An Unexpected Encounter

Ahem, okay, it must have been a misunderstanding. Huang Jing's injuries have stabilized and he's asleep. Madam Huang was exhausted after a long day, so she came over for a bath to relax, but she was too tired and fell asleep right away.

Zheng Zetian was not fortunate enough to enjoy the pleasure of bathing with someone else's mistress, so he tiptoed up and prepared to slip away.

As fate would have it, he had barely climbed out of the bath and hadn't even had time to put on his robe when someone else came in.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Zheng, are you satisfied with my medicinal bath?"

Madam Huang was immediately awakened. Of course, she could tell that the voice belonged to her adopted son, Huang Wu. Just as she was about to speak up to stop him from getting closer, she turned her head and saw Zheng Zetian standing right in front of her. She almost cried out in surprise!

Zheng Zetian reacted swiftly, closing in on her and striking Madam Huang acupoints repeatedly with his fingers. He then entered the water, pulled her into his arms, and shielded her behind him.

So when Huang Wu entered the medicinal pool, he saw this kid, seemingly cuddling and nibbling at his own 'maid' who had come for a massage. He grinned, crossed his arms, and teased,

"Young friend Zheng is quite the ladies' man! No need for a sign or a barrier before getting straight to the point. Quite swift, isn't he? No wonder that Xuanmen brat is vying for your attention. Perhaps those two girls are already... hahaha! A man who isn't a ladies' man in his youth is wasting his life, I understand!"

Madam Huang pressure points had been acupunctured, glared angrily at him from her arms, while Huang Wu continued to grumble behind his back. Even Zheng Zetian, who was usually as composed as he was, broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the mist in the Dan Pool made it difficult to see his predicament for the moment.

Zheng Zetian took a deep breath, placed Madam Huang far away on the other side of the pool, turned around and said,

"May I ask what brings you here, Young Master Huang?"

Huang Wu laughed, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be so formal. I've seen your skills and wish to make your acquaintance. This Storage Jade some cultivation materials and daily necessities, only worth a few tens of thousands of taels. It's just a small token of my appreciation, nothing special. I'll just leave it here so as not to disturb your enjoyment, hehe."

Zheng Zetian took a look and sure enough, the Storage Jade that Huang Wu had given him was the gold-inlaid jade communicator from the company. How could a cultivator unfamiliar with technology possibly find out that such a spy was planted right next to him? It really left no trace.

"Thank you for the gift, Young Master Huang. I will visit you another day to express my gratitude."

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Huang Wu smiled and said, "It is my honor to make friends with you. I won't bother you any longer."

Although Huang Wu had left, Zheng Zetian was still covered in cold sweat. After all, Madam Huang was still glaring at him from behind, which was not easy to explain.

Zheng Zetian's eyes darted around, and he came up with an excuse. He turned around and went directly to Madam Huang. Facing her slightly panicked gaze, he clasped his hands in greeting and said...

"Uh, sister, thank you for the Huang family's hospitality, but I can recover on my own and don't need any assistance with dual cultivation. Please leave..."

Hearing that the other person didn't seem to recognize her and mistook her for one of his concubines, Madam Huang's embarrassment lessened slightly. She was hesitating whether to get angry on the spot and scold the boy for his frivolous and rude behavior, or to take the easy way out and pretend to be a concubine to go back to her room after her bath.

Zheng Zetian's expression suddenly hardened. He was releasing his Divine Sense and was extremely nervous when he heard someone entering the Dan Pool again!

So, instead of immediately relieving Madam Huang's pressure points, he changed his approach, pressing her forehead down and submerging her in the medicinal pool, pinning her down beneath him. At the same time, he placed his hand under Madam Huang's ribs and used his palm force to apply pressure to her to prevent her from suffocating. Then he turned to look at her.

This time, it was Huang Ru, the eldest son of the Huang family, who came in.

"Fellow Daoist, did you enjoy your soak?"

Zheng Zetian remained expressionless.

"So it's the young master! You startled me. Why doesn't your Dan Pool's medicinal bath have any protective barriers?"

Huang Ru smiled apologetically.

"I apologize for disturbing Fellow Daoist Zheng's cultivation. I only asked Huang An to leave me a way out because I wanted to be friends with you. Please don't take it to heart. I'll turn off the magic array for you when we leave."

Zheng Zetian looked at him.

"Young Master also wants to give me a gift? Then let's put it there together."

Upon seeing the gold-inlaid jade, Huang Ru immediately understood, shook his head, and smiled.

"What, Erlang's been here? Sigh, my younger brother, he always argues with me about everything. Why can't he understand that we're brothers from the same mother? All this arguing is just that—arguing. If we really anger Father, he might give all the family property to outsiders. What's the point?"

Oh dear, I've said too much. Please don't mind. Here are three thousand taels...

Zheng Zetian placed his palm against hers and could feel Madam Huang's heart, which had been pounding wildly, suddenly skip two beats. Knowing that she had heard Huang Ru's words, he immediately devised a plan and suddenly spoke.

"Oh, I understand. I heard that your family also has a third young master, Huang Jing, who is the son of the head of the family. He offended someone in Ink Bamboo Mountain and was seriously injured. This time, my master was invited to treat him."

"It seems you were the ones who did this, trying to eliminate this formidable enemy and seize the family fortune. That's why you all came to befriend me, this unremarkable young disciple. You probably saw that I'm about the same age as him and from the same class, so you could have an opportunity to eliminate this threat silently, right?"

Madam Huang trembled, her heart pounding wildly.

Huang Ru was also stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed heartily, swapped the Storage Jade in his hand, and put it down.

"My friend is joking. Here are 30,000 taels of Banknotes, consider it an investment for you."

Junior Brother Zheng is exceptionally intelligent and talented; he is destined for greatness. If you ever need anything in the future, just come to my house for it."

Zheng Zetian nodded. "I'll think about it."

Huang Ru smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute, "I won't disturb your recovery any longer, fellow Daoist."

Seeing Huang Ru walk out and activate the magic array beside the Dan Pool, Zheng Zetian breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that no one else would come to befriend him. He then lifted Madam Huang out of the medicinal liquid.

Madam Huang, whose acupoints were sealed, quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Zheng Zetian squinted at her. "What, pretending to faint? Do you want me to breathe on you mouth-to-mouth?"

As he spoke, he casually stroked Madam Huang's lower abdomen, channeling a stream of true energy into her. She felt a warm current rush into her body, stimulating Madam Huang so much that she could no longer pretend. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she glared angrily at the young man in front of her.

Zheng Zetian completely ignored the other party's angry wink and complained as he spoke.

"You heard it all, didn't you? Humph, the Huang family's fight over the inheritance has dragged me into it too."

Huang Jing is, after all, a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, and I've met him once. I wouldn't break the sect rules and kill a fellow disciple. But those two will cost tens of thousands of taels of silver, and someone might just lose their mind and agree.

If I get dragged into this later, I won't be able to explain myself at all. That would be really bad luck!

Reminded by him, Madam Huang suddenly realized that now was not the time to worry about being harassed by this young man; her son's life was in danger. She immediately looked at Zheng Zetian with pleading eyes.

Zheng Zetian shrugged.

"Looking at me like that won't do any good. You're just a concubine who sleeps with someone in bed. How could you know about such things? Even if I don't kill you, do you think they'll let you live?"

However, Heaven cherishes life, so I'll give you three suggestions.

The worst option is to report what you've heard to your father-in-law, and see if he'll uphold justice and kill you, or if he'll decide that family scandals shouldn't be aired in public.

The middle strategy is for you to take those two Storage Jade and fly away. Anyway, the Huang family's affairs have nothing to do with you, and I'll pretend I don't know anything. A few tens of thousands of Banknotes will be enough for you to live on.

The best course of action is for you to report what happened today to Huang Jing's mother, the matriarch of the Huang family. She'll have to find a way to save your life to protect her own son."

Madam Huang realized that Zheng Zetian was advising the 'concubine' to inform the 'madam,' which was indirectly saving Huang Jing's life. Her body went limp, and she felt much more relaxed. A hint of gratitude appeared in her beautiful eyes.

Zheng Zetian felt that the other woman's heartbeat and breathing had calmed down, and he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Madam Huang would no longer jump up and fight him. So he reached out and pressed on Madam Huang's body, releasing her pressure points.

"You decide what to do next. If I want to cultivate in seclusion, I don't need the massage. As for those Storage Jade, if I accept them, I'll be involved in karma, and I can't refuse to do these things for them."

Take it as evidence.

Madam Huang hesitated for a moment, then nodded silently to Zheng Zetian, covered her chest with the water, took her Storage Jade, and left the Dan Pool.

Zheng Zetian finally breathed a sigh of relief; the whole night had left him drenched in sweat. But he didn't have time to leisurely relax and take a nap in the sauna.

I don't know if the company's assassins will come tonight. Although I tricked Madam Huang into taking the communicator, so I don't have an extra eye on me, Huang Wu is a company employee, and he might have some kind of surveillance drones or similar devices at home.

Zheng Zetian dared not linger any longer. He took another Nine-Flower Pill to replenish his true energy. After calculating that Madam Huang had already gone far away, he got up and left the Dan Pool to find Song Dayou.

At this moment, a group of cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain were still drinking in the living room. The Huang family had already cleaned up the tables, chairs, and broken coral. Song Dayou, Master Shang, Boss Huang, and the other Ink Bamboo Mountain cultivators who came to the banquet were obviously acquainted with each other and had been friends for decades. They gathered together to drink heartily, sing to the moon, and were all quite drunk, enjoying themselves immensely.

Zheng Zetian didn't go up to disturb them, but sat by the hall watching them, digesting the Dao Breath of the Nine-Flower Pill while peeling chestnuts and eating them.

That's great. He used to have a lot of brothers, and they'd drink and chat together...

Unfortunately, they were all dead...

"Senior brother, senior brother..."

After sitting for an unknown amount of time, Zheng Zetian suddenly heard someone calling his name. He turned around and saw Ling Chan waving at him from outside the hall.

He subconsciously got up and walked towards her, but after taking three steps, looking at the strange smile on her face and her wet hair, he suddenly realized what was going on.

No, this isn't Ling Chan.

"Senior brother, come with me, come with me."

'Ling Chan' seemed to be playing hide-and-seek, hopping nimbly ahead, leading Zheng Zetian through the Huang Residence.

Zheng Zetian remained expressionless as he followed the damp footprints left behind by the other person to a secluded garden in the backyard.

"Senior brother, senior brother, I'm here, senior brother..."

The voice of 'Ling Chan' echoed faintly from a well deep within the artificial hill.

What, you're inviting him down? Okay, let's go then.

So Zheng Zetian wrapped the thirty-six thunder pearls around his wrist, took out the Azure Cloud Smoke Robe to protect himself, and put the gold ring, Golden Brick, and Golden Rope in his pocket, arming himself to the teeth. Then he walked to the well and looked down.

The well was empty until suddenly a ripple appeared in the water, and a jade-green toad, taller than a person, appeared out of nowhere. It squatted at the bottom of the well, looked up at the sky, and stared at Zheng Zetian.

Is this... the red toad of Qingcheng Mountain...?

Then the toad opened its mouth and spat out Ling Chan's head.

"Senior brother, come here, senior brother..."

"Come here my foot! Come here!"

Zheng Zetian took out a Golden Brick and threw it down. With a loud "bang!", it smashed Ling Chan's skull open and popped her eyeballs out.

But the toad neither dodged nor fought back, and 'Ling Chan' kept calling out, "Senior brother, come on, senior brother..." At the same time, the toad puffed out its throat and spat out 'Ling Juan's' head to join in the calling.

"Senior brother, come here, senior brother..."

Zheng Zetian frowned, took back the Golden Brick, and did some calculations with his fingers.

The toad shut its mouth and stared at him with bulging eyes.

Zheng Zetian thought for a moment and guessed that someone had probably invited him to a meeting. He simply leaped into the well and landed on the toad's back. With a flick of his hand, he bound the demon-binding lock around the toad's mouth and led it around like a mount.

The toad didn't resist. It simply burrowed into the ground and water, diving underground and moving swiftly. In the blink of an eye, it had escaped the Huang Residence and left the territory of Crane Head Peak, emerging from a waterway beneath a spiritual pool waterfall.

Zheng Zetian jumped off the toad's back and saw a beautiful young girl of about seventeen or eighteen sitting on the rocks below the waterfall. She was wearing a bright blue dress and holding a white cat in her arms. She turned her head and smiled at him, revealing two shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth.

Do you recognize me?

Zheng Zetian thought for a moment and realized that he hadn't seen this person before, and it seemed that they hadn't met in his previous life either. However, for some reason, he felt that this person looked somewhat familiar. He frowned and thought for a while, but then shook his head.

The girl smiled and stroked the cat in her arms.

"Then I shall be Jade Toad Granny."

"Jade Toad Granny?"

He had heard of Jade Toad Granny; she seemed to be a powerful demon with a bounty on her head in Ink Bamboo Mountain. Right, last time Chen Sha went after Jade Toad Granny and fell into the company's trap.

So this guy is also Bio-Human, no, a bio-engineered toad from the company...

The problem is, if he remembers correctly, the information the 'Girl' system gave him back then did not include this so-called 'Jade Toad Granny' among all the clones and weapons the company had near Ink Bamboo Mountain.

After all, the company's offspring were all Nascent Soul Stage demons, but this girl in front of him smelled like a man-eating monster, yet her demonic aura was completely refined, clearly indicating that she had already Divine Transformation some years ago.

So that's the monster that collaborates with the company?

"... You seem to know my background?" Jade Toad Granny tilted her head and flashed in front of Zheng Zetian. "Which reincarnation are you? Don't you really recognize me?"

Zheng Zetian glanced at the white cat in the other person's arms and shook his head.

Jade Toad Granny glanced at the cat, but the cat didn't meow. She shrugged, then quickly sat back down under the waterfall.

"Fine, since you're a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, you must have heard of me. But don't worry, I won't eat you today. I just want to make a deal with my junior brother."

She tossed a jade slip to Zheng Zetian.

"You're only at the Golden Core stage, yet you've already cultivated a black lotus. You must have read through the Great Learning. With such Cultivation Method, you might be able to master this cultivation technique. Don't be shy, take it and give it a try."

Zheng Zetian tried to probe the jade slip with his Divine Sense, but found that the technique had no name, only chaotic and illogical text, and this character... looked so familiar...

"Hmph, not bad, this is indeed the original work of Luo Yin, the founder of the Luo Sect. The Luo Sect's Heavenly Books passed down through generations were all dictated by Ancestor Luo Yin and compiled by his disciples. This book, however, is the general outline of the Heavenly Book, the Great Dao of the Void Star, which Ancestor Luo personally wrote after he went mad Moon Worship!"

Oh, that's right, no wonder even he didn't recognize himself...