The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

A flash of white light disappeared in an instant, and a warm and peaceful light appeared deep within Wang Long's sea of ​​consciousness, like a quiet star, falling into a deep sleep in the depths of his consciousness.

Wang Long closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, confirming that Xi Ning's breathing was steady and peaceful before he felt relieved.

Ye Niannu was stunned; Xi Ning had actually latched onto Wang Long.

At that moment, the long-lost mechanical voice in his mind suddenly rang out without warning.

[Ding! Detection of a top-tier dual cultivation partner, Xi Ning]

Name: Xi Ning

[Race: ? ? ? (Possibly descended from ancient immortals)]

[Status: Dormant (The primordial spirit and physical body have initially merged; nurturing and recovery are required)]

【Origin: ??? (A reincarnated cultivator who failed to transcend tribulation and whose soul has been trapped here for 100,000 years)】

[Ability: ??? (Master of Golden Merit Light, possesses purification, healing, and amplification effects; extremely high potential)]

[Requirements for Awakening: Chaos Immortal Fruit x1, Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Dew x3, Ancient God Blood Crystal x5, Heavenly Merit Jade x7...]

[Critical Hit Reward: ???]

[Other information: ??? (Further analysis to be conducted after the target awakens)]

Wang Long's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the dense array of question marks and the list of rare and precious herbs he had never heard of before.

This is clearly a collection of possessions that would require turning the entire continent upside down to gather.

What kind of cultivation partner has the system recommended for me?

Seeing his strange expression, Ye Niannu leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

"My lord, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just feel like it's finally over. There really is no such thing as a Shangri-La in this world, it's all just a figment of people's imagination."

Wang Long smiled and shook his head.

"We should go back."

Ye Niannu nodded slightly.

The two walked out of the ancestral hall side by side.

The sunlight streamed down without any obstruction, falling warmly on them.

Just as the two stepped out of the ancestral hall, a soft rustling sound suddenly rang out in the previously deserted Peach Blossom Spring.

Wang Long looked up, his pupils slightly contracting.

The villagers who had been erased from the list are now reappearing one by one at the village entrance, on the ridges of the fields, and by the well.

They wore the exact same clothes as before, did the exact same work as before, and even their facial expressions were no different from before.

It was as if the rain, the vanishing light, and the skeleton that fell from the wall were all just an illusion.

But Wang Long knew that it wasn't an illusion.

The villagers gradually stopped moving.

Someone slowly turned around, their gaze passing through the bluestone path and low eaves, landing on Wang Long and Ye Niannu.

Immediately afterwards, one, two, three... all the villagers stopped what they were doing and looked at them in unison.

They opened their mouths but made no sound; their expressions were bizarre, and they twitched incessantly.

But Wang Long read the sentence from the movement of their lips.

"Save us...let us be free..."

Their eyes looked different than before.

That feigned kindness had completely vanished, replaced by an almost tangible despair and pleading.

They have been trapped here, repeating the same day, the same memory, the same sin, for who knows how many years.

Xi Ning's time was completely synchronized with theirs; for every year she endured, these villagers endured the same amount of time.

Wang Long stood on the threshold of the ancestral hall, looking calmly at the silent pleading figures.

He neither spoke nor moved.

He recalled Xi Ning's murmured words as she curled up in the corner of his mind, "Did I do something wrong?", "I just wanted to help everyone live a better life."

The root of everything she endured was the boundless greed and demands of these people.

Wang Long is not a saint; he cannot forgive those who hurt Xi Ning on her behalf.

His silence itself is an attitude.

Seeing that Wang Long ignored them, the villagers became hysterically angry and wanted to rush over together to tear Wang Long and Ye Niannu to pieces!

Just then, a dark shadow reappeared around the edge of the sun in the sky.

An annular solar eclipse has arrived again without warning.

As the sunlight was swallowed by the shadows, countless black chains silently appeared in the sky.

The chains descended from the sky, wrapping around the wrists, ankles, and necks of every villager with such precision that they seemed to be alive, locking them firmly in place.

Some struggled, some knelt, some let out silent roars, but no one could break free from the chains binding them.

The chains gleamed with a cold, dark light, binding their souls tightly to this long-shattered paradise.

They can never repeat that scene again, and they can never pretend to be innocent ordinary people again.

Until they truly atone for their sins, until that karma is completely eradicated, until they fully realize what their actions truly mean.

Only then can they achieve true liberation.

The annular solar eclipse slowly passed, and the sunlight shone down again.

The chains gradually disappeared in the sunlight, but Wang Long knew they still existed, like invisible marks etched deep into the souls of every villager.

Wang Long stood in front of the ancestral hall, looking at the figures bound by chains, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he turned around and looked at Ye Niannu, his voice calm.

"Let's go."

Ye Niannu didn't ask any more questions, but simply gently took his hand.

As the two walked side by side out of Peach Blossom Spring, the bluestone path beneath their feet rippled like water, and the surrounding scenery began to blur, distort, and recombine.

When Wang Long came to his senses again, they were already standing on the ridge of Cangwu Ridge.

A gentle evening breeze blew, and the distant mountains stretched out in the twilight, while the soil beneath our feet felt solid and real.

The Peach Blossom Spring has completely disappeared.

There was no entrance, no trace, as if it had never existed.

Wang Long turned his head and took one last look at the desolate mountain behind him shrouded in twilight. Then he took a deep breath and gently pressed his brow.

There, a warm and peaceful light is sleeping soundly.

He said in a low voice.

"Get some rest, you've suffered so much these past years..."

The evening breeze swept across the mountain ridge, as if in response.

Ye Niannu leaned closer, gently resting her head on his shoulder, her voice carrying a rare softness.

"My lord, let's go home."

Wang Long put his arm around her shoulder, his gaze fixed on the distance.

"Okay, let's go home!"

The two gained a lot this time, and their strength improved even further.

They also received the golden light of merit.

This thing is fundamental to the path to immortality.

The two are still far from reaching the Emperor Realm, but they have already begun to dream about how to ascend to become immortals.

Little Chick poked its head out from Wang Long's arms and let out a clear chirp.

With a flap of its wings, it transformed into a golden streak of light and soared into the sky.

Wang Long and Ye Niannu leaped lightly and landed on its broad back.

A golden figure cut through the twilight and sped off towards the direction of Daqian.

The evening breeze whistled past my ears, leaving the Cangwu Ridge behind me, along with the secrets of Peach Blossom Spring, deep in the twilight.

The sun sank completely below the horizon, its last rays painting the sky a warm orange-red.

Deep within Wang Long's brow, a quiet light rose and fell gently with his steady breathing.

Like a seed, it is quietly waiting to sprout while it is asleep.