Father and Daughter's Secret Plot

Lin Tianlu's cold eyes swept across the surroundings, vaguely spotting dried bloodstains in the corner of the cellar.

"The frequent eerie laughter within the Cheng manor, it seems to be the doing of Steward Cheng, and your daughter, Cheng Xinyin."

"Mister Lin, you wrong us."

But Cheng Yanghua shook his head and cupped his hands, saying, "That chopping sound at night wasn't our doing. If it truly were us, why would we have introduced Mister to our manor? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?"

"Then why are you hiding here?" Lin Tianlu chuckled. "This doesn't look like a place for peaceful rest."

The environment was so gloomy and eerie, it was practically screaming 'evil deeds' on its forehead.

What normal person would hide in this ghastly place?

"...Alas! I don't know what Yishi was doing, failing to delay Mister's actions."

Cheng Yanghua was silent for a moment, as if realizing his plan had been exposed. He couldn't help but sigh lightly, "I had hoped to rely on Mister to find those who were hiding and causing trouble, to resolve the sudden turmoil in my Cheng family. I never expected it would ultimately lead back to us, a complete failure."

Lin Tianlu frowned slightly.

Was it truly not this father and daughter?

But that laughter—

"Enough!"

Cheng Yanghua sighed deeply and slowly lifted his sleeves. "Since Mister Lin has come to this place, I cannot simply let you leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, he clapped his hands sharply.

An eerie wind suddenly whipped up, phantoms flickering and intertwining, causing the cellar's surroundings to transform dramatically.

Lin Tianlu glanced to the side and saw Hua Shuya beside him had quietly disappeared. Not only that, but Cheng Xinyin, who had been standing beside Cheng Yanghua, had also vanished.

"Mister Lin truly has remarkable composure, showing no signs of panic," Cheng Yanghua grinned, spreading his hands with interest. "Do you have no thoughts on the changes before your eyes?"

"Quite magical."

Lin Tianlu withdrew his gaze and chuckled, "Are you planning to divide and conquer?"

"Precisely."

Cheng Yanghua nodded frankly. "Everyone in the county says Master Lin is exceptionally gifted, with the appearance of a top scholar. Through over ten years of studying the Four Books and Five Classics, you've gained this righteous talent, allowing you to defeat evil beings. But...

Mister is, after all, just a scholar. Even with occasional training, your limbs are still as thin as firewood. You don't need my daughter to act; I alone can chop off your hands, feet, and head."

Cheng Yanghua's face contorted into a cold sneer as a sharp boning knife slid from his sleeve, which he gripped tightly.

"What a pity. I am neither a demon nor a ghost, so your righteousness is useless against me."

"As for Miss Hua, she appears to be a female swordmaster with extraordinary martial arts skills. But such a mortal martial artist with only brute force is perfectly suited for my daughter to handle."

"It seems you were well-prepared."

Lin Tianlu's tone was calm. "What exactly have you and your daughter been doing in Changling County?"

Cheng Yanghua continued to sneer. "I have no interest in having a heart-to-heart talk with Mister. But—

It is truly a strange coincidence."

He wiped the sharp knife in his hand and walked closer step by step. "The 'evil spirit' that plagued Changling County was eliminated by Mister. Although this saved the cloth shop from danger, there are now no other strange spirits to hinder us.

Prey of such fine quality as yourselves—a scholar with spiritual energy, a handsome swordsman, tsk tsk! We've never had the chance to get our hands on you before. Now... we gratefully accept!"

With that, he suddenly lowered his stance and charged forward. His seemingly aged body erupted with extraordinary speed!

But—

To Lin Tianlu's eyes, the man's movements appeared somewhat... sluggish.

Like an old man forcing himself to jog slowly.

Seeing the sharp knife attack, his expression was calm. He casually sidestepped the thrust, his hand moving quickly to grab Cheng Yanghua's wrist.

Under Cheng Yanghua's astonished and bewildered gaze, Lin Tianlu twisted and pushed, forcefully disarming him of the weapon. With an elbow strike, he sent Cheng Yanghua crashing to the ground.

"Pfft, cough cough cough!"

Cheng Yanghua clutched his bleeding nose and coughed twice. Just as he was about to roll over and stand up, a sharp knife was already pressed against his brow. His pupils contracted, and his heart filled with dread.

"—This, how is this possible?!"

This person, isn't a scholar?

What ordinary scholar has such good skills?!

Lin Tianlu's expression was emotionless as he said coldly, "Steward Cheng, you're an old bone of fifty or sixty years. You move slower than a crawling turtle and can't even beat a scholar. What gives you the nerve to act like a tyrant in Changling County and even take lives?"

"You, you—"

"If you don't want to die, tell me about your daughter." Lin Tianlu narrowed his eyes, using the sharp knife to carve a bloody gash on his forehead. Blood flowed down his brow and eyes.

Cheng Yanghua's face turned slightly pale, but he still forced a smile at the corner of his lips.

"Mister Lin, do you really dare to act?

Don't forget, my daughter is currently fighting Miss Hua. If I die, Miss Hua behind the curtain of illusions won't last long."

"You say... this is called an illusion?"

Lin Tianlu, however, wore a strange expression.

The next moment, he waved his hands a couple of times beside him, as if grabbing something, then gave a forceful tug.

Rip--!

A sound like tearing cloth suddenly erupted, and the invisible barrier that had enveloped the center of the cellar was immediately torn apart, revealing the one person and one ghost locked in fierce combat.

Clang, clang, clang--!

Palms and sword edges collided rapidly, scattering sparks as the battle raged intensely.

But Hua Shuya's assault was not hindered in the slightest. Her swordplay was ferociously sharp and relentless, forcing Cheng Xinyin to retreat repeatedly. Victory seemed within her grasp!

"Ah... Ah?!"

Cheng Yanghua watched, dumbfounded, frozen in shock as if struck by lightning.

"It seems not only is your so-called illusion a shoddy product, but even the daughter you pinned your hopes on is half-baked." Lin Tianlu said gravely, "Do you have anything else to say?"

"..."

Cheng Yanghua remained in a dazed silence for a long moment.

Then, his expression abruptly changed, and he said urgently, "My, my daughter... she only needs others' blood to survive."

Lin Tianlu was speechless. "There isn't a trace of living human energy in your daughter. She's likely long dead. How can she still be surviving?"

"No! She's not dead yet! She's just too weak now and needs human blood to eke out an existence!" Cheng Yanghua quickly wiped the blood and cold sweat from his face. "Please forgive me, Mister Lin! I was just too anxious to save my daughter, which led me astray. Please spare my life and don't kill me!"

With that, he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Please also forgive my daughter, Mister Lin! She's ignorant and naive; I corrupted her! I shouldn't have let her consume human blood... No, although Xin Yin and I collected human blood, we never took a life. Those people we drew blood from only felt weak for a few days, and after taking our family's money, they left safely and quickly!"

"Is that so?" Lin Tianlu's gaze grew colder.

"I would never dare to deceive you, Mister Lin!" Cheng Yanghua's face was streaked with tears as he quickly made a swearing gesture. "I swear by the ancestors of the Cheng family that nothing I've said is fabricated. Xin Yin and I may have sinned, but not to the point of death. Please, Mister Lin, be merciful-- Pfft!"

He was immediately kicked to the ground.

Jingle--

A sharp knife was thrown to his side.

Cheng Yanghua, utterly bewildered, got up from the ground. Just as he was about to show a hint of joy, Lin Tianlu's indifferent voice echoed in his ears.

"Take your own life."

"What... what did you say?"

"If I truly believed your nonsensical ramblings, I would be disgusted for the rest of my life." Lin Tianlu clasped his hands behind his back, his cold gaze seemingly dismissive. "Haven't you noticed yet? The blood of dozens of lives flows from your hands, your hands stained with blood like a butcher's. And those who died tragically have been surrounding you all along, staring straight at you."

Steward Cheng froze all over, cold sweat pouring down his face. His terrified eyes instinctively flickered to the side.

"No, it's impossible... Where is the blood, where are the tragically dead..."

But after a moment of silence, he suddenly grabbed the sharp knife at his feet and charged forward with a ferocious expression.

"I'll fight you--!"

Slash!

A sword blade emerged from his chest.

Cheng Yanghua muttered blankly, finally falling lifelessly into a pool of blood.

Lin Tianlu looked at the figure who had arrived silently, a hint of surprise on his face. "Miss Hua?"

"Such a vile person, laden with sins, needs no action from Senior." Hua Shuya's pretty face was icy. She swung her sword, letting the bloodstains spill onto the ground. "Junior still has a warrant from the authorities. Killing a scoundrel requires no further inquiry; leave the execution to Junior."

"Thank you." Lin Tianlu nodded slightly, his gaze drifting into the distance. The female ghost, who had been emanating a chilling aura, was now miserably sprawled on the ground, her tattered clothes looking quite pathetic.

"Miss Hua, your sword techniques--"

"Thanks to Senior's repeated guidance, I now possess the means to contend with demons and evil spirits." Hua Shuya smiled sweetly, her beautiful eyes seeming to convey deep gratitude. Then, she turned back to look at the ghost's figure, her gaze suddenly sharp as a sword. The surging fighting spirit in her chest made her solemnly exclaim, "No longer afraid, no longer fearful. I am now invincible!"

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