She Dominates the Immortal Realm with Her HP Bar-Chapter 38

◎Redeeming the Out-of-Print Little Green Snake.◎

To the chief cultivator, Yan Luoyue’s warning sounded utterly baffling and downright laughable.

It was highly likely that this little girl was somehow connected to the artifact master who had made a fool of the Lu Family.

The chief cultivator had always been ruthless—in situations like this, he’d rather kill the wrong person than let anyone slip away.

He didn’t even care about this brat’s life. Given that, how absurd did it sound for her to threaten him with “falling flat on her butt” or whatever nonsense she was spouting?

Did the girl really think everyone out there was as kind as family, ready to pick up a crying child and comfort them?

Before the chief cultivator could fully twist his lips into a mocking smile, his expression suddenly changed.

At this moment, the lower half of his face curled into a sneer, as if ready to unleash a jeer, while the upper half—his brows arched high and eyes widened—looked as though he’d just witnessed something unbelievable.

Staring right into the chief cultivator’s horrified gaze, Yan Luoyue tilted her head slightly, perfectly at ease.

—That “unbelievable thing,” of course, was the fact that the chief cultivator was losing blood.

After all, the primary function of the artifact *"M○r and I Have an Average Net Worth of Billions"* was to proportionally drain the life force of both parties until one side’s vitality dropped below 5%, severing the connection.

Indeed, Yan Luoyue had said, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” just to delay the chief’s reaction.

But the moment she decisively sliced open her own palm had happened *long* before that warning.

This trusted subordinate of the Lu Family had always been meticulous, cautious, and utterly devoid of morals ever since Yan Luoyue first met him at the Moonlit Market.

Faced with such a formidable opponent, Yan Luoyue had no intention of negotiating. The sooner she took control, the better.

The chief cultivator could feel it—spiritual energy, warmth, and stamina were rapidly draining from his body, replaced by weakness, exhaustion, and a foreboding aura of death.

His eyes sharpened, but his rationality held. Tentatively, he reached out to grab Yan Luoyue—

The backlash was immediate.

It was as though an unjust scale had magnified the force of his grip by hundreds, even thousands, of times and then slammed it back onto his now-frail body.

“...”

The chief cultivator’s face twisted as if someone had stuffed a stink-bomb version of a palm grenade into his mouth.

“What did you do?”

Yan Luoyue blinked, her face pale from blood loss, looking utterly pitiful and helpless.

What could she have done? She was just a one-year-old little turtle who got so scared she accidentally cut her own hand, that’s all!

Even without an answer, the chief cultivator could guess.

His gaze locked onto the pendant hanging from Yan Luoyue’s neck, quickly recognizing the true nature of the crimson-red stone embedded in it.

“Heart… Link… Stone.” He spat out the name of the stone, syllable by syllable.

The chief cultivator was well-informed. He knew that the Heart Link Stone not only shared wounds but also bound lives together.

Once contracted, this thing required a whole array of materials and a complicated ritual to undo.

His reaction was swift—Yan Luoyue was the key to breaking this deadlock.

—If he was weakened because *she* was weakened, then all he had to do was force a healing pill down her throat, and he’d recover too, right?

In a flash of inspiration, the chief softened his grip, still following through with his earlier motion to pull Yan Luoyue into his arms.

With one arm holding her, he rummaged through his storage pouch for a healing pill with the other, all while throwing a warning at the eager Shen Jingxuan.

“You and this girl share some connection. You don’t want to see her die, do you?”

Shen Jingxuan knew full well that with this pendant, if one party died, the other wouldn’t be affected.

But she also realized—this was something the chief cultivator *didn’t* know yet, and *must not* find out.

If Shen Jingxuan made a move and the chief sensed she had no reservations, he’d immediately figure out the artifact’s true nature.

And once he did, the first thing he’d do was probably strangle Yan Luoyue on the spot.

Just as Shen Jingxuan was caught in a dilemma, Yan Luoyue suddenly spoke up.

She said, “Ah, your arm is squeezing too tight! I’m getting so weak!”

The chief cultivator: “...”

He glanced down and saw that the girl wasn’t lying—her entire body was nearly translucent!

Alarmed, he immediately loosened his grip.

Yan Luoyue suddenly shrieked, “You’re holding me too loose! I’m going to fall! Ah, I’m so scared, I’m going to die of fright!”

The chief cultivator: “...”

This time, he didn’t even need to look—he could *feel* it. This girl wasn’t exaggerating. When she said she was scared to death, she *meant* it.

How did he know? Because the wave of weakness crashing over him felt like he’d just been launched into the sky on a flying sword!

The chief cultivator took a deep breath. Yan Luoyue helpfully suggested, “Use both arms to hold me. One arm isn’t secure enough.”

*Who the hell cares if you feel secure or not?*

The chief cultivator sneered. “No need to worry. Once you take this pill, nothing will—”

He was wrong.

Because in the next second, Yan Luoyue demonstrated with vivid realism that in this world, *anything* could happen.

For example… a little girl suddenly choking on her own saliva, with the choking turning into a *continuous* debuff.

Yan Luoyue coughed as though her lungs were about to burst, tears welling in her eyes. *“Cough cough cough… I… cough… am… cough cough… dying… cough cough cough!”*

The chief cultivator: “...”

*Damn it, curse your entire turtle clan!*

*You little—no, DON’T die yet, you brat! Are you doing this on purpose?!*

Wave after wave of weakness crashed over him, and the chief cultivator literally saw stars.

All the trials Yan Luoyue had endured when she first arrived in this world were now being faithfully recreated—except this time, the chief cultivator was the one suffering.

From the moment he reached out to grab her, to now being bound to her life, everything had happened too fast.

Add to that a little nun watching him like a hawk, a message stone that had alerted some academy teacher, and reinforcements still en route…

The situation was spiraling out of control like a mudslide.

In his dazed, weakened state, the chief cultivator failed to notice one crucial thing.

The plain wooden hairpin in his bun was still in place.

And this oversight would prove fatal.

Thanks to Yan Luoyue’s constant distractions and delays, the chief cultivator was sweating bullets by the time he finally fished out a healing pill from his storage pouch.

With a sigh of relief, he immediately tried to shove the pill into Yan Luoyue’s mouth.

Yan Luoyue clamped her lips shut, shaking her head wildly. *“Mmph! Mmph!”*

The leader of the cultivators was both frantic and furious, his expression twisted with rage, yet he dared not exert too much force for fear of accidentally killing the little girl with a single misplaced flick of his finger.

He snarled viciously, “Eat it now—”

Before the word "eat" could fully leave his lips, the latter half of the syllable abruptly snapped in his throat.

At the same moment, the leader’s life, much like that unfinished word, came to a sudden and violent end.

"Xiao Ming's Reservoir" and "My and Ma○'s Average Net Worth of a Hundred Billion" simultaneously took effect on the leader.

Yan Luoyue used her own health as a reference.

Thanks to her precise control, "Ma○" synchronized its health drain, successfully reducing the leader’s remaining health to just 5.1%.

Meanwhile, "Xiao Ming's Reservoir" acted with surgical precision, siphoning away 10% of his health each time, until not a single drop remained.

In his final moments, the last sight the leader glimpsed was the stubborn little girl, who had refused to take the pill earlier, now eagerly leaning forward to swallow it from his hand.

“This must be a premium-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pill worth twenty spirit stones, right? Expensive stuff—thank you!” Yan Luoyue said sincerely.

The leader: “……”

He died with his eyes wide open.

Had he been able to speak, he would have cursed, "You tortoise-folk are all a bunch of bastards! Not human at all!"

And he truly couldn’t fathom it: How could something so unjust, so utterly unreasonable, happen in this world?

Before the leader’s body even hit the ground, Shen Jingxuan had already rushed forward to catch Yan Luoyue.

She set the girl down and, at her request, retrieved "Xiao Ming's Reservoir" and "My and Ma○’s Average Net Worth of a Hundred Billion."

From start to finish, the entire ordeal had taken less than five minutes.

At the four-and-a-half-minute mark, Jiang Tingbai descended from the sky on his flying sword, his expression dazed as he took in the scene before him.

He had been conducting an investigation in Ruyi City when Yan Luoyue’s message reached him, prompting him to rush toward the tortoise clan’s territory.

But now… it looked like they’d already finished the fight?

Driven by a teacher’s instinct, Jiang Tingbai immediately studied Yan Luoyue’s expression to see if the child had been frightened by the sight of death.

But he had severely underestimated her resilience.

Because the next second, Yan Luoyue cheerfully raised a compass toward him, declaring firmly, “Look, Mr. Jiang!”

Jiang Tingbai hesitated. “...At what?”

“This is one of the Lu Family’s trusted aides, the one I mentioned before who handles their dirty work. The compass needle points to him, meaning he’s been in contact with the little green snake—proof that the Lu Family did kidnap her!”

As she explained, Yan Luoyue reached out to tug at the leader’s collar:

“He probably wasn’t wearing these clothes at the time, so the closer to his skin, the darker the needle’s glow. See, Mr. Jiang? It’s practically black now—”

“That’s enough, that’s enough.”

Jiang Tingbai quickly stopped her, preventing her from undressing a corpse any further.

Just to be safe, he even gingerly lifted Yan Luoyue by the back of her collar and set her down a few steps away.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

Glancing around at the surroundings and the leader’s lifeless body, Jiang Tingbai considered for a moment.

Soon after, he not only invited Yan Luoyue—who had been actively involved—but also extended an offer to Shen Jingxuan.

“Hop on the sword. I’ll take you both part of the way.”

Jiang Tingbai first dropped Shen Jingxuan off at the academy.

By sheer coincidence, Mr. Dong happened to be in his office.

Back when Yan Luoyue had been teleported to Mount Chunzhuo and encountered the hairless lynx, it was Mr. Dong who had retrieved her with his artifact.

He was also the one who had taken Shen Jingxuan to the Flower Brocade Manor’s healers to cure her poisoning.

Because of this, Mr. Dong and Shen Jingxuan were already acquainted.

After entrusting Shen Jingxuan to Mr. Dong’s care, Jiang Tingbai took Yan Luoyue back onto his flying sword.

Yan Luoyue sighed in admiration. “You’re truly remarkable, Mr. Jiang. I didn’t expect you to notice that Little Monk Jingxuan has a terrible sense of direction.”

“Oh, she struggles with navigation? I wasn’t aware,” Jiang Tingbai replied, surprised.

He chuckled lightly before adding, “You’ve misunderstood. I just thought both of you were too young to be left alone at a time like this, so I sent her to the academy for Mr. Dong to look after.”

As for why he didn’t bring Shen Jingxuan along but did take Yan Luoyue…

“That little monk seems like the type to keep her word—someone reliable. But you…”

Jiang Tingbai gave Yan Luoyue a deep look, his tone calm but his judgment razor-sharp. “You’re a bit too bold.”

This was practically code for, *You’re a handful, and I don’t trust Mr. Dong to keep you in check*—a brutally accurate assessment of Yan Luoyue’s personality.

Yan Luoyue rubbed her nose and grinned innocently.

But soon, her attention snapped back to the compass. “Wait, Mr. Jiang! Stop here for a second!”

The compass needle was now pointing straight downward, glowing a deep crimson.

Having heard Yan Luoyue’s earlier explanation, Jiang Tingbai knew that a red glow meant the target’s aura was extremely close.

Following the compass’s guidance, they soon discovered traces of past activity near a sheltered cluster of rocks.

Though someone had tried to conceal the evidence, the withered plants and a small patch of dried blood stood out starkly.

The compass needle remained unwaveringly fixed on the bloodstain.

Suddenly, Yan Luoyue recalled a rumor she’d once heard at the academy.

“I get it now. The little snake was captured right here.”

Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on Jiang Tingbai’s sleeve, her mind racing. If the Lu Family had fed the little green snake to that monstrous half-sibling…

*No. I can’t let that happen.*

Jiang Tingbai swept his gaze over the area before summoning his sword again and lifting Yan Luoyue onto its flat surface.

“We’re heading to Ruyi City first—to meet someone.”

“Who?”

“The person I was speaking with before I came to get you.”

His tone was steady, devoid of any irritation at having his earlier conversation interrupted.

He added, “She’s the daughter of Ruyi City’s lord, Lu Jindu’s wife—the young madam of the Lu Family.”

……

*Her?*

That was Yan Luoyue’s first thought upon meeting the Lu Family’s young madam.

Her surprise was understandable. After all, the young madam was breathtakingly beautiful—her skin fair as snow, her features delicate yet radiant, like an immortal descended from the heavens.

And most unexpectedly… she was a familiar face.

—It was none other than that very same “Miss Zhuo’er” who had once intervened on behalf of the mysterious artificer at the city gates, then later negotiated a major deal with them as the owner of the “Fortune Attracting Pavilion.”

However, judging by Jiang Tingbai's manner of addressing her, this Madam Lu's maiden surname was "Zhen," and her true name should be Zhen Zhuo'er.

To be perfectly honest, the moment Yan Luoyue laid eyes on Zhen Zhuo'er, she nearly thought she'd fallen victim to a honey trap.

Had it been a staged act back at the city gates…?

This suspicion lingered for less than half a minute before Zhen Zhuo'er's subsequent actions dispelled it.

Yan Luoyue watched as Zhen Zhuo'er took a deep breath in Jiang Tingbai's presence, wearing a sorrowful yet dignified smile.

She didn’t question why Jiang Tingbai had left without a word, instead seamlessly continuing their earlier conversation.

Zhen Zhuo'er declared, "Though Lu Jindu is my husband, justice in marital affairs still exists in this world."

"Today, I expose Lu Jindu’s deeds precisely to end the chaos he has brought upon Half-City Lu and restore Ruyi City to its rightful clarity under the sun and moon!"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Wait, had she just stumbled upon a backstabbing scene?

Yes, indeed.

As it turned out, Zhen Zhuo'er hadn’t just betrayed Lu Jindu—she’d done so with such righteous conviction and eloquence that it made the Lu scoundrel seem utterly despicable.

In her account, Zhen Zhuo'er had once admired Lu Jindu for his youthful ambition.

After marrying him, they had shared a harmonious life for a time.

But as days passed, Lu Jindu grew increasingly distant, leaving Zhen Zhuo'er in anguish.

—Perhaps sensing Jiang Tingbai's disinterest in the classic "devoted woman, heartless man" trope, Zhen Zhuo'er only briefly mentioned this backstory to establish her own innocence.

The crux of her tale, however, lay in how Lu Jindu had colluded with demonic creatures.

"His foundation was unstable when he forcibly broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Since then, his meridians have been marred by hidden injuries, and his cultivation has stagnated. That was two years ago."

Zhen Zhuo'er recalled, "After repeated failed attempts to procure medicinal pills, he abandoned hope of healing his meridians and instead fixated on boosting his cultivation. It was then that he obtained an unorthodox demonic prescription."

Even the ever-graceful Zhen Zhuo'er hardened her expression when recounting this.

"Certain juvenile fiends birthed by a Mother-Devourer Demon, slow-cooked for a quarter-hour, blended with Silverstar Grass, Startling Scarlet Sand, and other auxiliary ingredients I don’t know—consumed as a decoction, it significantly enhances spiritual energy… The only drawback? The formula is addictive."

"Hold on," Jiang Tingbai interjected politely. "Fellow Daoist Zhen, when did this happen?"

Zhen Zhuo'er answered without hesitation, as if the reply had long been waiting on the tip of her tongue.

"Lu Jindu obtained the prescription half a year ago. He began hunting and raising the Mother-Devourer Demon roughly four months ago."

"As for me, it was two months ago that I noticed his underlings frantically purchasing all manner of poisons in the market. Suspecting foul play, I followed the trail and discovered his collaboration with the demon—and his growing addiction to the fiend-spawn it produced!"

Here, Zhen Zhuo'er erupted in a mix of horror and fury, condemning Lu Jindu's actions with a torrent of ornate, parallel prose.

Yan Luoyue summarized: Essentially, Lu Jindu was a monster who had deceived her love and trust.

Thankfully, Zhen Zhuo'er had remained steadfast until today, when Sword Lord Jiang arrived to investigate.

In truth, the cultivators of Ruyi City had longed for Sword Lord Jiang’s arrival as eagerly as infants yearned for their parents!

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Her words were earnest, her attitude sincere, her approach flawless.

Yet Yan Luoyue couldn’t shake a peculiar hollowness.

Perhaps it was because every choice Zhen Zhuo'er had made seemed too… perfectly calculated.

Jiang Tingbai nodded, signaling he understood the full picture.

Throughout, he remained unmoved by Zhen Zhuo'er’s impassioned emotions and refrained from commenting on her conduct.

He only asked, "In that case, where is the demon hidden within the Lu estate? Would you guide me there?"

Zhen Zhuo'er dabbed away a tear and nodded resolutely. "Of course. It is my duty to lead you, Sword Lord."

"Please follow me. Lu Jindu possesses a jade pendant that conceals his aura. We must act swiftly—we cannot let him escape!"

Yan Luoyue: "…"

Frankly, after everything Zhen Zhuo'er had said today, this was the only line that rang undeniably true.

…………

While Zhen Zhuo'er was busy betraying Lu Jindu with spectacular flair, the young master of the Lu Family caught wind of the brewing storm.

The moment the lead cultivator died, the soul lamp Lu Jindu held for him flickered out.

A man capable of single-handedly propping up the Lu Family’s vast enterprise was no stranger to ruthless decisiveness.

Sensing danger, Lu Jindu swiftly orchestrated an escape.

A hidden mechanism beneath his desk clicked, revealing a secret door in the wall.

The Lu scion hurried into the concealed chamber, a sharp blade tucked in his sleeve.

Before his foot even touched the final step, Lu Jindu barked:

"Your presence has been exposed! If you wish to evade the Guiyuan Sect’s pursuit, you will obey my orders!"

Should the Mother-Devourer Demon prove obstinate and refuse to cooperate…

In his sleeve, Lu Jindu’s grip on the dagger tightened.

But contrary to his expectations, the notoriously ill-tempered demon displayed neither anger at his tone nor panic at the sect’s involvement.

It lay motionless atop luxurious silks, facing inward, its back turned.

In this position, even its distended belly seemed less pronounced.

Frowning skeptically, Lu Jindu took two cautious steps forward.

"Did you not hear me? I said—"

Suddenly, a jolt of unease struck him like lightning!

His words died mid-sentence.

An inexplicable dread seized Lu Jindu’s heart. He lunged forward, using his sword sheath to nudge the demon’s shoulder—

The body beneath was stiff and cold. A faint stench of decay confirmed it: the Mother-Devourer Demon was already dead.

Lu Jindu’s breath hitched. His gaze darted to the cage in the corner.

Just then, the demon’s partially slack jaw emitted a soft *click* as it fell open.

From the depths of its unnaturally elastic maw, a small, pallid hand emerged.

With chilling precision, the fingers closed around Lu Jindu’s sword sheath and gave it a genteel shake.

A courtesy as deadly as it was polite. Even the gesture’s civility reeked of mortality.

Realization dawned too late. Lu Jindu released the sheath instantly—

But by then, it was already over.

The venom crept up the scabbard, staining his palm a dark, inky hue before swiftly infiltrating his meridians, flesh, skin—and in the blink of an eye, it pierced deep into his bones and dantian.

This snake… it *was* that snake!

Lu Jindu thought in terror: *Now he can control the venom’s potency, even concentrating it to a single point, using it to exterminate his enemies!*

And this became the last thought in Lu Jindu’s life.

The corpse of the *Yimu Demon* emitted a stiff, creaking sound.

Then, from its unhinged jaw, a cold-faced, exquisitely featured boy crawled out.

The boy gave a nod to Lu Jindu’s supine body, then opened his mouth.

His pronunciation was still unpracticed, yet he flawlessly mimicked the tone Lu Jindu had used days earlier when violently kicking the cage:

*"...Since you’ve chosen the path to death, I won’t hold you back."*

He tilted his head slightly, recalling whether each syllable had been uttered correctly. Satisfied, a faint smile finally surfaced on his face.

*Hmm, another phrase learned.*

Without sparing another glance at the fallen heir of the Lu Family, the boy pried open Lu Jindu’s stiffened fingers and retrieved the tightly gripped sword.

Before the blade could fully corrode, he carefully skinned several neat patches from the Yimu Demon’s hide, layering them over himself like a makeshift garment.

Though the Yimu Demon had ultimately succumbed to his venom, its fur possessed first-rate resistance—the finest "fabric" he could procure at the moment.

Even after bundling himself thoroughly, a small remnant of the hide remained.

For its use, the boy already had a plan.

The last scrap of Yimu Demon fur was wrapped around a tiny, fluffy hair ornament.

Once pristine white, the little pom-pom was now matted with dried blood, its strands clumped together.

Yet the boy treasured it dearly, tucking it close against his chest.

Finally, he plucked a jade pendant from Lu Jindu’s belt.

These were the only things he took from the chamber—a place where he had nearly bled out, where death had almost claimed him.

Before leaving, the boy glanced back once.

No trace of nostalgia lingered in that look, only deep contemplation.

*What should one say at such a moment…?*

*Ah, that demon said something once… It was…*

**“—Thanks for the hospitality.”**

A voice still carrying a hint of childishness bounced off the smooth walls.

In that chamber reeking of blood, rot, and now two corpses, the words echoed with a bone-chilling resonance.

Yet their speaker remained oblivious.

With a flicker of movement, he transformed back into a slender little snake, slithering away into the shadows.

…………

At the entrance of the Lu estate, Zhen Zhuo’er offered an eager smile. *"The study is just that way—usually off-limits. Let me guide you, Sword Lord."*

But Jiang Tingbai shook his head. *"No need."*

In the next instant, he drew his sword.

A flash of blade-light, pure as a snow-fed waterfall, surged forth. Amid the deafening collapse, only the silver-dragon gleam of his strike burned itself into memory.

Jiang Tingbai unsheathed.

And in the blink of an eye, from where they stood to the study, his sword qi carved a perfectly straight path through the Lu estate.

Zhen Zhuo’er: *"……"*

Yan Luoyue: *"……"*

Misreading the shock in Yan Luoyue’s expression, Jiang Tingbai leaned down and patiently instructed:

*"I’ve confirmed no one else is here. When you act like this in the future, ensure the same. Never take lives recklessly. Understood?"*

Yan Luoyue replied faintly, *"...Understood, Master."*

*Wait—why are you so calm about this? Why does it feel like you’re just… casually giving a lesson mid-destruction?!*

*No evidence? Procedural justice. Evidence found? I’ll cleave half your manor apart with one strike—is* this *what it means to be a sword cultivator?*

*Hiss… truly terrifying!*

Jiang Tingbai’s strike was effortless yet precise—razing the study’s door and one entire wall while leaving the other three walls and furnishings intact.

Thus, all present witnessed: on the wall opposite the entrance, a perfectly square hidden chamber stood *wide open*.

Zhen Zhuo’er stumbled back, face paling.

Yan Luoyue instinctively tightened her grip on her compass—its needle had once again turned a warning red.

As for Jiang Tingbai, though his brow furrowed slightly, his steps never faltered as he approached the chamber.

The moment Yan Luoyue neared the entrance, the stench assaulted her.

A nauseating cocktail of vomit, garlic, corpses, and bloated dead fish—so potent it could knock a person unconscious.

She promptly slapped a gas mask over her face, tossing one each to Jiang Tingbai and Zhen Zhuo’er.

Both adults thanked her.

Zhen Zhuo’er, however, studied Yan Luoyue briefly as she accepted the mask. Then, the corners of her lips curled into a faint, almost *fond* smile.

Jiang Tingbai entered first, immediately spotting the two corpses sprawled on the ground.

One belonged to a demon, its hide carved into tatters.

He stared at the demon’s remains for a long moment, neither rushing to examine it nor jumping to conclusions—as if solving a riddle that had long eluded him.

Finally, he moved.

With a precise flick of his sword, he split open the demon’s neck, severing a small, protruding joint.

The strike was measured perfectly—just enough for the concealed object beneath to tumble out.

A finger-sized cylinder, its material resembling wood.

*"……"*

For the first time, Yan Luoyue saw Jiang Tingbai wear an expression *this* grave.

As if, compared to this wooden fragment, even the deaths of a greater demon and Lu Jindu were secondary.

*"It *is* Moonfall Wood…"*

Jiang Tingbai closed his eyes briefly, sighing as he carefully stored the wood piece—evidence to be submitted later.

*No wonder Greater Demons have been emerging so frequently near the sealed demon realms…*

*The situation in the demon world must be dire.*

Shaking off the moment, Jiang Tingbai turned his attention to the second corpse.

Lu Jindu, heir of the Lu Family, lay with eyes wide and lips parted—as if his final sight had been one of sheer horror.

Zhen Zhuo’er needed only one glance to confirm his identity.

She dabbed perfunctorily at her eyes. *"My husband."*

Peering anxiously at both bodies, she ventured, *"Could they have… killed each other?"*

*"No."*

Jiang Tingbai used his spiritual energy to lift the discarded sword from the ground, comparing its edge to the wounds on the body of the Yimu Demon:

"It's clear there was a third person here—the one who skinned the Yimu Demon."

Zhen Zhuo'er stood motionless, but her face paled slightly. Her pearly teeth clenched her lower lip, and after a long pause, she spoke with resolute determination.

"You wouldn't think that I—"

"There's no need for such alarm, fellow cultivator," Jiang Tingbai interrupted with a nod before she could finish. "I know it wasn’t you who did this."

Zhen Zhuo'er's marital devotion to Lu Jindu might have been a lie.

The timing she claimed to have discovered Lu Jindu's misdeeds might also have been fabricated.

Even the origin of that demonic prescription in Lu Jindu's possession could have been false.

But her desire for Lu Jindu to be captured by Jiang Tingbai—or rather, by the Guiyuan Sect—was undeniably real.

She must have realized that her earlier flawless demeanor had instead made her seem slightly suspicious.

Yet, once Lu Jindu's confession was obtained and the hidden evidence within the Lu residence uncovered, the doubts surrounding her would melt away like a speck of snow under sunlight, vanishing without a trace.

Aside from Jiang Tingbai, Zhen Zhuo'er was likely the second person who most wished for Lu Jindu to be apprehended by the Guiyuan Sect—along with the demon.

"Wait a moment, sir."

Yan Luoyue stood before a cage in the corner, holding a compass that glowed red.

Inside the open cage door, faint traces of dried blackish-brown bloodstains were visible, along with...

Along with a single delicate, crystalline green snake scale.

Jiang Tingbai showed no impatience at the child's interruption.

He swept his robes aside and approached the corner. After carefully inspecting the scene, his brow suddenly furrowed.

With a flick of his palm, a gust of sword energy brushed over the cage, wiping away the congealed bloodstains to reveal a clearly etched formation at the bottom.

At the same time, he asked Yan Luoyue, "That snake you've been searching for... Are you certain it's just an ordinary demon beast?"

Yan Luoyue's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly recalled that when she first encountered the little snake, the demon elder had mistaken it for a demonic creature.

"...What’s wrong, sir?"

A flash of disgust crossed Jiang Tingbai's eyes at the thought of Lu Jindu's actions.

Pointing at the formation, he said gravely, "This array is designed to prevent a demon from assuming human form. The snake you're looking for... might actually be a demon as well."

Yan Luoyue glanced at the cage, then at the tiny green scale on her compass.

She remembered how, on the day she smuggled the little snake home, its belly had been round from eating, yet it still stubbornly tried to coil itself into a bracelet around her wrist.

If it truly was a demon, it must still be young.

Perhaps from the moment it fled the turtle clan's courtyard in panic, it had been living rough, never properly cared for or sheltered.

The snake scale found in the cage was carefully wrapped in a handkerchief—the third one Yan Luoyue had collected.

This peculiar habit of gathering scales inevitably gave her a strange thought: If she collected seven, could she summon a dragon?

In a game, this might have been a legendary side quest—"Exchange for the Exclusive Little Green Snake Companion."

But in the cultivation world, she didn’t need a pet companion.

Though their meeting had been fleeting, Yan Luoyue genuinely hoped the little green snake was doing well.

…………

The imprisoned demon, the third person present, the venomous little snake...

Piece by piece, the clues fell into place. Though some mysteries remained, the truth of what had transpired in that hidden chamber was now mostly clear.

Lu Jindu had harbored a wanted demon, consumed demonic substances, and secretly imprisoned his own demon kin—three unforgivable crimes that warranted death.

The Lu Family’s subordinates were thoroughly investigated.

Among them, Lu Jindu’s most trusted aide, who had attempted to ambush and kill a young demon, was executed on the spot.

Zhen Zhuo'er, as the young mistress of the Lu Family, demonstrated remarkable integrity by refusing to shield her husband.

With the Lu Family in disarray, she, as the city lord’s daughter, took charge of pacifying the remaining innocent members.

Yan Luoyue paid little attention to the aftermath in Ruyi City.

But not long after, a mysterious artificer clad in a black cloak, their face hidden beneath a hood, visited the Zhaoxin Residence.

Across the street, the signboard of the Lu Family Pavilion no longer bore the emblem of "Lu Half-City."

This time, it was the ever-graceful Miss Zhuo who received the artificer—representing not only Zhaoxin Residence but also the Lu Family Pavilion in their negotiations.

The artificer chuckled, their voice carrying the rasp of a young man.

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"If Madam Lu has already consolidated control over the Lu Family, why continue supporting Zhaoxin Residence? And if Zhaoxin’s owner is also you, why suppress the Lu Family Pavilion?"

Zhen Zhuo'er—or rather, Ruyi City’s lord’s daughter, Zhen Zhuo'er—smiled faintly at the question.

"I expected you’d ask that," she said respectfully. "That little girl who accompanied Sword Lord Jiang that day was lovely and extraordinary. I assume she’s your junior sister?"

The artificer remained silent, tacitly confirming her guess.

Zhen Zhuo'er folded her hands elegantly on the table and explained with sincerity:

"If I only wanted to be the Lu Family’s young mistress, then yes, managing the Lu remnants would suffice. But since I aim for more, I must embrace both sides equally."

The artificer lifted their gaze, their shadowed eyes seeming to pierce through Zhen Zhuo'er’s unspoken ambitions.

"You want to be city lord?"

Zhen Zhuo'er neither confirmed nor denied, merely tilting her head slightly.

"My father is old and feeble, and my brothers are mediocre at best," she said lightly. "If they could accept Ruyi City becoming 'Lu Half-City,' why not take it a step further and make it mine?"

Having bared a fraction of her aspirations, Zhen Zhuo'er leaned forward slightly.

"I still seek your assistance. This time, both Zhaoxin Residence and the Lu Family Pavilion are willing to offer you forty percent of the profits."

By convention, profits from artifacts were typically split as forty percent for costs, thirty for the merchant, and thirty for the artificer.

Zhen Zhuo'er’s offer of forty percent meant either compressing her own profits or reducing costs through her dual ownership—likely both.

Taking a soft breath, she added, "Beyond that... I have a special gift for you."

She placed a flat sandalwood box on the table, sliding it toward the artificer with an inviting gesture.

The artifact master glanced at her, pressed the hidden latch, and the lid of the box sprang open, revealing its contents.

"...A map?"

It wasn’t even complete—just a tattered fragment.

Zhen Zhuo'er nodded. "This was a treasure map my late husband secretly kept."

"It’s said that during the next Hundred Refinements Assembly, a clue about the Heaven-Earth Strange Flames will be revealed to the world... a secret that would drive every artifact master to madness."

And this fragment in the box was one such clue.

With a single glance, the artifact master recognized that the map fragment had been crafted using a special technique.

When fragments from different sections were pieced together, the map would shift, revealing entirely new routes.

From this alone, it was clear the fragment held immense secrets.

However...

With a snap, the artifact master extended a pale finger and closed the lid.

"I have one more question for you, Fellow Daoist Zhen."

"After investigation, it was found that near Chunzhuo Stream, there was neither a water source tainted by demonic beasts nor a single villager poisoned by fiends. Yet, rumors of such spread like wildfire, convincing many locals... Fellow Daoist Zhen, do you have anything to say about this?"

"..."

Zhen Zhuo'er visibly stiffened, as if she hadn’t expected the enigmatic artifact master to ask such a question.

After a moment, she pressed her lush, crimson lips together, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and straightened her posture.

"Indeed, I was the one who spread the rumors."

"If there are rumors, there must be a source. Were the two fiends also released by Fellow Daoist Zhen?"

"They were."

The artifact master let out a hoarse chuckle. "In that case, wouldn’t it have been more convincing—and faster to draw the Guiyuan Sect’s attention—if the demonic beasts had actually killed someone, turning the rumors into fact?"

"Master, you misunderstand." Zhen Zhuo'er smiled, her expression radiant. "Chunzhuo Stream falls under the jurisdiction of Ruyi City. Though they are mere villagers, they are still my people."

A light breeze swept past, and in the blink of an eye, the two figures by the window shifted—one remained seated while the other stood.

The black-robed artifact master swept a sleeve across the table, tucking the small, flat box into their robe.

Without turning back, they strode toward the staircase and said coolly,

"I will return with the artifact you commissioned next week. Have the spirit stones ready."

Next to the Zhaoxin Residence, the storyteller at the teahouse had moved on to a new tale.

The black-robed figure paused briefly at the entrance, listening as the old man slapped his gavel and launched into an animated recounting of "The Tale of the Lu Family’s Young Madam, Daughter of Ruyi City’s Lord, the Lady Zhen Zhuo'er—a woman of wit, courage, and righteousness, who turned the tide in desperate times and upheld justice when all seemed lost."

"..."

The artifact master shook their head slightly, a faint scoff escaping from beneath the dark hood before they walked away.

The warm summer evening breeze drifted gently across the fields, over the marshes, and through the schoolhouse.

During the last lesson of the afternoon, the teacher droned on from the front of the classroom while the students dozed, their heads nodding.

Suddenly, Yan Luoyue, seated by the window, caught a flash of vibrant green light out of the corner of her eye.

She jolted upright, her abrupt movement startling Yan Gan, who sat behind her.

Yan Gan nudged her with the tip of his brush and whispered, "What’s wrong, little sister?"

"It’s nothing..." Yan Luoyue hesitated. "Maybe—maybe I imagined it."

Yet after class, she couldn’t resist climbing onto her stool, gripping the windowsill with both hands, and leaning halfway out the window.

"Little sister, are you looking for something? Did you drop anything?" Sang Ji asked curiously. "Your brother and I can help you search."

Yan Luoyue shook her head, then froze when her gaze landed on something beneath the windowsill.

There, a wild chrysanthemum had withered.

Its petals and leaves remained intact, standing rigidly in place like a preserved specimen.

"...Ah." Softly, Yan Luoyue let out a sigh she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Perhaps it hadn’t been an illusion. Perhaps a beautiful, mysterious visitor had truly passed by.

…………

Time flowed like water, swift and unrelenting. In the blink of an eye, four years had passed.

As a result, the "HP" above Yan Luoyue’s head had risen from a precarious "10" to a robust "10,000."

And soon, it would be her fifth birthday.