Chapter 66

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“Hehe…”

“Hehehe…”

A silvery, bell-like laughter echoed through the air.

At that moment, a warm, flickering light appeared in the hall of the side courtyard, casting a soft glow from within. A woman’s light laughter floated out.

“Who’s there?!” Zhou Zhen shot up from his seat, shouting fiercely toward the tightly closed doors.

Bang!

The doors of the hall swung inward, revealing a woman’s silhouette kneeling on a cushion in the center, her back to him as she prayed before a shrine on the wall.

Cautiously, Zhou stepped forward, squinting to get a better look. From a distance, the figure moved slightly, turning just enough for half of her face to catch the candlelight, revealing a charming smile.

It was an unfamiliar woman he had never seen before.

“Something’s wrong…”

The old man quickly stepped back, only to feel his back bump into something. In the next instant, he felt a weight settle on his shoulder, as though someone was gripping him from behind. A strange, furry sensation brushed against his ear and the side of his face, sending a chill down his spine.

Turning his head slightly, he glimpsed a long, furred face craning its neck, staring directly back at him.

“Fox—”

The old man shouted, and suddenly, his vision brightened. The courtyard was bathed in warm sunlight, the cicadas’ droning filled his ears once more, and not far away, Lu Liangsheng stood under the eaves, smiling calmly with his brush in hand.

“Elder Zhou, did you see the spirit?”

“I did, I did.”

Zhou Zhen nodded repeatedly, all traces of his earlier composure gone. Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped the sweat from his face, feeling an unusual sense of peace in the familiar warmth of the sun. Even the mansion, which he had grown so accustomed to, now appeared inviting and beautiful in a way he hadn’t appreciated before.

Under the eaves, Lu Liangsheng was quite satisfied with the illusion he had just cast. With his improved cultivation, the brushstrokes flowed effortlessly, filling him with a sense of freedom and ease.

Let’s try again.

Wanting to test his limits, he stepped out to the courtyard’s crescent gate and gazed at the central flowerbed. With the Daoist and Zhou Zhen watching curiously, he lowered his brush onto a new sheet of paper.

Sun Yingxian and Zhou Zhen leaned forward in fascination as a small green shoot sprouted from the flowerbed. Under the scholar’s swift brushstrokes, it grew rapidly, thickening into a sturdy trunk, with drooping green sepals and dense branches soon bursting into a profusion of pink blossoms.

“A peach tree sprouting from thin air—marvelous!”

The elder couldn’t help but exclaim. Passing servants and maids stopped, covering their mouths in awe as they watched the peach tree continue to grow, its blossoms forming a vast, ornate canopy. Birds from afar fluttered in, chirping and circling the grand tree.

From the back courtyard, Zhou Rong, frail and supported by a maid, stepped out to catch a glimpse. Her once-dull eyes brightened, bringing a sense of joy and serenity to her heart.

A delicate fragrance lingered in the air.

In an instant, the tree’s blossoms shed countless petals, swirling in the wind and scattering across the sky.

“So beautiful.” The young woman murmured softly.

In the distance, as the petals drifted away, peaches began to ripen on the branches, turning from green to red. While the elder was captivated, Sun Yingxian mumbled as he fiddled with a talisman.

“Looks nice, but what’s the use…”

Lu Liangsheng set down his brush and looked over at the Daoist. “Go ahead and pick one to taste.”

“You can eat them?”

Sun Yingxian eyed the peaches with suspicion, then kicked off the ground, employing his lightness technique to leap up. He kicked off the tree trunk several times until he managed to grab the lowest branch.

Snap!

Sun Yingxian plucked a peach from the branch, pulling a few leaves along, and landed back on the ground. He instinctively wiped the peach and took a big bite, his eyes widening in surprise as he quickly turned to look at the scholar standing by the crescent gate.

“It feels real…”

He chewed quickly, savoring the sweet flavor that filled his mouth.

“Let this old man try too,”

Zhou Zhen said, stepping over and taking the peach for a bite. It had a real, tangible feel, though the peach flavor was somewhat faint. He looked at Lu Liangsheng, marveling at what felt like a divine technique.

But as they came to their senses, both the peach tree in the flowerbed and the fruits in their hands vanished, leaving only a fleeting memory of sweetness that seemed as if it had never been.

“Hey, hey, let me have another bite!” Sun Yingxian protested, but then a thought crossed his mind. Pointing to the sky, he whispered: “If you could draw a dragon… then couldn’t you ride it?”

Zhou Zhen’s heart nearly jumped into his throat.

Lu Liangsheng glanced at him, wiping sweat from his forehead, and quickly waved his hands in refusal.

“That’s beyond me. Even maintaining this peach tree took all I had. As for drawing a dragon flying in the sky, I wouldn’t have any strength left, not to mention the power required for something that immense!”

Thank goodness there’s no dragon riding…

The old man breathed a sigh of relief, realizing just how shaken he had been.

After a brief silence, he acknowledged the depth of Daoist magic he had witnessed, his heart still racing. He turned to take his leave from the two young men, offering some sage advice as he departed.

“Remember, it’s all in good fun, but don’t cross any boundaries. Liangsheng, with your talents in cultivation, your future is limitless, but you should also continue reading the classics. They will help you build both character and integrity and keep you from straying down a dark path.”

Lu Liangsheng adopted a solemn expression, bowing deeply. “Yes.”

As the elder turned to leave, Lu Liangsheng called him back, asking the Daoist to retrieve a blank scroll from the house.

“Elder Zhou, I have a special inscription for you to hang at home. It will keep evil spirits at bay and ensure your peace.”

As he spoke, the Daoist returned with the scroll in hand. He held it high, positioning it for the scholar to write.

The elder came closer in, watching as Lu began with a bold character, Huang (煌), and nodded in approval.“Good handwriting!”

The brush tip glided like a dragon, tracing along the scroll to write the inscription once left by the Mountain God. Every stroke left a trace of ink, with a faint glow seeping in. Finally, he finished with his customary signature—Lu Liangsheng.

Lu Liangsheng took the scroll, blew on the ink, and it dried instantly.

“The Radiant Glow of Dawn Endures for Thousands of Years, Divine Might Shakes Heavens and Earth!

The old man repeated the inscription twice, admiring it—not so much for the words but for the quality of the calligraphy. While such inscriptions were easy enough for him to compose, seeing such refined handwriting from someone so young was rare.

“Since you are so thoughtful, I’ll have it framed and hung at once.”

Content with his recent progress in cultivation and the success of his illusions, Lu Liangsheng felt his spirits lift.

What a pleasant day…

Returning to the side courtyard, he grabbed a book and sat under the shade with Sun Yingxian. He brewed a pot of fine tea, listened to the persistent chirping of cicadas, and leisurely read through his studies.

After all, the classics hold the wisdom of the sages.

A gentle breeze swept across the wild landscape, blowing southward from He Valley Prefecture.

Less than twenty miles from the city, in the dense forest, the rustling of a wild creature racing through the underbrush echoed.

A fleeting reddish afterimage darted through the shrubs, leaping past tree trunks. Glancing back over her shoulder, the petite figure with a reddish hue saw flocks of birds scatter in alarm, flying frantically among the trees.

Two figures, one white and one red, pursued her closely, leaving claw marks on the ground and tree trunks alike.

“Little sister, don’t run! Are you still trying to sneak into the city to meet that lover of yours?”

Another seductive voice called out, taunting.

“Hehehe… Before you go, shouldn’t you return the yang essence you stole from those scholars…”

Then, the alluring tone twisted into a sharp, ear-piercing snarl.

“—and give it back to us!!”