Zong Shou looked over with a half-smile, a faint challenge in his eyes. Xuan Yuan Yiren’s face immediately flushed crimson as she rushed to explain, “I never intended to be away from Dong Lin for so long back then! I only thought that if I left with you for a short while, later on, I could simply lie that we were already joined, and then my parents and master wouldn't be able to refuse. But that was just a temporary measure; at the time, I genuinely believed you were in mortal danger. But now that the Young Lord has mastered the Eight Meridians of the Body Wheel and his swordsmanship is supreme, of course, he must walk the righteous path! How could he still resort to such—”

Mid-sentence, Xuan Yuan Yiren suddenly felt something was amiss as Zong Shou’s eyes widened in astonishment. He slapped his thigh loudly, expressing great admiration. “'Already joined' what? So that’s it! There’s actually such a trick; truly brilliant. Tsk, tsk. That’s a good method!”

Xuan Yuan Yiren’s face burned scarlet. She could no longer maintain her refined composure, stood up, brought the wine flask down hard on Zong Shou once, and immediately jumped out of the Cloud-Turning Carriage.

Catching the strange looks from Hu Zhongyuan and Li Yunniang beside them, she felt too ashamed to face anyone. Just as she was about to return to the carriage, she suddenly heard Zong Shou laugh out loud, “In five months, before we return to Qiantian Mountain, I will pay a visit to Xuanshan City. I’m going to meet my father-in-law—”

Xuan Yuan Yiren turned back in surprise. She saw that although Zong Shou was smiling, he was strikingly serious, and the gaze fixed upon her was sincere, blazing, and heartwarming: “I will follow Yiren’s wishes. I, Zong Shou, will do things openly and honorably, and formally settle our marriage!”

Xuan Yuan Yiren felt a gentle tap on her heart. Suddenly, her limbs went soft and numb, and her entire being filled with elation. It wasn't happiness yet, but it was an unexpected, delightful surprise.

She couldn't help but narrow her eyes and study Zong Shou closely again.

She wondered inwardly what kind of man this fiancé of hers truly was. Even after these dozens of days spent together, she couldn't fully grasp him; her impression remained vague and indistinct.

Fundamentally kind? Wastefully extravagant? Lazy in temperament? Deeply calculating? Intelligent and sharp? Ruthless?

It seemed like all these things and none of them; various feelings were mixed together, impossible to separate. Oh, and extremely lecherous—

But as her mother had said, it is inherently difficult to fully see through any person. She only needed to know that her future husband was responsible, and that she didn’t dislike him; that was enough.

The only thing she could be certain of was that Zong Shou’s swordsmanship was truly peerless under heaven. His innate talent was unique in the world; few could stand beside him. Her parents had always worried that he wouldn't be able to cultivate properly and couldn't shield her from storms in the future. If they knew what had happened today, would they be so shocked their eyeballs fell out?

It was the same when she first met him. She had thought this fellow was a good-for-nothing, perhaps even a bit weak-willed. Only in the end did she realize how profoundly wrong she had been. To be able to slay a piece of Hu Qianqiu’s sleeve while merely a Martial Master of the Eight Meridians of the Earth Wheel—that was absolutely unprecedented! At least, compared to Zong Shou, all those so-called geniuses she knew were far too ordinary.

Subconsciously, the image of Zong Shou’s peerless, ethereal, almost immortal sword stance from the early morning flashed through her mind. Xuan Yuan Yiren’s gaze became slightly hazy. She snapped back to awareness almost instantly, overcome with mortification and embarrassment. Lowering her head, she responded with a barely audible ‘En’ and, without another thought, bolted into the Cloud-Turning Carriage. She chastised herself: Why was I acting like a lovesick fool today?

Zong Shou merely burst into loud laughter, finding this righteous little maiden incredibly endearing at times.

He also leaped down from the carriage and walked toward Zong Yuan. Although the flow of Qi in his body was now coordinated, calm, and even, his physical strength had not yet recovered. He could only activate the Thunder-Walking Spirit Bones, moving stiffly, his joints clicking audibly as he walked.

Zong Yuan’s eyebrows immediately shot up. He had overheard the conversation between Zong Shou and Hu Qianqiu. Yet, instead of the joy of having his life spared, he inexplicably felt a chill crawl up his spine, deepening his wariness. He stared at Zong Shou now with full vigilance.

“What do you want? My life is worthless; if you want to kill me, go ahead, I won't even frown! But if you expect me, Zong Yuan, to serve you—don’t even think about it! I, Zong Yuan, stand tall and upright; I will never betray my master—”

Zong Shou couldn't be bothered to waste words on him. He had never expected this man to yield or obey. He thought to himself, I don't need his loyalty, just his body. Who has the time to care what he thinks?

After carefully examining Zong Yuan from head to toe, a hint of satisfaction gradually appeared in Zong Shou's eyes. Not satisfied yet, he began to grope over the man again, sensing the structure of his bones and muscles, as well as the meridians and wheel circuits within his body.

This caused a shiver to run down Zong Yuan, and unwelcome thoughts immediately flooded his mind: Is my luck so bad that I’ve run into a pervert?

Zong Shou felt around for a moment, growing more pleased. Then, he smiled and commanded Hu Zhongyuan beside him, “Find some vines! Strip him naked, tie him up securely, and hang him up somewhere open!”

Hu Zhongyuan’s already bruised face registered an odd expression, and his whole body shuddered. He stared at Zong Shou with a strange, fixed gaze. He mused that the Young Lord’s tastes were indeed rather unusual, and definitely on the extreme side. Zong Yuan wasn’t a bad-looking man, really. But with the future Mistress standing right there, shouldn't he exercise some restraint?

It was only when Zong Shou frowned, showing impatience, and glared at him that Hu Zhongyuan reluctantly went to find ropes. He took one step, looked back once, his eyes filled with pity.

Zong Yuan’s face turned even greener, his lips indigo. He spat out curses, “Zong Shou, don’t you know that a scholar can be killed but not humiliated? I, Zong Yuan, am a dignified man, and I would rather die than suffer such an indignity and engage in that filthy business with you! You might as well kill me!”

His resolve set, Zong Yuan hesitated no longer and bit down hard on his tongue. But before he could sink his teeth in, Zong Shou seized his jaw and pulled downward, completely dislocating it. Zong Yuan then tried to activate the true Qi within his body to rupture his own meridians and end his life. However, Zong Shou’s method of locking the meridians was quite peculiar; Zong Yuan strained until his face was bright red, but it was useless.

Zong Shou watched, momentarily confused. Was this really necessary? Just taking off his clothes warranted such a drastic reaction? He wasn't a woman; he wouldn't become unmarriageable just from being looked at.

Hu Zhongyuan worked with extreme speed, returning moments later with a bundle of green wood vines. These black willow vines, as thick as a finger, were strong enough to restrain even a Fifth-Tier demonic beast. With swift, practiced movements, they stripped Zong Yuan completely, leaving only his undergarment. Then, deliberately choosing a spot far from the Cloud-Turning Carriage, they hoisted up Zong Yuan, who was shrieking like a slaughtered pig, though his cries were muffled and indistinct.

Then, with a heavy sigh, Zong Shou patted Zong Yuan’s shoulder with feigned sorrow before shaking his head and walking away.

He noticed that Chuxue wasn't avoiding the scene but watching listlessly from the side, realizing then that he had misunderstood. Zong Shou had taken out several hundred Beast Crystal Soul Stones and was inscribing talismans on the ground. He then produced some blood ink and began drawing eerie, mystical runes all over Zong Yuan’s body.

Although he did not cultivate spirit arts, he was the future Patriarch of the Iron Tiger Clan, meaning he was well-informed. The talismans Zong Shou was drawing now clearly possessed divine intent, far surpassing those drawn by Spirit Masters he had previously encountered. The spirit formation here was also profound, connecting to the earth’s ley lines. As soon as it was completed, the spiritual energy in the area instantly surged several times over. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, it carried a strange, unsettling feeling, as if it wasn't an orthodox technique.

As he puzzled over the meaning, he saw Zong Shou execute a hand seal casually. The Beast Crystal Soul Stones on the ground immediately began to glimmer. Countless streams of spiritual energy converged, enveloping the area like a thin membrane. The soul energy from the stones flowed out along the spiritual lines, climbing onto Zong Yuan’s body. No matter how Zong Yuan struggled and writhed, he couldn't shake them off, and the aura here grew increasingly strange and sinister. Within a ten-li radius, the essence of negative Yin energy was being forcefully extracted, thread by thread, by this formation.

Hu Zhongyuan, however, was completely engrossed, staring intently at Zong Shou’s hand, which was still forming seals. Even while controlling the vast spiritual energy of the location, he remained effortless and composed, constantly changing his hand signs and remotely controlling the grayish-white soul energy to form unique spiritual symbols above Zong Yuan’s brow, one after another, successively sinking into his flesh and blood.

He couldn't comprehend any of this, but his heart was once again churning with violent, surging tides. After a long while, he finally drew a deep breath. “Xue’er, does the Young Lord also cultivate spirit arts? I wonder what realm he is in now?”

“Yes! He cultivates spirit arts—” Chuxue, worried that Zong Shou might be ‘abused,’ dared not look away or even let her attention wander for a moment, so she answered absently, “The Young Master reached the Out-of-Body Realm a month ago!”

Hu Zhongyuan’s face flushed crimson again. His muscles tightened fiercely so that he didn't shout out loud, releasing the emotion—whether it was excitement or shock. What he wanted most at that moment was to call his father back to witness this scene firsthand.

—Eight Meridians of the Body Wheel, Spirit-Attuned Sword Dao! He thought he had grasped the extent of Zong Shou’s capabilities. Now, he realized that during yesterday's battle with Hu Qianqiu, the Young Lord had also held back his full strength. The Young Lord was about to turn fourteen soon; a Spirit Master achieving the Out-of-Body Realm before the age of fourteen—what kind of monster was this? Did he expect anyone else to live? He used to envy Young Master Zong, who reached the Innate Realm at such a young age, but compared to this Young Lord, that achievement was mere dust, not even worth mentioning. His father had called him worse than dregs, but now, in his eyes, that term was an insult to the word ‘dregs.’

At this moment, Xuan Yuan Yiren was also alerted and arrived nearby. She, too, watched with a slight daze at the figure within the spirit formation, who was manipulating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth with calm ease and perfect command. So Zong Shou was actually an Out-of-Body Realm Spirit Master. And his application of talismans had reached such a level—divine intent in harmony—he had clearly grasped the profound truth of all talismans; he was a Grandmaster!