The improved female villains regained their memories.

The sky was pitch black, the moonlight fell, but it was devoid of warmth.

The girl's secrets were buried there, devoid of warmth.

----

Tong Chenguang appeared in a valley.

Now, the valley has revealed its array, automatically filtering people, but no one knows what the filtering mechanism is.

The valley was surrounded by many cultivators, none of whom were there for the Tongchen Light, but for the secret treasures of heaven and earth that had been created there.

Xuanwu introduced the cultivator forces that had come to Su Murong and Zhuque, including the Guardian Heaven Sect, the royal family, the Crown Prince's royal family, the Fourth Prince's royal family, the Wan Jin Merchant Guild, and so on.

Many cultivation sects have also arrived, but due to the influence of the Guardian Heaven Sect, they dare not take the lead and only follow behind the Guardian Heaven Sect, probably out of concern for the influence of the number one sect in the world.

"My lord, the mechanism by which this formation selects people is unclear. I have chosen a secluded place for you to try. If you succeed, you can follow the guidance of my killing move to obtain the Light of the Same Dust. If not, you can retreat for the time being and we will make other plans."

Xuanwu was Su Murong's strategist, and it was also the one who answered Su Murong's many questions about the Heavenly Dao. Su Murong naturally listened to her, especially about cultivating immortality (after all, she didn't understand it either), so he replied, "You can arrange everything."

The location Xuanwu chose was indeed secluded. This creature truly lives up to its reputation as the most intelligent of the Four Celestial Spirits; its immortal killing techniques are all based on concealment and counterability. Before the entrance, she handed Su Murong a token and said:

"I have already used a powerful immortal technique on this token. If you encounter any difficulties inside, you can crush it, and the technique will activate, ensuring your safe escape. If not, you only need to follow the token's guidance to find Tongchenguang."

"Okay, I see."

Su Murong nodded. Without further ado, she stepped into the formation.

A flash of light, but instead of being filtered out, she felt a powerful suction force that pulled her very soul in.

The next moment, a bright light shone, and she suddenly sat up in bed.

"Ok?"

She tried to get up, but a sudden, sharp pain shot through her body, and she realized that she was seriously injured.

"Where am I? And who am I?"

With an empty mind, just like an empty heart, a bewildered Su Murong lay on the bed, muttering to himself, "What's going on? I feel like I've forgotten something very important..."

It felt as if a sharp blade had pierced her chest, dug it open, and churned it clean, leaving nothing inside. Su Murong's lips trembled as she felt boundless fear. She had forgotten something, but she shouldn't have forgotten it.

Her heart was exposed, blood dripping from her chest. A powerful emotion gripped her soul, making her gasp for breath, not daring to relax for a moment.

"My son, how are you, my son!"

An old woman entered the room, saw Su Murong staring wide-eyed, and rushed towards him with tears streaming down her face.

"Who are you?" Su Murong asked, looking at her warily.

The old woman was startled at first, then cried even harder: "My son, did you hurt your head? A few days ago, the daughter of the Su family couldn't stand you being with that boy from the Yang family, so she brought some people to beat you up. My son, listen to me, what kind of family is the Su family, and what kind of family are we? You are a girl, it's not worth provoking such a behemoth for a man. I know you and that boy are together, but when you were beaten, where was he?"

After saying this, the old woman started sobbing again.

"What, Su, Yang..."

Just as Su Murong was about to ask a question, a sharp pain shot through his mind.

Several days later, she gradually learned about her background.

Xiuqing was the daughter of a farmer. Her father died shortly after her birth, and her mother raised her single-handedly. Because she was born late in life, her mother doted on her, even though she was a daughter. The young man from the Yang family was her childhood sweetheart, and she seemed to like him very much.

Su Murong held up a mirror and looked at her own face. She had the typical appearance of a country girl: an oval face, broad shoulders and a thick body. She was wearing a coarse cloth coat and her complexion was sallow.

"Is this me...?"

She murmured, lost in deep doubt.

After recovering from her injury for a few days, someone came to visit her.

"Xiuqing, Xiuqing, how are you hurt? That guy actually did that to you, it's just too much!"

A handsome young man named Yang Pingsheng stood before her, tears streaming down his face as he grasped her hand and spoke. Su Murong watched him expressionlessly, observing his haggard face and the deep affection he showed for her.

Hearing from his mother that Yang Pingsheng was highly learned and had already passed the provincial examination, received a recommendation from a nobleman, and would be going to the capital to take the imperial examination, Su's daughter probably fell in love with Yang Pingsheng because of his handsome appearance and talent. However, she was also angered by someone saying that Yang Pingsheng and she had secretly pledged their lives to each other, so she brought people to beat her up.

"So that's how it is... She beat me up both to steal my man and to vent her anger, since the person she admires actually admires a country girl." Su Murong thought to himself.

Yang Pingsheng held Su Murong's hand, talking incessantly about the past, the future, romance, and vows of eternal love. He touched her cheek, swearing that he loved only her and that if that person brought others, he would protect her with his life.

Su Murong's love was gradually awakened. He reached out his hand and subconsciously called out, "My lifelong love..."

"I'm here, I'm right here." Yang Pingsheng held her hand and said softly, "No matter what, I will definitely save you."

Outside the formation, Xuanwu sat like an old monk in meditation, while Zhuque paced back and forth, anxiously biting his nails.

"My lord has been inside for so long, I hope nothing bad has happened to him."

"Don't worry, it definitely won't happen." Xuanwu said calmly, "This formation seems to be emitted by the secret treasure of heaven and earth, but its mystery actually comes from the light of the same dust. The light of the same dust, the dullness of the mind, the training of the light of the same dust does not come from fighting, but from questioning the heart. Whether the master can be safe and sound depends on how she views her own heart."

Zhuque stopped and looked at her incredulously: "Why didn't you say that just now?"

"The condition for the array's selection mechanism is that the ignorant can enter." Xuanwu spread his hands helplessly. "If I tell the master, she won't be able to enter."

"You can let me come in with you!"

“Since it’s about asking her heart, then of course it’s about asking her own heart. What’s the point of you going in?” Xuanwu waved his hand, signaling her to calm down. “You don’t need to rush. The Lord isn’t that kind of person. I believe she can do it.”

"Yes, but..."

Zhuque pursed her lips, suddenly recalling Su Murong's appearance in the room.

My Lord, you must be safe and sound...

Inside the formation.

The trials and tribulations of the mortal world are unfolding one after another.

"...So I really did have amnesia?"

Under the moonlight, Su Murong stood in his own courtyard, hands behind his back, looking at the sky.

"My name is Xiuqing. I was born into an ordinary farming family. My father died early, and my mother was in poor health. I had to do a lot of farm work, so my hands developed a lot of calluses. I had a childhood sweetheart, and we liked each other. But a rich girl also fell in love with my childhood sweetheart, so she beat me up."

She was dressed in coarse linen clothes, walking slowly in the low courtyard surrounded by adobe walls. The ground beneath her feet was a deep yellow, slightly cracked. In the center of the courtyard stood a dead tree with only a few leaves left.

“Farmers…” She looked around and sighed helplessly.

The low house was even more dilapidated than the yard. The eaves leaked, and the paper windows had many holes. Looking at all this, Su Murong felt a pang of guilt.

“My mother had a hard time giving birth to me and raising me. My father is dead, and she has sacrificed so much for me over the years. I can't continue to be willful. My best option is to work hard on the farm and find a suitable family to marry into. Even if the other person has a disability or other problems, as long as they are honest and can support me through thick and thin, that's fine. But…”

Thinking of Yang Pingsheng again, Su Murong felt a surge of love in her heart.

She truly loved him. Although she had lost her memory, love cannot be faked. He was such an important person to her. If even he hadn't given up on her, how could she give up on him so easily?

"Okay." She patted her face and said, "Yang Pingsheng, right? I'll definitely snatch you away."

After another month of rest, Su Murong's injuries had healed. Although there were still scars, they were basically fine.

Her mind never stopped racing. Her impoverished family situation and harsh reality forced her to think, especially these past few days, as she kept reflecting on her predicament.

“Yang Pingsheng loves me, and I love him too, so I must never give him up.”

“My mother also likes Yang Pingsheng. The reason she advised me to give up is because that woman named Su Murong has a large and powerful family, and we can’t afford to offend her.”

"I want to be with Yang Pingsheng. The first reason is the Su family. The Su family is too powerful; they even have people in the government. I was beaten up in front of everyone, that's an undeniable fact, but the government ignored it and just made them pay some money to settle the matter. The second reason is the Yang family. Although Yang Pingsheng's parents aren't from a prominent family, they are still a scholarly family. They would definitely want Yang Pingsheng to marry a virtuous and well-mannered young lady from a respectable family, not a country girl like me who only knows how to do farm work. Given all these difficulties, realistically speaking, giving up is definitely the best option."

"Ultimately, it's because I'm not strong enough. I'm a woman and I don't have the aptitude for cultivation. In this kind of environment, I have no say at all."

"Ugh!"

Su Murong sighed deeply.

Family background, environment, and various other factors created a deadlock that Su Murong simply couldn't break free from. Even if she and Yang Pingsheng were mutually in love, so what? Humans are social animals, with intertwined interests, one link after another, making it impossible for you to do as you please.

Only the path of cultivating immortality can completely break this shackle, but Su Murong really has no talent for cultivating immortality. If he did, he would have shown it years ago, so why wait until now?

Although there are legendary treasures or elixirs that can change one's aptitude, who would help a country girl like Su Murong for no reason?

Yang Pingsheng does possess the potential of an immortal, but his family is not one of immortals, he has no one to guide him, and his own talent is not particularly outstanding, resulting in low potential. If he were on the path of cultivation, things would be smooth sailing, and he would have already nurtured his spiritual root, allowing him to determine his own future, unlike now, when he is constrained by worldly constraints.

"We can't rely on others; we have to find our own way to break through. But the difficulty is so great, what should we do?"

Su Murong looked at the dark sky, his eyes calm as still water, showing no sign of giving up.

The next day, things took a turn for the better.

A dignified and elegant woman appeared at her home with a group of people, specifically asking to speak with her in person.

His mother was a little worried, so Su Murong spoke kindly to her and persuaded her to go back inside, as he was alone and facing a mature woman with a strong presence.

"This is Su Rouxue, the head of the Su family," Su Murong thought to himself as he sized her up.

Intelligence is the origin of all success. In just one month, Su Murong had already gathered almost all the information. The woman in front of him, who seemed kind-hearted, was actually quite shrewd. She and her husband shared the surname Su. She married into the family as an ordinary person, but her husband died less than three months later. She then married her husband's younger brother and, with almost supernatural methods, consolidated the entire Su family, becoming the head of the family.

This was a woman with profound skills, and Su Murong dared not be careless in the slightest when facing her.

"You're Xiuqing?"

"Yes."

Name your price.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean?" As expected, Su Rouxue was blunt from the start. "Your little lover is treated like a treasure by my daughter. What do you mean by that?"

[The opportunity has arrived!] Su Murong's eyes gleamed.

Just as she thought, the interests of these people would never be secure forever. The Su family was powerful, and even had a celestial being among them, so they would definitely look down on the Yang family's background. If she were the head of the Su family, and her daughter fell in love with such a young man, she would also have a headache.

“My daughter indulges in drinking, gambling, and whoring, and I’ve never interfered. But this time, I will not let her get away with it,” Su Rouxue said calmly. “So, name your price. How much do you want to keep that boy from appearing in front of our daughter?”

"Madam, what do you mean by that?" Su Murong asked with a smile. "You should say that to the person in question."

"Forget it, I can tell that kid likes you, and he's weak and incompetent, probably someone without his own opinions." Su Rouxue sneered. "So, in the end, isn't the decision still yours?"

[So that's how it is, Su Rouxue misunderstood.] Su Murong thought to himself, [She's not the kind of person to make trouble unnecessarily. She could tell that Yang Pingsheng didn't love her daughter and was indeed very annoyed by her, but she misunderstood. She thought that Yang Pingsheng was following my advice, which was why he had seduced her daughter so much. In other words, in her eyes, Yang Pingsheng and I were on the same side.]

Thinking this, Su Murong quickly stood up and bowed slightly to her.

Su Rouxue was slightly taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"

"I think you've misunderstood, Lady Rouxue. To be honest, I've heard of you and have long admired you..."

And so, a few days passed.

Su Murong got up again, his eyes shining, his energy and spirit completely different from before.