Tempting The God - Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Trust
Shen Jixue hadn’t expected Lin Mozhi to find this place, so she didn’t have time to put on her innocent facade; she didn’t even show a hint of fear.
Tsk.
Lin Mozhi glanced at Lin Moyu, who had stopped breathing, then looked up and asked, “Did you kill Feicui too?”
Though he asked, his tone was certain.
At this point, Shen Jixue had no room to argue.
She simply laid her cards on the table and nodded.
“How did you evade the time-reversal artifact?”
Shen Jixue didn’t answer.
She couldn’t gauge Lin Mozhi’s thoughts right now.
Since he had already discovered her true nature, which was far from the innocent image she usually projected, why was he still asking these questions?
Lin Mozhi sighed, stepped around Lin Moyu’s corpse, walked up to Shen Jixue, and took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe away the bloodstains on her face.
He softened his voice, “Ah Xue, I have no intention of digging deeper.”
Seeing Shen Jixue’s surprised expression, he smiled and continued, “If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. But can the method you used to evade the time-reversal artifact be used again? If not, I’ll handle the aftermath.”
He had originally intended to give her a protective artifact to keep her safe from harm, but now that he found she had a way to protect herself, a sense of relief grew within him.
If anything happened to him in the future, she would still be able to live well.
That was good.
Shen Jixue hadn’t expected Lin Mozhi to not care at all.
She met his gentle gaze and paused before saying, “I have a way, Young Master, don’t worry.”
“Good,” Lin Mozhi nodded, pointing to a nearby house.
“I’ll wait for you over there. Come find me when you’re done, okay?”
Only after she nodded did he leave with relief, turning to the other side of the house without any intention of prying.
“He actually trusts you that much?”
Fu Xingren still hadn’t appeared but spoke with a sigh of wonder.
Shen Jixue stared at the corner for a while before turning to speak to her side, “Erase everything that happened tonight. Immediately send Lin Moyu’s soul to Guixu and throw her body into the river. Let her body float up three days later, making it look like she committed suicide due to an inner demon taking over. Understand?”
“Understood,” Fu Xingren’s voice held a hint of a smile.
“It seems you’ll be able to make your move soon.”
“Not yet,” Shen Jixue narrowed her eyes.
“I still need to wait for an opportunity.”
With that, she stepped over Lin Moyu’s body and walked towards Lin Mozhi.
He had already put his white veil back on and didn’t ask anything.
He quickly pulled her away, only instructing, “Ah xue, tonight we lit lotus lanterns and then returned. We never came to this place, understand?”
Shen Jixue looked down at Lin Mozhi’s hand, tightly gripping hers, and after a moment of silence, replied, “Yes.”
On the way back, they encountered Luyi and Xuchang.
Lin Mozhi simply said that Shen Jixue had gotten lost in the crowd and didn’t mention Lin Moyu’s death at all.
Three days later.
The Lin family desperately suppressed the rumors that Lin Moyu had committed suicide due to an inner demon taking over, saying only that she had accidentally fallen into the water.
For a time, some rejoiced while others grieved.
Madam Lin sat lifelessly in the room, clutching Lin Moyu’s memorial tablet.
Her eyes were swollen beyond recognition.
Lin Momei, by her side, offered soft words of comfort.
“Mother, Second Sister has… has passed away. You need to take better care of yourself,” her voice choked, yet there was no trace of sadness in her eyes.
“If Second Sister saw you neglecting your health like this, she would be heartbroken, even in the afterlife.”
Madam Lin’s dry, vacant eyes moved, and suddenly, realizing something, she grabbed Lin Momei’s hand and murmured, “No, no! Your second sister only just passed away three days ago. How could her soul not be recalled? There must be something wrong!”
“But the time-reversal artifact only showed Second Sister’s figure alone,” Lin Momei subtly frowned, twisting her wrist that Madam Lin was gripping tightly. “Perhaps those consumed by inner demons have no lingering attachments to the mortal world and might proceed to Guixu sooner.”
(T/N: return to the void)
Madam Lin shook her head, her eyes blazing with intense hatred.
“No, your second sister was exceptionally talented. She would never commit suicide due to an inner demon. It must be him, it must be him!”
“Are you saying…”
Madam Lin suddenly looked up at Lin Momei, gritting her teeth.
“It must be that bastard’s son!”
Lin Momei frowned, about to speak but then swallowed her words.
“Mother, what do you mean?”
“I want him dead.”
With that, she lowered her head again, caressing Lin Moyu’s memorial tablet, and began to sob softly.
Lin Momei stayed for a while, offering many more comforting words before gracefully departing.
Mother’s guess wasn’t wrong.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, she had seen someone with a silhouette strikingly similar to Lin Mozhi’s flash by and disappear into a dark alley.
Lin Momei gently touched her temples, a hidden smile playing on her lips.
So what if she saw him?
Back then, when Second Sister was found to have a Heaven-grade Fire spiritual root, Father and Mother were overjoyed and placed great hopes on all three of them.
But when it was her turn, she possessed a Heaven-grade Gold-Fire dual spiritual root.
Although it was still Heaven-grade, and the Gold spiritual root was almost imperceptible, it was ultimately inferior to a Heaven-grade single spiritual root, not to mention Lin Molan’s Earth-grade Wood spiritual root and Lin Mozhu’s Earth-grade Wood-Earth dual spiritual root.
It was indeed a pity that Second Sister died, but now she was the most talented child in the Lin family.
In two days, when the Xuanxiao Sect came to Feixue City to recruit disciples, she would naturally be able to enter the Xuanxiao Sect.
She was the child who would make Father and Mother most proud.
No one could suppress her anymore.
“Ah xue,” Luyi beckoned, “Could you go to the Qianjin Hall and invite Physician Cui? Do you still remember the way?”
“I remember,” Shen Jixue put down the watering scoop, shook the water from her hands, and asked anxiously, “Has Young Master’s old illness flared up again?”
Luyi’s expression stiffened, then she forced a smile and shook her head reassuringly, “Don’t worry, no, it’s just time for his monthly check-up again.”
“If Physician Cui is busy with consultations, you can wait,” she thought for a moment and then added, “There’s no rush for this matter; it’s fine if it’s a bit late.”
“Okay, I’ll go now,” Shen Jixue nodded.
Just as she was about to leave, she remembered something and leaned closer to Luyi to ask, “Is Young Master going out today too?”
“You mean the Jinkui Pavilion?” Luyi glanced at the sun, which was already beginning to set.
“The summer auction just ended. There’s nothing going on today, so he probably won’t be going.”
Ever since she was caught killing Lin Moyu, Lin Mozhi no longer concealed things from her, revealing all the trump cards of his forces.
Every day, Lin Mozhi would seclude himself in his room for an hour, which was when he handled matters at the Jinkui Pavilion.
As the largest auction house in the city and within a hundred-mile radius, the Jinkui Pavilion dealt with many rare treasures.
Although Shen Jixue didn’t ask directly, she suspected that the phoenix-and-peony golden hairpin on Lin Moyu’s head was probably a gift from Lin Mozhi.
According to him, the JinkuiPavilion was an enterprise left behind by his mother.
She was not a helpless ordinary woman.
When she married Lin Shiyu, she secretly established the Jinkui Pavilion without anyone knowing, as a way to secure her future.
Who knew that she would later be harmed by that pair of adulterers, becoming utterly insane overnight and never recovering.
Lin Shiyu publicly announced her death, but in reality, he secretly set up a formation to imprison her in the manor.
Even Lin Mozhi could only visit her once a year.
The Jinkui Pavilion, unable to be a retreat, instead became capital for Lin Mozhi to contend with Lin Shiyu.
Lin Shiyu didn’t know that the true owner of the Jinkui Pavilion was Lin Mozhi.
Therefore, he outwardly pretended to struggle to survive in the Lin family while secretly using the Jinkui Pavilion’s power to check the Lin family, which allowed him to pass these years safely.
Shen Jixue left the Lin residence and headed directly to the Qianjin Hall in the east of the city, replaying Lin Mozhi’s words in her mind as she walked.
On the surface, there seemed to be no problem, but upon closer inspection, there were many loopholes.
The Jinkui Pavilion’s daily income could equal half a month’s income for the Lin family.
Since Lin Mozhi possessed such financial power, why should he be constrained by the Lin family?
Lin Shiyu was only a Core Formation cultivator, and the formation locking up Lin Mozhi’s mother was not difficult to break.
He could simply hire some powerful rogue cultivators to attack the Lin family and rescue his mother, then flee far away to reunite, which would be better than suffering here.
Lin Mozhi must be hiding some things and hasn’t told her the full truth.
His illness was also quite strange.
Normally, there were no signs of him spitting blood, only the external symptoms of fear of cold and eye disease.
However, every month, a faint smell of blood would emanate from his room.
Before, Luyi wouldn’t let her get close to Lin Mozhi’s room, so she couldn’t pinpoint the exact timing.
Last month, when she smelled blood, Luyi intentionally sent her away, and it was the same today.
Her question about his “old illness” was more of a test than genuine concern.
Luyi’s expression was indeed off, and she specifically emphasized that Shen Jixue should wait longer and not rush back, clearly hiding something from her.
She couldn’t insist on staying, so she had to go out and invite Physician Cui first.
The east of the city wasn’t far.
She hurried along, and while lost in thought, she arrived at the entrance of the Qianjin Hall.
Shen Jixue paused.
Physician Cui was one of the few medical cultivators in Feixue City.
Even at this hour, the Qianjin Hall was still bustling with people, and it probably wouldn’t clear out for at least an hour.
She thought for a moment and pulled aside an apprentice who was maintaining order.
She had come to invite Physician Cui last month, so he naturally recognized her.
“It’s you! Are you here to invite Master again?”
“Please tell Physician Cui to come to the manor after his consultations. I have something urgent to return to, so I won’t wait for him.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“Thank you.”
Shen Jixue turned and walked back.
She wanted to see what Lin Mozhi was truly hiding.
By the time Shen Jixue returned to Songhe Courtyard, dusk had already fallen.
The entire courtyard was quiet, with no sign of Xu Chang or Luyi.
Lin Mozhi’s door was tightly shut, looking no different from usual.
Shen Jixue slowly approached Lin Mozhi’s door.
Since Luyi had said that he wouldn’t be going to the Jinkui Pavilion today, the door likely wouldn’t be locked.
She first pressed her ear against the door and listened for a while. No one was speaking—there were only faint movements inside, but nothing else.
She gently pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The scent of medicine inside the room had grown even stronger, mixed with faint traces of blood. It was different from what she had smelled before—now much more diluted, likely because the window had been opened to let the smell out.
There was a curtain dividing the outer room from the inner room, so one couldn’t see what was inside just by standing at the entrance.
Shen Jixue stood still for a few moments before slightly raising her voice and calling out:
“Young Master, I’m back!”
She deliberately closed the door with a bit more force. At that, a clatter came from the inner room.
She quickly walked toward it.
“Young Master, are you in there?”
Just as she was about to pass through the curtain, a figure suddenly darted out from inside and ran straight into her.
“Ow—!”
“You silly girl, what are you rushing around for!”
Shen Jixue staggered back a few steps to regain her balance and, ignoring Luyi who had fallen to the ground, rushed straight inside.
“Ah Xue!”
Luyi scrambled to her feet and tried to stop her, but it was already too late.
On the round table in the inner room lay a dagger, its blade still stained with blood.
Nearby, blood-soaked bandages and several small porcelain bottles were scattered around. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to contain hemostatic medicine.
Only one of them stood out—a black bottle engraved with mysterious symbols that faintly shimmered with a flowing light.
Its mouth was sealed with a stopper, and its contents were unknown.
A trace of blood had seeped through the bandage on Lin Mozhi’s chest.
His lips were colorless, and he looked utterly drained of strength.
Shen Jixue’s gaze met his pale golden eyes, her own eyes slowly turning red.
“What… what happened here?”
