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

A calculating glint appeared in Ake's eyes, and Lin Ping noticed every subtle change in her expression.

He understood perfectly well, but his face remained completely unchanged, maintaining a gentle expression as if he had not noticed anything unusual, deliberately putting on an act as if he had been completely deceived.

At the same time, Lin Ping quickly glanced at Zhu Xiaohan, Ade, and Alu, and secretly gave them a subtle wink.

Having followed Lin Ping for a long time, the group was quick-witted and understood each other instantly.

The acting should continue.

Lin Ping turned to look at Zhen Shen Aoxue beside him, his tone gentle and considerate: "Your body is weak and your soul is damaged. Go back to your room and rest. Don't worry about things outside. I'm here."

Shen Aoxue immediately understood his intention, nodded obediently, and cooperated by showing a gentle and weak appearance. She turned around and slowly walked back to her room, gently closing the door behind her.

After the door was closed, Lin Ping spoke calmly to the crowd: "Come out and talk, everyone."

The group moved to the center of the courtyard, away from the bedroom, to eliminate any possibility of eavesdropping.

Before Lin Ping could speak, Zhu Xiaohan took the initiative to get into character, feigning seriousness as she stepped forward and spoke to Lin Ping in a deep voice.

"Sir, there's something I must tell you frankly."

"The Shen Aoxue inside is still a fake."

Upon hearing this, Ake's ears perked up instantly, her eyes gleamed, and she stared intently at Zhu Xiaohan, waiting for her to continue.

Zhu Xiaohan continued her deduction in a deep voice, every sentence fitting the illusion perfectly, leaving no room for error: "My departure from the manor before was not out of spite, but rather a covert observation of the Illuminati's movements. In Xiaoyuer's stronghold, there is a woman imprisoned who looks exactly like Shen Aoxue, with the exact same features and figure."

"This one is still a substitute pawn that Xiaoyuer planted next to us, with the purpose of continuing to confuse us and disrupt our plans."

Lin Ping pursed his lips slightly, deliberately putting on an angry and stubborn look, transforming himself into someone deeply entangled in a love affair and unwilling to believe the truth, his tone carrying deliberate impatience and obstinacy.

That's enough.

"Aoxue has been by my side for a long time, and I know her temperament and habits very well. It can't be fake."

"Xiaohan, I know you are meticulous, but you don't need to speculate and be suspicious about everything. Stop slandering her out of thin air."

His tone was firm, and his expression carried a hint of displeasure at being offended, perfectly portraying someone blinded by love and stubbornly refusing to believe the truth.

Adele and Alou, standing to the side, remained silent, their faces showing a conflicted and troubled expression, as if they were wavering between two options, unsure of what was true and what was false.

Seeing this, Ake, who had been watching the whole thing, completely put aside all her doubts and was overjoyed.

I realized I had misread it!

Lin Ping remained completely unaware of the deception, failing to see through the trick involving the fake doubles!

Zhu Xiaohan has already seen through the truth, but Lin Ping remains obstinate and deeply trapped in the illusion!

This means that all the secrets of the earth's veins, the Shen family's secrets, and the clues to Peach Garden can still be stolen at any time!

Ake suppressed the restlessness in her heart, casually yawned, and found the perfect excuse.

"Since you know what's going on, I won't interfere any further. I'll go back to my room to rest."

After saying that, she turned and quickly left the courtyard, her steps light and quick, clearly confident that the situation was entirely within her expectations, her carefully laid plans quietly taking shape.

Once Ake's figure completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, the tense atmosphere in the courtyard instantly dissipated.

Lin Ping slowly raised his eyes, a cold, all-knowing smile curving his lips.

He stood with his hands behind his back, spoke softly, his tone carrying an air of composed confidence.

"Originally, there were many outposts in Taoyuan, Southern Xinjiang, and the clues were scattered and disorganized. It would be time-consuming and laborious to investigate them one by one."

"This saves a lot of trouble now."

Zhu Xiaohan smiled gently: "Sir, are you planning to use her to lure out a third party?"

"Not bad." Lin Ping nodded lightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "I've said before, keeping the fake Shen Aoxue is always useful."

"Xiaoyuer is the open chess piece, the Taoyuan forces in the shadows are the hidden chess pieces, and Ake is the middleman who connects all the chess pieces for us."

"She harbors ambitions and will definitely follow Shen Aoxue's memory clues to actively investigate the Peach Garden Secret Realm. Her eagerness to get involved saves us the trouble of investigation and allows her to provide us with clues on her own initiative."

Alu suddenly realized, her brows relaxing: "So, from the very beginning, sir, you were waiting for her to slip up!"

The group exchanged smiles, and everyone understood the entire scheme, their minds clear.

……

At the same time, in the secret chamber of the Illuminati stronghold on the back mountain.

Xiaoyuer stood alone in front of the crystal protective shield, staring at the sleeping "Shen Aoxue" inside, his face full of puzzlement, lost in deep thought.

She went over every detail repeatedly, her brow furrowed, her mind filled with doubt.

Lin Pingming had ample time to rescue people, break the deadlock, and take away the trump card, all thanks to the tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain.

The sealed room had weak security, the stronghold was poorly defended, and the hostages, who were so close at hand, were easily within reach.

However, with only a wall separating them, how could Lin Ping possibly leave empty-handed without making a move?

"Where exactly did things go wrong...?"

Little Fish murmured softly, its mechanical eyes flashing incessantly, still unable to understand Lin Ping's true purpose, and its unease grew stronger.

Just as her mind was in turmoil, a loud bang!

The door to the secret chamber was violently kicked open!

A group of men dressed in black, with intact bodies and no mechanical modifications, rushed in swiftly. Their aura was cold and powerful, they were well-trained, and their killing intent was chilling.

The leader, a man in black, was tall and imposing with a cold and stern face. His aura was overwhelming, and he was none other than Mo Qi, the core figure of the mysterious third-party force.

Mo Qi strode in, his gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on Xiao Yu'er, his tone icy and piercing, his words a barrage of angry rebukes.

"Little fish, how dare you!"

"Who gave you permission to interfere in our affairs and abduct Shen Aoxue without authorization?"

Little Fish stiffened slightly, but remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic or fear.

She raised her hand and stroked her mechanical right arm, her tone casual and indifferent: "Mo Qi, it's been a long time. Why interrogate me the moment we meet?"

"Why bother?" Mo Qi's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he approached step by step. "Shen Aoxue possesses all the secrets of the Southern Border's ley lines, the key to our years of planning! Her divine soul memories are the only key to unlocking the ley line seal and extracting its essence!"

"You intercepted us halfway, stole our people, and disrupted our years-long plan. Do you know how much trouble you've caused?"

Little Fish chuckled softly, his expression calm, showing no remorse or panic.

"It's just borrowed for a while."

"By helping you keep her trapped and protecting her secret, preventing her from falling into the hands of others, I've done you a favor in that respect."

"I will return it to you when I'm done using it, so why be angry?"

"Borrow?" Mo Qi laughed angrily, his aura suddenly dropping, and the temperature of the entire secret room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

"Your Illuminati are ambitious and have long coveted the source of the earth's ley lines. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"

"I'm telling you this now: hand over Shen Aoxue immediately, or I'll wipe out your entire Illuminati!"

The two villainous forces have completely broken off their relationship and are now locked in a life-or-death standoff, with the conflict escalating to its peak in an instant!

Inside the crystal dome, the imposter Shen Aoxue, who had been switched out, was still sleeping peacefully.

From this moment on, the trump card that Mo Qi and Xiao Yu'er fought so hard for has become the biggest bait in Lin Ping's hands, used to lure out both sides!