Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

While still in mid-air, Jian Huan noticed something unusual about Shen Jizhi.

The snow sword beneath his feet seemed to have suddenly lost its connection with its master, falling straight down like a useless piece of scrap metal.

The arm wrapped around her waist tightened, so tight it felt like wearing pants two sizes too small, making it hard for Jian Huan to breathe.

But for now, she had no time to worry about him. She hastily summoned her silver sword, letting it guide her as they managed to land safely.

The autumn night breeze blew gently, cool as water.

Yet the person holding her from behind felt as hot as the ground scorched by the summer sun.

Shen Jizhi leaned heavily on her.

Though he appeared slender, he was surprisingly heavy.

Pushed forward by his weight, Jian Huan stumbled slightly, quickly stretching out her left hand to brace against a tree trunk ahead, barely managing to keep both of them upright.

The young man lowered his head, his chin resting on her right shoulder. He nuzzled her neck restlessly, his disheveled black hair tickling her, making her shiver.

Sleep-inducing talismans and immobilizing charms were useless—they were destroyed before they could even be applied.

Struggling was futile; the body of a sword cultivator was as hard as an impenetrable fortress.

Jian Huan used her other elbow to push him back forcefully, calling out, "Shen Jizhi?"

No response.

She raised her voice to the loudest she could manage: "Shen! Ji! Zhi!"

Her sharp cry pierced the silence, startling countless birds into flight. The dense branches swayed wildly, like ghostly shadows dancing in the night.

Hearing Jian Huan's voice, Shen Jizhi finally regained some semblance of awareness.

The strange fragrance that had entered his body through his nose and mouth was like a spark, instantly igniting the dry kindling of his long-restrained desires.

A fire capable of consuming everything in its path raged within him, surging like turbulent waves.

He closed his eyes, silently reciting the Heart Purifying Technique, a mantra he knew by heart. With immense self-control, he tried to let go of Jian Huan, but he couldn't.

He thought he had released her.

Instead, he had grasped the hand she had placed between them.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍fabric of Jian Huan's robe was soft and smooth, but it still wasn't enough.

Shen Jizhi's slender fingers, like bamboo, slid beneath her sleeve, caressing the fair, delicate skin of her wrist.

It wasn't hard to guess what kind of concoction Ran Mu'er's incense pill was.

Jian Huan tightly gripped Shen Jizhi's fingers, her voice trembling with tension, "Shen, Shen Jizhi, snap out of it!"

"Mmm..." The young man's Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, his hot breath brushing against her neck. "I'm awake, I just... can't control myself. Stay away from me... The spirit horse ran off, but it didn't go far. Go after it..."

These words seemed to drain all his strength.

Sweat soaked his black hair, making his eyes appear moist, as if he had been crying.

The corners of his eyes were bloodshot, and he panted lightly, struggling to speak, "...Then take me to the Baili family. Get me a bucket of cold water, leave me alone, and don't come near me. Especially you, Jian Huan..."

Shen Jizhi bit down hard on his tongue, almost severing it. The sharp pain and the taste of blood filled his mouth.

Seizing this moment, he forcefully pushed himself away from Jian Huan, collapsing to the ground. He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began reciting the Heart Purifying Technique rapidly, his blood-stained lips moving incessantly, not daring to stop for even a moment.

Jian Huan didn't delay either. She ran a few steps in the opposite direction to ensure Shen Jizhi wouldn't follow her.

Holding her silver sword, she thought for a moment, then turned back and quickly drew a large circle around Shen Jizhi, setting up a protective formation.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

This way, while she went after the spirit horse, he wouldn't be carried off by some wild beast.

...

Wearing the mask Shen Jizhi had given her, Jian Huan soon caught up with the spirit horse.

The horse had pulled the incense carriage for a while, and the strange fragrance had already dissipated. Jian Huan led the horse back, keeping her distance and letting Shen Jizhi climb into the carriage on his own before she returned to guide the horse toward Luo'an City.

Before long, they encountered Baili Dao, who had been chasing after them. The three of them returned to the Baili family together.

The Baili family was relatively well-off, with a spacious estate in Luo'an City.

Since they arrived late, Baili Dao's parents had already retired for the night, instructing the steward to handle the guests.

Seeing Shen Jizhi's condition, Baili Dao was deeply concerned and asked the steward to call for a medical cultivator who lived on the same street.

Jian Huan thought about it but didn't object.

They were no longer as strapped for spirit stones as they had been years ago, and they could afford the cost of medical treatment.

In the quiet of the night, in front of a slightly old but clean and tidy small building,

Jian Huan sat on the highest stone step, frowning as she put away the Xuantian Mirror.

No matter how many times she asked, Ran Mu'er no longer responded.

Beside her, Baili Dao paced back and forth, occasionally glancing toward the room, his dark face filled with worry. "What should we do?"

He hurried over, "Miss Jian, will Brother Shen be alright?"

"The medical cultivator is already inside, isn't he?" Jian Huan stretched her slender legs out, the pink hem of her skirt glowing softly under the moonlight. She reassured him, "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Though she said this, her gaze also lingered on the door, her mind elsewhere.

She wasn't sure if the Harmony Fragrance would be easy to counteract.

Though she hadn't met Ran Mu'er many times, Jian Huan had a rough idea of her personality.

The girl was reckless and unconventional. Her dual cultivation manual was self-created, and the Harmony Fragrance she used was likely not some common variety.

What if it was hard to counteract?

What if the antidote was expensive?

Then, perhaps, maybe, she would have to...

The door creaked open, snapping Jian Huan out of her increasingly panicked thoughts.

An elderly man with graying hair stepped out.

Jian Huan turned her head, her eyes catching a glimpse of the figure sitting in a bathtub through the slightly open door.

The memory of Shen Jizhi's labored breathing in the forest still lingered in her ears. She shook her head, her face slightly flushed, and stood up.

The old man closed the door and spoke in a low voice to Jian Huan and Baili Dao, who had approached, "This Harmony Fragrance is different from what I've seen before. It seems to have been modified..."

As expected.

Jian Huan's mind buzzed.

Baili Dao asked anxiously, "Can you cure it?"

The old man gestured for him to calm down, "Of course, it's possible. But you'll need to show me the fragrance so I can identify its components and prepare the appropriate antidote."

Baili Dao looked at Jian Huan, who blinked and unconsciously picked at her nails, "But we don't have the Harmony Fragrance..."

The old man stroked his white beard and sighed, "In that case, I'm powerless to help."

"..."

Jian Huan's body stiffened, and she instinctively held her breath.

No way... right?

After a pause, the old man added, "But you don't need to worry."

He glanced back into the room, his eyes filled with admiration, "This young man is quite skilled with the Heart Purifying Technique, and his cultivation is profound. If he soaks in cold water for seven days while continuously reciting the Heart Purifying Technique, he can slowly neutralize the effects of the fragrance. It's just that he'll be extremely uncomfortable during this time..."

The old man subtly glanced at Jian Huan.

In truth, this kind of fragrance was quite easy to counteract. But young people had their own thoughts and feelings.

The old man didn't elaborate further.

He had a good relationship with the Baili family, and since he hadn't prescribed any medicine, he didn't charge any spirit stones. He soon took his leave.

The previous night had been overcast, and by morning, a light rain began to fall.

The raindrops pattered against the fallen leaves and scattered petals in the courtyard. The wind blew, causing the petals to tremble like butterfly wings.

The small building, usually unoccupied, now housed Shen Jizhi alone.

He stayed by himself, relying on the Heart Purifying Technique and cold water to keep the Harmony Fragrance at bay. However, if Jian Huan got too close, he would easily lose control.

So Jian Huan didn't go to see him.

The Baili family had over twenty members, including stewards and a few maids and servants who were hired. The rest were disciples taken in by Madam Baili.

Madam Baili was a weapon smith, but weapon smithing required a fire spiritual root.

Neither Baili Dao nor his brother Baili Jian possessed a fire spiritual root, so they had to follow their father's path. Madam Baili had taken in a few disciples instead.

Jian Huan stayed in the same courtyard as Madam Baili's female disciples. She borrowed an oil-paper umbrella from one of the sisters and made her way through the winding corridors to the main courtyard to pay her respects to Madam Baili.

Was Ran Mu'er really here just to have Madam Baili repair her Harmony Fragrance Bell?

Jian Huan had her doubts.

Now that Ran Mu'er's whereabouts were unknown, the only way to find the Bodhi Pagoda was to see if Madam Baili had any clues.

Jian Huan closed her umbrella, placed it by the door, and was led by a female disciple into Madam Baili's bedroom.

Madam Baili had just taken off her shoes and socks and was sitting on the couch, instructing a disciple on how to repair a broken qin. When she saw Jian Huan, she quickly waved the disciple away.

Jian Huan approached her, bowed respectfully, and smiled sweetly, "Greetings, Madam Baili. My senior brother is unwell and couldn't come, so I hope you won't mind."

"No need to be so polite," Madam Baili replied with a round face and eyes that narrowed into slits when she smiled, exuding warmth.

She quickly got up, slipped on her embroidered shoes, and enthusiastically took Jian Huan's hand. "I’ve heard so much about you from Dao'er! Three years ago, thanks to you, he made it home safely. He’s just as foolish as his father, and without your help, who knows what would have happened?"

Madam Baili’s expressions were lively and animated as she led Jian Huan to sit beside her. "I’ve been telling Dao'er to invite you to Luo'an City for a visit. Why haven’t you come before?"

Jian Huan, usually quite talkative, found herself struggling to get a word in. She smiled and said, "I was in seclusion before, but now that I have time, here I am. I’ll be staying with you for a few days, Madam. I hope you won’t find me bothersome."

"Of course not! I love having company. Have some of these pastries—they’re quite good," Madam Baili said, urging Jian Huan to eat while she returned to her seat. She then asked with concern, "How is your senior brother doing? I only heard about it from the steward this morning."

"The elder said he just needs a few days of rest," Jian Huan replied, looking at Madam Baili. "Madam, I…"

"I know, you’re here to ask about Ran Mu'er, aren’t you?" Madam Baili shook her head, looking troubled.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Five days ago, that young girl came to my workshop to have her Harmony Fragrance Bell repaired. The bell was exquisitely crafted, and I took a liking to it, so I invited her to the manor for a chat. I really liked her—she had such a free-spirited air about her. I even let her stay here for a few days. Yesterday, once the bell was repaired, she left."

"Sigh, if I had known there was bad blood between Ran Mu'er and you, I wouldn’t have helped her fix the bell. I would’ve told her to find someone else!"

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