint flashed in Lu Zheng’s eyes as he suddenly recalled the seductive corpse Bai Yuqing he had encountered in the Netherworld.
Although she had been a corpse, the texture had been truly exceptional. When he struck her with his palm, the flesh still felt soft and springy.
Ahem…
Shen Ying nodded. “The opponent’s concealment arts are impressive. She killed an agent of the Anomaly Suppression Department and left only this severed finger behind.”
Lu Zheng was startled. “Killed someone from the Department? Who?”
The cultivators in the Anomaly Suppression Department were no weaklings. Even the ordinary ones had over a hundred years of cultivation and never lacked secret techniques or dharma artefacts. Most could fight above their level.
“I don’t know her. Lord Chu said she was a side-door cultivator surnamed Li.” Shen Ying replied.
Lu Zheng nodded. It sounded cold, but as long as it wasn’t an acquaintance, it was fine.
“No wonder Lord Chu came in person. One of his people actually died.”
Lu Zheng expressed his understanding, then patted his gourd and took out the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror.
He did not take it too seriously. Judging by how she had only managed to kill an ordinary Department agent, sustain injuries herself, and fail to retrieve the severed finger, her cultivation was clearly average.
Forming the hand seals, he drew a trace of corpse qi from the finger and channelled it along the runes and incantations on the mirror to perform the tracking spell.
The next moment, the reflective surface that had been showing their surroundings vanished, replaced by swirling layers of cloud and mist.
Then, layer by layer, the mist cleared. The image grew sharper until it revealed…
Two pale, naked bodies entangled together. One curvaceous and alluring, the other enormous and obese.
Lu Zheng, “…”
Liu Qingyan, “…”
Shen Ying, “…”
Liu Qingyan immediately covered her eyes with both hands. “What on earth!”
Lu Zheng was also rendered speechless. Shen Ying, however, calmly appraised the scene. “That man is moving extremely vigorously, and his expression is wrong. Either he took an aphrodisiac or he’s under this seductive corpse’s enchantment.”
“Oh, really?”
Lu Zheng blinked and adjusted the viewing angle. “You’re right. He’s completely lost his mind and is still thrusting instinctively. If this goes on he’ll die.”
“This ghost corpse can’t be that stupid, can she? Wouldn’t she be exposed very quickly this way?”
Shen Ying paused mid-sentence. “Oh, it’s stopped. He’s collapsed. Foaming at the mouth now, but his life isn’t in danger, just severe yang depletion.”
“Not bad. He’s so fat, clearly enjoys rich food and drink every day. Losing it once won’t shorten his lifespan much.”
“But the yang loss is serious. Ordinary medicine won’t help him any more.”
“Then he’ll just have to cultivate his mind and live ascetically. From now on he can only look, not touch.”
While Lu Zheng and Shen Ying commented like connoisseurs, Liu Qingyan, far less shameless, stamped her foot. “Stop watching! Hurry and see where they are, then inform Lord Chu!”
Lu Zheng laughed and pulled the view back. He immediately saw where the seductive corpse was.
Tonglin County!
Spring Breeze Tower!
