After Failing to Find Immortality 15

Chapter 15: A False Alarm, A Harmonious Blend

Seeing the beautiful woman remain silent, Lin Tianlu frowned, concern etched on his face.

“Madam Mao?”

“Ah, yes… the child…” Mao Ruoyu’s mind raced, desperately searching for a plausible explanation. “After last night’s incident, I sent her to stay with relatives outside of Changling County.”

“You sent her away?”

Lin Tianlu was surprised. “The fire was contained. It didn’t spread this far. Sending her away seems a bit…”

“You don’t understand, sir.”

Mao Ruoyu shook her head, her voice low and urgent. “I have… a gift. I can see spirits. That night, a dark cloud of demonic energy hovered over the fabric shop. It was terrifying. I had to get my daughter to safety.”

Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened in surprise.

His neighbor… possessed supernatural abilities?

He studied her eyes, noticing a faint greenish tint that he hadn’t seen before.

“That explains why you were so adamant about me staying away from the fire.”

“Please forgive my deception, sir.” She lowered her gaze, her voice barely a whisper. “If I told anyone about my gift, they would think me cursed. But you…”

“Don’t worry, Madam Mao. Your secret is safe with me.”

Lin Tianlu smiled reassuringly, bowing slightly. “I’m grateful for your concern. I wouldn’t dream of judging you.

Now that you’ve recovered, I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you for your kindness, sir.” She forced a weak smile.

They exchanged a few more farewells, and Lin Tianlu departed, leaving Mao Ruoyu alone in her house.

“…”

As soon as the door closed behind him, she slumped back in her chair, her smile vanishing, her hand pressed against her racing heart.

“I… I managed to fool him!”

That brief conversation had felt like an eternity.

She wasn’t a widow. She didn’t have a daughter.

She had fabricated those details on a whim, never imagining that they would come back to haunt her.

“How could I have been so blind? He’s no ordinary scholar! He’s a master, concealing his true power!”

Her face paled as a wave of regret washed over her.

She had discreetly probed his aura again, but she couldn’t sense anything.

It was as if he didn’t exist, a phantom, a figment of her imagination.

He was elusive, enigmatic, like a legendary immortal!

“No wonder my Bewitching Pastries and Soul-Snatching Candle had no effect on him. My attempts to frighten him… they must have seemed like childish pranks. I tried to trick a master… I was practically begging for death!”

She groaned, burying her face in her hands.

“—Wait a minute.”

She lowered her hands, her eyes widening with a sudden realization.

“He destroyed that spirit with ease. His power is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. But he treated me… with kindness, with respect. He even cleaned my house. And he didn’t seem to notice my attempts to manipulate him. Could it be… that he was testing me?”

She bit her lip, her expression shifting between hope and fear.

“My cultivation relies on absorbing the life force of sleeping mortals, refining their energy into yin energy. But I haven’t harmed anyone in years. I only induce nightmares, a bit of fatigue. I haven’t taken a life. Perhaps… he spared me because of that?”

“But if I try anything else…”

She shuddered, her heart pounding in her chest.

He had obliterated a powerful spirit. She, a mere Ghost Art practitioner, would be crushed like an ant.

“What… what should I do?”

…

Meanwhile, in her own house, Hua Shuya finished washing her face, stifling a yawn.

“I fell asleep yesterday? Was I really that tired?”

She vaguely remembered sitting down, taking a bite of a delicious pastry, and then… nothing.

And…

“To fall asleep in front of Master… how embarrassing.”

She blushed, touching the soft fabric of her robe. “Did he… carry me to bed?”

She had woken up in her own bed that morning. And there was only one person who would have done such a thing.

The thought of him holding her, carrying her while she slept…

Her cheeks burned, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of shame and excitement.

“No, no! I can’t think like that! It’s disrespectful to Master!”

She shook her head, banishing the inappropriate thoughts from her mind.

She gathered her hair into a braid, grabbed her sword, and stepped out into the courtyard.

She walked over to Lin Tianlu’s house, her footsteps light and eager.

But he wasn’t there.

Perhaps he had gone out?

“I’ve been so busy with those matters for the authorities. I’ve neglected Master. I need to help him adjust to life in Changling County.” She nodded to herself, her heart filled with a gentle warmth.

But then, her brow furrowed, her gaze falling on the sword in her hand.

It felt… lighter.

Not because her strength had increased, but something more profound.

She slowly drew the blade from its scabbard.

Clang!

A clear, resonant ring echoed through the air.

Her vision blurred, her mind drifting into a hazy dreamscape.

She felt as if she were sinking into a cold, dark river, her body weightless, her senses dulled.

But as she opened her eyes, she saw a vision, clear and vivid, of her spar with Lin Tianlu the previous day.

His movements, seemingly casual and effortless, now held a profound depth, a hidden meaning that she hadn’t grasped before. Ripples of energy flowed around him, his sword intent as vast and powerful as a raging river.

“This is…”

His form dissolved into a thousand points of light, swirling and coalescing, flowing into her body.

Her arm trembled, and without conscious thought, she swung her sword.

Crack!

A deep gash appeared in a nearby stone table, sending a shower of dust into the air.

Hua Shuya blinked, staring at the mark in astonishment.

To cleave stone with a single blow… that was a feat reserved for Azure(Green) Spirit realm martial artists, or even Grandmasters!

She had merely recalled Master’s movements, mimicking them clumsily, and yet… she had unleashed such power?

“Master tried to teach me yesterday. I was too slow, too blind, to understand his brilliance.”

She smacked her forehead in frustration. “He must have been disappointed in me… I have to make it up to him!”

Thud!

“Who’s there?!”

Her voice rang out, sharp and alert.

In an instant, her gentle demeanor vanished. Her eyes hardened, her body radiating a focused intensity, her entire being transformed into a weapon.

“Such a quick temper, young one. I was merely admiring your courtyard.”

The gate creaked open, and an elderly man with a white beard stepped inside, a faint smile playing on his lips.

As he entered, the ancient sword strapped to his back hummed softly, its scabbard falling away as it flew into his hand.

He held the sword before him, his aura shifting, his entire being radiating an almost otherworldly power.

“This is private property. Leave now.”

Hua Shuya stood her ground, her expression resolute, her sword raised.

The old man chuckled. “I’m here to see the master of this house.”

Without another word, Hua Shuya lunged forward, her blade flashing in the sunlight.

“Hmm? The Thirteen Forms of the Army Breaking Sword… a descendant of the Hua clan?”

The old man’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he quickly recovered, a playful smile curving his lips. “Very well. Let’s see what you’ve learned.”

—Clang!

Their swords met, the sound ringing through the air.

The old man’s eyes widened in surprise.

Her internal energy was potent and refined, her movements swift and decisive. She was a skilled swordswoman!

To possess such strength at such a young age…

They exchanged a flurry of blows, their swords clashing, sparks flying. The longer they fought, the more impressed the old man became. Her swordsmanship was truly exceptional!

“Haaaah!”

She shouted, her blade flashing as she unleashed a powerful thrust, her entire being focused on a single point.

“Sword intent?!”

She had comprehended sword intent at such a young age?!

The old man’s heart pounded in his chest. He hastily parried her attack, his sword moving in a blur of motion.

—Clang!

A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, sending both of them stumbling backward.

The old man planted his feet, digging his heels into the ground to regain his balance. He exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on Hua Shuya.

His playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a look of profound respect.

“Her sword intent… it’s fluid, unpredictable, yet perfectly balanced. She’s a true prodigy!

Could it be… that she’s the one who defeated the spirit last night?”

But the hero of Changling County was a scholar, not a young woman.