The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

Hong Peng pondered for a moment, then sighed, "If you insist, then just give it to him."

Upon hearing this, Hong Xing was struck dumb, standing there in a daze.

In her view, Li Ping's ability to endure it now does not mean he will be able to endure it in the future.

Given enough time, it's only a matter of time before we have to resort to force.

She knew exactly what kind of person a man was.

Hong Xing sighed softly, then turned back with her head drooping.

As she traveled, her mind became increasingly chaotic, and gradually the image of the young master of the Huang family appeared in her mind's eye.

From that fleeting glimpse, he had captured her heart.

Although she knew there was a huge gap between them, she still wanted to save her first time for that person.

Now it seems like a pipe dream.

With a change of heart, Hong Xing thought of Li Ping again.

In terms of looks, Li Ping is actually better than Huang Duchuan.

However, his cultivation level and aptitude were really too low.

She's not even as good as herself.

She couldn't overcome the hurdle in her heart to marry such a person.

Back in the courtyard, Hong Xing went to take a look at Li Ping's house as usual.

Seeing that the person was still there, he went back to his room and slammed the door shut.

Inside the room, 'Li Ping' slowly opened his eyes and looked into the darkness.

"How did I do?"

"very good."

A man emerged from the darkness and slapped Li Ping.

With a bang, 'Li Ping' turned into a cloud of mist and dissipated.

"Now that we've managed to fool Hong Xing, let's begin the operation tonight."

"However, the stand-in can only last for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, so we need to be careful, otherwise things may change."

Li Ping calmed his mind, began to regulate his breathing, and quietly waited for night to fall.

……

……

That night, the bright moon hung in the sky, and Qing Teng Island was completely silent.

Li Ping crouched low and slowly made his way towards the Lingquan Cave.

He had traveled this route many times during the day and knew it very well.

The only place that requires attention is the section of the cultivators' residence.

If the Hong family is alerted, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Out of caution, Li Ping chose to avoid it.

After returning to the right path and walking for a while, he saw the piles of bluestone materials outside in the distance.

As you get closer, you can see dim light shining from the cave entrance.

"Is someone still working late into the night?"

Suppressing his doubts, Li Ping continued to approach.

When they were about ten feet away, he was startled and quickly found a patch of grass and crawled inside.

Looking back, I saw two cultivators at the cave entrance, talking in hushed tones.

He had met these two men before when Hong Peng introduced them; they were the Hong brothers, both at the third level of Qi Refining.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Is it a coincidence, or does it happen every night?"

Li Ping frowned slightly, a bunch of questions on his mind.

"With my cultivation level, there is absolutely no way I could take down two people silently."

After making his decision, he didn't hesitate at all and turned to leave.

The following night, they returned to the cave, only to find the Hong brothers still guarding the entrance.

Subsequent three investigations yielded the same result.

"This is no coincidence. It seems the Hong family is plotting something in the Lingquan Cave."

Was it a stroke of luck or something else?

Li Ping couldn't figure it out, so he had to put it aside for the time being.

In fact, he only had two choices.

First, notify the Mu family and let them handle it.

Secondly, he continued his own investigation.

Choosing to notify the Mu family carries the risk of alerting them and exposing their activities. If the Hong family destroys all traces beforehand, it would be seen as fabrication and unfounded suspicion.

In the end, you might end up suffering the consequences.

Choosing to investigate on your own means facing the Hong family alone.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

After a moment's thought, Li Ping was suddenly startled, realizing that he seemed to have no other choice.

After all, he had no idea about the Hong family's plans, so how could he inform the Mu family?

"If we continue the investigation, we need either the ability to silently eliminate the Hong brothers, or the means to lure them away."

"But right now, I can't do either of those things."

Li Ping secretly considered his options and decided not to take any further action for the time being.

And so, he fell silent once again.

……

……

In the blink of an eye, January has flown by.

Construction on Qing Teng Island is in full swing, and all matters on the island are progressing steadily.

Li Ping maintained his persona, spending his days indoors in ascetic practice, occasionally teasing Hong Xing, and constantly clamoring for better meals.

Gradually, the Hong family father and daughter got used to it and even became a little annoyed with him.

Even when he occasionally left for a short while, Hong Xing didn't bother to ask any questions.

In the early morning, a cold wind howled along the coast, and the tides lapped against the embankment wave after wave.

Suddenly, a giant wave, two zhang high, surged up from the sea and crashed down with a deafening roar.

Water splashed everywhere, stones flew everywhere, and a gap was washed out of the bank.

Li Ping walked to the edge of the gap, picked up a piece of gravel, rubbed it gently, and powder fell from between his fingers.

"The power is acceptable." He shook his head. "Unfortunately, it's only at the beginner level. A single giant wave drained the Dan Lake."

He put a lot of effort into mastering the Overlapping Wave Technique over the past month.

He can strike three times in a row by simply gathering water into waves, but the power is far less than that of using magic to condense waves.

In a place abundant with water elemental energy, it is barely possible to condense two streams.

In comparison, the progress in the Water Dividing and Transformation technique is much greater, and it has already achieved a certain level of mastery.

The duration of the Stand is extended to half an hour, and its deceptive effect is greatly enhanced.

Even those at the late stage of Qi Refining cannot detect it with their divine sense.

There are no late-stage cultivators on Green Vine Island.

The surveillance by the Hong family father and daughter was practically non-existent.

"It's time to make a big splash."

Li Ping sighed softly and walked towards the courtyard.

On the way, looking back on the short month or so, he felt that he was indeed exceptionally talented in magic.

After all, both spells have been greatly improved.

Upon arriving at the courtyard gate, Li Ping sniffed and smelled the aroma of wine.

Pushing open the door, he saw Hong Xing had prepared the sacrificial meal and was pouring him wine.

"What kind of day is this, that we're drinking spirit wine?"

Li Ping plopped down at the table, grinning as he looked at Hong Xing.

"What kind of day could it be? It's just that you're always clamoring for spirit wine," Hong Xing pouted, dissatisfied.

"Thank you, Xing'er."

Li Ping smiled and pushed the cup in front of Hong Xing, indicating that she should drink first.

"At least she has a conscience," Hong Xing muttered, then downed her drink in one gulp.

After waiting a moment and seeing that she was alright, Li Ping asked her to pour him a glass.

With one sip, the spirit wine went down his throat. At first, he thought the taste was mellow and lingering, but later it lost its flavor.

"What kind of wine is this? It's a bit weak." Li Ping tapped the table.

"Hey, aren't you satisfied? This is the Drunken Immortal Brew from Jieyoufang." Hong Xing frowned.

Li Ping was well aware of the reputation of Drunken Immortal Brew, which was said to be so potent that only those who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage could counteract its effects.

My second uncle bought it before, and he tried it too.

At that time, he had just entered the Daoist path, and he became completely drunk after just one sip.

But why is it so bland now? Could it be that it's been diluted with water?

Li Ping didn't believe it and drank another cup.

It was just like before; it had some flavor at first, but quickly became bland and tasteless, like drinking water.

He was puzzled, so he made Hong Xing drink another cup.

After one bite, her cheeks flushed red; she was already starting to get drunk.

Li Ping frowned, looking puzzled.

The alcohol is fine.

So what's the problem?