With countless doubts in his heart left unanswered, Chen Yi took a deep breath and suddenly seized Lin Wanxiao's hand.

"Ah?"

The Lin Family Young Lady shrank back slightly but did not struggle. Chen Yi frowned and observed for a moment before lightly pressing his fingertips, releasing a stream of chi from them.

"Ah!"

The Lin Family Young Lady gasped, a streak of blood appearing on her fingertip.

A few droplets of blood fell, deepening Chen Yi's furrowed brows. The fact that he could cause a wound proved that the Lin Family Young Lady was not a paper figure.

Paper figures cannot sustain injuries; a poke would typically cause them to deflate.

The maidservant nearby gasped at the sight of the wound and quickly exclaimed:

"Chen son-in-law, what are you doing?"

Chen Yi glanced at Lin Wanxiao's maidservant, who was none other than Xiuhe.

He released Lin Wanxiao's hand and replied casually, "It's nothing, just confirming something."

Lin Wanxiao withdrew her hand, her elegant jade fingers stained with blood. A slight breeze brushed past, stinging the wound as she winced in pain. Yet her gentle and calm demeanor kept her from complaining, and even the brief flicker of resentment in her gaze was fleeting.

Chen Yi took notice of her subtle reaction.

There was no mistake—this was indeed Lin Wanxiao.

Only Lin Wanxiao had such a temperament, soft and yielding, like water.

After some thought, Chen Yi decided that understanding the present situation was his priority.

The best way to unravel the situation was to immerse himself in his current role.

And right now, his role was Lin Wanxiao's husband.

"Does my wife have anything to share?" Chen Yi started by asking.

Lin Wanxiao was about to respond when Xiuhe spotted the injury on her lady's finger and frowned. "Chen son-in-law, Madam is still in pain. A man ought to show more tenderness toward his own wife."

Chen Yi chuckled softly at her remark and then lifted Lin Wanxiao's hand. Under her somewhat startled gaze, he gently sucked the wound on her fingertip.

When Chen Yi saw the blood was no longer flowing, he spoke in a warm tone, "Does it still hurt now, my dear?"

Lin Wanxiao shook her head and softly answered, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Xiuhe, observing the harmonious scene between the husband and wife, couldn't help but smile.

"All right, let's head back. We're returning to the Cui Residence, correct?" Chen Yi asked.

With that, the group of four set off on their way home. Shortly after crossing a path of cobblestones, they spotted two carriages. Chen Yi intended to ride in the same carriage as Lin Wanxiao and her maidservants, but at that moment Dong Guifei tugged at his sleeve.

Catching her signal instantly, Chen Yi turned to his wife and explained that he would ride in the other carriage to discuss Buddhist Law with this monk.

Lin Wanxiao gave her consent gracefully, without hesitation.

Once inside the carriage, Chen Yi noticed that Jueyin, the monk, had her delicate head lowered, seemingly in deep thought.

Meanwhile, Dong Guifei's misty eyes gleamed with rationality as she spoke in a soft and languid tone:

"Have you noticed? They are all real."

"Of course I've noticed. They aren't paper figures, and the illusion couldn't be so lifelike. This must be some kind of Secret Realm," Chen Yi replied while lifting the carriage curtain to observe the bustling streets of the Capital City.

Dong Guifei continued, "As you suggested, it ought to be a Secret Realm, and not just any ordinary one—it's perhaps one of the finest, comparable to Cave Heaven Blessed Land."

Chen Yi nodded slightly.

Dong Guifei's voice carried a trace of wistfulness as she remarked, "Truly, the Central Plains is vast and abundant. Even after living deep within the palace for years, stepping out here still reveals wonders."

The deep palace? It seemed she was indeed some kind of consort.

From her words, could the royal palace contain a gateway leading to the Underworld?

Contemplating this notion, Chen Yi asked:

"So this Secret Realm is so vivid, replicating even the entirety of the Capital City to the point of being indistinguishable from reality. How could this be achieved?"

Dong Guifei lightly shook her head and sighed, "This is clearly the Taoist method of mustard seed worlds, quite different from Buddhist teachings, and may even involve... Fake to Real."

"Fake to Real?"

"Indeed. This technique is similar to the paper figures method—it creates an illusion, and within this illusion, you can cultivate. The present Capital City is merely a false creation."

Hearing this, Chen Yi understood. It was akin to crafting one's own scenario and then engaging in cultivation within it.

Dong Guifei hesitated momentarily before adding, "If you desire to leave this place, aside from breaking the enchantment with brute force, you can also locate the master of the Secret Realm or find the Gate of True and False—the threshold between the Secret Realm and reality."

Chen Yi committed her words to memory and gazed out of the carriage window in quiet contemplation.

After some time, the carriage finally arrived at the Cui Residence.

Though feeling slightly out of place, Chen Yi nonetheless stepped off the carriage with an air of propriety befitting his role as the sons-in-law.

And just then, Lin Wanxiao, who had disembarked earlier, approached and bent down to brush the dust off his garments.

"This…" Chen Yi couldn't help but voice his incredulity. "Why would you—"

"Husband, don't be so startled," Lin Wanxiao said softly, continuing to smooth his clothes. "In the past, it was always the maidservants who did this. But today I took it upon myself for the first time. I may not do it skillfully, and I might even ruin your clothing.

But Husband, for my sake, let's just set aside earlier matters altogether, shall we?"

Chen Yi's mind swirled with curiosity; he refrained from speaking.

Seeing his puzzlement, Lin Wanxiao seemed to misunderstand something. Lowering her brows, her gaze carried a faint sorrow as she murmured:

"Is Husband still dwelling on what happened earlier?"

Chen Yi furrowed his brows further, rubbing his finger against his sleeve as he asked, "Earlier events?"

Aside from the incident in the underground palace, what other matters could there be between himself and Lin Wanxiao?

At this moment, he felt utterly baffled, like a monk tugged abruptly into unfamiliar waters.

As Chen Yi pondered, Lin Wanxiao's delicate brows knitted deeply. Her lips pressed tightly together as if struggling to voice her thoughts.

"It's about the poetry gathering. The affair from the Cui Residence poetry gathering."

Xiuhe, unable to sit still, hurriedly chimed in apologetically:

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