Chapter 6 ：Unusual Outburst

"Who's there?" Unlike Song Qing Shu, Zhou Zhi Ruo, who could barely be considered a top-notch expert at this time, immediately sat up and stared at the figure of the intruder, assuming the starting stance of the Jiuyin White Bone Claw, ready to strike.

"Zhi Ruo, it's me." The masked person turned around and pulled down the mask, revealing none other than the Ming Cult Leader, Zhang Wu Ji.

"What does Zhang Leader want by entering my husband and my bedroom in the middle of the night?" Zhou Zhi Ruo's tone was cold, but the aura around her gradually dissipated. She had no reason to be wary of Zhang Wu Ji.

"Zhi Ruo, I know you must be angry at me for not coming to find you all these days. But after the battle at Sangu Three Passes, I was possessed by inner demons. I've been sorting out the scattered true energy these days..." Zhang Wu Ji spoke softly.

"Oh? How are you now?" Zhou Zhi Ruo raised an eyebrow, not waiting for his answer. She anxiously grabbed his wrist to check his pulse.

"I managed to suppress it somewhat. The Sacred Fire Scroll and the Heaven and Earth Relocation Art are indeed mysterious martial arts from the Western Regions. They can easily lead to inner demons if not handled carefully." Faced with Zhou Zhi Ru's examination, Zhang Wu Ji had no sense of caution that martial artists usually had, allowing her to check his pulse.

"It's no wonder your aura has weakened quite a bit." Zhou Zhi Ruo thought that the change in Zhang Wu Ji's demeanor compared to before was due to the aftermath of being possessed by inner demons. However, she didn't pay too much attention to it.

"Zhi Ruo, you're still as caring about me as you were when we were young." Zhang Wu Ji was moved and held her hands affectionately.

Thinking back to their first encounter by the Han River, Zhou Zhi Ruo felt like she was in a dream. When she looked up, she saw Zhang Wu Ji's eyes gazing at her with deep affection.

Little did they expect that the one who should have been unconscious in bed, Song Qing Shu, was coldly observing everything. Due to the residual true energy left by Wu Ming in his body, he woke up from his state of unconsciousness. But this was only a remnant of true energy that Wu Ming left to nourish his meridians. Zhang Wu Ji was a top-notch master in the martial world, and his acupoints couldn't be cleared easily. Song Qing Shu couldn't move his body at all at the moment.

Gazing deeply at Zhou Zhi Ru, Zhang Wu Ji couldn't resist lowering his head to kiss her.

As Zhang Wu Ji's face got closer and closer, Zhou Zhi Ruo felt her heart race. At this moment, she realized that her love for Zhang Wu Ji, which had left an indelible mark on her heart, might never fade away in this lifetime.

Suddenly, the realization that she was now someone else's wife struck her. Zhou Zhi Ruo's heart ached intensely, and she turned her head aside, pushing Zhang Wu Ji's chest away. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him with a mixture of sadness and anger. "You already have your princess, and I am already someone else's wife. What are you trying to achieve by doing this?"

"I don't know..." Zhang Wu Ji shook his head in agony. "I truly love you and can't bear the thought of being separated from you forever, becoming mere strangers."

Hearing Zhang Wu Ji confess his love for her, Zhou Zhi Ruo's heart skipped a beat. She bit her lip and said hesitantly, "And what about Zhao Min?"

"I love her too!" Zhang Wu Ji surprised himself by his decisiveness in matters of the heart, much to Zhou Zhi Ruo's annoyance. "So, why did you come to find me?"

Zhang Wu Ji opened his shirt, revealing the scar left on his chest by the Heaven-Reliant Sword. "Zhi Ruo, your presence is etched in my heart, just like this Heaven-Reliant Sword scar. My feelings for you have never changed. When I heard about your marriage to Song... Brother Song, I even felt like dying."

Seeing the faint scar on his chest, Zhou Zhi Ruo was reminded of the despair she felt when that young girl had stabbed him on Mount Hua. She was filled with complex emotions and sighed softly, "Then why didn't you come to stop the marriage? Do you know that I used my marriage to Brother Qing Shu as a gamble, to see if you'd come and claim me? And I lost."

"I was foolish at the time, thinking that Brother Song loved you so much and that you would be happy after marrying him." Zhang Wu Ji extended his hand as if to embrace her, but Zhou Zhi Ruo instinctively backed away, causing him to wince in pain. "After your marriage, every day felt like torture to me. I realized that in matters of love, I can't give in."

Zhang Wu Ji had never opened up like this before, and Zhou Zhi Ruo's emotions were a whirlwind of feelings—joy, mixed with sorrow. She thought about her current status and couldn't help but feel bitter. "What's the point of saying this now? I'm already Mrs. Song."

"You're both in name only!" Zhang Wu Ji's frustration was evident. "In my heart, you'll always be the virtuous and kind girl by the Han River." He reached out, seemingly wanting to brush away her teardrops, but Zhou Zhi Ruo backed away again.

Zhang Wu Ji continued to approach her, and for a moment, Zhou Zhi Ruo's mind was clouded. She bit her lip, hesitated, then suddenly stood up and leaped off the bed.

Grabbing a cup from the table, she poured the water directly onto Zhang Wu Ji's face. Zhou Zhi Ruo turned to look at her husband lying unconscious on the bed, and then back at Zhang Wu Ji, her silver teeth biting down. "Zhang Wu Ji, I hope you'll show some self-respect."

Zhang Wu Ji was taken aback. The tea-water dripped down his face, and he looked at Zhou Zhi Ruo awkwardly.

"Why didn't you dodge?" Seeing his disheveled appearance, Zhou Zhi Ruo's heart softened, and she asked gently.

"It's my fault for offending you. What does a cup of tea matter?" Zhang Wu Ji wiped the tea leaves off his face, forcing a bitter smile.