Right at the center of his chest, a soft green glow flickered, radiating warmth.
It was suppressing the thick aura of death lingering in his body.
Hong Ning’s eyes widened in shock.
A woman who was not his wife insisted on coming to take care of him.
The man felt uncomfortable yet could not speak.
All he could do was pretend to remain calm.
A faint flush rose on his pale face.
Hong Ning’s gaze sharpened.
Suddenly, she tightened her grip on the golden peach branch.
In one smooth motion, she retrieved a talisman and pressed it against his chest.
At the same time, she smiled.
“Sister Hu is worried about her husband. Perhaps we should take things slowly.”
“What are you doing?!”
A furious voice rang out.
Madam Hu.
Sensing that something was wrong, Young Master Qi’s brows quivered.
His entire body tensed.
Hong Ning glanced at him before letting out a soft sigh.
“Didn’t Sister Hu ask me to take care of her husband?” she said lightly. “I have a few things I’d like to discuss with Sister Hu.
“Shall we talk somewhere else?”
The inner core was sealed, yet Madam Hu did not attack immediately.
Clearly, she had no intention of taking Hong Ning’s life—at least, not yet.
Madam Hu exhaled slowly, glancing at her husband.
After a brief pause, she steadied herself and gave a calm nod.
“Very well, Sister. After you.”
In the courtyard, the two women stood face to face.
The gentle, virtuous facade was gone—Madam Hu now gazed at Hong Ning coldly.
“You were the one who let Zhong Wen Cai go, weren’t you?”
Hong Ning did not answer. Instead, she countered with a question. “Does he know what you’ve done?”
Madam Hu’s delicate face turned deathly pale. Her lips pressed together tightly, but she said nothing.
“You’re using your inner core to absorb the vital essence of living men to preserve his body, preventing Wuchang from detecting him.” Hong Ning sighed. “I was wondering how you could be so careless as to let your inner core leave your body—but the truth is, he has been dead for a long time already.
“When a person dies, their soul must return to the underworld for reincarnation. Keeping him here like this does no good. Wouldn’t it be better to just let him go…?”
“Let him reincarnate?” Madam Hu cut her off sharply. “No matter how many times he is reborn, he will always be just a mortal. We could never be together—otherwise, we would be struck down by divine punishment.
“This life… he took the heavenly lightning in my place—that’s why he ended up like this. How could I possibly let him go so easily? If he reincarnates, he will forget me, but I… I will still remember him.
“I would rather stay like this forever.”
Hong Ning was stunned.
“He took the lightning for you?”
Madam Hu remained silent.
No wonder Young Master Qi had ended up in such a state.
A mortal body, yet he had taken on the full force of a heavenly tribulation—which meant he had known her true identity.
After a long silence, Hong Ning finally spoke.
“Even if he took the punishment in your place, you have since taken countless lives. Your sins are too great—sooner or later, karma will catch up to you.
“And besides… this isn’t who you are. You don’t enjoy doing these things.”
Madam Hu’s eyes reddened, her voice full of resentment.
“What does it matter? As long as he remembers me, we can still be together.”
She clenched her fists. “I only took their essence to keep his body from decaying, to suppress the death energy so that Wuchang wouldn’t come for him. Those men—greedy, lustful, vile creatures—they deserved to die!”
Hong Ning shook her head.
“You were the one who lured them with your enchantment in the first place. How many mortals could truly resist your charms?”
Madam Hu retorted, “And what does that have to do with me?”
Hong Ning’s gaze turned sharp.
“The inner core is in my hands now.”
She raised a second talisman, her expression calm.
“I can destroy your cultivation at any moment.”
Madam Hu turned her face away, her tone softening slightly.
“If I stop, he will die. There is no enmity between us, so why must you force me into a corner?”
A mortal’s lifespan was clearly recorded in the Book of Life and Death.
The dead could not return to the living.
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