Fairy, please have some self-respect. I am not the reincarnation of your deceased husband.

Chen Lianshu sat down as instructed.

He had thought that even if Mu Qianxue maintained a calm demeanor, she would at least ask him where he was.

But she only brought up serious matters:

"Now that you're back, let's talk about tonight's demon-slaying arrangements."

She took out a simple map of the Yellow River and pointed to several locations with her fingertips.

That's just her personality; she handles official business and personal matters separately, and she would never mix them up unless forced by circumstances.

"I have already spoken to Mayor Li, and the townspeople are not allowed to approach the riverbank within half a mile after noon."

"There will be people around to help clear the area, so you and I don't need to worry about anything."

"Everything will proceed as planned."

"Even if that monster doesn't emerge from the water tonight, we must still take action."

"We can't wait any longer."

Neither the people suffering from the miasma around her, nor her own selfish desires, could wait any longer…

If we complete the mission tonight, we will dispel the remaining miasma tomorrow and can set off to return to our clan in the afternoon.

Once they reach the sect, as long as she keeps her husband well "hidden," he will belong to her alone.

After all, the outer sect of the Jade Jade Sect covers a vast area.

Even if Master were to search for it, he would not find it in the short term.

Perhaps by the time her master finds her, she and her husband will have already rekindled their romance.

"Do you understand now?"

Mu Qianxue leaned slightly forward to look at her junior brother.

The icy red heart continued to tremble, but its surface showed no sign of abnormality, remaining as cold and aloof as ever.

"Understood."

Chen Lianshu nodded in agreement.

"Remember not to be reckless; you just need to control the situation and restrain others."

"Although that monster was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. When it was on the verge of death, it launched a counterattack, which would either kill or injure it."

"When it senses that there is no hope of escape, it may unleash its primordial miasma. Although the range is limited under the control of the formation, junior brother still needs to be extremely careful."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister Mu. I've got it."

Chen Lianshu answered respectfully, but his doubts remained.

Then, the conversation shifted abruptly.

"Is the town still lively today?"

This seemingly casual question, but actually quite meaningful, made Chen Lianshu secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

If Mu Qianxue hadn't asked, he would have truly begun to suspect that she might have other plans.

"It's acceptable."

"Did you go with that 'Miss Li'?"

"How did you know, Senior Sister?"

Both sides knew the truth, but neither said it aloud, each playing their own part.

"I asked the shopkeeper."

Mu Qianxue's tone was indifferent, and she didn't continue.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

"Don't let this delay your official duties."

All the words in the world can ultimately be summed up in one sentence.

After all, given her current status, what more could she possibly ask?

Although I'm angry, it will be over soon... very soon.

Moreover, her husband was forced into it.

"And don't let it interfere with your cultivation."

"As your senior, it is my duty to keep an eye on you."

"Stay in my room and cultivate today."

"Until nightfall, the demon will be exorcised."

As she spoke, Mu Qianxue turned a page, seemingly just chatting with the other person.

"Won't this disturb Senior Sister Mu's cultivation?"

"It's alright."

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

Therefore, Chen Lianshu had no choice but to agree.

I wonder if Senior Sister Mu has become suspicious of me?

Or do you really think he's neglecting his cultivation...?

"If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."

"it is good."

Chen Lianshu then cleared his mind of all distractions and entered into meditation.

Meanwhile, Mu Qianxue, who was reading the sword manual, unconsciously looked at him and was lost in memories.

There was a time when the two of them were like that.

While her husband meditated, she studied the sword manual beside him, occasionally glancing up to secretly admire his focused cultivation.

But now…

Ugh--

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

If only I were in the sect instead of on official business right now.

A lone man and a lone woman, alone in a room.

Although the discussion was about cultivation, inviting him into my room would at least help to shorten the distance between us.

"..."

Mu Qianxue tried to calm herself down.

With her husband by her side, she could hardly read a single word of even the sword manual she was usually so obsessed with.

Instead of torn between these conflicting thoughts, it's better to look at things openly and honestly.

Anyway, her husband was meditating and wouldn't notice.

Even if he notices, I can easily cover it up by saying "I'm observing whether his practice is going wrong".

So, Mu Qianxue stopped hiding her feelings and stared straight at her husband, her eyes full of admiration, while also noticing his cultivation progress.

It truly is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication.

Although his talent is mediocre, his solid foundation can be seen from his current cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage.

It seems that it won't be long before he breaks through to the next level.

However, what should I say to my husband after he finishes his meditation?

What are the details of your interaction with that enchantress today?

No, that would be too deliberate and would make me seem petty.

Even with her senior status keeping her in check, she was still being too nosy and ended up being disliked.

How about we talk about spiritual practice?

But he made good progress and didn't need any guidance.

If you force a conversation, and they talk about their insights from when they were building their foundation...

Would this seem abrupt? Or even like showing off?

"..."

As she pondered, Mu Qianxue couldn't help but furrow her brows and purse her lips.

As darkness fell.

"call--"

Chen Lianshu completed a final full cycle of cultivation, ending his practice.

The spiritual energy within my body has indeed become much more solid.

Just as he was secretly marveling at the effectiveness of his training, he felt a cold gaze upon him.

Their eyes met without warning.

Chen Lianshu really couldn't understand what Mu Qianxue was trying to do or what she was thinking.

This Senior Sister Mu's actions are truly perplexing.

Sometimes so reliable it puts your mind at ease, sometimes so aloof it's hard to approach, and sometimes it seems strange and unpredictable.

At the same time, he also noticed that the once violently trembling icy red heart was now only beating slowly.

"?"

Seeing that her actions did not elicit the expected reaction, Mu Qianxue was also puzzled.

Why is this reaction different from what she expected?

Could it be that I haven't done a good job again?

Immediately, she readjusted her posture, secretly gathering her emotions, and was preparing to find a topic to start a conversation.

"!"

Suddenly, her expression froze, as if she had sensed something, and she subconsciously looked out the window.

"They're here."

"Has that miasma demon emerged?"

Chen Lianshu's expression also hardened as he looked towards the riverbank.

"Walk!"

After saying that, the two got up at the same time, left the inn, and headed towards the riverbank.

"Senior sister, where is that demon now?"

"Midstream".

Just moments ago, Mu Qianxue was secretly struggling with how to broach the subject, but once it came to serious matters, she instantly became calm, collected, and logically clear:

"Proceed according to plan, I'll head over there first."

"Go downstream and activate the magic circle first, to prevent it from escaping into the town."

"Yes."

"Be careful and don't be reckless."

After giving her one last piece of advice, Mu Qianxue sped up and headed straight for the middle reaches of the river.

The closer they got, the thicker the miasma became.

She immediately swallowed a barrier-avoiding pill and ran towards the source of the demonic energy.

"?"

As soon as she got closer, Mu Qianxue noticed what appeared to be someone in the miasma.

The figure was short and slender.

The more I look at it, the more it seems to be...

However, due to the thick miasma, it was difficult to discern faces.

Could it be that this scourge of miasma was indeed man-made?

"Cough cough cough!"

A violent coughing sound came from the fog, and the figure staggered toward her.

Even their voices are so similar…

It wasn't until the two met face to face that Mu Qianxue finally recognized who the person was.

It was... no, it really was that vixen Shen Yueli.

"A witch?"

"Stupid woman?"

Shen Yueli was equally surprised by Mu Qianxue's appearance, never expecting to meet her here.

"What are you doing here?"

The two spoke in unison.

"I've come to exorcise the demon."

Mu Qianxue answered first, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized her:

"you…"

"That has nothing to do with me."

Shen Yueli quickly distanced herself from the situation, indicating that the strange behavior of the monster in the river was not her doing.

Mu Qianxue simply shook her head.

After all, eliminating the demon is the priority right now; the matter of the demoness can be discussed later.

"Never mind, let's deal with the monster first."

She shoved Shen Yueli away and said coldly with disdain:

"Shen Yueli, step back."

"Don't interfere with important matters."