Ling Luo was still struggling with the decision she had just made, feeling dissatisfied and unhappy. She wasn’t paying attention to Yue Liangze for a moment.

Suddenly, he turned around, walked over, and gripped her chin.

Ling Luo looked up in surprise.

“Even if you’re spoiled and willful, unreasonably stubborn, and always do things your way, I don’t mind.” Yue Liangze stood tall, half a head taller than her. Looking down at her, he carried an invisible sense of pressure.

Ling Luo heard this and wanted to bite him again: “You actually—”

Before she could finish saying “Are scolding me,” she felt cool, soft fingertips pressing against her lips, stopping her.

Yue Liangze wiped away the trace of blood on her lips. He didn’t look into her eyes; his gaze fell on her red lips, which, unlike his cool fingers, were soft and warm.

“But since that person didn’t teach you well, you should stop learning,” he said.

Ling Luo: “…”

She blinked, looking at Yue Liangze.

He said: “You’re not allowed to learn.”

Yue Liangze released her, his expression calm. He didn’t look at her again as he turned and left the room.

Ling Luo tilted her head to watch. The door closed, separating them. The orange-golden light of dusk fell on each of them separately. Her hand resting on the bedding was tinted with a gorgeous color, and she could still feel a hint of warmth.

She couldn’t help but smile, covering her mouth with her hand, hugging the blanket as she fell back onto the bed laughing, her voice soft and scattered.

Yue Liangze stood outside the door, collecting himself for a moment. Recalling what he had just said, he silently covered his face.

How impressive you are.

Why did he still say it? What would she think? Would she feel he was meddling in her affairs? What right did he have to make demands of her?

It was simply shameless.

As he leaned his head against the corridor pillar, reflecting on his actions, Mu Xujing, who had entered the door again and was standing at the foot of the steps, asked emotionlessly: “Can we discuss business now?”

Yue Liangze lifted his head, instantly regaining his composure.

“Go ahead.”

Qin Yuan, who was following behind Mu Xujing, asked timidly: “Where’s Ling Luo?”

Yue Liangze said: “Inside.”

“How is she? What happened just now? Did you two argue?” Qin Yuan asked while going over to knock on the door.

Yue Liangze answered calmly: “No.”

Ling Luo had been laughing too happily and wasn’t careful about her wound, causing her to draw in a sharp breath of pain. The damage to her heart meridian had been repaired, but the flesh wound hadn’t been completely healed.

That sword truly was—

Ling Luo frowned, contained her laughter, pulled back the blanket, and got up from the bed.

She heard Qin Yuan’s voice outside: “Ling Luo? How are you? May I come in?”

Ling Luo went forward to open the door. The sunlight outside was dazzling, causing her to squint as she saw Qin Yuan at the door with a worried expression.

The eyes looking at her were no longer those of the Heavenly Dao.

Qin Yuan was merely a puppet possessed by the Heavenly Dao that had descended to the mortal realm; she was not the Heavenly Dao.

“I’m fine, not going to die,” she said lazily, glancing at Yue Liangze from the corner of her eye. He wasn’t looking at her but was talking with Mu Xujing.

“During the day, there was no one at the Zhao family house. The area around the tower was protected by spiritual energy, and I couldn’t enter. It’s probably some kind of prohibitory array,” Mu Xujing said. “Maybe it will be different at night.”

He took out a scroll painting from his robe and handed it to Yue Liangze: “This was found in one of the side rooms, hanging above an altar table. It seems to be the only inhabitant.”

Yue Liangze opened the scroll, and Ling Luo walked over to look.

The painting depicted a woman wearing white and gold ceremonial robes that everyone recognized as the uniform of the Nanshan Xuehe Sect. The painting showed the woman’s full frontal view. She was no celestial beauty; her features weren’t delicate but rather plain and ordinary, even somewhat severe. Her left eye showed only white, clearly indicating she was blind in that eye.

The woman wore ceremonial robes and held an immortal sword. Around her, black demons and beast demons attacked but were blocked by the golden sword energy depicted in the painting.

Though her appearance was plain, the woman’s eyes were gentle, filled with compassion for all living beings.

“This, this looks familiar,” Qin Yuan pointed at the woman in the painting and said, “Those are Xuehe Sect robes. She must be a sword cultivator from Xuehe, right?”

“Just familiar?” Ling Luo pointed at the painting and said, “Don’t you all know such a powerful sword cultivator?”

Mu Xujing had only been brought back to the Moon Palace for about a year. Before that, he had never been exposed to matters of the cultivation world. Looking at this painting, he barely recognized the Nanshan Xuehe robes but couldn’t think of anything else.

He remained silent, and Ling Luo didn’t expect him to recognize the person anyway.

Qin Yuan rubbed her nose, saying somewhat embarrassingly: “I’ve forgotten most of what was taught in the instruction hall.”

“Her Daoist title was Zuo Bai True Lord, an extremely powerful sword cultivator from Xuehe,” Yue Liangze examined the person in the painting and said. “She once exterminated the Five Evil Spirits and Seven Demons and created the Fangtian Sword Technique, comparable to the divine sword intent of the Feng family. Her cultivation level had reached the threshold of ascension, just short by a little.”

Clever people always think quickly.

As he described the identity of the person in the painting, his mind had already turned to this Fangtian Sword Technique. It could be released at a speed that Ling Luo couldn’t detect, precisely pierce through the heart, and the trace of sword energy remaining in Ling Luo’s wound—what injured her was likely Zuo Bai’s Fangtian Sword Technique.

But this sword technique was special.

It was only effective against demons.

If an ordinary person were struck, even if the sword light pierced their heart, they wouldn’t be harmed in the slightest.

Yue Liangze maintained his composure, not revealing any of his conjectures.

Ling Luo, however, looked at him with surprise: “You know?”

She had thought that most cultivators in the world had completely forgotten about Zuo Bai True Lord.

Yue Liangze said: “Others might not know, but disciples of the Holy Sword Sect must know because the Master tests us on relevant case files before we enter the world.”

Ling Luo: “…”

It seemed that training in the Holy Sword Sect was more arduous than she had imagined.

“Zuo Bai True Lord was extremely glorious in her time. With just one person and one sword, she slayed demons and evil spirits, killing many that harmed the common people. She was revered and worshipped by many commoners,” Ling Luo looked at the gentle-eyed woman in the painting and said. “What level must one reach for people to build temples for her, deifying a human?”

Even before her ascension to immortality, people were already willing to build temples for her, worship her, and offer incense.

Earlier, the County Princess from Duke Gan’s mansion had said that Nanshan Xuehe discriminated against women and didn’t accept female sword cultivators.

Yet Nanshan Xuehe had once produced the world’s most powerful and gentlest female sword cultivator.

“That’s amazing!” Qin Yuan exclaimed. “For such an impressive figure, why is there not even a trace of news about her later? Both the instruction halls and commoners should have heard of her!”

Ling Luo pouted and said: “Zuo Bai True Lord has been dead for several decades. Later her reputation became bad, and people didn’t dare or care to mention her. Plus, the cultivation world has impressive figures every year, so gradually she was completely forgotten.”

Mu Xujing looked toward the Zhao family house: “So you’re saying that family worships this Zuo Bai True Lord who died long ago?”

“This painting is in the format used for worship. Believing in Zuo Bai’s True Lord isn’t a bad thing. She did protect the mortal realm and eliminate demons until her death,” Yue Liangze put away the scroll painting and said. “It’s nightfall now, let’s go to the Zhao house again.”

Ling Luo frowned slightly but didn’t refuse, following along.

Walking on the street, they could still hear sounds from various households—scolding, laughter, and noise. The shadows cast on windows were all of living people.

The Zhao family house, which had been empty during the day, had transformed at night.

The door was pasted with large red “happiness” characters, and the lanterns hanging from the eaves were all red. Even the two flowering trees in front of the door were hung with large red “happiness” characters. Inside, the sound of silk and bamboo instruments carried a festive and gentle beauty.

Two manservants stood at the entrance, smiling and respectfully welcoming guests who came to offer congratulations and attend the banquet.

The four of them were somewhat confused at this sight.

“There was nothing during the day…” Qin Yuan felt a chill down her spine at the festivity and bustling scene before her. “Now how are they suddenly holding a celebration?”

Ling Luo said: “I’m not going in.”

Yue Liangze glanced at her, and Ling Luo justified herself righteously: “I’m scared.”

“Then wait outside,” Yue Liangze didn’t force her and went in with Mu Xujing.

The manservants didn’t stop them but smiled warmly: “Welcome, welcome! Please come in quickly. The groom and bride are inside waiting for everyone!”

Qin Yuan’s hair stood on end when she heard this and asked: “Who’s getting married to whom?”

“Oh my, just go inside and see for yourself.” The two manservants pushed her forward.

Ling Luo stood expressionlessly at the entrance.

She had thought these three would be gone for a long time. The two manservants also beckoned to her, but she didn’t go.

Ling Luo observed the guests coming here from the doorway. Almost all of them had been seen during the day—they were the people living in Shunyi Town.

She frowned for a long while and finally decided to use the Fox Skin Spirit, testing if she could enter in that form.

The white fox stood on a branch of the flowering tree, half outside and half inside the compound. It cautiously walked inward, staying alert and ready to retreat at any moment. But even after entering the Zhao compound, there was no reaction, so it quickened its pace to find Yue Liangze and the others.

The interior of the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful ornaments everywhere, full of festive atmosphere. Maids and manservants were busy moving back and forth, with the sound of relatives greeting each other, creating a joyful and lively scene.

The white fox leaped onto a rockery in the courtyard and saw several maids in the corridor carrying wedding attire while walking forward. Beside them stood a matchmaker who waved her handkerchief and spoke in a high-pitched voice: “Hurry, go dress the groom! The bride is already waiting in the main hall, just waiting for him to complete the wedding ceremony!”

The maids walked along, laughing.

Ling Luo watched with confusion. How many grooms were there? Why did they need so many sets of wedding attire?

She followed the maids, and just as she left the long corridor, she sensed Mu Xujing’s sword presence and heard Qin Yuan’s scream: “I’m a girl! What are you doing making a girl the groom? Even if you’re going to capture me, you should at least make me the bride!”

Ling Luo: “…”

In this situation, it’s not good to be either!

Under the eaves of the central courtyard, the maids pulled Qin Yuan and said: “Hurry, go inside and change into the wedding clothes, then go to the front hall to marry the bride! Don’t keep her waiting. We’ll help you change.”

Qin Yuan: “You’ve got the wrong person! My mother said I couldn’t marry before breaking through the life-and-death boundary. Don’t ruin my mother’s dying wish!”

She struggled, but the smiling maids who grabbed her seemed to have placed some kind of restriction on her, preventing her from using any spiritual energy. She could only be forcibly dragged away.

Mu Xujing struck with his sword, and the two maids holding Qin Yuan screamed and turned into black smoke, dispersing.

But two more smiling maids came running.

Qin Yuan hid behind Mu Xujing while whimpering: “He’s the man, if you want a groom, grab him!”

Mu Xujing: “…”

More and more maids carrying wedding attire appeared, seemingly endless to kill.

The white fox was fierce, killing one with each bite.

Qin Yuan was very moved when she saw the white fox: “Ling Luo! Ling Luo, don’t come in no matter what! This place is strange! They grab people randomly to be the groom. When those weird maids grab me, I can’t even use my spiritual energy.”

The white fox asked: “Where’s Yue Liangze?”

Qin Yuan said: “When these maids were dragging me away, another batch of maids went to grab Danshui True Lord.”

Just as she finished speaking, they heard the matchmaker shouting in a shrill voice: “The groom has arrived, quickly pay respects!”

The maids who had been chasing Qin Yuan and Mu Xujing immediately left happily upon hearing this.

Looking at all the wedding clothes scattered on the ground, where was this groom coming from?

Qin Yuan exclaimed in shock: “Could they have captured Danshui True Lord?”

The groom?

Yue Liangze?

How absurd! Even if it’s Zuo Bai True Lord, this is not allowed!

The white fox nimbly leaped toward the front hall. Upon arriving, she just happened to see a man dressed in groom’s attire being escorted by the matchmaker and maids toward the bride who was seated at the elevated part of the courtyard.

The bride sat quietly behind a red table. She wore a veil over her head, with night lamps illuminating her. Through the veil, one could vaguely see she was a young woman.

The groom walked very slowly.

The banquet tables for guests on both sides of the path were already filled with the sounds of wine cups, very lively. Everyone was looking at the groom, saying words of praise and blessing to each other.

The maids smiled as they scattered flower petals from their baskets, while the matchmaker shouted auspicious wedding phrases in a high-pitched voice.

The atmosphere was very festive and beautiful.

Everyone at this wedding seemed happy; no one was dissatisfied. Even the bride under the veil, seen through the play of light and shadow, appeared gentle and calm, showing no signs of sorrow, resentment, or dissatisfaction.

But if the one walking toward the bride was Yue Liangze, then the white fox present would be extremely displeased. She was about to rush into the wedding procession to bite someone but was repelled by a barrier when she charged in. She was then caught by Yue Liangze, who had spotted her among the guests.

The little fox’s front paws clawed at his shoulder as if embracing his neck, and her furry head lightly bumped against him twice.

Ling Luo was furious.

If you’re not the groom, you should have said so earlier!

Yue Liangze’s expression remained calm as he held the little fox by the scruff of her neck, keeping her at a distance. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t touch me again?”

The white fox waved her furry paws at him. Even though she was held by the fate-determining scruff of her neck, she still maintained an arrogant demeanor and said: “The Fox Skin Spirit touching you has nothing to do with me.”

Yue Liangze fell silent after hearing this.

He then asked: “Didn’t you say you were scared and wouldn’t come in?”

The white fox extended her paw to press against his forehead, pressing once for each sentence: “After careful consideration, you are Danshui True Lord who pulled out Zhen Xianyu. You also have Wusheng. You’re a Holy Sword Sect disciple who can match me without falling behind. With you here, I’m not so scared, so I’ve reluctantly condescended to come in and accompany you to take a look.”

Yue Liangze looked at this arrogant fox, seemingly surrendering as he released it, allowing it to jump onto his shoulder.

You’ve said all the good and bad words, what can I do?