When Shen Youling slowly regained consciousness, the first thing she saw was Zhu Yingning and Lee Encai, stark naked and scrambling around in search of clothes.
"What in the..." she muttered, shocked. She couldn't understand how they, who were only there to help, had also been... by Lin Tang.
"Did you take advantage of them?" she demanded, turning to stare at Lin Tang.
"You've misunderstood ," Lin Tang said, shaking his head. He explained that only their clothes had been destroyed; they were both still virgins.
"What?" Shen Youling was shocked all over again.
Lee Encai, maybe. But Zhu Yingning? Hasn't she been married?
Lin Tang shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe her dead husband was a eunuch."
Those who practiced and enjoyed using poison arts were, in truth, playing with their lives. One misstep and the techniques could backfire. It wouldn't be strange at all for one to poison himself into becoming a eunuch.
"You're full of shit!" Zhu Yingning seethed, her face flushed with sha and fury. If her poisons had any effect on Lin Tang, she would have castrated him without a second thought.
They found so old clothes in another room, but they reeked and were infested with bugs. If the girls were to put them on, their delicate skin would undoubtedly break out in red rashes.
Lin Tang, however, had a solution. With a surge of True Qi, the clothes beca as good as new, every speck of dust and every last bug disappearing completely.
After they had dressed, they wanted to leave so money behind but were embarrassed to find they were penniless.
"Have soone send so money over later," Lin Tang instructed Zhu Yingning, bending down to pick up the fragnts of the divine sword. He planned to extract the Geng Sand from within them later.
"Oh," Zhu Yingning complied subconsciously.
Shen Youling glanced at her, then suddenly spoke up. "Lin Tang, I want to have a word with you."
Lin Tang looked at her. Dressed in the simple attire of a village woman, she had lost her usual fashionable aura but gained a rustic charm, giving her a unique and different kind of allure. As for the black mark on her face, he automatically ignored it.
"Just say what you need to say. Or should I ask them to leave first?" he asked with a smile, taking her hand in a gesture of intimacy.
Shen Youling instinctively tried to pull her hand away but then resigned herself and gave up. Shaking her head, she said, "There's no need for them to leave. I just want to ask what your plans are for the future and how you intend to handle our relationship."
"Aren't we husband and wife? And after what just happened, we should naturally reconcile, right? What, do you still insist on divorcing ?" Lin Tang asked in surprise.
Though feeling a bit sour, Lee Encai chid in, "You should just make up with him. There was never any real conflict between you; it was all just a series of misunderstandings."
"I..." Shen Youling lowered her head. The main thing she couldn't get over was that Lin Tang had treated her as a re tool for his cultivation. A marriage based on utility rather than emotion felt completely wrong.
"Hey, can we talk while we walk?" Zhu Yingning urged impatiently. She hadn't found any clothes that fit her. The ugly set she had been forced into was uncomfortably tight, and she was desperate to get back to the city and change into sothing fitting and beautiful.
"Shut up! You're just a maid. What gives you the right to complain?" Lin Tang scolded irritably.
"You..." Zhu Yingning trembled with anger. He just took advantage of , and now he's being this cruel? Does he even have a heart?!
On the way back, Shen Youling was lost in thought. As they neared the city district, she spoke again. "I've thought it through. We can continue to be husband and wife, but we need to establish three ground rules."
"No problem. Go ahead," Lin Tang agreed readily.
After all, the feeling of breaking through and growing stronger is just too good! Plus, that Dual Cultivation just now essentially saved my life. That's not a small favor. I can't just turn my back on her after that.
"First, from now on, you are to stop causing trouble. My Shen Family can't afford to be dragged into your problems anymore. Any one of the enemies you attract could easily crush us. We really can't bear it," Shen Youling said earnestly.
Lin Tang wanted to argue that he never actively provoked anyone; it was always others who ca looking for trouble, and he was confident he could handle any new enemies. But when he thought back on it, Shen Youling's family had indeed suffered imnsely, nearly dying several tis.
"Alright, I agree," Lin Tang nodded.
Shen Youling's expression softened. "Since so many people believe you're crippled, why not just go with it? Pretend you've lost your martial arts. You can give this broken divine sword to anyone... From now on, you'll be an ordinary person, just like . No more fighting and killing."
"Uh, well..." Lin Tang hesitated. He was so used to solving problems with his fists. Was he really supposed to tie his own hands?
Zhu Yingning took a sharp breath, looking at Shen Youling with new eyes.
She's so calculating, so devious! She wants Lin Tang to pretend to be a cripple so his enemies will let down their guard, beco complacent, and co to bully him without restraint. And then... at the height of their triumph, Lin Tang will swat them all dead. What a terrifying woman!
Seeing Lin Tang's hesitation, Shen Youling's face beca a mask. "I have to think about my family. If you can't let go of this life of swords and violence, I can understand and respect that, but I will have no choice but to draw a clear line between us."
"Fine, fine! From this day forward, I've lost all my martial arts and will no longer fight!" Lin Tang declared resolutely.
He wasn't lying, after all. He never had any martial arts skills to begin with. All he knew were cultivation techniques.
Seeing Lin Tang beco so "henpecked," Lee Encai stifled a giggle and asked, "Wasn't it supposed to be three rules? What's next?"
Shen Youling's gaze shifted to Zhu Yingning, sending a chill down the woman's spine.
Oh no, she's going to get her revenge on !
Then, Shen Youling said, "Since you've decided to be an ordinary person, you shouldn't keep her as your maid. It's too ostentatious and disrespectful."
Zhu Yingning was speechless. She never imagined Shen Youling would actually speak up for her and help her regain her freedom.
And to think I once planned to torture her to vent my hatred for Lin Tang. Is this what they call repaying hatred with kindness?
Just as Zhu Yingning was about to express her heartfelt gratitude, Shen Youling continued, "As the saying goes, a gentleman can be killed but not humiliated. I believe no one would willingly be a slave, so let's just drop it. Don't do this to anyone ever again."
Zhu Yingning's mind went blank.
Wait, what? What does she an? Is she saying she'd rather he kill than let be a maid? When given the choice between death and servitude, am I not allowed to choose servitude? You venomous bitch!
Lin Tang was also stunned for a mont before raising his hand. "Fine, I'll just slap her to death and get it over with!"
"Wait!" Shen Youling cried, about to explain that wasn't what she ant.
But Zhu Yingning was already tearfully pleading, "Lin Tang, are you even a man? You're going to strike a fatal blow right after taking advantage of ? How can you be so cruel?"
"When did I take advantage of you?"
"You saw completely naked, doesn't that count?"
"As if you didn't see naked too... Less talk. Die!"
In the end, Zhu Yingning escaped her fate thanks to Shen Youling's pleas. For this, she was deeply moved and solemnly declared that she owed Shen Youling a massive favor, one she would certainly find an opportunity to repay. Then, before Lin Tang could say another word, she cleverly made her escape.
Haha, I'm free!
Lin Tang stared at her jubilant, retreating back and sneered inwardly.
Does she think she can wipe the slate clean so easily? How naive! If it weren't for the rit you earned by carrying all the way back to Jiangbei and finding Shen Youling, I would have turned you to dust long ago. Did you really think I didn't have a contingency plan?
In fact, from the mont Zhu Yingning had pledged her servitude, Lin Tang had secretly placed a safeguard within her body. That was why he had always been at ease, unafraid of her turning on him even when he was unconscious and severely injured. He would not be deceived by her beautiful appearance. He knew all too well that if he were weaker than her, his fate would be miserable beyond words. He would not be so foolish as to forgive and release her so easily.
"What's the third request?" he asked, turning back to Shen Youling.
"I haven't thought of it yet. We'll see how things go. In any case, I expect you to keep your word."
"I will, as long as you don't find useless," Lin Tang replied, his voice tinged with deep aning.
Without any visible movent, the vibrant, energetic man suddenly beca listless and haggard, as if he were just recovering from a major illness. Lee Encai gasped in shock. Only when she realized he was faking it did she pat her chest in relief.
"Well then, I won't disturb you two," she said. "I should be getting ho."
"Aren't you afraid of running into Yan Luoyang if you go ho?" Lin Tang asked curiously.
"Well..." Lee Encai hesitated before steeling herself and shaking her head. "He was so badly injured, he probably won't co looking for this soon. I should be fine." She didn't want to stay and be a third wheel; it would be far too awkward.
Just as she was about to leave, Shen Youling pulled her aside, sincerely asking her to stay and whispering a few words in her ear. Lee Encai then relented and decided to remain with them.
The three of them went to get new identification docunts, then stopped by a bank and a phone store. Finally, they arrived at the apartnt Shen Youling had been renting.
"This is where you've been living?" Lee Encai asked in disbelief. The place was dark and cramped, with poor air quality and terrible soundproofing. Shen Youling had once been the pampered young lady of a wealthy family, yet she had been reduced to this.
Shen Youling just smiled and was about to look for the landlady when she found the door already open. The landlady was inside, tossing her belongings everywhere.
"What are you doing?" Shen Youling demanded angrily, snatching her underwear back from the woman's hands.
"And you have the nerve to get angry with ?" the landlady retorted, her initial guilt quickly replaced by righteous indignation. "You're the one who's shalessly late on rent! Of course, I have the right to take back the apartnt and sell off your junk!"
"I paid a deposit! And it's not even ti to pay next month's rent yet!" Shen Youling argued.
But the landlady was impervious to reason, insisting those were her rules and they could lump it or leave it.
"Hey, what kind of attitude is that? We don't want to rent this place anymore, so give us our money back!" Lee Encai joined the argunt.
As they shouted back and forth, the landlady's husband and son ca over, looking ready for a physical fight.
"Lin Tang!" Lee Encai cried, feeling wronged.
Lin Tang just held up his hands. "I'm just an ordinary person. There are too many of them for to fight."
Lee Encai was speechless.
The landlady's family glanced at him with growing disdain, muttering that Shen Youling must be blind as well as disfigured to have chosen such a sickly-looking husband. It served her right to be bullied.
Shen Youling sighed. "Forget it. Let's just go."
Their keys had been destroyed, and their entire deposit was confiscated.
No sooner had they left the building than an old classmate of hers ran up to them. "Shen Youling, I'm so glad you're okay! I saw soone in the alumni group chat say you were dead... Anyway, about that money you owe . Maybe you should pay it back now? Things are tough for , too!"
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