Pain spread densely through his heart. Unable to bear watching Jiang Zhaoxue leave with Pei Zichen any longer, Shen Yuqing closed his eyes.

He steadied himself for a long while, doing his utmost to force himself to calm down.

Mu Jinyue walked forward from the side, tentatively reaching for his garment, saying softly, “Master, let me help you…”

“No need.”

Hearing this, Shen Yuqing immediately understood her meaning. He flicked his sleeve and turned, walking outside the cave. He sat cross-legged, placing his sword across his knees, and raised his hand to form a barrier.

The moment he moved his spiritual power, the poison on his hand began to spread, rapidly turning dark purple.

Seeing this, Mu Jinyue said anxiously, “Master, don’t take your anger with Master’s wife out on yourself…”

“I’m not taking my anger out on her.”

Shen Yuqing spoke coldly, raising his eyes to force her back. “This poison poses no hindrance to me. You and I are master and disciple—there’s no need to overstep propriety.”

At these words, Mu Jinyue froze. She stared blankly at Shen Yuqing. After a while, she finally reacted, desperately restraining the emotions in her eyes as she smiled with difficulty. “This disciple understands.”

With that, Mu Jinyue stood up, bowed, and withdrew.

After Mu Jinyue left, Shen Yuqing looked ahead, suppressing his emotions as he transmitted to Jiang Zhaoxue, “I’ll wait for you to come out.”

Jiang Zhaoxue had just set Pei Zichen down when she heard Shen Yuqing’s transmission. Her movement paused slightly.

Pei Zichen sensed the spiritual power fluctuation. Panting, he raised his eyes and saw Jiang Zhaoxue’s pause, knowing it was Shen Yuqing’s transmission.

Earlier, while Jiang Zhaoxue’s spiritual power sustained him, he had regained some clarity and heard most of the argument between Jiang Zhaoxue and Shen Yuqing. At this moment, with spiritual power suppressing the poison, he had some energy to spare. Knowing Jiang Zhaoxue was in a difficult position, he immediately said, “Master’s wife, this disciple has already received Master’s wife’s spiritual power and can hold on for half an hour. Why don’t you first help Master…”

“Since you were willing to let go, why did you come back?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue knew what Pei Zichen was about to say. She raised her eyes to look at him.

Pei Zichen stiffened.

Jiang Zhaoxue was disappointed in him. She raised her hand to press on his shoulder, making him lie against the wall, saying coldly, “I’ll treat your wound first.”

Hearing her words, Pei Zichen didn’t dare speak.

When she was beside Shen Yuqing, he suffered. But when she truly came to his side, he knew clearly—she shouldn’t have come.

He struggled, not knowing what to do. Yet Jiang Zhaoxue had not half a moment’s hesitation. She decisively applied medicine to him, first sealing the wound on his chest, then began transferring her spiritual power into Pei Zichen’s body.

The moment she moved, Pei Zichen immediately pressed down on her hand. Jiang Zhaoxue looked up in confusion and saw Pei Zichen, face pale, panting. “Master’s wife… the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp—” He cautiously raised his eyes to look at her. “Do you plan to open it?”

Jiang Zhaoxue paused, raising her eyes to look at him.

Seeing this, Pei Zichen understood Jiang Zhaoxue’s meaning. His hand pressed on hers. After steadying himself, he said seriously, “Last night, since you already gave half your spiritual power to the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp, now that you’re expelling poison for me, why not open it?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s eyes turned slightly cold.

Pei Zichen met her gaze but refused to yield. His pupils struggled to focus as they stared at her, each word a solemn dissuasion. “I know you mentioned the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp deliberately to force the hand of whoever is behind this.”

“Yes.” Jiang Zhaoxue knew what he wanted to say and quickly explained. “I know this maze formation is meant to delay us, so I used the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp as bait to force whoever’s behind this to act early. To fan the flames, I deliberately made them think Shen Yuqing and I gave all our spiritual power to the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp and fell into difficulty, making them feel this was the best opportunity—no need to worry, just strike quickly.”

“But you’ve only forced out Ming.”

Pei Zichen’s hand pressed on the back of hers, his eyes carrying worry as he persuaded, “It was he who told me to come back. He’s just a mortal. The opponent couldn’t possibly have only this one move. You must keep the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp.”

“But I need to save you now.” Jiang Zhaoxue stared at him. “How do you expect me to open it?”

Hearing these words, Pei Zichen’s eyes trembled slightly.

The reason he proposed opening the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp was because at this moment, she needed to use spiritual power to guide his poison into her own body before expelling it.

They had the Marriage Fate Contract. Their divine souls had merged countless times. This was the most standard yin-yang combined power. If she sent the expelled spiritual power into the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp, together with the power she and Shen Yuqing left last night, it would be enough to open it.

But how could she explain that after she and Pei Zichen’s spiritual power entered the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp, it opened the lamp?

It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about this problem. But when she asked, he still felt a huge, indescribable pain surge up.

He couldn’t say whether this was from shame or anger. He only felt something bubbling at his heart.

Every one of her words reminded him—he had no proper name or status. His relationship with her, his love—it was like mud rotting in the shadows.

He couldn’t let her be tainted by even half of it. He could only lower his head, suppressing his emotions as he offered Jiang Zhaoxue a solution, saying in a low voice, “This disciple has dispelled the fire poison’s suffering for you many times. Although you and this disciple are not husband and wife, yin-yang combined spiritual power is not impossible. You can first store the spiritual power in the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp, inscribe the formation you need on it, and use it when necessary.”

Jiang Zhaoxue lowered her eyes without speaking. Seeing her motionless, Pei Zichen couldn’t help saying, “Master’s wife, if you’re definitely afraid Master will mind, then after we leave this place, let Master kill me!”

Jiang Zhaoxue paused. She raised her eyes to look at the young man before her, as if he had been pushed to his limit. His temples still carried blood splattered from earlier. He gripped her hand tightly, hinting, “Your life is more important than anything. I’ll bear everything. Don’t be afraid.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue didn’t respond immediately. Since he wouldn’t let her spiritual power enter, she also couldn’t forcibly rush into his meridians.

After a long silence, she finally only said, “Why did you come back?”

Hearing this, Pei Zichen knew Jiang Zhaoxue was questioning his intent in returning.

The moment he was injured, he had realized—actually, Shen Yuqing had been prepared. If he hadn’t come, Shen Yuqing would have pulled her away too.

But he had come.

He had entered her dream and done such things. Now he had forcibly rushed ahead of Shen Yuqing, desperately saving her and becoming gravely injured. Now he was forcing her to put spiritual power into the Yin-Yang Manifestation Instrument Lamp.

Each and every incident seemed to be forcing her to acknowledge their relationship.

But she was unwilling.

When she asked this questioning statement, he understood her thoughts clearly. She refused to acknowledge their relationship. She suspected he was deliberately forcing her.

His heart trembled. He said with difficulty, “Because I was afraid something would happen to you.”

“Your Master was…”

“I was afraid!”

Pei Zichen decisively interrupted her, saying seriously, “In this world, except by my side, wherever you are, I will be afraid.”