Chapter 211: Another Confession

"Is that so?"

Lu Zheng pretended to be surprised, looking at Ivern, "Brother Feng said he promised to marry your daughter after graduating high school, and that’s why you passed on a technique to him to enhance his Literary Talent Qi."

Ivern’s pupils contracted.

Lu Zheng then turned to Ai Heng, "Brother Feng also asked me to inquire, Miss Ai, he already promised to marry you after graduating high school, so why are you still uneasy and cast a curse on him?"

"What!" Ai Heng was shocked, "I didn’t cast any curse on Feng Lang! Has Feng Lang been subjected to someone else’s evil technique?"

Her words were full of concern.

"Hmm?" Lu Zheng blinked, looking perplexed, "Could it be that Brother Feng deceived me?"

"What happened to Feng Lang?" Ai Heng floated over gently and asked with concern.

"Feng Jin practiced the ’Devouring God Technique’?" Ivern asked solemnly.

"Huh?" Ai Heng was also taken aback by the words, "Did Feng Lang really practice the ’Devouring God Technique’?"

Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, "Wasn’t this ’Devouring God Technique’ taught to him by you?"

Ivern glared fiercely at Ai Heng.

Ai Heng shrank back, "I, I don’t know what the ’Devouring God Technique’ is..."

"You guys aren’t friends of Feng Jin, are you?" Ivern looked around at Lu Zheng and the others, "With such imposing figures, even though Feng Jin is talented, he would struggle to have friends like you. Has his practice of the ’Devouring God Technique’ been exposed?"

Lu Zheng cupped his hands and recounted Feng Jin’s confession.

...

"Nonsense!" Ivern shouted angrily.

"Feng... Feng Lang... Did he really say that about me?" Ai Heng looked incredulous, then simply shook her head, "No, no, you’re lying to me... you’re lying to me!"

Upon saying this, Ai Heng’s black hair stirred without wind, her white dress billowing, as the surrounding temperature suddenly dropped.

When she looked up, her pretty face turned ghostly pale, eyes like deep abysses, lips blue-black, transforming instantly from a gentle, melancholic woman into a Netherworld Fierce Ghost.

"Calm down!"

Ivern barked fiercely, pressing a hand onto Ai Heng’s shoulder, "I told you long ago that Feng Jin wasn’t a good person!"

As the aura rose, Ivern’s hand expanded to a square foot, with thick skin and black veins, festering meat and sores, nails gray-blue, sharp and fierce.

Simultaneously, Ivern’s eyes bulged, as large as copper bells, mouth cracked to the ears, spewing a thick black tongue.

Ghostly Qi surged, directly suppressing Ai Heng’s aura.

"Hiss—"

Lu Zheng gasped, both of these ghosts were indeed not weak.

Moreover...

Though Ivern seemed to be suppressing Ai Heng, actually their aura was directly crashing towards Lu Zheng and the others!

This was both a probe and a warning!

Lu Zheng’s eyes focused, a gentle Cloud Qi gathered around him, subtly flowing, making him seem like an Immortal.

Zhu Yushan’s expression turned serious, the moonlight from the sky pierced through the manor’s illusion, transforming into a beam of light upon him, spreading cool, refreshing Qi around him.

Li Hanyu’s feet suddenly conjured water waves, rippling with gentle sound, swirling slightly.

Liu Qingyan, though hiding behind Lu Zheng, also emitted faint Demon Power, while behind her, two hazy, fluffy white shadows formed.

For a moment, ghostly Qi soared, Dao essence pervaded, moonlight scattered, demon power surged.

...

A moment later, Ivern and Ai Heng returned to their human forms first.

Ai Heng remained silent, while Ivern smiled, cupped his hands towards Lu Zheng, "My daughter is mischievous, sorry for the embarrassment."

Only then did Lu Zheng constrain his True Qi, cupping his hands to earnestly ask, "May I inquire..."

Whereupon, Ivern narrated a story similar to Feng Jin’s but with different results.

...

They were ghosts of East Village Chaotic Burial Hill, not entering the Netherworld, not causing trouble.

Two years ago, Feng Jin mistakenly entered Ai Manor, feeling melancholy and captivated by the scenery, asked to stay for a while.

With profound illusion techniques, Ai Manor retained its splendor even during the day, Ivern observed his plight, thus did not refuse and allowed him to stay in the manor, discoursing daily on poetry and prose, encouraging him.

Later, Feng Jin met Ai Heng, captivated her heart with sweet words, learning from her that Ivern had a technique called ’Devouring God Technique’ that could increase Literary Talent Qi.

Thus, Feng Jin boldly requested this technique from Ivern.

Naturally, Ivern refused, stating it was an evil technique, harming without benefit.

Incidentally, Ai Heng initially only knew its name, not its specifics.

However, Feng Jin suspected Ivern of withholding secrets, thus incited Ai Heng to steal the ’Devouring God Technique’ and left with the secret.

...

"With honeyed words, he promised Heng Niang that he would return to marry her after high school, she believed wholeheartedly, stole my ’Devouring God Technique’, without even glancing through it, handed it to her beloved, and even saw him off!"

Ivern said, "I told Heng Niang the drawbacks of the ’Devouring God Technique’, yet she still trusted him, claiming he would return it quickly, insisting he wouldn’t practice it, or asserting he would return it along with his bride price after graduating high school."

Lu Zheng clicked his tongue, my goodness, according to Ivern’s account, Feng Jin is quite a character.

He’s just an ordinary scholar, a genuine ghost deceiver, and yet he fooled a Netherworld Fierce Ghost, not only tricking it out of its body but also a spell and returned safely.

Who knows whether Feng Jin has guessed Heng Niang’s true identity...

After finishing the story, Ivern asked the group, "So, Feng Jin, he..."

Lu Zheng nodded, "Feng Jin caused the death of four scholars, the incident has occurred."

"What!" Ai Heng couldn’t help but take a step back.

"Humph!" Ivern snorted coldly, "From the moment he took ’Devouring God Technique’ and disappeared, I knew this day would come sooner or later!"

"Dad——"

Ai Heng looked at Ivern.

Ivern glared, "What are you looking at me for? Do you still want me to go save him?"

"Brother Feng acted foolishly, fortunately now he’s severed his path to the imperial exams, perhaps you can bring him to the manor..."

"Foolish! Feng Jin practiced ’Devouring God Technique’ in the state capital, surely the Anomaly Suppression Bureau is involved, even tracing the source. Otherwise, do you think those four scholars were really here for a leisure trip?"

Lu Zheng waved his hand, "We also wanted to see the real haunted house, after all, we’ve never seen one before, so we wanted to take a look."

Ai Heng, "..."

Ivern, "..."

"We aren’t from the Anomaly Suppression Bureau." Lu Zheng explained, "We were entrusted by the bureau to check your backgrounds and your involvement in this case."

Ivern nodded, "So..."

"We won’t intervene, but I will convey your statements to the Anomaly Suppression Bureau." Lu Zheng said indifferently, "As for the exact truth, that depends on the bureau’s judgment."

"Hehe..."

Ivern chuckled, his eyes flickering.

Although Lu Zheng said this, being able to come to the manor on behalf of the Anomaly Suppression Bureau itself indicates that the identities and strengths of Lu Zheng and his group have been recognized by the bureau.

It’s possible that Lu Zheng’s report when he returns could influence the bureau’s final attitude towards us.

Thus...

Ivern earnestly said, "What I said is truly true, we only wish to live peacefully here, not to get involved in Netherworld affairs, and I hope you can speak well of us to the bureau."

"By the way, guests are guests, and since fate has brought us together, though I have no tea or snacks to offer, seeing you all as handsome couples, I have a small gift which I hope you won’t refuse."

After speaking, Ivern reached into his clothes, took out a book, and sent it floating lightly in front of Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng reached out to take it, lowering his head to take a look.

’Yin Yang Harmony Nourishing Spirit Method’.

"Although this cultivation technique belongs to a side path, it is auxiliary and without harm, merely a secret technique for lovers, even weakening some effects to enhance pleasure. Thus, it’s not highly esteemed by the Mystic Sect, but with daily practice, it’s quite effective in nurturing the divine soul true spirit, suitable for you all."

Lu Zheng blinked, took a deep breath, then casually placed the booklet into his clothes. Thinking for a moment, he pointedly added, "Remember not to spread ’Devouring God Technique’ anymore."

Ivern immediately understood and said, "Feng Jin stole the original; I haven’t rewritten it since."

Lu Zheng nodded, pondered for a moment, then turned to Ai Heng, who seemed unwilling, and softly said, "Miss Ai..."

Ai Heng looked at Lu Zheng, her eyes flickering.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly, hinting, "Feng Jin already has a wife in Yizhou Prefecture."

Ivern’s eyes lit up.

"What?" Ai Heng trembled all over, stepping back suddenly, as if struck by lightning.

"Buzz!"

The Mind Jade Seal trembled gently, suddenly gaining over twenty strands of Light of Fortune.

Tsk tsk, problem solved, and an additional bonus!

...

I never thought a random lie could bring in so much Light of Fortune.

"Jade Seal, I feel like you’re leading me down the wrong path!"

Jade Seal, "..."

...

Early the next morning, Lu Zheng and his group bade farewell to Ivern and Ai Heng, leaving the manor.

No way, there was nothing edible for normal people in the manor. Feng Jin could eat those things influenced by illusion techniques, but Lu Zheng wasn’t that mindset.

Arriving in East Town, they told Chief Jin the story they heard in the manor.

"We’ve given both testimonies; the rest is not our concern. Compared to Feng Jin, I personally find the testimonies from those two ghosts more believable."

Lu Zheng said, "By the way, a friendly reminder – those two ghosts each have over a hundred years of Dao Practice, one giant corpse, one fierce ghost. Be cautious if you plan to act."

Chief Jin shook the testimonies, written by Lu Zheng the night before, though merely a factual account without Ivern and Ai Heng’s seals.

"East Town hasn’t reported any Chaotic Burial Hill cases for years, which means these two ghosts know the rules. As long as they don’t harm people, the Great Jing Dynasty can tolerate them."

After thanking Lu Zheng and his group, Chief Jin secured the testimonies and mounted his horse to leave.

Lu Zheng’s group boarded the carriage, and Old Huang, full of excitement, cracked the whip.

"Hey~ go! Hey~ go!"