CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 206 I TREAT YOU WELL (ADDITIONAL 3 IN 1)_4

"Zhu Yu, why is it that every time, you never throw yourself into my arms?"

They had spent more than just a few days together in this lifetime. Chen Yi had teased her, had shown her warmth, yet Zhou Yitang always seemed unresponsive, refusing to take that step forward.

Chen Yi saw her sitting there in utter silence and thought she wouldn’t respond to him, so he turned to leave.

At that moment, the one-armed woman suddenly spoke, "Do you think that after severing the three corpses, I would still harbor desires for you?"

Though he had anticipated it, hearing her say it outright still caused Chen Yi to freeze for a brief moment.

Chen Yi could faintly feel—

It seemed... she still felt unwilling.

Chen Yi chuckled bitterly and said, "Is resigning yourself really impossible? It’s not like I wouldn’t treat you well."

He had hurt her before, and because of that, he held on to the hope for a slow, steady future, genuinely wanting to treat her with gentleness.

Yet, the one-armed woman replied:

"I can refuse."

Chen Yi suddenly felt a surge of emotion welling up in his chest, his ribs pulling taut as the wave climbed upward.

Zhou Yitang looked firmly at him.

Chen Yi turned his back to her, embracing Yin Tingxue in his arms. She, blissfully unaware of Master Zhou’s arrival, remained immersed in a sweet and tranquil dream.

The scene was utterly unsettling—a woman staring silently at a man holding another woman, as though catching him in the act—yet it was clear that Chen Yi knew Zhou Yitang was watching, and Zhou Yitang knew that Chen Yi knew she was watching. It was as if they were playing out an affair in broad daylight.

"What have you discovered?" Chen Yi asked to ease the tension.

The one-armed woman was never one for cryptic hints. She dove into the main topic and spoke: "The matter of the Joyful Sect is complex; there are hidden layers beneath it. As suspected, Tang Kumai is merely a decoy—the underlying scheme lies between the Western Apothecary Bodhisattva Sect and the Three Immortals Mountain."

Chen Yi, hearing this, thought of something and said, "The Winged Serpent I encountered in the Scripture Pavilion—it feeds on fear as sustenance. And the Joyful Sect, with its name suggesting ’joy,’ invites heroes from across the land, using techniques from demonic schools to deliberately ensure their offspring remain scarce. Would you say this has anything to do with the alleged scheme?"

"Exactly." Zhou Yitang affirmed his suspicions. "Do you know that offspring can carry karma and spiritual fortune?"

Chen Yi froze momentarily, then suddenly thought of an exceptionally cruel magical practice. "Are you saying—?"

The one-armed woman seemed to see through her disciple’s thoughts and said calmly, "The Joyful Sect melts down the souls of unborn offspring, uses the Winged Serpent to strip away fear, and refines pure fortunes. Only when divinations predict the birth of offspring with exceptional talent, aptitude, and spiritual perception will they channel fortune through the ritual of yin-yang union and imbue it into the child."

Just hearing these words made Chen Yi feel as though humanity was indiscriminately tossing scrap metal into royal acid, refining it until only gold remained.

The entire sect operated like a colossal pill furnace, its practices consuming countless souls. Though the reputation of the Joyful Sect had always been sordid, the mere mention of this left even Chen Yi with a profound chill.

Chen Yi took a deep breath and quietly asked: "Is that all?"

Zhou Yitang cast a significant glance toward Yin Tingxue.

Chen Yi’s breath hitched suddenly as he shot to his feet and exclaimed, "What does she have to do with this? How does this concern her at all?"

The mystery surrounding Yin Tingxue was the chief reason Chen Yi had brought her here.

If not for that, he simply would’ve wanted Yin Tingxue to stay safely at home.

"It’s related to her mother," Zhou Yitang said coolly.

"Who is it?"

"Princess Lu, one of the incarnations of the Apothecary Bodhisattva," Zhou Yitang revealed without much emotion.

Chen Yi was first shocked, but then noticed Zhou Yitang seemed to still be holding something back.

"You... are you hiding something else?"

"Merely speculation."

"Then say it anyway."

But Zhou Yitang only shook her head.

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes.

What in the world was his master plotting?

Chen Yi thought back to her obscure sense of unwillingness, and a chill crawled up his spine.

In the dark, the one-armed woman’s gaze was sharp as a sword, rendering Chen Yi momentarily breathless. She chuckled coldly and said: "When did you ever believe I wouldn’t want you to sever the three corpses again?"

Suddenly, she raised two fingers as if they were a sword and pointed them directly at the center of Chen Yi’s forehead!