Chapter 63: Red Bridal Veil

Noticing Li Zhi's unusual expression, Li Huowang walked directly towards him and said, "Brother Li Zhi, I can explain what happened last night."

Li Zhi raised a hand, cutting Li Huowang off. With a hint of impatience, he said, "Oh, what's there to explain? I didn't do anything to you. Let's just leave it at that."

With that, he stood up, took his wife's hand, and turned to walk out of the house.

Li Huowang watched the two figures walk away, remaining silent.

"The Second God called me a 'Heart-Essence Immortal,' which sounds like a special title. She also warned me not to look at the 'Family Guardian Immortals.' Perhaps she knows something about me, and I need to find a way to get that information from her."

Having finally uncovered a clue, Li Huowang didn't want it to simply disappear.

"Senior Brother Li, what's wrong? Do you have an issue with that shaman?" Gouwa asked. Li Huowang shook his head.

"It's nothing, just a personal matter," Li Huowang replied. "Go have breakfast. We finally have beds, so get some good rest these next few days. Once we leave this village, we'll be sleeping by the roadside again."

Over the next few days, Li Huowang didn't seek out Li Zhi again, nor did he concern himself with what Li Zhi was doing.

He knew Li Zhi was still upset. If he were to ask about the Second God now, it likely wouldn't go well. He decided to let the matter cool down first.

That was Li Huowang's plan, but while he waited, a minor problem arose: Bai Lingmiao fell ill.

This problem was both significant and minor. Significant, because in this desolate place, even minor illnesses could easily turn fatal if not taken seriously.

Minor, because with the elixirs refined at Qingfeng Temple, he could barely be considered a rural doctor. While he couldn't cure other illnesses, this minor sickness was manageable.

Li Huowang held Bai Lingmiao's slightly feverish head against his chest, and carefully placed a red pill into her mouth.

"Senior Brother Li, I'm not going to die, am I? I don't want to die..." A very weak Bai Lingmiao clutched Li Huowang's sleeve tightly.

"Don't think that way. It's just a slight cold. You've taken the medicine; just get a good night's sleep, sweat it out, and you'll be fine."

A sudden knocking at the door interrupted their conversation. Li Huowang looked up to see Li Zhi and his wife standing at the doorway.

"How is she? I heard from a villager that your sister is ill. Do you need any help?"

"No, thank you," Li Huowang replied. He gently covered Bai Lingmiao with the quilt, then turned and walked towards Li Zhi.

"Alright, there's no need to be polite. You treated me to noodles, so I should return the favor. The Bai family's Old Immortal is exceptional at healing and saving people. As long as you don't have designs on my wife, we're still friends, and I insist on helping."

Li Zhi's tone was natural, as if the previous incident had simply been forgotten.

"It's just a slight cold. There's no need to involve your great immortal, and we can't afford the 'tea money' they demand."

Li Zhi paused, then burst out laughing again. "Yes, that's true. I suppose I was just causing trouble. Old Immortals truly shouldn't be invited casually."

"But Master Li, you can't exorcise evil spirits or cure illnesses. You're quite the Daoist priest, aren't you?"

Li Huowang re-examined the man before him, taking in the remarkably natural smile on his face.

"I'm already treating her. The elixir has been administered. We just need to wait for it to take effect."

Li Zhi, his face stern, stood there shaking his head. "You're no good at this. I've seen other Daoists; they're incredibly powerful. They just draw a yellow talisman, burn it to ashes, mix it with water, and any illness is instantly cured."

Li Huowang smiled faintly. Sensing the relaxed atmosphere, he felt it was a good moment.

"Brother Li Zhi, can we talk? Regarding your wife, she doesn't seem to be an ordinary person, does she? Are all other shamans' Second Gods like her?"

Li Zhi's smile stiffened. "Master Li, it's no fun when you put it like that. You're a practitioner of the Dao yourself; you wouldn't tell me all your secrets, would you?"

"Did I ask you where you found these disabled people? No, I didn't, did I?"

With that, the smiling Li Zhi patted Li Huowang's red Daoist robe, then turned and left with his wife.

Evidently, despite Li Zhi's seemingly talkative nature and frequent complaints about the immortals behind their backs, appearing carefree, it was clearly all an act.

Li Huowang pondered for a moment, then turned back inside to continue tending to Bai Lingmiao.

That night, around midnight, a knocking at the window startled him awake from a light sleep.

The wooden window silently creaked open, revealing a pair of blood-red embroidered shoes hanging above, gently swaying.

Li Huowang recognized these shoes; they belonged to the Second God. She had come for him.

Li Huowang pondered for a moment, then whispered to the embroidered shoes, "The woods at the edge of the village. I'll be there shortly."

Seeing the shoes slowly retract, Li Huowang took a deep breath, rolled out of bed, and started dressing.

Soon after, guided by the dim moonlight, Li Huowang arrived in the dark woods. There, beneath a tree, he saw the motionless Second God.

Li Huowang cautiously glanced around. Not finding Li Zhi, he approached. "Miss Second God, what do you want to tell me?"

The Second God again raised her bleeding finger and began writing on her red head covering.

From too far away, Li Huowang couldn't see clearly. He instinctively leaned closer to the red head covering.

"You... must... be... careful..."

Mid-sentence, without warning, the Second God suddenly raised both hands, her black fingernails straightening, and fiercely plunged them into Li Huowang's neck.

"Thud!" Li Huowang's muscles instantly tensed. He violently grabbed the red head covering before him, lifted his right foot, and fiercely kicked her in the stomach.

Though temporarily out of danger, four bloody holes had already appeared on both sides of Li Huowang's neck.

Trembling, he pulled out several hemostatic elixirs, put them in his mouth, and gazed at the Second God, who was dressed in vibrant red and purple, standing before him.

Li Huowang never imagined that the Second God, who had seemed to be warning him just moments before, would suddenly launch a lethal attack.

However, when he saw the person's face, he was instantly stunned.

Although the person's facial features were distorted, their face also bore various animal characteristics, such as snake-green scales, hedgehog spines, and fox ears.

Yet, from the remaining human traces, he could still discern that this person was clearly Li Zhi.

No, it was more accurately Li Zhi in his female form. The little human skin remaining on her face was powdered.

While one side of her monstrous mouth, with its protruding fangs, was unalterable, the other side, resembling a cherry-red mouth, was deliberately painted with red rouge.

Seeing that Li Huowang had seen her true form, 'Li Zhi' covered her mouth and laughed shrilly, like a fox.

"After probing for so long, it turns out your 'Heart-Essence' is merely a facade. You're truly lucky it wasn't snatched away by someone else sooner."

"After probing for so long, it turns out your 'Heart-Essence' is merely a facade. You're truly lucky it wasn't snatched away by someone else sooner."

The voice had two layers: one came from directly in front, and the other echoed from the dark woods around them.

"Thump, thump, thump!!" Long, rapid drumbeats emanated from the woods.

"Inviting~ the~ Immortals~"