Emerging from the dreamscape, Mu Sui saw the moonlight outside the window happen to fall upon him and Meng Ruji.

Compared to other places in No-Return Land, here in Rui Wei Cao Yin, because of the mist shrouding, the strange moonlight filtering through became closer in color to moonlight from the mortal world.

Mu Sui looked to his right and saw Meng Ruji sitting cross-legged on the bed, still with their fingers interlaced.

She still had her eyes closed, not knowing what she was still discussing with that nightmare demon in the dreamscape.

She hadn’t emerged, so though there were two people in the room now, it seemed as if only he was there. Thus, the emotions he concealed in front of others now leaked out unconsciously from Mu Sui.

Mu Sui’s fingertips also tightened slightly, clasping Meng Ruji’s hand.

The soft moonlight reflected in his dark pupils seemed to turn his eyes into a pool of water. He looked at their clasped hands, feeling the closeness of their palms and her warmth.

The warm touch carried a tingling, magical illusion, traveling from his palm to his heart.

Mu Sui lowered his eyes, his fingertips almost unconsciously caressing the back of her hand.

Actually…

The desire to touch her had never faded from his body. He had just become more skilled at suppressing this impulse than before.

Perhaps Meng Ruji didn’t know how much willpower it took him to resist each time she approached, just as she didn’t know that, compared to his undeniable feelings, Meng Ruji’s feelings for him surprised him even more.

She had seen his schemes, had opposed him directly, and knew his terrible purpose of defying the world…

But she still said she was a piece in the game, she was willing…

Mu Sui had originally thought that in a life like his, all the people he met should be passersby, leaving behind calculations and hatred, interests and flattery. He never imagined that one day he could still see another’s heart…

Mu Sui’s gaze fell on Meng Ruji’s face.

In the moonlight, Meng Ruji’s skin seemed to emanate a thin layer of soft light. The night breeze blew gently, stirring her hair ends, her temple hair floating and dancing playfully on her face.

Meng Ruji seemed to feel it was ticklish, unconsciously furrowing her brow.

Mu Sui was possessed by some impulse to lift his hand and tuck her wayward hair behind her ear.

Only after completing this action did Mu Sui realize that he seemed to be smiling.

He didn’t know why he was smiling, but the curve of his mouth had indeed turned upward…

His other hand forcefully pulled down the corner of his mouth, Mu Sui forcing himself to cool his expression.

It shouldn’t be…

He told himself thus. Even if he acknowledged his feelings, losing control was also inappropriate.

The next moment, Mu Sui felt Meng Ruji’s hand move slightly, as if she was about to wake up.

He was startled like a child trying to hide all his emotions, quickly withdrawing his palm and then skillfully climbing out the window to leave the room.

So when Meng Ruji woke up, the room was empty, leaving only the thin cool moonlight with her.

Meng Ruji looked at her palm, then at the window, and snorted coldly: “The monk may run away, but the temple can’t.”

The next morning, after washing and grooming, Meng Ruji emerged from her room yawning.

Today in the mist, the courtyard was filled with shadowy figures, looking somewhat eerily “lively.”

Madam Lin was sitting by the stone table, drinking tea. Beside her sat the cold-faced Mu Sui. Seeing his unhappy expression, Meng Ruji knew he must have been “requested” by Madam Lin to stay here.

But Meng Ruji was happy. She walked over in two strides and sat across from Mu Sui: “Where did you sleep alone again last night, Qianshan Jun?”

Mu Sui only glanced at her, then looked at Madam Lin, seemingly reminding her of yesterday’s tragic “stabbing” scene.

Meng Ruji immediately understood and poured herself tea: “Madam Lin, what would you like to eat this morning?”

Only then did the previously impassive Madam Lin put her teacup on the table. She glanced at both of them: “No need to eat. I kept Qianshan Jun here this morning to apologize to you both. Yesterday, my request was excessive.”

At these words, both Meng Ruji and Mu Sui exchanged glances, seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.

“You are husband and wife. I shouldn’t have made such requests, so…” Madam Lin smiled slightly. “Today, I hope you will mend your relationship.”

Meng Ruji raised an eyebrow: “Mend?”

Mu Sui sensed trouble and frowned.

Madam Lin smiled and nodded: “Yes, didn’t Miss Meng ask me before for methods to manage her husband?”

Hearing this, Mu Sui’s gaze swept toward Meng Ruji.

Meng Ruji touched her nose, somewhat embarrassed, and turned away.

Madam Lin’s gaze moved between them for a moment, then she smiled: “I don’t have any methods. The only way I can think of to help you is to have you perform marital duties.”

At these words, both Meng Ruji and Mu Sui were stunned.

But Madam Lin spoke very calmly: “You’re living in the same room anyway. Rather than choose a day, why not today? This…” Madam Lin put down her teacup, her gaze becoming sharp. “This is my request.”

As her words fell, the misty courtyard fell completely silent, as if all three people had become phantoms from the Nai River.

After a moment, Meng Ruji was the first to react. She laughed lightly, then looked at Mu Sui.

“Little Sui, look, everyone’s playing matchmaker for this marriage.” Her tone was relaxed, teasing. “What should we do? If we don’t, we’ll die.”

After understanding, Mu Sui’s face turned ashen. Looking at Meng Ruji, who could still laugh, he was so angry that he took a deep breath.

Meng Ruji continued smiling: “Little Sui, sister doesn’t have much experience either. Why don’t you be more understanding?”

As she spoke, Meng Ruji reached out toward Mu Sui, but halfway there, her palm wind suddenly changed direction!

In a flash, before either Mu Sui or Madam Lin could react, Meng Ruji seized Madam Lin’s throat and directly pressed her down from the stone table to the ground.

Madam Lin fell to the ground, seemingly in pain, her brow furrowing. She looked at Meng Ruji, who was restraining her. After the pain faded, her expression remained calm and composed:

“Miss Meng, I’m helping you. Why do you treat me this way?”

“I do like him.” Meng Ruji admitted directly.

Mu Sui, beside them, felt his heart stir.

Meng Ruji continued: “But such things shouldn’t be forced by others. Our Little Sui doesn’t like it either.”

Madam Lin raised an eyebrow: “So you’re going to defy my request?”

As her words fell, Meng Ruji suddenly felt severe pain in her stomach. The bloody smell in her chest surged to her throat. She forced down the bloody taste, leaving only a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.

Meng Ruji showed no fear: “Yes, I’m defying you.”

Madam Lin looked at Meng Ruji but showed no anger. There was even more appreciation in her eyes. She tilted her head to look at Meng Ruji: “You’re not afraid to die, very good. But you also need the ability to defy me…”

Before she finished speaking, black malevolent energy formed an arrow that shot toward Madam Lin.

The arrow tip stopped at Madam Lin’s forehead, just an inch away, full of killing intent.

Mu Sui spoke: “Remove her curse poison and let her go. Your thousand gold was never going to be hers anyway.”

Mu Sui had acted to save her, which moved Meng Ruji’s heart, but hearing his words, she cursed him with a mouthful of blood: “Who says I definitely can’t get it!”

Madam Lin, still held by the throat by Meng Ruji, saw the malevolent energy Mu Sui controlled. Her eyes widened in shock, and her previously cold, indifferent mask seemed torn apart. She stared at Mu Sui in disbelief:

“Malevolent energy? How do you possess divine malevolent energy?”

The secluded Madam Lin didn’t know Mu Sui’s identity yet.

But her words surprised both Meng Ruji and Mu Sui. Meng Ruji said directly: “You know the relationship between malevolent energy and deities?”

Madam Lin didn’t look at Meng Ruji at all. Her eyes showed killing intent as she raised her hand to form seals, sending a killing move toward Mu Sui!

But…

Wind carrying mist drifted between the three of them, with no magical light emerging from Madam Lin’s hands.

“My magic…” Madam Lin looked at her fingertips in shock. “Why can’t I use it…”

Meng Ruji also blinked in confusion.

Only Mu Sui turned to look behind him at the dense mist.

Beside Mu Sui, malevolent energy formed a protective barrier, shielding Meng Ruji. The barrier had spikes pointing outward, aimed at the mist.

In the mist, shadows from the Nai River were projected within, standing quietly. Some flickered and disappeared with the changing light and shadow.

One figure slowly approached, but Meng Ruji couldn’t hear her footsteps.

As if she too were a projection from the Nai River, not truly existing.

“Qianshan Jun is perceptive.”

The female voice from the mist was slightly hoarse, but hearing it stunned Meng Ruji. In her mind, she vaguely recalled Mo Li she had seen when she fell into the Nai River.

That Human God called Mo Yi had this voice, low and hoarse, like wind mixed with low humming, not like a mortal voice.

A gentle breeze blew, the mist scattered slightly, and Meng Ruji finally saw the newcomer. She wore simple, plain clothes with hair simply tied up, but around her body emanated the radiance that only deities possessed.

It was… the Human God.

“Mo Yi…” Meng Ruji murmured her name. As if responding to her, the radiance around Mo Yi brightened slightly for an instant.

At the moment this light flickered, the malevolent energy around Mu Sui surged, protecting Meng Ruji. But that radiance carried overwhelming force, colliding fiercely with the malevolent energy around Mu Sui in mid-air.

The massive air wave from the collision almost instantly blew away all the mist in Rui Wei Cao Yin. The Nai River shadows projected in the mist also vanished instantly, as if in that moment, this place returned to deathly silence.

With the mist cleared, both the malevolent energy around Mu Sui and the radiance beside Mo Yi faded. They stood in place, gazing at each other with cold eyes.

“Qianshan Jun, though I came here with only a strand of my soul, you previously absorbed Zhan Ye’s malevolent energy, and your power hasn’t fully integrated. Fighting me would not benefit you.”

Mu Sui gave a cold laugh, seemingly not intending to say much more. He turned his palm, and more malevolent energy gathered beside him.

Meng Ruji had been knocked down by the earlier impact. Just sitting up, she saw the energy in Mu Sui’s palm. She knew Mo Yi’s words were true—the malevolent energy in Mu Sui’s palm flickered like flames, unstable.

So Meng Ruji endured the pain in her stomach, got up, and grabbed Mu Sui: “Let’s see what she wants to do first…”

Mo Yi also turned her hand, but instead of condensing magic, she produced a money pouch made of blue cloth.

“Madam Lin’s thousand gold is with me now.” Mo Yi said. “I’ve come to help you return to the mortal world.”

Seeing Mo Yi produce this item, Mu Sui was stunned, and Meng Ruji’s eyes widened even more. She couldn’t help looking at Madam Lin: “Your thousand gold was that easy to steal?”

Madam Lin sat on the ground at this time, staring at Mo Yi in a daze, as if she had lost her soul. Her eyes were red, as if blood might drip from them.

“Madam Lin.” Mu Sui called to her. “Is that your money?”

Madam Lin seemed to come to her senses then. She reached to touch her back, actually pulling out a stone directly from behind her back.

Meng Ruji was dumbfounded.

Madam Lin wasn’t hunchbacked!

What she carried on her back was a stone, the same size as the money pouch in Mo Yi’s hand.

“That’s my thousand gold…” Madam Lin looked at the blue cloth pouch in Mo Yi’s hand, murmuring, “She replaced it.”

Only then did Meng Ruji notice that the blue cloth pouch was made from the same fabric as Madam Lin’s clothes.

So that was it…

Madam Lin had always hidden the thousand gold on her back, never leaving it behind. This was also her confidence in facing others in No-Return Land alone. But unexpectedly, this time, Mo Yi had secretly switched it without anyone knowing…

“Illusion technique. In No-Return Land, a place that is originally a dreamscape, it works very well.” Mo Yi held the thousand gold in her hand, looking at Madam Lin on the ground. “I borrowed Ye Chuan’s body and obtained the thousand gold on the first day I came.”

As she said this, Madam Lin’s face also showed realization: “No wonder…” She smiled bitterly. “No wonder, no wonder…”

“Madam Lin.” Mo Yi spoke, her indifferent voice carrying some emotion. “You’re not as sharp as before.”

Madam Lin didn’t deny it. She nodded, and for a moment, her expression seemed to age many years.

“You’ve grown up.” Madam Lin smiled bitterly. “I’m no longer like before.”

Hearing these words and thinking of the various details from before, a magical thread suddenly connected in Meng Ruji’s mind.

She looked at Mu Sui, as if seeking confirmation.

Mu Sui also realized at this moment.

“I didn’t expect Madam Lin to have taught her child so well.” Mu Sui looked at Mo Yi and said, “From human to god, there’s only one person in the world.”

He pointed it out, and neither Mo Yi nor Madam Lin denied it. Under their similar features, Mo Yi’s expression was cold as frost, while beneath Madam Lin’s calm exterior lay unspeakable grief.