Chapter 64: The Disguise Talisman Fails, Nearly Exposing Identity

A moment later, the ritual of crossing over was complete. The three little paper figures returned to Chu Li’s hands, and under Fu Heng’s gaze, which was fixed intently upon her, she tucked them into her bosom.

"Squeak-squeak."

The Great Immortal seemed to have conversed at length with its parents. Although forced to endure the sorrow of parting in life and death, knowing that they had been delivered and would attain eternal bliss in the Pure Land made the little creature appear somewhat less grief-stricken.

Chu Li bent down to guide the Great Immortal onto her shoulder, then casually snapped her fingers. A tiny spark of flame danced at her fingertips.

She walked over to the large boulder and ignited the white ermine’s pelt. The reddish-orange firelight cast a dreamlike glow upon her slightly pale face.

Fu Heng had intended to step forward and offer a few words of concern. Though the night’s events might have seemed uneventful to an outsider, he surmised that Chu Li must have expended a considerable amount of energy, for her complexion seemed even more drained than before they left the city.

Yet at that very moment, Chu Li’s face in the firelight suddenly contorted, turning somewhat surreal.

Thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him, Fu Heng straightened his posture and looked closer, his pupils instantly contracting sharply.

What did he just see? Why had Chu Li’s pale face suddenly turned transparent?

Against the backdrop of the flickering flames, her features were becoming increasingly ethereal, as if they might vanish in the next second.

Fu Heng closed his eyes tightly once more, then opened them abruptly, his gaze growing unfathomably deep and piercing.

Chu Li finally sensed Fu Heng’s stare. As their eyes met, a huge boulder seemed to drop into the lake of her heart, causing violent ripples to churn within.

What kind of look was that? The terrifying sensation of being seen straight through to her soul left Chu Li deeply unsettled.

Oh no, was the Disguise Talisman about to wear off?

Taking advantage of the lingering firelight, Chu Li hurriedly turned her back to him and cautiously felt her face with her hand. At that single touch, her heart instantly turned icy cold.

The Disguise Talisman was truly failing. She was not carrying any spare talismans with her, and she certainly could not draw a new one right on the spot. She had to rush back before the charm completely lost its effect.

Suspicion was already taking root in Fu Heng’s mind; he was certain he hadn't misseen earlier—this woman was shrouded in oddities.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew nearer, sending Chu Li’s heart racing into her throat.

"Lady Chu, what is the matter?"

Fu Heng’s voice came from behind her, and the tall shadow he cast threatened to swallow her whole.

Quick-witted in a crisis, Chu Li swiftly grabbed the Great Immortal’s fluffy tail and pressed it against her face.

When Fu Heng reached her side, all he could see was Chu Li’s smooth forehead and a pair of expressive, bright eyes, while the lower half of her face was completely buried in the little white ermine’s tail.

"What are you doing?"

Fu Heng fixed his eyes intently on Chu Li, attempting to glean some clue from the slightest trace of evidence. However, the ermine’s tail was exceptionally fluffy, and Chu Li’s face was tiny, covering her so thoroughly that it afforded no opportunity for prying.

Yet the more she did this, the deeper Fu Heng’s suspicion grew. If not for the propriety between men and women, he would have reached out and yanked that obstructive tail away himself.

On the surface, Chu Li appeared perfectly calm, but inwardly she was in a state of chaotic panic, not daring to make any rash movements.

Could he have figured something out? Just now, her face had been illuminated very clearly by the firelight. In the event that the Disguise Talisman had flickered and revealed a flaw, Fu Heng’s keen vigilance would undoubtedly have allowed him to catch the anomaly.

If that happened, how could she possibly explain it?

Standing tall, Fu Heng waited for an answer from Chu Li. Though she seemed composed, her guilty conscience could not escape his eyes. What was she feeling guilty about?

At that exact moment, a surge of intense curiosity welled up within Fu Heng. His previous suspicions resurfaced in his mind—that familiar sensation, the strikingly similar mole behind her ear... could it possibly be—?

Unconsciously, Fu Heng had already raised one hand, slowly reaching toward Chu Li’s face.

The premonition that the truth was right before his eyes made his heart beat faster.

With her head lowered, Chu Li was still plotting how to avert this crisis. It was clearly too late to prepare a new Disguise Talisman now. Originally, holding the Great Immortal’s tail to her face wouldn't have been unusual—she could easily have tossed out a casual excuse about warding off the cold.

However, Fu Heng was also wearing a Cold-Warding Talisman. Such a charm not only warmed the body but also protected the face and limbs, whereas her own face was currently burning hot.

Had she known better, she would have made a habit of carrying a veil.

Just as Chu Li was still deep in thought regarding how to handle the situation, Fu Heng’s strong, forceful hand was already approaching her face. Caught completely off guard, his large hand swiftly yanked the tail away.

"Squeak!"

The Great Immortal reacted even more violently than Chu Li, shrieking in protest before baring its tiny teeth and pouncing straight at Fu Heng.

The little fellow had harbored hostility toward Fu Heng from the very beginning, and now that the man had pulled its precious tail and hurt it, its grudge only deepened.

Yet Fu Heng possessed profound internal energy; he was hardly an opponent the Great Immortal could contend with.

Before the little creature could even come within arm’s reach of Fu Heng, it was blasted backward by a wave of his astral energy.

A sharp, shrill cry pierced the silent night, finally snapping Chu Li back to her senses.

At the very last critical second, Chu Li hurriedly raised her sleeve to block her face, but it was already too late.

For Fu Heng, lowering his eyelids slightly was all it took to clearly behold the face before him.

In the span of a single breath, that pale, nearly transparent face came into full view.

Fu Heng’s pupils dilated in shock; some illusion within his heart shattered, leaving a lingering wave of disappointment pooling in the depths of his eyes.

Pressing his lips together, he turned his head away, his tone lacking its previous urgency.

"Lady Chu, you should return and get some proper rest. This prince will come to you tomorrow to divine fortune and misfortune."

As soon as the words left his lips, Fu Heng strode away, disappearing into the night without a backward glance.

That retreating figure carried a touch of desolation; no one knew how deep his dejection was at that moment.

Only after he had vanished entirely did Chu Li dare to lower her guard, releasing a massive breath of relief.

Thank goodness. Although the effect of the Disguise Talisman was already unstable, she was fortunate; during those few glances Fu Heng cast at her, the magic had still been holding.

Chu Li stood frozen in place, unable to calm her racing heartbeat for a long while.

Ever since she had transmigrated and lost half of her fortune, she had never experienced luck as good as today's.

Ah, wait—on the day she crossed over, her luck had seemed pretty good too, allowing her a direct glimpse of her destined match.

Only, looking at it now, perhaps that hadn't been good luck at all. She was already beginning to doubt whether meeting Fu Heng was a blessing...

"Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

The Great Immortal’s pitiful cries pulled Chu Li back from her thoughts. She lowered her gaze to look at the little white ermine at her feet, which was clutching its tail and looking up with tear-filled eyes, and couldn't help but burst into a chuckle.

"You little fellow, should I call you brave or just foolish? That guy is the absolute ceiling of martial might in the Eastern Cang Kingdom. He could crush you to death with a single finger—how on earth dared you shriek at him?"

Despite her words, Chu Li was deeply comforted. At least the little creature had guts; it was bound to accomplish big things in the future.

The Great Immortal scrambled back up onto Chu Li’s shoulder, looking wronged as it rubbed its little head against its new master’s cheek.

"Squeak?"

Oh! Why had her master’s face changed? It looked even prettier than before!