Chapter 3 Her mother is here, at the pinnacle of power in the Upper Realm.

Zhuang Jin was pressed against the wall of the hot spring pool, her neck being choked by Ling Shu.

The sharp claws stung her skin, and she frowned slightly but did not resist.

Ling Shu's chest heaved noticeably, his face showing a slight fox-like appearance, almost a fierce, baring-toothed look. The thousand-year-old demonic power overflowing from his rage raised the temperature of the entire hot spring.

Ling Shu felt unbearably hot inside her body, and only the coolness from the touch of her palm could soothe her.

Zhuang Jinfu's silence surprised Ling Shu. She didn't argue with her directly, and her excessive calmness made Ling Shu calm down as well.

The fox-like appearance on its face receded, but its fox ears and tail remained.

Zhuang Jinfu's gaze lingered on the fox ears for a moment before he looked coldly at Ling Shu.

The air was thick with steam, and Ling Shu was sweating profusely from the heat. Suddenly, a stream of icy spiritual energy flowed into her dantian, slowly suppressing the heat within her body. Ling Shu looked down and saw Zhuang Jinfu channeling icy spiritual energy into her through his palm from a distance.

This icy chill was like half a cup of water to quench a thirsty person; it wasn't enough to quench the thirst, but instead aroused an even greater thirst. It flowed like a stream, trickling slowly, but it was too slow. She wanted more. Her fair and smooth palm, as white as mutton fat jade, reminded her of the cold brought by the heavy snow outside. As if bewitched, she slowly touched this hand.

The other person trembled slightly, moved back half an inch, and was then caught, palm to palm, like a snake coiling around a tree, brushing past the little finger, sliding up the wrist, and quietly slipping into the sleeve.

The hand gripping her neck tightened its grip, but remained pressed tightly against the skin, refusing to leave even slightly. It even slid down to the collar of her neck and shoulders, and just as her fingertips were about to probe inward beyond the collar's edge, a cold hand grabbed them, stopping the advance.

"Ling Shu, you have overstepped your bounds."

Zhuang Jinfu grabbed Ling Shu's shoulder with one hand, turned her around, and pressed her against the edge of the hot spring pool. His indifferent eyes held a hint of aggressive aggression as he coldly said, "Please look carefully, I am your master."

Startled by these words, she snapped out of her daze, retracted her fox ears and tail, and pushed with all her might against the icy spiritual energy beneath her hand: "You... let me go."

"Awake?"

"Hmm..." That icy spiritual energy never stopped.

Zhuang Jinfu withdrew his strength and leaned to the side: "This hot spring contains spiritual herbs to nourish your meridians. The thousand-year-old demonic power is too domineering and has impacted your meridians. If you don't take extra care to nourish them, you will die from severed meridians."

"Okay, I... I understand." Ling Shu blushed and felt a little hot, but she still wanted to steal a glance at that person.

That one glance was quite something.

Water had soaked her soft, flowing clothes, revealing a patch of white skin against her rounded shoulders. Her forehead was dry, but a few drops of hot spring water, picked up during their confrontation, clung to it. The water droplets slid down her chin and into her collar... The smooth feel of it still lingered on her fingertips...

Ling Shu's already unstable heartbeat suddenly started pounding rapidly.

A demon! ...No...I am the demon...

Ling Shu quickly looked away.

The figure beside him walked towards the steps and slowly walked away.

Ling Shu breathed a sigh of relief, curled up with her legs bent, the water barely reaching her chin.

A clear, melodious voice rang out again: "Don't soak for too long, half an hour is enough. After you've finished washing up, come to Qingxi Hall, and I'll take you to see Sect Leader Wang." Ling Shu turned around, and that aloof and ethereal figure had already opened the door and left.

The wooden door creaked open, and Ling Shu immediately looked up, only to see that it was Hai Gu who had entered.

The sea maid brought in a fresh change of clothes and changed out of the ones that had gotten wet.

Ling Shu only soaked for half an hour. After bathing, she got up, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and Huan Gu, who was guarding the door, heard the sound of water and came in. She used a water-removing spell to remove the water from her body and hair, helped her get dressed, and after she was dressed, led Ling Shu to a small cubicle.

Hai Gu lifted the white crystal beaded curtain, and Ling Shu walked in. Inside, a cold incense burned in a bronze lotus petal incense burner, giving the room a solemn feel. On the dressing table, there were only a few silver hairpins, and a carved wooden comb lay quietly to the side.

Hai Gu picked up a wooden comb and styled Ling Shu's hair, who was sitting in front of the dressing mirror.

Ling Shu looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was exhausted, and her eyes were filled with deep resentment. The demonic power in her body that she could not resolve made her skin look slightly red, and her lips were bloodless. This slight redness looked like blush that had been forcibly applied to her pale face.

It's extremely ugly.

Was she like this in front of that person just now?

Ling Shu picked up the lip balm.

After everything was arranged, Ling Shu arrived at Qingxi Hall.

Inside the hall, Zhuang Jinfu sat in the main seat, drinking tea and reading. Upon seeing the visitor, he put down his book, looked up, and said, "Come here."

Ling Shu was puzzled and took a few steps forward, stopping about ten feet away from her.

"Come a little closer."

Ling Shu took a few more steps, but was still far away from her.

Helpless, Zhuang Jinfu got up from the chair, walked over, bent down, and hung a jade pendant with a lotus pattern on her waist.

After hanging up, he looked up and saw a blushing young girl's face. Zhuang Jinfu looked away and walked past her, saying, "Come with me."

Ling Shu was dazed. She lowered her head to stroke the jade pendant. It felt cool to the touch, the jade was delicate, and it still carried a little of her body heat. When she came to her senses, Zhuang Jinfu had already reached the threshold, and Ling Shu hurriedly followed.

After leaving Qingxi Hall, turn left and take a small path down the mountain.

As they approached a stone tablet inscribed with "Fire Cloud," the road gradually widened. Every now and then, they encountered two or three cultivators along the way. Whenever they saw the spiritual energy behind Zhuang Jinfu, they would show expressions of either inquiry or surprise, and after passing by, they would whisper among themselves.

I vaguely heard things like "that half-demon," "Immortal Venerable Qingxi has actually taken on a disciple," and "the Immortal Venerable's first disciple is actually her"...

Zhuang Jinfu remained silent throughout the journey. Ling Shu felt extremely embarrassed after hearing those words. This "Qingxi Immortal Venerable" seemed to have a high status, but what was her reason for helping her out of an awkward situation and taking her as a disciple?

In the distance, a magnificent palace stands amidst the clouds and mist, with two side halls beside the main hall. The entire palace is as majestic as a mountain, and under the direct sunlight, the glazed tiles reflect dazzling light. The steps leading to the palace are high and white as snow, exuding an indescribable nobility.

Her mother is here, at the pinnacle of power in the Upper Realm.

Holding the flame-patterned red jade pendant in my hand, I felt its warmth.

The person my mother was thinking of before she died is right here.

As I climbed the steps in front of the white marble hall, I looked up and saw a woman in gorgeous clothes standing at the entrance.

As they drew nearer, Zhuang Jinfu stepped onto the platform in front of the hall, bowed before the woman, and called out, "Master's wife." Ling Shu, unsure of how to address her, could only follow suit.

The beautiful woman glanced at Ling Shu and said to Zhuang Jinfu, "Is this the child?"

"yes."

"Unfortunately, Lord Itoyama is holding his birthday banquet tomorrow and has invited the sect leader to attend. He just set off two quarters of an hour ago."

We just set off 25 minutes ago... Ha.

The beautiful woman walked up to Ling Shu, took a few steps to look her up and down, pinched Ling Shu's cheek, and laughed, "She really is a beauty in the making, her face is so tender and delicate."

Ling Shu turned her face away in resistance.

The beautiful woman stopped and said, "Haha, still a stubborn child."

Ling Shu glared at her unhappily: "Who are you?"

The beautiful woman covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, "Who am I? Hahaha, I'm your stepmother."

Upon hearing this, Ling Shu turned and left, but after descending two steps, he turned back and threw the flame-patterned red jade pendant in his hand at the beautiful woman: "Tell her that I don't want her things. Since she doesn't want to see me, why bother having her lead me into the sect!"

"This child... is so stubborn." The beautiful woman caught the jade pendant and called out to Ling Shu's retreating figure, "If you want to leave, then leave. No one is stopping you. You insisted on going into the mountains to see your mother back then, and now that you're here, you're throwing a tantrum. Why are you so stubborn, child?"

Upon hearing this last sentence, Ling Shu paused, turned around, and said, "Stubborn? It's clear she doesn't treat me like a human being and never intended to acknowledge me. I don't need to beg her here! It was my mother who asked me to come to Shangqing Sect to acknowledge my family. Now that I'm here, I've done right by my mother. She owes us, mother and daughter, a debt she can never repay in her lifetime!"

"It was clearly her who wanted power and wealth. She abandoned my pregnant mother in the dead of winter, leaving my mother to give birth to me alone in the freezing cold. My mother always thought of her, but what did she do? She turned around and happily married someone else, finally ascending to the pinnacle of power!"

"Wang Lifu is worse than a pig or a dog!"

She added, "And you, you're no better! If it weren't for you, why would she have abandoned my mother?" Ling Shu said, her eyes welling up with tears, "My poor mother was such a good person, and in the end, she died all alone in the wilderness. I will never forgive you! I hate you!"

The beautiful woman said gently, "How can you speak like that, child? She is still your mother no matter what! You mustn't disrespect your mother."

Ling Shu didn't look back, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and ran down the mountain.

After Ling Shu left, a person walked out from behind the palace gate and stood silently behind the two of them, watching Ling Shu's back gradually shrink into a dot.

Zhuang Jinfu turned around, bowed to her, and said softly, "Master."

She raised her left hand, indicating that there was no need for a bow, and gazed for a long time in the direction where Ling Shu had left.

The beautiful woman hurriedly explained, "Ling Shu was just angry for a moment. She's a good child, just a little stubborn..."

“I know,” Wang Lifu interrupted her. “She’s right. I’m ashamed to face them.”

The pine trees around her were receding, and the closer she got to the mountain gate, the colder it became. Looking at the boundary marker at the mountain gate, she rushed down the mountain without hesitation.

As soon as he rushed across the boundary marker, the people hiding in the shadows seized the opportunity to make their move. Ling Shu was caught up in his emotions and didn't notice the tail following behind him.

After leaving the mountain gate, she ran straight towards home, but apart from the small wooden house that had been destroyed beyond recognition, she didn't know where to go.

Their small courtyard was covered in snow, the white snow burying the doorway. The house, which was always lit, was now shrouded in darkness. She went inside, dug out a broom, and began to clear the yard. She saw that the millet buried under the snow was covered in blood and dust, and Ling Shu's memory returned to two days earlier.

In the dead of winter, a bright sunny day finally arrived.

Ling Shu accidentally spilled water on the stored millet. It was a sunny day, so she moved the wet millet outside to dry in the sun. Ling Shu had never been good at using the technique to dry the moisture, and foolishly spread the millet on the ground to dry in the dead of winter after clearing away the snow.

When Wenji finished her work and returned home, she smiled and asked why she didn't wait for her mother to come home to dry the millet. Lingshu said that she saw the sun was shining and did it that way... but she didn't expect that the millet would become even wetter in the end... Wenji replied with a smile that since it was already wet, she might as well leave it for the birds to eat. Her mother would put the millet away after the sun went down, and from now on, this little bit of millet would be used to feed the birds.

Ling Shu was not scolded and was overjoyed.

At that time, the demon hunter had not yet revealed her true intentions. She smiled gently and took out spirit stones from her money bag, saying, "Let's go to town and buy a firecracker so our family can celebrate together. We now have a bird millet."

...Nightmare, I wish this were just a nightmare, and that when she wakes up, she'll still have a home.

The millet was no longer worth keeping. She threw away the blood-stained chili peppers, corn, and garlic that were drying under the eaves, and swept the snow away from the doorway.

Open the door, turn on the lights, and rest in the cold room.

My mother's smile is still so clear in my dream.

At the door, three menacing figures poked a hole in the paper window and blew in a sleeping powder. Once the person inside was completely asleep, they slipped open the door and went to Ling Shu's bedside.

One person carried Ling Shu on his back, while the other two rummaged through the chests and cabinets and stole an imperial green jade bracelet hidden in the dressing case.

When Ling Shu woke up again, she felt cold all over and smelled of clothes that hadn't been changed for a long time.

The house was clean; there couldn't possibly be such a smell. Ling Shu woke up with a start and saw two tall, burly men and a voluptuous woman surrounding her.

"Who are you?" She woke up on the cold ground, feeling dizzy and weak. "What do you want?"

"We are the leaders of Shangqing Mountain!" said a man with a thick beard. "Hand over your demon core and we'll let you go."

Ling Shu couldn't help but laugh. Another burly man with short hair swung a large iron hammer in front of her and said sternly, "What are you laughing at?"

Ling Shu got up from the ground, not wanting to get entangled with them any longer. She tried to punch them away, but found that she couldn't use her magic.

"What drug did you give me?"

"Just a little bit of underworld drug," the woman said imperiously, hands on her hips. "Even if the Immortal Venerable Qingxi came, he would be in trouble with this drug. We're just people from the underworld, here for the elixir. Hand over the demon core to us, and we'll let you go."

"Don't even think about it!"

Ling Shu spotted an open path to the side and charged forward like a leopard. After running a few steps, she bumped her head into a barrier that blocked her way back.

"Your magic is sealed inside your body by the medicine; you can't escape," the woman said lazily.

“What if I insist on going out?” Ling Shu curled her fingers inward, making a claw shape, her eyes fixed on the woman. “What’s that in your hand?... You stole my mother’s bracelet?! Give it back!”

Ling Shu lunged forward, but a large iron hammer blocked her way and struck her squarely in the abdomen. Exhausted, Ling Shu was slammed against the stone wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She then got up and began to lunge around aimlessly again, only to be knocked to the ground once more.

After swallowing several mouthfuls of ash, the blood on his lips was smeared all over his face, making it look like he had eaten raw meat from a distance. Ling Shu was panting when the woman asked with a grin, "How is it? Still want to fight?" Ling Shu shook his head and said, "No, I'm not fighting anymore. Come here."

The woman suspected something was amiss and gestured for the bearded man to step forward. Ling Shu glanced at him with disgust, pointed at the woman, and said, "I want you to come here."

The woman stopped in her tracks, and Ling Shu frowned and roared, "If you want the demon core, come here!" Only then did the woman walk over.

“Squat down,” Ling Shu said, looking up. “Your men hit me, I can’t stand up.”

The woman had no choice but to squat down in order to obtain the demon core.

"Come closer, I'm only giving this to you."