Chapter 19: My Red Hare

Lu Hongzhuang leaned in, her curiosity piqued by the intricately cut paper figure in Su Qinghan’s hand.

Its delicate features were remarkably lifelike.

“Is this… one of the methods from your sect’s mystic arts for tracking people and demons?”

She reached out a finger, carefully prodding the paper figure’s arm.

“Wow, it’s so exquisite.

Will it come to life and help us find that cat demon?”

Without looking up, Su Qinghan snipped away the last paper edge with a crisp *snip* of her scissors.

“Hmm? No.”

She casually tucked the paper figure back into her sleeve, replacing it with a pristine yellow talisman.

“This is for later, should the need arise.

To find that little cat demon, this journal provides a sufficient karmic link.”

She placed the journal, stained with filth and sorrow, upon her lap, holding the talisman between two fingers and suspending it just above the cover.

“Watch closely.”

Su Qinghan closed her eyes, and in an instant, her entire demeanor transformed.

The languid, sickly air that usually clung to her dissipated, replaced by a profound and solemn gravity.

She began to chant, her voice ethereal and distant, echoing through the small room of the inn.

“Though heaven and earth leave no trace, let thought be the guide.”

“A single lamp of the heart, to light your path homeward.”

Midway through the incantation, her body swayed violently, and the color drained from her face, leaving it whiter than the paper screen on the window.

A dizzy spell washed over her, and her vision swam into blackness as she nearly collapsed.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’

A sweet, childlike voice, tinged with laziness, suddenly echoed in her mind, punctuated by a delicate yawn.

It was Jiu Li.

‘You woke up just in time!’ Su Qinghan responded swiftly in her mind.

‘Quick! Refine some spiritual energy for me, I need it urgently!’

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” Jiu Li’s voice sounded hesitant.

“There are other people here.

What if they find out?”

“Besides… I only just woke up.

I haven’t converted much demonic energy yet.

The coffers are empty, you could say.”

Su Qinghan’s incantation was broken, and the power she had painstakingly gathered dissipated in an instant.

She had no choice but to stop.

“Hey! What’s wrong?”

Seeing her sway with such a ghastly pallor, Lu Hongzhuang quickly reached out to steady her.

“Maybe… you should rest for a while?

Your health is what’s important.”

Su Qinghan shook her head, her brow deeply furrowed.

“This is not good.”

She leaned on Lu Hongzhuang’s arm, her voice laced with gravity.

“These waters are far murkier than I imagined.

If we don’t find that cat demon soon, she’s likely to end up dead.”

Lu Hongzhuang was confused.

“If she dies… wouldn’t that solve the case?

Then everyone could rest easy.”

“It’s not that simple.”

Su Qinghan dismissed the notion.

“Luo Li’s death, the cat demon’s disappearance, and the string of flaying cases in town—do you really think it’s all a coincidence?

Someone is using this naive little cat demon as a pawn, manipulating her to commit murder while planning to frame her for everything.

I don’t know what their motive is, but a venomous snake like this, hiding in the shadows, must be strangled in its cradle before it has a chance to bite.”

Looking at Su Qinghan’s pale face and the sheer determination shining in her cool eyes, Lu Hongzhuang felt a pang of sympathy.

“But you’re in this state… what can you possibly do?”

A sly smile suddenly tugged at the corners of Su Qinghan’s lips.

She held the yellow talisman out in front of Lu Hongzhuang.

“You do it.”

“Me?” Lu Hongzhuang pointed to her own nose, her expression one of utter disbelief.

“How could I possibly… I haven’t even begun my cultivation.

I haven’t even read that book yet.”

“Enough nonsense.”

Su Qinghan decisively grabbed her hand, leaving no room for argument.

She tucked the talisman between Lu Hongzhuang’s fingers, then guided her hand into the same posture she had held moments before.

“Hold it between your fingers.”

Su Qinghan’s other hand came to rest on Lu Hongzhuang’s back.

The warmth of her palm was palpable.

Through the thin fabric of her clothes, Lu Hongzhuang could clearly feel that gentle pressure, and an indescribable heat shot up her spine.

“Everyone is born with essence, energy, and spirit; ordinary people simply don’t know how to wield them.”

Su Qinghan’s voice sounded by her ear, carrying a strange, guiding quality.

“Though you’ve never trained, your foundation is strong.

Using a talisman just once shouldn’t be a problem.

Now, relax.

Feel the flow of energy I’m guiding, and repeat after me.”

Lu Hongzhuang was hesitant, but seeing Su Qinghan’s unwavering expression, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

A faint yet distinct current of energy flowed from Su Qinghan’s palm, traveling along her meridians before slowly converging in the fingers that held the talisman.

The sensation was marvelous, like a clear spring being poured into a dry riverbed.

“Though heaven and earth leave no trace, let thought be the guide.”

Su Qinghan’s voice seemed to carry a magical quality, and Lu Hongzhuang found herself unconsciously repeating the words.

“A single lamp of the heart, to light your path homeward.”

As the final word fell from her lips, Lu Hongzhuang cried out.

“Reveal!”

Vmmm—

The yellow talisman between her fingers instantly erupted in a blinding golden light!

The light was so brilliant that it bathed the entire room in the brightness of midday.

In that same instant, Lu Hongzhuang felt as if a great portion of her essence and spirit had been siphoned away.

An overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over her, and her mind grew foggy, as though she had gone three consecutive nights without sleep.

The golden light dissipated.

The yellow talisman had vanished.

In its place hovered a small butterfly composed of countless golden motes of light and shimmering runes.

It beat its wings gracefully, showering the air with golden dust, before turning and flying out the window.

“It worked!”

Su Qinghan’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Without a second thought, she pushed herself up with one hand, moving with an agility that belied her delicate appearance, and skillfully hopped onto Lu Hongzhuang’s back.

Lu Hongzhuang, still reeling from the weakness and shock of casting the spell, was caught completely off guard by the sudden weight and stumbled, nearly falling over.

Smack!

A crisp sound echoed in the room.

Su Qinghan had slapped Lu Hongzhuang’s bottom, which felt surprisingly firm and supple.

“Onward, my Red Hare!”

She cried out triumphantly.

Lu Hongzhuang’s body went rigid.

A rush of heat shot from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head, and her cheeks grew hot enough to fry an egg.

‘She… she actually slapped my rear!’

‘And called me… Red Hare?!’

“Su! Qing! Han!”

Mortified and furious, Lu Hongzhuang squeezed the three words through her gritted teeth.

“Are you trying to die?!”

“Ahem, I got carried away.

It was a slip of the hand!

Don’t worry about the little details.”

Su Qinghan quickly changed the subject, pointing to the golden butterfly that had already flown some distance away.

“Hurry!

If we delay any longer, it’ll be gone!”

Lu Hongzhuang watched as the golden butterfly flew farther and farther, about to vanish into the night, while Su Qinghan’s urgent voice echoed in her ear.

“After it!

My dearest sister, will you take responsibility if this clue gets away?”

Lu Hongzhuang’s chest heaved.

She took several deep breaths, barely managing to suppress the urge to deal with Su Qinghan on the spot.

The mission came first.

Gritting her teeth, she made a heavy mark against Su Qinghan in her mental ledger.

‘Su Qinghan, you just wait!’

‘Once we catch that skulking coward, just see how I’ll deal with you!

I swear I’ll pay you back for today’s debt, with interest!’