The next day, when Gu Jin woke up, she turned to look at Long Yifan sleeping beside her. He looked peaceful, his face calm and relaxed. But the moment she remembered what happened last night, her face darkened.

This guy had gone way too far.

All the sweetness, all the affection she had felt for him last night had completely vanished the moment he refused to stop. Even when she told him to rest, he just smiled and kept going as if he had endless energy.

Gu Jin gritted her teeth, feeling both embarrassed and angry. She really wanted to slap him awake, but instead, she took a deep breath, got out of bed, and went to freshen up.

After getting dressed, she was about to leave the room for breakfast when she heard Long Yifan's lazy voice behind her.

"Where are you going so early?" he asked, still half-asleep.

Gu Jin froze for a moment, then slowly turned around. Her eyes were sharp as a blade. "If you dare talk about doing anything again," she said coldly, "I'll beat you up so bad you won't walk straight for a week."

Hearing that, Long Yifan immediately raised both hands in surrender. "I...I don't even know what made you this angry," he said quickly. "But if I did something wrong, I apologize!"

Gu Jin crossed her arms.

"You don't know what you did wrong? You went for seventeen rounds, Long Yifan. Seventeen! I told you to stop after the seventh, but you still had the nerve to ask for more. Do you think I have the stamina of a spirit beast? Can a Saint Stage Seven mage even compare to a Saint Stage Nine like you?"

Long Yifan's expression turned awkward. He raised his hand again.

"Alright, alright, that was my fault. I went overboard. From now on, I'll restrain myself, I promise."

Gu Jin rolled her eyes.

"Good. Because you're not getting anything for the next three months. You'll live like a monk, so you finally understand what it feels like to be the one suffering."

That made Long Yifan shoot up from the bed like lightning. "Three months?!" he exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm dead serious," Gu Jin said, glaring at him.

Long Yifan stared at her, completely helpless. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to look pitiful.

"Gu Jin, please! It was my fault, I admit it. But it was our first night together… I couldn't control myself."

Gu Jin turned away with a sigh. "Good. Then you can use this as a reminder for next time."

Long Yifan stared at her, completely defeated. For a moment, he thought about giving up.

But then, a mischievous idea appeared in his mind. Before Gu Jin could react, he suddenly pulled away the blanket.

Gu Jin's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of his bare body. Her face turned bright red, and she quickly looked away, shouting, "What do you think you're doing?!"

The next second, she felt his warm arms wrap around her from behind.

"I know you're angry," Long Yifan said softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I promise I won't do it again, alright? Don't stay mad at me."

Gu Jin's heart softened slightly at his gentle voice, but she didn't show it. "You think this little act will make me forgive you?" she muttered. "I'm still not taking back my words."

Long Yifan nuzzled against her cheek, his tone low and pleading. "Then… can you give me any other punishment? Anything but that?"

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Yes," Long Yifan said confidently. "Anything you want."

A sly smile appeared on Gu Jin's lips. "Alright then. From now on, you're in charge of cleaning Water Dragon's poop for the next two years."

Long Yifan froze. The smile on his face vanished instantly. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope," Gu Jin said sweetly. "You said anything, didn't you?"

Long Yifan groaned and held his head. "Gu Jin, you're truly ruthless. Even toward your own husband, you have no mercy."

Gu Jin chuckled. "If I show mercy to you, who will show mercy to me? Someone has to keep things fair."

Long Yifan sighed heavily, knowing there was no way out. "Fine. I accept the punishment."

Gu Jin gave a satisfied nod. "Good attitude." After a moment, her tone softened. "Now, let's talk about what we should do next."

Long Yifan stretched and smiled. "There's nothing much to plan. Lady Ling will probably come soon with another one of her schemes."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "You seem to trust her quite a lot."

Long Yifan laughed. "She's never disappointed me before."

Just then, there was a click at the door. The two froze and exchanged glances.

Gu Jin quickly buttoned up her shirt while Long Yifan rushed into the bathroom to wash up. When Gu Jin opened the door, her eyes met Lady Ling's calm, smiling face.

The woman was dressed in elegant white robes, her presence graceful yet intimidating. Her eyes flickered toward Gu Jin's neck, where faint red marks were visible. A knowing smile curved her lips.

"It must have been a wild night," Lady Ling said lightly.

Gu Jin's expression didn't change. She only smiled politely. "What brings you here so early, Lady Ling?"

Lady Ling's smile deepened. "Now that you two have completed your wedding night, it's time to receive the divine blessing."

"Blessing?" Gu Jin asked, her brows furrowing. "How do we receive it?"

Lady Ling glanced around, then lowered her voice. "It's better if I explain it to both of you together. It will save me from repeating myself."

Gu Jin nodded and led her downstairs to the dining room.

At the breakfast table, Lady Ling didn't mention anything at first. She ate quietly, smiling faintly.

On the surface, she looked calm and gentle, but deep inside, a flicker of pity flickered in her heart.

If it weren't for her grudge against Gu Jin, she might have treated the Gu family kindly. But unfortunately, they were her family...Gu Jin's family...and for that alone, they were doomed to share her fate.

Soon, Long Yifan joined them, looking fresh and composed.

As soon as he sat down, Gu Jihu smirked. "Well, well. Look who finally decided to wake up. You dared to sleep in your in-laws' house? What an ungrateful son-in-law!"

Gu Jishi added, "Truly shameless. No respect for elders at all."

Long Yifan scratched his head awkwardly. "I apologize. It was my mistake. I won't repeat it again."

Both men rolled their eyes, muttering under their breath.

Once everyone finished eating, Lady Ling motioned for Gu Jin and Long Yifan to sit on the sofa. The others followed and sat nearby.

Lady Ling folded her hands and spoke in a calm tone.

"Every mighty mage couple must visit the Forbidden Land to receive the blessing of the gods. You two will need to stay there for forty-nine days."

Everyone fell silent.

Mrs. Gu finally spoke. "The Forbidden Land? Isn't that the place where supreme-ranked beasts are sealed? Why would anyone go there for blessings? That land was created to keep danger away from the mage world, not to invite it!"

Lady Ling chuckled softly.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. This is an internal ritual known only to the highest-ranking mages. Being allowed to enter the Forbidden Land is a great honor, one that very few couples ever receive."

Gu Jin and Long Yifan exchanged a quick glance. Both were thinking the same thing.

Pure nonsense.

From what they knew, mighty mage couples didn't need any special blessings. A few words from Lady Ling herself during their wedding would have been enough.

But she had stayed silent then, and now suddenly wanted to send them into a deadly place?

Her intentions were clear as daylight.

Still, neither of them said anything. They simply smiled and pretended to be surprised.

"If that's the case," Gu Jin said politely, "then we'll gladly complete the task and earn the gods' blessing."

Lady Ling's lips curled slightly.

"Wonderful. I'll help you by packing supplementary supplies and last-minute trump cards. Just remember, during those forty-nine days, you cannot use any divine or semi-divine artifacts."

Gu Jin blinked. "We don't own any," she said calmly.

Lady Ling's eyes narrowed. "From what I know, your family gave you Solaris, a semi-divine armor. Isn't that true?"

Gu Jin didn't even flinch. "I gave it to my eldest sister," she replied smoothly.

Lady Ling turned to Gu Jichun. "Is that true?"

Gu Jichun nodded immediately and showed her the armor.

Seeing that, Lady Ling smiled in satisfaction. 'Good,' she thought. 'Without divine artifacts, killing them will be much easier.'

She looked back at Gu Jin and Long Yifan, her smile warm but her eyes cold.

"You two truly are admirable. Survive these forty-nine days, and whatever happens afterward will become your blessing."

Gu Jin and Long Yifan exchanged another glance, both smiling brightly on the outside, while inside, they already knew this so-called "blessing" was nothing but a trap.