Lin Yun took a deep breath. Ghosts formed from accumulated resentment often clung to worldly things with a powerful obsession. He glanced around the room.
Sure enough, he noticed something unusual. Although this was clearly a woman's residence, it was filled with books. It looked as if a scholar, on his way to the capital for the imperial examinations, had once stayed here.
"Miss, I have had my tea," Lin Yun said. "I wonder, how do I proceed on the path from here?"
Pei Miaojin, hearing this, was taken aback. She likely never imagined that with a beauty like herself present, Lin Yun would still be thinking about leaving.
Tch. It seems I underestimated you. I thought you were just another libertine, she thought to herself. Her expression, however, remained unchanged. "Young master, it is not so easy to leave this Soul-Hooking Valley. The way out only opens once every half a month. That is the only time one can enter or leave. All I can say is, you were quite lucky to have arrived when you did."
Damn it, another half a month before I can leave? Lin Yun took another deep breath. Having Pei Miaojin around was no different from sleeping with a bomb.
Pei Miaojin leaned in, her demeanor full of flirtatious charm. "Young master, are you not willing to stay here with me?"
Lin Yun shook his head and, after a moment's thought, said, "Miss, please don't be like this. I already have a sweetheart."
Pei Miaojin froze. Never before had a man given her such an answer.
"Tch. So what if you have a sweetheart?" she purred, licking her lips. "Is she more beautiful than I am? Can she serve you as well as I can?"
Lin Yun gulped but quickly turned his head away. A man can't… at least, he shouldn't.
Knowing he couldn't leave, Lin Yun had no choice but to stay. But this vixen Pei Miaojin had no intention of letting him go, constantly clinging to him. It was obvious she wanted to drain him of his yang energy.
Lin Yun, however, stood his ground. He could always find another beautiful woman, but if he lost his life, it was gone for good. He wasn't yet so foolish as to throw his life away.
The courtyard had only three rooms: a kitchen, a storage room, and the main chamber, which contained only a single large bed.
When night fell, Pei Miaojin was already lying on her bed, her eyes coyly beckoning to Lin Yun. "Young master, why don't you sleep here with me? As long as you promise not to touch me during the night."
Lin Yun shook his head. I'm afraid of you touching me, alright?
"You should rest early, miss. I will be fine meditating on the floor." After saying this, Lin Yun sat down on the ground, closed his eyes, and immediately entered a meditative state.
Putting aside the fact that Pei Miaojin was a dangerous bomb, Lin Yun wouldn't touch her anyway because of the opportunity itself. He still remembered the key to this trial: "sincerity." Therefore, he told no lies. This ghost had been here for so many years; what kind of foul man had she not seen? Only a man of unshakable virtue, a true gentleman, could possibly earn her respect. To clear this trial, this point was absolutely critical.
Pei Miaojin stared at Lin Yun and called his name a few times. Seeing that he remained completely still, she lost interest.
"What a strange man," she muttered, turning her back to him. "Could it be that he… can't perform? Why is there no reaction at all?"
She didn't notice the corner of Lin Yun's mouth twitching.
I can't perform? You're the one who can't perform! Your whole family can't perform! If it weren't for this trial, today I would…
Soon, Lin Yun discovered something special. The resentment in Soul-Hooking Valley was incredibly thick. As he circulated his Primal Chaos Sword Embryo technique, the surrounding resentment was actually being drawn to him and absorbed. However, this energy wasn't being converted into power for his cultivation. Instead, it was strengthening his killing intent.
As he refined the resentful energy, the aura of slaughter around him grew heavier and heavier. At the same time, his perception of others' killing intent grew sharper.
Though his eyes were closed, Lin Yun could clearly sense it. On the bed, Pei Miaojin's killing intent was directed at him.
So, she noticed me refining the resentment.
But for some reason, the killing intent didn't last long before it dissipated.
And so, the night passed without a word.
The next morning, when Lin Yun awoke early, Pei Miaojin was still asleep. With her eyes closed, she looked less flirtatious and had a touch of a young woman's adorable charm.
Lin Yun shook his head and murmured quietly, "She's actually quite beautiful. What a pity." With that, he walked out of the hut.
The moment he left, Pei Miaojin's eyes opened.
That morning, Lin Yun continued to practice his swordplay in the courtyard. He never wasted a moment of free time to improve himself. After he finished, he helped Pei Miaojin tidy up the yard.
As noon approached, he went into the valley and caught a wild rabbit. However, when Pei Miaojin saw it, she flew into a thunderous rage and demanded he release it at once.
He smiled awkwardly. "You… you don't eat?"
Pei Miaojin shot him a cold glare. "Are you trying to curry favor with me?"
Lin Yun rubbed his nose. "I was just thinking of doing something to help you."
"That is quite unnecessary." After saying this, Pei Miaojin shut her door.
Lin Yun stood alone in the courtyard, somewhat surprised. Are you even a ghost? How can you not even eat a rabbit?
But through this incident, Lin Yun understood something. Pei Miaojin's hatred was directed at men. Beyond that, she was still the same as she had once been, with a trace of kindness left in her heart.
So that's it. That's the key to this trial. Lin Yun finally understood what the fate panel had meant.
For the next few days, Lin Yun learned his lesson. He killed no living things, instead gathering wild mushrooms and fungi to make soup. Who in this world knew how to prepare such things? Lin Yun showed off a little of his skill, and when Pei Miaojin drank the soup, her eyes instantly sparkled with little stars.
"Heavens, this is delicious! I never knew you could find such wonderful ingredients here."
Pei Miaojin looked at Lin Yun with surprise. After spending a few days together, she was no longer as seductive as before. And Lin Yun, for his part, was no longer solely focused on the trial. Though Pei Miaojin hadn't said much, he knew that she was just another tragic figure with a bitter fate.
And so, a few more days passed.
One day, Lin Yun was in the valley picking mushrooms when a loud explosion suddenly echoed from the entrance. He could feel the terrifying energy fluctuations even from a great distance.
Lin Yun's expression hardened. He's here?
The illusion he had set up earlier was meant to waste Xiao Pingtian's time. He just hadn't expected the rules of Soul-Hooking Valley to be so strange, forcing him to be delayed here for so long. Now, it seemed Xiao Pingtian had probably realized he'd been played for a fool and had followed him here.
Not daring to delay, Lin Yun rushed back to find Pei Miaojin.
Her expression was calm, betraying no emotion. But when she saw Lin Yun burst in so frantically, her pretty face was filled with surprise.
Is he… worried about me?