After Failing to Find Immortality 15

Chapter 15: A False Alarm, A Blend of Strength and Grace

Seeing the beautiful woman remain silent, Lin Tianlu’s brow furrowed in concern.

“Madam?”

“Ahem! That child…” Mao Ruoyu quickly composed herself, gritting her teeth. “After what happened last night, I sent her to live with relatives outside Changling County.”

“You sent your child away?”

Lin Tianlu was surprised. “The fire was fierce, but it didn’t spread this far. Wasn’t it a bit hasty to send her away, Madam?”

“You don’t understand, Mr. Lin.”

Mao Ruoyu shook her head. “My eyes are… different. I can see supernatural beings. Last night, a demonic aura gathered above the fabric shop, swirling like a dark cloud. It was terrifying. For my child’s safety, I had to send her away as quickly as possible.”

Lin Tianlu was intrigued.

This neighbor of his possessed such a unique ability?

Looking closer, he noticed a faint green tint in her eyes, unlike any he had seen before.

“No wonder you insisted I stay away from the fabric shop last night, Madam Mao.”

“I hope you understand, Sir.” Mao Ruoyu lowered her gaze. “If I told others about this, they might see me as a cursed woman. But you, Sir…”

“Don’t worry, Madam. I won’t tell anyone.”

Lin Tianlu smiled sincerely and bowed respectfully. “I’m grateful for your kindness, Madam. I wouldn’t doubt or question you.

Since you’ve recovered now, I’ll take my leave. If you need any help in the future, Madam, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you for your concern, Sir.” Mao Ruoyu forced a weak smile.

After exchanging a few more farewells, Lin Tianlu quickly left the house.

“…”

Once he was gone, Mao Ruoyu collapsed into a chair, her smile vanishing. She clutched her chest, her heart pounding as she gasped for breath.

“I-I managed to fool him!”

That brief conversation had felt like an eternity.

Because she wasn’t a wife, and she didn’t have a child.

She had made up that identity on the spot, never imagining that her lies would almost be exposed.

“Why didn’t I realize before… He’s not some weak scholar, but a hidden master!”

Mao Ruoyu’s face paled, filled with regret.

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

It was as if this man didn’t exist. If not for her own eyes, she wouldn’t even be sure if he was truly standing before her.

Ethereal and unfathomable, he was like a legendary immortal!

“No wonder my Bewitching Pastries and Soul-Snatching Candle had no effect on him. My attempts to frighten him with Yin energy must have seemed like child’s play. I actually targeted such a powerful master. I was practically asking for death!”

She covered her face with her hands, sighing in despair.

“—Wait.”

But Mao Ruoyu suddenly lowered her hands, her eyes widening in realization.

“Lin Tianlu effortlessly vanquished that Evil Spirit. His powers must be extraordinary, his cultivation realm rarely seen in this world. But such a master is treating me… with such kindness and gentleness, repeatedly reassuring me. He doesn’t even seem to notice my attempts to harm him. Could it be…

He’s testing me?”

Mao Ruoyu bit her lip, her expression flickering.

“My cultivation relies on absorbing a bit of ‘life essence’ from sleeping people, refining it into Yin energy. But I haven’t taken a life in years. At most, I just give people nightmares and make them feel tired in the morning. I’ve never committed murder. Perhaps Master Lin… spared me because we’re neighbors?”

“But if I continue my deceitful ways, I’m afraid—”

Mao Ruoyu clenched her fists, her heart filled with anxiety.

He could easily kill an Evil Spirit. She, a low-level ghost practitioner, was probably as insignificant as an ant to him.

“What… what should I do?”

…

Meanwhile, at Lin Tianlu’s house…

Hua Shuya finished washing up and yawned softly.

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

She vaguely remembered falling asleep shortly after sitting down, barely having touched the delicious pastries.

And…

“To fall asleep in front of Senior, how embarrassing.”

Hua Shuya sighed softly, touching her delicate robe, and murmured, “Did Senior carry me to my room?”

She had woken up in bed this morning. In this vast mansion, only Lin Tianlu would have been so kind and considerate.

But the thought of Senior touching her, carrying her in his arms while she was asleep…

The girl’s face flushed crimson, her eyes sparkling with shyness.

“No, no! I can’t think about such things! It’s disrespectful to Senior!”

She shook her head, banishing those thoughts, slapping her cheeks to wake herself up.

After the warmth faded from her face, she tied her hair up, grabbed her sword, and left the house.

She walked familiarly to Lin Tianlu’s house and looked around, but she couldn’t find him.

Perhaps he had gone out?

“I’ve been busy with matters at the county government these past two days and haven’t spent much time with Senior. I should help him adjust to life in the mortal world.” Hua Shuya nodded to herself, her thoughts kind and considerate.

But she quickly frowned, looking at her sword with a thoughtful expression.

For some reason, she felt that the sword… was much lighter than before.

It wasn’t that her strength had increased, but a deeper, more profound change.

Hua Shuya slowly drew her sword.

Clang—

A soft, clear ringing sound.

Her eyes glazed over, and she felt a wave of dizziness.

It was as if she were sinking to the bottom of a cold river.

But as she opened her eyes, she saw a vision of their spar yesterday, like a waking dream.

Lin Tianlu’s seemingly casual and lazy movements, his thrusts and parries, contained a strange and profound rhythm, a hidden depth. Ripples of energy spread out, his sword intent flowing like a river, endless and powerful.

“This is…”

The familiar figure suddenly dissolved into countless specks of light, swirling and converging, flowing into her body.

Her arm trembled, and she instinctively swung her sword.

Crack!

A deep gash appeared on a nearby stone table, sending dust flying.

Hua Shuya snapped back to reality and stared at the gash, speechless.

Sword Qi, powerful enough to cleave stone… This was an ability only possessed by Azure Spirit realm martial artists or even Grandmasters!

She had just been recalling Senior’s movements from yesterday, imitating them clumsily, and yet she had unleashed such a powerful technique?!

“Senior clearly gave me guidance yesterday. I’m so foolish and lazy, only realizing the essence of his teachings today.”

Hua Shuya slapped her forehead in frustration. “Senior must be disappointed to see my indifference… No! When he returns, I must show him my sincerity!”

Thud—

“Who’s there!!”

Hua Shuya’s expression turned sharp as she shouted.

In an instant, her gentle and delicate demeanor vanished, replaced by a fierce aura. Her eyes radiated a sword-like sharpness as she focused on the courtyard gate.

“Young lady, I was just passing by. Why are you so jumpy?”

The gate, which had been slightly ajar, was pushed open. An elderly man with a white beard stepped into the courtyard, a faint smile on his face.

At the same time, his footsteps echoed with power as the ancient sword on his back unsheathed itself, flying into his hand.

Sword in hand, the old man’s aura surged, a chilling and ethereal sword intent swirling around him, like a sword immortal.

“—This place is not open to outsiders. Leave immediately!”

Hua Shuya stood her ground, her face resolute, raising her sword.

The old man’s lips curved into a smile. “I must meet that extraordinary master.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Hua Shuya’s eyes flashed with a cold light. She charged forward, her sword thrusting out with lightning speed.

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

The old man was slightly surprised, then a playful smile appeared on his face as he turned his blade. “Very well, let this old man play with you for a bit.”

—Clang!

Their swords clashed, a deep, resonant sound echoing through the air.

The old man let out a soft exclamation.

Her internal energy was pure and potent, her swordsmanship swift and decisive. Such profound skill!

So young, yet possessing such incredible cultivation?

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of blows, the sound of clashing metal and sparks filling the air. But the more they fought, the more astonished the old man became. The girl’s swordsmanship was truly extraordinary!

“Ha—!”

Suddenly, the girl shouted, her sword flashing as she unleashed a powerful attack, all her techniques merging into one.

“Sword Intent?!”

She had grasped Sword Intent at such a young age?!

The old man’s heart trembled, and he hurriedly summoned a flurry of sword shadows, blocking her attack.

Clang—!

Their swords clashed, creating a shockwave of energy that sent them both stumbling back.

The old man planted his left foot firmly on the ground, leaving a deep imprint, and exhaled slowly.

He looked at Hua Shuya with a newfound respect, his previous casualness gone.

“Her Sword Intent is ethereal and unfathomable, yet it embodies a perfect balance of strength and grace. Truly remarkable!

Could it be… she’s the master who vanquished the Evil Spirit last night?”

But that master was a white-clad scholar, how could she be a young girl?