Volume One, Chapter 84: The Other Party Transfers You One Million

Qin Yu couldn't quite make sense of it for the moment, but seeing the old objects in the study filled her with sorrow. She gently stroked the battered wooden desk where she used to read, only to find her hand stained with blood. The desk was painted a deep red, so unless one looked carefully, it was impossible to notice the bloodstains.

Following the trail of blood, Qin Yu's pupils contracted. The old desk was badly worn, with one of its legs gnawed away by mice. But that wasn't the main point—the real point was what was propping up the desk leg!

She reached out and pulled out a piece of waste paper, folded neatly into a square about a thumb thick. After serving its purpose for so long, the paper had turned pitch black, almost blending in with the desk itself. Qin Yu unfolded the paper, which was almost beyond unfolding, and only then realized it was not just any scrap, but rather a page torn from a book.

Judging by the texture of the paper, it was very similar to the three missing volumes. Qin Yu's curiosity prompted her to read the content, and what she saw made her heart pound. The page recorded a secret method—the Path to Immortality. Creating spirits that feed on incense offerings was only the first step of this method.

Qin Yu sensed a faint spiritual energy fluctuating on the last line. She guided a wisp of her own energy to her fingertip, which immediately merged with the aura on the paper, causing the words to float into view:

Run!

As night fell, a slender figure vaulted over the wall. Holding a Talisman of a Thousand Miles, she vanished swiftly from Ling Mountain Monastery.

Yet, what she did not know was that not long after her departure, a peal of thunder crashed down, splitting open a newly made grave.

From the grave, an old man crawled out, cheeks flushed as he greedily gulped down the fresh air. Only after his breath was smooth again did he pat his chest and grumble,

"My precious disciple, you buried me far too thoroughly! If not for the thunder’s aid, I really would have perished here today!"

Suddenly, he sensed something amiss; his expression changed drastically. He quickly scrambled out of the grave, tossed a puppet in, and the puppet instantly took on his appearance. He then meticulously refilled the grave.

Later that night, a shadow burst through the doors. Brimming with rage, he stormed into the room, only to find it neat and empty. The corpse that had lain on the floor was nowhere to be found...

—

Qin Yu ran all the way to the foot of the mountain in one breath. Leaning against a tree, she gasped for air.

The only flaw with the Talisman of a Thousand Miles: it was utterly exhausting.

"Master Shanqiu?"

A delighted voice sounded from behind her.

Qin Yu glanced sideways and saw a handsome young man in a branded white T-shirt and jeans, with a sparkling stud in his ear.

"It really is you, Master! I almost thought I was mistaken!" Lu Hualing was beside himself with joy, his voice so loud he seemed eager to announce to the world that he had met Qin Yu.

Qin Yu cast him a flat look. "What are you doing here?"

Lu Hualing sheepishly fiddled with his earring. "Didn’t you mention on your last livestream that you were cultivating at Ling Mountain Monastery? I thought I’d come by and make an incense offering."

Qin Yu saw through his lie immediately. "You think my master is more powerful than I am and wanted to ask for a safety talisman, didn’t you?"

Lu Hualing grinned, utterly unembarrassed at being seen through. He even gave her a thumbs up. "As expected from the Master—nothing escapes you!"

Qin Yu couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth.

Don’t lay it on so thick—it made her want to curl her toes into the earth from the awkwardness.

"No need to go," she said.

"Huh? Why not?"

"My master has already passed away."

Lu Hualing’s clear, foolish eyes blinked twice, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. He wanted to say something, but seeing Qin Yu’s slightly reddened eyes and her disheveled, dirty appearance, his playful demeanor faded. He tried to comfort her. "Don’t be sad, Master. Your master didn’t die—he attained perfection and passed peacefully."

Qin Yu rolled her eyes at him.

Her master had been murdered, not passed away in peace.

But she had no intention of telling him the details.

Qin Yu turned away, unwilling to speak further, but Lu Hualing didn’t mind at all and shamelessly followed her at a respectful distance.

Catching a glimpse of Lu Hualing out of the corner of her eye, then glancing up at Mu Ling, who floated above her, Qin Yu felt a headache coming on.

"Hah! Another one just like you!"

Now it was Mu Ling’s turn to protest. The little black spirit put his hands on his hips and haughtily tilted his unseen chin. "Another one like me? I’m much smarter than that idiot, thank you very much!"

Qin Yu inwardly complained: just two attention-seekers, that’s all.

Lu Hualing trailed after her, cautious and anxious not to lose sight of her, all the while furiously typing on his phone like an overzealous fan sharing celebrity news with friends.

"Uncle, guess who I ran into today?"

"I met the Master!"

"Aaaah! You’ll never guess—she talked to me so much today!"

He didn’t care whether there was a reply or not and kept bombarding with messages.

At last, perhaps annoyed by the flood, a reply came.

Lu Jinyuan: "Where did you meet her?"

Encouraged by the response, Lu Hualing grew even more excited.

Lu Hualing: "Remember I asked you to come with me to Ling Mountain the other day? I met her right at the foot of the mountain! Regret not coming with me now, don’t you?"

She returned to Ling Mountain?

Lu Jinyuan paused. Hadn’t she only returned to the Su family yesterday?

Why would she come back to Ling Mountain in the middle of the night?

Could something have happened?

Lu Jinyuan: "Did something happen?"

Lu Hualing: "Whoa! Uncle, how did you guess? Something did happen."

Lu Hualing: "The Master’s teacher passed away. She seems pretty down. I’m following her to make sure she’s safe—it's not good for a girl to be out alone this late."

Lu Jinyuan: …

No matter how he read it, his nephew sounded just like a villain.

Lu Jinyuan: "I’ll transfer you a million. Keep an eye on her. If it’s not enough, let me know."

Lu Hualing’s eyes widened in surprise. "Received!"

After a moment’s thought, he realized something was odd, so he messaged again, "Uncle, when did you start caring so much about the Master? Since when are you two so close?"