Chapter 80 The Saintess’s Dream Shattered…

Zhao Yinling let out a startled cry, shivering in fright as tears welled up in her eyes. Her voice trembled with grievance and helplessness, “Master, what’s wrong with you? You’re hurting me…”

A cold chuckle escaped from Li Yuanjing, snapping him entirely out of his previous daze. Instead of letting go of Zhao Yinling’s delicate hand, he gripped it even tighter, twisting her wrist outward. The pain drained all color from Zhao Yinling’s lovely face, and she pleaded desperately, “Master, what have I done wrong to deserve this from you?”

Li Yuanjing sneered, unable to suppress his bitter laughter. “Miss Zhao Yinling, are you truly Zhao Yinling?”

“Master, what do you mean? I… I don’t quite understand…”

A shiver ran down Zhao Yinling’s spine; she seemed to forget the pain in her wrist, staring at Li Yuanjing in disbelief.

“You don’t understand?” Li Yuanjing’s smile grew colder. Without warning, he kicked the festive table beside them, sending it crashing to the floor. Grasping Zhao Yinling, who was crying out in pain, he ripped away most of the red paper decorations on the wall. Only then did he look at her with mocking amusement. Her face had gone completely pale.

“You’re just a farm girl from Pi Family Village—how could you know the sorcery of the Fragrant Sect, capable of bewitching the mind?”

“And another thing—”

“The fragrance on you, it isn’t ordinary, is it?”

With a sudden motion, Li Yuanjing tore open Zhao Yinling’s brand-new wedding dress, exposing swathes of her snow-white skin. He wasn’t finished. Like stripping a lamb, he had her undressed in a matter of moments and tossed her onto the carpet by the brazier, looming over her with a cold, mocking gaze.

“Master, how can you do this? I thought after marrying into the Li family, I’d finally have a good life—I never imagined… wuwu…”

Zhao Yinling’s grief overflowed; she collapsed onto the carpet, sobbing in misery, her pure and graceful curves trembling with each cry. But Li Yuanjing showed no trace of pity. He sat calmly on the bed, looking down at her with chilling indifference.

“Miss Zhao, now that we are married and have entered the bridal chamber, everyone knows you are mine. Even if I torment you to death tonight, no one could say a word against me.”

“Do you understand?”

But Zhao Yinling only wept, curled up on the floor, unable to answer.

Li Yuanjing’s expression grew even more detached, his gaze cold and vigilant as he watched her.

In truth—

When Li Yuanjing first entered the bridal chamber, he had indeed been momentarily captivated by Zhao Yinling’s hypnotic techniques. But when they drank the nuptial wine, doubts began to creep in. Why had Zhao Yinling been so insistent on seizing the wine jug?

And when Zhao Yinling undressed him, muscle memory wrenched Li Yuanjing back to reality. In his previous life, he had spent much time in various entertainment venues and understood women more than most. He had once known a girl who explained in detail the training she had received, which included undressing clients.

In other words, the way Zhao Yinling had undressed him could not have been performed by an untrained village girl. Yet Zhao Yinling was supposedly nothing more than a farmer’s daughter. How could she possess such seductive skills?

This is why honest men are so easily deceived, why some end up raising children that aren’t their own. Lacking experience or natural instinct, they never see the warning signs.

Take Brother Qiang, for example—he understood at twenty that attraction and mystery are key between men and women, whereas many never learn this, even into old age.

It was by noticing similar details that Li Yuanjing had previously uncovered Xun Keqing’s secrets.

“Not willing to speak, are you? I’ve given you enough time. Since you refuse to tell me, perhaps you’re more willing to talk to those other women.”

Seeing Zhao Yinling still unresponsive, Li Yuanjing lost interest. He shrugged on his robe and headed for the door.

“Master, don’t go—” Zhao Yinling suddenly panicked, recalling her mother-in-law’s instructions and what she had said about Li Yuanjing. She rushed over, clinging to his leg, “I’ll tell you everything, everything you want to know…”

Still so young, Zhao Yinling had received some training, but against a worldly man like Li Yuanjing, she could no longer hold out. Weeping, she began to confess everything…

“So you’re saying,” Li Yuanjing’s body was covered in a cold sweat by the time she finished, his scalp tingling as he stared into her eyes, “that if you successfully integrate into the Li family, you’ll become a candidate for the Fragrant Sect’s Saintess?”

“Master, I didn’t want this either… They forced me to do it. If I disobey, my whole family will be killed…”

Tears streamed down Zhao Yinling’s face, her misery heart-wrenching.

But Li Yuanjing felt no sympathy, only a cold dread seeping through him.

Though Zhao Yinling was clearly terrified and spoke incoherently, she had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.

But from one clue, Li Yuanjing saw the whole picture.

How could he not grasp by now, that Zhao Yinling—famed as a bride-to-be—was surely not alone? The reach of the Fragrant Sect was truly terrifying.

It was laughable—he had once thought the Fragrant Sect had no presence in Fengcheng County, but now he realized this place was probably their very headquarters.

No wonder, decades ago, this fearful organization had nearly toppled the Da Qian Dynasty. Such deep planning, such methodical moves—what could Li Yuanjing do but admire them?

What’s more, Zhao Yinling’s confession made him suspicious of Xun Keqing. Did she genuinely wish to ally with him? Or had she already reported the events by the Yishui River to the Sect, and put him in their grasp? Had the Fragrant Sect even orchestrated his killing of the Third Chief?

The more he pondered, the more horrifying it seemed.

He dared not think further.

Who could imagine how many pawns like Zhao Yinling the Fragrant Sect had placed?

In all likelihood, anyone with ability in Fengcheng County and its surroundings was under their watchful eyes.

No wonder Wang Youdao had run so fast—the choices of a seasoned survivor in critical moments were not to be doubted.

“Put your clothes on. I’ll be back soon. If you dare disobey, you know the consequences. If the Fragrant Sect would kill your whole family, do you think I, Li Yuanjing, wouldn’t?”

He shot Zhao Yinling a cold glare and strode out.

Zhao Yinling collapsed onto the carpet, broken and sobbing, all her spirit drained away.

Her dream of becoming a Saintess had been shattered before it had even begun.