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

She stopped talking abruptly halfway through her sentence.

A glint of clarity flashed in those bright blue eyes, as if she realized she had said the wrong thing.

Li Ping squinted.

This woman was quite alert.

"What do you want?" Li Ping tightened his grip. "Speak."

Ruan Ling'er's face turned red from his pinching, but she bit her lip tightly and refused to utter another word.

Li Ping asked twice more, but only received silence in return.

That's a tough nut to crack.

He frowned, no longer wasting time, raised his hand and patted her dantian, spiritual energy penetrating her body and sealing her cultivation.

Ruan Ling'er let out a muffled groan, her body went limp, and she almost collapsed.

Li Ping grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her up like a chick.

Fifth level of Qi Refining.

The moment he sealed her dantian, he was able to ascertain the woman's cultivation level.

With such meager skills, how dare you provoke him?

Li Ping shook his head, feeling that this woman was overestimating herself.

but……

He looked around, his gaze sweeping across the sea and the banyan trees on the cliff edge.

This woman dared to make a move near the market; either she was stupid, or she had accomplices helping her.

Instead of returning the way they came, Li Ping carried Ruan Ling'er and slipped into a small path on the island.

After wandering around for half an hour, making sure no one was following him, he finally returned to his small courtyard.

Once the courtyard gate was closed, Li Ping tossed Ruan Ling'er onto a stone bench in the courtyard, then moved a chair over and sat down opposite her.

"Now you can speak," Li Ping said calmly, crossing his legs. "You set up a trap, luring me to the precipice. What were you planning to do?"

Ruan Ling'er lowered her head and remained silent.

Li Ping asked a few more questions, but Ruan Ling'er remained silent, as if she had become mute.

"OK."

Li Ping stood up, walked up to her, and looked down at her.

"If you won't tell me, then I'll do it myself."

Ruan Ling'er suddenly looked up, her blue eyes filled with terror.

She instinctively tried to shrink back, but her cultivation was sealed, and her body was weak and powerless. She could only watch helplessly as Li Ping reached out his hand.

Li Ping disregarded any distinctions between men and women and proceeded to search the person directly.

Storage bags, cuffs, belts, boots—nothing was overlooked.

A moment later, a pile of things was placed on the stone table.

A dozen or so low-grade spirit stones, two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills, a silver hairpin, several talismans, and a palm-sized bronze mirror.

Li Ping checked them one by one.

The spirit stones were ordinary spirit stones, the pills were Qi-nourishing pills that could be found anywhere in the market, the silver hairpin was a low-grade magic tool, the talismans were the lowest-level lightness and protection talismans, and the bronze mirror was just an ordinary dressing item.

There was nothing that could prove their identity.

Li Ping read it twice, his brows gradually furrowing.

He sighed softly and put the things down.

Seeing this, Ruan Ling'er's face showed a mocking expression, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. Her eyes seemed to say: Is that all you've got?

Li Ping glanced at her but didn't say anything.

His gaze swept across the objects on the stone table, finally settling on Ruan Ling'er's neck.

There, hanging was a crescent-shaped jade pendant.

Ruan Ling'er noticed his gaze, and the smile on her lips instantly froze.

Have a show?

Li Ping's heart stirred.

He reached out and ripped the jade pendant off.

The jade pendant is small, about two fingers wide, crescent-shaped, with a warm and smooth texture and a faint bluish hue throughout.

The front is engraved with the profile of a woman, with long hair flowing over her shoulders and her eyes lowered; it is Ruan Ling'er.

Li Ping flipped the jade pendant over and found a straight cut on the edge, as if it had been split in the middle by something.

He squinted and examined it carefully for a moment.

This shape...

"They should be a pair."

Li Ping looked up at Ruan Ling'er and said, "This jade pendant should have another half."

Ruan Ling'er's pupils suddenly contracted.

Although she quickly regained her composure, that fleeting change did not escape Li Ping's notice.

"Not going to talk?" Li Ping toyed with the jade pendant, his tone casual. "You think I can't find your accomplices just because you don't speak?"

"The Mu family has over a hundred people in this market, so finding someone shouldn't be too difficult."

Ruan Ling'er's face gradually turned pale.

Seeing her reaction, Li Ping continued, "Do you know the consequences of attacking someone from the Mu family on their territory?"

He paused, lowering his voice slightly.

"Skin and light the lamp."

Those four words pierced Ruan Ling'er's ears like knives.

Her body visibly trembled, and genuine fear surfaced in her blue eyes.

Li Ping nodded inwardly, but remained expressionless on his face.

"That feeling was worse than death."

He stood up, paced a couple of steps in front of Ruan Ling'er, and then suddenly changed the subject.

"However, if you bring it up voluntarily, the punishment may be reduced."

Li Ping stopped and looked down at her: "I can give you a quick death."

Ruan Ling'er's lips trembled slightly, as if she was struggling.

Li Ping didn't press her any further, but simply waited quietly.

Just then, the jade pendant in his hand suddenly flashed.

The blue light flashed and disappeared so quickly that it was almost an illusion.

Li Ping's alarm bells went off, and he instinctively asked, "What's going on?"

Ruan Ling'er did not answer.

She stared at the jade pendant, the fear on her face receding like a tide, replaced by a look of relief.

"You..." Li Ping was surprised.

Ruan Ling'er raised her head, her blue eyes coldly staring at Li Ping: "You won't get anything out of me."

At this moment, she was calm, showing no trace of the fear she had shown earlier.

Li Ping stared at her, remaining silent for a moment.

cheated.

Those terrified, trembling, and pale faces just now were all an act.

This woman was acting from the very beginning.

He said he was scared, but his eyes were always looking for an opportunity.

And now, the flash of light from that jade pendant clearly means that she has finally received what she has been waiting for.

"Grass."

Li Ping cursed inwardly, but showed no anger on his face.

He looked down at the jade pendant in his hand.

If these jade pendants are indeed a pair, then the flash just now was most likely a message being sent.

Her accomplices already know that something has happened to her.

Next, they either come to rescue people or run away.

Regardless of which one it is, he doesn't have much time left.

Li Ping made a quick decision, walked out of the courtyard, and prepared to go find Mu Fangxu.

This woman's background is not simple, and her methods are strange. He may not be able to handle the situation that follows on his own.

Moreover, the fact that the other party dared to make a move near the market suggests that the forces behind them are probably quite powerful.

Li Ping walked quickly, passing through several alleys, and arrived at Mu Fangxu's residence.

Luckily, Mu Fangxu happened to be in the courtyard.

Li Ping briefly recounted the events.

Upon hearing this, Mu Fangxu's expression turned serious, and he immediately followed him back.

A moment later, the two returned to the courtyard.

Li Ping pushed open the courtyard gate, and Ruan Ling'er was still sitting on the stone bench, maintaining the posture she had adopted when they left.

Hearing the noise, she looked up.

The moment her gaze fell on Mu Fangxu, Ruan Ling'er's eyelids twitched violently.

Although she quickly lowered her head, that momentary change did not escape Mu Fangxu's notice.