Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Ambush

"Ning, your wife's power is far too weak. If the locust demon hadn't been wary, I fear her consciousness would have been extinguished long ago!"

Seeing Ning Caichen’s joyful expression as he conversed with Nie Xiaoqian, Su Ye interrupted, "For now, I can suppress the locust demon's consciousness, but your wife must take advantage of its slumber to cultivate and strengthen her own power. Only then can her predicament truly be resolved."

"My wife's power is so frail—how many years must she cultivate before she exceeds the locust demon?" Ning Caichen frowned. He knew Su Ye's suggestion was sound, but the challenge was immense; if his wife's power could surpass the locust demon, they would not have been locked in struggle for so long.

"The locust tree is known to nourish souls, and the demon’s original body possesses even greater power in that regard. I shall construct a soul-nourishing talisman array upon the demon’s body. Your wife may practice within it. As her strength grows and the demon's wanes, she should soon overtake it," Su Ye replied with a gentle smile.

"I beg you, Su. Please set up the soul-nourishing array as soon as possible. So long as you can free my wife from the demon's control, whatever you ask of me, I shall agree," Ning Caichen declared.

"With your promise, I am at ease." Su Ye smiled softly. "What I ask is no great burden for you. At present, the White Bone Temple’s evil cultivators are causing chaos in Jinhua County. Within the temple are two ninth-rank practitioners plotting against the fire serpent demon atop Mount Huoyang. I wish for you to join me in eradicating these evildoers."

"I accept. This tree is the demon's true form. Please, Su, waste no time in setting up the array," Ning Caichen urged.

Su Ye had already begun placing the soul-nourishing array during his earlier confrontation with the demon. It was precisely because the demon sensed the array’s threat that she had attacked Su Ye in desperation. Unfortunately, she was trapped by Ning Caichen's sealing formation, and Su Ye's own formidable strength rendered her resistance futile.

Su Ye feared no reversal of Ning Caichen’s promise. With his agreement secured, Su Ye resumed constructing the unfinished talisman array upon the demon’s body.

Time passed slowly; three days went by in the blink of an eye.

"Ning, the array is complete. Your wife may now enter the locust tree and begin her cultivation," Su Ye announced.

As he spoke, he drew the final talisman within the tree, and a gray-white radiance surged forth.

"Thank you, Master Su!" Nie Xiaoqian stepped forward, approaching Su Ye until she was a mere three feet away. In her palm, she conjured a dark green needle and thrust it straight toward Su Ye’s lower abdomen.

——

That dark green needle was a magical artifact forged from the demon's heartwood. It possessed the power to break magical defenses; if it pierced a cultivator's core, their powers would instantly collapse.

Nie Xiaoqian's sudden attack signaled the locust demon’s consciousness had seized control, hoping to destroy Su Ye's cultivation while he was off guard.

"Wife!" Ning Caichen cried out in shock. He never imagined such a thing could happen—the demon managed to suppress his wife's consciousness in an instant, an occurrence that had never happened before.

Su Ye had already sensed the demon's dominance and was prepared for her assault. With a flip of his hand, he produced a talisman of evil suppression from his sleeve and pressed it to the demon's brow.

He moved swiftly, easily evading the demon’s attack.

The talisman glowed with golden light, enveloping the demon's body. An intense discomfort swept through her—not pain nor itch, but a deep unease emanating from her core, making her suffer greatly.

"Husband, I’m so miserable! Please, save me!"

Nie Xiaoqian’s voice rang out as she collapsed, her face contorted with pain.

In an instant, the locust demon’s consciousness returned, using Nie Xiaoqian to threaten Ning Caichen and hurling curses at Su Ye.

"Su, stop! My wife cannot bear it!" Ning Caichen shouted, nearly intervening, though his last shred of reason kept him from acting against Su Ye.

"Ning, your concern clouds your judgment. The power of my talisman targets the demon’s consciousness; your wife is only slightly affected," Su Ye replied calmly.

He swiftly formed several seals and pressed them into Nie Xiaoqian's body.

The demon's agonized screams abruptly ceased. She glared at Su Ye with resentment, but Nie Xiaoqian’s consciousness did not reappear.

Without her wife’s pleas, Ning Caichen remained worried but held his tongue.

——

He feared his impulsiveness might disrupt Su Ye's process, and if it prevented the demon’s final defeat, he would regret it deeply.

Time passed; a quarter hour slipped by.

The talisman's power slowly faded. The demon’s consciousness, now greatly weakened, was further suppressed by Su Ye’s seals, finally allowing Nie Xiaoqian’s mind to regain control.

"Wife, how do you feel now? Are you still suffering?" Ning Caichen hurried to her side.

"Husband, what happened? I only feel a mild discomfort, nothing unbearable," Nie Xiaoqian replied, her face puzzled, as though she had no recollection of what had just transpired.

Ning Caichen’s expression was one of bewilderment. His wife had been calling for help moments ago—how could she now remember nothing?

"Ning, you should send your wife into the soul-nourishing array at once," Su Ye urged softly.

Ning Caichen said nothing more. After giving Nie Xiaoqian some final instructions, he sent her into the array within the locust tree.

"Su, do you know what happened to my wife?" Ning Caichen asked, his gaze fixed upon Su Ye as the tree returned to its normal state.

"With your wisdom, I trust you’ve deduced it. The demon and your wife share a single body. The demon’s overwhelming strength sometimes allows her to seize control and act in her own interest—this is not unusual," Su Ye replied with a smile.

In truth, he had not explained everything. When Nie Xiaoqian’s consciousness was dominant, the demon’s mind may not have been truly dormant; she might have been lurking, watching, or even directly manipulating Nie Xiaoqian.

Sadly, though Ning Caichen was clever, his wits often deserted him when it came to matters concerning Nie Xiaoqian.