Chapter 75: Treat her as my sister.
“I’m getting married, so what business is it of yours? Why are you shouting so loudly?”
Qi Huang was startled and immediately complained in her heart. She had almost forgotten about such a trivial matter if it wasn’t for Ruan Lingyu bringing it up!
Cheng Hongling abruptly stopped and didn’t turn around, so her expression couldn’t be seen.
“Lingyu, what did you say? She’s getting married? To whom?”
Xu Mei was not as calm and asked anxiously.
“Master, we went to Ping’an County Town on your orders to investigate this matter. Later, we found out she went to the County Office. After detailed inquiries, we discovered that she was using a Tooth Token for marriage registration. Her goal was to marry a young man surnamed Huang in Huatian Village,” Ruan Lingyu said concisely.
Upon hearing this, Xu Mei’s expression changed, and she looked at Qi Huang with an expression of pity for her lack of ambition.
“This is why you impersonated me to have the Prefect’s mansion forge the Tooth Token, isn’t it?”
Cheng Hongling slowly turned around, her pretty face icy, her aura heavy, and her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed. Her gaze turned into sharp blades, slashing towards Huang Qi.
Qi Huang’s breathing stopped, and her mind went blank. She didn’t understand why this Hong Ling Fairy looked so angry that she was getting married.
‘Something’s not right! I am her clone now. If I marry a country bumpkin, it would be a disgrace to both her and the entire HongHua Sect.’
Qi Huang quickly realized this and was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
“Eldest Senior Sister, who is the person she wants to marry?” Cheng Hongling shifted her gaze to Ruan Lingyu.
“That person’s name is Huang Qi. His father is Huang Kairong, his mother is Li Fen, and he has a seventy-year-old grandfather. They have been farmers in Huatian Village for generations,” Ruan Lingyu revealed all of Huang Qi’s background. She had spent half a day in the Huang family’s courtyard that night, not just to watch a show.
‘Huang Qi?’
Cheng Hongling frowned slightly. She felt that the name sounded familiar. After a moment, she said uncertainly, “Three years ago, wasn’t the cultivator who was expelled from the HongHua Sect also called Huang Qi?”
“I think so! Deacon Hu was also implicated at that time.”
“Could it be the same person?”
“Impossible, it should be a coincidence.”
… Several fairies realized something and analyzed it to themselves.
Seeing her background revealed, Qi Huang cowered into a ball, feeling guilty.
“Give me a reasonable explanation!” Cheng Hongling stepped forward, her aura imposing.
“It… it’s like this. I… I am repaying a debt of gratitude! When I first took human form, I was similar to ordinary people and very fragile. The Huang family took me in. Their son is already twenty-eight years old, and if he doesn’t find a wife soon, he’ll have to join the army, so I came up with this plan.”
Qi Huang was sweating profusely. Luckily, she was usually good at lying, so she could improvise and find a reason.
“That’s a good reason, but how can I believe you?” Cheng Hongling pressed on, her imposing aura like a tightening net.
“This…”
Qi Huang was speechless for a moment and quickly retreated.
“Hongling, this matter is not trivial. She is impersonating you to marry a mere mortal. This would cause great damage to your personal reputation as well as the reputation of the entire HongHua Sect,” Xu Mei reminded her solemnly from the side.
“No, no, no! I never let them see my face. I was always wearing a veil,” Qi Huang suddenly realized this and grabbed it like a life-saving straw.
“Really?” Cheng Hongling looked directly at Qi Huang with her beautiful eyes.
“Re… really! I definitely… definitely didn’t lie. If you don’t believe me, send someone to investigate.” Qi Huang tried her best to meet the gaze of her “main body” and made her expression appear sufficiently innocent.
“Lingyu, please trouble the few of you to make another trip to Huatian Village and investigate whether what she said is true!” Xu Mei instructed the female disciples beside her.
“Understood.” Ruan Lingyu accepted the order.
“Hooo!” Qi Huang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was very fortunate that she had been cautious enough before, otherwise, she might have really implicated her family this time.
“Come with me!” Cheng Hongling commanded and started walking again.
Qi Huang was so scared that she didn’t dare to have any temper and quickly followed behind with her head lowered like a little maidservant.
Thus, Qi Huang followed her “main body” to the familiar small wooden house. Her cheap mother was sewing clothes in the reception hall.
“Girl, you’re back! What did your Master want with you?” Jiang Liniang looked up and asked casually.
“It’s still for her.” Cheng Hongling’s face was cold as she slightly moved aside.
Jiang Liniang looked behind her and almost died of fright. Her daughter had another “daughter” following her. They looked exactly alike, except for their clothing.
“Who… who is she?” Jiang Liniang quickly stood up and then fearfully leaned against her daughter.
“Mother, don’t be afraid! She is also me!” Cheng Hongling quickly comforted her, only then realizing how much of a shock this would be to her mother, who was an ordinary person.
Qi Huang felt a little guilty, as she had subconsciously regarded Jiang Liniang as half of her mother.
“She’s you? What do you mean? You’re confusing Mother.” Jiang Liniang asked bewilderingly.
“She is a clone I cultivated. Do you know what a clone is?” Cheng Hongling tried to explain.
“I don’t know.” Jiang Liniang shook her head honestly.
“A clone means a body split off from myself… Forget it, just treat her as my sister,” Cheng Hongling said helplessly.
“Sister? Then what should I call her?” Jiang Liniang asked, not quite understanding.
“Mother, I’m Qi Huang,” Qi Huang introduced herself politely.
“I know your name, but how do I distinguish between you two? Besides the clothes, you are exactly the same,” Jiang Liniang said somewhat awkwardly after sizing up Qi Huang.
Cheng Hongling thought for a moment, then walked over and extended her jade finger to press against the clone’s forehead.
Qi Huang naturally did not dare to resist, so she could only let her main body manipulate her. As the jade finger pressed against her forehead, she felt a cold aura transmitted from her skin.
A moment later, Cheng Hongling released her finger, a trace of satisfaction appearing on her face. “Fortunately, the clone’s mark is still usable.”
‘What mark?’ Qi Huang wondered, so she released her Spiritual Sense to probe her forehead. Then she “saw” a pink mark the size of a soybean, shaped like a lotus, which looked like a tattoo.
“A pink lotus-shaped tattoo! Isn’t this the universal mark for female clones in the cultivation world?” Qi Huang recalled what her master had said, and felt extremely awkward. Not only had she become a girl, but she had also become someone’s female clone, and even more humiliatingly, she had been marked, like a personal belonging.
Qi Huang was about to withdraw her Spiritual Sense when it bumped into Cheng Hongling’s Spiritual Sense.
“I didn’t expect you to actually have Guiyi Realm Spiritual Sense!” Cheng Hongling’s face showed a hint of surprise, then she said to her mother, “Mother, if you see this mark in the future, it means it’s my sister.”
“Okay, now it’s easy to recognize,” Jiang Liniang said with relief.
“Now come in with me.” Cheng Hongling commanded and turned to enter the boudoir.
Qi Huang also hurried in. Being under someone else’s roof, she had no choice but to obey. Only by being obedient could she avoid physical suffering.
Cheng Hongling entered the room, then turned and sat on the large bed, crossing her legs.
Qi Huang could only stand obediently in front, too guilty to even lift her head.
“Spiritual Sense is incredibly profound. Besides scanning, its greatest characteristic is its ability to see through things, which is why many scoundrels in the cultivation world use it to peep at women’s bodies. Your cultivation level is pitifully low. I was worried that you would bring shame to me if your body was seen by others, but I didn’t expect you to actually have Guiyi Realm Spiritual Sense,” Cheng Hongling said, teasingly sizing up her clone.
Qi Huang didn’t know what to say and continued to huddle into a ball.
“Since you have Guiyi Realm Spiritual Sense, it’s easier. Now, like me, extend a part of your Spiritual Sense and form a shield around your body. This way, you can defend against ill-intentioned individuals,” Cheng Hongling commanded without question.
Qi Huang extended her Spiritual Sense out of her body and indeed saw a semi-transparent shield outside the “main body.” So, she started to imitate her, and soon completed it.
“Do I need to maintain this state all the time? In the HongHua Sect, besides you, Sect Leader Qin is the only other cultivator in the Guiyi Realm. Do we need to guard against him?” Qi Huang felt it was a bit taxing on her mind, so she asked tentatively. Then she suddenly said fearfully, “Could he be one of those disrespectful bad Sect Leaders who likes to peep at girls’ bodies?”
“Who knows? However, keeping you in this state is not just to guard against him; it’s mainly to train your Spiritual Sense, so you can rapidly improve your strength,” Cheng Hongling said impatiently, showing no intention of defending the pitiful Sect Leader.
“Oh!” Qi Huang suddenly understood.
“Alright, as the saying goes, courtesy comes first, then the soldiers! I’ve done my part. As for whether to resort to force, it depends on your performance. Now you can tell me, right? Why did a damaged face grow into a complete body? Why does a damaged Spiritual Wisdom have such strong Spiritual Sense?” Cheng Hongling’s voice became cold again.
Qi Huang was stunned. She really couldn’t answer any of these questions.
“Not talking? Let me remind you, if you don’t talk now, you won’t have another chance. I can completely wait until I re-establish a Soul Bond with you and read your memories myself.” Cheng Hongling reminded her.
“How do we establish it?” Qi Huang asked foolishly.
“Want to know? Satisfy your needs.” After saying that, Cheng Hongling’s graceful figure suddenly disappeared, carrying a scent of fragrance as she lunged towards Qi Huang.
