Chapter 75 – Gradually Deepening Red Mark
“You didn’t mishear. Your Master considered it carefully before saying this. Firstly, as I said, with the HongHua Sect’s strength, we can no longer support the resources required for your future cultivation. Secondly, the Immortal Alliance suddenly changing the selection rules is clearly targeting you. They can change it once, and they can change it again. Nobody knows what will happen in the future! The safest method for you is to join an Immortal Sect in another state, so you can have a fair environment. Otherwise, if you don’t obtain the Golden Life Flower seed before the deadline, no one knows what will happen.” Xu Mei’s mature face showed worry.
‘So, it was Master Xu Mei’s idea for the main body to switch sects back then. It seems she is indeed not someone who is ungrateful.’ Qi Huang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The main body became even more perfect in her heart.
“But, Master, the HongHua Sect has poured all its resources into cultivating me all these years. If I switch sects, won’t I become ungrateful?” Cheng Hong Ling shook her head firmly.
“My child, the path of cultivation is long and arduous. It’s perfectly normal to change Immortal Sects in order to become stronger. In this chaotic world, emotions need to be maintained by strength. If you truly care about the HongHua Sect, you can always come back after obtaining the Golden Life Flower seed!” Xu Mei said earnestly.
Cheng Hong Ling wanted to speak but stopped, a conflicted expression on her pretty face. After a moment, she hesitated and said, “But what if something happens to the HongHua Sect during this time? I’ve been eliminating demons and resolving calamities all over Huang Tian Prefecture for years, offending quite a few ‘people’ in both the Yin and Yang realms. If they find out I’ve left, they will definitely retaliate.”
“Don’t worry, I will announce that you need to go into secluded cultivation for a few years.” Xu Mei revealed her plan.
‘So, this is why the main body pretended to go into secluded cultivation back then.’ Qi Huang suddenly understood upon seeing this.
“A few years? Such a long time, can that really hide the truth? Furthermore, what about the common people outside?” Cheng Hong Ling bit her cherry lips slightly. As the saying goes, you can hide it for a while, but not forever. This countermeasure was full of loopholes, how could she not see it? This obviously inferior plan was clearly thought up by her Master to comfort her.
“My child, don’t hesitate anymore! If you continue to stay in the HongHua Sect, then our only sliver of hope will be completely cut off. You should understand that the Golden Life Flower is monopolized by the Immortal Alliance. The fact that they obtained this item from the Evergreen Convention is enough to prove their strength!” Xu Mei patiently persuaded.
“Perhaps they obtained it by chance?” Cheng Hong Ling held onto a slim hope.
“If the other party didn’t obtain it from the Evergreen Convention, then it’s even more terrifying, indicating that the forces behind this person are enough to contend with the Immortal Alliance. How can our humble HongHua Sect cope? Using yourself as bait is just our wishful thinking, isn’t it? Who knows if they will agree?” Xu Mei’s tone became increasingly solemn.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Hong Ling fell into complete silence. After a long while, she took a deep breath and said, “How about this, let me consider it, and I will give you a reply as soon as possible!”
“You must hurry, we don’t have much time left,” Xu Mei reminded her, not feeling at ease.
This dream ended here, followed by the third dream. This time, the location of the dream was in the bedroom of Jiang Liniang and her husband in the Cheng Residence.
Cheng Hong Ling chatted with her mother for a few sentences, and then suddenly asked, “Mother, how is the red mark on your face?”
Jiang Liniang did not answer. She directly reached out her jade-like hand and lifted her veil, revealing her mature and pretty face underneath.
“It seems to have faded a lot more. Did applying some medicine work?” Cheng Hong Ling asked after examining it closely.
“I don’t know!” Jiang Liniang shook her head blankly. After a moment of thought, she said, “Actually, thinking back, ever since you were born, the color of this mark on my face has been slowly fading. It was black at first, then gradually turned dark red, then bright red, and now it’s starting to turn pink.”
“That’s great! Judging by this, you should be completely recovered soon, and you won’t have to wear a veil anymore.” Cheng Hong Ling was genuinely happy.
“Heh heh… sigh…” Jiang Liniang forced a smile and then sighed inexplicably.
“What’s wrong, Mother! Aren’t you happy to be beautiful?” Cheng Hong Ling asked in confusion.
“My child, there’s a saying, ‘A woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her.’ A woman makes herself beautiful because she hopes to be appreciated by the man she likes. Men are also like this. And I already have your father, and I’m very satisfied with my current life, so whether this red mark is good or bad is no longer that important. If possible, I’d rather live an ordinary life like this.” Jiang Liniang expressed her understanding of life.
Cheng Hong Ling’s face showed a confused expression. She really didn’t understand why her mother would be so dismissive of her appearance. Aren’t all women vain?
“By the way, you shouldn’t have any similar red marks on your body, right?” Jiang Liniang suddenly changed the subject, her clear black and white eyes observing her daughter up and down.
Cheng Hong Ling’s delicate body trembled imperceptibly, but she quickly steadied herself and said, “No!”
“That’s Qun G ⑼鸸〜铃删 (⼆) 令 Qi Qi Si Ba good! Mother now has a happy family and nothing more to wish for. My greatest fear is passing this red mark on to you.” Jiang Liniang revealed her worries.
“Can this thing be inherited?” Cheng Hong Ling asked curiously.
“I don’t know, but Mother remembers very clearly that I didn’t have this red mark on my face when I was young. It only started appearing when I was around ten years old, and then the color became darker and darker. Because of this, the officials and nobles who wanted me as a child bride changed their attitudes, and that’s why your father got lucky.” Jiang Liniang joked.
Cheng Hong Ling fell silent upon hearing this, clearly thinking of the red mark on her own face.
“So, this thing is not something carried from birth like a birthmark. You must pay close attention to your body and tell me immediately if there are any problems,” Jiang Liniang continued to admonish.
“Mother, which are the medicines you use most often?” After a moment, Cheng Hong Ling suddenly asked.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Liniang’s willow-like brows knitted together, her face showing a worried expression.
“It’s nothing, I just want to see their ingredients, just as a precaution,” Cheng Hong Ling lied.
“Actually, I don’t know if it was them that worked. If you want them, you can take them to look,” Jiang Liniang then took out three bottles of medicine from the dressing table drawer and handed them to her daughter.
Cheng Hong Ling took the medicine bottles and examined them carefully, knowing that this was her hope.
At that moment, Jiang Liniang uncovered her veil, then picked up a box of dark red foundation from the dressing table, and began to apply it to the red mark in front of the bronze mirror. Soon, the color deepened a bit.
‘This?’ Qi Huang was bewildered, thinking that even if she wanted to live an ordinary life, there was no need to deliberately make herself ugly.
Cheng Hong Ling wanted to speak but stopped, and in the end, she didn’t ask further.
The third dream ended here, and then came the fourth dream. This time the location was in Cheng Hong Ling’s boudoir.
Cheng Hong Ling, with a plain face, looked at her cheeks in the bronze mirror, her breathing gradually becoming rapid, because the red mark on her face had deepened again.
“Who in the world are you? Not only is the medicine ineffective, but I, a dignified cultivator of the Guiyi Realm, cannot suppress it!” Cheng Hong Ling questioned with a cold tone, but unfortunately, no one could answer her.
“No! I must find a solution as soon as possible! If I delay any longer, I will be discovered sooner or later! Not only would I fail those Senior Sisters’ Golden Life Flower seeds, but Mother would surely feel very guilty!” Cheng Hong Ling muttered to herself, then applied foundation to her face again to cover the red mark.
“Ling’er, Father is back!” At this moment, Father Cheng Yuan’s voice sounded from outside the door.
Cheng Hong Ling let out a deep sigh of relief before standing up to open the door.
Cheng Yuan, dusty from his travels, walked in and then presented a book to his daughter as if it were a treasure, saying, “Look, what gift did Father bring you this time!”
Cheng Hong Ling took it with a confused look. She saw the words “Incarnation Art Cultivation Essentials” written on the cover of the book, and she immediately opened her small mouth in surprise, “This is actually the ‘Incarnation Art’!”
“Yes, I went to the Juyin Auction House in the Prefecture Capital this time, thinking of what might be useful to you, and I didn’t expect to find this ‘Incarnation Art.’ You are already in the Guiyi Realm, and you will soon reach the Huashen Realm. This thing will definitely be useful to you then, right?” Cheng Yuan’s eyes held a trace of anticipation.
“Of course, it’s useful. Thank you, Father. You’ve gone to so much trouble!” Cheng Hong Ling said emotionally.
“It’s nothing. As long as I can help you, I’m very satisfied,” Cheng Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Cheng Hong Ling quickly flipped through it, and her eyes quickly fixed on a certain page. It stated that cultivating a clone could transfer bodily diseases or injuries, so many cultivators used this to treat their own defects.
“If that’s the case, can the red mark on my face be transferred out using a clone?” Cheng Hong Ling muttered softly.
