Since nearly going berserk again that night, Zhang Shaozhong has indeed become much more restrained.
His daily cultivation time was strictly limited to three hours, and the rest of the time he either regulated his breathing or accompanied Ling Qingxue around the Taiqing Sect.
The two were taking a walk in the back mountain of the sect when they encountered several disciples practicing sword control.
The disciples all bowed respectfully to Ling Qingxue, but ignored Zhang Shaozhong.
"They don't seem to like you very much," Ling Qingxue whispered.
Zhang Shaozhong shrugged indifferently: "Whatever."
As they were talking, one of the disciples lost his balance while riding his sword and crashed straight into them.
Zhang Shaozhong casually waved his hand, freezing the disciple and his sword in mid-air.
"I'm so sorry!" The disciple was so frightened that his face turned pale.
Zhang Shaozhong put him down and said coldly, "You can't even master sword control, what kind of immortal cultivation are you?"
The disciple blushed, wanting to retort but not daring to.
Ling Qingxue quickly smoothed things over: "It's inevitable to be a novice when you're just starting out; you'll get used to it with more practice."
After the disciple left, Ling Qingxue said to Zhang Shaozhong, "Can you please not speak so rudely?"
Zhang Shaozhong frowned: "I'm stating the facts."
"The facts can't be presented so bluntly."
Ling Qingxue sighed, "You'll offend people if you do that."
Zhang Shaozhong looked at her: "In the cultivation world, strength is paramount. So what if you offend someone?"
Ling Qingxue opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't say anything.
She knew that Zhang Shaozhong had been affected by the Supreme Forgetfulness Technique, which had made him cold and direct, so there was no point in saying anything more.
A few days later, Master Xuanji summoned the two of them.
"The Demon Realm has been quite turbulent lately," said Master Xuanji. "That girl Ye Meier is investigating the matter of her father being framed, and she's causing quite a stir."
Zhang Shaozhong's eyes turned cold: "What is she investigating? The facts are right in front of us, what else is there to investigate?"
Ling Qingxue hurriedly asked, "Master, have you found anything?"
Master Xuanji stroked his beard: "Not for now. But internal strife in the Demon Realm is a good thing for us."
Zhang Shaozhong suddenly said, "Senior, I want to go to the Demon Realm."
"What?"
Ling Qingxue was startled. "What are you going to the Demon Realm for?"
"revenge."
Zhang Shaozhong said calmly, "Since the Demon Realm is in turmoil, this is a good opportunity."
Master Xuanji shook his head: "It's not possible now. Your injuries haven't healed, and your cultivation level isn't high enough."
"I can……"
"No," Master Xuanji interrupted him. "Just stay in the sect and cultivate honestly. When the time is right, you will be allowed to go."
Emerging from the main hall, Ling Qingxue said worriedly, "Husband, don't be impulsive. The Demon Realm is in chaos right now; it's too dangerous for you to go."
Zhang Shaozhong didn't speak, but his eyes clearly showed his dissatisfaction.
That evening, Zhang Shaozhong began extra training again.
Although he didn't work as hard as before, his cultivation time clearly exceeded three hours.
Upon discovering this, Ling Qingxue immediately rushed into the cave.
"You promised me!" she said, her eyes red with anger.
Zhang Shaozhong finished his practice and said calmly, "I haven't forgotten. It's just an extra hour of practice, nothing to worry about."
"Even an hour is overtime!"
Ling Qingxue placed the hourglass on the table. "From now on, I'll watch you practice. You must stop when the time is up."
Zhang Shaozhong frowned: "Why do you have to..."
"I'm going to take charge!"
Ling Qingxue was unusually firm for once, "If you don't agree, I'll stay here every day and guard you for as long as you practice."
Seeing her stubborn expression, Zhang Shaozhong finally nodded helplessly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
From that day on, Ling Qingxue came to supervise Zhang Shaozhong's cultivation every day.
When the time was up, no matter how much Zhang Shao practiced, he was interrupted.
After a few times, Zhang Shaozhong got used to it.
The exercise will automatically stop at the designated time; it will not be practiced for even a moment longer.
After finishing his cultivation that day, Zhang Shaozhong suddenly asked, "You've been watching over me all day, don't you do anything for yourself?"
Ling Qingxue was making tea and said without looking up, "My most important thing right now is to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't go crazy again."
Zhang Shaozhong was silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you."
Ling Qingxue's hand trembled, and the tea spilled out.
This was the first time Zhang Shaozhong had expressed his gratitude so formally.
"Why are you being so polite all of a sudden..." she said, somewhat flustered.
Seeing her reaction, Zhang Shaozhong's lips curled up slightly, though he quickly regained his expressionless demeanor.
"I just feel...it's nice to have you with me."
He got up and left after he finished speaking, leaving Ling Qingxue alone with her face flushed and her heart pounding.
A few days later, news came from the sect that Ye Meier had found important clues in the Demon Realm and was about to uncover the truth.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shaozhong sneered: "What could she possibly find out? It's all just an act."
Ling Qingxue couldn't help but say, "What if it really wasn't the Demon Lord who did it?"
“There’s no room for ‘what ifs’.” Zhang Shaozhong’s eyes were icy. “The murderer is the Demon Lord, that’s a fact.”
"But……"
"Stop talking," Zhang Shaozhong interrupted her. "There's no room for negotiation on this matter."
Ling Qingxue knew that further persuasion was useless, so she changed the subject: "Tomorrow is the day the sect distributes pills, let's go get them together."
Zhang Shao nodded: "Okay."
The next day, when they went to collect the pills, they ran into the same disciple who had been injured by Zhang Shaozhong last time.
The disciple visibly shrank back when he saw Zhang Shaozhong.
Ling Qingxue took the initiative to step forward and greet him: "Junior Brother Li, how are your injuries?"
The disciple was flattered and said, "Thank you for your concern, Holy Maiden. I'm all better now."
Zhang Shaozhong said coldly from the side, "Since it's over, we can spar again at the next competition."
The disciple's face turned pale.
Ling Qingxue quickly pulled Zhang Shaozhong away: "Why did you scare him?"
Zhang Shaozhong disagreed: "It's just to encourage him to improve."
On the way back after receiving the pills, Zhang Shaozhong suddenly said, "I want to dye my hair black."
Ling Qingxue was taken aback: "Why did you suddenly see the light?"
Zhang Shaozhong touched his white hair: "It's annoying to always be pointed at and talked about."
Ling Qingxue was secretly pleased. His willingness to care about other people's opinions meant that the influence of the Supreme Forgetfulness Technique was indeed weakening.
"Okay, I'll dye it for you," she said with a smile. "I'll use the best spiritual plants to make sure it looks exactly the same as before."
That evening, Ling Qingxue carefully dyed Zhang Shaozhong's hair. After it was finished, Zhang Shaozhong looked at himself in the mirror and nodded, "Not bad."
Looking at his black hair, Ling Qingxue felt as if she had returned to the past. It was as if Zhang Shaozhong, who used to tease her with that roguish smile, was about to come back.
“My lord,” she said softly, “when you’re fully healed, shall we go back to Earth and visit your aunt and uncle…”
Zhang Shaozhong's eyes darkened: "Let's talk about it after we've taken our revenge."
Ling Qingxue knew he was thinking about his hatred again, so she quickly changed the subject: "Alright, it's time to rest. We still have to cultivate tomorrow."
Zhang Shao nodded and, for the first time, took her hand: "Let's go."
Although his hands were still cold, Ling Qingxue could feel that warmth slowly returning.
It's just unknown whether this warmth can withstand the cruel reality when the truth comes out.
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