Ye Ziling was taken aback by the sudden greeting, momentarily stunned, and as the scene of entering the door last night flashed through her mind, her heart felt a slight pang.
"Regarding the Divine Spring, we still have to trouble Scholar Ling. I have some matters in my valley, so I'll take my leave." Ye Ziling's eyes were calm and waveless, only finding Ling Xi somewhat strange today.
Hadn't he been particularly distant towards her a few days ago? Why was he acting as if he had taken the wrong medicine today?
The moment she finished speaking, Ling Xi stood frozen, trying to discern something in her eyes.
"You're leaving?" Ling Xi's gaze trembled, and he suddenly grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.
Ye Ziling frowned in confusion. Hadn't he said before that he simply disliked her? If she were to leave now, wouldn't that suit him?
This way, no one would disturb him and Luo Yao, and she would also avoid awkward encounters. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
Her shoulders ached from his grip. Ye Ziling pulled his arm away, bypassed him, and walked towards the door, saying, "Farewell."
After taking just two steps, she was roughly pulled back towards him, her crimson eyes meeting hers with a look of surprise.
"Do you remember what you said last night?" Ling Xi's gaze was burning, his eyes fixed on her, his tone carrying a hint of pressure.
"I... did I say anything?" Ye Ziling looked innocent, her tone calm, watching his surprised actions and waiting for his answer.
At this moment, Mu Heng, who had been waiting impatiently outside the door, came in to remind her, "Palace Mistress, why are you taking so long? I've already packed everything."
As soon as Mu Heng stepped through the door, he saw the two of them standing together, and the atmosphere immediately felt wrong. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Scholar Ling... Congratulations on your wedding."
Ye Ziling's eyes flickered slightly. She sidestepped Ling Xi and coldly said to Mu Heng, "Let's go."
Mu Heng whistled and followed her, but Ling Xi blocked his path with his arm.
A fierce light filled his pupils, a storm gradually gathering. He coldly asked, "What did you give her?"
Logically speaking, forgetting things after drinking meant either forgetting everything or having some fragmented memories, but selective amnesia was unlikely.
He was sure that Mu Heng had done something to her last night, having ruined his plans.
Mu Heng was not intimidated. He knew he couldn't win, so at worst, he'd get beaten up again.
"What else could it be... Forget-Worry Powder," Mu Heng said, adding, "But it was just a little bit, probably only causing her to forget the later events."
"Forget-Worry Powder?" Ling Xi's brows furrowed, and his five fingers clenched tightly beneath his sleeve.
Ye Ziling, outside the door, saw Mu Heng emerge with a bruised face and a heavy bag of silver in his hand.
Ye Ziling's gaze flickered. She jumped off the boat and asked coldly, "Did you get into a fight again?"
She knew Ling Xi wouldn't act unless Mu Heng had provoked him for no reason.
It served him right to provoke someone he couldn't defeat.
"I might not be able to beat him, but I can still extort some money. Besides, he's not short of money, and he's willing to give it." Mu Heng got onto the flying boat with a nonchalant expression, whistling as usual.
Ye Ziling: "..."
As expected, he was greedy for money. It seemed she needed to increase Mu Heng's monthly salary.
However, logically speaking, the silver she gave him each month should have been more than enough for him to spend, even if he squandered it daily.
Just as the two were sighing and preparing to set off, chaos erupted in the street. A crowd scattered in panic, frightened by a few demonic beasts.
"There are demons... demons!"
"...The monsters are out, everyone run for your lives!"
...
In the street, several Qilin beasts ran amok, their mouths agape.
Ye Ziling didn't hesitate. She leaped to the ground, formed a hand seal, and several sword energies appeared out of thin air, instantly felling the Qilin beasts.
Ye Ziling frowned, staring at the massive creatures before her, a trace of doubt rising in her heart.
It was strange. If they were divine beasts from the Heavenly Realm, why were they behaving like wild horses that had broken free of their reins?
At this moment, Luo Yao ran from the inn to Ye Ziling and smiled at her, "Miss Ye, you... are you leaving?"
Ye Ziling glanced sideways and nodded, somewhat confused.
"The Si Shu Ghost from yesterday was too difficult to deal with. Ling Xi and I planned to lure it out and then subdue it, but you beat us to it. I saw your impressive skills, could you perhaps head to the Divine Spring with us?"
"Hmm?"
Ye Ziling pondered for a moment, and the confusion in her eyes quickly dissipated.
She suddenly remembered that yesterday had indeed been peculiar.
So the two of them were just trying to lure out the Si Shu Ghost? And their marriage was... fake?
Ye Ziling pressed her forehead, closed her eyes, and sighed.
What was wrong with her these past few days? Her mind felt foggy, and she couldn't even figure out something so simple.
Even if her memory was poor, her intelligence seemed to be dropping sharply as well.
Just then, Ling Xi walked out of the door, his gaze fixed on her, and walked towards her with a steady gait, "Miss Ye, have you forgotten? You still owe us a demon core."
Luo Yao looked sideways at Ling Xi and nodded, "Yes, Miss Ye. That monster was lured out by us, and I wanted to use its demon core as a medicinal ingredient. Who knew you accidentally shattered it..."
The two of them sang in harmony, and Ye Ziling's expression turned cold. She waved behind her.
Then, a large hand extended in front of them, holding various types of demon cores. Needless to say, these were more than enough to serve as medicinal ingredients.
Mu Heng curled his lips and said to the two with a smug raise of his eyebrows, "Pick one?"
The moment he finished speaking, he sensed the tension in the air. Looking up, he saw Ling Xi's eyes narrow, the cold glint emanating from them making him shiver.
Seeing the different expressions on the three of them and the somewhat subtle atmosphere, Ye Ziling stepped forward and said, "Since we've met, consider these as gifts for Miss Luo Yao."
She didn't need demon cores right now, so giving them away was fine.
Seeing that neither of them intended to accept, Mu Heng withdrew his gaze and, mimicking Ling Xi's tone, said, "Since you two don't find them worthy, then Mu will take his leave."
"Mu Heng, let's go." Ye Ziling turned and boarded the flying boat.
Ling Xi watched Ye Ziling's retreating figure, his gaze dark and his expression chilling to the extreme.
Mu Heng boarded the flying boat, and within Ling Xi's hearing, he added, "Oh, by the way, I heard that Immortal Lord Bai Yu will also be coming to the valley to help."
The flying boat gradually ascended into the sky, disappearing from their sight.
Ling Xi's cold eyes drooped, and dark clouds seemed to shroud his face. He watched the receding flying boat, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts.
On the boat, Ye Ziling poured herself a glass of water and said nonchalantly, "Speak, besides giving me tear-inducing powder, what else did you do?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Heng's heart tightened, and his chest felt constricted.
The atmosphere among them today felt strange, and there was tear-inducing powder on her table. Even with her memory issues, it was impossible for her not to have even fragmented memories.
Moreover, the Forget-Worry Powder on his person was exactly one bag short. If he wasn't mistaken, it had already entered her stomach, erasing her memories from last night.
"Aren't you afraid I'll remember and punish you?" Ye Ziling slowly took a sip of water, not looking at Mu Heng.
Forget-Worry Powder only had a three-day effect. Wasn't she afraid she'd remember and beat him to death?
Mu Heng, however, was not afraid, and with his usual nonchalant tone, he said, "I've already been beaten once, so another beating doesn't matter."
"You just need to know..." Mu Heng lowered his voice, "I wouldn't harm you."
In fact, Ye Ziling wasn't returning to the valley because of Mu Heng. It was because she had just received a spiritual message from the valley, stating that a strange plague had broken out in the capital, causing hundreds of people to die overnight. The valley was overwhelmed, so she intended to go and help.