Chapter 11

Yu Zhengzheng tightly closed her eyes, holding her breath, her arms hanging by her sides tensed to the extreme.

In her heart, she silently hoped Xiang Feng would be swift and decisive. She dreaded the idea of needing a second strike if the first failed to kill her.

Time seemed to crawl by, yet the excruciating pain she had anticipated never came. Instead, startled exclamations erupted in the Holy Spirit Hall.

“Green light! Wood spiritual root’s green light!”

“Heavens! How can a wood spiritual root possess spiritual energy?!”

“Am I seeing this right? In over a thousand years, she’s the first cultivator with spiritual energy from a wood spiritual root!”

Dazed, Yu Zhengzheng opened her eyes. She caught sight of the Lingyun Pearl radiating a faintly luminous green glow—so light it almost seemed ethereal—a sign of wood spiritual root energy.

Shanshui laughed joyfully. “I told you! Miss Zhengzheng doesn’t need to cheat; she naturally has a yang-aligned wood spiritual root.”

Nearby, a junior disciple from the Yuling Sect urgently exclaimed, “Even though she’s wood-aligned, the test initially showed fire spiritual roots. She must have stolen the silkworm-silk bracelet to tamper with the Lingyun Pearl!”

Although the elderly woman was surprised, she betrayed no expression. “What they say makes sense. Perhaps she did steal her sister’s bracelet.”

Yu Zhengzheng finally shook off her shock. Suppressing her inner elation—so strong it made her want to leap into the sky with joy—she calmly said, “I didn’t steal her bracelet.”

The junior disciple from the Yuling Sect sneered. “Your weak spiritual energy probably made you envious of your sister’s silkworm-silk bracelet. That’s why you stooped to such lowly tricks.”

The elderly woman, still harboring resentment over Xiang Feng’s earlier humiliation of her, naturally sided with them. “Regardless, her cheating is proven. She’s a despicable thief. She should not pass the examination—”

“She didn’t do it,” Xiang Feng interrupted.

He glanced at the white robe Yu Zhengzheng wore and casually explained, “This robe is the King’s garment, woven from silkworm silk. It requires tens of thousands of strands to make, whereas that woman’s bracelet uses just four strands.”

His point needed no further elaboration.

Yu Zhengzheng’s robe, made from tens of thousands of strands of silkworm silk, made it inconceivable for her to covet a bracelet with merely four strands.

The Holy Spirit Hall erupted once more. Those who had mocked her moments ago quickly changed their tune. Their eyes, now fixated on her white robe, sparkled with awe, as though they were gazing at a walking treasure trove.

Tens of thousands of strands of silkworm silk—what kind of wealth was that?

All the assets of every sect in the cultivation world combined likely couldn’t rival the value of the white robe Yu Zhengzheng was wearing.

Envy filled the room, and flattery flowed freely. People now wished they could bow to her and swear sisterhood on the spot.

Yu Zhengzheng, with a good-natured smile, said, “It’s no wonder my sister suspected me of stealing her bracelet. I was the only one in contact with her. Now that my innocence is proven, I’ll help her look for it. After all, it was a gift from Father three years ago, purchased with funds he embezzled from the Qingxiang Hall…”

The moment she said it, she abruptly covered her mouth, feigning a regretful expression as if she had misspoken.

In recent years, ascension in the cultivation world had become increasingly rare. With fewer people stepping into this realm, the various sects struggled to make ends meet. To address this, the Heavenly Realm established Qingxiang Hall to allocate annual funds for cultivating talent.

The management of Qingxiang Hall originally fell to the head of the Yuling Sect, the leading sect in the cultivation world. However, to avoid conflict of interest, the responsibility was handed over to the leader of Mount Penglai.

Yu Zhengzheng’s father had often embezzled these funds to purchase treasures such as the silkworm-silk bracelet. When the Heavenly Realm noticed a significant depletion in its treasury, he blamed it on a theft in Qingxiang Hall. In the original story, his crimes were exposed years later. The heroine, Yu Jiangjiang, escaped from her senior brother’s grasp but was forced to return, pregnant, to beg him for help in saving her father.

Today, one wave of turmoil followed another. Had it not been for the cultivators’ inability to leave the Ghost Sect’s grounds at the moment, they would have immediately reported this to their respective sects.

Three years ago, over ten thousand premium spiritual stones were “stolen” from Qingxiang Hall, leaving the sects struggling to make ends meet. Some cultivators even missed their chance to ascend because of it.

Now it turned out the leader of Mount Penglai had stolen the funds to buy treasures for his daughter—a shameless act beyond belief!

Moments ago, people admired Yu Jiangjiang for breaking through to the Golden Core stage at just 18. Now, disdainful and disgusted gazes replaced their admiration.

If not for Yu Jiangjiang’s bracelet, they wouldn’t have lived in such poverty for the past two years. Now that the bracelet was missing, it seemed like poetic justice.

Yu Zhengzheng approached Yu Jiangjiang, taking her hand. “Sister, quickly search yourself. Perhaps the bracelet is still on you.”

Yu Jiangjiang’s face turned deathly pale as though a secret had been exposed. She hadn’t lost the bracelet—it was hidden by her own hands. 

She had intended to frame Yu Zhengzheng for cheating but never expected things to spiral out of control.

Even now, she couldn’t understand how Yu Zhengzheng had learned about this matter.

Her father had handled everything flawlessly. Aside from her and her mother, no one else knew the truth.

Now it was over. The cultivators in the Holy Spirit Hall would certainly send word to their sects. Once the truth came out, her father would face Heavenly Realm’s punishment.

Yu Zhengzheng, sensing the moment was ripe, stopped needling Yu Jiangjiang further. After all, the days ahead were long. If Yu Jiangjiang were completely ruined now, who would engage in the tragic romance with the senior brother later?

She turned to the elderly woman who had been intent on condemning her. “Have I passed the examination?”

The elderly woman’s expression darkened, still struggling to process everything. She muttered dazedly, “The King’s robe… How could this…”

Yu Zhengzheng smiled faintly. “The Hall of Lanterns is cold. The Ghost King was worried I’d freeze.”

Her words conveyed one thing, but the people in the hall interpreted them entirely differently.

The elderly woman hastily knelt, kowtowing three times. “This foolish old woman failed to recognize greatness. Miss Yu, please don’t hold a grudge…” 

Yu Zhengzheng wasn’t going to seriously hold a grudge against the old woman. It was a stroke of luck that she managed to get through the situation unscathed today. She had no idea where the green glow had come from, and she was far from confident about it.  

Perhaps it was truly linked to the Ghost King’s white robe. She figured that if she took it off, the Ling Yun Pearl might no longer react.  

Understanding the importance of knowing when to quit while ahead, she smiled gently and stepped forward to help the old woman up. “It was all a misunderstanding; you only acted out of concern for my sister.”  

Her words carried two layers of meaning. On the surface, she was offering the old woman an easy way out, but in truth, she was pointing out that it was Jiangjiang and the two sisters from the Yuling Sect who had instigated the situation, leading to the misunderstanding in the first place.  

The old woman’s expression shifted subtly, and a suppressed anger flickered in her eyes. She shot a fierce glare at Jiangjiang.  

Jiangjiang’s knees buckled in fear, and she nearly collapsed on the spot.  

The assessments continued. After finishing two groups, Shanshui led them to the Heavenly Steps of the Sacred Spring.  

Xiang Feng stayed behind in the Sacred Spirit Hall to oversee the ongoing assessments, so he didn’t accompany them.  

Shanshui was visibly excited along the way. “Zhengzheng, you’re amazing! It’s been ages since I’ve seen a wood spiritual root cultivator.”  

Yu Zhengzheng blushed at the compliment. If they weren’t outside right now, she might’ve been tempted to pull out the nutrient-starved spiritual grass from her storage bracelet just to confirm that all of this wasn’t a dream.  

She expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Shanshui. If it weren’t for you, I’d likely already be a corpse.”  

Then, as if recalling something, she hesitated before asking, “Shanshui, if I may ask, how did you come to join the Ghost Sect?”  

The Ghost Sect was notorious for harboring the most heinous criminals. Shanshui, with her innocent and kind demeanor, didn’t seem like someone who belonged there.  

Shanshui pointed toward the Heavenly Steps in the distance. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve been lying on those steps. Originally, I was a coffin. My master found me comfortable to sleep on, so he brought me back to use as a bed.”  

Yu Zhengzheng’s lips twitched. So, Shanshui was a sentient coffin. That explained her earlier comment about needing to return to sleep with her master—it wasn’t what it seemed.  

They hadn’t exchanged many more words when a group of cultivators surrounded them, eager to ingratiate themselves with Yu Zhengzheng. Everyone seemed desperate to befriend her.  

Unused to such attention after years of isolation on Mount Penglai, Yu Zhengzheng felt overwhelmed. Unlike her, Jiangjiang—who usually enjoyed good social standing—found herself ostracized, even by the two Yuling Sect sisters.  

Under Shanshui’s guidance, they finally arrived at the Heavenly Steps of the Sacred Spring. The spring water there was used to cleanse impurities from the body, enhancing a cultivator’s natural abilities and refining their spiritual core.  

Yu Zhengzheng glanced at the steps, originally envisioning the Sacred Spring as a set of individual soaking pools. Instead, the Heavenly Steps were a series of stacked stone stairs with spring water flowing gently down their surfaces. Ascending the steps barefoot would complete the cleansing process.  

Nearby, a male cultivator removed his shoes, releasing an overpowering stench that assaulted Yu Zhengzheng’s senses. The smell was so pungent—like garlic and scallions left in someone’s teeth overnight—that she nearly vomited.  

Noticing her reaction, the male cultivator hurried over, attempting to support her. “Miss Yu, could it be… that you’re carrying the Ghost King’s heir?”  

Yu Zhengzheng’s nausea worsened.  

She jerked her arm away, only to hear Shanshui reminding everyone, “The Heavenly Steps reveal glimpses of the future. Whatever you see, do not let your emotions get the better of you, or the Sacred Spring may scald you.”  

The temperature of the Sacred Spring depended on one’s emotional state. If one remained calm, the water stayed cool. If emotions ran high, it could boil and even cause fatal burns.  

Fearing the male cultivator’s potential athlete’s foot, Yu Zhengzheng hurried ahead of him, darting up the steps.  

As she ascended, the man pursued her with the intensity of a predator, leaving her utterly baffled. Why was he chasing her so intently?  

Just as she neared the top of the steps, an illusion appeared before her eyes.  

She saw her senior brother gently holding “her” hand. “She” had a swollen, pregnant belly, and the two of them seemed blissfully happy, descending the Heavenly Steps together.  

Stunned, she blinked multiple times to ensure she wasn’t mistaken. To her dismay, the person her senior brother held wasn’t Jiangjiang—it was herself.  

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”  

The once-cool Sacred Spring water abruptly heated, searing her feet like freshly boiled water. She yelped and jumped up.  

Recalling Shanshui’s earlier warning, she forced herself to calm down, suppressing her thoughts, and stiffly continued up the steps.  

Planning to ask Shanshui about the vision later, she found that her companion had already left on some errand. With no other option, Yu Zhengzheng put her shoes back on and returned to the lodging with the group.  

Upon arrival, she overheard gossip outside Tianhe Courtyard. Someone mentioned that Xiang Feng had escorted a female Nascent Soul cultivator to Lan Hall last night to serve the Ghost King.  

Jealousy permeated the crowd. Everyone knew that after just one night with the Ghost King, Yu Zhengzheng had been rewarded with the priceless white robe made of winged silkworm threads. What might this new woman receive?  

Yu Zhengzheng paid no mind to their chatter. They had no idea how terrifying the Ghost King truly was. Having been to Lan Hall once, she vowed never to return.  

Inside her room, she examined her spiritual grass, finding that it seemed to have grown slightly. Yet, it also looked unchanged. After watering it carefully, she stored it away again.  

That night, she didn’t sleep. Jiangjiang sat by her bedside, clutching a sword, watching her closely as if waiting for the chance to strike.  

The next morning, cries echoed from the courtyard. Yu Zhengzheng stepped out to discover that the woman sent to Lan Hall had died overnight.  

Shanshui returned with the corpse, which was draped in a white cloth. A hand protruded, covered in frost, revealing that she had frozen to death.  

Yu Zhengzheng shuddered. If not for the Ghost King’s white robe, she might have suffered the same fate.  

She suddenly remembered the communication bracelet from the Ghost King and handed it to Shanshui.  

Shanshui hesitated. “The King isn’t in Lan Hall today. Without his orders, no one from the Ghost Sect can enter.” 

She continued, “But you’re not a sect member. If you wish to go, I can accompany you.”  

Realizing that even Shanshui feared the Ghost King, Yu Zhengzheng sighed and set off with her toward Wuchuan River.  

As before, the river was shrouded in mist. This time, Yu Zhengzheng took the lead.  

On the suspension bridge, her senior brother’s phantom appeared once more, trying to sweet-talk her into handing over the spiritual grass.  

Having learned her lesson, she confidently burned the illusion with the grass.  

But as she moved on, another figure appeared on the bridge—it was her senior brother again, this time standing in flesh and blood.  

Yu Zhengzheng was amused. “He’s getting bolder—actually stepping onto the bridge this time?”  

She cradled the spiritual grass and called softly, “Senior Brother.”  

The man turned, startled. His brow furrowed. “Why are you here?”  

“You…”  

Yu Zhengzheng didn’t wait for him to finish. With a grin, she sprinted toward him and unleashed a powerful kick, sending him flying into the river.  

A loud *splash* echoed as water erupted.  

Behind her, Shanshui’s face turned pale. “Th-that was the King…”  

Yu Zhengzheng smiled sweetly. “What did you say, Shanshui?”