Chapter 106: Your Wife Isn't a Figment of Your Imagination! (Third update,)

Within those beautiful eyes, Ren Yidao saw some familiar emotions.

Resignation to death, determination, unease... and a faint stirring of affection.

As if self-suggesting, she repeated:

"I am willing to do anything for her."

Having made up her mind, Li Qiushui looked at Ren Yidao and said slowly but firmly:

"This place has been set with a vicious Restriction by the Demon Race; it can only be undone through intercourse."

Li Qiushui knew what it meant to say these words, but she spoke them nonetheless.

"Do not touch her."

"... Come at me."

Ren Yidao: "..."

Watching Li Qiushui say these words with such resignation to death, Ren Yidao understood that things were still proceeding according to his plan.

The third stage—compromise.

For the sake of Shi Xue, Li Qiushui chose to compromise, even to sacrifice herself, willing to unite with a man she had only met a few times.

If the goal were Li Qiushui's body, Ren Yidao could begin to enjoy it right now.

This was forced by the situation, and given Li Qiushui's personality, she would not come to pester him afterward.

It was a perfect opportunity.

But what Ren Yidao wanted was not just this.

His expression was first stunned, then shifted to contemplation, and finally tangled and shifted between being moved and resisting.

Finally, he let out a long breath and then gently hugged Li Qiushui's body.

!!!

Feeling herself embraced by a solid body, Li Qiushui subconsciously wanted to break free, but her arms lifted in agitation, only to hang powerlessly at the end.

This was her own choice.

This was a necessary sacrifice...

Clearly, she had never wanted to marry anyone; this should not have weighed on her heart.

But why?

There was such unwillingness in her heart.

Strange liquid was actually sliding from the corners of her eyes...

And just as Li Qiushui resignedly closed her eyes and let the tears flow, she suddenly found herself released.

Opening her eyes in confusion, Li Qiushui saw the young man's compassionate expression before her.

Ren Yidao raised his hand, gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said softly:

"Miss Li, you need not be nervous; I will not go against your will."

He pressed his hands on Li Qiushui's shoulders, slowly pushing her away a little, and comforted her:

"Things have not reached the worst point yet; please do not give up on yourself, okay?"

"Rest assured, you will both be fine."

Flashing a firm and reliable smile at Li Qiushui, he said:

"I will save you both."

"I'm a damn genius!"

While Ren Yidao in the cave was acting with Li Qiushui, there was another Ren Yidao just one wall away.

The Ren Yidao outside the cave slammed his palm, deeply moved:

"Who wouldn't be moved seeing this? Who wouldn't be dazed? Even I'm starting to fall in love with myself."

The art of war: attacking the heart is supreme, attacking the city is secondary; psychological warfare is supreme, military warfare is secondary.

Forcibly "boarding the carriage" to attack the city at this time would only cause Li Qiushui's side-quest line to be completely severed; it would truly be a loss that outweighs the gain.

Therefore, it is better to change to a method of attacking the heart.

"So, is this also a way to not only obtain your body but also obtain your heart?"

The ability of the Incarnation came from the fifth Fox Tail after Ren Yidao's demon body advanced.

The fifth tail—he hadn't thought of a name yet, but the ability was to split off an Incarnation.

It was somewhat like the Great Sage's Body Substitution Technique of plucking hairs to create a fake body.

With this tail, Ren Yidao could allow his human body and demon body to appear simultaneously.

Although the Incarnation's strength could not reach a perfect copy, it still possessed eighty percent of his Dharma Power.

Weapons could not be copied, but his own tails could be used universally.

This ability was what Ren Yidao most desired at this stage; it could solve many of his inconveniences.

Just like now, he could let the Fox Tail Clone act with Li Qiushui while his true body could go do other things.

"It requires multitasking, but this level of difficulty will be easy to get used to later."

"Let's finish the real business first."

Ren Yidao had not forgotten his original purpose for coming here.

He arrived beneath that enormous plum tree, took a wooden box from his bosom, and said softly:

"I was entrusted by someone to bury this item."

He pushed aside the remains of the Mei clansmen, revealing the ground beneath.

He did not use Dharma Power, but instead rolled up his sleeves and knelt on the ground, personally turning over the soil before placing the wooden box inside.

The change began from that very moment.

The sturdy wooden box split open rapidly, revealing the items inside.

Unexpectedly, what was in the box was not the ashes Ren Yidao had guessed.

Instead, it was two strands of black hair tied together.

"……Hm?"

Ren Yidao's eyes widened slightly, and he blinked repeatedly.

"Ah?"

One's body, hair, and skin are gifts from one's parents; the importance people of this world place on hair is far more exaggerated than modern people would imagine.

To be able to entwine and bind strands of hair together, this can only mean one thing.

"Binding hair to become husband and wife, deep love with no doubts. Joy is in this evening, gentle and harmonious at the auspicious time."

Hair Binding Ceremony.

"……Senior Brother, for you to pull this off, this is something I truly could not have guessed."

How was I supposed to guess this?

You actually had a lover—no, I should say a wife to whom you had pledged your life?

Although I feel a bit sorry for you.

But before this, I always thought the woman you were painting was someone you had imagined……

I'm sorry!

I am terribly sorry!

But the changes went far beyond that.

One of the two strands of hair suddenly ignited, turning into black smoke that flew toward the plum tree.

Following that, the entire illusion began to shake, as if Heaven were collapsing and the earth sinking.

Boom, boom, boom!

"Hm???"

Hurriedly transferring all his consciousness back to his true body, Ren Yidao stood ready to deal with the unknown changes.

However, no danger occurred.

In Ren Yidao's wide-eyed gaze, the plum tree withered rapidly upon contact, transforming into a giant cocoon.

Crack, crack.

After a few breaths, the giant cocoon split open, and a fair, white palm reached out from within, grasping the other strand of hair that was fluttering about.

A woman with closed eyes walked out from the giant cocoon.

Ren Yidao had seen this woman; he had seen her countless times in Jian Xinxin's room.

Those repeated portraits depicted every detail of her, every expression in her eyes.

Is, is this Sister-in-law?

She held the hair, seemingly sensing something.

"A Jian……"

She didn't even glance at Ren Yidao, instead waving toward the space in front of her, tearing open a massive void rift, and stepping inside.

Eh?

Ren Yidao stared blankly as the woman disappeared, only then reacting and shouting toward the rift:

"Sis—Sister-in-law! Where are you going!?"

Sister-in-law, come back—

"Oh no."

Gazing at the gradually healing void, Ren Yidao felt a headache coming on, but in the end, he did not follow.

Ren Yidao could only mutter helplessly:

"Damn it, I think I've managed to lose Sister-in-law……"

What should I do now?

Furthermore, there was one more thing he couldn't quite figure out.

That woman was clearly not human.

She was a demon, that plum tree demon.

Her Demon Qi was far more terrifying than his, a newly promoted Great Demon of the Transformation Realm!

How could she be a demon?

And just as he was getting a headache, another matter that gave him an even bigger headache occurred.

"……Hiss!"

Ren Yidao had just placed all his consciousness into his true body, and the Fox Tail Clone inside the cave was uncontrolled.

And just now, when the void was torn open, his specially crafted cave had also shaken violently.

In this accidental tremor, the two uncontrollable bodies unexpectedly rushed toward each other.

And then……

"Ren Yidao!!! You, hurry and dodge…… Ugh!!?"

Pop.

Don't you all talk nonsense, how could I be cliffhanging? I clearly just happened not to have finished writing) I am innocent!