[Ding! Deep Interaction with Beauty Lin Zhiwei. Divine Sense Interaction Points +10!]

[Beauty: Lin Zhiwei] [Cultivation: Qi Condensation Ninth Layer (2697/2700)] [Divine Sense: 997] [Spirit Root: Earth (Low Grade 95/100)] [Affection: 100 (Unwavering)] [Point Type: Divine Sense] [Points Provided: 10]

[Ding! Lin Zhiwei’s Affection has reached maximum value. Reward: 100 Omni-Interaction Points.]

A series of prompts, especially the name “Lin Zhiwei,” exploded in Zhou Kai’s Consciousness Sea like thunderclaps.

He jolted violently. The lingering tenderness and intimacy of the “wedding night” with “A’Zhu,” the hazy memories of childhood sweethearts and innocent romance, receded like a tide, revealing the cold, jagged reef of reality beneath.

“Lin Zhiwei…”

Zhou Kai’s eyes sharpened instantly, the fog in his mind burning away.

His first action was to inspect his own condition.

After the fierce battle with Fu Weilun yesterday, he was severely poisoned, and his left shoulder was nearly crippled. Focusing now, the sharp, familiar throb in his shoulder was unmistakable. The toxins within his body showed no signs of worsening, but there was no relief either.

His body was still his body. The recent “Deep Interaction” was the best proof of that.

“It seems that after entering this damned place, I remain in whatever state I was originally in,” Zhou Kai thought, a cold sneer forming. “They just fabricated memories out of thin air. Turning me into Su Moran, turning Zhiwei into A’Zhu, and Hanyi into Qing Shuang.”

He circulated his Mana and Vitality. Mana flowed smoothly, while his Vitality felt sluggish and unstable due to his injuries.

“This damned town truly has its tricks!” he thought with alarm.

If not for the [Beauty Bonding System] yanking him out of that false identity, he might have muddled through life as the mortal “Su Moran,” spending his remaining days with a brainwashed Lin Zhiwei until they both died of old age—or something worse.

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

“Husband, what’s wrong?” A soft, dependent voice sounded beside him.

“A’Zhu”—no, Lin Zhiwei with altered memories—saw Zhou Kai lost in thought. She extended a delicate hand, resting it gently on his arm. Her eyes were filled with concern.

“Is your injury acting up again? If it’s serious, you should rest. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Her genuine affection almost made Zhou Kai waver.

He gathered his thoughts and looked at her. This face was indeed Lin Zhiwei’s—delicate and pleasing. Adorned with the blush of a newlywed and deliberate makeup, she carried a charm rarely seen in her usual, reserved demeanor.

He instinctively extended his Divine Sense, wanting to probe her condition and check the surroundings.

However, the moment his Divine Sense left his body, it vanished without a trace, like a clay ox walking into the sea. Not a single ripple stirred.

“Strange!” Zhou Kai’s pupils contracted. “Divine Sense is completely ineffective! It seems this town not only alters memories but also suppresses spiritual perception. If I want to break this illusion, restoring my Divine Sense is likely the key.”

He remembered the system prompt. Lin Zhiwei was now providing Divine Sense Interaction Points.

“Heh, you damned town. For all your scheming, you didn’t account for me having a system.” A cold smile tugged at his lips. “As long as I can farm points from her, this place can’t hold me.”

Seeing Zhou Kai staring at her intently instead of answering, Lin Zhiwei’s cheeks burned. She pulled the quilt up to her nose.

“What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen enough after ten years? If… if you want it again… I won’t refuse… Why are you just staring? Do you… do you want me to take the initiative?”

Her voice grew softer until it was a mere whisper. She buried her face in the embroidered pillow, only revealing watery eyes that stole shy glances at him.

Zhou Kai chuckled inwardly.

The memory alteration had benefits. Lin Zhiwei’s Affection was now maxed out at 100 (Unwavering). Usually, she was reserved and polite. When had she ever shown such girlish coyness?

“Ahem.”

Zhou Kai cleared his throat, suppressing the odd feeling in his heart. He laughed heartily and got out of bed.

He retrieved several pills from his Storage Bag: a Dew Return Pill for healing and a Poison Dissolving Pill. Without hesitation, he swallowed them.

Warm currents flowed into his limbs. The sharp pain in his shoulder dulled, and the poisonous energy was suppressed considerably.

Lin Zhiwei peeked out from the covers. Seeing him take pills, her eyes filled with worry mixed with a newlywed’s shy reproach.

“Husband… you… you’re still injured. Why are you taking pills again? Was it because just now… I aggravated your injury? It’s all my fault… Please rest properly.”

Her face flushed red all the way to her neck. Clearly, she misunderstood, thinking he was taking medicine to boost his stamina for another round.

Zhou Kai smirked. “This is healing medicine my father gave me. Don’t worry.”

Lin Zhiwei became even more embarrassed, shrinking completely under the covers like a tortoise.

Zhou Kai attempted to release his Divine Sense again to check the pill’s effects.

This time, he felt something terrifying. His Divine Sense wasn’t just suppressed by the environment; it was weak.

“Hmm?”

Zhou Kai frowned. He opened his attribute panel immediately.

[Zhou Kai] [Divine Sense: 510]

His heart sank.

510?!

Before stepping into Bone Forging, his Divine Sense had surpassed 1000 points. 510 was barely at the level of an ordinary Qi Condensation fifth-layer cultivator.

“How did this happen?” Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. “If not for the system panel, I wouldn’t have noticed my perception had degraded so much!”

He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on an internal inspection of his soul.

Previously, he had focused on his physical injuries and the poison in his meridians. He hadn’t expected an ambush on the soul level.

Finally, he found it.

Deep within his soul, extremely fine gray-black threads, thinner than hair, were blending into the background of his consciousness. They were silently eroding his Soul Origin at a slow pace, like maggots clinging to bone.

Soul Poison!

“This aura… It belongs to Fu Weilun! More concealed and malicious than any physical poison. To think he had such insidious means!”

This was more terrifying than a direct attack. It was bleeding him dry without him knowing.

Just as Zhou Kai pondered countermeasures—

DONG—— DONG—— DONG——

Suddenly, the heavy, rhythmic beat of a gong shattered the silence of the night.

Immediately following was a hoarse, emotionless male voice that seemed to slice through the air, spreading across the entire Su residence and beyond into the town.

“Midnight hour, Yin and Yang turn!”

“Tighten doors and windows! The living stay indoors!”

“No light, no fire! None shall go out!”

The voice carried a bone-chilling coldness that seemed to pierce directly into the marrow.

What made Zhou Kai’s hair stand on end wasn’t the voice itself.

It was what happened the moment the voice fell.

He watched the system panel. Under the “Divine Sense” entry, the numbers dropped eerily.

[Zhou Kai Divine Sense: 510 -> 500]

[Lin Zhiwei Divine Sense: 997 -> 987]

“This damned town…” Zhou Kai gritted his teeth. “It eats souls!”