42: Chapter 42 Xiao Nianyin had no choice but to concede to Madam Qingli's conditions.

"Dream Reconstruction"... She had heard of this strange secret technique.

It is said that those of the Taihu Clan who have reached a high level of proficiency can, to a certain extent, trace back, perceive, and even influence the residual traces of dreams or similar mental Domains that others have experienced, especially those related to emotional desires. Could it be...

Lady Qingli admired the fleeting shock in Xiao Nianyin's eyes, the smile on her Face deepening and becoming colder: "You deliberately guided, and even secretly pushed, the power belonging to you within Xu Ruyu to run wild in the Great Fox Illusion, was it not just to make me step in personally, become deeply entangled with his power, and subsequently... lose my chastity to him?"

Her voice lowered, carrying a sense of temptation and a hint of cold mockery: "You wanted to drag me into this, letting me, a powerful expert of the Taihu Clan, become involved in an illicit relationship with him, thereby binding me to your ship.

Using my status and strength to deter those restless opponents inside your Hehuan Sect, such as that Third Elder, and those old fogies outside waiting to see you make a fool of yourself, right?"

Every word was like a needle quenched in ice, piercing through the plan that Xiao Nianyin had believed to be airtight.

The calm on Xiao Nianyin's Face finally showed a crack.

When she schemed against Qingli, she had indeed considered the risk that her secret with Xu Ruyu might be exposed, but she had assumed it would be more of a "guess," rather than being so clearly and directly "seen"!

The bizarreness of this "Dream Reconstruction" far exceeded her estimates!

The danger level of this Qingli was also far higher than she had imagined!

She was not only powerful and meticulous in her thinking, but she also possessed such a terrifying means of prying into secrets!

Seeing Xiao Nianyin silent, a flash of smugness crossed Lady Qingli's eyes; she knew she had struck a vital point.

She relaxed her posture, leaned lazily back against the chair, and continued slowly:

"Rest assured, Sister Nianyin. I did not return this time to settle scores with you. On the contrary, I have come... to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Xiao Nianyin raised her eyelids, her gaze sharp as a knife, "You want to take Xu Ruyu away?"

She did not need to guess. Lady Qingli had returned after leaving, not hesitating to use secret methods to pry into secrets; what she sought was nothing but Xu Ruyu himself, or rather, his special "value."

"Indeed." Lady Qingli admitted frankly, her smile fearless, "However, you need not be too nervous or worried. My condition is beneficial to both you and me."

She held up a slender jade finger, her voice clear and full of temptation: "My condition is—before you recover your strength, I, Lady Qingli, can stay in the Hehuan Sect and openly support you as a Guest Elder, or... as your 'sister.'

I can help you deter and suppress those restless individuals within the Sect, and even use some of my Taihu Clan's resources and connections to help you stabilize the situation and buy time."

She paused, watching Xiao Nianyin's shifting expression, then parted her red lips to deliver the second half: "But, after you recover your strength and regain control of the Sect... Xu Ruyu belongs to me. I intend to take him away."

The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly. The glow of the night pearls seemed to dim slightly.

Xiao Nianyin's Face suddenly turned cold, and an icy aura radiated from her body: "And if I do not agree? Will you just seize him by force?"

"Giggle..." Lady Qingli giggled again, as if she had heard something amusing. She tilted her head, her nine fox tails swaying happily, "It is good that you know.

Sister Nianyin, I am only negotiating with you so nicely out of respect for your Hehuan Sect's founding Ancestral Master, the 'Hehuan Fairy,' and also for the sake of the tenuous connection we share by 'serving the same fish' (she deliberately used ambiguous phrasing)."

Her smile gradually faded, her eyes becoming deep and dangerous. The pressure belonging to a powerful expert of the Taihu Clan permeated the air; although it did not directly strike Xiao Nianyin, it made the atmosphere of the entire hall feel incredibly oppressive.

"Otherwise, given your current situation—" Lady Qingli's voice carried undisguised pity and forcefulness, "with your cultivation lost, surrounded by powerful enemies, and dark undercurrents surging within the Sect... do you think I, Qingli, need to speak to you so humbly?

If I wanted to take him away by force, would you be able to stop me in your current state? And within the Hehuan Sect right now, how many people would truly risk a falling out with my Taihu Clan for the sake of a Disciple of unknown origin?

Besides, there are likely quite a few people in your Hehuan Sect who would be eager for Xu Ruyu to leave, right?"

Every question Lady Qingli posed was like a heavy hammer striking Xiao Nianyin's heart. She knew that what Lady Qingli said was the truth.

Currently, she was strong on the outside but weak on the inside, lacking the capital to confront Qingli head-on. Within the Hehuan Sect, those waiting for her to fall were likely far more numerous than those who sincerely supported her.

Lady Qingli watched Xiao Nianyin's shifting expression, knowing that the timing was right. Her tone softened, and with a temptation akin to sharing a secret, she whispered:

"Nianyin, you must understand what an existence like Xu Ruyu truly means to our Taihu Clan."

For the first time, her eyes revealed undisguised eagerness and desire: "I have only... practiced Hehuan with him once. Just once!"

She emphasized, "The Realm barrier within my body that has imprisoned me for nearly a hundred years, preventing me from taking that final step, has faintly shown signs of loosening!

Can you imagine? This means he might be the key for me to break through my current shackles and glimpse a higher Realm! He might even... be one of the hopes for the revival of the entire Taihu Clan!"

Her words exploded in Xiao Nianyin's ears like a thunderbolt. Xiao Nianyin naturally knew that Lady Qingli had been stuck at her current Realm for a long time, and she herself deeply understood the difficulty of that final step.

Could Xu Ruyu actually produce such a significant effect on Qingli? This was even more astonishing than she had anticipated! No wonder Qingli was so persistent, even going so far as to lower herself and use both soft and hard tactics!

The hall fell into a long silence once more. There was only the sound of the two women's faint breathing and the constant, soft glow of the night pearls.

Xiao Nianyin closed her eyes, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Her fundamental purpose in keeping Xu Ruyu was to find an opportunity to reclaim the cultivation that had been drained from her, or at least the majority of it.

This was her only hope to restore her strength and stabilize the situation. But now, this secret was known to Qingli, and the other party had proposed conditions that were both tempting and carried an implied, fatal threat.

Agreeing to Qingli would mean gaining a powerful ally before she could recover her strength, greatly alleviating the current crisis. But the cost would be losing Xu Ruyu after her recovery—losing the "key" that might hold the secret to restoring all her cultivation, or perhaps even advancing further...

If she did not agree? Qingli would likely turn hostile immediately, and in her current state, she would be unable to protect Xu Ruyu. Qingli might even expose the secret between her and Xu Ruyu, which would attract more and more terrifying coveters, and the situation would spiral completely out of control.

Of two evils, choose the lesser... After a long time, Xiao Nianyin slowly opened her eyes. In those cold, clear eyes, all emotions were suppressed, leaving only a bottomless pool.

She looked at Lady Qingli, who was waiting for an answer with composure, and parted her red lips. Her voice was calm, without a single ripple: "Very well, I agree."

A flash of delighted surprise erupted in Lady Qingli's eyes, and the corners of her mouth could not help but curl upward.

But Xiao Nianyin continued immediately, her tone firm and decisive: "However, you must guarantee! After your Taihu Clan takes him away, you must not take his life! You must ensure his safety! Otherwise, even if I have lost my cultivation, and even if it means becoming an enemy to your Taihu Clan, I will never let you succeed!"

Her voice rose sharply, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness and... a sense of protectiveness she had not even realized herself.

Lady Qingli was stunned for a moment, and then, a more meaningful smile, heavy with teasing, appeared on her Face.

She looked Xiao Nianyin up and down, as if she had discovered something extremely interesting.

"Giggle..." She laughed again, the sound echoing through the empty hall, "Sister Nianyin... you look like this, it does not seem as though you merely treat him as a tool to restore your cultivation, or a Disciple for whom you simply need to take responsibility..."

She drew out her tone, her eyes ambiguous: "Are you worried about him? Afraid I might eat him? Or perhaps... you, this iceberg, have truly allowed your mortal heart to be moved by your little Disciple?

If those old fogies in the Cultivation World who have been pursuing you for hundreds of years were to find out, tsk tsk, what do you think the fate of this little fellow Xu Ruyu would be? I'm afraid..."

"Enough!" Xiao Nianyin interrupted her sharply, her Face icy and her chest heaving slightly; she was clearly truly angry, "Qingli! You only need to answer me: do you agree to this condition or not!"

Her reaction seemed to further confirm some of Lady Qingli's suspicions.

Lady Qingli knew when to stop and no longer provoked her. She put away her smile and said seriously: "Very well, I agree. I, Qingli, swear by my Heart Demon: if I obtain Xu Ruyu, I will ensure his life is free from harm and do my utmost to protect his safety. Of course, that is on the condition that he cooperates obediently."

She said the last sentence lightly, yet it was laced with a hidden edge.

Xiao Nianyin knew that this was the greatest promise Qingli could make. For a cultivator, swearing by a Heart Demon was extremely binding. As for "cooperating"... that would depend on Xu Ruyu's own fate and... her arrangements.

The deal was thus struck. The Ningyin Hall fell into silence once more.

Only this time, the silence was completely different from before. On the surface, the two stunning women had reached an agreement and temporarily become allies.

But beneath this agreement lay deep, individual schemes, unspoken intentions, and a more complex and secret struggle that had just begun, centered around the special "treasure" that was Xu Ruyu.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened. Night had fallen over the Hehuan Sect, and it also shrouded the seemingly harmonious but actually turbulent chess game within the hall.

At this moment, Xu Ruyu, who knew nothing of this, was walking unsteadily along the dark path behind the mountain. He rubbed his grumbling stomach, full of resentment as he searched for something to eat, completely unaware that he had already become a bargaining chip in a transaction between two powerful women.