“What’s going on outside now?” The soldier had heard the commotion outside, too. He curiously approached the doorway to look outside.

Meng Ruji dragged Mu Sui to hide in a concealed corner of the hall.

Mu Sui turned his head, staring at Meng Ruji, unable to hide the disdain and contempt in his heart: “Yan Tianjun? Where’s his ability to survive?”

But Meng Ruji kept her head down, pinching her forehead as if in troubled contemplation.

Seeing her like this, and thinking of how she had spent all their money to buy him medicine, Mu Sui lowered his eyes and began calculating. If Meng Ruji was determined to rescue this annoying whatever-jun, how should he persuade her? And if persuasion failed, what methods should he use to take her away…

“There’s no choice. Give me the six silver pearls first.”

Meng Ruji suddenly looked up at Mu Sui with a sincere expression.

Mu Sui froze.

Although he had already guessed she would go save someone, when she spoke up, Mu Sui felt it was harder to accept than he had imagined.

She wanted to take all the money to save that person?

So really, no matter who it was, she could spend all their money to save them?

Mu Sui’s eyes grew dark, and inexplicably, a hint of killing intent arose in his expression, directed at that pale-faced, red-lipped man.

Mu Sui reached toward the six silver in his bosom, but his inner plan wasn’t to give them directly to Meng Ruji. Instead, he wanted to use the six silver to knock Meng Ruji unconscious and then carry her away…

“Hurry up.” Meng Ruji urged. “That Master of Linlan Mountain’s magical techniques aren’t much, but he has a lot of money. To escape from his hands, I’ve searched through all my memories and can only think of one formation. Although it’s extremely fast for wind-riding, once the formation starts, it can’t be easily stopped—only when the silver pearls’ spiritual power is exhausted.”

Mu Sui raised an eyebrow, his expression softening.

“I don’t like using this kind of straightforward technique.” Meng Ruji was immersed in her thoughts, sighing. “We won’t know where we’ll crash land, so it’s probably a bit dangerous. But it’s better than being trapped here.”

As Meng Ruji spoke, she extended her hand toward Mu Sui.

Mu Sui looked at her palm, requesting silver money, and asked softly: “Not saving him?”

“Save whom?”

These two words were asked with complete heartlessness.

Logically speaking, she was the one who threw the person out, escaped by herself, and now didn’t want to care about that person’s life or death. No matter what moral standpoint one took, her doing this was somewhat conscienceless.

But the corners of Mu Sui’s mouth lifted.

He wasn’t exactly a good person either…

“Oh. Yan Tianjun…”

Meng Ruji remembered, “Save what? What do we have to save him with?”

We.

Mu Sui lowered his head, hiding the irrepressible curve of his mouth.

“Could Yan Tianjun be captured so easily? This old thing has been dead in the mortal world for over a thousand years, and who knows how long he’s been in the Wuliu Land. Wasn’t the previous Wuliu Land dangerous? It was, yet he’s survived until now, so he must have his abilities.”

Mu Sui nodded: “Right. The Wuliu Land measures power by gold and silver. His stone body could shatter a golden pearl, proving his body is more valuable than a golden pearl.”

“Exactly, so this old thing being captured sounds suspicious from the start. We can’t rashly go…”

The word “save” hadn’t yet left Meng Ruji’s lips when suddenly!

As if the sky was collapsing and the earth splitting!

Bricks and tiles crashed down from overhead, cascading like a waterfall before Meng Ruji and Mu Sui. Morning light drew straight, sharp lines through the swirling dust.

“Ah! My Yinyuan Hall!” The guarding soldier cried out in panic, then was directly knocked unconscious by a falling tile.

Mu Sui immediately protected Meng Ruji, embracing her and using his body to shield her from the dust and debris.

Meng Ruji was somewhat dazed in Mu Sui’s arms, not for any other reason, but because his movements were too fast.

Seeing Meng Ruji still staring at him with wide eyes, Mu Sui frowned slightly and reached for the cloth wrapped around her neck. Just as she had pulled his clothes earlier, Mu Sui also pulled up Meng Ruji’s face covering.

“Cover your mouth and nose.” Mu Sui said in a low voice.

“Oh.” Meng Ruji complied.

“I’m so heartbroken.”

Mo Li’s voice appeared immediately after.

The strange emotions that had just arisen in Meng Ruji instantly vanished without a trace. She pushed Mu Sui aside and looked toward the hole in the roof, seeing Mo Li calmly and composedly descending from the sky with Luo Yingfeng.

Mo Li’s face was outlined clearly by the morning light, dividing his entire figure into half light and half shadow.

“Unfilial daughter, you didn’t even come to save your father.”

“Look at yourself—where do you look like someone who needs saving!” Meng Ruji pointed at Mo Li and scolded furiously. “Whose father are you?”

Mo Li held Luo Yingfeng’s shoulder with one hand, like a meat-eating eagle gripping a small chick’s neck. He feigned sadness, using his other hand to theatrically wipe his eyes: “Sigh, scolding me again. Acting like this, how can I expect you to provide for my old age?”

“Stop expecting it!”

Meng Ruji gritted her teeth, only now realizing that the earlier shouts of “so imposing, so majestic” referred to Mo Li.

Saying he was carrying someone also meant Mo Li had brought Luo Yingfeng.

No wonder the Linlan Mountain disciples who ran past earlier seemed so frantic…

“Master Luo, you see, what I said was right. This unfilial daughter of mine truly has no respect for me.” Mo Li gripped Luo Yingfeng’s shoulder, standing behind him and sighing softly beside him. “She doesn’t want to provide for my old age at all.”

Meng Ruji and Mu Sui shifted their gazes to Luo Yingfeng and discovered something was wrong with him.

This Master of Linlan Mountain had vacant eyes and a rigid expression. Even seeing Mu Sui and Meng Ruji, he showed no reaction. His voice answering Mo Li came out word by word: “Unfilial daughter, no respect…”

Just like… he had completely become Mo Li’s puppet.

Mu Sui had been covering his face with the cloth behind Meng Ruji, but seeing Luo Yingfeng like this, he simply released his grip on the cloth: “What did you do to him?”

Mo Li smiled: “Little Meng, guess.”

Meng Ruji said with a dark expression: “Yan Tianjun, who haunts all things and bewitches the world.”

“Dream haunting…” Mu Sui frowned. “What exactly do you want to do?”

Mo Li looked at Mu Sui, his expression growing slightly cold: “I said, I want to find someone to provide for my old age.”

“How unreasonable can you get!” Meng Ruji said angrily. “This Master of Linlan Mountain is like a quail in your hands. Do you need me to provide for your old age? Since you can bewitch him, why not have him provide for your old age?”

Mo Li glanced at the controlled Luo Yingfeng and curled his lips with some disdain: “His heart is black. I don’t think much of him. When I’m truly old and powerless, he’ll bully me.”

Meng Ruji sneered: “You’re betting I won’t pluck your hair when you’re powerless? One strand at a time.”

“You won’t.”

Meng Ruji stared coldly at Mo Li.

Mo Li crossed his arms, tilted his head, and stared at Meng Ruji like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water: “Besides, what reason do you have to refuse me now? Before, you could claim you had no money, but now you…”

Mo Li gestured around them as he spoke.

Meng Ruji sensed trouble and stepped forward to cover Mo Li’s mouth, but it was already too late.

“Haven’t you already married the Lord of Zhuliu City?”

He just said it outright.

Meng Ruji’s body, having taken one step forward, froze in place. She stiffly turned her head to look at Mu Sui.

Mu Sui was also caught completely off guard. Although he had long suspected that Meng Ruji’s scheming to marry him must have been because she knew something, he hadn’t expected that this Yan Tianjun was the one pulling strings behind the scenes.

At this moment, Mu Sui still had to maintain his “character.” He looked at Meng Ruji—first dazed, then shocked, then, using the strategy of saying less to avoid mistakes, he repeated:

“Lord of Zhuliu City?”

Meng Ruji rubbed her forehead: “I can explain…”

Whether Mu Sui truly loved her or was pretending to be foolish, having her “sinister plot” exposed right after signing the marriage contract left Meng Ruji somewhat embarrassed.

“Little Meng.” Mo Li still called from behind. “Did you forget? Yesterday’s marriage contract—I was the one who accompanied you to get it…”

Meng Ruji watched Mu Sui’s expression grow increasingly dark.

“You being able to become half the master of Zhuliu City was also my suggestion…”

Meng Ruji could only say dryly to Mu Sui: “Give me some time… I should be able to explain.”

It sounded like she was saying: Give me some time to make up more lies…

“Little Meng, when you drink water, don’t forget who dug the well.”

Meng Ruji’s patience reached its limit. She turned and angrily scolded: “Just shut up for now!”

“I still have much more to say.” Mo Li smiled harmlessly.

Meng Ruji was so angry that her head hurt.

Seeing this, Mo Li confidently tapped Luo Yingfeng’s shoulder.

Luo Yingfeng formed hand seals, and a white paper contract flew out from the formation. The contract paper flew toward Meng Ruji and stopped in front of her.

The paper bore an image of Meng Ruji herself, and the three characters “Indenture Contract” written prominently on it left Meng Ruji stunned.

“Providing for old age is one thing, but what’s this indenture contract for!?”

“This is Linlan Mountain’s trick. I know you’re still very resistant to providing for my old age, but I believe that after we spend time together, you’ll be good to me. So, to ensure we have a long time together, sign the indenture contract first. When you sincerely want to provide for my old age, I’ll tear up the indenture contract…”

Before he finished speaking, the paper floating in the air was directly grabbed by slender fingers and pulled down.

Meng Ruji turned to look at Mu Sui, who had grasped the contract paper.

His expression was still that cold and ugly.

Meng Ruji wanted to say something, to defend herself, but before she could speak, Mu Sui directly tore up the contract paper.

“You can’t force her.”