CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 115: COMPLETELY OVER

For a whole day, the incense at Taohua Temple never ceased, as if it were not the depths of winter, but the days of blossoming spring.

It wasn’t until 1:30 PM, due to the distance from the county town, that the crowd began to thin, with people gradually returning to the city or nearby villages.

After a busy day, even Uncle An and Uncle Qian, despite their Ghost Bodies, were panting heavily from fatigue.

At this moment, Shen Ying’s figure appeared in Taohua Temple. With a wave of her hand, two strands of Incense and Candle Qi flew out from the Peach Blossom Fairy’s sculpture, entering Uncle An and Uncle Qian’s bodies.

They both took a deep breath, as if they had consumed a Ten-Complete Great Replenishing Pill, instantly revitalized.

Xiaocui’s eyes showed envy, and Shen Ying, not stingy, bestowed another wisp of Incense and Candle Qi.

"Thank you, madam!"

Turning her head, Shen Ying looked at Lu Zheng with shining eyes.

"Lu Lang~"

Lu Zheng chuckled, "Seems like building this temple was a good idea."

Not caring about the maid and the old servants beside them, Shen Ying directly leaped into Lu Zheng’s arms.

"Thank you, Lu Lang~"

Feeling Shen Ying’s exquisite figure, Lu Zheng laughed, "Why thank me? This is all earned by your efforts."

"Without your ’Peach Blossoms’, how would Taohua Temple have so much incense?"

"So, how do you plan to thank me?" Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, with a meaningful expression.

Shen Ying gave a charming smile, tilted her head, and kissed him, their lips and tongues entwined.

Then, Lu Zheng felt a strong Power of Incense rushing into his mind, settling in a corner of his brain.

After a long while, they parted lips.

"Lu Lang, I must return to refine the Incense and Candle Qi, you should hurry home and cultivate quickly."

Shen Ying pushed Lu Zheng away, licked her lips with her fragrant tongue, gave him a charming smile, and then... vanished...

Xiaocui snickered, quickly following Shen Ying, leaving only Uncle An and Uncle Qian, who pretended they hadn’t seen anything and began tidying up the incense and paper in Taohua Temple.

Lu Zheng, "..."

Light the fire but don’t extinguish it, from now on, we’re no longer good friends!

...

No events happened in the days that followed.

Lu Zheng bought low-alcohol liquor in the modern world and soaked reishi and a ginseng around eighty or ninety years old into it.

He thought long and hard but couldn’t figure out how to get his family to consume the reishi, so he could only resort to this traditional method.

When the time comes, he’ll just say the herbs inside are very expensive; they may begrudgingly drink it despite the cost.

As long as they keep drinking it, the effects will surely show.

And then...

And then there was no then, just keep drinking and maintain their health.

New Year’s Day was approaching, so he planned to bring two bottles of liquor back then.

Additionally, Lu Zheng contacted Liu Zhenming, who introduced him to an acquaintance capable of appraising medicinal ingredients.

With Liu Zhenming accompanying him, Lu Zheng took the old ginseng for appraisal, and the conclusion was:

One thousand two hundred and eighty grams! Aged three hundred years!

Great tonic!

Ginseng King!

Life-saving treasure!

Revive the dead, flesh the bones!

Priceless!

An array of titles was lavishly bestowed upon the old ginseng, accompanied by numerous praises directed at Lu Zheng.

Liu Zhenming’s eyes were also shining brightly at the ginseng, deeply tempted, "President Lu, do you plan to keep this old ginseng for yourself or sell it?"

If he could get a piece to soak in liquor, might he not extend his life by ten years?

Lu Zheng blinked and looked at the crowd of bright-eyed people around him.

"Then give me an appraisal certificate. I plan to take it to auction."

Although he had anticipated this response, Liu Zhenming still felt a bit reluctant, "You’re really putting it up for auction? If you use this to build rapport with those old folks, its value far exceeds the auction’s returns."

Lu Zheng nodded without hesitation, thinking that’s precisely why he wanted to toss away this hot potato.

So many people knew he possessed a three-hundred-year-old Ginseng King; if he didn’t hurry up and sell it, wouldn’t all sorts of figures soon come knocking?

Thus, the researcher wrote the appraisal certificate for Lu Zheng, who then left with the ginseng, though not without many a regretful look from those around.

He pawned the old ginseng, then handed it over to the auction house, and with that, the follow-up was no longer his concern; he just awaited the money.

...

Every day, Lu Zheng taught Lin Wan martial arts in modern times and followed up on the progress of Liu Yifan’s case. In ancient times, he honed his medical skills and needle techniques at Renxin Hall, becoming increasingly synchronized with Liu Qingyan.

Additionally, in terms of cultivation, under the joint boost of Incense and Candle Qi and the Light of Fortune, Lu Zheng’s cultivation advanced rapidly.

In one word, exhilarating!

When he had exhausted the Incense and Candle Qi in his mind, Shen Ying still wanted to give him more, but he strongly persuaded her to use it herself.

...

Then, it took just over half a month for Liu Yifan’s case to be expedited to a sentencing.

"So fast?"

"Liu Yifan was eager, wanting the confession today and the sentencing tomorrow."

"What was the result?"

"The suspect was found to have intermittent mental illness, but was in a normal mental state during the crime, thus being criminally accountable. Given his voluntary surrender and extremely poor mental and physical state, the sentencing was lenient, a fifteen-year prison term, with priority for medical treatment under law enforcement supervision."

Lu Zheng picked up a cup and took a sip of water, calmly asking, "Premeditated murder, and no death penalty?"

Huang Xiumin shook her head, "He claimed he was already mentally unstable then."

Lu Zheng nearly spat out his water.

Darn it, what nonsense isn’t he willing to say?

"So, that’s it?"

"Yes." Huang Xiumin nodded, "That’s it."

"It’s enough." Lin Wan nodded, reached out, and held Lu Zheng’s hand, "A fifteen-year term, even with a reduction, he’ll be out in eight or nine years."

"So, he’s already receiving treatment?"

"Yes."

Having informed about Liu Yifan’s case, Huang Xiumin was further delighted to see Lin Wan moving around independently.

"Today is indeed a day of double happiness!"

Lin Wan nodded, "Another week, after the New Year’s, I’ll go back to work."

"Alright! I’ll wait for you!"

...

At night, Lu Zheng, holding the Qi-Seeking Talisman, arrived at Liu Yifan’s hospital.

"Ding-a-ling—ding-a-ling—"

"The procedures are over, now it’s down to our personal grievances."

"I thought about it and felt that making you experience just one Nightmare Curse was a bit unsatisfactory, so let’s continue and let you enjoy a few more creations and crystalized hard work from the Otherworld’s people."

Using the Ghost Child as a medium, Lu Zheng lifted the Nightmare Curse off Liu Yifan and replaced it with the Yang Transformation Curse, the Melting Gold Curse, and the Gathering Yin Curse.

Coincidentally, Liu Yifan’s parents were also present, so out of goodwill, Lu Zheng added them too.

After all, a family should share everything...

Looking at the light streaming from a window in the hospital, Lu Zheng smiled slightly, "Alright, our grievances are settled. If you can survive these three Curses, I will spare you and take no further action."

The Ghost Child returned, which Lu Zheng collected into the Brass Bell, then unlocked a shared bicycle on the roadside, leisurely pedaling back, even buying a skewer of grilled gluten from a night stall on his way.

And with that, the matter came to an end.