Beneath a gloomy sky, the rain curtain seemed tinged with a layer of crimson.
Raising his head, he watched the massive blood sphere's contained blood energy being refined and absorbed by the short sword engraved with blood-red runes. Han Wu muttered to himself, "How does this not look like a Demon Cultivator?"
"You're the Demon Cultivator!" Xia Ming glared at Han Wu, "Your whole family is Demon Cultivators!"
Han Wu glanced at the girl about his age, immediately seeing that she wasn't human, after all, the Spiritual Power of the Human Clan and demon beasts still had some differences.
"I said 'looks like,' not 'is'." Han Wu snorted lightly, "Besides, who on the righteous path uses blood as a path?"
"That depends on how it's used." Xia Ming put her hands on her hips, "If my family's Young Master were a Demon Cultivator, he would have already blood-sacrificed the entire Nanzhuo Domain long ago, no need to wait until now! No need to target only the Blood Emperor Sect!"
Han Wu thought about it too, and said nothing more. He looked ahead, pouting slightly. That guy didn't even have the decency to hold an umbrella for the Holy Daughter.
In front of the erected shared tomb, Zhu Nanzhi held an oiled paper umbrella in her left hand, her eyes serene as she watched Lu Jin'an set up the tombstone engraved with the epitaph. She softly spoke, "Young Master Lu, were you considering for me just now?"
Lu Jin'an backed to her side, "What are you referring to?"
Zhu Nanzhi smiled faintly, "If it weren't for me, would Young Master Lu have explained so much to Xiao Li and not just acted straight away against the guy with the surname Lin? Am I right?"
"You figured it out?" Lu Jin'an tilted his head at her, "So clever?"
Indeed, my husband is very gentle~
Even when it came to his own matters, he didn't forget to consider his wife.
Zhu Nanzhi, happy and triumphant, slightly raised her chin, "Because Young Master Lu just said to me, 'there's no other way,' so I guessed you were thinking about me."
"Because you said you came for Xiao Li." Lu Jin'an looked towards the tombstone, "But she chose Lin Mu, who was possessed, so she could only be an enemy."
Saying so, he extended his right hand, watching as raindrops fell into his palm. As he gently clenched, it seemed something drifted away with the wind from his palm.
Zhu Nanzhi looked contemplatively at Lu Jin'an, "Destiny? His?"
"Yes." Lu Jin'an spoke softly, "You know as well, Sitting and Illuminating Realm is a realm of Sitting and Reflecting, a realm of understanding Self. In this realm, even if Lin Mu could use secret techniques from the Upper Realm to deceive the Heavenly Dao, he couldn't deceive himself."
"So husband... you waited in the Nanzhuo Domain for a year and a half." Zhu Nanzhi realized, "Just to avoid being tainted by his karma."
"I don't need it, nor do I find it appealing." Lu Jin'an smiled slightly, "When he himself admitted he wasn't 'Lin Mu', I no longer had to worry about getting entangled with his destiny."
Because what he killed wasn't Lin Mu, but another person who broke the rules.
"Heavenly Dao..." Zhu Nanzhi shook her head, "Sometimes it's like a little girl being manipulated."
"Afraid of being overheard?" Lu Jin'an teased.
"So what if it hears? What can it do?" Zhu Nanzhi said unconcerned, "Even if the Upper Realm knows it's breaking rules, it can't do anything.
They managed to deceive the Heavenly Dao and 'possess' someone once, they can do it a second time, a third time."
Pausing, Zhu Nanzhi spoke meaningfully, "Moreover, the Heavenly Dao is merciless."
"Yes." Lu Jin'an withdrew his rain-drenched hand, and as he was about to shake it off, Zhu Nanzhi had already taken out a square handkerchief and placed it in his hand, "Wipe it."
"Thank you." Lu Jin'an said as he wiped, "I won't return it."
"That's the best~" Zhu Nanzhi smiled brightly, then asked, "Why take his bloodline after killing him?"
"Seven-star Channeling Body." Lu Jin'an answered concisely, "Once awakened, it has a close connection with those Dao Palaces above the Sky Dome."
"For Body Refinement?"
"Yes." Lu Jin'an nodded slightly, "I want to see how difficult Body Refinement in this era truly is."
"This is your destiny," Zhu Nanzhi glanced at the tombstone, "Why not ask which clan from the Upper Realm?"
"It doesn't matter." Lu Jin'an said nonchalantly, "No matter which clan, none are innocent."
Zhu Nanzhi nodded slightly, those lofty figures from the Upper Realm were certainly competing for power through these rule-breaking methods, else the clan responsible would have been punished.
Clearly, collaborating on such rule-breaking 'possession' matters reaps maximum benefits.
"Killing them, wouldn't the Upper Realm know about you?" Zhu Nanzhi watched his profile, her eyes deep.
"It doesn't matter either." Lu Jin'an looked up at the gloomy sky, "The Upper Realm is not invincible, besides...
I am strong, and I can grow stronger."
Zhu Nanzhi's eyes sparkled as she watched his confident gaze, once again seeing another aspect of her husband that fascinated her~
Moreover, given his likely unmasked appearance, it just made things easier to identify him once she returned home.
Lu Jin'an, without visible reaction, glanced at Zhu Nanzhi's fervent eyes, silently thinking, "I fear you more than the Upper Realm."
After all, Zhu Nanzhi seizes opportunities to quietly poison and craft Sword Spirits, making it impossible to guard against.
Suppressing his thoughts, Lu Jin'an turned to look at the blood-red Spiritual Power sphere already drained by the short sword, summoned it back to his hand.
"Leaving again?" Zhu Nanzhi blinked.
"The matter is finished, time to head back." Lu Jin'an stepped into the rain.
"She isn't your patient." Zhu Nanzhi suddenly spoke, clearly referring to Xia Ming whom she'd seen once before, "Why lie to me?"
Lu Jin'an raised his fingers in turn as he walked, "First, I've always been wary of your goodwill; second, because of that wariness, I hid her origins."
"Is she yours?" Zhu Nanzhi asked again.
"She isn't." Lu Jin'an, standing beside Xia Ming, turned and looked at Zhu Nanzhi, "Fairy Zhu, this time really..."
"One last question!" Zhu Nanzhi took two steps forward, hurriedly interrupting Lu Jin'an, staring straight at him, "Young Master Lu... was your master a man or a woman?"
She originally intended to ask Lu Jin'an's real name, but changed her mind upon seeing Xia Ming reappear beside her husband.
Names could always be found out eventually, so she was more interested in whether there were any other women around Lu Jin'an!
Lu Jin'an smiled slightly, Zhu Nanzhi's reaction was not beyond his predictions.
Having anticipated further meetings with Zhu Nanzhi, he prepared a second surprise for her.
A 'surprise' to shift some of the attention from Zhu Nanzhi, this infatuated girl's, focus off him.
"My master is a woman." Lu Jin'an slowly spoke, "I became her disciple at ten years old."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Nanzhi involuntarily tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, her expression on that classic face completely frozen.
Lu Jin'an politely bowed.
"Till we meet again."
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Author: Thanks for the 1000 coin reward from Long Night Without Fire, the 500 coin reward from Cat House Tizi, the 233 coin reward from It's Just a Small Stool, the 100 coin reward from Xi in Your Heart, and the 100 coin reward from Slap a Mosquito to Death.
Update times are at noon and 8 PM, read early and rest early, no need to stay up late ~