Xie Liufeng, with the “don’t know about this matter” Chu Xinghui, arrived at the place where Qin Suyun was currently being kept under supervision.

Since Qin Suyun had specifically requested to see only Xie Liufeng, Chu Xinghui stayed out of sight, hiding with Fang Yan while allowing Xie Liufeng to handle it alone.

Xie Liufeng was already familiar with Qin Suyun’s behavioral patterns, so he prepared himself for some more nonsense.

However, the first sentence Qin Suyun said threw him off guard.

She looked at Xie Liufeng, with righteous conviction and firmness, and said: “Sword Master, I know that you married Chu Xinghui not out of sincerity.”

Xie Liufeng: “…”

Qin Suyun seemed to know his feelings better than he did.

Curious, he asked her seriously: “Why do you think that?”

Without hesitation, Qin Suyun replied: “Your cultivation level has already reached the peak of this realm. If you didn’t have ulterior motives, how could you possibly marry a mere Golden Core cultivator?”

Xie Liufeng: “…”

To be honest, there were indeed many concerns both of them had before officially getting together, but neither of them ever considered the issue of cultivation level.

Given their talents, reaching the peak of cultivation was just a matter of time. They couldn’t possibly think there was a gap between them just because Chu Xinghui had spent less time cultivating. Xie Liufeng had reached the peak first, but it didn’t mean there was any real difference.

However, he didn’t need to explain this to Qin Suyun. Instead, Xie Liufeng followed her lead and asked: “So what do you think my reason for marrying him is?”

Qin Suyun looked at him meaningfully and smiled confidently: “Sword Master, I know your secret.”

Xie Liufeng thought for a moment.

He was always straightforward, and there were very few secrets he couldn’t share. The only thing he could consider a secret was that time when he watered the spiritual plant and accidentally killed a spirit herb Chu Xinghui had brought back.

Afterward, he ran around to several places until he found a similar herb and replanted it.

Up until now, Chu Xinghui hadn’t discovered it.

Xie Liufeng wondered if he would get angry when he found out.

Qin Suyun noticed Xie Liufeng’s brief moment of awkwardness, and her confidence grew even more. She then took the opportunity to probe: “You married Chu Xinghui for the same reason as I did, right?”

Xie Liufeng snapped out of his thoughts about the dead spirit herb and gave her a half-smile: “Why don’t you tell me what your reason is?”

Qin Suyun, already convinced that he had ulterior motives just like her, grew bolder in her words: “Sword Master, you must know that your partner is the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven has deep luck, and his soul carries the imprint of the Heavenly Dao. To all cultivators, he is a rare source of nourishment. If you could take his fate, any flaws in your own life could be erased, and you would successfully ascend to godhood.”

Xie Liufeng understood what she was implying: “So, all these years, you’ve been scheming to take his fate?”

He felt an itch to cut something.

Qin Suyun didn’t dare directly admit this. She put herself in Xie Liufeng’s shoes, sincerely and emotionally speaking on his behalf: “I know, your soul is flawed, and you are destined to never ascend again. You’ve only killed one person, whether they’re a god from the upper realms or a mere mortal from the mortal world, as long as their strength is inferior to yours, they deserve to die. The victor should be rewarded, not punished. Sword Master, haven’t you ever felt frustrated and resentful about the Heavenly Dao restricting you like this?”

Xie Liufeng, who had long since accepted everything that had happened with a “what happened, happened” attitude, couldn’t really relate to the feeling of frustration. However, he strategically nodded and played along: “You’re right. What you say makes sense.”

He had to think about how to play this role convincingly.

Qin Suyun continued: “Now, your name is no longer in the Book of Fate. The world no longer acknowledges you, and if you stay in a world that no longer belongs to you, you will eventually fade and perish. Your only option now is to ascend again. The power that comes from the Heavenly Dao can solve your soul’s problem. But you should know, no one has ascended in nearly two thousand years. Even if you solve the restraints on your soul, you still might not be able to ascend. In the end, it would still be a dead end for you.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Xinghui was about to rush out from his hiding place.

Fang Yan, having received prior instructions from Xie Liufeng, quickly grabbed him.

Chu Xinghui barely managed to calm himself and continued listening to their conversation.

When death was brought up, Xie Liufeng relaxed: “So, what do you think should be done about this?”

Xie Liufeng’s encouraging attitude made Qin Suyun even bolder. Finally, she got to the point of her visit: “I have a method for the path of killing one’s spouse to prove the Dao. This method can transfer your partner’s fate and luck to yourself. Not only will the shackles on your soul disappear, but you will also directly ascend. No longer will you be restricted by this world.”

Xie Liufeng almost felt an urge to slice something: “The path of killing one’s spouse to prove the Dao… What kind of cultivation method is that? I don’t think I’ve heard of it.”

Qin Suyun hadn’t expected him to ask that, so she had to quickly make up an answer: “… It’s a special cultivation method from my homeland.”

Xie Liufeng thought for a moment: “Oh, from your homeland. I remember when you entered the sect, you filled out your information… Isn’t it true that there’s no such tradition in your homeland?”

Qin Suyun fumbled for words: “Uh… It was, um, a… an accident. I accidentally obtained this inheritance.”

Xie Liufeng nodded slightly, then lightly let the matter slide.

Qin Suyun, seeing that she had gotten away with it, couldn’t help but roll her eyes in frustration.

She had initially planned to move slowly, using this method only after Chu Xinghui had fallen completely for her. However, Chu Xinghui was stubborn, not accepting her advances at all. Then, she didn’t know what went wrong, but she somehow became a “sacrificial offering” and was now under house arrest.

She couldn’t just sit idly by anymore, so she had to change tactics, choosing to use Chu Xinghui’s current partner as a means to an end.

She couldn’t directly take the Son of Heaven’s fate, but if that fate was transferred to someone else, she could take advantage of the turbulence in their soul and fate to step in.

Moreover, she had already tampered with the method in advance. As long as Xie Liufeng was willing to try it, it would ultimately serve her.

Thinking of this, Qin Suyun looked at Xie Liufeng again, her eyes filled with determination. She continued persuading him: “I know you two are newlyweds, but no matter what, you must consider your future. A Dao companion can be replaced. Even if you love him deeply, you can always find someone else later who resembles him and have the same feelings.”

Xie Liufeng was disgusted by her words and didn’t speak for a moment.

Seeing that Xie Liufeng had been silent for so long, Qin Suyun became a little nervous: “Sword Master, what do you think…?”

Xie Liufeng looked at her with a face full of admiration and complimented her: “What a brilliant idea. But, if you go through with this, what’s in it for you?”

Qin Suyun’s eyes darted around: “I know that I can’t hope for ascension anymore, so I just… I just hope that after you succeed, Sword Master, you could leave me some wealth and cultivation resources.”

Xie Liufeng didn’t say much but simply replied: “Show me the cultivation method.”

Qin Suyun immediately handed over a jade slip.

Xie Liufeng took it, flipping through the contents inside. His gaze darkened.

When he put the slip away, Qin Suyun carefully asked: “So… will you agree to my plan?”

Xie Liufeng nodded with an unreadable expression and murmured: “Mm.”

Qin Suyun, thinking that he had agreed to her plan, immediately broke into a delighted smile.

However, before her smile could fully bloom, Xie Liufeng stretched out his hand and snapped her neck.

Killing one’s spouse to prove the Dao? What kind of evil path was this? Who would dare attempt such a thing? Even if they managed to break through without being struck by heavenly lightning, they would be hunted as evil cultivators, with no place to hide in this world.

Xie Liufeng could tolerate her spreading ridiculous rumors about his life, but if she intended to harm Chu Xinghui, she was better off dead.

Qin Suyun hadn’t even realized what was happening before she died on the spot. Her soul was forced out of her lifeless body.

Xie Liufeng released a burst of spiritual power, dispelling the illusions on Qin Suyun’s soul.

Suddenly, golden light erupted from her soul.

However, the golden light was faint and didn’t deeply penetrate the soul. It seemed as if something that didn’t belong to her was forcibly attached to her soul.

Xie Liufeng suppressed the golden light with his spiritual power and finally saw Qin Suyun’s true form.

Her soul’s appearance didn’t resemble Qin Yuwen from years ago, nor did it look like Qin Suyun. Instead, it was the face of a delicate young man, looking fragile and frail.

It seemed that this was Qin Suyun’s true identity.

Seeing this sudden development, Chu Xinghui immediately rushed out from his hiding spot: “Xie Liufeng!”

He tugged at Xie Liufeng’s sleeve, trying to calm him down: “Stay calm.”

Fang Yan also followed Chu Xinghui out.

Xie Liufeng restrained himself and, seeing that Qin Suyun still had some use, didn’t immediately destroy her. He found something and trapped her soul.

Then, he searched for a near-death rat nearby, condensed Qin Suyun’s soul, and shoved it into the rat’s body.

Fang Yan, with great tact, pulled out a larger box and placed the rat inside.

Xie Liufeng asked the rat: “Can it still speak?”

The rat, suffering from the pain of death, fainted for a moment but eventually woke up.

As soon as Qin Suyun regained consciousness, he saw Xie Liufeng’s face. Fresh hatred welled up inside him, and without thinking, he began to curse: “You treat me like this, don’t trust me, you will die without a burial place—”

He struggled in the rat’s body, cursing loudly for a few moments, but his voice suddenly cut off. He couldn’t finish the next word.

Chu Xinghui reached out and broke the rat’s neck.

How dare he curse his Dao companion and treat him as if he were dead?

Xie Liufeng pulled Chu Xinghui’s hand away, using spiritual power to cleanse it.

Now it was his turn to calm Chu Xinghui down: “Stay calm. He’s just talking nonsense. I’m fine.”

Qin Suyun’s soul lost consciousness again inside the rat’s dead body.

After a while, his soul slowly floated out of the now lifeless rat.

Having died twice in such a short span, his soul was even weaker now, floating in the air, too afraid to say anything.

Fang Yan, standing beside them, suddenly noticed that Qin Suyun’s human body not far away had moved slightly.

The usually calm Fang Yan couldn’t help but take a step back in alarm: “Is it a living dead?”

Chu Xinghui glanced at it disinterestedly and withdrew his gaze: “It’s Yue Yao.”

Sensing that Qin Suyun was on the brink of death, Yue Yao managed to make some time and transmitted her consciousness into Qin Suyun’s body.

Instinctively, she tried to raise her head to observe the situation, but her body didn’t move the way she expected.

Moreover, it seemed that the angle at which she was looking at things was a bit off.

Yue Yao looked at the body and finally realized what was wrong.

She extended her hand, awkwardly lifting the severed head to get a better look, and then locked eyes with the three men standing across from her.

She gestured at the head in her hands and the frail soul floating in the air, asking: “What’s going on here?”

Chu Xinghui thought for a moment and speculated: “It’s probably just that the body was too hot, and Qin Soul wanted to come out for a breath of fresh air.”

Yue Yao didn’t quite believe him.

She held the head at an angle, turning her attention to Qin Suyun’s soul, which hovered in the air.

Qin Suyun’s soul looked around nervously, not daring to speak. She reluctantly nodded: “Yes, yes, it’s too hot in here. I just wanted to get some fresh air.”

 

 

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