Chapter 15: Only You Can Lift This Veil

Shang Lu, who had already returned home, was unaware of the rumors and ridicule circulating about him outside. Even if he knew, he would not care. As long as he could pass the merit assessment, all the mockery would become nothing more than a joke. In fact, the more people laughed at him now, the more it would lull Sun Ying, Head Constable Ma, and the others into complacency, buying him time and opportunity to restore his cultivation to the intermediate stage of Bone-Cutting, or even to advance further.

Thus, upon arriving home, Shang Lu had no time for rest; he immediately began his practice, absorbing the refined essence of qi and blood transformed from the snake gall. San Niang, meanwhile, took out a sharpening stone and began honing her knife in the courtyard, the sound ringing through the night. The ox-tail blade, battered and notched from the fierce battle with the strange serpent, ought to be sent to the smithy for repairs, but that would raise suspicions. A mere pack of rabid dogs could never damage the blade to such a degree. For now, San Niang could only treat it with the sharpening stone, waiting until after the merit assessment to conduct more thorough repairs.

Shang Lu had intended to sharpen the blade himself after finishing his practice, but once again, his diligent San Niang took the task ahead of him. Thanking her, he focused his mind and repeatedly cultivated the Five Beast Vitality Technique until the refined qi and blood from the snake gall was fully absorbed.

By then, the night had deepened, and darkness enveloped the world. Their house, shrouded by dense trees, was pitch-black—one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Previously, Shang Lu would have needed to light a candle just to find the way to the latrine at night. But now, in the same darkness, he was delighted to discover he could see a fair few things. Though not clearly, his ability to perceive objects in pitch-blackness was a significant improvement—a benefit brought by the snake gall. And this was not the only advantage.

“San Niang, this snake gall is truly a marvelous thing. After eating it, my vision has improved greatly.” Shang Lu was eager to share his good news with San Niang, but as he spoke, he caught sight of a faint, elusive figure—a blood-red silhouette, floating in mid-air, its form blurred, its face indistinct. The figure stood not far away, holding a towel. To any other, the sight of this blood-red shadow would be terrifying, but Shang Lu was filled with joy and excitement.

Before he could speak, the figure silently drifted over and began to carefully wipe his sweat with the towel. Now, Shang Lu could see that the red was the color of her wedding dress. Sadly, he could not see her face—it was hidden beneath a red veil.

Even so, Shang Lu was overwhelmed with emotion. “San Niang, I can see you now!” He reached out to lift her veil, only for his hand to pass straight through her head, catching nothing. San Niang paused, deliberately letting go of the towel, allowing the wind to carry it as she slipped behind him. Understanding her gesture, Shang Lu smiled and turned his head to look at her new position.

“I’m not lying. I really can see you now.” After a moment, he sighed. “But I can only see the outline of a shadow, not your features, and I still can’t touch you.” San Niang gently took his hand, and this time, Shang Lu felt her touch—soft, tender, and cool to the touch, delightful to hold.

He knew San Niang was comforting him, so he squeezed her small hand, taking the opportunity to make a request. “Could you lift your veil for me, so I can see your face?”

As soon as he spoke, he saw the blood-red shadow before him shake her head. Disappointed, he suddenly heard San Niang’s faint, gentle voice by his ear. “The veil must be lifted by you.”

“Huh?” Shang Lu was taken aback, then realized that, according to custom, only the groom may lift the bride’s veil. “I understand.” He nodded with a smile, as if making a vow or encouraging himself. “It seems, if I want to lift your veil sooner, I must work even harder in my cultivation!”

After lingering with San Niang for a while, Shang Lu resumed his training. The refined qi and blood from the snake gall was already absorbed, so further practice of the Five Beast Vitality Technique would be of little benefit. Thus, Shang Lu began practicing the Tendon-Severing Bone-Cleaving Blade.

During the battle with the strange serpent, Shang Lu realized that although he had received San Niang’s special training, his limited experience meant many techniques were not yet mastered. He hadn’t noticed during practice, but in real combat, he would forget moves or perform them incorrectly. Fortunately, the serpent, despite its uncanny ability to revive, was not particularly formidable, so Shang Lu’s errors were not fatal. But what if he faced a different opponent?

Whether it was Head Constable Ma or the leader of the Black Wind Gang, both were formidable cultivators with rich experience in combat. Making mistakes against such opponents would be tantamount to courting death! Therefore, he had to intensify his training with the Tendon-Severing Bone-Cleaving Blade. He need not achieve perfect mastery, but at least develop muscle memory to reduce errors.

Despite the ox-tail blade’s severe damage, it was still suitable for practice. After San Niang tossed the blade to Shang Lu, she once again served as his sparring partner, sending leaves swirling like a rain of arrows, swiftly attacking him.

“Hmm?” At that moment, Shang Lu made a new discovery. Thanks to his improved eyesight, he could now lock onto fast-moving targets with greater speed and accuracy. This allowed him to respond much more precisely to San Niang’s “leaf attacks.” Even when the leaves abruptly changed direction, he could detect it instantly and react accordingly.

Thus, through that night’s training, the number of times Shang Lu was struck by flying leaves was greatly reduced compared to before. Yet he noticed a new problem: His eyes could sense danger, but his body’s reaction lagged behind, always a half-beat too slow. Shang Lu knew that to solve this, he must further improve his cultivation and blade proficiency.

He trained deep into the night, and only after exhaustion set in did he wash up and sleep. Once he was sound asleep, San Niang resumed sharpening the blade, moving to the kitchen and closing the doors and windows to avoid disturbing him. Thankfully, for if she hadn’t, a new ghost story would surely have been born in the alley the next day.

Early the next morning, after finishing his exercises, Shang Lu donned his tattered, bloodstained constable’s uniform and set out for the magistrate’s office. The previous night, San Niang had wanted to wash and mend the uniform, but Shang Lu had stopped her. Today, the battered, bloodied uniform would serve an important purpose.

For this reason, Shang Lu had not soaked in the cold bath after training; he merely crushed some herbs to stop bleeding and promote healing, applying them to his wounds. Though the cold bath was excellent for treating injuries, if Shang Lu appeared at the magistrate’s office with only minor wounds, Sun Ying, Head Constable Ma, and the others would surely become suspicious.

He needed to use the uniform and his injuries to further lull Sun Ying and Head Constable Ma, buying himself more time.