Chapter 35: The Mysterious Token
Something important?
Lin Tianlu watched curiously as the girl produced a palm-sized metal token.
“This is…”
“After my sister and father passed away, I had their belongings sorted. I didn’t expect to find so many unusual items.”
Cheng Yishi’s expression turned serious as she spoke. “This token has a golden sheen and is resistant to fire. Even the most skilled craftsmen in the county couldn’t identify its material.”
That remarkable?
Lin Tianlu was intrigued. He took the token and examined it.
There were no visible mechanisms or engravings. It was heavy and solid, with a crossed-out skull engraved in the center. He frowned slightly.
What was this…
Some kind of pirate insignia?
“I wanted the craftsmen to break it open and see what was inside, but it’s incredibly hard and durable. Even hammering it with all their might didn’t leave a single—”
Snap!
“…”
The girl’s words died in her throat as they both stared at the broken token in Lin Tianlu’s hand.
After a moment of silence, Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly, placing the two halves of the token on the table. “I-I apologize, Miss Cheng. I was just curious and accidentally broke it.”
“…It was my fault for not warning you.”
Cheng Yishi quickly recovered, a knowing smile on her face. “With your great power, Sir, this ‘indestructible’ token was just a joke.”
“You’re too kind, Miss Cheng.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly, discreetly clenching his hand within his sleeve.
The token had seemed incredibly durable, yet it had snapped like a dry twig.
He had never broken a bowl or chopstick in his life.
“Don’t worry about it, Sir. It’s just a token after all.”
Cheng Yishi’s voice was soft as she steered the conversation back on track. “The symbol on the token must represent some kind of organization. I’ve seen it before in letters my father wrote.”
“Although I haven’t interacted with my sister much these past few years, I still know my father somewhat. He would often write letters alone in his study. But he rarely sent them through messengers. Instead, he would give them to my sister, as if they were part of some secret plot. And their conversations often involved ‘ghost practitioners.’”
“Ghost practitioners?”
Lin Tianlu let out a soft exclamation.
The term sounded familiar.
He seemed to recall the ghost he had encountered at the fabric shop muttering those words with a cold, disdainful expression, while striking a ridiculous pose. He hadn’t paid much attention to it then, distracted by the ghost’s absurd antics.
“They use the power of ghosts and Yin energy to manipulate a technique called ‘Yin magic.’” Cheng Yishi said in a low voice. “Although they’re still living humans, their methods are quite sinister. And my father… was likely a ghost practitioner.”
Lin Tianlu stroked his chin, deep in thought.
So they were basically like demonic cultivators?
But the two ghosts he had encountered had spoken of them with disdain. It seemed ghost practitioners held a low status in the supernatural world.
Although…
He hadn’t sensed any special abilities from Cheng Yanghua. If she hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have even known.
“We also found many ritualistic items in their rooms, but they were covered in dust and rust, clearly unused for a long time. But this one was the strangest.”
She took out a delicately wrapped bundle of cloth from her pocket, carefully unfolding it to reveal a carved jade hairpin.
Lin Tianlu glanced at it curiously.
It was slender and silver, with a green jade ornament at the top, shimmering faintly.
“We found it in a hidden compartment under her bed. It looked brand new. The servants tried to take it, but they felt a strange energy emanating from it, a sense of fear that prevented them from touching it.” Cheng Yishi said thoughtfully, “Perhaps it’s related to the cultivation of ghost practitioners.”
Lin Tianlu narrowed his eyes slightly.
A faint gray mist swirled around the hairpin. Although it wasn’t as strong as a ghost’s aura, it was still dangerous for ordinary people to touch.
Had it been dug up from a grave?
He smiled faintly. “But it’s fine for you to keep it, Miss Cheng.”
Cheng Yishi’s eyes widened slightly. “You mean, I can handle this object, Sir…?”
“Do you feel a chill when you hold the hairpin, Miss Cheng?”
“No.”
The girl was stunned. She lowered her voice and asked, “Am I now… no different from those ghosts?”
“Although I managed to extract the malicious Yin energy from your body, the years of corruption are irreversible.” Lin Tianlu said seriously. “Miss Cheng, you’re now a half-human, half-ghost being. You’re no longer affected by these sinister objects.”
Cheng Yishi was silent.
Her expression was complex as she gently brushed her snow-white hair back, her skin pale under the candlelight.
Everyone said she had turned white overnight from grief, but she knew that her body had undergone a drastic transformation. Now, it was confirmed…
But after a moment of silence, her expression softened, the sadness fading away, replaced by her usual gentle smile. “As you said, Sir, the difference between humans and ghosts is just a matter of perspective. There’s no inherent good or evil… I feel at peace now.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and bowed. “Congratulations on finding peace and starting a new chapter in your life, Miss Cheng.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sir.”
Cheng Yishi’s eyes sparkled with gratitude. “Looking back, I was being too self-destructive, wanting to end it all. It was cowardly and foolish. I’ll never forget your kindness in saving me and guiding me, Sir.”
“There’s no need to be so formal, Miss Cheng.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. “I just hope you’ll cherish your life and live it to the fullest, without harming yourself or others.”
Cheng Yishi lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering.
“But… I don’t know how to repay your kindness, Sir. Even if I gave you all my wealth, it wouldn’t be enough. For someone like you, with your great talent and virtue, material possessions must be meaningless.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly. “Please don’t treat me like a saint, Miss Cheng. Although money is just a worldly possession, if I don’t have any, I’ll be forced to live on the streets.”
Cheng Yishi covered her mouth with her hand, a smile appearing on her lips.
“So I’ve been thinking, now that I’m alone, there’s only one thing I can offer you that might please you.”
“What is it?”
“Myself.”
“…”
Lin Tianlu was stunned, wondering if there was a hidden meaning behind her words.
“Wait, Miss Cheng, what do you mean—”
“I mean me.”
Cheng Yishi’s voice was firm as she stood up and walked towards him. “I haven’t been able to sleep these past few days, my mind constantly filled with your words, Sir. Even in my dreams… I saw you in a beautiful mountain, but I could only watch from afar, my heart filled with regret and longing.”
Lin Tianlu felt the atmosphere changing, becoming strangely charged. He quickly stood up.
“I used to scoff at love and romance, seeing it as the root of all evil, a foolish indulgence for ignorant women. But now I understand—”
She stood before him, her head tilted slightly, her beautiful eyes, like blood-red jade, reflecting his stunned expression. Her lips trembled slightly. “This is… love at first sight.”
Lin Tianlu’s lips twitched.
“Before coming here, I was a bit nervous. But seeing you again, Sir, I’m certain.” Cheng Yishi leaned in, her face flushed, her voice soft and seductive. “You’re the one for me—”
“Hold on!”
Lin Tianlu quickly raised his hand to stop her, chuckling awkwardly as he took a step back. “Please don’t joke like that, Miss Cheng. Such sweet words make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Alright, I’ll be direct then.”
But Cheng Yishi continued to approach him, a seductive smile on her lips, her eyes gleaming with a hint of madness. She reached out, her fingers gently tracing his cheek. Her shawl and straps slipped from her shoulders, revealing her smooth, jade-like skin. She whispered, “Please… take pity on me.”
“…”
Lin Tianlu’s smile froze.
He hadn’t expected her to be serious.
Were women in this era so forward and open?!
—Wait!
He noticed strange markings appearing on her skin, like lotus patterns.
As Yin energy surged through her body, the markings spread like snakes, reaching her neck. Her eyes glowed with a red light, her aura seductive and alluring, like a intoxicating wine, irresistible.
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