Chapter 15

Yu Zhengzheng was furious. She kicked him in the knee, forcing him to kneel.  

She snatched the hairpin from his deliberately raised hand, tied up her hair again, and asked curiously, “Do you use your head just to appear taller?”  

Where did this ridiculous person come from?  

Still kneeling, Nangong Tianba grabbed her slender wrist, his lips curling into a devilish smirk. “Woman, you’ve successfully caught my attention.”  

Behind him, his tall, skinny butler nodded approvingly. “It’s been a while since the young master smiled so happily.”  

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”  

Is it a trend to cross dimensions in groups now?  

As Nangong Tianba’s grip on her arm nearly dislocated her shoulder, the pain erased any remaining patience. She turned and slapped his head, following it up with three to five punches until his nose was bleeding profusely.  

Though she was considered weak in the cultivation world, she was still far stronger than an ordinary mortal. This man stood no chance against her.  

Yu Zhengzheng, already upset, didn’t hold back. Using her full strength, she pummeled him until his face swelled like a pig’s head.  

After venting her anger, she dusted off her robes and turned to the group. “I’m done. Let’s go.”  

The two sisters from the Yuling Sect exchanged strange glances. Yu Jiangjiang had a schadenfreude glint in her eyes, while Xiao Yuqing hesitated. “Didn’t you hear Protector Xiang explain the test earlier on the way here?”  

Yu Zhengzheng blinked. From the mountain of Guixu to the mortal world took an hour. She’d passed out from fear of heights shortly after departure and only woke up when they landed. How could she have heard anything?  

Xiao Yuqing took a portrait from Yu Jiangjiang and handed it to her. “This is the target. The test requires us to obtain his family heirloom within five days, using any means necessary.”  

A bad feeling crept over Yu Zhengzheng. “The person is…”  

Xiao Yuqing replied calmly, “The one you just beat up.”  

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”  

Although she hadn’t planned on completing the test, the absurdity of this task still made her retort, “What does this task have to do with serving the Ghost King? What kind of test is this?”  

Protector Xiang, adjusting Sanshui’s attire nearby, smoothed the folds on her clothes and tied a butterfly knot around her waist. “The King’s birthday is approaching. This is his birthday gift.”  

Yu Zhengzheng rolled her eyes inwardly. A creature over tens of thousands of years old was still celebrating birthdays? Did he fear people forgetting his age?  

She didn’t argue further. In her mind, she’d already planned to escape at the first opportunity. Whoever wanted to deal with the task could have it.  

Nangong Tianba had fainted from her beating. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time. His butler, familiar with the routine, ordered servants to carry him into a carriage. As they left, he waved at her. “Miss, could you leave my young master one of your embroidered shoes? It’ll serve as a keepsake when he seeks you out in the future.”  

Yu Zhengzheng pulled off one of her cloth shoes and held it up. “A hundred taels a pair, a thousand for one shoe.”  

The butler pulled a thousand-tael banknote from his pouch with a gloved hand, handed it to her, and took the shoe. “Miss, you’re refreshingly straightforward.”  

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”  

The carriage sped off, kicking up dust. Standing on one leg amidst the cloud of dirt, she stared blankly at the banknote in her hand.  

The two sisters from the Yuling Sect sneered. “Yu Zhengzheng truly has a way with people. After meeting this young master once, she’s completely captivated him.”  

“One might call her free-spirited. When she was at the Holy Spring cleansing her meridians, she managed to bond with male disciples from other sects. Just last night, she didn’t return at all—probably deepening her connections with some male cultivators.”  

Their mockery was veiled as praise, implying Yu Zhengzheng’s “free-spirited” nature was actually wantonness.  

Yu Zhengzheng glanced at Yu Jiangjiang. She didn’t need to think hard to know who had shared her absence with them.  

Yu Jiangjiang clearly intended for the sisters to relay the story to Xiao Yuqing, painting Yu Zhengzheng as a frivolous woman unworthy of trust.  

Yu Zhengzheng couldn’t deny Xiao Yuqing’s attractiveness. As someone who appreciated beauty, she found him appealing. But he wasn’t worth sacrificing her freedom for.  

Since she planned to leave anyway, his opinion of her didn’t matter. She wouldn’t waste time defending herself.  

Before she could say anything, Sanshui chimed in, displeased. “Last night, Miss Yu Zhengzheng was with the King. I watched them sleep together in the Luan Palace. What nonsense are you spouting?”  

Yu Zhengzheng: “…” Why did that sound so strange?  

Xiao Yuqing’s gaze flickered. “You were in the Luan Palace last night?”  

She mumbled an unclear response, grabbed Sanshui’s arm, and hopped off toward the city. “If we wait any longer, the curfew will start.”  

Seeing her reluctance to elaborate, he refrained from asking further.  

The two sisters wanted to press the issue but met his icy glare. Chilled, they swallowed their words.  

By dusk, they reached the bustling city, alive with activity.  

While sect cities in the cultivation world resembled the mortal world, they lacked its vibrant liveliness.  

Apart from Protector Xiang and Xiao Yuqing, the rest had never visited the mortal realm. Enthralled by street performances, they stopped to watch, captivated.  

Yu Zhengzheng initially planned to buy a new pair of shoes, but since everyone else was watching the acrobatic performance and Xiangfeng wouldn’t allow her to wander off alone, she had no choice but to stay and watch with them.  

The performance mostly attracted children, but once Xiangfeng and Xiao Yuqing stood there, the previously sparse street quickly filled with a crowd of admirers drawn to their presence.  

The performer, seizing the opportunity, decided to showcase his best act. He pulled a vibrantly colored snake from a wooden barrel and began to play a melodic tune on a flute.  

The snake swayed its body to the rhythm and slithered up a standing bamboo pole. The crowd cheered enthusiastically, and Yu Zhengzheng, intrigued, took a couple of steps closer to get a better view.  

Xiao Yuqing gently held her back and whispered, “That brownish snake is called a sharp-nosed pit viper, also known as the ‘five-step snake.’ It’s highly venomous.”  

This was a subtle warning for her to stay away from the snake.  

Yu Zhengzheng nodded. She wasn’t particularly afraid of snakes. In the apocalyptic world she once lived in, when food was scarce, snakes, insects, and rodents often served as meals. Even a venomous snake could be eaten once its head was chopped off.  

Nearby, Yu Jiangjiang, overhearing Xiao Yuqing’s words, nearly ground her back teeth to pieces. She was standing just as close to the snake, so why didn’t he warn or stop her?  

She glanced at the ground, spotting a small stone, then raised her eyes to the sharp-nosed pit viper. A fleeting hint of malice crossed her gaze.  

No one noticed her subtle action. She lightly flicked her toe, sending the stone flying straight at the snake’s abdomen.  

The snake, struck by the stone, fell from the bamboo pole. Startled, the flute player froze, abruptly stopping his tune. The snake hissed, flicking its tongue, and raised its head high as if searching for a target to strike.  

The crowd scattered in panic. In the commotion, Yu Jiangjiang discreetly moved closer to Yu Zhengzheng and kicked another stone at the snake.  

This time, the sharp-nosed pit viper locked onto its target and lunged directly toward Yu Zhengzheng.  

Yu Zhengzheng’s reaction was faster than the snake’s. She grabbed Yu Jiangjiang and pushed her forward, and the snake’s sharp fangs sank into Yu Jiangjiang’s calf.  

When the snake fell earlier, Yu Zhengzheng had sensed something was amiss. A quick glance confirmed her suspicion—Yu Jiangjiang had been kicking stones at it.  

Since Yu Jiangjiang seemed so fond of venomous snakes, Yu Zhengzheng figured it was only right to let her have a closer encounter.  

“A snake! A snake—”  

Yu Jiangjiang’s scream pierced the air.  

Tears and snot streaming, she wailed, “It’s a venomous snake! I can’t move! I’m going to die! Help me, please!”  

Yu Zhengzheng patted her arm reassuringly. “Don’t be afraid, sister. You won’t die.”  

Seeing Yu Zhengzheng’s confidence, Yu Jiangjiang’s sobbing subsided slightly. “Please, tell me what to do, sister.”  

Yu Zhengzheng smiled. “This is a five-step snake. As long as you take a bite for every four steps you walk, you’ll definitely make it to the clinic.”