Chapter 75: What, Junior Sister Hong Ling is still in seclusion (Part 2)
Ruan Lingyu’s jade-like legs were slender, and her steps were agile, so she didn’t look affected by affectation when she moved. She entered the HongHua Sect openly, without even taking out the Immortal Elder’s waist token from her waist.
“Junior Sister Ruan!”
The two male disciples responsible for guarding the gate greeted her with humble and respectful nods. No one dared to stop her.
Ruan Lingyu nodded in response and passed through the checkpoint without any hindrance. It was clear that her face was her pass here.
As Ruan Lingyu entered the HongHua Sect, greetings could be heard from all around. It proved that the status of women in Immortal Sects was not necessarily low. As long as you were excellent enough, you could also be above others.
Ruan Lingyu turned left and right among the buildings and soon arrived at the “Orchid Courtyard” on the back mountain, which was the gathering place for the female disciples of the HongHua Sect.
Ruan Lingyu stood in front of a small hut and then respectfully called out, “Master, I’m back.”
“Yu’er, come in!”
Xu Mei’s voice came from inside the house.
Ruan Lingyu received permission, so she gently pushed open the door and walked in. She then saw her Master sitting cross-legged on the bed, without even opening her eyes. It was obvious she was cultivating.
“I’m sorry, Master! I’ve disturbed you.”
Ruan Lingyu quickly apologized.
“It’s alright. Was this mission successful?”
Xu Mei asked casually. Her complexion was rosy, her lips were full, and her skin showed no wrinkles. She looked like a beautiful young woman in her thirties. This was the benefit of cultivation. Although it couldn’t achieve eternal youth, the aging speed was much slower than that of ordinary people. In fact, she was approaching fifty years old.
“Very smooth. It was just a weak vengeful spirit, it couldn’t even manifest.”
Ruan Lingyu replied respectfully.
“That’s good!”
Xu Mei’s expression remained unchanged, and she asked, “What about the Cat’s Eye Tears I gave you? Is there any left? The Sect Leader has assigned us another mission and needs someone to complete it.”
The “Cat’s Eye Tears” she mentioned were essential items for low-level cultivators to subdue demons and eliminate monsters, as only by smearing them on the eyes could one see ghosts.
“Uh…”
Ruan Lingyu’s face flushed, and she weakly explained, “Although that vengeful spirit was weak, it was very cunning. I wasted a lot of Cat’s Eye Tears to find it…”
“Forget it, I’ll think of a way myself.”
Xu Mei sighed deeply, and her expression became solemn.
Ruan Lingyu felt increasingly guilty. “Cat’s Eye Tears” were consumed in large quantities in the cultivation world, so both the finished products and the materials were often priceless and hard to find.
“You should go back and rest. You’ve worked hard during this time.”
Xu Mei then instructed her considerately.
“Yes!”
Ruan Lingyu cupped her fists and accepted the order, then turned to leave.
“By the way, your Junior Sister Hong Ling is in seclusion. Although you sisters haven’t seen each other for many days, it’s best not to disturb her.”
Xu Mei suddenly reminded her.
“What?”
Ruan Lingyu’s delicate body trembled, and then she turned around in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?”
Xu Mei slowly opened her phoenix eyes.
“You said Junior Sister Hong Ling is in seclusion?”
Ruan Lingyu confirmed again.
“Yes, is there any problem?”
Xu Mei’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly with displeasure.
“This isn’t right. I saw her in Ping’an County Town the day before yesterday when I returned!”
Ruan Lingyu explained the situation.
“Impossible. Since the martial arts competition a month ago, she has been in seclusion. How could she go out and run around?”
Xu Mei shook her head and explained.
Ruan Lingyu was completely stunned. She opened her small mouth and froze for a moment before saying in a frantic tone, “But Master, I really saw Junior Sister Hong Ling in Ping’an County Town, and I even returned the twenty taels of silver I owed her.”
“Are you sure you didn’t mistake her for someone else?”
Xu Mei reminded her.
“Mistake her for someone else?”
Ruan Lingyu murmured, her mind replaying the scene from that day. A hint of doubt gradually appeared on her face. After a moment, she said, “But now that you mention it, she did seem different from usual, with dry hair and rough hands. I thought she was so engrossed in cultivation that she forgot to maintain her image.”
“It seems you really mistook her for someone else. Although Hong Ling cultivates diligently, when has she ever been so dishevelled?”
Xu Mei made a definitive conclusion.
“No way, could there really be two people who look exactly the same in this world?”
Ruan Lingyu still couldn’t believe it.
“Indeed there won’t be. Then there’s only one possibility: that person is impersonating your junior sister.”
Xu Mei narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly as she spoke, her imposing aura condensing without releasing.
“Impersonating my junior sister?”
Ruan Lingyu’s beautiful eyes widened, and a flash of killing intent crossed them. “Anyone who dares to impersonate a disciple of our HongHua Sect is simply seeking death! And she even embezzled twenty taels of my silver!”
“I’m more worried about what her intentions are in doing this! Yu’er, it seems I have to trouble you to go on another trip, as only you have seen her.”
Xu Mei explained the reason, her expression suddenly becoming serious, and she ordered, “By my command, have Su Qingying, Shen Yuan, Yun Fei, and Miao Xiang accompany you to Ping’an County Town. Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must find that impostor and investigate the reason.”
“Yes, and then?”
Ruan Lingyu cupped her fists in a heroic manner.
“Then? Kill without mercy! Our HongHua Sect has been too lenient in its actions before, which is why all sorts of riff-raff dare to be presumptuous now. This time, we must make an example of them.”
Xu Mei’s sharp gaze shot out like arrows.
“Yes!”
Ruan Lingyu quickly turned and left.
…
Meanwhile, the poor Huang Qi was struggling against sleep. Because his parents didn’t let him do any chores, he naturally felt sleepy when he was idle. However, knowing that he would transform into a woman if he fell asleep, he could only force himself to stay awake.
It was like this until evening. After Huang Qi finished washing up, his mother knocked and entered the room.
“That… daughter-in-law! I’ve come to chat with you.”
Li Fen said as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Huang Qi recalled their conversation during the day and became uneasy.
“Let’s… let’s chat about what?”
Huang Qi recalled their conversation during the day and became uneasy.
“To be honest, our home must seem very poor to you, a rich young lady, right?”
Li Fen asked tentatively.
“Uh… it’s… it’s alright.”
Huang Qi didn’t know what his mother wanted to say, so he vaguely responded.
“Alas! Actually, the situation is like this in every household in the countryside now. There are wandering spirits outside, and any fields that are too far away cannot be planted. We can only make use of the two or three fen of land near the village. Coupled with the extremely low temperature, the crops grow slowly, and the harvest is poor, making it difficult to even fill our stomachs.”
Li Fen sighed and explained.
“I know!”
Huang Qi agreed.
“What? Did Huang Qi tell you these things?”
Li Fen’s eyes lit up.
“Yes.”
Huang Qi lied.
“Then you won’t dislike our family for being poor, will you?”
Li Fen cautiously probed.
“How could I?”
Huang Qi immediately confirmed. To increase his persuasiveness, he even stated, “I value the person, not the money!”
“That’s great! In that case, about the betrothal gifts…”
Li Fen seized the opportunity to test the younger “daughter-in-law’s” stance.
“As expected, you’re waiting for me here.”
Huang Qi couldn’t help but laugh and cry. However, to reassure his mother, he forced himself to endure the embarrassment and continue acting like a good daughter-in-law: “Betrothal gifts, we don’t need those at all!”
“Don’t need them at all? Do you want Huang Qi to become a live-in son-in-law? Is this your parents’ intention?”
Li Fen was stunned for a moment, then she seemed to be guessing on her own.
“Ah?”
Huang Qi almost had a stroke from his mother.
“Actually, there’s nothing wrong with being a live-in son-in-law. Given his conditions, it’s good enough that he can find a wife, especially a talented girl like you. However, I need to talk to his father about it. You know men are all about saving face.”
Li Fen forced a smile on her face, stood up, and was about to leave.
“No, no, no… My parents didn’t ask him to be a live-in son-in-law. I… I’ll marry him, but we still don’t need betrothal gifts. Our family isn’t… isn’t short of money.”
Huang Qi was anxious, so he blurted out. After saying it, he realized how shameful it was for a man to say such a thing, so he lowered his head, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
“Really?”
Li Fen hadn’t expected such good fortune to come her way. After repeatedly confirming with her future daughter-in-law, she went to deliver the good news to her husband.
Huang Qi’s face was burning. How absurd was everything in front of him? He, a grown man, was discussing with his mother how much betrothal gift was needed for his marriage.
Huang Qi lay on the bed fully clothed. Because he was afraid of feminization, he forced himself to stay awake and not sleep. He even lit the oil lamp from time to time to check his left arm.
Time slowly passed. Huang Qi felt like every moment was a year. Several times he almost couldn’t hold on, so he had to take out a needle and stab himself hard.
After a period of torment, the east finally began to show the white of the sky.
Huang Qi forced himself to get up and wash. Because he was afraid of his parents discovering anything unusual, he returned to his room after breakfast. Fortunately, daughters-in-law had a superior status in this era, otherwise, such behavior would definitely be disliked.
Huang Qi sat on the bed, looking weak and dispirited. Time dripped by. After an unknown period, he finally couldn’t hold on any longer and fell asleep in a daze.
Huang Qi slept so soundly that he lost track of time. Strangely, he didn’t have any dreams. When he opened his eyes, the sun had already set in the west.
“Damn it!”
Huang Qi suddenly remembered his situation and sprang up in bed. He quickly grabbed his clothes to examine his body.
“How could this be?”
After a moment, Huang Qi muttered in disbelief.
