Chapter 180

Bai Lian shook her head. Of course, she wouldn't tell Xiao Cheng Yin what had happened between her and Mu Xing He. As the senior sister of Taihua Sword Sect, she was unexpectedly sealed by Mu Xing He without any resistance, and then those things happened. If it were to spread, where could she hide her face? What’s more important now is to let Mu Xing He rest properly. Although the heart demon entity that manifested in Mu Xing He just now had been dispelled by her, that was just a created form influenced by Mu Xing He's emotions. Dispersing the entity was just a temporary solution. The real heart demon still lay deep in Mu Xing He's spiritual platform. To thoroughly resolve the heart demon, the knots in Mu Xing He's heart must be unraveled. However, she didn't even know the cause of Mu Xing He's heart demon, so how could she resolve it? Moreover, now that the heart demon had manifested, if Mu Xing He encountered strong emotional fluctuations again, the heart demon could easily resurface. By then, the heart demon would only grow stronger, making it harder for her to dispel it. She couldn't help but sigh softly. It would be fine if she had experienced these things in the game. Yet, the changes in the female protagonists all started after her death. Even though she was familiar with the game's plot, at this point, she was completely bewildered. She could only wait for Mu Xing He to wake up and ask her. "Miss Mu, has she fallen into a heart demon?" Tang Muren glanced at Mu Xing He and spoke with a feigned surprise. "Tang, you can tell?" Bai Lian was somewhat surprised. The heart demon usually lay hidden in the spiritual platform. Cultivators with a heart demon rarely showed any abnormality when the demon was dormant. Only when there were strong emotional fluctuations and the heart demon materialized into an entity would signs appear. That was why it was often difficult to detect the heart demon until it was too late. This was the reason she didn't notice any abnormalities until Mu Xing He laid a hand on her. Yet, Tang Muren could tell at a glance. This unavoidably made her a little curious about this mysterious masked girl. Tang Muren lightly smiled. "It just so happens that my master has done quite a bit of research on heart demons. I've also learned a lot about methods to suppress them from her, having been taken under her wing." "If Miss Bai doesn't mind, why not bring Miss Mu to Changning Palace? I can treat her. I may not be able to cure it, but at least I can help suppress it for a period of time." Upon hearing this, Bai Lian's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way. She had been wondering how to suppress Mu Xing He's already manifested heart demon. If they were to bring her to Tian Shu Palace or seek doctors, their plans would undoubtedly be halted. But if they were to leave Mu Xing He alone, she wouldn't be able to manage it no matter what. Tang Muren's offer was like a surprise gift. She looked at Tang Muren with a hint of goodwill in her eyes. "Bai Lian thanks Tang for the offer, but I wonder if it's too abrupt for us to go there, Cheng Yin—" "What's wrong with that? If Bai has a friend who has fallen into a heart demon, how can I not intervene?" Xiao Cheng Yin immediately interjected. "Bai, rest assured. I will instruct someone to prepare a residence and call for some imperial physicians to come. You just need to bring Miss Mu here for a peaceful recuperation." He said in a resolute tone, feeling elated in his heart. He had been wondering how to find a reason to keep Bai Lian, but unexpectedly, Tang Muren came up with this idea. Tang Muren was truly his lucky star! "Then I thank Cheng Yin." Bai Lian nodded and said. For her, this was already the best outcome. Not only could they treat Mu Xing He's heart demon, but they could also approach the monks of Miluo Sect through Xiao Cheng Yin. This turn of events could be described as entirely satisfactory. Tang Muren's lips curved slightly. Tang Muren did not lie; she did have considerable knowledge of heart demons. After Bai Lian brought the unconscious Mu Xing He to Changning Palace, Tang Muren began to work on suppressing Mu Xing He's heart demon. With the help of the palace's skilled imperial physicians brought by Xiao Cheng Yin, Mu Xing He's condition soon stabilized. Apart from occasionally furrowing her brows and breaking out in a sweat due to nightmares induced by the heart demon, there was no longer any sign of the heart demon recurring. This made Bai Lian breathe a sigh of relief. After wiping the sweat from Mu Xing He's forehead after a recent nightmare, she walked out of the guest room and said to Tang Muren, who was standing under the plum tree. "Tang, thank you for suppressing Mu's heart demon. I wouldn't know what to do without your help." "It's nothing; it's just a small effort." Tang Muren turned around and chuckled. She stood tall and exuded an air of elegance amid the drifting snow and falling plum blossoms. Even though she wore a long dress, she had the disposition of a refined and gentle noblewoman, more like a scion of an aristocratic family than a disciple of a sect. Bai Lian blinked, feeling that Tang Muren was somewhat familiar. This sense of familiarity had been present since she first saw Tang Muren, but no matter how hard she tried to recall, she had no recollection of Tang Muren. It was strange. Perhaps sensing Bai Lian's thoughts, Tang Muren smiled lightly, sat down at the stone table, and said, "If you want to thank me, why not join me for a few cups of warm wine?" Bai Lian didn't object. She walked over and sat opposite Tang Muren. Her alcohol tolerance wasn't particularly high, a characteristic in the game, after all. The excuse of getting drunk after drinking was quite useful. However, a few cups shouldn't be a problem, especially since the wine Tang Muren chose wasn't likely to be very strong. Tang Muren took a wine bottle and cups from her storage bag. The wine pot appeared quite old, not at all like something used to hold fine liquor. Nevertheless, the poured wine still exuded heat, clearly not ordinary. "Do you like drinking, Tang?" Bai Lian asked casually. "Not particularly." Tang Muren poured the wine and said, "I only drink to pass the time." She pushed the cup towards Bai Lian, smiling as she said, "Please." "You don't seem like someone who needs to drink to pass the time." Bai Lian picked up the cup and took a sip. Then her petite face contorted into a grimace. "It's so spicy!" she exclaimed, sticking out her tongue. She hadn't expected that the wine, which looked ordinary, would taste both spicy and astringent! Seeing her look of tears from the spiciness, Tang Muren couldn't help but laugh. Barely recovering, Bai Lian saw Tang Muren laughing uncontrollably and her cheeks swelled up like buns. "Are you trying to bully me by giving me some moonshine brewed in a shady workshop?" "Of course not." Tang Muren chuckled. "I did say I merely drink to pass the time." "In my early years, my family encountered the misfortune of an evil cult, and I was the only survivor. I had to wander around, enduring great hardship. Food and warmth were scarce, especially during winter," she continued. "If not for this wine, I might have frozen to death in some corner." "I'm sorry for bringing up your painful past." Bai Lian felt slightly guilty. She hadn't expected Tang Muren to have such a backstory. After the battle against the cults, most of the evil cults in the cultivation world had been eradicated by the major sects. However, those remnants hid in the shadows, difficult to detect. When the major sects let their guard down, they would cause great harm, resulting in many tragedies. The Tang family in the game was a prime example. Come to think of it... she didn't know how Tang Chuhuan was doing. When she asked the Tang family servants earlier, they said Tang Chuhuan had left, and they didn't know where. She was well aware that the cultivation world was vast, and Tang Chuhuan was just an ordinary person. The two of them probably wouldn't have the chance to meet again. Such was life; most people were mere passing travelers. All they could do was cherish the brief encounters. "It's nothing; it's all in the past." Tang Muren smiled and pushed the wine cup toward Bai Lian. "My greatest regret in those years was not being able to thank my savior before her death." "Here, I'll toast to you."