Chapter 3

I gave a soft laugh, pushed Wei Shuang’s sword aside with one hand, and looked at Zhao Yunzhi.

“So you’re here to undergo a trial of love? How do you plan to pass it? By marrying me?”

Zhao Yunzhi looked away, the tips of his ears faintly red.

He glanced at Wei Shuang.

Reluctantly, she said, “Before I came down the mountain, Master cast a divination for you. The first woman you met after failing your tribulation would be your trial of love. Once Senior Brother passes this trial, he will be able to ascend to immortality. So yes, it seems he is supposed to marry her.”

“What a windfall for you.” Wei Shuang looked scornful, as though I had won some magnificent prize.

After my parents and the big black dog left me one after another, I had hated Zhao Yunzhi bitterly. Whenever I traveled with my master to practice medicine, I made a point of listening for news of him.

He was a celebrated immortal lord of the Mystic Heaven Sect, the greatest sword cultivator under heaven, and once the likeliest of all to ascend.

Unfortunately, no one could have imagined a flaw in his Dao heart would cause the heavenly lightning to strike him and cast him down into the teeming mortal world.

But who had decreed that Zhao Yunzhi was entitled to Li Sujun’s affection?

I smiled. “Oh, I see. But I’ve never liked taking advantage of people, so I won’t marry the immortal lord. There—are you satisfied, Immortal Maiden?”

Wei Shuang stared blankly.

“That’s not what I meant.”

As if I cared what she meant.

“Pay for my door,” I said.

Wei Shuang flew into a rage.

Just then, someone knocked from the doorway.

It was a young man dressed in black and red, with a black ribbon tied over his eyes. The loose ends fell softly over his shoulders, giving him an air both beautiful and mysterious.

Sensing everyone’s attention, he asked softly, “Is this the home of Healer Li Sujun?”

The auntie who had guided him here was supporting him from behind. “Of course it is! Why would I lie to you?”

But he merely pressed his lips together and waited stubbornly for an answer from someone inside.

I stepped forward. “I am Healer Li Sujun. Are you here for treatment?”

Facing my voice, the young man slowly reached behind his head and untied the black ribbon. Beneath it was a pair of smiling, luminous eyes.

“I am. My master said the first woman I saw after descending to the mortal world would be my trial of love. I heard that you were as kind as you were beautiful and the finest healer for dozens of miles, so I blindfolded myself and came especially to find you. Big Sister, I belong to you now. Aren’t you delighted?”

I had no words.

Oh my. A celestial beauty.

This must be heaven’s reward for a lifetime of healing the sick. The heavens did have eyes after all.

Zhao Yunzhi’s expression darkened.

Wei Shuang’s face turned ugly.

The young man ignored them. Taking a small lump of gold from his robes, he offered it with both hands to the auntie who had shown him the way.

“Thank you for guiding me, Auntie. We’ll invite you back for the wedding feast.”

Auntie was stunned and hurried to refuse.

But the young man insisted.

She thanked him over and over, marveling all the while.

“Susu, this young gentleman is a good one. He worried that I might tire on the road and even offered to hire a cart for me. He’s so much better than that thoughtless fellow from yesterday.”

Zhao Yunzhi grew angrier still.

Wei Shuang drew her sword. Only then did Auntie notice the other two people in the courtyard. She turned and fled in terror, but Wei Shuang was not interested in her. Her blade pointed at the young man.

“What insolent brat are you, parroting other people’s words? What is your name? What sect are you from? What exactly are you doing here?”

The young man lifted one hand. Wei Shuang’s sword shattered inch by inch, and a streak of blood spilled abruptly from the corner of her mouth.

He turned to me with a smile. “Big Sister, my name is Cheng Lin. My family belongs to an insignificant little sect. I’m here to undergo my trial of love. Would you like a husband who marries into your household?”

Zhao Yunzhi rushed to support Wei Shuang.

Fear crossed her face.

I smiled and nodded. “Why not? I’m old enough to marry, and a husband willing to marry into my family would suit me very well. But I’ll need to observe you for three years first. Are you willing?”

“Of course! Forget three years—I’d wait thirty.” Cheng Lin’s eyes shimmered, bright as stars.

He walked slowly inside. Seeing the fallen door bar, he immediately picked it up and put it back in place.

Then he noticed the splash of blood Wei Shuang had spat onto the ground. He frowned in distaste, cast a spell, and the stain vanished.

He looked at the cat, dog, and snake beside me and greeted each of them with a smiling nod.

Only then did he turn to Zhao Yunzhi and Wei Shuang, his expression cold and severe.

“You should leave. Big Sister does not welcome you.”

Zhao Yunzhi looked from him to me, then asked, unwilling to accept it, “Why?”

“Why what?” I looked up, cold and weary.

His next words came with difficulty.

“We both came here to undergo a trial of love. Why choose him instead of me?”

“You don’t know?”

He shook his head. His brow was grave, his face sincere. He truly did not know.

I felt angry. Furious. And, beneath it all, a little heartsick.

It was as though someone had weathered a thousand storms to reach an immortal mountain, only for a latecomer—blind to everything that journey had cost—to see them standing at the summit and say lightly, “Why do you get to stand there so easily while I must weather a thousand storms?”

I wanted to slap him senseless.

But I worried one slap might knock some sense into him.

I had no obligation to enlighten a fool.

In an instant, every emotion inside me quietly dispersed. I beamed at him. “Guess.”

Zhao Yunzhi froze.

Wei Shuang erupted in anger. Apparently realizing she would gain nothing today, she pulled Zhao Yunzhi away.

“Li Sujun, you’ll regret this.”

Before leaving, Zhao Yunzhi made one last attempt. “Miss Li, I may have lost my powers, but I can still sense something strange about him. You must not make a bargain with a tiger…”

“Then you should reflect on yourself. Everyone else can pass their tribulations, but you can’t. Have you considered that you might be the one doing something wrong? Goodbye. Don’t expect an escort.” I stood in the doorway and saw them out.

Once they were gone, I slammed the door.

Better to bargain with a tiger than play music to a cow.

It had been a long time since I met anyone so incapable of understanding plain speech.