“Is this your home in Tonglin County?” Lin Wan finished touring the Lu residence and looked at Lu Zheng with a strange expression.
“Yes, what do you think?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow.
“You old landlord, you really know how to enjoy yourself!” Lin Wan grumbled. “You only have a big flat in Haicheng, but here in Tonglin County you have built a grand compound!”
Lu Zheng’s compound had been created by purchasing and combining four original courtyards, complete with small bridges over flowing water, pavilions, towers, and even stables with two horses. Its scale was evident.
Lin Wan pouted. “I want a room too!”
Lu Zheng smiled. “Why need a separate room? Just share mine.”
Lin Wan gave him a sidelong glance. “What if Sister Qingyan comes? All together?”
“Ahem!” Lu Zheng cleared his throat. “Then the side chamber next to the master bedroom. No need for a separate courtyard.”
Lin Wan nodded. “Come on! Help me sort out the room!”
…
They had only just returned. With the weather cooling and patients increasing, Liu Qingyan stayed directly at the Benevolent Heart Hall, while Shen Ying returned first to Taohua Ping. Only Si Lingxi and Lin Wan accompanied Lu Zheng home.
Since a room had been prepared for Lin Wan, naturally one could not be missing for Si Lingxi.
Though Si Lingxi had stayed at Taohua Ping during her previous short visit to Tonglin County, this time was different. Taohua Ping still had its place, but the Lu residence certainly did too.
Lu “Master of Balance” Zheng would never make such a mistake!
Rejecting offers of help from Yue Honghai and Uncle Li, and not even asking Aunt Liu to assist, Lu Zheng, Lin Wan, and Si Lingxi tidied two rooms themselves, filling the beds with plush dolls won from the amusement arcade.
“The only downside is no electricity.” Lin Wan looked around. “Charging phones means going back to the modern world.”
In the other room, Si Lingxi had already finished hers and sat on the bed, engrossed in Journey to the West downloaded on her phone.
“Is it good?” Lu Zheng asked. “You are so absorbed.”
“Quite good!” Si Lingxi nodded, unable to resist a smile. “Lucky for the Blue Star immortals they do not show themselves. If they knew someone dared write about them like this, they would strike the author with lightning.”
Lu Zheng was speechless. “You have not seen some of the online adaptations in web novels. Those are even more exaggerated.”
“I glanced at a few.” Si Lingxi shook her head again. “The authors of those books had better pray the upper-realm immortals never descend, or they will all die.”
Lu Zheng: (°ー°〃)
But the current issue was not worrying about the safety of modern web novel authors, rather…
“So what I mean is, perhaps we should not bring these works to this world?” Lu Zheng said weakly.
Immortals did not appear in the modern world, but this one was watched by immortals!
“Do not worry, I will not spread them.” Si Lingxi lifted her phone and smiled. “I also downloaded Investiture of the Gods, Complete Tales of the Eight Immortals, Complete Tales of Jigong, In Search of the Supernatural, Buddha Is the Way, and Long Regret of Life Flows East Like Water. All highly rated mythological novels online.”
Lu Zheng, “…”
“Fine, as long as you are happy.”
Lu Zheng had given up. If the sky fell, taller people would hold it up. Shi Nai’an was already dead. The rest could take the lightning, modern immortal cultivation authors. What did it have to do with him, Lu Zheng?
He, Lu Zheng, always sang only praises to the immortals!
Amitabha!
Immeasurable Heavenly Worthy!
“Rooms sorted. Let’s go shopping!” Lin Wan clapped her hands.
“Did we not just go?”
“That was just a quick look. Hardly shopping. Come on, I want to buy a few antiques and see if the experts back in the modern world can spot them.” Lin Wan said eagerly.
Lu Zheng, “…”
From his expression, Lin Wan narrowed her eyes. “Wait, you have done this already, have you not? Let me think. I have never seen you write code. That ten million…”
Lu Zheng raised his hands in surrender. “All right, all right, you guessed right. But I did not sell fake antiques. I sold a piece of phoenix blood stone as chicken blood stone. Later I dealt with some tomb raiders and brought back genuine antiques.”
“Phoenix blood stone?” Si Lingxi turned back.
“A speciality of Phoenix Mountain in Yaozhou Huangli County. You have been there.” Lu Zheng explained.
Si Lingxi shook her head. “All hype. Phoenix Mountain phoenix blood stone. My first visit was when Sister Ying took me during my last short stay. By the way, is chicken blood stone more valuable than phoenix blood stone on Blue Star?”
“No…” Lu Zheng shook his head. Si Lingxi had not yet grasped the world of cultural antiques. “Chicken blood stone is valuable there, but phoenix blood stone does not exist.”
Si Lingxi nodded in understanding. “Then let us go out for a walk.”
The three set off to wander Tonglin County. Though the weather was cooling, heavy snow had not yet arrived, so the streets were busy with people earning their living, all trades and walks of life. Lin Wan found everything fascinating.
“Oiled paper umbrellas. I have never seen one!”
“Rouge? How fun…”
“So many buying charcoal? Oh yes, winter is coming!”
Lin Wan looked as she walked, then suddenly saw a squad of constables approaching aggressively. She jumped in fright and instinctively moved closer to Lu Zheng, thinking they had noticed she was not local and were coming to check household registration or travel permits.
However…
“Greetings, Young Master Lu!”
“Greetings, Young Master Lu!”
The constables reached them, all smiling, cupping hands in salute, offering auspicious words before respectfully taking their leave. Lin Wan stared in astonishment. “You have such face in the county?”
“Remember the leads from A Chinese Ghost Story?” Lu Zheng smiled.
Lin Wan slapped her forehead. “That Ning Zhiqi is now the county deputy!”
Speak of the devil. At the mention of Ning Zhiqi, Yi Xiaoqian and Wang Xiaowan arrived together. “Young Master Lu! Palace Master Si!”
Wang Xiaowan smiled. “Senior Brother is back? This lady is…”
“Lin Wan, from my hometown. Also my wife.” Lu Zheng introduced.
Yi Xiaoqian and Wang Xiaowan: ???
Their gazes toward Lin Wan changed instantly. They hurriedly paid respects again, and Lin Wan returned them busily.
Suppressing their curiosity, Yi Xiaoqian and Wang Xiaowan moved closer to chat with Lin Wan. Fortunately, Lin Wan had spent recent days with Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying and knew Lu Zheng’s general connections in Great Jing, so she did not falter.
“Ahem, let me introduce again.” Lu Zheng took Si Lingxi’s hand. “This one too.”
Yi Xiaoqian and Wang Xiaowan: !!!
