After descending the mountain, my aloof fiancée became completely devoted to me.

"Even if you raze the Zheng family to the ground, you will never find the Earth-Suppressing Spirit Jade! Shen Aoxue is doomed, and you will never recover!"

The old man roared, each word filled with resolute hatred, convinced that no one could break the deadly trap he had set.

Zheng Yan lay on the ground, the excruciating pain from his severed arm piercing his heart, yet he stared intently at the old man before him, all the ruthlessness in his eyes gone, leaving only forbearance and anxiety.

Unbeknownst to anyone, his perfectly good hand, hanging by his side, trembled slightly at the knuckles, as if he were enduring something or waiting for an opportunity.

Lin Ping withdrew his divine sense, which had swept across the entire ancestral home, his gaze turning cold and deep.

My divine sense probed the area just now and found nothing amiss; the entire Zheng family estate indeed contained not a trace of spiritual jade. This old man's stubbornness is utterly meaningless.

He stepped forward, looking down at the white-haired patriarch, his voice indifferent and cold: "You truly do not know the whereabouts of the Spirit Jade?"

"Haha! I have controlled the Spirit Jade for a hundred years, and no one in the world can break the method of hiding the jade! Even if you have the power to fight to the heavens, you will eventually have to watch your beloved perish!" The ancestor laughed wildly, as if he had gone mad.

Just then, a sudden, muffled thud rang out.

Zheng Yan suddenly pushed himself up from the ground, ignoring his injuries, and suddenly reached out with his backhand!

Click!

A crisp sound of bone cracking rang out.

No one expected that Zheng Yan, who had just been singing along with the patriarch and vowing to control Lin Ping, would suddenly make a move, his five fingers forming claws, and fiercely grip the white-haired patriarch's neck!

The force was extremely swift, instantly locking down the old man's entire aura.

The white-haired patriarch's pupils constricted, his face filled with disbelief, and he growled hoarsely, "Zheng Yan! You dare to defy me?!"

"Rebel against you?"

Zheng Yan's severed arm was bandaged, his face was deathly pale, but his eyes were sharp as knives, all traces of his previous sinister cunning were gone, leaving only clarity and determination.

"Ancestor, from beginning to end, the only one who thought himself clever was you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force on his wrist.

Bang!

A gentle yet domineering force precisely entered the old man's body, instantly sealing off his dantian and vocal cords.

The Zheng family patriarch, who had been shouting incessantly just moments before, suddenly had his eyes bulge out, his body stiffen, and he couldn't even utter a roar. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Inside and outside the pavilion, the remaining Zheng family guards were all dumbfounded, frozen in place, none daring to move.

Lin Ping, who had been observing the whole thing with a cold eye, had a slight change in his expression, but showed no surprise. He simply watched Zheng Yan quietly.

Zheng Yan released his grip, enduring the excruciating pain, turned around to face Lin Ping directly, bowed deeply, and adopted an extremely respectful posture.

Gone is the arrogance and scheming of the past; only pure sincerity remains.

"Sir, the play is over."

Those five short words resonated throughout the entire pavilion.

Zheng Yan raised his eyes and looked directly at Lin Ping, his voice steady and earnest: "Back then, when I was training outside, I was ambushed by a powerful enemy. My meridians were all severed, and I was on the verge of death in the wilderness. It was you who happened to pass by and saved me. You gave me a spiritual medicine to restore my meridians, saved my life, and even gave me an opportunity to return to the Zheng family and establish myself again."

"My life, Zheng Yan's life, was given to me by the master."

"The old ancestor is short-sighted and covets the power over the earth's veins. He tries to use the spirit jade to control the master and scheme against Miss Aoxue. He is delusional. I am powerless to change the old ancestor's obsession. I can only play along and pretend to be his accomplice."

He reached into his robes and parted the layers of his inner garments, revealing a piece of warm, translucent white jade with a faint bluish glow lying quietly in his palm.

The jade radiates a pure and righteous aura; it is a sacred jade that can suppress evil spirits in the earth's veins and stabilize the soul!

The warm luster of the jade instantly dispelled the cold and menacing atmosphere in the pavilion.

"The old ancestor thought he had secretly hidden the spirit jade, and no one knew about it. In fact, three days ago, I secretly switched the fake one and kept the real earth-suppressing spirit jade close to my body."

Zheng Yan held the spirit jade aloft with both hands, offering it high, his tone filled with remorse and awe.

"I deliberately had my arm crippled in public by the master, pretending to hold a grudge and acting in accordance with the ancestor's scheme, all to keep him calm and prevent him from becoming desperate and damaging the treasure. All the threats and coercion just now were just a performance for him."

"This junior is incompetent and can only resort to this clumsy method to deal with the situation, causing you trouble, sir. This jade is intact, please accept it and hurry back to heal Miss Aoxue."

Lin Ping lowered his eyes, looking at the jade pendant lying peacefully in Zheng Yan's palm. The coldness in his eyes melted away, replaced by a faint warmth.

Having seen countless people, he knew something was amiss when he first noticed Zheng Yan's change, yet he refrained from killing him, leaving himself some room to maneuver.

Today's reversal certainly did not disappoint him.

Of the entire Zheng family, only Zheng Yan truly appreciated kindness and never forgot his roots.

Lin Ping raised his hand, his fingertips lightly lifting, and steadily took the Earth-Suppressing Spirit Jade into his palm.

The touch was warm and smooth, and the pure, evil-repelling spiritual energy flowed into her body through her fingertips, clear and vast, enough to completely suppress the ancient evil spirits within Shen Aoxue's body.

With a huge weight lifted from his heart, Lin Ping said calmly, "I didn't misjudge you."

A simple word of approval sent a jolt through Zheng Yan, who was covered in a mess, and his eyes welled up with a burning passion.

"To receive even a single word of approval from you, sir, makes the loss of my arm all worthwhile!"

Lin Ping's gaze swept over the unconscious Zheng family patriarch on the ground and the trembling Zheng family guards around him. His voice was cold: "The Zheng family patriarch disregarded gratitude and had boundless ambition. He attempted to stir up the Southern Border's ley lines with his selfish desires and plotted treason. His cultivation is hereby abolished, he is expelled from the Zheng family, and imprisoned for life."

"The rest of the clansmen, who did not participate in the rebellion, will be forgiven for their past actions."

As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible force swept across the old man on the ground, completely shattering his life's cultivation and severing all the foundations that had caused chaos in the southern border region.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Xie!" All the guards knelt down and kowtowed, no longer harboring any intention to resist.

Zheng Yan bowed deeply: "This junior will certainly protect the Zheng family and guard this corner of the southern border, and will never allow anyone to cause trouble or disturb you, sir, and Miss Aoxue!"

Lin Ping nodded slightly and said no more.

Saving lives is the priority.

The evil spirits within Shen Aoxue's body continued to erode her soul; every moment of delay brought greater danger.

Holding the spirit jade, surrounded by spiritual energy, he blurred into a blur, instantly stepping out of the Zheng family's treasure pavilion, breaking through the deep night, and speeding towards the manor.

The speed was so fast that only a fleeting streak of light remained in the night sky.

……

Wutong Manor, the night is quiet.

Inside the bedroom, the lights were soft.

Zhu Xiaohan sat cross-legged by the window, her fingertips circulating spiritual energy, constantly reinforcing the defensive array around the manor. The array's spiritual light layered upon layer, making the entire courtyard impenetrable.

Alu stayed by the bedside, her eyes fixed on Shen Aoxue, whose face was pale and brows were slightly furrowed. Her face was full of worry, and she would occasionally raise her hand to check her pulse. Her expression became more and more anxious.

"Sister Xiaohan, the evil energy within Sister Aoxue's body is becoming increasingly agitated, and her spiritual fluctuations are very unstable. Why hasn't Master returned yet?"

Alu's voice was urgent, and her eyes were full of unease.

Zhu Xiaohan finished her practice and stood up, her gaze calm: "Sir acts with great discretion and will surely retrieve the spirit jade safely. We only need to guard this place and stabilize the situation."

As soon as he finished speaking, a slender and upright figure appeared silently in the bedroom.

"teacher!"

The two women turned their heads at the same time, their eyes instantly lighting up, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little.