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

Before the words were finished, two modified cultivators carried a rough burlap sack into the hall, and faint sounds of struggling could be heard coming from inside the sack.

The monk who led the capture of Aru stood tall and proud, his face full of self-satisfaction, and his tone arrogant and boastful.

"Young Master, I have accomplished my mission! That girl was single-mindedly chasing after the Holy Maiden of Lingyun Mountain and left the manor alone, completely unprepared. I ambushed her in the bamboo forest and subdued her in one move. She had no chance to resist at all, and I captured her with ease!"

Little Fish walked slowly to the sack and kicked open the knot at the top of the sack.

Aru's eyes were unfocused, her body was weak and sore, and her martial arts energy was suppressed by a special drug. She could only slump in the bag, glaring hatefully at the group of villains in front of her.

Xiaoyuer sneered and took out a metal chip that glowed with a dark red light from his pocket. The chip was wrapped in blood-red evil energy and was a restricted device specifically designed to control the soul.

She raised her hand and gripped the back of Alu's neck. Ignoring the girl's struggles and twists, she exerted force with her fingertips, and the chip pierced deep into her skin and embedded itself in the neck's meridians.

A slight stinging pain made Aru shudder, and a strange, cold consciousness instantly appeared in her mind, as if her soul was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

"This soul-controlling chip will be implanted in your body. From now on, your joys and sorrows, your every move will be under my control."

Little Fish loosened its grip, turned to look at the captured cultivator who had done a meritorious service, and threw over two thick stacks of banknotes, which landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

"Return her to the bamboo grove where she was originally captured, and pretend nothing happened. Take your reward and keep a close watch on the Lin family manor day and night, keeping a close eye on everyone. Remember, this woman is still very useful; do not harm or humiliate her in the slightest."

The cultivator quickly bent down to pick up the banknotes, overjoyed, and bowed respectfully, accepting the order: "Your subordinate understands, and will not jeopardize your important matters, young master!"

The group put the helpless Alu back into the bag, quickly left the stronghold, and returned to the bamboo forest on the outskirts of the city overnight.

Meanwhile, in the bustling night market streets of southern Xinjiang, Lin Ping and Ade were still searching for Alu's whereabouts along the street.

Lin Ping continued to expand his divine sense, carefully capturing the hidden blood-red evil energy around him. On the surface, he still maintained a weak appearance of being deficient in qi and blood and anxious in his mind, letting others point fingers and criticize him, pretending to be a grandmaster who was deeply involved in his love affairs and unable to be in two places at once.

The phone rang suddenly, and Shen Aoxue's name appeared on the screen.

Lin Ping pressed the answer button, and Shen Aoxue's soft and gentle voice came through the receiver.

"Honey, you and Sister Dai don't need to look for her anymore. Alu just walked back to the manor by herself and is sitting in the yard perfectly fine now."

A cold glint flashed in Lin Ping's eyes, but his tone relaxed slightly, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

"Understood, we'll head back right away."

After hanging up the phone, Adele's face lit up with joy, and her tense shoulders completely relaxed.

"Thank goodness Aru is back safe and sound. What a relief!"

The two did not linger, turned around and hurried back to the manor.

Stepping into the courtyard, Aru sat alone on a stone bench, her eyes vacant and dull, her reactions slow, completely unlike her usual straightforward and outspoken self.

"Alu! You're finally back! We've been looking for you all night, we couldn't get through on the phone!" Adele quickly stepped forward, took Alu's arms, and looked her up and down carefully.

Alu slowly raised her eyes, her gaze dull and lifeless, her speech slow and halting.

"I... I chased Sister Xiaohan all the way to the bamboo forest on the outskirts of the city. Just as I was about to call out to her, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck, as if I had been hit hard by a heavy object. My vision went black and I lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, I was still lying on the ground in the bamboo forest. I had no external injuries, so I walked back."

Adele stroked Aru's arms, shoulders, and limbs, carefully examining her chest, abdomen, and cheeks. Her skin was intact, without any bruises or wounds. She was relieved, but she overlooked the back of her neck, which was hidden by her long hair, and was completely unaware of the soul-controlling chip embedded under her skin.

"Thank goodness you weren't hurt. Never go out alone late at night again, it's too dangerous." Adele gently patted Aru's hand to comfort her.

Shen Aoxue, leaning against a pillar, tightened her fingers slightly behind her back, a hint of secret pleasure flashing in her eyes. Xiaoyuer had sent word that the Soul Control Chip had been implanted into Alu's body, effectively halving the manor's manpower, leaving Lin Ping with no reliable allies.

Lin Ping stood calmly to one side, seemingly just gazing at the dazed and lost Alu, but in reality, her divine sense had already penetrated through her hair, accurately capturing the strange evil energy flowing through the meridians at the back of Alu's neck, and taking in all the sinister energy emanating from the chip.

He understood perfectly well that Xiaoyuer had made a clever plan. By using the chip to control Alu, he could create an extra pawn within the manor that could be detonated at any time, turning against him at a crucial moment and severely damaging him and everyone around him.

Shen Aoxue walked slowly forward, gently took Alu's wrist, and spoke in a tender and concerned tone, deliberately putting on an act for Lin Ping to see.

"Little sister Alu, next time you go out, please let us know. Everyone will worry about you."

Aru's eyes were dull, and she nodded mechanically, showing no trace of her usual resistance or annoyance, completely obeying what others said.

Seeing this, Adele assumed that Alu was just frightened and still unsettled, and gently suggested, "I'll take you back to your room to rest and make you a cup of calming herbal medicine to soothe you."

Alu obediently got up and followed Adele slowly toward the room, remaining silent and stiff throughout.

Only Lin Ping and Shen Aoxue remained in the courtyard.

Shen Aoxue nestled against Lin Ping's side, resting her head gently on his shoulder, and spoke in a soft, sweet voice.

"Honey, it's good that Alu is back safe and sound. Don't worry anymore. Don't take those nasty rumors outside to heart."

Lin Ping raised his hand and put it on her shoulder, his eyes hiding a cold calculation, but his tone was gentle.

"With you by my side, I naturally won't overthink it."

Shen Aoxue was secretly delighted, convinced that Lin Ping was still being deceived by appearances and had no idea that Alu was trapped in a soul-controlling trap. He was pretending to be even more docile and clingy.

But Lin Ping had already secretly made a plan. On the surface, he remained calm and pretended to be indulging in the romance with his children, thus numbing his two major adversaries in the shadows—the fake Shen Aoxue whose soul had been altered in front of him, and Xiaoyuer, who held the power to control souls and spread rumors throughout the city from the back mountain.

He appeared helpless and passive, but in reality, he had already laid a trap, waiting for Xiaoyuer to fully utilize Alu as a pawn, so that he could take advantage of the situation to wipe out all the main forces of the Illuminati.

As night deepened and all was quiet, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

Lin Ping stood alone on the courtyard terrace, a wisp of barely perceptible golden true energy from his fingertips probing towards Alu's room, slowly bypassing the surface of her skin and flesh, precisely locking onto the soul-controlling chip hidden at the back of her neck.

The crimson aura inside the chip sensed the incoming true energy and instantly became violently agitated, faintly emanating from the soul fluctuations remotely controlled by Xiaoyuer.

Lin Ping raised a cold, indifferent sneer at the corner of his lips.