My Lady Always Lacks Ambition
Chapter 321 - 319 Wang Zheng’s Tao Flower Evil

Chapter 321: Chapter 319 Wang Zheng’s Tao Flower Evil

Wang Zheng offered himself as an apprentice to Qin Liuxi, which took everyone present by surprise and even shocked some.

"Ah, Senior Brother, if Master accepts him, wouldn’t he become our Junior Brother?" The innocent and soft voice of five-year-old Little Wang Chuan broke the silence.

Teng Zhao glanced at her, then at the towering and robust Wang Zheng. Junior Brother?

He closed his eyes.

The master hadn’t even fully accepted the role, and a Junior Sister had already appeared, not to mention a Junior Brother who was even older than him?

Indeed, the achiever takes precedence.

The phrase suddenly popped into Teng Zhao’s mind.

Wang Zheng, however, didn’t mind and said with a smile, "Yes, I am the third disciple."

Qin Liuxi twitched the corners of his mouth and said, "You haven’t even prepared to carry the burden, let alone grown a beard. What third disciple?"

Wang Zheng: "?"

"You are meant to pursue a career in officialdom, don’t let your grandfather’s meticulous teachings go to waste, and besides, you and I do not share a fate of master and disciple," Qin Liuxi waved her hand: "Properly take the imperial examination, and serve the country, the people, and the world, that is your mission."

Disappointedly, Wang Zheng suddenly straightened his face, bowed to her and said, "Thank you, Master, for your guidance." _{f .r e\ewebnov(e)(l).c om}

Only then did Qin Liuxi let him sit down and asked: "What happened? I haven’t seen you in just a few days, why do you look so haggard? Looking at your face, you didn’t avoid the tao flower evil, but it seems you had a close shave, right?"

Wang Zheng fixed his expression, revealing a bitter smile, and was about to speak when he glanced at Teng Tianhan and the others.

"These two are my disciples, and in the future paths of their cultivation, they will always encounter various evil spirits. This incident of yours, it wouldn’t hurt for them to hear it, it’s not a big deal. As for Mr. Teng..." Qin Liuxi looked at Teng Tianhan, her brow furrowed, then smiled, "If the gentleman is interested, listen in, and it could help avoid similar trouble in the future. But if you really find it disgraceful, then having Mr. Teng step aside is also fine."

Wang Zheng hurriedly said, "As you say, it’s not a big deal, and it’s not that I find it shameful, it’s just too absurd. Uncle Teng, if you’re curious, there’s no need to avoid it."

Teng Tianhan originally intended to avoid it, but hearing this, he became somewhat curious, after all, Wang Zheng was meticulously nurtured by the retired Prime Minister himself, with great expectations set for him as his heir. It was evident that Wang Zheng was not without merit.

But the current Wang Zheng, anyone could see he was in trouble, and now with tao flower evil, he became even more curious.

A child taught by the Old Prime Minister wouldn’t normally be so emotionally injured by mere romantic entanglements, and Wang Zheng has always been strict with himself.

Yet he was afflicted by a tao flower evil.

Out of curiosity, Teng Tianhan sat down.

Servants served some tea, and Wang Zheng took a sip before saying, "Master said I have this tao flower evil, so now I dare not leave people around me, always have servants guarding me when going out, and avoid talking too much with women."

"You’ve become a frightened bird."

Wang Zheng revealed a smile more pained than crying and said, "I used to be a frightened bird, but now I am always seeing shadows in every corner."

He took another sip of tea and then began to narrate his own experiences in great detail.

It started with an academic gathering, as his circle included many people preparing for next year’s imperial examination. They often discussed scholarly topics together, and the gathering was initiated for this reason by Cheng Fangzi, a prominent Great Scholar in Qingzhou, known for his drawings, especially of beautiful women which were lifelike. The meeting was held in his private residence called Li Garden.

According to its academic nature, Wang Zheng, due to his grandfather’s relationship with Cheng Fangzi, also had a private interaction and confidently went to the gathering, bringing people with him. However, little did he expect that at Li Garden, he fell into a Dao trap.

The reason for falling into the Dao was very ordinary. Wang Zheng spilled drinks on his clothes and was accompanied by a servant, led by a maid to the cleansing room to change. Broad daylight, not even half a stick of incense had passed before he inexplicably disappeared from the cleansing room.

"Is there fragrant incense or a secret chamber in that cleansing room?" Teng Tianhan asked, as his professional instincts took over.

He is from the Ministry of Justice, experienced in solving and investigating cases. Hearing this, he sensed something was off.

Even for a large household, the cleansing room primarily maintains cleanliness, tidiness, and strong confidentiality. The space wouldn’t be too large, as there aren’t many people who rest in the cleansing room; at most, it’s used for changing clothes and briefly washing up.

Thus, the cleansing room doesn’t have extensive access points.

In such a short time for him to vanish, Wang Zheng was likely drugged and then hidden in a secret room or taken away.

Wang Zheng forced a smile and shook his head: "If that was the case, it would be easy to find."

"Oh?"

"When the servant entered, I was right there in the cleansing room, yet he just couldn’t see me, as if he were blind."

Qin Liuxi exclaimed, "Could it be an Eye-Blocking Technique?"

Teng Tianhan was startled. An Eye-Blocking Technique?

Wang Zheng nodded, admiringly looking at him: "It is an Eye-Blocking Technique."

The servant came in, noticed he was missing, searched fruitlessly, and promptly notified others. Then Wang Zheng heard a soul-stirring, lingering sound of a flute, and muddleheadedly followed it, eventually arriving at a delicate courtyard.

What surprised Wang Zheng was, this courtyard wasn’t just any place, but the back courtyard of Li Garden, and the person who appeared before him was none other than Cheng Fangzi’s beloved red-cheeked friend, Li Niang.

Cheng Fangzi liked to paint beauties, and this Li Niang had also been captured by his brush, every painting full of charming allure, each frown and smile bursting with appeal, captivating and soul-stirring.

Wang Zheng had also met Li Niang. Unlike others, she too was skilled in painting, which is why Cheng Fangzi considered her his beloved friend.

This private garden was also furnished for her.

He had disappeared, and the Wang family would definitely search for him. They even thoroughly searched Li Garden, including Li Niang’s little courtyard, yet there he was right under their noses, and despite that, they simply couldn’t see him, people came in waves and left in waves.

No matter how frantically he shouted, no one heard or found him. Even people who stood right in front of him could not see him.

Wang Zheng nearly went mad at the time.

And what Li Niang said was that no matter how loudly he yelled, people outside could neither hear nor see him, and it was pointless to waste effort. Then, she started living a ’married’ life with him for three days.

What terrified Wang Zheng was that Li Niang was overwhelmingly tender and familiar. She ceaselessly talked about their past and love for each other as if it were absolutely real, even having paintings as proof, claiming they painted them together. If it weren’t for the continuously heating Peace Talisman Qin Liuxi had given him on his chest, he almost believed it was true—that they were indeed a couple, deeply in love and blending like water and milk.

"Li Niang, she set up an Illusion Array?" Qin Liuxi squinted half in disbelief.

Teng Tianhan’s throat went dry: "An Illusion Array, is that what we see and reality aren’t the same?"

Qin Liuxi nodded: "If that yard had an Illusion Array, it naturally would have been the false covering the real, which is why they couldn’t see him."

"You’re amazing!" Wang Zheng exclaimed, fervently saying: "It was indeed an Illusion Array!"