Chapter 122: An Invitation to Dinner

"Sister Tingting, please focus on resting for now. You shouldn't get involved in these matters. If what you said is correct, Qingya is likely too preoccupied with her husband's plight to pursue you for the time being. I will think of a way to resolve this once and for all later."

Zhang Shouzhen stroked his chin, lost in thought. Qingya’s fate could only end in one of two ways: either her soul would be scattered, or she would be captured by the ghost guards and dragged to the underworld. As for the one named Shaohua, it was a creature that could only be destroyed. Such a grotesque existence, which fed on human flesh to sustain its own, had no place in this world.

About an hour later, they returned to the Li villa. Tie Niu arranged living quarters for Tingting and Erniu. During the journey back, Erniu had regained consciousness and was overjoyed to learn that the ghost of Qingya had been purged from Tingting’s body by Zhang Shouzhen.

"Young Master, this time, not only did we brothers fail to be of any help, but we also fell victim to the gu-poison. If not for Miss Jiu'er’s intervention, I fear our very flesh would have been torn to shreds. Here are our phone numbers; if you ever need us, we will be at your beck and call." Nie Shisan handed Zhang Shouzhen a slip of paper, his face flushed with embarrassment and sincere regret.

Zhang Shouzhen took the note and tucked it into his pocket, then smiled. "No, Brother Shisan, if not for the two of you, we would likely still be hunted by Shaohua. You cannot say you didn't help. Though the gu-poison is gone, you both have quite a few scratches; you should go and have them treated as soon as possible."

Hearing this, the brothers’ faces grew even redder, realizing he was referring to their role in driving them to safety. After Nie Shisan thanked Jiu'er, they hurried away.

"School starts tomorrow, so get some rest early tonight." Zhang Shouzhen patted Jiu'er on the shoulder with a grin, then frowned as he headed toward his room. His body felt sticky, and the mere thought that it was the disgusting residue left by Shaohua made him feel deeply uncomfortable.

After showering, he went to the practice room to cultivate. Jiu'er, meanwhile, sat cross-legged in the circular pit in the back garden, absorbing the earth’s baleful energy while gazing at the full moon in the sky. Suddenly, she opened her mouth.

Faint, silvery-white moonlight flowed into her mouth. This light contained the power of the Great Yin, which was immensely beneficial to a zombie's cultivation. It was a pure energy that functioned as the vital essence of heaven and earth for her. Since she had not reached the level of a Zombie Ancestor, she could not cultivate during the day; the sunlight contained the essence of solar fire—the ultimate yang energy—which was the bane of all demons and ghosts, let alone zombies.

Li Tagu did not seem to be in the villa. Only a silver-haired youth stood barefoot on the roof, his silver hair dancing in the wind. His silver pupils scanned the surroundings, clearly perceiving everything around the estate. Li Yinlin was responsible for the villa's security, especially in Li Tagu's absence.

The next day, Zhang Shouzhen and Jiu'er arrived at school early. Their homeroom teacher had been replaced by a middle-aged man, but otherwise, everything remained the same.

The class was fully attended. Jiang Puti wore a short-sleeved shirt, but his arms were wrapped in white bandages, and there were faint cracks on his face that had already scabbed over. He looked listless, slumped over his desk in a deep sleep. However, the moment class ended, he instinctively lifted his head, stared at Zhang Shouzhen in front of him, tapped him on the back, and said with a grin:

"Shouzhen, my sister wants to treat you to lunch today."

"Treat me?" Zhang Shouzhen turned around, staring at Jiang Puti with a strange expression.

"It’s because of you, isn't it? If you hadn't handed that Supreme Clarity Thunder Talisman to my sister so she could destroy the final formation eye, would we have ever escaped that lethal trap? If we had all died in there, even the high-ranking officials of the Daoist sects wouldn't have been able to intervene—our deaths would have been in vain, as we were merely pawns in their gamble.

"Now that we’re alive, those high-ups might not care, but we know it was a life-saving grace. Of course, our lives are still incomparable to the fragments of the Investiture of the Gods. After all, that item was passed down by our Jiang ancestors. The original scroll shattered into twelve pieces; with the one we just recovered, we only have seven. Who knows when we’ll find the rest and restore the scroll to turn the tide of our family’s fortune."

Jiang Puti pursed his lips and sighed softly. From birth, they had been burdened with a heavy responsibility: to help the family recover the remaining fragments. Regardless of the power the Investiture held, this duty alone was enough to leave them breathless, and the same was true for Jiang Bufan.

"We have already formed an alliance; there is no need for such formalities," Zhang Shouzhen said with a faint smile.

"Shouzhen, do you dislike eating with me that much? Or do you think I can't afford to pay for this meal?" Jiang Mingyue appeared behind Zhang Shouzhen, biting her lip, her eyes bright and filled with a hint of mischief.

"No... Mingyue, you’ve misunderstood. I just didn't want you to go to the expense. It’s such a small matter. By the way, how is your wound? You need to be careful with your diet while recovering." Zhang Shouzhen looked at her awkwardly, his gaze falling on her shoulder, where Qian Hui’s blade had plunged deep during their fight.

Today, Jiang Mingyue wore a pink dress with a mesh shawl over the top that concealed the injury. However, the mesh revealed her snow-white skin, as smooth as mutton-fat jade. Zhang Shouzhen caught a glimpse, blushed deeply, and quickly averted his eyes.

"A small matter? You saved my life, and you call that a small matter? Do I really disgust you that much?" Jiang Mingyue rolled her eyes, looking at him with feigned grievance. Zhang Shouzhen broke into a cold sweat, stammering and unsure how to explain himself. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, but I’m warning you, I have quite an appetite."

"Can you eat more than Fatty? By the way, let’s invite Jiu'er along too," Jiang Mingyue said with a playful laugh, gesturing toward Fan Xiaopang not far away.

The canteen at Dilong High School was privately contracted, and while the food was abundant, it was significantly more expensive than outside. Jiang Mingyue had already booked a private room. Aside from Jiu'er, who was from another class, everyone else was a classmate and a familiar face.

Jiang Mingyue, Jiang Puti, Fan Xiaopang, Zhang Shouzhen, and Jiu'er gathered at the table.

"Thank you both for what happened last time. If it weren't for you two disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect, we would likely have been wiped out. A toast to you both! By the way, Jiu'er, I’ve prepared something special for you." Jiang Mingyue giggled and winked at Jiang Puti. Jiang Puti pulled a bottle of red wine from his bag, sealed with a wooden cork. With a mysterious smile, he handed it to Jiu'er. She took the bottle and shook it; the "wine" inside seemed quite viscous. She pulled out the cork, and a thick, rich scent of blood wafted from the bottle.

"Such pure blood!" Jiu'er stared at Jiang Puti, stunned. The bottle contained fresh blood, and its quality far surpassed that of an ordinary person’s vital essence.

"Of course. This blood was collected from Jiang family disciples who were injured in the past. Grandfather says that our bloodline carries great power. Jiu'er, you’re in for a treat. Because the talismans we Jiang disciples draw are crafted with our own blood, their power is far beyond that of those drawn with cinnabar. This blood is extremely precious; if we hadn't returned with a fragment of the Investiture, Grandfather would never have agreed to give us this bottle as a reward," Jiang Puti explained, watching the bottle longingly.