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

Zhu Xiaohan stepped forward, her gaze fixed firmly on Lin Ping. Gone was her usual gentleness; instead, she exuded the unique composure and majesty of the Holy Maiden of Lingyun Mountain.

"Sir, I have a way."

Lin Ping raised his eyes, a hint of weariness in them: "Go on."

"I am the Holy Maiden of Lingyun Mountain, in charge of the mountain's Divine Soul Array. Only the Divine Soul Array that suppresses the evil energy of the earth veins in Shen Aoxue's body can completely eradicate it." Zhu Xiaohan spoke very quickly, looking directly into Lin Ping's eyes, "I will take her back to Lingyun Mountain, and I will personally oversee the array. In less than seven days, the turbid energy in her soul will be completely purified."

Upon hearing this, Adele and Arle looked up at the same time, a glimmer of hope flashing in their eyes.

But Lin Ping's fingers suddenly tightened, and a deep hesitation appeared between his brows.

He clearly remembered that Lingyun Mountain had previously suffered a great battle, with its formations collapsing, its gates damaged, and countless disciples suffering heavy casualties, almost destroying the foundation of the entire immortal mountain.

Lingyun Mountain has only just been restored and is still recovering its vitality; it is a time when everything needs to be rebuilt.

If Shen Aoxue, who is tainted by the evil spirits of the earth veins and involved in the secret power of the Holy Light Society's sacrifice, were to be brought back, it would very likely trigger the remaining array cores, impacting the newly repaired foundation of Lingyun Mountain, and even bringing annihilation to the remaining disciples of Lingyun Mountain.

Zhu Xiaohan saw through his concerns, lowered her eyes slightly, and lowered her voice so low that only the two of them could hear it.

"Sir, I have another reason, which I have never told anyone."

Lin Ping raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I suspect that the Shen Aoxue in bed is a fake."

A single sentence, yet it was earth-shattering.

Zhu Xiaohan's sharp eyes were fixed on the sleeping girl on the bed: "I have no evidence, but her soul is strangely malevolent, bearing traces of a man-made earth vein sacrifice, which is definitely not the original Shen Aoxue's condition. Only by taking her back to the Soul Array of Lingyun Mountain and using the array to examine the origin of her soul can we distinguish the truth from the falsehood."

"If it is the real Aoxue, the great formation can save it; if it is a fake, the conspiracy behind it will be exposed on the spot."

Looking at Lin Ping, who had become haggard day after day and had spared no effort to prolong his life by sacrificing his own life essence, she spoke with a hint of bitterness and reluctance.

"I simply cannot bear to watch you bleed away your life force and deplete your foundation day after day, risking your cultivation and life for someone whose true nature is hard to discern. Staying in the manor will only lead to endless depletion, and you will eventually fall into Xiaoyuer's trap."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the bedroom door was rudely pushed open with a "bang".

Ake rushed in, her face showing anxiety and worry, and directly interrupted their conversation.

"Ping-ge, Hanhan-jie! You absolutely mustn't!"

She rushed to the bedside, feigning concern as she looked at Shen Aoxue, her tone urgent and accusatory: "Sister Aoxue is currently weak and on the verge of death, her health is extremely poor! The journey to Lingyun Mountain is long and treacherous. She simply cannot withstand such a long and bumpy journey; she will surely perish halfway there. This is going to kill Sister Aoxue!"

Her words were piercing, deliberately twisting Zhu Xiaohan's good intentions into a reckless act that would kill Shen Aoxue.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes were on Lin Ping.

A desperate situation, the outcome decided in an instant.

Lin Ping slowly stood up, his pale face devoid of any superfluous emotion, his tone calm yet carrying an unshakeable resolve.

"There's no need to go to Lingyun Mountain."

"Aoxue will remain at the manor, and I will continue with the ancient methods of healing."

With just one sentence, he rejected all of Zhu Xiaohan's suggestions.

Zhu Xiaohan stiffened, her eyes filled with helplessness and anxiety, and she wanted to persuade him again: "Sir, you know..."

"My mind is made up." Lin Ping raised his hand, interrupting her directly.

Zhu Xiaohan took a deep breath, suppressing all her advice. She knew Lin Ping's temperament; once he made a decision, no one could change it.

She turned her head coldly, her gaze fixed on Ake, who was secretly delighted.

"Come out with me."

Before Ake could react, Zhu Xiaohan reached out and her five fingers, like iron clamps, suddenly gripped Ake's neck.

The sudden feeling of suffocation in her neck made Ake's face turn deathly pale.

Zhu Xiaohan used tremendous force, dragging her out of the bedroom with one hand. The night wind in the corridor was biting, completely blocking the view from inside the room.

"Ugh! Sister Hanhan! What are you doing! Let go of me!" Ake grabbed Zhu Xiaohan's wrists with both hands, struggling wildly, looking terrified and weak.

With no one in the corridor, Zhu Xiaohan's eyes were devoid of any gentleness, only chilling coldness remained.

She leaned down slightly, her lips close to Ake's ear, her voice as cold as if it had been chilled to the bone.

"Ake, I'm warning you."

"It's not your place to interfere with the gentleman's decisions."

"Knowing full well that you are mentally disturbed and your foundation is damaged, and knowing that the danger you faced while traveling was just your side of the story, you still dare to deliberately interrupt, confuse your judgment, and sow discord. Do you really think I can't see through your intentions?"

With a slight tightening of his fingers, Ake's neck veins bulged, her breathing became labored, her eyes instantly filled with tears, and her whole body trembled violently.

"I didn't... I was just worried about Sister Aoxue... I really didn't mean any harm... Please let me go..."

She shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face. Her frail and pitiful appearance would evoke pity in anyone who saw her.

Zhu Xiaohan stared at her feigned face, her eyes full of mockery.

"That would be best."

She suddenly let go.

Ake's body went limp, and she collapsed heavily onto the floor of the corridor, clutching her neck and coughing violently. Her face was as pale as paper, and she still looked as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Zhu Xiaohan gave her a deep look, said nothing more, turned and strode away, her whole body exuding a chilling aura.

Until Zhu Xiaohan's figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Ake, who was kneeling on the ground coughing incessantly, suddenly looked up.

The fear, vulnerability, and grievance on her face vanished completely, leaving no trace.

Instead, a chilling, smug smile appeared.

She slowly raised her hand and gently touched the faint red marks on her neck, the corners of her mouth curving into a more ferocious smile.

So what if it's Zhu Xiaohan?

So what if you see through it?

Lin Ping ultimately chose to stay!

As long as Lin Ping does not leave the manor and continues to use his essence and blood to prolong his life, his source will be depleted day by day and his foundation will continue to collapse.

Little Fish's plan remains as solid as a rock.

Shen Aoxue stayed at the manor, while Lin Ping was trapped in a predicament, wasting his lifespan and energy, and was getting deeper and deeper into trouble. In less than three days, he would surely be exhausted and his strength would decline!

Ake slowly stood up, brushed the dust off her skirt, and a calculating glint flashed in her eyes.

She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small ebony signal nail, applying slight pressure with her fingertips.

Silently, a faint signal pierced the night and soared into the dense forest behind the mountain, delivering the final message to Little Fish.

After doing all this, she composed herself, reverting to her gentle and submissive demeanor, and slowly walked towards the bedroom, preparing to stay and pretend to serve Lin Ping while keeping a close eye on his every move.

Inside the main building's bedroom.

Lin Ping sat calmly by the bed, looking at Shen Aoxue, whose breath was weak. His eyes seemed calm, but deep inside there was a cold glint that seemed to know everything.

He never ignored Zhu Xiaohan's suspicions.

He saw and remembered everything about Ake's deliberate provocation, her eagerness for quick success, and her constant guidance.

He was never a fool blinded by love.

His continuous blood transfusions and life-sustaining activities, seemingly a frantic effort and overdraft, are actually a deliberate act of feigning weakness to exploit others and taking advantage of the situation.

His solid foundation at the peak of martial arts and the secret techniques for strengthening his body learned in seclusion could not be depleted by a few transfers of essence and blood.

What outsiders perceive as a weakened foundation and superficial vitality is all a deliberate facade he has created.

He wanted to make Ake misjudge, make Xiaoyuer misinterpret, and make the Illuminati monks in the shadows think that he was exhausted and vulnerable.

Lingyun Mountain has just suffered heavy damage and cannot afford to be further ravaged.

The mystery of the real and fake Shen Aoxue, the conspiracy of the earth vein sacrifice, the Illuminati's siege and killing trap...

He chose to shoulder all the undercurrents himself, never implicating Lingyun Mountain, nor allowing the women of the manor to be in danger.

Lin Ping gently placed his fingertips on Shen Aoxue's brow, his eyes suddenly flashing with a sharp glint.