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1. "Young Master," Yue'er blushed, "You're talking nonsense when we have important matters to discuss."
“ shào yé ” yuè ér liǎn shàng yī hóng ：“ rén jiā yǔ nǐ jiǎng zhèng shì ， nǐ hú zhōu xiē shén me ”？
“少爷”月儿脸上一红：“人家与你讲正事，你胡诌些什么”？
2. "Haha," Lin Xuan chuckled, "Where did you see anything wrong with the couple?"
“ hē hē ” lín xuān xī xī yī xiào ：“ nǐ cóng nǎ ér kàn chū le zhè duì fū fù bù tuǒ ”？
“呵呵”林轩嘻嘻一笑：“你从哪儿看出了这对夫妇不妥”？
3. "That female cultivator," Yue'er raised her jade hand, "She suddenly cried out for no reason. Even if she was bitten by a snake before, as an advanced Foundation Establishment stage cultivator now, it's impossible that she would be afraid."
“ nà nǚ xiū ” yuè ér tái qǐ yù shǒu ：“ wú duān jīng hū ， jiù suàn yǐ qián bèi shé yǎo guò ， kě tā rú jīn yǐ shì zhù jī qī de xiū xiān zhě ， nǎ yǒu kě néng xiàn zài hái pà de 。”
“那女修”月儿抬起玉手：“无端惊呼，就算以前被蛇咬过，可她如今已是筑基期的修仙者，哪有可能现在还怕的。”
4. "Hmm, that makes sense," Lin Xuan nodded, a look of approval on his face. "Anything else?"
“ ń ， zhè huà bù cuò 。” lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò zàn xǔ zhī sè ：“ hái yǒu qí tā ma ？”
“嗯，这话不错。”林轩点点头，脸上闪过赞许之色：“还有其他吗？”
5. "I don't know anything else, but with this alone, they must have ulterior motives. It's despicable; I saved them, and now they're repaying the favor so quickly."
“ qí tā de wǒ jiù bù zhī dào le ， dàn píng cǐ yì diǎn jiù yǐ zú gòu ， nà fū fù èr rén jué duì yǒu yīn móu ， zhēn shì kě wù ， shào yé cái jiù le tā liǎ ， jū rán zhè me kuài jiù ēn jiāng chóu bào 。”
“其他的我就不知道了，但凭此一点就已足够，那夫妇二人绝对有阴谋，真是可恶，少爷才救了他俩，居然这么快就恩将仇报。”
6. "No need to worry," Lin Xuan said with a slight sneer, his confidence evident. "There are many treacherous people in the cultivation world, and Young Master hasn't been cheated before either. Trying to ambush me will only get them into trouble."
“ méi yǒu shén me ， xiū xiān jiè fǎn fù wú cháng de xiǎo rén duō le ， shào yé bù yě méi chī guò kuī me ， xiǎng àn suàn wǒ ， hēng ， huì zì shí qí guǒ 。” lín xuān zuǐ jiǎo liú lù chū yī sī jī cháo ， xiōng yǒu chéng zhú de wèi dào
“没有什么，修仙界反复无常的小人多了，少爷不也没吃过亏么，想暗算我，哼，会自食其果。”林轩嘴角流露出一丝讥嘲，胸有成竹的味道
7. Yue'er smiled slightly. Among those she knew, Young Master was undoubtedly the most cunning, but her expression still held a hint of doubt.
yuè ér wēi wēi yī xiào ， ruò lùn lǎo jiān jù huá ， suǒ zhī rén zhōng ， shào yé jué duì wú chū qí yòu ， dàn tā de biǎo qíng hái shì yǒu xiē yí huò
月儿微微一笑，若论老奸巨猾，所知人中，少爷绝对无出其右，但她的表情还是有些疑惑
8. "If you've already noticed their ulterior motives, why not take them down?"
“ jì rán shào yé yě fā xiàn le liǎng rén jū xīn pǒ cè ， wèi hé bù jiāng qí ná xià ？”
“既然少爷也发现了两人居心叵测，为何不将其拿下？”
9. "Because that would alert them," Lin Xuan replied.
“ yīn wèi nà yàng huì dǎ cǎo jīng shé .“
“因为那样会打草惊蛇.“
10. "Alert them?" Yue'er was even more confused. Two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators—what did Young Master have to fear with his current abilities?
“ dǎ cǎo jīng shé ？” yuè ér gèng jiā de bù dǒng ， jǐn jǐn shì liǎ zhù jī qī xiū shì ， yǐ shào yé xiū wèi shén tōng ， hái yǒu shén me hǎo gù jì ？”
“打草惊蛇？”月儿更加的不懂，仅仅是俩筑基期修士，以少爷修为神通，还有什么好顾忌？”
11. Seeing the young girl's curiosity, Lin Xuan decided not to hold back: "You know my divine sense is stronger than that of an early-stage Immortal Core cultivator. When I observed their cultivation levels earlier, I found something strange within them."
kàn jiàn xiǎo yā tou mǎn liǎn hào qí ， lín xuān yě bù zài mài guān zi ：“ nǐ yě zhī dào wǒ rú jīn de shén shí ， bǐ yuán yīng chū qī xiū shì ， dōu hái yào qiáng xiē ， gāng cái guān chá liǎng rén xiū wèi zhī shí ， wǒ zài tā men tǐ nèi fā xiàn le yī zhǒng qí guài de jìn zhǐ 。”
看见小丫头满脸好奇，林轩也不再卖关子：“你也知道我如今的神识，比元婴初期修士，都还要强些，刚才观察两人修为之时，我在他们体内发现了一种奇怪的禁止。”
12. "Strange prohibition?"
“ jìn zhì ？”
“禁制？”
13. "Yes," Lin Xuan said seriously, "I'm not sure what kind, but it contains very peculiar corpse qi." He continued, "If my guess is correct, this couple must be under the control of some evil entity."
“ shì de ， jù tǐ shǔ yú nà zhǒng wǒ yě bù qīng chǔ ， dàn lǐ miàn hán yǒu fēi cháng guǐ yì de shī qì 。” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū níng zhòng zhī sè ：： ruò suǒ liào bù cuò ， zhè duì fū fù yīng gāi shòu zhì yú mǒu gè xié mó 。”
“是的，具体属于那种我也不清楚，但里面含有非常诡异的尸气。”林轩脸上路出凝重之色：：若所料不错，这对夫妇应该受制于某个邪魔。”
14. "Oh," Yue'er showed interest as well. "What are your plans now?"
“ ó ” yuè ér yě yǒu xiē gǎn xìng qù ，“ nà shào yé xiàn zài yǒu shén me dǎ suàn ma ？”
“哦”月儿也有些感兴趣，“那少爷现在有什么打算吗？”
15. "Well..."
“ zhè ge ”
“这个”
16. If it were any other time, Lin Xuan would have fled at the first sign of danger, but today was different. His cultivation and abilities matched those of an early-stage Immortal Core cultivator, giving him the confidence to act without the usual caution.
ruò shì yǐ qián ， fā xiàn kě néng yǒu wēi xiǎn ， lín xuān zì rán shì táo de yuǎn yuǎn ， dàn jīn rì bù tóng wǎng rì ， tā de xiū wèi shén tōng bù xià yú yuán yīng qī xiū shì ， yǒu le dǐ qì ， zì rán bù yòng xiàng yǐ qián nà yàng zhū shì xiǎo xīn wú bǐ 。
若是以前，发现可能有危险，林轩自然是逃的远远，但今日不同往日，他的修为神通不下于元婴期修士，有了底气，自然不用像以前那样诸事小心无比。
17. "Let's go check it out," he said. "From their expressions, they may not be entirely malicious, and that information about the Yin Pulse might not be a lie."
“ qù kàn kàn hǎo le ， wǒ guān duì fāng shén sè ， suī shuō bù huái hào yì ， dàn nà yīn mài de xiāo xī ， què yě wèi bì shì huǎng yán xiāng qī 。”
“去看看好了，我观对方神色，虽说不怀好意，但那阴脉的消息，却也未必是谎言相欺。”
18. "Hmm," Yue'er nodded in agreement; Young Master’s suggestions were rarely disputed by her.
“ ń ” yuè ér diǎn diǎn tóu ， shào yé de tí yì ， tā yí xiàng bú huì fǎn bó 。
“嗯”月儿点点头，少爷的提议，她一向不会反驳。
19. Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, the couple remained where they were, not far from each other.
què shuō lìng yī biān ， nà duì fū qī yī jiù dài zài xiá gǔ lǐ miàn ， bù céng yuǎn lí
却说另一边，那对夫妻依旧待在峡谷里面，不曾远离
20. The man sat cross-legged and cast a spell with his hands, emitting a shimmering aura around him. He had just activated a divine technique recorded in an ancient jade cylinder, which would bring unforeseen consequences.
nán zi pán xī ér zuò ， shuāng shǒu qiā le yī dào fǎ jué ， hún shēn líng guāng shǎn dòng ， zhè yī cì shī zhǎn le nà shàng gǔ shí qī yù jiǎn zhōng suǒ jì zǎi de shén tōng ， shí zài shì hòu huàn wú qióng 。
男子盘膝而坐，双手掐了一道法诀，浑身灵光闪动，这一次施展了那上古时期玉简中所记载的神通，实在是后患无穷。
21. His cultivation level had dropped to the Flexible Spirit stage; he felt a sharp pain at this thought. Although there was still a chance to rebuild his Foundation Establishment stage, it would take many more years.
bié de bù shuō ， tā de xiū wèi yǐ jīng diē luò zhì líng dòng qī ， yī xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， nán zi xīn zhōng dī xuè ， suī shuō wèi shǐ méi yǒu jī huì chóng xīn zhù jī ， dàn nà bù zhī dào yòu yào huā fèi duō shǎo nián yuè 。
别的不说，他的修为已经跌落至灵动期，一想到这里，男子心中滴血，虽说未始没有机会重新筑基，但那不知道又要花费多少年月。
22. The path of immortals is arduous; ancient sages did not deceive us. At least, his life was saved.
xiān dào jiān nán ， gǔ rén chéng bù qī wǒ ， hǎo zài zǒng suàn shì jiāng xìng mìng bǎo zhù 。
仙道艰难，古人诚不欺我，好在总算是将性命保住。
23. Beside him, the woman looked puzzled and slightly anxious.
ér zài tā shēn biān ， nà shào fù zé mǎn liǎn máng rán ， shén sè zhī jiān ， yǐn yǐn hái yǒu xiē xǔ bù ān
而在他身边，那少妇则满脸茫然，神色之间，隐隐还有些许不安
24. After about a cup of tea's time, the man exhaled loudly and slowly stood up. The female cultivator quickly reached out to support him: "Husband, are you feeling better?"
jiù zhè yàng ， guò le yuē yī zhǎn chá shí jiān 。
就这样，过了约一盏茶时间。
25. "Better?" He smiled bitterly and shook his head, looking at her with tender eyes. "You don't need to worry too much; my life is safe, but my cultivation has declined significantly."
nà nán zi yáng shēng tǔ qì ， huǎn huǎn zhàn qǐ ， nǚ xiū máng shēn shǒu xiàng fú ：“ xiàng gōng ， nǐ hǎo le ？”
那男子扬声吐气，缓缓站起，女修忙伸手相扶：“相公，你好了？”
26. "Hmm," she replied, forcing a weak smile. "That's not a problem. With your talent, you can rebuild your Foundation Establishment stage."
“ hǎo shén me ？” nán zi kǔ xiào yáo le yáo tóu ， kàn xiàng qī zǐ de shén sè què mǎn shì wēn róu ：“ nǐ yě wú xū cāo xīn tài duō ， wǒ xìng mìng shì wú ài de ， zhǐ shì xiū wèi xià jiàng le xǔ duō 。”
“好什么？”男子苦笑摇了摇头，看向妻子的神色却满是温柔：“你也无须操心太多，我性命是无碍的，只是修为下降了许多。”
27. After saying this, she lowered her head.
“ ń ” nǚ zǐ yīng le yī shēng ， zuǐ jiǎo miǎn qiǎng qiān chě chū yī sī xiào róng ：“ zhè méi shén me ， yǐ xiàng gōng de zī zhì ， bìng bù nán chóng xīn zhù jī chéng gōng 。”
“嗯”女子应了一声，嘴角勉强牵扯出一丝笑容：“这没什么，以相公的资质，并不难重新筑基成功。”
28. "Lotus Sister, do you have anything to say? We are husband and wife; we don't need to hide from each other," the man frowned. They had been partners for ten years, so he knew his wife's expression well enough to sense that there was something hidden in her heart.
shuō wán zhè huà ， tā dī xià le tóu
说完这话，她低下了头
29. "Husband, why did you deceive that senior to go to the swamp? You know it has terrifying corpse demons," she combed her hair and spoke with clear dissatisfaction.
“ lián mèi ， nǐ hái yǒu shén me huà ， jǐn guǎn shuō míng ， nán dào nǐ wǒ fū qī zhī jiān ， hái xū yào zhē zhē yǎn yǎn ？” nán zi què zhòu le zhòu méi ， tā liǎ jié wèi shuāng xiū zhī hǎo ， yǐ lì shí nián ， bǐ cǐ pí qì ， shí fēn shú xī ， kàn le qī zǐ de biǎo qíng ， zì rán zhī dào tā yǒu huà cáng zài xīn lǐ 。
“莲妹，你还有什么话，尽管说明，难道你我夫妻之间，还需要遮遮掩掩？”男子却皱了皱眉，他俩结为双修之好，已历十年，彼此脾气，十分熟悉，看了妻子的表情，自然知道她有话藏在心里。
30. "Lotus Sister, I had no choice," he sighed. "We were captured by a corpse demon, and our bodies were placed under a prohibition. We had to obey their commands; any disobedience would have dire consequences."
“ xiàng gōng ， nǐ wèi hé qī piàn nǎ wèi qián bèi qù zhǎo zé ， nǐ míng míng zhī dào ， nǎ ér yǒu kě pà de shī mó ” nǚ zǐ lǐ le lǐ fà sī ， yǔ qì zhī zhōng ， míng xiǎn tòu lù chū bù mǎn zhī yì
“相公，你为何欺骗哪位前辈去沼泽，你明明知道，哪儿有可怕的尸魔”女子理了理发丝，语气之中，明显透露出不满之意
31. The woman bit her lip, her face turning even paler. After a moment, she whispered softly: "But no matter what, the senior did you a favor. Even if we can't repay him, why harm his life? That corpse demon ordered us to lure fellow cultivators into the swamp for it to feed on their blood and practice. But we could deceive others; why involve the senior?"
“ lián mèi ， wèi fū yě shì bù dé yǐ 。” nán zi tàn le kǒu qì ，“ nǐ wǒ fū qī èr rén ， bèi nà shī mó zhuā zhù ， tǐ nèi yòu bèi xià le jìn zhì ， bù dé bù tīng mìng xíng shì ， ruò shì shāo yǒu wǔ nì ， hòu guǒ rú hé ， nǐ yīng gāi xīn zhōng qīng chǔ 。”
“莲妹，为夫也是不得已。”男子叹了口气，“你我夫妻二人，被那尸魔抓住，体内又被下了禁制，不得不听命行事，若是稍有忤逆，后果如何，你应该心中清楚。”
32. The man's face turned red. His actions were motivated by selfish desires; he was envious of high-stage cultivators due to his mediocre cultivation potential, born with a jealous nature. After a century of hard work, he had finally achieved Foundation Establishment stage, so he resented those with superior spirit roots.
nǚ zǐ yǎo le yǎo zuǐ chún ， liǎn sè yuè fā bái le ， guò le bàn xiǎng ， cái xiǎo shēng kāi kǒu ：“ kě shì bù guǎn rú hé ， qián bèi zǒng suàn duì nǐ yǒu ēn ， bù néng bào dá yě jiù bà le ， zěn me fǎn ér hài tā xìng mìng ， bù cuò ， nà shī mó shì mìng lìng wǒ men jiāng tóng dào yǐn rù zhǎo zé ， gōng tā xī xuè liàn gōng ， dàn wǒ men kě yǐ piàn bié rén qián wǎng ， què bù yòng ràng qián bèi yě ”
女子咬了咬嘴唇，脸色越发白了，过了半响，才小声开口：“可是不管如何，前辈总算对你有恩，不能报答也就罢了，怎么反而害他性命，不错，那尸魔是命令我们将同道引入沼泽，供他吸血练功，但我们可以骗别人前往，却不用让前辈也”
33. Why should others have such great powers?
nán zi liǎn shàng yī hóng ， tā zhè me zuò ， zì rán yǒu sī xīn zài lǐ tou ， cǐ rén xiū xiān zī zhì píng yōng ， què tiān shēng shàn jí ， zì jǐ kǔ xiū bǎi nián ， cái hǎo bù róng yì zhù jī chéng gōng ， gù ér duì gāo jiē xiū shì jí dù fēi cháng ， biǎo miàn gōng jìng ， xīn zhōng què cháng cháng bào yuàn tiān dào bù gōng ， zǔ zhòu nà xiē yǒu yōu yì líng gēn de xiū xiān zhě
男子脸上一红，他这么做，自然有私心在里头，此人修仙资质平庸，却天生善嫉，自己苦修百年，才好不容易筑基成功，故而对高阶修士嫉妒非常，表面恭敬，心中却常常抱怨天道不公，诅咒那些有优异灵根的修仙者
34. This twisted psychology led him to deceive Lin Xuan into going to the swamp.
zì jǐ yě shì tóng yàng nǔ lì ， píng shén me nà xiē rén jiù yōng yǒu rú cǐ dà de shén tōng ？
自己也是同样努力，凭什么那些人就拥有如此大的神通？
35. The thought of a high-stage condensation core cultivator dying because of his actions brought no remorse; instead, it made him secretly pleased.
zhèng shì zhè zhǒng niǔ qū de xīn lǐ ， ràng tā ēn jiāng chóu bào ， piàn lín xuān qù zhǎo zé
正是这种扭曲的心理，让他恩将仇报，骗林轩去沼泽
36. Of course, he would never reveal this dark side to his wife and instead showed a helpless expression: "Lotus Sister, I didn't want to do it either, but the corpse demon ordered us to send at least one cultivator every three days. We've been out for more than two days, leaving only half a day until the deadline. The Yin Spirit Plain is vast and sparsely populated; where can we find someone? If we delay, the prohibition will activate, trapping us in a situation where life and death are impossible."
yī xiǎng dào gāo gāo zài shàng de níng dān xiū shì ， huì yīn wèi zì jǐ ér sǐ zài shī mó de shǒu lǐ ， tā bù jǐn méi yǒu sī háo kuì jiù ， fǎn ér àn shuǎng bù yǐ
一想到高高在上的凝丹修士，会因为自己而死在尸魔的手里，他不仅没有丝毫愧疚，反而暗爽不已
37. Hearing her husband mention the corpse demon's prohibition, the woman showed fear as well and stopped speaking.
dāng rán zhè zhǒng yīn àn xīn lǐ ， tā zì rán bú huì gào sù jiāo qī ， liǎn shàng fǎn ér lù chū wú nài biǎo qíng ：“ lián mèi ， wèi xiōng yě bù xiǎng ， kě nà shī mó fēn fù ， měi sān rì ， zhì shǎo sòng qù yí gè xiū xiān zhě ， ér wǒ men chū lái liǎng rì yǒu yú ， jù lí zuì hòu qī xiàn ， zhǐ shèng xià bàn tiān ér yǐ ， zhè yīn líng zhī yuán dì guǎng rén xī ， dào nǎ lǐ zhǎo rén qù ， ruò shì tuō yán le qī xiàn ， nà jìn zhì fā zuò ， ràng nǐ wǒ qiú shēng bù dé ， qiú sǐ bù néng 。”
当然这种阴暗心理，他自然不会告诉娇妻，脸上反而露出无奈表情：“莲妹，为兄也不想，可那尸魔吩咐，每三日，至少送去一个修仙者，而我们出来两日有余，距离最后期限，只剩下半天而已，这阴灵之原地广人稀，到哪里找人去，若是拖延了期限，那禁制发作，让你我求生不得，求死不能。”
38. After all, most cultivators were selfish, and it was normal to be unfeeling or disloyal. Although she didn't want to harm their benefactor, when it came to protecting herself, she couldn't care less.
tīng dào zhàng fū tí dào shī mó jìn zhì ， nà nǚ zǐ liǎn shàng yě lù chū wèi jù zhī qíng ， zhōng yú bù zài kāi kǒu 。
听到丈夫提到尸魔禁制，那女子脸上也露出畏惧之情，终于不再开口。
39. "Kill the friend, save the Taoist," this phrase held true in the cultivation world.
bì jìng xiū xiān zhě dà duō zì sī ， guǎ qíng báo yì shì zài zhèng cháng bù guò de shì ， tā suī rán bù yuàn yì hài ēn rén ， dàn ruò shì shè jí dào zì jiā xìng mìng ， yě jiù guǎn bù liǎo xǔ duō 。
毕竟修仙者大多自私，寡情薄义是在正常不过的事，她虽然不愿意害恩人，但若是涉及到自家性命，也就管不了许多。
40. The two fell silent.
sǐ dào yǒu ， mò sǐ pín dào ， zhè jù huà ， zài xiū xiān jiè ， kě shì gèn gǔ bù biàn de zhēn lǐ
死道友，莫死贫道，这句话，在修仙界，可是亘古不变的真理
41. Lin Xuan had made significant progress but was not rash; knowing that something was amiss, he wouldn't jump into a trap without first gathering information.
liǎng rén chén mò xià qù 。
两人沉默下去。
42. He planned to search for clues before taking any action. Initially, interrogating them with soul probing would have been ideal, but the couple's bodies were under the control of an evil entity, forcing Lin Xuan to be cautious and avoid alerting them.
ér lín xuān xiū wèi dà jìn ， dàn dào dī bú shì mào shī zhī rén ， míng zhī duì fāng xīn zhōng yǒu guǐ ， zì rán bú huì mào mào rán tiào xiàn jǐng lǐ qù
而林轩修为大进，但到低不是冒失之人，明知对方心中有鬼，自然不会冒冒然跳陷阱里去
43. However, Lin Xuan’s quick thinking led him to find other ways to gather information without arousing suspicion.
1. "Young Master," Yue'er blushed, "You're talking nonsense when we have important matters to discuss."
2. "Haha," Lin Xuan chuckled, "Where did you see anything wrong with the couple?"
3. "That female cultivator," Yue'er raised her jade hand, "She suddenly cried out for no reason. Even if she was bitten by a snake before, as an advanced Foundation Establishment stage cultivator now, it's impossible that she would be afraid."
4. "Hmm, that makes sense," Lin Xuan nodded, a look of approval on his face. "Anything else?"
5. "I don't know anything else, but with this alone, they must have ulterior motives. It's despicable; I saved them, and now they're repaying the favor so quickly."
6. "No need to worry," Lin Xuan said with a slight sneer, his confidence evident. "There are many treacherous people in the cultivation world, and Young Master hasn't been cheated before either. Trying to ambush me will only get them into trouble."
7. Yue'er smiled slightly. Among those she knew, Young Master was undoubtedly the most cunning, but her expression still held a hint of doubt.
8. "If you've already noticed their ulterior motives, why not take them down?"
9. "Because that would alert them," Lin Xuan replied.
10. "Alert them?" Yue'er was even more confused. Two Foundation Establishment stage cultivators—what did Young Master have to fear with his current abilities?
11. Seeing the young girl's curiosity, Lin Xuan decided not to hold back: "You know my divine sense is stronger than that of an early-stage Immortal Core cultivator. When I observed their cultivation levels earlier, I found something strange within them."
12. "Strange prohibition?"
13. "Yes," Lin Xuan said seriously, "I'm not sure what kind, but it contains very peculiar corpse qi." He continued, "If my guess is correct, this couple must be under the control of some evil entity."
14. "Oh," Yue'er showed interest as well. "What are your plans now?"
15. "Well..."
16. If it were any other time, Lin Xuan would have fled at the first sign of danger, but today was different. His cultivation and abilities matched those of an early-stage Immortal Core cultivator, giving him the confidence to act without the usual caution.
17. "Let's go check it out," he said. "From their expressions, they may not be entirely malicious, and that information about the Yin Pulse might not be a lie."
18. "Hmm," Yue'er nodded in agreement; Young Master’s suggestions were rarely disputed by her.
19. Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, the couple remained where they were, not far from each other.
20. The man sat cross-legged and cast a spell with his hands, emitting a shimmering aura around him. He had just activated a divine technique recorded in an ancient jade cylinder, which would bring unforeseen consequences.
21. His cultivation level had dropped to the Flexible Spirit stage; he felt a sharp pain at this thought. Although there was still a chance to rebuild his Foundation Establishment stage, it would take many more years.
22. The path of immortals is arduous; ancient sages did not deceive us. At least, his life was saved.
23. Beside him, the woman looked puzzled and slightly anxious.
24. After about a cup of tea's time, the man exhaled loudly and slowly stood up. The female cultivator quickly reached out to support him: "Husband, are you feeling better?"
25. "Better?" He smiled bitterly and shook his head, looking at her with tender eyes. "You don't need to worry too much; my life is safe, but my cultivation has declined significantly."
26. "Hmm," she replied, forcing a weak smile. "That's not a problem. With your talent, you can rebuild your Foundation Establishment stage."
27. After saying this, she lowered her head.
28. "Lotus Sister, do you have anything to say? We are husband and wife; we don't need to hide from each other," the man frowned. They had been partners for ten years, so he knew his wife's expression well enough to sense that there was something hidden in her heart.
29. "Husband, why did you deceive that senior to go to the swamp? You know it has terrifying corpse demons," she combed her hair and spoke with clear dissatisfaction.
30. "Lotus Sister, I had no choice," he sighed. "We were captured by a corpse demon, and our bodies were placed under a prohibition. We had to obey their commands; any disobedience would have dire consequences."
31. The woman bit her lip, her face turning even paler. After a moment, she whispered softly: "But no matter what, the senior did you a favor. Even if we can't repay him, why harm his life? That corpse demon ordered us to lure fellow cultivators into the swamp for it to feed on their blood and practice. But we could deceive others; why involve the senior?"
32. The man's face turned red. His actions were motivated by selfish desires; he was envious of high-stage cultivators due to his mediocre cultivation potential, born with a jealous nature. After a century of hard work, he had finally achieved Foundation Establishment stage, so he resented those with superior spirit roots.
33. Why should others have such great powers?
34. This twisted psychology led him to deceive Lin Xuan into going to the swamp.
35. The thought of a high-stage condensation core cultivator dying because of his actions brought no remorse; instead, it made him secretly pleased.
36. Of course, he would never reveal this dark side to his wife and instead showed a helpless expression: "Lotus Sister, I didn't want to do it either, but the corpse demon ordered us to send at least one cultivator every three days. We've been out for more than two days, leaving only half a day until the deadline. The Yin Spirit Plain is vast and sparsely populated; where can we find someone? If we delay, the prohibition will activate, trapping us in a situation where life and death are impossible."
37. Hearing her husband mention the corpse demon's prohibition, the woman showed fear as well and stopped speaking.
38. After all, most cultivators were selfish, and it was normal to be unfeeling or disloyal. Although she didn't want to harm their benefactor, when it came to protecting herself, she couldn't care less.
39. "Kill the friend, save the Taoist," this phrase held true in the cultivation world.
40. The two fell silent.
41. Lin Xuan had made significant progress but was not rash; knowing that something was amiss, he wouldn't jump into a trap without first gathering information.
42. He planned to search for clues before taking any action. Initially, interrogating them with soul probing would have been ideal, but the couple's bodies were under the control of an evil entity, forcing Lin Xuan to be cautious and avoid alerting them.
43. However, Lin Xuan’s quick thinking led him to find other ways to gather information without arousing suspicion.