The Red Veil

Seeing the odd expression on Li Zhi's face, Li Huowang walked straight up to him and said, "Li Zhi, about last night, I can explain."

Li Zhi raised a hand to stop him from speaking further, his tone laced with impatience as he said, "Hah, what's there to explain? I didn't do anything to you, just let it go."

With that, he stood up, took his wife by the hand, and turned toward the door.

Li Huowang silently watched the retreating figures of the two, deep in thought.

"The Second Deity said I'm a 'Heart Essence Immortal.' That sounds like some sort of special title. And she also warned me not to look at the Guardian Deity. Maybe she knows something about me. I must find a way to get the truth out of her," Li Huowang thought.

He wasn't willing to let go of the lead he had found.

"Brother Li, what's wrong? Do you have a grudge with that 'jumping god'?" Dogwa asked.

Li Huowang shook his head. "It's nothing. Just some personal matter. Go ahead and have breakfast. It's rare we get a bed to sleep in, so let's rest up these few days. Once we leave this village, we'll be sleeping by the roadside."

For the next few days, Li Huowang didn't seek out Li Zhi or inquire about what he was doing. He knew that Li Zhi was still upset, and asking him about the Second Deity now would probably be a bad idea. It was better to wait for the right moment.

However, as Li Huowang waited, a small trouble came knocking: Bai Lingmiao had fallen ill.

This trouble was both serious and trivial. Serious because in this poor village, even a small illness could easily become deadly if neglected. Trivial because, with the pills from Qingfeng Temple, Li Huowang could pass for a village doctor. While he might not be able to treat serious illnesses, something as simple as a cold was within his capability.

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

"Brother Li, am I going to die? I don't want to die..." Bai Lingmiao, looking weak, clutched the sleeve of Li Huowang's robe.

"Don't think like that. It's just a light cold. You've taken the medicine, now just rest. Sweat it out, and you'll feel better."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Li Huowang looked up and saw Li Zhi, standing in the doorway with his wife.

"How's it going? I heard from the villagers that your sister's sick. Do you need any help?" Li Zhi asked.

"No need, thank you," Li Huowang replied, covering Bai Lingmiao with a blanket before walking over to Li Zhi.

"Well, don't be so polite. You treated me to noodles before, so now it's my turn to help you. Bai family's old Immortal is excellent at healing. As long as you don't have any designs on my wife, we're still friends. I'll help where I can," Li Zhi said in a natural tone, as though the previous awkwardness between them had never happened.

"It's just a cold. No need for your old Immortal, and we certainly can't afford the 'tea money' they usually ask for."

Li Zhi paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Haha, right, that's true. Guess I've made things awkward. Immortals aren't to be called for nothing."

"By the way, Li Daoist, you don't seem to be good at exorcising evil or curing sickness. I must say, you're quite something to be a Daoist."

Li Huowang took a good look at the man in front of him, taking in the easy smile on his face.

"I'm already treating it. The medicine's been taken. We just have to wait for the effects to kick in."

Li Zhi shook his head, still standing there. "That won't work. I've seen other Daoists who are amazing at it. They just scribble a yellow talisman, burn it to ash, and drink the water—it doesn't matter what illness it is, they're cured in an instant."

Li Huowang smiled lightly, sensing a shift in the atmosphere. He felt it was a good time to ask something.

"Brother Li, can we talk for a moment? About your wife... She doesn't seem like an ordinary person. Is she always like this, or is it something specific to the 'jumping gods'?"

Li Zhi's smile faltered. "Li Daoist, you really want to get into this? You're also a practitioner of the Dao, you must have some secrets of your own, right? Surely you wouldn't tell me everything?"

Li Zhi smirked, continuing, "I never asked you where you found those... people with disabilities. No questions, right?"

With that, he playfully patted the red Daoist robe Li Huowang was wearing, took his wife by the hand, and turned to leave.

It was clear that, while Li Zhi seemed easy-going and often complained about the immortals behind closed doors, it was all just an act.

Li Huowang stood still, thinking for a moment, before turning back into the house to take care of Bai Lingmiao.

That night, in the dead of night, Li Huowang was startled awake by a sound tapping at the window.

"Creek—"

The wooden window opened silently, and a pair of blood-red embroidered shoes dangled above, swaying gently.

Li Huowang recognized the shoes. They belonged to the Second Deity—she had come to find him.

After a moment's thought, Li Huowang whispered toward the shoes, "By the woods at the village's edge. I'll be there soon."

The shoes slowly retreated, and Li Huowang took a deep breath before getting out of bed and starting to dress.

Not long after, in the dim moonlight, Li Huowang arrived at the dark, gloomy woods. There, he found the Second Deity standing motionless beneath a tree.

He looked around warily but didn't see Li Zhi's figure, so he approached her.

"Second Deity, is there something you want to tell me?"

The Second Deity raised her bleeding finger again and began writing on her red veil.

The distance was too great, and Li Huowang couldn't see what she was writing. Instinctively, he took a step closer to the veil.

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

Before she could finish writing, the Second Deity suddenly raised both hands. Her long black nails stretched out like claws and plunged into Li Huowang's neck.

"Thud!" Li Huowang's muscles tensed, and he grabbed the veil in front of him with a sharp reflex. He kicked her hard in the stomach.

While he temporarily escaped the danger, four blood-soaked puncture wounds appeared on both sides of his neck.

Shakily, he took a few hemostatic pills and turned his gaze back to the Second Deity, whose crimson and violet robes shimmered ominously.

Li Huowang could hardly believe it—the Second Deity, who had seemed intent on warning him, had suddenly turned on him.

When he looked up at her face, he froze.

Despite the twisted features and the scales, spines, and fox-like ears covering her face, he could still recognize her. This was Li Zhi in a woman's guise, the remnants of his human skin smeared with powder.

Half of her face was covered with sharp, animal-like features, while the other side was painted with bright red lipstick on a wide mouth.

Seeing that Li Huowang had recognized her, "Li Zhi" covered her mouth and laughed like a fox, the sound sharp and piercing.

"After all the probing, this Heart Essence Immortal turns out to be a real piece of work. You got lucky—no one snatched you up before."

The voice echoed, both from right in front of him and from the dark forest around them.

"Dong, dong, dong!!" The sound of drums rang out from the woods, long and dense.

"Please... God..."