Chapter Thirty-Eight: Master Lu the Spiritual Charlatan

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“Hmm... three thousand miles southeast of Tiannan City lies an expansive region of lakes and marshes. Perhaps in that place, which ordinary folk dare not tread, there might just be a sect of immortal cultivators...”

Xiao Wenzi paid no attention to the ordinary cities and villages marked on the map; what caught his eye was an area labeled as Misty Swamp, shrouded in vagueness and uncertainty. The Misty Swamp spanned thousands of miles, and the cartographer only knew its approximate location, having never ventured deep within. The region was depicted by blurry outlines and chilling descriptions.

Xiao Wenzi needed the blood of cultivators to exchange for cultivation methods. If he could not find a third-layer, inexperienced cultivator within Tiannan City, he would have to seek the outskirts of a sect. Nanshan City harbored no shortage of low-level cultivators, but after his encounter with the Zhou family’s infamous youth, it had become a den of tigers and dragons—he would not return under any circumstances.

Moreover, the Tiannan Mountains stretched a thousand miles between here and Nanshan City. Without migratory birds to carry him, returning was not so easily accomplished. Misty Swamp, on the other hand, seemed a promising alternative. No immortal cultivator there knew of his existence; Xiao Wenzi could lurk in the shadows, waiting for his chance.

This shop selling scrolls and sundries offered not only the regional map he had just examined but also other scrolls on various subjects—classics, histories, tales of the strange and supernatural, and introductory texts on pharmacology as well.

Having made his decision, Xiao Wenzi did not rush to leave. Unwilling to give up, he opened a scroll introducing medicinal herbs. As expected, it only recorded common herbs for treating mortal ailments. After a few glances, he lost interest, spread his wings, and flew out.

Leaving the shop under the cover of night, Xiao Wenzi began searching for cultivators within Tiannan City. But the city was vast, with a permanent population in the millions. Even if one or two cultivators obsessed with power or beauty hid among them, they would not be easily found.

By dawn, he had gained nothing and stopped his search. He was not willing to blunder about like a headless fly. Concealed above the bustling market, he listened to the people’s conversations—perhaps he could catch a rumor about a “miracle worker.” If he found no clues at all, he would leave Tiannan City and head for Misty Swamp. After all, the season was already late; should snow begin to fall, his flight would be affected.

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The main problem was that once the roads were blocked by heavy snow, caravans and carriages would also travel less frequently. Without hitching a ride, the thousands of miles would become an impassable gulf.

“He’s amazing, Master Lu is incredible!”

“That’s right—a miracle! It’s too miraculous. The Xiao family’s young lady had been unconscious for nearly half a month, and every physician declared her case hopeless, but Master Lu cured her with a mere wave of his hand...”

“I heard that, to thank this true immortal come to the mortal realm, the Xiao family has agreed to his request and will marry Miss Yu’er to him. The wedding is to take place today...”

“No way—Miss Xiao Yu’er is one of the renowned beauties of Tiannan City. So many wealthy young men admire her, yet in the end she’s to marry an immortal...”

“Come, let’s go see the Xiao family. Such festivities can’t be missed.”

Perched atop a lantern above the street, Xiao Wenzi had waited since dawn. The lively noise of the crowd brought him much information, but nothing intrigued him as much as the conversation of these few men.

A true immortal come to the mortal world? What a joke. Not to mention a true immortal—even cultivators with only slightly higher cultivation would never shamelessly insist on marrying into a mortal family. This so-called Master Lu was surely the “miracle-worker” cultivator he sought. As for curing Miss Xiao’s illness with a wave of his hand? Her coma was likely his doing in the first place, all to swindle money and women.

He had no interest in exposing a fraud or playing the hero, but if this Master Lu’s cultivation was weak enough for him to drain, Xiao Wenzi would not mind taking action.

Thus, he quietly followed the group toward the Xiao manor.

Though not the most prominent family in Tiannan City, the Xiao estate covered a vast area. The gates were grand, and within, pavilions, carved beams, painted rafters, rockeries, lotus ponds, and winding streams were all present.

At this moment, the manor was festooned with red lanterns and double-happiness characters pasted throughout the corridors and courtyards. Servants and maids bustled about, and the streets outside teemed with traffic.

Since it was the young lady’s wedding day, many guests would come and go. More still were those merely wanting a glimpse of the immortal. However, entering the Xiao house required a gift; otherwise, the place would be overrun.

“Master Qian presents a pair of congratulatory couplets and one hundred silver taels, wishing Master Lu and Miss Xiao a happy union and a hundred years of harmony.”

“Young Master Sun offers a pair of jade bracelets, silk...”

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Listening to the steward announce the gifts at the manor gate, the group Xiao Wenzi followed exchanged awkward glances, patting their money pouches with regret before shaking their heads.

Ordinary people were barred from the gates, but the high walls of the Xiao estate posed no obstacle for Xiao Wenzi. He easily vaulted over, carefully avoiding the crowds as he made his way toward the inner hall.

“My lady, the young master is an immortal, and he cured your stubborn illness. Please, don’t be willful. Quickly get up and dress, or we’ll miss the auspicious hour, and the master will be angry again.”

Deep within the Xiao manor, atop a two-story pavilion, a middle-aged woman with a red bridal robe in hand gently urged a girl lying sideways on a brocade quilt.

“But... but he’s old enough to be my grandfather. Can’t Father repay him some other way? Must Yu’er really offer herself...”

The girl was beautiful, though still pale from her recent illness, and looked barely sixteen or seventeen. She was the Xiao family’s second daughter, Xiao Yu’er. At her age, just awakening to the stirrings of first love, she dreamed of a handsome prince and romantic affection. Now, forced to marry a man not only old but also ugly, she could not help but feel reluctant.

Xiao Wenzi crept along the eaves, gradually approaching the main hall, quietly releasing his demonic senses. The hall had been lavishly decorated—red silk draped everywhere, with candles and red carpets laid out for the wedding ceremony.

“Is that him? Is that so-called Master Lu? Isn’t he a bit too repulsive?”

Within the vast hall, no guests were yet present—only a slightly portly, well-dressed middle-aged man sat with a withered old fellow, sipping tea and chatting as maids attended them. The old man, dressed in a red groom’s robe, had a faint aura of spiritual power. Using his spiritual sight, Xiao Wenzi saw that the man was a cultivator at the early fifth level of heaven.

This was not surprising; at the early fifth level, one could already use some basic spells and easily masquerade as a “miracle-worker” among mortals. What left Xiao Wenzi speechless, however, was that this goat-bearded, gaunt, sharp-faced old man looked to be seventy at least—so ugly it was hard to imagine him standing beside a sixteen-year-old maiden for the wedding ceremony.