Chapter 27: This Is What Professionalism Looks Like

The Danyang Academy lies beside the Wang Fu, its entrance a pavilion with eight corners; behind it stretch continuous buildings, where countless students can be seen moving about, and within one outer structure, the quarterly examination is still underway.

Li Jing, the Academy’s Vice Director, is a learned Confucian master of both literary and martial prowess; at this moment, he has placed a large armchair outside the examination hall and sits sipping tea while supervising.

Behind the chair sits a delicate, porcelain-skinned young lady, gripping the backrest and gazing curiously; behind her stands a graceful beauty veiled in green gauze, who is saying:

“Zi Su, listen to me—you’re already late!”

“I’m just taking a look! Old Man Li, you’ll help me say hello later, right?”

“Impudent! You must address him as Master Li!”

“Heh, no matter…”

…

The current examination at the Military Academy is on forging weapons on-site.

Due to the difficulty of the task, flames, smoke, and thunderous roars occasionally erupt within the scorching heat of the exam hall, drawing crowds of curious students to gather around.

Lin Wanyi brought Zi Su to school, but Zi Su, upon discovering the Military Academy was holding an exam, refused to move—she still hasn’t registered, and Lin Wanyi now feels utterly defeated, wishing she could publicly spank this troublesome girl.

But with Master Li Jing sitting right there, she couldn’t lose her composure as a parent; she could only say:

“Then go in on your own later—if the instructors punish you, don’t come crying to me.”

Zi Su, gripping the armchair back, replied without looking away:

“It’s fine—Old Man Li’s here.”

“Sigh… don’t forget about the elixir!”

“I know, I’ll go get the permit right after.”

“Sigh…”

Lin Wanyi could do nothing but leave Zi Su behind and return alone to her carriage.

Finally quiet, her mind inevitably drifted back to yesterday’s bizarre experience.

Even now, she still couldn’t understand how she had fallen asleep in the bathtub—and what strange, half-real dreams she had had.

In the dream, she had become someone entirely different, speaking and acting as flirtatious as the troublemaking sisters of Wencheng Street, as if she wanted to devour Xie Jin whole…

Had she been possessed by a ghost?

Or was she simply falling in love?

Pfft…

As she wandered in such idle thoughts, the carriage had traveled far without reaching the clinic—when suddenly, Jia Zheng’s voice came from outside:

“Oh my~ Young Master Xie, heading to the clinic?”

“Yes—is Dr. Lin in the carriage?”

“She is.”

…

Hearing Xie Jin’s voice, Lin Wanyi quickly shook off her thoughts; before she could lift the curtain to look, the carriage suddenly sank.

Creak—

Then a young lord in brocade robes slipped inside, followed by Big Meiqiu, who greeted them:

“Gujii~”

Lin Wanyi had intended to greet him, but Xie Jin’s attire today was truly striking—she paused, momentarily stunned:

“Your look… are you going to a matchmaking meeting?”

Matchmaking?

Xie Jin sat by the carriage window, amused:

“Why? Are you going too?”

Today, Lin Wanyi had dressed carefully to match her thirty-tael set of undergarments—she couldn’t just throw on any skirt.

She wore a water-green waist-length ruqun, her elegant coiffure adorned with vermilion hairpins, complemented by gold-rimmed spectacles on her nose—she looked intellectual and dignified, yet her slender waist was easily clasped, her chest full and firm, and her astonishing waist-to-hip ratio made her radiate undeniable feminine allure.

Facing this jest, Lin Wanyi couldn’t retort with her own critique:

“You came about the elixir? Zi Su has already gone to get the permit—she’ll begin refining this afternoon.”

Xie Jin shook his head; the matter was urgent, so he cut straight to the point:

“I’m here to ask about something—I saw a corpse at the government office, its body riddled with holes, likely killed by a ‘Cultivation Flower.’ Do you know anything about these?”

Lin Wanyi herself was a core disciple of the Poison Cultivation sect; though she dared not poison others, she knew full well how to raise demons—including the ‘Love Demon’ that ensured a man’s unwavering devotion to her. Asking her this was like asking a fish about water.

Lin Wanyi glanced outside first, confirming Jia Zheng wasn’t eavesdropping, then leaned close:

“Are you certain it’s a Cultivation Flower? What kind?”

Xie Jin shook his head: “The corpse was fished from the river—too decayed to tell much. I can only confirm the presence of corpse flies and that Longxu grass was used. The exact type of Cultivation Flower responsible remains uncertain.”

Hearing this, Lin Wanyi thought carefully:

“Naturally occurring Cultivation Flowers are virtually nonexistent. Man-made ones currently number seventeen types—all core demon arts of major sects.

“Of these, seven use living humans as nourishment—that is, they employ ‘corpse flies.’ Two of them use Longxu grass, both tied to the ‘spirit soul’: the ‘Mad Corpse Flower’ and the ‘Soul-Soothing Herb.’”

Seeing Lin the Beauty knew so clearly, Xie Jin knew he’d come to the right place:

“Which one do you think it is?”

Lin Wanyi rubbed the head of the wobbling Meiqiu:

“The Soul-Soothing Herb grows only in extreme cold and yin places—Danzhou can’t sustain it. If the demon bandits cultivated it locally, they must have used the Mad Corpse Flower.

“The Mad Corpse Flower thrives in places of great evil, surrounded by corpses; its essence nourishes it to maturity. Its fragrance drives men mad, and after a century of growth, it can transform into a flower spirit.

“The Linglu Valley in the Southern Frontier once developed a cultivation method: using humans as seedbeds and animal carcasses as warmth—seven days is enough for it to bloom…”

Xie Jin listened in silence, then nodded thoughtfully:

“If one wanted to cultivate the Mad Corpse Flower in Danyang, where would they choose?”

Lin Wanyi pondered briefly—before she could answer, the ever-present red-robed ghost appeared, sitting directly before her:

“There are many animal corpses nearby—the stench can’t be hidden; it can’t be inside the city. After the flower blooms, the corpses serve as nourishment—they won’t be discarded. The fact the bodies appeared by the river means the location connects to a waterway. Search upstream along the Huai River’s water vein—I’ll assist you as a guide, locating places heavy with yin energy. It won’t be hard to find.”

Xie Jin stared at the two stunning beauties seated side by side in the carriage—and fell silent.

As Lin Wanyi silently considered, she noticed Xie Jin’s gaze was misdirected; she turned to look at the empty space beside her, puzzled:

“What are you looking at?”

“Oh… nothing. Just distracted.”

Xie Jin forced himself not to compare which of the two beauties had the more pronounced curves or the more alluring fullness, shifting his gaze elsewhere:

“I just remembered a clue—I need to go outside the city. I’ll take my leave.”

Lin Wanyi still hoped Xie Jin would serve as the “two-headed dragon” linking her to the Martial Divine Scripture; seeing him rashly preparing to hunt demons, she warned:

“Witchcraft masters who cultivate Cultivation Flowers begin at the third rank. You’re merely a martial cultivator—you’ll die if you meet one. If you have clues, report them to the government office.”

Xie Jin knew the stakes, but he still needed a chance to sacrifice a fellow cultivator!

Once he found the flower’s breeding ground, he’d fabricate evidence to frame the Purple Badge Mountain for demonic aura—then let the government investigate. Wouldn’t the Great Qian’s iron fist then crush the demon bandits?

For this, he couldn’t involve government officials. He thought for a moment and replied:

“The government office is overburdened. I’m not yet certain—better to investigate first. Even if I face a strong enemy, I still have a chance to escape.”

Lin Wanyi worried the “two-headed dragon” might get hurt outside; seeing his resolve, she said:

“I’ll go with you. You don’t understand witchcraft—my presence adds safety.”

Xie Jin indeed knew little of witchcraft secrets; having an expert beside him clearly made things easier. He considered briefly:

“What’s your cultivation level, Miss Lin? You won’t slow me down, I hope?”

Lin Wanyi lifted her ample chest proudly:

“I just don’t like fighting—I’m not incapable. With your meager cultivation, you wouldn’t survive a single strike.”

The red-robed ghost beside her, perhaps sensing Lin Wanyi was showing off, also puffed out her chest in comparison.

And indeed—Night Demon’s curves were truly a handful, though whether through illusion or not, who could say…

Xie Jin’s vision was blotted out by their weighty presence, his thoughts muddled; seeing the ghost bride had brought a spare, he said no more, found an excuse to send Jia Zheng away, and headed toward the city’s outskirts…

(End of Chapter)