Volume 3, Chapter 209 – Cheng Hongling is About to Cry

As soon as Cheng Hongling shouted, she immediately regretted it. The entrance wasn’t far, and anyone with slightly higher cultivation could hear her clearly.

“Junior Sister Hongling! What are you doing here?”

Sure enough, a familiar male voice rang out.

Cheng Hongling jolted and turned to see none other than Wang Zong walking toward her.

Qi Huang was also startled. She had just been about to explain when her main body abruptly cut off communication.

“She wouldn’t actually come here to kill me, would she?”

A shiver ran down Qi Huang’s spine. She quickly extended her divine sense to scan the entrance. If her main body came storming in with murderous intent, she had already decided to flee and hide for a couple of days.

“Who do you want to kill? Who made you angry? Let me help you take care of it.”

Wang Zong offered enthusiastically. Even a fool could tell he had feelings for Cheng Hongling—though given the vast gap in their statuses, he had never dared to confess.

“I want to kill Qi—”

Still fuming, Cheng Hongling nearly blurted it out. But remembering that the person she wanted dead was her own doppelgänger, she felt an overwhelming urge to die on the spot. In a fit of frustration, she snapped, “I want to kill myself. Can you help me with that?”

“Uh…”

Wang Zong froze for a moment before adopting a gentle, persuasive tone. “Junior Sister Hongling, why would you want to kill yourself when you’re perfectly fine? Right now, everyone is waiting for you to bring back the cat’s tears. Once we resolve the Honghua Sect’s crisis, you’ll be the hero in everyone’s hearts! Maybe that’ll help you forget whatever’s troubling you.”

He spoke eloquently, completely oblivious to Cheng Hongling’s increasingly darkened expression. He even added, “So take my advice—even if you want to die, at least wait until after you’ve delivered the cat’s tears before deciding.”

“……”

Cheng Hongling’s beautiful eyes widened, her red lips trembling. After a long pause, she finally spat out, “Are you deliberately making things worse? Do you even know how to comfort someone? I was joking earlier, but now I really do want to die.”

“No, no, listen to me. Wait until after you’ve delivered the cat’s tears before deciding.”

Wang Zong remained the picture of a “warm-hearted” advisor.

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“Wang, you bastard—I’m going to explode on you today!”

Cheng Hongling bared her little teeth like an enraged kitten puffing up its fur, ready to pounce.

Wang Zong was taken aback. In all his years, he had never seen Junior Sister Hongling so unhinged. He was about to offer more earnest advice when Elder Ruan suddenly rushed over.

“Oh dear, Hongling! Hongling! You’re finally back! The Honghua Sect has run out of cat’s tears. Everyone’s waiting for you. Without them, our disciples will be walking to their deaths!”

Elder Ruan spoke with palpable urgency.

“……”

Cheng Hongling opened her mouth, intending to explain. But under the expectant gazes of the two before her, the words lodged in her throat, and she swallowed them back down.

And so, with the resignation of one who had lost the will to live, Cheng Hongling followed the two into the Honghua Sect, her murderous intent toward her doppelgänger momentarily forgotten.

“Everyone, listen up! Junior Sister Hongling has found a way to purchase cat’s tears! Any disciples in need can request her help later!”

Wang Zong, either oblivious or reckless in his desire to impress the girl he liked, shouted as they walked, instantly causing a stir.

“Senior Brother Wang, stop shouting.”

Cheng Hongling clenched her fists so tightly her sharp nails dug into her palms.

“No need to be modest. You’re the Honghua Sect’s hero. If you’ve contributed, everyone should know. There’s no reason to be so humble.”

Wang Zong’s enthusiasm made it seem like he was even more excited than Cheng Hongling herself.

“Yes, Hongling, I’ve always thought you were too low-key. Otherwise, you’d have been the sect leader by now.”

Elder Ruan chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.

“Ugh! Why is my life so hard?”

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Cheng Hongling let out a weak sigh, feeling the overwhelming urge to explode at the entire world.

Watching this scene, Qi Huang nearly burst out laughing. For some reason, seeing her main body suffer filled her with a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Of course, that hadn’t been her original intention, so she quickly stepped in to help.

Before long, Cheng Hongling arrived at the main hall, where Qin Quan and the other high-ranking elders soon gathered.

“Ah, Hongling! You’re finally back! We’ve been waiting so long!”

Qin Quan’s face lit up with joy, all traces of gloom vanishing.

“Haha, yes! The sect’s supply of cat’s tears was nearly exhausted. If you hadn’t returned, our disciples wouldn’t even dare to leave the mountain!”

“It’s fine if you didn’t catch the Nine Nether Demon Cat. We heard you found a way to buy cat’s tears? That’s still a great achievement.”

“Junior Hongling, how much does a bottle of cat’s tears cost? Did you bring any back? My disciples are desperate—name your price, and I won’t haggle.”

One elder after another spoke up.

“……”

Cheng Hongling pressed her lips together, then turned to her master, Xu Mei, with a pleading look.

“The elders are asking you a question. Why are you looking at me?”

Xu Mei frowned, confused.

Cheng Hongling tried to convey her desperation through her eyes, but after blinking several times to no avail, a cold sweat broke out on her back.

After struggling internally, she finally gave up and forced out the words: “I’m sorry to disappoint everyone. This time, not only did I fail to capture the Nine Nether Demon Cat, but I also didn’t find any way to purchase cat’s tears.”

The moment these words left her mouth, the hall fell into dead silence.

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After a pause, Qin Quan let out an awkward laugh. “Hongling, you’re joking, right? Qi Huang told me you’d found a way to buy cat’s tears. She’s your doppelgänger—she wouldn’t lie, would she?”

“Let me say it again—I really didn’t find any way to buy cat’s tears. Whoever told you otherwise, go ask them.”

Cheng Hongling gritted her teeth as she repeated herself.

“Hongling, these are your elders. Stop joking around.”

Xu Mei couldn’t take it anymore.

“Master, I’m not joking! Why won’t anyone believe me?”

Cheng Hongling’s pupils trembled. Even her own master doubted her—she was on the verge of tears.

The elders exchanged glances, their expressions darkening. If she hadn’t found any, fine—but for a doppelgänger to play such a cruel joke was downright malicious.

“No, she is joking.”

Just then, a figure walked into the hall.

She had the same stunning face as Cheng Hongling, the same jet-black hair, the same black dress. The only difference was the pink lotus mark between her eyebrows.

It was none other than Qi Huang.

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Cheng Hongling snapped.

“Stop teasing everyone. These elders aren’t as young as they used to be—they can’t handle such shocks. If you found them, say so. If not, admit it.”

Qi Huang strode forward calmly.

“Shut up! When was I joking? Every word I said was true!”

Cheng Hongling defended herself vehemently, but none of the elders listened.

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“Ah, so Hongling really was joking! You scared me!”

“Yes, don’t make jokes like this in the future. Our old hearts can’t take it.”

“I knew it! Junior Hongling is the most outstanding disciple the Honghua Sect has ever produced. Is there anything she can’t accomplish?”

The elders’ gloom instantly dissipated. People will always believe what they want to believe.

“Please understand, elders. Our Hongling is only sixteen—still a young girl. A little humor to lighten the mood is forgivable.”

Xu Mei quickly stepped in to salvage her disciple’s dignity.

“Not only that, but I’ll tell you all—she even brought back dozens of bottles of cat’s tears. Anyone who needs them can purchase them from her.”

Qi Huang continued lying through her teeth without batting an eye.

“Really? Junior Hongling, I’ll take one bottle—name your price!”

“Me too! You have to save one for me—what will my disciples do otherwise?”

“Tch, only one bottle when you claim to care about your disciples? How stingy. I’ll pay double—I want ten bottles!”

The elders swarmed forward, clamoring to place their orders.

“Don’t listen to her! I really don’t have any cat’s tears! Whoever made the claim, go ask them to sell it to you!”

Cheng Hongling desperately tried to explain, her voice trembling. The situation had spiraled far beyond her control.

“No problem. Come to me—she left all the cat’s tears with me.”

Qi Huang couldn’t have been happier. With a wave of her hand, dozens of small jade bottles materialized before her.

Cheng Hongling stood there, dumbstruck. Her cherry-red lips parted slightly as if her soul had left her body.