Lin Luochen finally understood why Murong Xiazhu had told him about the cruelty of the path of cultivation.
It turned out that all of this was to scare him, to pave the way for the matter of him becoming a live-in son-in-law!
"The conditions are very tempting, but I refuse!"
Murong Xiazhu immediately became anxious: "Why is that? Is there something wrong with Qiu Zhi?"
"She is very good, but I, Lin Luochen, will never be a live-in son-in-law, nor will I rely on a woman!"
"Everything can be discussed; actually, the matter of becoming a live-in son-in-law can be reconsidered…"
Lin Luochen still shook his head: "I have someone in mind, so I can only refuse your kind offer, Guniang."
Murong Xiazhu earnestly advised: "You must think carefully; the path of cultivation is very resource-intensive!"
"Can your beloved provide you with resources? Can she help your cultivation and your future?"
Lin Luochen said indifferently: "No, but matters of affection cannot be forced."
Murong Xiazhu said angrily: "You saw Qiu Zhi naked, and that's it? How will she marry in the future?"
Lin Luochen said faintly: "I not only saw you, but I also touched you. Are you going to marry me too?"
Not far away, Murong Qiuzhi's small hand tightened, and she almost cried out, her mind in a chaotic mess.
In the shadows, Leng Yueshuang's pretty face was covered in frost, and she felt an inexplicable surge of anger, almost thrusting out her sword.
So after all that, you, young man, want both sisters?
Murong Xiazhu frantically reached out and covered Lin Luochen's mouth, cold sweat pouring down as she looked at Murong Qiuzhi.
"Shh, do you want to die? Quickly forget about that; that was a misunderstanding between us!"
Lin Luochen also noticed the intense shaking of the green lotus, and although he didn't understand why, he also broke out in a cold sweat.
"It was also a misunderstanding with Qiu Zhi Guniang, but ultimately, I am sorry to her."
"In the future, if there's anything I can do to help her, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Seeing that this tactic was useless, Murong Xiazhu could only put on a tearful expression.
"Qiu Zhi cannot cultivate, and her lifespan is a maximum of a hundred years. She likes you so much, can't you fulfill her wish?"
"This batch of resources can at least allow you to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment realm, gaining two hundred years of lifespan."
"During this time, you not only get a beauty but also improve your realm. Why wouldn't you do it?"
Lin Luochen still stubbornly shook his head: "She is not a commodity, and affection cannot be bestowed. I must refuse!"
Murong Xiazhu didn't expect this young man to be so stubborn, and her chest heaved violently with anger.
"Hmph! You'll regret it later!"
Lin Luochen watched her receding back, sighed helplessly, and shook his head.
His hundred years of experience in the Jade Maiden Sect made it difficult for him to easily fall for women again; he only sought to improve his strength and avenge himself.
Leng Yueshuang, hidden in the shadows, didn't know any of this; she just looked at him with a complex expression.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to praise him for being unmoved by temptation or to blame him for flirting.
Forget it, considering his deep affection for her, she would see him off to the very end, meet him once, and then leave.
Leng Yueshuang pondered for a long time and finally figured out how she should meet him!
Since it was inconvenient for her to see him, wouldn't it be fine to have him come to see her?
She would wait on his inevitable path and let him stumble upon her!
Leng Yueshuang was quite pleased with her cleverness and decided to help them get out of these mountains first.
Thus, with her help, Lin Luochen and his group got lost in the mountains, going deeper and deeper.
Although the Murong sisters didn't say anything, Lin Luochen had already begun to doubt his life.
Had a hundred years of imprisonment made him lose even the basic skills of a hunter?
Fortunately, under Leng Yueshuang's escort, the three of them didn't encounter any fierce demonic beasts and safely emerged from the deep mountains, though not without some fright.
Several days later.
At the city gate of Qing Shi City,
The scruffy captain was listlessly inspecting, while several soldiers furtively glanced around, looking for opportunities to grope passing women.
Just then, a carriage slowly approached. The coachman was a handsome young man, drinking from a flask of wine.
"Stop!"
A guard with a sharp nose and monkey-like cheeks suddenly thrust out his long spear, blocking the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the carriage compartment.
"Where are you from? What's inside the carriage?"
Lin Luochen said calmly: "We're from Dongyue City. There are female family members in the carriage; it's not convenient for them to be seen."
After they returned to the main road, they found a nearby inn to rest, and only today did they return to Qing Shi City.
Hearing that there were female family members, the guard's eyes immediately lit up, and his shifty eyes darted around the carriage.
"There have been evil spirits appearing in the city recently, so all passing vehicles must be inspected! Get out of the way!"
As he was about to lift the curtain, Lin Luochen grabbed his wrist, making him unable to move.
"Oh ho! You're rebelling! How dare you lay hands on an official!"
The guard gave a look to his companions, and the guards all surrounded them, trying to cause trouble.
Lin Luochen was about to teach these ruffian soldiers a lesson when a delicate jade hand holding a token extended from within the curtain.
"What, do people from my Murong Family need to be inspected by you dirty commoners when returning home?"
The captain immediately flinched upon hearing this and kicked the guard hard.
"You bastard, are you blind? How dare you provoke Murong Guniang!"
He then turned around and put on a fawning expression: "Murong Guniang, please forgive us. This newcomer doesn't know the rules…"
"Get lost!"
Just two simple words, yet they made the guard captain feel as if he had been granted a great pardon, and he hurriedly kicked away several guards.
"Murong Guniang, safe travels!"
As the carriage drove away, the beaten guard nervously asked: "Captain, it wouldn't be that Miss from the Murong Family, would it?"
One of the guards murmured: "No wonder people have been dying inexplicably recently. So it's this harbinger of doom…"
"Shut up!"
The captain clapped a hand over his mouth, looking around in fright.
"Are you tired of living…?"
Before he finished speaking, a gust of cold wind carrying ghost money swept past everyone's feet.
From a distance, shrill wails could be heard, faintly mixed with exclamations of "Another one died."
The guards all shivered in unison!
Lin Luochen drove the carriage and also noticed the panicked expressions of the pedestrians in the city; the entire city was enveloped in a strange atmosphere.
On both sides of the street, almost every few households had pale funeral banners hanging, and fluttering ghost money swirled around the carriage wheels.
Murong Qiuzhi saw this scene through the carriage window and said blankly: "What's wrong with the city? Is it because I've returned?"
Murong Xiazhu squeezed her hand to comfort her: "Qiu Zhi is overthinking it. You've only just returned; how could it take effect so quickly?"
Murong Qiuzhi softly assented, still looking out the window with worry.
Lin Luochen frowned tightly, remembering the rumors from his previous life, and his heart sank.
This is bad. Could it be that the so-called Heavenly Devil Saint Body has already begun to act?
He secretly decided that after obtaining the token, he would find an excuse to take the Murong sisters away from this troubled place.
As for the city's common people?
Any normal person would have left with this kind of situation. He couldn't persuade those who didn't leave.
Moreover, if he interfered and ruined the Heavenly Devil Saint Body's plans, who knew what karmic repercussions he would incur!
Lin Luochen looked left and right in the city and suddenly saw a masked woman standing by a roadside stall ahead.
The woman in the blue and white long dress was selecting hairpins. Sunlight cast fragmented light spots on her veil, and the jade pendant at her waist gently swayed with her movements.
The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, yet she scared Lin Luochen out of his wits, a chill running straight to his head.
Leng Yueshuang?!
Why was she here?
Leng Yueshuang was a bit nervous, secretly wondering how she should respond to Lin Luochen's advances later.
Should she be cold or warm, or neither cold nor warm?
She was from the Jade Maiden Sect, cultivating the Supreme Forgetfulness, so she should be reserved…
No, she should cut off all emotions and love!
But wouldn't being too cold be bad? Considering his deep affection, perhaps a slight smile would be appropriate!
As Leng Yueshuang was engaged in an internal struggle, Lin Luochen quickly sought help from Qu Lingyin.
"Qu Lingyin, why do I seem to see Leng Yueshuang standing by the roadside? Am I suffering from cultivation deviation?"
Qu Lingyin couldn't help but chuckle: "Maybe she really is there?"
Lin Luochen became even more panicked: "Why is she looking for me?"
Qu Lingyin didn't know why he was so afraid of Leng Yueshuang and couldn't resist teasing: "Maybe she's looking for you to take responsibility?"
Lin Luochen gripped the reins tightly upon hearing this: "Don't scare me. She must be here for something!"
"That's right, Qing Shi City has problems, she must be here to carry out a mission in Qing Shi City!"
Thinking of this, Lin Luochen quickly turned his face away, pretending not to see as he passed by Leng Yueshuang.
Leng Yueshuang had even put on a smile, but then she saw the carriage drive past her, and she was left standing in the wind, utterly bewildered.
She had imagined a thousand kinds of conversations, but she had never imagined that he would ignore her.