Chapter 54

The dogs’ sudden madness and equally sudden recovery left everyone baffled.
Su Ling worried for a while, could it be that Yi Heng’s enemies had arrived and were secretly causing trouble?
To prevent any accidents, she deliberately bought two chains to lock the dogs in their kennel, ensuring they couldn’t run amok. After two days of observing their calm behavior, she finally released them, allowing them to roam freely.
Yet the suspicious figure never showed up, so Su Ling let go of her concerns.
This life was a bonus to begin with, and Su Ling adopted a laid-back attitude. Since she couldn’t find any adversaries, there was no need to fret unnecessarily. After all, Yi Heng was still around, and now that she had taken the place of the female lead, Yi Heng hadn’t encountered her during his severe injury. As long as he didn’t fall in love with the female lead, the subsequent plot wouldn’t unfold.
In essence, the mission was already accomplished. The remaining days were a bonus, she would take them one at a time and simply enjoy herself.
This was how Su Ling reassured herself, and this was how she lived. If there was knowledge to be gained, she studied; if she felt tired, she treated herself to delicious food.
As for Meng Jin, he was essentially a free cook. Su Ling didn’t have any particular feelings toward him, as they didn’t interact much. Her schedule was even more tightly packed than that of a student preparing for college entrance exams, with at most an hour of interaction each day, mostly discussing food.
That was her perspective, but Yi Heng saw things differently.
After his failed attempt to intervene, he calmed down and repeatedly pondered why Meng Jin irritated him so much.
In truth, there were other newcomers in the bamboo house besides Meng Jin, such as Granny Li. Yet when Granny Li appeared, he felt nothing at all.
Ordinary people without spiritual power posed no threat to him, so there was no need to pay them any mind.
Similarly, Meng Jin was also an ordinary person, devoid of any spiritual energy. His purpose for being here seemed simple, to enjoy the spirit-nourishing food Su Ling cultivated.
Such food was indeed beneficial to mortals, so it was natural for them to be reluctant to leave. However, no matter how he looked at it, Yi Heng had an intuition that this Meng Jin was not as simple as he appeared.
Yet, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was unusual about him.
Setting that aside, Meng Jin presented himself as an ordinary scholar who enjoyed good food and reciting poetry, not much different from Granny Li. But Yi Heng found him particularly grating. This irritation wasn’t just due to sensing something off about him; there was also a strange, unexplainable feeling.
Yi Heng was no fool. Initially, he had never considered such things, but after Meng Jin’s appearance, he realized that he might simply dislike Su Ling directing her attention toward someone else.
Leaning against the doorframe, he watched the two young, not-yet-of-age individuals conversing softly in the courtyard. Both possessed striking looks, the scholar in his blue robe and the girl in her pink dress, smiling and chatting. Unconsciously, the phrase "a perfect match" surfaced in his mind.
Yi Heng pressed his tongue against his teeth, his lips tightening as a hint of killing intent emerged.
But more than anything, he was acutely aware of his current state of mind.
He didn’t want Su Ling to be a perfect match with someone else.
This feeling had come on so abruptly, yet it lingered in his heart, urging the growth of dark thoughts within him. Yi Heng couldn’t quite tell whether it was romantic affection or simply because, in this lifetime, she was the only one who had truly been good to him, and he couldn’t bear to let her go. He wanted her by his side forever.
This was the first time such a strange feeling had surfaced, one that made his chest burn with intensity just thinking about it.
Yi Heng believed that, at his core, he was selfish. He wanted Su Ling to look only at him, with nothing else to divert her attention. Once he realized this, chilling thoughts began to emerge incessantly:
If he were to imprison her somewhere no one could find her, wouldn’t that solve everything?
After all, she was his disciple, she ought to stay with him.
As this thought took root, his heartbeat quickened.
"Master, today we’re having Big Plate Chicken and spicy chicken wings. How does that sound?"
A clear, lively voice rattled off several dishes that sounded delicious just by their names, successfully interrupting the dark thoughts that had just begun to sprout. Yi Heng snapped back to reality, and seeing his little disciple’s sparkling eyes across from him, he instinctively curved his lips into a smile. "Alright."
Su Ling, having received his approval, clapped her small hands together. "Meng Jin, it’s up to you. I’ll go cultivate some chili peppers."
"At your service," Meng Jin replied, flicking open his folding fan with a flourish and nodding.

Almost every day brought some new and intriguing dish.
Tonight, it was Big Plate Chicken.
Yi Heng looked at the brightly colored dish before him, vibrant green peppers, striking red chilies, small chunks of potatoes, and soy-colored chicken.
The aroma alone was captivating.
Not to mention the taste.
In the past, Yi Heng would have savored it slowly and earnestly declared, "Delicious!"
But ever since Meng Jin had arrived, his simple, minimalist praise no longer seemed to capture Su Ling’s attention.
Just like now, though Su Ling had been eagerly awaiting his response moments before, Meng Jin had already chimed in, "This dish is quite unexpected. It’s the first time I’ve seen noodles added to it"
"Yes, I only vaguely remember this version," Su Ling nodded in agreement. In her memories of her past life, it seemed that Xinjiang cuisine often featured noodles and rice noodles, with Xinjiang-style fried rice noodles being a particularly famous dish.
As for this Big Plate Chicken, she had tried it once out of curiosity. The flavor had been excellent, but her verbal description couldn’t quite capture the original taste. At the same time, it had taken on some local flavors here.
Especially the red chilies, nourished by spiritual energy, their spiciness had intensified several levels over. Just the smell alone made her stomach ache faintly.
Fortunately, Su Ling’s constitution had improved significantly; otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to eat it.
Indeed, it's best not to casually use spiritual power on chili peppers, the spiciness they develop is terrifying.
Wait, next time she should remove the veins from the chilies before enhancing them; that might make them more tolerable.
The two chatted back and forth, their conversation lively and cheerful.
Yi Heng ate in silence, forcing himself to finish before retiring to his room early. However, before entering, he didn’t forget to remind them, “Don’t forget tonight’s evening practice.”
“Yes!” Su Ling immediately nodded in agreement.
Yi Heng gave a slight nod, his tightly shut eyes subtly opening as he glanced at Meng Jin. A faint, imperceptible black thread slipped into Meng Jin’s body.

Night fell.
In the third watch, the calls of birds echoed from afar.
Su Ling was deeply immersed in her cultivation.
Inside the bamboo house, Meng Jin emerged from his room. The place he now occupied was on the other side of the main hall, originally the medicine room. Since he had begun cultivating, the medical texts were no longer of use, so Su Ling had tidied up and disposed of most of them.
In the courtyard, a moon-white figure was already waiting. Moonlight spilled down, illuminating the figure clearly even in the darkness.
Hearing footsteps approach, Yi Heng turned around, his gaze locking with Meng Jin’s as the latter stepped out in his inner robes. Yi Heng’s eyes grew increasingly cold.
Meng Jin showed no fear, clasping his hands respectfully. “I mean no harm, so why is the Demon Lord targeting me?”
Yi Heng narrowed his eyes slightly. “As expected, you are not ordinary.”
“I truly mean no ill intent,” Meng Jin repeated.
Yi Heng had no desire to continue the conversation. With a flick of his sleeve, a sharp, murderous energy shot toward Meng Jin.
However, Meng Jin was not one to surrender easily. As the attack came, he swiftly shifted his stance, evading it. With a flip, he landed steadily and calmly said, “If you act recklessly, aren’t you afraid Su Ling will be angry when she finds out?”
Yi Heng, who had been about to strike again, halted his attack. His dark, oppressive demonic energy swirled around him, nearly engulfing his moon-white form in its intensity.
“Whimper…” The two dogs, being closest, were ordinary creatures unable to withstand the Demon Lord’s demonic aura. They whimpered in discomfort.
Meng Jin sighed, his youthful face revealing a maturity beyond his years. Shaking his head, he waved his sleeve, sending a surge of spiritual energy toward the dogs. Instantly, they perked up and scurried away with their tails tucked.
The chicks had long been trembling in their coop, too frightened to even make a sound.
Only Su Ling’s room seemed shielded by an invisible barrier, completely unaffected.
Yi Heng glared coldly at the other but did not attack again. His injuries had not yet healed, and at most, he could only exert power at the Foundation Establishment peak level, insufficient to pose a threat to Meng Jin.
Meng Jin, for reasons unknown, also had his strength restricted. The two were at a stalemate, unable to overcome one another.
Knowing this, Meng Jin spread his hands calmly and said, “I truly mean you no harm. I promise not to hurt her. Once you leave, I will depart as well.”
Yi Heng pressed his lips together, remaining silent.
What he wanted was not for Meng Jin to leave after they did, but for him to leave immediately.
Seeing Yi Heng’s continued reluctance to respond, Meng Jin smiled helplessly and turned to leave.
But then a low voice sounded from behind him: “Leave now. Immediately.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that just yet,” Meng Jin replied, shaking his head as he continued walking away.
Then, a surge of killing intent came from behind. Meng Jin twisted his body to dodge again, but this time, the opponent seemed to have struck with full force. The moment he dodged, he collided head-on with another attack.
"Pfft, " Meng Jin spat out a mouthful of blood, quickened his steps, and swiftly retreated into the room. With his hands forming a seal, a cinnabar dot appeared between his eyebrows. A pill materialized in his palm, and he swallowed it. In an instant, his pale complexion improved significantly.
Outside the room
Yi Heng stood alone in the courtyard, staring at a trace of blood on the ground. His expression turned cold with unwillingness, and his dark pupils grew even more somber.
After a long while, his face suddenly flushed red, then rapidly paled. Following two coughs, blood trickled from his pale, thin lips.
The earlier strike had exceeded the limits his body could currently endure. Though he had injured Meng Jin, he had also harmed himself.
His eyes dimmed further. He took a slight step but staggered twice, nearly falling, due to his physical condition.
Yi Heng coughed again, muffled and low. With a thought, the bloodstains on the ground and the blood at the corner of his lips vanished without a trace.
He closed his eyes and walked forward.
But just before entering the room, his steps turned aside. The previously closed door swung open on its own, revealing a young girl lying on a simple bamboo bed.
Though she was no longer susceptible to the cold, she still retained the habits of a mortal, tucked under a soft quilt with only her flushed, sleeping face exposed. Her small lips were slightly pursed, her eyes tightly shut, and the moonlight cast a shadow of her long lashes upon her eyelids.
Her overly long hair spilled over the pillow, looking as smooth and delicate as silk at a glance.
Her breathing was even, surrounded by spiritual energy. Even in this mortal world where spiritual energy was sparse, it still gathered around her spontaneously. With each inhale and exhale, it flowed into every corner of her body's meridians.
It was rhythmic, yet much slower than during cultivation.
Was she asleep?
Yi Heng was momentarily speechless, his expression softening involuntarily.
Such a young girl.
Unable to resist, he reached out with his slender, pale fingers and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead. The moment his fingertips touched that tender, smooth warmth, his breath hitched, and dark thoughts surged in his heart once more. He whispered softly, "Come with me, will you? To a place where no one is around."
The air remained silent, as if no one had answered.
"Hmph!" Yi Heng let out another muffled groan, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his lips.
He turned to leave, but just then, the girl on the bed, who had been lying with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. "Master?!"