Wen Ran watched as Shen Wu walked towards her step by step. Although he had already sheathed his sword, she still inexplicably felt a sense of danger from him.
The red dot on her forehead had disappeared, indicating that the evil curse on her had been lifted, yet she still couldn't move because the spell that bound her had not been undone.
Shen Wu seemed to have no interest in examining her further. He raised his hand and lightly touched her brow with his fingertip. At that moment, Wen Ran felt a memory being implanted into her mind.
Qin Susu was not kicked into the abyss by him; she bravely and fearlessly proposed to sacrifice herself, so he had no choice but to give up on saving Qin Susu.
That way, his image didn't collapse as much.
In a moment, Shen Wu withdrew his hand and pulled out a white cloth to slowly wipe his hands, his eyes curving in a smile as he looked at the still confused girl, "What just happened?"
Wen Ran stared blankly, "Qin Susu and I were captured by the demon. Qin Susu decided to sacrifice herself, and Shen Wu, having no choice, could only give up on her and saved me."
Shen Wu tossed the cloth aside and laughed, "Well said."
Instantly, Wen Ran's mind cleared, her body weakened, and she fell forward. Shen Wu, in front of her, reached out and held her shoulders, preventing her from falling onto him.
He glanced at her, perhaps thinking she might dirty his clothes, and made a dismissive "tsk" sound.
When Wen Ran woke up again, she was already lying on her room's bed. Upon opening her eyes, she saw her worried father's face.
"Ranran, you've finally woken up!" Wen Xun was visibly excited. Although he was over two hundred years old and had such a grown daughter, as an Immortal Cultivator, he had the means to maintain his youthful looks, appearing merely like a handsome young man in his late twenties or early thirties.
Wen Ran paused for a moment, pressing her somewhat aching head while frowning.
"Ranran, are you feeling unwell anywhere else?"
Wen Ran leaned against the bedpost to sit up. Instead of answering, she asked, "How did I get back?"
"Shen Wu brought you back." When mentioning this cherished disciple, Wen Xun's tone was filled with satisfaction, "I knew he was a good one. Whether in cultivation or character, he's outstanding among the young. He dared to venture into danger to bring you back, showing his deep affection for you. Just based on his feelings towards you, he would be a perfect groom for you."
At the mention of "perfect groom," Wen Ran's mouth twitched slightly.
Wen Xun sighed again, "Now Shen Wu has voluntarily punished himself in the Creation Cave. Ranran, once you're feeling better, go and visit him."
"He chose to punish himself?"
"Yes, he believes Susu's death was his fault. He can't get over it, so he chose to punish himself, at least to feel a bit better. And also, your Aunt Qin, she's feeling bad too. Try not to have conflicts with her for the time being."
The so-called Aunt Qin is Wen Ran's stepmother, Qin Wanwan. Qin Susu was Qin Wanwan's niece. Technically speaking, Qin Susu calling Wen Ran "cousin" is inaccurate; they actually have no blood relation.
Since Qin Susu wasn't his daughter, Wen Xun only sighed over her death.
Wen Ran agreed verbally to visit Shen Wu, but during those days, she never went once. She was well-liked, and hearing that she almost died, now bedridden, many came to visit her.
After resting for a while, Wen Ran almost fully recovered. Though she was the daughter of an Elder of the Ascension Immortal Mansion, she was also a disciple of the Immortals Mansion, so she couldn't indefinitely lie in bed without practicing cultivation.
Just as she was considering when would be a good time to go out, someone hurriedly came looking for her.
"Junior Sister Wen!" A young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes spotted Wen Ran sitting on the swing in the yard, idly passing the time, and showed an anxious expression, "Quickly, go help our senior brother!"
This young man was Yan Qing, the second disciple of the Ascension Immortal Mansion. Like many disciples, he deeply respected and admired Senior Brother Shen Wu for his incredible strength and integrity. To them, Senior Brother was the direction of their efforts.
Yan Qing usually treated Wen Ran well, so even if she didn't want to involve herself in Shen Wu's affairs, Wen Ran couldn't help asking due to their past interactions, "Second Brother, what happened?"
"Madam Qin sought out Senior Brother. He just returned from punishment and is weak. I'm afraid Madam Qin intends to cause trouble!"