Category: Mistaken Era

Chapter 35

The main business of Lingshan Talisman Sect was subduing demons and eliminating monsters, so naturally, new disciples also had to be familiar with the strange beasts and monsters in the world.

The murals about those exotic beasts and monsters were carved inside the stone caves for seclusion in Lingshan.

Back then, before Master Tang Youshu passed away, he once took Xiao Xiao into seclusion together and activated the time reversal. At that time, Xiao Xiao saw the illustration of the Enlightenment Beast from the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” on the mural in the Lingshan stone cave.

This Enlightenment Beast had a huge body, shaped like a tiger but with nine heads.

This strange beast was said to be the divine beast guarding the heavenly gate of Mount Kunlun. The nine heads were of different sizes and all had human faces, making the villains who wanted to invade the sacred land of Kunlun tremble with fear.

The description of this beast in the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” was only a few sentences. However, the text on the stone wall emphasized that if one was bitten by it, then before long, tumors of different sizes would grow on the head, just like the Enlightenment Beast’s nine heads.

The most terrifying thing was that once the nine heads fully grew, the person bitten would frantically tear their own intestines and die miserably.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao asked again, “May I ask, old sir, why were you bitten by the Enlightenment Beast?”

That old man suddenly exposing his back of the head was not to sell misery or seek sympathy.

Seeing that among these people seeking medical treatment, only Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie were young, he deliberately exposed the back of his head with the thought that the young were easy to bully, actually wanting to scare away this little girl.

But unexpectedly, that person from the other group suddenly interjected, not only revealing his own secret of being bitten by the Enlightenment Beast but also sarcastically saying that seeking medical treatment was a waste of effort.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look at that hook-nosed man with resentment.

However, the other party also had the advantage of numbers and didn’t look easy to deal with, so the old man still decided to deal with the little girl first.

After Xiao Xiao asked this, the old man sullenly put his hat back on and said gloomily, “Miss, I’ll only ask one question. Are you willing to give the opportunity to me or not?”

Xiao Xiao blinked and before she could say anything, Wei Jie in front of her said lazily, “The Enlightenment Beast of Mount Kunlun would never harm people for no reason. The bold one who dared to break into the heavenly gate alone, why would he need the sympathy of a little girl?”

Rather than saying this old man was ill, it was more like he had committed evil deeds!

That Enlightenment Beast was a spiritual creature and wouldn’t easily take the initiative to harm people. I just don’t know what this old man did to that Enlightenment Beast to end up like this.

Looking at his reputation and thinking about their hunting weapons, the hooks, everything was self-explanatory!

Hearing this, the old man knew that these two young people had no intention of yielding. It seemed that the two thugs who attacked them during the day were these two…

He gave a murderous look to the people beside him.

Since this young couple was so unreasonable, then don’t blame him for being rude!

He was determined to take the only diagnosis quota tonight!

Just as the old man was sending a glance, the two followers beside him suddenly threw out iron hooks connected by iron chains, attacking Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie.

Those iron hooks were generally used by hunters to hook animals like deer or elk, but they looked much larger than the hooks for catching deer.

This was of the same origin as the hooks that Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie found on the two stalking big men during the day.

It seemed that the people who kidnapped those buying lanterns during the day were instructed by this old man!

When the iron hooks attacked, it could be felt that the hooks were enhanced with spiritual power. And in the lantern light, Xiao Xiao found that those hooks seemed to be stained with abnormal-colored liquid, giving off a pungent smell.

Just as Wei Jie said, they were indeed all hunters!

If she guessed correctly, what they hunted were not ordinary mountain beasts, but some ancient strange beasts and fierce monsters, so those hooks were all soaked in lethal poison.

In this world, the emperors and nobles all needed the skin, flesh, and bones of rare and exotic beasts to strengthen their bodies and prolong their lives. So there were some special hunters who captured rare and exotic beasts for those nobles in need. Those iron hooks looked very old at a glance, and who knows how many rare and exotic beasts had died under these hooks.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao suddenly remembered that when her master described accompanying her benefactor Wei Jie to seek medical treatment in Luoyi two hundred years ago, he also mentioned the beast catchers in Luoyi City back then.

It was said that several beast catchers with unique abilities were strange people invited by Prince Can at a high price, specializing in capturing exotic beasts for Prince Can.

When Master Tang Youshu accompanied his master Wei Jie with a severed arm to Luoyi City to seek medical treatment, he happened to encounter the grand occasion of the beast catchers celebrating Prince Can’s birthday and presenting exotic beasts like the Enlightenment Beast and other exotic beasts parading to show off.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao realized – perhaps this old man and his followers were the beast catchers that her master encountered two hundred years ago who captured the exotic beasts!

Unfortunately, what they provoked this time was not a beast, but people!

Wei Jie casually waved his hand and formed a spirit shield to block their attack, while Xiao Xiao took out a water-transforming talisman from her bosom and casually waved it, summoning a stream of water.

The powerful impact force instantly washed those iron hooks back, happening to hook onto the shoulders of those two followers. The sharp hooks would immediately trigger the built-in spring when they touched something.

The gripping force that could crush animal bones was astonishing, instantly gripping the two men’s collarbones tightly.

Actually, this injury was nothing. At most, it would cause pain and bleeding.

But those hooks happened to be coated with lethal poison, which immediately took effect. In an instant, the two burly men had already rolled their eyes and died.

It’s just that Xiao Xiao noticed that when those two big men bled, red dust seemed to start spreading around them. At first, it was faint, but then it gradually became thicker…

That old man didn’t pay attention to these things at all. He never thought that two young people would have such abilities!

In shock and anger, he pointed at Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao’s noses and shouted, “How dare you! You actually dare to kill people in Luoyi City! Is there no law anymore!”

Xiao Xiao felt that the old man was really shameless to call a thief to catch a thief. She said coldly, “It was you who instigated your subordinates to attack us first with poisonous hooks. Now the hooks have backfired. You brought this upon yourself!”

At this moment, that hook-nosed man beside them sneered again, “Mighty Hunter King of the East, it turns out that you also have times when you fall! I heard that you were overconfident and wanted to hunt the Enlightenment Beast of Yao Pool… What’s going on? You failed to steal a chicken and lost the rice, and you let the Enlightenment Beast bite you into this state. You actually can’t even beat these two young rookies… It’s really interesting, hahaha…”

That old man had actually recognized the identity of the hook-nosed man long ago, “Humph, I thought it was someone else! It turns out to be the Eagle Clan people from the North! I heard that Prince Can also invited your Eagle Clan to hunt in Yao Pool. How come I didn’t see any trace of your Eagle Clan people…”

The Mighty Hunter King of the East and the Eagle Clan of the North were two major beast-hunting families. In the same industry, it was inevitable to step on each other’s toes and not see eye to eye. Unexpectedly, today, they actually entered Nineteen Li together to seek medical treatment.

The Hunter King squinted his eyes, glanced at that man’s highly raised shoulders, paused, and then continued, “It’s not embarrassing for me to be injured! My disciple and I were about to capture that Enlightenment Beast. Suddenly, a group of masked people intercepted halfway, trying to snatch the unconscious Enlightenment Beast. Although I struggled to resist and injured one of them with my hook, the beast that was captured with great difficulty escaped when it woke up during the fight, and I was also bitten by it… If I don’t avenge this hatred, I swear I won’t be a human!”

As he spoke, that skinny old man suddenly leaped up and yanked off that hook-nosed man’s cloak.

As a result, that man’s bandaged shoulder was suddenly exposed, and there was actually a tightly gripping hook on it, looking exactly the same as the Hunter King’s weapon.

The Hunter King widened his eyes at this, his ferocious appearance fully revealed, “Well, the one who sneak-attacked me was indeed you! You Eagle Clan of the North are really despicable villains!”

This Eagle Clan was also quite capable, actually able to endure the lethal poison on the hooks. But he should also be unable to completely detoxify and couldn’t remove the hooks, so he ran here to seek medical treatment and ran into him.

Thinking of this, he no longer cared about Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao, and brought his remaining men to fight with that Eagle Clan of the North.

Xiao Xiao widened her eyes. At this moment, the old man’s words were like a thunderclap, resounding in her mind!

According to that old man, he and the Eagle Clan of the North both failed to capture the Enlightenment Beast and were both injured, so they all ran to this alley filled with yin energy to seek medical treatment!

This was obviously very different from the original trajectory two hundred years ago! In the previous trajectory, these hunters had grandly paraded with exotic beasts in Luoyi City…

Where exactly did it go wrong again?

Because this beast-presenting segment had nothing to do with Wei Jie, Xiao Xiao didn’t pay much attention to it before, just giving it a quick glance.

Now, taking advantage of the fierce fight on the opposite side, Xiao Xiao went behind Wei Jie and secretly took out the secret manual from her bosom to read it again in the faint light of the lantern.

When she saw the part about presenting exotic beasts in Luoyi City, Xiao Xiao realized that in her master’s secret manual, it was mentioned that Prince Can received two exotic beasts at that time, which were clearly presented by the Mighty Hunter King of the East and the Eagle Clan of the North.

The exotic beast presented by the East was naturally the Enlightenment Beast from Mount Kunlun, and the one presented by the Eagle Clan was… the corpse-eating beast from the underworld!

With this, Xiao Xiao understood everything.

According to the original trajectory, Wei Jie was supposed to encounter the corpse-eating beast in the valley and barely seriously injure it with the help of Master Tang Youshu.

In the end, the corpse-eating beast escaped with serious injuries and happened to be captured by the Eagle Clan of the North and presented to Prince Can. With such an exotic beast, the Eagle Clan naturally had no time to mess with the Hunter King’s plan.

But now, because of Cui Xiao Xiao’s sudden appearance, she and Wei Jie joined forces to capture the corpse-eating beast early and return it to the Wei family.

The Eagle Clan of the North, having not caught any exotic beasts, set their sights on the Hunter King, trying to intercept and snatch it.

As a result, they disrupted the hunt on Mount Kunlun, causing the Hunter King to not only fail to capture the exotic beast but also both suffer serious injuries…

This was truly a chain reaction. In the end, these two groups of unlucky fellows whose fates had been changed all came to seek medical treatment and actually ran into Xiao Xiao, the one who caused the disruption, in an alley in Luoyi…

After understanding the causes and effects, Xiao Xiao was quite moved for a while. The entanglement of these fates, interlocking one after another, was also quite shocking to her.

When she cleared her throat and was about to persuade the two, they had already become red-eyed.

At this moment, the red smoke in the alley became even thicker, as if it was attracted by more thick smoke from people’s splashing blood, quickly filling the entire alley.

Those people were already in high spirits. After inhaling the red smoke, even their eyes seemed to turn red, and the force of their hands became even more frenzied. Amidst the screams of misery, corpses soon filled the alley.

And that old man and the hook-nosed man also stabbed each other with a sword and both died…

Those white lanterns falling on the ground were now stained deep red with blood. In the illumination of the candlelight, the cold alley seemed even more eerie.

At this time, the only living people left standing in the alley were Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao. They both pressed the Fengchi acupoint on the side of their necks in unison, guarding their true spirit…

That red smoke seemed to be still unsatisfied, still lingering around the two of them. However, these two people seemed to have no discomfort and only stood still in their original spots, holding the lanterns.

After a standoff like this for a while, the door of a courtyard at the end of the alley creaked open, and a white-faced boy stood at the door. When he saw that the survivors were actually two people, he seemed a bit unwilling and said in a ethereal voice, “Those seeking medical treatment, please enter…”

After saying this, in just a moment, that boy disappeared.

Wei Jie held Xiao Xiao’s hand, carried the white lantern, stepped over the corpses one by one, and entered the courtyard.

This courtyard looked like it had been uninhabited for a long time, and weeds were everywhere. When they came to the door of the main hall, a short maid carrying tea turned her head to look at them and said coldly, “You came at the wrong time. Someone just died in the house. The master said, if you are sensible, offer a white envelope and leave!”

After saying that, the maid carried the tea and quickly entered the main hall.

Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie walked a bit slower. By the time they entered the main hall, the maid was nowhere to be seen. Instead, they saw that the main hall really had a “memorial” character hanging.

In the center of the main hall, there was a black lacquered coffin. At this time, the lid was tightly closed, looking a bit terrifying.

Wei Jie walked in, knocked hard on the coffin lid three times with his hand, and then said, “I’ve long heard that the ghost doctor’s medical skills are superb, so I specially came to seek medical treatment. Come out!”

At this moment, a strange laughter suddenly came from the coffin, “Interesting, interesting. It seems that those who come for medical treatment this year are a bit more interesting!”

As he spoke, the coffin lid automatically moved aside. A man with a full beard, wearing a loose and ill-fitting burial robe, crawled out of the coffin.

Xiao Xiao looked at this ghost doctor a bit speechlessly and couldn’t help asking Wei Jie in a low voice, “This ghost doctor has a big acting obsession?”

That old man had very sharp ears and actually heard Xiao Xiao’s muttering. He immediately asked in a sharp voice, “Hey, little girl, what are you saying?”

Xiao Xiao had experienced a night of absurd things and was a bit tired of it at this point. She looked at that old man’s excessively white and delicate skin, and said a bit helplessly, “In just a moment, you have played the roles of the boy who opened the door, the maid who served tea, and now the old man with a full beard… Isn’t that having a big acting obsession?”

Hearing this, the old man jumped up like a naughty child and still refused to admit it, “Nonsense, those two were clearly my son and daughter!”

Faced with such an unreasonable person, Xiao Xiao felt a bit powerless and leaned her head against a pillar beside her. Only after regaining some energy did she say, “Your white face can’t be concealed just by applying some rouge or wearing a fake beard. It’s quite late. Do you know how to treat illnesses or not? If not, I’m going to leave!”

Hearing these words, that man finally angrily tore off the gray beard on his face, revealing a youthful and immature face.

He rolled up his ill-fitting sleeves and stared at Xiao Xiao suspiciously, “People who entered this courtyard before were all in a state of turmoil. Why are you two so calm and collected, not showing any panic at all?”

Wei Jie looked down at him and said, “Are you talking about why we didn’t get poisoned by the toxic smoke in the alley and kill each other like those people?”

After saying this, he glanced at Xiao Xiao beside him. The two of them simultaneously dug out two small green balls from their nostrils.

It turned out that these were detoxifying leaves that Wei Jie brought out from the valley on Qilao Mountain. Back then, Wei Jie relied on these leaves to resist the snake venom.

When Xiao Xiao heard the night watchman’s words, she realized that the massacre back then might not have been Wei Jie’s intention.

She had gone through many experiences and reminded Wei Jie that there might be something in the alley that could make people lose their minds.

With her reminder, when they entered the alley, they rolled the leaves into balls and stuffed them into their nostrils, just in case.

So when the alley was filled with miasma and everyone became restless, the two of them were not affected by the poisonous gas.

But the other people in the alley were obviously deeply poisoned and eventually killed each other, all dying.

Xiao Xiao looked at the young man who had caused the deaths of so many people and still had the mood to act, so she frowned and asked, “As a doctor, if you select who to save, that’s fine. But before treating illnesses, why do you harm people first?”

That young ghost doctor was used to seeing flattering and fawning patients bowing and scraping. He didn’t expect that the two people who came today were so tough. Not only were they not anxious to seek medical treatment, but they even started interrogating him instead!

He couldn’t help but laugh wildly, “Nonsense, treating illnesses is very exhausting for me. How can such a precious opportunity be wasted on those short-lived ghosts? If they are not the victors who have emerged from the competition, how are they worthy of me diagnosing and treating them?”

It seemed that he selected patients by gathering those seeking medical treatment in an alley, like raising poisonous worms, letting them fight each other, and only leaving the final victor.

No wonder in the past two years, on the day when the ghost gate opened, there would be several corpses of those seeking medical treatment appearing at the entrance of the vegetable market. It seemed to be the handiwork of this ghost doctor.

As for the previous trajectory where Wei Jie stood in a pile of corpses, it should also be due to this ghost doctor’s trick.

After understanding this point, Xiao Xiao only felt extreme disgust for this so-called divine doctor in front of her.

At this moment, the ghost doctor’s eyes rolled between the two of them, and he spoke again to sow discord, “Only one living person can leave my courtyard, but there are two of you. Why don’t you decide for yourselves who lives and who dies?”

But Xiao Xiao just smiled, “But I don’t want you to treat my illness anymore. Our life and death have nothing to do with you.”

But that ghost doctor wouldn’t accept it. He said angrily, “Once you enter my courtyard, whether to treat the illness or not is not up to you! If I let you leave without treating your illness, won’t it ruin my reputation? No, today, you have to be treated even if you don’t want to!”

After saying this, he suddenly reached out with lightning speed and yanked off the bandage on Xiao Xiao’s arm.

Xiao Xiao’s wound, which had been unable to heal for a long time, was torn open again by this ghost doctor, and blood gushed out.

The ghost doctor stared at the charred burns around Xiao Xiao’s wound with some excitement, his eyes widening, “This… is an injury from heavenly punishment! You actually managed to escape unscathed from heavenly punishment? You’re really not simple!”

When he approached, ready to get closer, Xiao Xiao’s long fingers moved slightly, and she immediately drew the treasure sword “Defying the Heavens” from her waist and steadily pressed it against the ghost doctor’s neck.

This ancient treasure sword emerged from the ground, and the gems embedded in the sword body absorbed the energy of heavenly punishment. The sword light was scorching hot, slaying gods when encountering gods and slaying demons when encountering demons!

How could that ghost doctor withstand it? He was forced to retreat continuously by the sword qi.

Xiao Xiao noticed that the ghost doctor’s side face was reflected on the sword body, and it was actually half a… ferocious skull ghost face.

Looking at the ghost doctor now, the half of his face that was forced by the sword qi rapidly withered and aged, becoming unrecognizable.

Xiao Xiao knew that her guess was indeed correct. This so-called divine doctor… was actually possessed by a demon.

Coerced by the sword light of “Defying the Heavens,” he had already crawled on the ground, no longer showing the arrogance of manipulating people’s life and death just now. He only kept crying and shouting, “Chivalrous lady, spare me! I won’t dare to do it again…”

It turned out that this so-called divine doctor was originally just a quack. He lost his mother at a young age and was determined to inherit his father’s profession and become a famous doctor of the generation.

Unfortunately, he was dull-witted and obstinately trying to show off. At the age of fifteen, when his father was not paying attention, he secretly saw patients and unintentionally prescribed the wrong medicine, causing the death of the patient.

As a result, his father took the blame for him and was exiled to the frontier. On the way, he fell seriously ill and died.

His sister, who relied on him, had to marry an old man in his sixties as a concubine in order to make a living, but was eventually forced to death by the principal wife.

He had no one to rely on and became a beggar, bullied and cursed by others. He unintentionally entered a cave and encountered a possessing demon. Unable to withstand the demon’s temptation, he made a life-and-death contract, exchanging his remaining sixty years of life for the demon’s hands that could bring people back to life and determine their life and death.

And his body was fixed at the age of fourteen, and his body also became the residence of the demon. Once the demon left his body, he would immediately age and die.

It’s just that the so-called medical treatment by the demon was just using the method of secretly replacing, using his sixty years of life to extend the lives of those patients.

And the complete cure of the illness was nothing more than transferring the illness to the young man’s own body.

Relying on the demon possessing his body, he was not afraid of having more illnesses and pains.

And when he saw those patients thanking him with tears, praising him as a divine doctor, it brought great satisfaction to his inferior and distorted heart.

It’s just that the physical body had limited capacity. If he couldn’t bear too many illnesses and pains, that demon would threaten to leave him and find a new host.

He panicked and could only think of ways to prolong his life.

Since his own life was not enough to extend the lives of the patients, he would use other people’s lives to fill it… It’s just that his body was too weak to see too many patients.

So he put on the guise of only seeing one patient a year and tricked those who came to seek medical treatment into the alley, then used the maddening poisonous fog to make them kill each other.

When the ghost alley was flooded with blood, the demon in his body also received enough nourishment and could let him demonstrate the divine power of bringing people back to life again, receiving the grateful tears and praise of others…

And at other times, he hid in the old house in Nineteen Li like a rat that couldn’t see the sunlight, playing the roles of his deceased father and sister alone, as if they were still a happy family of three…

He didn’t expect that today’s clinic opening would be so unsmooth! He was threatened with a demon-subduing divine sword by a little girl.

But what was most unbearable for this ghost doctor was not that he was coerced by the treasure sword, but that Cui Xiao Xiao actually didn’t let him diagnose and treat illnesses.

Chapter 34

It seemed that the singing and dancing in Luoyi also made it difficult for Wei Jie to fall asleep.

Fortunately, even though he didn’t sleep, he also came to the corridor, so he pulled her back in time.

Xiao Xiao came back to her senses and looked back at the restaurant in shock and doubt – that singing voice was so domineering that it could hook people’s souls. No wonder there were so many obsessed people surrounding the restaurant.

What kind of powerful character could mix such enchanting voices into the singing?

Xiao Xiao immediately thought of Wei Jie’s mother mentioned in her master’s secret manual – the female demon Si Ling.

Could it be that the person who was singing for Prince Can in the restaurant at this time was Wei Jie’s mother?

Xiao Xiao had only read descriptions of female demons in books before and didn’t know how powerful they were.

But now, just the remnant sounds transmitted in the wind were so captivating. If that female demon appeared in front of her eyes, how could she resist?

Xiao Xiao suddenly understood the situation where the Four Great Sects shouted and surrounded the Wei family’s Qilao Mountain back then.

If the head of the Wei family couldn’t resist such enchantment, once that female demon had ulterior motives, she could really manipulate him and cause a catastrophe…

And now, Xiao Xiao had no time to worry about the female demon using singing to manipulate people’s hearts. She was more worried about… whether Wei Jie had heard that it was his mother’s singing voice.

However, it seemed that Wei Jie didn’t have much curiosity about that singing voice.

He only glanced at the distant restaurant, then rubbed the acupoint on the side of Xiao Xiao’s neck and said lightly, “Although a lively big city looks full of yang energy, it is actually the best hiding place for ghosts and demons. Whether it’s for living in seclusion or hunting, it’s actually much more convenient than deep mountains and old forests. There seem to be many demons in this city. Your concentration is not enough. Next time, when you feel that your mind and spirit cannot be guarded, you should press the Fengchi acupoint on the side of your neck in time. That acupoint can directly reach a person’s Linggong. If you guard it, you can remain unperturbed.”

When he said this, he was more like Xiao Xiao’s benefactor, patiently teaching and speaking with sincerity.

Wei Jie’s long fingers pressed on the Fengchi acupoint with strength and flexibility. Xiao Xiao felt much more energetic and comfortable.

Moreover, the lingering power of the soul-enticing singing was still there. She even let Wei Jie rub her neck in a daze.

When Wei Jie spoke, she felt a little weak and leaned into the broad embrace of the handsome man, closing her eyes and regulating her breath, trying hard to gather her true qi to resist.

I have to say, his massage was quite comfortable…

At this moment, Yu Ling’er was also awakened by the shouting of the drunkards on the street. When she opened her eyes and found no one on the bed, she transformed into human form, rubbed her eyes and came out to take a look.

But unexpectedly, when she pushed open the door, she happened to see Cui Xiao Xiao nestling in Wei Jie’s arms like a little bird relying on a person…

The silhouette of a handsome man and a beautiful woman nestling under the moonlight, with their hair intertwined in the breeze… was indeed pleasing to the eye.

But Yu Ling’er saw at a glance that Wei Jie was still rubbing the slender neck of the girl in his arms, looking like an urgent scene… No matter how you look at it, it’s a man and woman meeting in secret and getting intimate in the deep of the night!

When Xiao Xiao was taking a bath, her words about her pure and innocent relationship with her disciple were still ringing in her ears. But the little fox felt that she had experienced the ugly side of human nature!

Already getting so intimate, yet still claiming to be pure and innocent? Sect Master Cui was really lying without blinking an eye!

No wonder her mother used to warn her that human nature was cunning and sinister, far surpassing their fox tribe!

At this moment, Xiao Xiao finally came back to her senses. When she turned her head and looked at Yu Ling’er, she naturally also saw her contemptuous gaze. She immediately struggled out of Wei Jie’s embrace and explained, “I was bewitched and lost my soul for a moment. He was just helping me guard my true spirit!”

Yu Ling’er said with a false smile, “Yes, yes, there are really many ways for your Talisman Sect to guard the true spirit! It’s not like you don’t have a room. There’s no hurry to do it in the room!”

Humph, hanging the name of master and disciple, why bother to get intimate and show off in the corridor? Their human race really doesn’t know the two words “shame”?

Faced with the fox girl’s sarcasm, Xiao Xiao was really speechless. Unfortunately, Wei Jie poured oil on the fire from the side and said leisurely, “Master, she’s right. Do you want to go to my room?”

Hearing this, the little fox sneered and disdainfully swished her tail under her skirt. With a snap, she closed the door, not disturbing the secret meeting of the man and woman anymore.

Xiao Xiao looked at the tightly closed door with a guilty conscience and said in a shocked voice, “Men and women should not have physical contact! Why should I go to your room?”

Wei Jie said innocently, “My room’s window faces the inner courtyard and is far from the street. The sound can’t be transmitted over, just right for you to rest. I’ll just squeeze in a room with Tang Youshu.”

Xiao Xiao was stunned. It turned out that she had misunderstood… But since he had such good intentions, why didn’t he make it clear in front of Yu Ling’er?

The singing voice was too domineering, and Xiao Xiao didn’t dare to challenge it. She could only thank her disciple, and then quickly went to his room.

She was not in a hurry to sleep, but was afraid that if she stayed in the corridor, Wei Jie would hear that enchanting singing voice and become curious, and then go to investigate.

After all, once he met his mother, it would be the beginning of a misfortune.

Although the reunion of mother and son, and then the separation of life and death, was a necessary path of tribulation in Wei Jie’s life, Xiao Xiao felt a little cruel just thinking about it.

In her heart, she still hoped that the time when Wei Jie reunited with his mother could be delayed. At least he could live a happy and peaceful life for a few more days…

However, she didn’t know that when she turned around, Wei Jie stood in the corridor, his gaze deep as he looked at the restaurant with swaying candlelight and endless laughter for a long time.

When Xiao Xiao entered Wei Jie’s room and lay on the bed, her face was pressed against Wei Jie’s long robe placed beside the pillow.

Xiao Xiao casually hung up the robe, only to find that there were bamboo strips strung with a rope under the robe.

Xiao Xiao tried it and found that the strung bamboo strips could just support her arm.

Her arm was injured and couldn’t heal. She couldn’t exert any strength, so she had been simply propping up her arm with tree branches and bandages along the way.

During the day, she saw Wei Jie buy a bundle of bamboo strips used for making bamboo slips. She didn’t expect that he used the bamboo strips to make a support board to fix her arm…

She looked at the exquisitely made support board, then put it back in its original place, and brutally covered that well-intentioned gesture with the robe she had just hung up.

Then Xiao Xiao lay down again, turned to her side with a slight frustration, and looked out the window.

She hated Wei Jie’s attentiveness, which would make her feel a little suffocated and make it impossible for her to stand by and watch Wei Jie walk through his destined tragic life.

Xiao Xiao forced herself to recall the shock when the heavenly punishment descended, hoping that the feeling of awe would dispel the inexplicable pity that arose in her heart for him.

But tossing and turning like this, even if she couldn’t hear the singing, she was bound to be sleepless.

As a result, when she got up the next morning, Xiao Xiao had slight dark circles under her eyes and a sleepy look on her face.

When she went downstairs for breakfast, the little fox looked at the yawning Cui Xiao Xiao knowingly, then glanced at Wei Jie, who also seemed to have stayed up all night and looked a little tired. She sneered again and muttered disdainfully, “Tsk tsk, actually not sleeping all night. I think this Talisman Sect… might as well change its name to the Passion Sect!”

Xiao Xiao felt that this fox girl seemed to have become more daring and always liked to sarcastically taunt people.

She didn’t sleep all night and was in a bad mood. She was about to scold Yu Ling’er, but Wei Jie spoke coldly first, “Okay! Let’s change it today. In a while, you stand at the gate of the brothel and dance a fox dance to recruit some strong disciples to practice the art of yin and yang together!”

Hearing this, Yu Ling’er couldn’t eat the egg that had reached her mouth. With a cry, she ran out of the inn in tears.

Tang Youshu understood that Wei Jie and his grand-master were not people who practiced such absurd and evil arts. He could only persuade his master in a low voice to let go of his anger and not to stoop to the level of a fox demon.

After Wei Jie drove away Yu Ling’er, he seemed to be in a better mood.

While drinking hot porridge, he said to Xiao Xiao, “When I was wandering around before, I met a friend who said that there is a ghost doctor in Luoyi City who can change life and death and has magical hands to bring people back to life. He used to see patients all year round, but in recent years, the number of times he sees patients has become less and less. In the past two years, he only sees patients on the day of the Ghost Gate Opening in the middle of July at midnight. If you want him to diagnose and treat you, you need to hold a white lantern and wait at the west end of the vegetable market. However, it is said that he only sees one patient a year, so we will give it a try when the time comes and see if it works.”

Hearing him say this, Xiao Xiao didn’t respond and only ate the dried radish in small bites.

Because she knew that in the original trajectory, Wei Jie also went to seek that ghost doctor for diagnosis.

But at that time, because Wei Jie went alone, Master Tang Youshu was not clear about the process. He only briefly described that there were ten people who went to seek medical treatment that night, but in the end, only Wei Jie survived.

When Tang Youshu rushed to the midnight vegetable market, Wei Jie, whose arm had already recovered, was standing in the middle of a pile of corpses, covered in blood, with a dazed expression.

At that time, it happened that the night watchman passed by. He screamed in horror, attracting the soldiers to surround and capture him.

Fortunately, those soldiers were subordinates of Prince Can, the lord of this city. Prince Can was a generous person and liked to recruit strange people.

At first sight, Prince Can took a liking to Wei Jie. Not only did he suppress this midnight murder case, but he also made Wei Jie his guest of honor…

But paper couldn’t wrap fire. This incident eventually left Wei Jie with a reputation for being violent and bloodthirsty.

If it were before, Xiao Xiao would only think that a demon was a demon. No matter what heinous crimes he committed, it was driven by his despicable demonic nature.

It was not surprising that he killed other people seeking medical treatment in order to obtain the only diagnosis qualification to treat his arm.

But now, she had been with Wei Jie for so long and had some understanding of him.

Although this person was flippant and occasionally sarcastic and teased people, he had no other ill intentions.

She really couldn’t imagine that Wei Jie would kill so many unrelated people for no reason just to reattach his arm.

Could it be… just because he was poisoned by the snake venom and his demonic nature was triggered, the original Wei Jie had become violent and cruel?

Unfortunately, no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out. Now she could only take one step at a time and proceed according to Wei Jie’s original trajectory.

However, this time the person seeking medical treatment had changed to her. She believed that at least it would not cause a bloody catastrophe…

When the Ghost Festival arrived, the day when the ghost gate opened wide, Wei Jie took Xiao Xiao to the lantern shop early to buy white lanterns.

On this day, the white lanterns without any patterns seemed to be particularly popular. When Wei Jie and the others went to buy them, they were actually sold out.

When they went to another lantern shop, Xiao Xiao’s peripheral vision swept behind her, and then she casually said to Wei Jie, “Someone has been following us all the way…”

Wei Jie also calmly said, “Not only following us, the customers who bought white lanterns before us seemed to have been followed as well…”

Xiao Xiao’s mind moved, and she guessed the reason for being followed…

The ghost doctor only sees one patient this year. This unique quota is very important. Judging from the sale of so many white lanterns today, there should be quite a few people seeking medical treatment this year.

It seemed that someone was anxious to see a doctor and had already started to take action in advance.

I wonder how this person plans to deal with so many competitors to ensure his unique qualification.

The master and disciple looked at each other, and then they had a tacit understanding. They walked together into a dark and deserted alley.

After they entered the alley, they heard the sound of rushing wind behind them. Two big men jumped out from behind, holding sacks and wanting to cover Wei Jie and Xiao Xiao.

Next, there were groans and screams in the alley, and the sound disappeared after a short while.

When the master and disciple came out of the alley again, they had a few more daggers in their hands, as well as a pair of strangely shaped hooks – these were what they found on the bodies of the two big men.

Those two big men had already been captured by Wei Jie and interrogated. These two men had tight lips. No matter how Wei Jie asked, they remained silent. It seemed that they were not from the Central Plains.

Their weapons were also very special. They looked more like hooks for hunting and capturing fierce beasts.

Seeing that he couldn’t get any answers, Wei Jie knocked the men unconscious, put them back into the sacks, and threw them into the dirty ditch behind the alley.

The water there was not deep, not enough to drown people, but enough for those two men to drink a pot.

When the two of them bought the white lanterns and returned to that alley, they happened to see the two men break free from the sacks and leave in a disheveled state, supporting each other.

So the master and disciple followed them all the way, wanting to see who was behind this person who didn’t allow others to see a doctor.

But those big men were very good at escaping. After Wei Jie and Xiao Xiao followed them for a while, they actually disappeared without a trace.

You should know that they were full of the smell of ditches and should be easy to identify.

Wei Jie had seen a lot and was knowledgeable. He knew the reason, “They should be hunters, best at tracking and concealing their body shape and smell… When it’s tonight, we should be able to see the real culprit among the people seeking medical treatment.”

Xiao Xiao silently nodded. For some reason, she had a feeling that this midnight of the Ghost Festival would definitely not be peaceful!

When they returned to the inn, Yu Ling’er, who had run away in a fit of temper, also came back.

There was no other way. She was bound by the poisonous oath with her mother and couldn’t leave Xiao Xiao and the others for too long.

Because Yu Ling’er still couldn’t flexibly control her tail, when the ghost gate opened wide, the yin energy was too strong, making it easy for the fox girl to reveal her original form.

Wei Jie let her stay in the inn. Of course, the little fox, who was born disliking being alone, had to have someone accompany her, so Tang Youshu also stayed behind.

When night fell, Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie went out with white lanterns in their hands.

Recently, Luoyi City was holding a selection for the top courtesan, and there were prostitutes parading on the streets every day, making it very lively.

But tonight, perhaps because the yin energy was too strong, people who were a little superstitious would not go out.

The huge Luoyi City suddenly became much quieter.

Although there were not many pedestrians, there were more patrolling soldiers on the streets, driving away the staggering drunkards and urging them to go home quickly.

When they walked to the street of the vegetable market entrance, those shops had long been tightly closed. Except for a night watchman slowly walking over, there was no one else on the street.

When the night watchman saw them appearing at the entrance of the street with white lanterns in their hands, he shrank back in fright, then muttered and mumbled, wanting to take a detour.

However, Xiao Xiao was sociable. She walked a few steps forward and chatted with the night watchman, “Uncle, let me ask you, do you know when the magical ghost doctor will come?”

When she finished asking this, she saw the night watchman’s face turn pale, and he was so frightened that even his lips were trembling.

The night watchman originally didn’t want to pay attention to Xiao Xiao, but Xiao Xiao looked pure and delicate. Just looking at her made people feel pity. Seeing her so young and about to rush into the ghost gate, it wouldn’t hurt to persuade her a few words.

So the night watchman lowered his voice and said to Cui Xiao Xiao in a low voice, “Miss, I advise you to leave quickly! In the past two years, there have always been people who died miserably at this entrance on the night of the Ghost Festival. When dawn comes, corpses suddenly appear all over the street! No matter how many soldiers are sent to patrol the streets, it can’t be prevented… Tsk tsk, it’s too terrifying! Didn’t you see the official soldiers patrolling the streets and dispersing the night returnees? Hurry back…”

After saying that, the night watchman hurriedly took his clapper and got far away from this vegetable market entrance.

Hearing the night watchman’s words, Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie looked at each other again.

Wei Jie’s expression also became serious. He had only heard elsewhere that this ghost doctor’s medical skills were superb and had cured many people, but he didn’t know that there were such bizarre murder cases at the Ghost Festival night in recent years.

But listening to the night watchman’s tone, it seemed to be something that had only happened in the past few years. What exactly happened here?

Xiao Xiao suddenly thought of Wei Jie’s original trajectory – he was also found standing in a pile of corpses at the entrance of the street, covered in blood. That year’s murder case… was it really committed by Wei Jie?

At this moment, the night was getting darker. For some reason, Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie stood with white lanterns for a long time, but they didn’t see any soldiers coming to drive them away.

Today happened to be the Ghost Festival. There were paper burning in many street corners and alleys. Although the people had been driven away by the soldiers, there were still pots of burning paper. When the wind blew, sparks flew.

In the pungent smell of smoke, the fog was pervasive. Xiao Xiao suddenly found that this originally four-way intersection suddenly… had another unfamiliar alley.

There was a stone tablet at the entrance of the alley with the words “Nineteen Li” written on it.

Xiao Xiao’s eyes widened slightly, because when she was strolling on the street during the day, she also incidentally looked at the distribution map of the streets and markets in Luoyi City posted at the entrance of the street.

There were a total of eighteen alleys in Luoyi City, named by number, but… when did this nineteenth alley appear?

On that stone tablet, there was also a medicine flag inserted, with the words “Enter the alley for medical treatment” written on it.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao found that one or two groups of people were also walking towards this alley with white lanterns in their hands.

So many lanterns were sold during the day, but in the end, only three groups of people came to seek medical treatment, including Xiao Xiao. It seemed that those unidentified people during the day had successfully made a lot of moves.

Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie looked at each other and also followed these two groups of people into the alley.

At first glance, this alley was no different from other alleys. At night, the doors of every household were tightly closed.

But when Xiao Xiao walked closer, she found something strange – the households in other alleys would have candlelight shining through. But the courtyards of the households in this alley were all pitch-black, without any light or signs of life.

The alley was full of cobwebs everywhere, and there was a bone-chilling coldness.

Did people really live here?

When Wei Jie entered the alley, he was holding the lantern he bought during the day. This kind of plain white lantern was generally only hung under the eaves of the mourning hall during a funeral.

In the dark night, the lit lantern was so white that it was a bit eerie.

After entering the alley, they found that there were already two groups of people holding white lanterns, standing still under two separate walls.

Although these two groups of people were dressed as traveling merchants, judging from their exceptionally dark and rough skin, as well as the exposed tendons and bones on their arms, they didn’t look like they were in business.

These two groups of people first silently sized each other up, and then they all turned their gazes toward Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao in unison.

Compared to their numbers, Wei Jie and Xiao Xiao looked very thin. Just a young man and woman, standing alone with lanterns.

However, no matter how many people came to seek medical treatment, the ghost doctor only saw one.

And now there were three white lanterns in the alley, which meant that three people wanted to see a doctor. So Xiao Xiao found that the other two groups of people looked at her with quite unfriendly eyes, full of hostility.

Those who knew the name of this ghost doctor were not ordinary people.

Xiao Xiao pursed her lips and thought: I just don’t know how this ghost doctor chooses patients. Could it be like the selection of top courtesans on the street, only choosing the pleasing ones?

At this time, the night curtain was low, and except for the distant red-light district, everywhere was silent. This place seemed to be isolated from the world. One could neither hear the sound of patrolling soldiers nor the sound of the night watchman’s clapper.

So in the dark alley, there were only three white lanterns that were so white that they were eerie, emitting a dim light.

At this moment, a thin old man wearing a silk long shirt standing opposite Xiao Xiao hoarsely asked, “Miss, are you the one who wants to see a doctor?”

Obviously, he saw Xiao Xiao’s propped-up injured arm and made such a guess.

Seeing Xiao Xiao nod, the old man smiled bitterly and said, “Looking at your appearance, your complexion is rosy and you don’t look seriously ill. It’s just some external injuries. If you find some rare herbs, it will heal eventually. Why do you have to come here to see a doctor? This ghost doctor only diagnoses once a year. Miss, please be kind and don’t fight with this old man, okay? Look at me, how miserable I am!”

With that said, he suddenly turned around and took off his big leather hat.

On the back of his head, a ferocious and painful face suddenly appeared, glaring at Xiao Xiao with slanted eyebrows and bared teeth. If you look closely, beside this face with bared teeth, there were two more fist-sized faces squeezed together, like tumors, bulging. These few faces were all baring their teeth at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao seemed to be frightened like an ordinary girl, her face turning pale and hiding behind Wei Jie with teary eyes, looking quite scared by this old man.

However, the little girl was a bit too curious. Even though she was so scared, she still peeked out timidly and asked timidly, “May I ask, old sir, what illness do you have?”

Seeing that he had scared the little girl, the old man sneered and no longer answered.

But at this moment, someone from the other group beside them said, “There are already three heads growing. This is beast poison entering the brain marrow… In my opinion, there is actually no need to treat your illness. I have never heard of anyone surviving after being poisoned by the Enlightenment Beast!”

Xiao Xiao glanced over and saw that the person speaking had a hooked nose, but he was wearing a thick cloak with a collar that was too high to see his appearance clearly.

But judging from the hooked-nose man’s words, he should be clear about the old man’s condition and could even tell the cause.

Enlightenment Beast? Xiao Xiao felt that this name sounded a bit familiar. She seemed to have seen it somewhere.

Chapter 33

Xiao Xiao’s cheeks felt a little hot being stared at by Wei Jie’s unrestrained gaze. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Wei Jie was not flustered even after being caught. He leisurely squatted on the cart board of the horse cart, then deliberately leaned closer and said, “Master, your face… is dirty. Do you want me to wipe it for you?”

Hmm, this shameless sophistry when caught peeping was indeed Xiao Xiao’s genuine teaching. The unfilial disciple learned it very well.

Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded by his retort and could only fiercely stuff a sour fruit into his laughing mouth to see if she could block his words!

Yu Ling’er stretched her neck from the back of the cart and saw this playful banter between the master and disciple. She felt that Xiao Xiao was too frivolous as a master!

She snorted disdainfully again, then took out the jade pendant she had in her bosom, pressed it tightly against her face, looked at the floating clouds in the sky, and continued to silently lament.

This was the love token that Young Pavilion Master Qin gave her. She just didn’t know when she could get rid of this vulgar Talisman Sect and go to Soaring Cloud Pavilion to find him…

With the help of the horse cart, the group finally arrived at their destination.

Luoyi City was the territory of Prince Can, the emperor’s most favored younger brother, and it was also an important route connecting the north and south. Every day when the city gate opened, there was an endless stream of traffic.

However, when they were near a grove by the city gate, they found a pair of identical girls standing by the road, staring straight at Wei Jie.

Xiao Xiao recognized that these twins were the two daughters of the Wei family head and also Wei Jie’s cousins.

It turned out that the two girls came to deliver a family letter to Wei Jie.

It seemed that the old matriarch of the Wei family had always been uneasy about her grandson, so she asked her two granddaughters to send some things to Wei Jie.

As for how they knew Wei Jie was here, there was some trick to it. It was said that the matriarch of the Wei family divined and found out that they would come to Luoyi City.

So the two girls had arrived early, but they didn’t expect Wei Jie and the others to come so late.

In addition to the family letter, the old matriarch also asked the two granddaughters to bring Wei Jie a whip and a small box.

This whip was the one Wei Jie originally used to tie up the corpse-eating beast. Now the body of the whip seemed to have silver threads added to it, and the whip body flashed with silver light under the sunlight.

On the long handle of the whip, the demon-subduing talisman seal of the Wei family was inlaid.

The originally ordinary whip was no longer simple with this talisman seal blessing. It had the blessing of the Wei family ancestors.

However, to have such a demon-subduing talisman seal, one had to be a disciple of the Wei family who had passed the trial.

Like Wei Jie, who had left home early and privately changed his surname, he shouldn’t have such qualifications.

But for some reason, the person in charge of the Wei family changed his mind and sent such a blessed whip to Wei Jie.

The elder sister of the twins opened her mouth to explain, “Grandmother said that Cousin, you were able to catch the corpse-eating beast, which is equivalent to passing the Wei family’s trial of subduing demons and eliminating monsters. Of course, you can get the talisman seal blessing.”

But Wei Jie obviously didn’t want to be acknowledged by the Wei family. He frowned and looked at the whip, hesitating to take it.

Seeing this, Xiao Xiao pinched Wei Jie’s waist and then smiled at Wei Jie and whispered in his ear, “Jie’er, be good. If you don’t accept it, your grandmother will definitely suspect that I, your master, instigated you to be estranged from your grandmother. It’s fine to accept a coffin nail, but don’t let your grandmother get angry and send another one…”

What a joke, if he didn’t accept it, wouldn’t the Wei family suspect her, this master possessed by the Demon Bead?

The coffin nail that the Wei family matriarch gave to Wei Jie to nail her to death in the future was still in the big wooden box used for luggage in the horse cart!

Besides, how could he refuse the kind intention of the elder? If he didn’t like this whip, he could just not use it in the future!

Wei Jie looked down at Xiao Xiao, who was winking and making faces, thought silently for a while, and finally stopped being stubborn and took the whip.

As for that box, it seemed to contain a letter personally written by the Wei family matriarch.

Xiao Xiao didn’t like to pry into other people’s family privacy. Seeing that Wei Jie didn’t have a falling out with his cousins, she tactfully walked away.

After finishing the tasks entrusted by the grandmother, the twin sisters got on their horses and left.

Wei Jie stood alone in the woods. After reading the letter, it took a long time before he came out of the woods.

Xiao Xiao found that his face didn’t look very good, so she asked him in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

Wei Jie put away the letter as if nothing had happened, then said in a deep voice, “It’s nothing… Let’s enter the city.”

But when entering the city, everyone else had gone in, but he still stood at the city gate in a daze.

Xiao Xiao looked back at him and was also silent for a moment. Although she wasn’t clear what he was hesitating about at this time, she knew that this city was really a bit… too heavy for Wei Jie’s future.

She even got distracted for a moment and thought that if he changed his mind at the last minute and didn’t want to enter the city… then forget it…

But while she was in a daze, Wei Jie had already walked to her side and very naturally pushed her slender shoulders and said, “Let’s go, let’s enter the city!”

After entering the city, the little fox Yu Ling’er, who had almost never left the mountain, couldn’t stop looking around. She pulled Tang Youshu to look east and west, wanting to buy whatever she saw.

However, Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie seemed to have lost interest and had no intention of shopping. Wei Jie found a teahouse and took the injured-armed Xiao Xiao to have a few cups of tea.

When Yu Ling’er excitedly came back with a pile of copper pots and tangram puzzles, Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie had also eaten a plate of cakes in the teahouse.

When drinking tea just now, Xiao Xiao found that Wei Jie had rarely become very quiet, drinking tea and being absent-minded.

She guessed that his unusual behavior should be related to the letter sent by the Wei family, but when she tried to ask about it, he came back to his senses and casually talked about the cakes, changing the topic.

In Wei Jie’s previous trajectory, he didn’t return to the Wei family for a meal, let alone help his uncle Wei Jingfeng catch the corpse-eating beast.

At that time, because he had stolen the Golden Core of the Four Great Sects, his reputation was ruined, and he had no connection with the Wei family.

Although it was the grandmother who ordered the twin sisters to send the letter this time, if Father Wei Jingfeng didn’t nod, the twin sisters probably wouldn’t dare to come.

It could be seen that this time, Wei Jie’s relationship with the head of the Wei family had inexplicably eased a lot.

Xiao Xiao didn’t know what the letter said that made him so mentally absent, but it seemed that Wei Jie didn’t intend to tell her.

At this moment, the two who went shopping came back. As soon as Tang Youshu came in carrying big and small bags, Wei Jie signaled his disciple to go settle the tea bill.

Tang Youshu rummaged through his cloth pocket and said to his master in a low voice, “This disciple is incompetent. The silver has all been spent by that Yu Ling’er…”

Before joining the Talisman Sect, Tang Youshu was quite well-off financially, but after entering the sect, he began to support a family.

Buying the horse cart earlier had already used up most of his travel expenses. Now encountering a fox girl who never had enough of anything, Tang Youshu spent his last copper coin in his pocket.

Wei Jie sneered, “You actually listened to her. Could it be that you’ve changed to follow the fox sect instead?”

Tang Youshu said helplessly, “If I didn’t buy it, she would just pick it up and leave, causing others to chase and scold behind us. I had no choice!”

Xiao Xiao heard Tang Youshu say this and immediately came to the rescue, “How can you blame Mr. Tang for this? He is the most kind-hearted person and won’t refuse others… Besides, why should he spend the money he earns through hard work on you? It’s just right that we don’t have money. We’ll earn it ourselves.”

Wei Jie raised his eyebrows, “How to earn it?”

Xiao Xiao had already thought of it before entering the city. She didn’t want to keep spending her master’s money either, so she pointed to an empty space at the corner of the street and said, “Our Talisman Sect is full of talents. What’s difficult about performing on the street?”

As a result, in order to pay off the tea bill, the three generations of the Talisman Sect, plus a fox girl, were ready to start performing on the prosperous streets of Luoyi City.

The owner of the teahouse was afraid that these few people would eat and run, so he specially called a waiter to keep an eye on them at the street corner.

Wei Jie seemed to find it embarrassing and refused to step forward. He first went to the nearby money exchange and came out, then sat on a stool dragged from the teahouse like a big boss, with his arms crossed, watching his master perform on the street with the crowd.

Xiao Xiao beat the copper gong borrowed from the monkey performer next to her and shouted loudly, “Ancestral magic trick! Turning people alive! Everyone come and see!”

Tang Youshu followed his grand-master’s instructions and held an eating bowl, waiting to collect copper plates on the side.

And Cui Xiao Xiao pulled Yu Ling’er to stand in the field. The two girls, as beautiful as flowers, were more effective than the copper gong. In a short while, they attracted a large group of men, women, old and young.

Yu Ling’er was not only afraid of the dark but also a little dizzy from the crowd. Seeing so many people watching her, she became a little timid, and her fox tail almost fell to the ground.

Xiao Xiao was quick-witted and pinched her waist hard, letting the fox girl hold back this breath.

She smiled and whispered in Yu Ling’er’s ear, “Mr. Tang’s silver has all been spent by you. Whether we eat big fish and meat or clear-stewed fox tonight all depends on your performance! Remember what I told you, don’t ruin my show!”

Yu Ling’er was bound by the poisonous oath with her mother and couldn’t escape Cui Xiao Xiao’s clutches. She could only put on a long face and nod in grievance.

Next, Xiao Xiao brought down a large box used for luggage from the horse cart.

Yu Ling’er danced a fancy fox dance with a bitter face, swaying her waist, and then jumped into the box.

Then Xiao Xiao closed the lid, solemnly chanted incantations, and knocked on the wooden box three times.

When the box was opened again, everyone saw that the lovely girl was gone, and only a snow-white fox poked its furry head out of the box. The fox’s eyes were even wet, which was quite cute, causing a group of children to scream.

When Xiao Xiao closed the box and knocked three times again, she opened the box, and the fox was gone. The girl was sitting in the box with red eyes.

People immediately applauded and cheered, and a few rascals even made a fuss, saying that they wanted to see the girl shake her butt and dance again.

Seeing the crowd cheering loudly, Xiao Xiao hurriedly signaled Tang Youshu to take the bowl to collect money.

Unfortunately, the people of Luoyi were all cunning. When watching the magic trick, they surrounded three layers inside and out, but when it was time to collect money, the crowd suddenly dispersed like birds and beasts, and there were not many people who gave money.

Cui Xiao Xiao looked at the pitiful few copper plates in the bowl and was momentarily speechless.

At this moment, Wei Jie said lazily, “It seems that your idea of performing on the street is not very reliable. In my opinion, it’s better to ask which nearby villages lack rain. Then, with your two water-guiding talismans, you can exchange for a large bag of incense money.”

Xiao Xiao saw that he didn’t exert any effort and still spoke sarcastically, so she said with a false smile, “Good idea! But distant water can’t quench immediate thirst. Otherwise, you can think of a way to pay this tea bill!”

Wei Jie nodded, took out a silver ingot of considerable weight from his bosom, turned around and threw it to the teahouse waiter who followed him closely, and even generously said that there was no need to give change. The rest was a tip.

After the shop attendant thanked him with a bow, Xiao Xiao walked over and asked in surprise, “Did you pick someone’s money pouch? Where did you get the silver?”

Wei Jie chuckled, “I had silver in the first place. Why would I need to steal?”

It turned out that in the brocade box brought by the two cousins, in addition to the letter, there were more than a dozen silver notes given to him by the Wei family matriarch.

The Wei family guarded the underworld, and there were silver mines everywhere at the intersection of yin and yang, but no one could approach them, so the Wei family could be said to be as rich as a country.

Just now, Wei Jie went to the money exchange next door and exchanged a silver note. In addition to small silver ingots, he also exchanged three gold bars, which were convenient to spend.

Hearing his explanation, Xiao Xiao realized that her disciple was actually so rich!

She pursed her lips and said angrily, “Since you have silver, why didn’t you say so earlier? You’ve been spending your disciple’s silver, and now that you have money, you don’t help him. Don’t you feel guilty?”

Wei Jie blinked his light purple eyes and smiled extremely handsomely, “You didn’t ask me either! And I think if you spend my money, you will definitely feel guilty, so you didn’t take it out…”

Hmm… Very reasonable. Xiao Xiao rarely lost in an argument and was once again dumbfounded by Wei Jie’s retort.

She, who was under the Gold Consuming Curse, indeed had no moral high ground when it came to spending money.

After all, she was the queen of freeloading, eating from her grand-disciple and then her disciple.

So Xiao Xiao immediately shut up and respectfully cupped her hands towards Wei Jie, saying, “Alright, it was my fault for not recognizing the God of Wealth. I’ll offer incense to you later and enshrine you!”

Wei Jie was amused by Xiao Xiao’s quick acceptance again. The God of Wealth waved his hand, and with a handful of gold and silver, he took the entire Talisman Sect to experience the prosperity of the big city.

In this prosperous capital city, it was always good to have plenty of money.

At least the people of the sect didn’t have to sleep outdoors in the suburbs at night. Instead, they booked three guest rooms in the largest inn in the city.

Since being chained together with Wei Jie, Xiao Xiao hadn’t had a good bath.

Even though they were separated later, she couldn’t touch water because of her injured arm.

Now that they had entered the inn, because Wei Jie was generous with his money, the shop attendant was not stingy at all when heating up the water.

When the wooden tub was filled with warm water, Xiao Xiao suspended her injured arm outside the tub and could finally enjoy a delightful bath.

Yu Ling’er followed her mother’s words and became Xiao Xiao’s personal maid, using a loofah to scrub Xiao Xiao’s neck and back.

However, Yu Ling’er was a bit curious and felt that it was strange for Wei Jie to open a separate room by himself. He obviously had an ambiguous relationship with Cui Xiao Xiao, so wasn’t staying in separate rooms like this just a pretense?

The little fox had simple thoughts and asked whatever she had in mind. As a result, Xiao Xiao heard it and just wanted to wash her ears, “Ah, what kind of nonsense is this? Wei Jie and I have a pure and innocent relationship. How could we have any private affairs between men and women?”

When Xiao Xiao pursued the matter further, she finally figured out that Qin Lingxiao had splashed her with a big basin of filthy dirty water.

She was so angry that she splashed water at the little fox and said, “You believe everything Qin Lingxiao says? At that time, I was clearly suffering from the yin poison attack, and Wei Jie was afraid that I would hurt myself, so he pressed me down tightly. Our master-disciple relationship is pure and innocent!”

Yu Ling’er was overwhelmed by Xiao Xiao’s imposing sect master aura. She wiped the water droplets on her face and shrank her neck slightly. She was still unwilling to give up and defended the benefactor, “With the way you two looked at that time, anyone would have misunderstood. How can you blame Young Pavilion Master Qin?”

Xiao Xiao knew that this Yu Ling’er’s heart was filled with the benefactor. If she spoke ill of Qin Lingxiao behind his back, she was afraid it would backfire.

Thinking of Qin Lingxiao’s cold and aloof appearance when he was followed by beautiful female cultivators but never showed them any affection, the little fox’s deep love would probably go to waste.

However, Xiao Xiao was more curious that in the previous trajectory, this delicate and pampered fox princess actually followed Wei Jie down the mountain.

Seeing how Wei Jie kept scaring Yu Ling’er now, threatening to skin her fox fur, Xiao Xiao really couldn’t imagine how Yu Ling’er would affectionately warm the quilt and fan the pillow for Benefactor Wei Jie, being subservient and lowly.

At night, Tang Youshu and Wei Jie each stayed in a separate guest room, while Cui Xiao Xiao and Yu Ling’er stayed in the same room.

It wasn’t that Wei Jie was stingy and unwilling to open a separate room for the fox girl. It was because Yu Ling’er had a taste of the harshness of the human world for the first time. During the day, she was forced to perform on the street and finally understood the truth that money could crush a heroic man.

Afraid that Xiao Xiao would force her to perform again, Yu Ling’er now didn’t dare to waste a single penny of these people’s money, so she refused to let Wei Jie open another room for her.

Xiao Xiao had been forced to be locked together with Wei Jie for a long time and cherished the wonderful time of sleeping alone. She tactfully told Ling’er that she was not used to sharing a bed with others.

As a result, Yu Ling’er hugged a chair cushion and said very sensibly, “I don’t need to sleep on the bed.”

After saying that, she put the chair cushion in the corner opposite the bed, then transformed into her fox form, curled up into a white ball, and prepared to sleep on the chair cushion like this.

That pitiful appearance was like a poor little thing that no one wanted.

Xiao Xiao couldn’t bear to see it and said to her, “Why don’t… you still come up and sleep on the bed with me…”

Yu Ling’er shook her head with great determination, then buried her pointed fox mouth in her fluffy big tail, closed her eyes, and fell asleep defenseless in a short while.

Xiao Xiao looked at the fox girl’s good sleep and couldn’t help but admire her again.

This was indeed a fox princess who had grown up with everyone pampering her. Where was there even a hint of vigilance? She was so ignorant of worldly affairs that she was simply like a child!

However, she obviously didn’t have the carefree attitude of the fox girl. Arriving at a new place, she always had to toss and turn for a long time before she could fall asleep reluctantly.

Since she couldn’t sleep, she simply got up and started meditating.

Since drinking the spiritual spring, her dantian was full and automatically condensed into a ball. But to refine this ball of qi into a core required a high degree of concentration and a strong foundation in establishing a foundation.

Xiao Xiao didn’t know the trick at first, but when she was free, Wei Jie actually listened to her words and explained his insights to her in detail.

Hearing the gentleman’s words was better than reading books for ten years.

With the guidance of her disciple, Master Xiao Xiao immediately grasped the trick of condensing qi into a core, and her meditation progress in the past few days could be said to be rapid.

But it was precisely because of Wei Jie’s words that Xiao Xiao suspected his cultivation. To what stage had he progressed now?

After all, a heavenly genius with his extraordinary comprehension ability could not be estimated and measured by ordinary people’s standards.

When the qi was condensed, the ancient treasure sword hanging at the head of the bed also hummed and buzzed along with Xiao Xiao’s breathing, as if responding to its owner from afar, emitting a faint glow.

The sword qi was too strong, and demons made way.

Even the little fox sleeping was disturbed by the sword light and felt uncomfortable.

In the end, the little fox got up drowsily, held the seat cushion in her mouth, and crawled under the bed in one go. After avoiding the sword light, she continued to sleep soundly.

Xiao Xiao also discovered that her qi could actually resonate with this treasure sword from afar. This feeling was extremely similar to the principle of the sword sect’s unity of person and sword.

Although she couldn’t condense qi into a sword like the sword sect, wasn’t this divine sword forged by heavenly punishment better than those qi swords?

Just as she was concentrating on practicing qi at a critical moment, melodious sounds of silk and bamboo came from the street not far from the inn.

It should have been a time of quiet night, but in a prosperous city like Luoyi, the singing and dancing had just begun.

Xiao Xiao’s room was facing the street. Although she tried to meditate with a calm mind, the silk and bamboo music disturbed her ears, making it impossible for her to be at peace.

In the end, Xiao Xiao simply got up, pushed open the door, and looked out at the street through the window along the corridor.

It turned out that not far from the inn was a tall restaurant, and under the restaurant, a luxuriously decorated carriage slowly drove up.

When it arrived at the restaurant with upturned eaves, four or five beautifully dressed maids got out of the carriage, followed by a woman wearing a long gauze veil hat and a flowing silk long dress embroidered with brocade. With the support of the maids, she slowly got out of the carriage.

Xiao Xiao saw from a distance that the woman’s long dress was like a phoenix tail, trailing on the ground, extremely luxurious!

Xiao Xiao originally just took a casual glance, but when she saw the woman gently swaying her waist and gracefully walking forward, she was deeply attracted by the silhouette of the woman in the long dress.

Although she couldn’t see her face, just the charming posture while walking was so enchanting and graceful. What kind of peerless beauty must she be to carry such elegance?

The men gathered around the carriage were obviously also attracted by the woman. They surrounded her in three layers inside and out. Some of them even had infatuated expressions and some drunkards were mumbling and crying about their lovesickness.

But soon, these people were driven away by the swordsmen who walked out of the restaurant. The leading swordsman sternly shouted at the drunkards, “Prince Can is drinking here. Riffraff are not allowed to approach!”

And that woman in luxurious clothes was also welcomed into the restaurant like a star…

After a while, the elegant silk and bamboo music in the restaurant seemed to change to a new tune. A melodious and lingering singing voice spread out from the restaurant.

When the singing reached the inn, the sound was actually not very loud, just some faint lingering echoes.

However, since condensing qi in her dantian, Xiao Xiao’s hearing had also become different from ordinary people’s and greatly improved. The faint singing, when reaching her ears, was clear word by word.

After listening to just a few sentences, Xiao Xiao actually felt her mind wandering and losing control. She just wanted to enter the restaurant quickly to listen to the singing more closely.

As a result, in a moment of distraction, she actually leaped up, intending to jump directly out of the window.

But just as she left the window sill, her wrist was firmly grasped, and then a force pulled her back.

Xiao Xiao’s arm was in pain, and she also sobered up a lot.

She looked up and saw that the one who pulled her back was Wei Jie, who should have been sleeping early.

Chapter 32

If things were like this, if Cui Xiao Xiao didn’t take in Yu Ling’er, it would simply be forcing the little fox to scatter her cultivation and return to her original form!

There was no other way. If Yu Ling’er wanted to follow, then let her follow!

However, Xiao Xiao said the ugly words upfront. She didn’t take in Yu Ling’er as a disciple or servant. If Yu Ling’er wanted to follow, she could follow. If she didn’t want to follow, she could leave. Xiao Xiao definitely wouldn’t stop her.

As for things like eating, if Yu Ling’er practiced grain abstinence and didn’t eat human food, that would be best. But if she wanted to eat, she had to find a way herself.

There was no other choice. Xiao Xiao felt distressed for her master. His current money was all earned bit by bit through the hard work of taking pulses and selling medicinal plasters.

Originally, having a young man support her and a big boss like Wei Jie who ate and drank extravagantly was already tough enough. If a hundred-year-old fox demon was added, she was afraid that if her master supported so many people at such a young age, he would be too tired to handle it.

When they came down from Mount Tuyun, although there was an extra burden behind them and her arm was still burning with pain, Xiao Xiao felt very lucky. After all, she had originally planned to have her arm severed.

Perhaps it was because she and Wei Jie endured the heavenly lightning together. The tribulation that was originally supposed to sever an arm was divided between the two of them, greatly reduced.

Although her injuries were severe and her arm was still in a splint wrapped in bandages, she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

After all, after this tribulation, the chain connecting her and Wei Jie was finally broken, and the shackle on her wrist was also struck to ashes by the heavenly lightning. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Even if one arm was severely injured, it was worth it!

However, Wei Jie obviously had many doubts in his heart. If Cui Xiao Xiao returned to Mount Tuyun to fulfill her promise to the Fox King and block the calamity for the fox tribe, it would be easy to explain.

But she seemed to have known long ago that there was an ancient treasure sword on Mount Tuyun that could block disasters. How could that be explained?

When he asked, Xiao Xiao blinked her eyes, and lies came out of her mouth, “The ancestor of our Talisman Sect was an old acquaintance of the fox tribe of Mount Tuyun and knew the hidden secret of the sword behind the mountain. This sword was left behind by Goddess Nüwa back then. It dared to defy the heavens, so naturally, it could withstand the heavenly punishment.”

Her words, half true and half false, could indeed deceive people. After Wei Jie nodded, he didn’t ask anymore.

After leaving Mount Tuyun, the first thing on Xiao Xiao’s mind was to find a restaurant, order four loudly resounding meat dishes, bury her face in a large bowl, and eat hard!

In the meantime, when Wei Jie wanted to take an extra piece of meat with his chopsticks, he was blocked by his master’s chopsticks and even received a fierce glare from her big eyes.

Wei Jie realized that fighting with his master for meat was the same as fighting for food with a vicious dog. It was not something a smart person should do!

So he also knew his place and didn’t eat anymore. He only occasionally added chicken legs and pig feet to the bowl of Xiao Xiao, whose arm was injured and inconvenient to pick up dishes.

The fox demon Yu Ling’er didn’t qualify to sit at the table. She only sat at the side of an empty table, her slender fingers rubbing her small bundle, looking at them with resentment.

Only when Xiao Xiao filled her stomach was she satisfied yet frustrated, leaning back and apologizing slightly to Tang Youshu, “Master… Mr. Tang, why don’t you eat too? How come you only took a few bites of your bowl of rice?”

Because the Talisman Sect was unconventional and varied from person to person, Xiao Xiao had always called her grand-disciple “Mr. Tang.” After all, she was clear in her heart that this person was her benefactor. If she called her grand-disciple by insulting the teacher and destroying the ancestor, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

As soon as Mr. Tang heard his grand-master care about him, he hurriedly used his chopsticks to shovel the rice into his mouth and swallowed it dry.

After all, he had witnessed his grand-master’s skill in guarding food. She almost stuck chopsticks into his master Wei Jie’s throat, scaring him so much that he didn’t dare to pick up dishes at all.

Xiao Xiao hurriedly put large pieces of fish meat from the plate into Tang Youshu’s bowl.

What a joke, these dishes were all bought with Mr. Tang Youshu’s money. If he couldn’t eat, who could eat?

Yu Ling’er originally didn’t understand why Cui Xiao Xiao didn’t let her eat with them. But seeing Cui Xiao Xiao’s starving appearance, she understood the eating style of the Talisman Sect. It turned out to be such a fierce competition.

She sat for a while and felt hungry, so she quietly got up and went to the back yard of the restaurant.

Not long after, Yu Ling’er walked back with her head lowered.

On Xiao Xiao’s side, she was packing up the leftover dishes when she heard someone shouting in the back yard of the restaurant, “What’s going on? How did two chickens disappear from the yard? Oh no, there’s even a pool of blood here? Damn it, did a weasel come in?”

Xiao Xiao listened for a while, then turned her head to look at Yu Ling’er. As a result, she saw her elegantly licking her tongue, and there were two chicken feathers stuck to the corner of her mouth…

Oh my goodness! Xiao Xiao quickly went over and plucked off her chicken feathers.

Tang Youshu hurriedly went to pay the bill and used the excuse of giving a tip to pay for two more chickens.

After coming out of the restaurant, Xiao Xiao said to the fox girl with a heavy heart, “This is a village and town, with people everywhere. You have to do things according to human rules, right? Stealing and snatching like this will definitely cause trouble sooner or later! Besides, isn’t one chicken enough? Why did you eat two?”

Her tone was still fairly euphemistic, but Yu Ling’er’s eyes were already filled with tears. She only trembled her lips and sobbed, “I didn’t want to… but I was hungry…”

Xiao Xiao, who had been practicing grain abstinence for many days, deeply sympathized with the feeling of hunger.

Although this little demon was forcibly sent by the fox tribe, if she ignored her, this little fox would eventually die under people’s cudgels due to theft.

Xiao Xiao thought that her master back then didn’t despise her for being a swindler and pickpocket on the streets and gladly accepted her as a disciple. Then when it was her turn, how could she ignore Yu Ling’er just because she was a demon?

So she solemnly said to Yu Ling’er, “From now on, if you are hungry, tell me. Don’t steal on your own anymore! If you are sincere in doing good, the Talisman Sect can consider accepting you as a disciple in the future…”

Wei Jie, who was beside them, couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this.

Xiao Xiao asked him what he was laughing at. Wei Jie said lazily with a hooked corner of his mouth, “I’m happy for Master that the Talisman Sect is going to expand again… But I want to ask, since the Talisman Sect accepts the son of a female demon and also accepts a fox demon girl… Are we going to enter the demonic path?”

Nonsense! Sect Master Cui glared, “Our Lingshan Talisman Sect is an upright sect in the human world! How can we be mentioned in the same breath as the demonic path!”

Oh, Wei Jie nodded in realization but just smiled without saying anything!

But when he asked this, Xiao Xiao was very depressed in her heart.

Come to think of it, she was taking big strides on the path where Wei Jie had become a demon in the past.

Think about it, she had the Demon Lord’s Demon Bead in her body, the Demon Lord’s sharp sword “Defying the Heavens” at her waist, and following behind her were the Demon King Wei Jie and his former left and right arms.

The righteous flag of Lingshan Talisman Sect was a bit shaky two hundred years ago. If something went wrong, a new demonic sect leader might be born.

But if she used this excuse to clean up the sect, it wouldn’t be bad either!

Thinking of this, halfway through the walk, she took the opportunity to probe, “Actually, our Talisman Sect is not really righteous… I’ve always had this wish to try entering the demonic path. Perhaps in the future, the Talisman Sect will also take the path of the demonic way… You are a descendant of the Demon Subduing Wei Family. How can you go astray? Otherwise, let’s end our master-disciple relationship here.”

Wei Jie looked down at his master who was talking big about wholeheartedly entering the demonic path, smiling yet not smiling, “Entering the demonic path? Not bad either. I think the so-called righteous path in the human world is not interesting. Children don’t dislike their mothers for being ugly, and dogs don’t dislike their homes for being poor. Please rest assured, Master. Whether you are an immortal or a demon, this disciple will follow you all the way!”

Xiao Xiao was speechless, blocked by his pure heart. In the end, she could only nitpick and angrily said, “Fool! Didn’t you see that I was testing you? How can our Lingshan Talisman Sect walk the evil and deviant path? You have no self-control and are really learning to bite people from a vicious dog! In the future, won’t you be led astray by demons and lose your true heart? I think it’s better to expel you from the sect early!”

After saying that, she was about to drive Wei Jie away.

Before the abandoned disciple Wei Jie could say anything, Tang Youshu beside them hurriedly came to persuade, “Grand-master, Master was just joking with you. You mustn’t take it seriously! If Master is expelled from the sect, then… then won’t disciple and Master become abandoned disciples of Lingshan Talisman Sect together? With such a reputation, how… how can I live…”

Seeing her benefactor Mr. Tang’s eyes moist with sadness, Xiao Xiao was so scared that she hurriedly took out a handkerchief and coaxed in a soft voice, “You are you, and your master is your master. How can you be mentioned in the same breath? Oh my, don’t cry. I… I was also joking with your master…”

Just as she was flustered, that fox girl came to add to the chaos, “I’m hungry. When are we going to eat? I only eat chicken innards and breast meat. One is not enough. Rabbit meat is fine too. I’m not picky…”

This group of people from the Talisman Sect walked slowly and leisurely. After walking for half a day, it was too appetizing.

At this time, Wei Jie, who was almost expelled from the sect and in a bad mood, said coldly, “In my opinion, let’s eat roasted fox tonight. I’ll slaughter the fox and skin it. It’s also a good opportunity for Master to see if disciple’s determination to subdue demons is firm or not.”

Hearing these words, Yu Ling’er cried out in anger, and there were even sharp fox cries mixed in her crying.

Xiao Xiao was helpless. This sect full of chaos was really enough for her, the sect master, to drink a pot of tea!

Xiao Xiao’s words just now obviously hurt Wei Jie’s pride. After scaring Yu Ling’er to tears, he didn’t make a sound and just turned around with a cold face, disappearing without a trace.

Seeing that Wei Jie disappeared in the blink of an eye, Xiao Xiao was stunned for a moment, then touched her arm that had never healed and slowly let out a long breath.

It was best that he left on his own initiative!

As for the remaining tribulations in his bumpy life, he could slowly go through them himself.

She definitely didn’t want to get involved with him again and continue to be his scapegoat!

Tang Youshu also didn’t expect his master to leave as soon as he said it, so he could only ask his grand-master anxiously, “Grand-master, should we go after Master?”

Xiao Xiao comforted her master, then said to Yu Ling’er who was still sobbing, “Alright, he’s gone. You don’t need to be afraid. Aren’t you hungry? The mountains and forests here are dense. You can go catch some pheasants to eat yourself.”

But Yu Ling’er shook her head, “No, I’m afraid…”

Xiao Xiao narrowed her eyes and asked, “Afraid of what?”

Yu Ling’er looked at the setting sun and said in a low voice, “I’m afraid of the dark…”

She was the pearl of the fox tribe. From a young age, the tribesmen would catch prey for her and let her pick the tender ones to eat. And even if she hunted, she generally wouldn’t be alone.

Cui Xiao Xiao actually let her hunt alone at night. What a joke! Did she want to scare her to death?

Xiao Xiao understood. Her experience was still too shallow. She actually didn’t know there were fox demons afraid of the dark!

Weren’t the fox spirits in books always knocking on scholars’ doors in the middle of the night?

Now that she thought about it, the Fox King sent such a delicate and pampered fox demon princess to her, saying that she would be a maid to warm her quilt and fan her pillow. Could it be that she was retaliating against her?

In the past, in similar situations where they were stuck in the middle of nowhere, it was always Wei Jie who went hunting. But now that Wei Jie was gone and the fox demon couldn’t be relied on, and Tang Youshu was weak and powerless, only she, the sect master with an injured arm, could go hunting alone.

Tang Youshu originally wanted to go with her, but Yu Ling’er, who was guarding by the bonfire, kept shouting that she was afraid to be alone, so Xiao Xiao let Tang Youshu stay and went to see if there were any pheasants or wild rabbits to catch.

She had always relied on Soul-Locking Talismans when hunting, placing the talismans on the ground and waiting for the prey to fall into the trap.

Unfortunately, her luck was not good today. She waited for a long time in the dense forest, but the Soul-Locking Talisman only immobilized small lizards and some reptiles passing by.

She didn’t know if that little fox who was afraid of the dark was picky and could eat a lizard to fill her stomach first.

Xiao Xiao herself was actually very hungry, and her arm that had never healed was still aching faintly.

If Wei Jie were here, she would probably be eating roasted meat by the bonfire at this time.

It had to be said that although Wei Jie was the future Demon King, he was more reliable than her senior brothers in daily life.

Along the way, many things that Xiao Xiao had neglected turned out to have been done by him all along.

When Xiao Xiao returned slowly with a lizard in hand, she smelled the aroma of meat.

She suspiciously walked a few steps faster and found that there were actually two roasted chickens and a roasted rabbit on the bonfire.

And Wei Jie, who was supposed to leave in anger, was sitting by the bonfire, sitting at ease, chatting and laughing with Tang Youshu and Yu Ling’er, and occasionally sprinkling salt on the roasted meat.

When he saw Sect Master Cui walking over with a lizard the length of a finger, Wei Jie said with a half-smile, “Did Master change her taste? Why so heavy?”

Xiao Xiao casually threw away the lizard, then slowly sat down and stared at Wei Jie, asking, “Didn’t you leave?”

Wei Jie tore off a rabbit leg and handed it to Xiao Xiao, then said casually, “I just went hunting. Where can I go?”

This kind of returning good for evil was truly the act of a gentleman, making her, the master, seem a bit petty-minded in comparison.

Xiao Xiao slowly gnawed on the rabbit leg, not knowing how to continue putting on a stern face to drive him away. After all, they were no longer bound together. If she still mixed with him, she would simply be throwing herself into the gates of hell.

Just at this moment, Wei Jie sat down beside her and took a handkerchief to wipe his injured master’s mouth.

Xiao Xiao was caught off guard and didn’t dodge. When she raised her head to reprimand him for meddling, she happened to bump into his light purple eyes.

Under the flickering bonfire, his face turned sideways was handsome and charming, and also exuded endless depth. When he wiped her oily mouth, he didn’t seem to feel that he was overstepping at all, only saying with a hint of doting, “Look at you, eating like a child, even getting oil on your nose…”

Xiao Xiao was a bit speechless. She suddenly felt that Wei Jie was full of fatherly aura. What was going on?

At this moment, Wei Jie said again, “By the way, I suddenly remembered that there is a ghost doctor in Luoyi City who can probably treat your arm. It’s not far from here to Luoyi City, and there are only a few days left before his consultation time, so we should make it in time.”

When Xiao Xiao heard him say this, she suddenly thought of Wei Jie’s next tribulation, which seemed to be related to Luoyi City.

According to his original trajectory, he was supposed to go to Luoyi City to treat his severed arm.

The Demon Bead said that even if Wei Jie’s life had slight changes, the sufferings he should have endured could not be lacking.

Even if he didn’t bear it himself, someone had to bear it for him.

But Wei Jie’s injury was not severe. If she parted ways with Wei Jie here, would he go to Luoyi?

Thinking of this, she opened her mouth to probe, “Actually… my injury is not serious… and I also want to let you guys travel around to train for a while. I don’t know where you would go if you were alone.”

Wei Jie raised his eyebrows. He found that his master loved to mention topics like “parting” today.

But since Xiao Xiao asked, he thought for a moment and said, “I would probably go to Beiming to travel. I heard that the Kun whale has appeared there again. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can see the grand sight of the Kun transforming into a Peng bird.”

Xiao Xiao bit her lip. Beiming was far away from here. If he really went there, he wouldn’t be able to return for several years. Wouldn’t his life’s tribulations be messed up?

The thunderous sound of heavenly punishment seemed to still echo in her ears. She knew that she couldn’t part with Wei Jie for the time being. She had to guide Wei Jie to Luoyi and go through the tribulations he should go through.

But everything didn’t have to be thought of so pessimistically. For example, on Mount Tuyun, she and Wei Jie, who were supposed to have their arms severed, didn’t they offset the heavenly punishment by enduring the tribulation together and luckily escaped the fate of severed arms?

Next, she just needed to lead Wei Jie to experience the hardships he suffered in his previous life again, guide him to successfully become a demon, and then she could leave at ease and return to two hundred years later.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao perked up again and was no longer cold and harsh to Wei Jie, wanting to expel him from the sect.

In addition to diligently sprinkling some freshly picked wild onions on Wei Jie’s chicken leg to add flavor, she also picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

Tang Youshu saw that his grand-master and master were on good terms again, and he gratifyingly handed the wine gourd to his master.

At this time, the bonfire was bright, the roasted meat was fragrant, the master was kind, the disciple was filial, and everything was so harmonious.

Yu Ling’er had never tasted roasted chicken meat before. After tasting it, she found that it was actually much tastier than bloody innards!

It seemed that this Talisman Sect that ate and drank all the time indeed had some skills. Following these people, at least her mouth wouldn’t suffer.

But thinking of her sweetheart in Soaring Cloud Pavilion, the little fox fell into lovesickness again. While gnawing on chicken meat, she occasionally let out sorrowful fox cries, causing the roosting birds to fly in disorder…

Since the next destination was clear, the group’s journey became much faster.

Although Wei Jie knew the art of teleportation, he could only quickly advance with Xiao Xiao alone.

As for Yu Ling’er, she was absentminded the whole way and couldn’t be relied on to lead Tang Youshu to walk faster.

So in the next town, Wei Jie simply let Tang Youshu buy a horse cart, so they could walk faster this way.

Yu Ling’er was afraid of horses and sat in the back of the cart. Tang Youshu was responsible for driving the cart, while Wei Jie himself used light body techniques to jump back and forth in front of and behind the horse cart.

Xiao Xiao finally got some peace and quiet, lying alone in the horse cart, flipping through her master’s secret manual.

Thanks to her master’s great habit of writing autobiographies, she could leisurely experience the glorious journey of Ancestor Wei Jie in this era two hundred years ago.

Her master wrote in great detail. After recovering the fox tribe on Mount Tuyun, Wei Jie took Tang Youshu and the fox tribe to the prosperous capital city of Luoyi to visit the ghost doctor.

In Luoyi City, Wei Jie unintentionally ran into his mother, who had been separated from him for many years.

Female demons don’t age for a thousand years. Even though she gave birth to a son more than ten years ago, she still had the charming appearance of a young girl.

This female demon, under the pseudonym Siling, resided in the largest singing and dancing brothel in the city. Every time the moon rose and ghosts and demons walked at night, she would appear on a high platform eight zhang tall, singing enchantingly, bewitching the world, and countless dignitaries and nobles fell for her.

After seeing his mother, Wei Jie learned of his mother’s intention.

Female demons are heartless and regard men as playthings. But Siling unexpectedly fell in love with the head of the Wei family, Wei Jingling. It was this little bit of mortal love that allowed her demon body to give birth to human flesh and blood.

However, back then, in front of her eyes, her beloved was forced to death by the so-called orthodox cultivation sects of the Four Great Sects.

This hatred lingered, and the female demon Siling entered the inner demon, determined to dismantle the Four Great Sects and avenge her beloved.

Unfortunately, she was hiding in Luoyi City, but her whereabouts were discovered by people from the Four Great Sects. So the pavilion master of Soaring Cloud Pavilion gathered everyone to go capture the female demon.

In order to save his mother, Wei Jie killed the sect master of Tianxin Sect, one of the Four Great Sects, and he himself became notorious for revealing demonic arts, hated by cultivation practitioners in the world.

And Wei Jie accepted his mother’s deathbed admonition, taking the destruction of the Four Great Sects as his own responsibility, laying the foundation for the later massacre of the Four Great Sects.

In short, that Luoyi City was a city full of troubles.

Xiao Xiao closed the secret manual and let out another long sigh.

Her sigh had not yet dissipated when the curtain of the horse cart was lifted, and Wei Jie squatted on the edge of the cart, asking Xiao Xiao, “Where are you feeling unwell?”

Xiao Xiao stared blankly at Wei Jie. That face was really handsome and outstanding…

Looking and looking, she sighed again.

The current Wei Jie, although somewhat unruly due to his bumpy life, was still a sunny young man.

But when he entered Luoyi City, he would be drawn into the deep hatred and blood feud of his parents. From then on, the seeds of slaughter would be planted in his heart, and he probably would never see his current heroic and carefree appearance again.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao’s heart ached for Wei Jie.

Wei Jie originally heard Xiao Xiao sigh and thought her wound was hurting, so he lifted the curtain to ask. But he didn’t expect that she would just stare at him blankly, and after a while, her eyes actually became moist.

Although he was long accustomed to the capricious temperament of this little master, seeing her big eyes filled with water droplets like this, he couldn’t help but feel pity. He subconsciously said in a gentle voice, “Is it really painful? Bear with it a little longer. We will soon enter Luoyi City…”

As he spoke, he even handed her a large handful of newly picked bayberries and stuffed a round one into her mouth.

Seeing Xiao Xiao’s nose wrinkle from the sourness of the bayberries, Wei Jie couldn’t help but smile, revealing his tiger teeth, “This is Tang Youshu’s prescription. He said you ate too much meat these past few days and should eat more of this to aid digestion and invigorate the spleen…”

It seemed that Wei Jie was well-versed in the ways of the sect and also knew that he couldn’t compete with Tang Youshu for favor, so he pushed the blame for provoking his master to his obedient disciple.

Xiao Xiao heard that it was care from Tang Youshu and finally forced herself to swallow a sour fruit. Then, with her big eyes wrinkled from the sourness and tears, she poked her head out of the horse cart and looked ahead.

Sure enough, there was a tall city wall in front, and the road was increasingly crowded with people, gradually becoming lively.

She had eaten well these past few days, and her originally thin cheeks had become full again. Under the sunlight, her face was rosy, and the fine strands of hair fluttered playfully in the wind…

Xiao Xiao was a pleasant-looking girl. Wei Jie stared at her willow eyebrows and starry eyes for a long time.

When Xiao Xiao turned her gaze, she happened to bump into her disciple’s unrestrained gaze.

Chapter 31

The power of tens of thousands of lightning bolts striking down simultaneously was truly too great. In an instant, the mountain crumbled and the earth split. It felt like that tall mountain was cut in half at once.

Although they were already some distance away from Mount Tuyun, the flying stone and soil fragments still hit them with a strong force.

Wei Jie quickly pulled the chain connecting the two of them, raised a qi shield, and protected Xiao Xiao in his arms.

The qi shield covered the three of them over their heads, temporarily isolating the dust and stone fragments.

Tang Youshu was stunned by the heavenly tribulation not far away. He held his head and muttered, “This… What happened?”

Wei Jie looked at the half-cut mountain with a solemn expression and said, “This is heavenly tribulation… No, it’s not heavenly tribulation! This is the wrath of ten thousand pounds, used by the heavens to punish those who have committed heinous crimes. What exactly did the fox tribe do to bring about the wrath of ten thousand pounds?”

He was right. This was not a heavenly tribulation to test cultivators at all, but a heavenly punishment with the nature of retribution!

Under this wrath of ten thousand pounds, there was no chance of survival! The fox tribe on Mount Tuyun… they couldn’t be saved at all! What exactly did they do to incur this heavenly wrath?

But Xiao Xiao knew the reason – it seemed that the tragedy of the fox tribe in the previous life was about to repeat itself. Their trick of deceiving the heavens with fox skin had been exposed…

But at this moment, Tang Youshu pointed at the dense lightning in the sky in horror and said, “Not good! I… I feel like these lightning bolts are also gradually approaching us?”

Xiao Xiao raised her head to look upon hearing this – indeed!

It could be seen that a part of the lightning originally swirling around Mount Tuyun seemed to be blown by the wind and gradually approached their direction, and the speed was getting faster and faster.

This… Could it be coming for them?

When a thunderbolt blasted at their feet, Tang Youshu screamed in horror, then shouted for his master and grand-master and ran away.

Wei Jie also wanted to run forward while pulling Xiao Xiao’s hand, but Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and pulled his hand, saying, “It’s useless. We can’t outrun heavenly punishment…”

Xiao Xiao knew in her heart that what the Demon Bead said might be true.

Because of her interference, Wei Jie didn’t appear in the place where he was supposed to suffer calamity, so the heavenly punishment would immediately descend and strike her, the one who interfered with the heavenly secrets, into a bowl of shredded chicken noodles…

But if they returned to Mount Tuyun, as long as they could find that ancient treasure sword that could absorb the energy of lightning, they might still have a chance of survival!

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao no longer hesitated. She decisively said, “Go! We must return to Mount Tuyun immediately!”

Then she said to Tang Youshu, “You don’t go. Stay here and wait for us!”

Hearing this, Wei Jie’s sword eyebrows furrowed, seeming to doubt Xiao Xiao’s words. But before he could ask, Xiao Xiao had already pulled him and started running towards the direction of Mount Tuyun.

Strangely, the dense thunderbolts that originally fell like iron balls no longer struck after they reversed direction.

When Xiao Xiao looked up, she could see that the dense lightning slowly moved back towards the direction of Mount Tuyun.

At this time, Wei Jie also found that running back was effective. He simply picked up Xiao Xiao and once again leaped forward with light steps.

When they ran to the mountainside in one breath, they happened to see the fox tribe fleeing in panic.

The shocking lightning that had cut off the entire mountain top had already struck and killed many foxes. Fortunately, the Fox King timely raised a spirit shield to protect her daughter and some tribesmen.

The Fox King knew that their trick had been exposed and the heavenly punishment was hard to resist, so she let her daughter lead the tribesmen to escape quickly. She transformed back into human form and supported it alone, trying to withstand the heavenly punishment to give her daughter and tribesmen time to escape.

At this moment, those two intruders who had left long ago actually returned again!

Why did they come back? Could it be to kick them while they were down? The Fox King couldn’t help but widen her eyes.

Xiao Xiao saw that the one single-handedly resisting the heavenly punishment was a beautiful woman, who should be the human form of the Fox King.

She had no time to talk to the Fox King. She quickly surveyed the surrounding terrain, then pulled Wei Jie to run around the mountain aimlessly.

Her master’s secret manual was brief in language and didn’t describe in detail where the withered tree hiding the treasure sword was located, so she could only search everywhere, looking for the life-saving treasure sword.

When they went up the mountain earlier, Yu Ling’er was leading the fox tribe down the mountain, brushing past them. When Yu Ling’er saw them turn back, she was afraid they would harm her mother, so she also turned back.

As a result, it would have been better if she didn’t come back. The moment she returned, the lightning strikes became even denser, striking straight towards the little fox. It seemed that the heavenly punishment would not let go of any fox tribesmen this time!

The Fox King immediately put the spirit shield on her daughter, but her thousand years of cultivation was ultimately difficult to withstand the thunderous fury. Fine fox fur began to emerge on her originally smooth face.

This indicated that the Fox King’s cultivation was gradually being exhausted. Once it was exhausted and the spirit shield disappeared, she and her daughter would both be doomed…

Xiao Xiao was clear that the key to escaping the heavenly punishment was to find that ancient treasure sword. She tried hard to recall, then quickly ran towards the north mountain foot according to the rough description in her master’s secret manual.

When she ran to the back of the mountain, Xiao Xiao caught sight of the fox skin blown onto a tree by the fierce wind.

That fox skin was shiny, like snow satin hanging in the fierce wind, with layers of white fur waving like snow. Xiao Xiao guessed that this must be the skin the Fox King used to deceive the heavens.

Thinking of Wei Jie’s experience of blocking the calamity for the fox tribe, Xiao Xiao steeled her heart and decided to imitate it.

She used a tree branch to pick down the fox skin, then put it on together with Wei Jie, and started heading towards the north foot of the mountain again to see if they could find that withered tree.

Wei Jie was also a ruthless person. Even seeing Xiao Xiao always doing some inexplicable things, he didn’t ask and even helped her hold up the fox skin.

The heavenly punishment was punishing the fox tribe, and no foxes could be spared. And the fox skin was attached with the dense demonic energy of the nine-tailed thousand-year-old fox, instantly becoming the focus of the heavenly lightning.

Wei Jie was tied together with her and could only run around with her while holding the fox skin.

There were a few times when if he hadn’t been quick-witted and pulled her to dodge, the two of them would have been blasted to ashes.

But he did find a moment to say, “You actually kept your word so well… I thought you were just being polite when you told the Fox King that you would go through fire and water for her in times of crisis…”

It turned out that he actually thought Xiao Xiao ran all the way back in the wind and dust because she had promised the Fox King to repay the fox tribe for the favor of the spiritual spring by blocking the calamity for them.

Xiao Xiao smiled bitterly in her heart. How could she be so selfless and noble? It was just for self-preservation…

Thinking of this, she said urgently, “Hurry and find a withered locust tree, otherwise no matter where we go, we can’t escape the heavenly punishment…”

Wei Jie knew that this master had some mysterious ways, although he didn’t know why she would say that. But hearing her say that, he quickly surveyed the terrain and started searching for the withered tree Xiao Xiao mentioned.

But at this time, half of the mountain top had been blown off by the heavenly punishment, and there was no grass or trees. Where could they find a withered tree?

So the two people connected by the chain could only hold the fox skin, jumping and kicking around in the lightning and thunder like playing with a lion.

But at this moment, Xiao Xiao tripped and fell to the ground on a slope.

When she looked down at her feet, she found that what had tripped her was a stump of a withered tree root…

At this moment, another bolt of lightning struck straight down at them. When Wei Jie pulled Xiao Xiao to dodge, the lightning happened to strike the tree root.

Amidst the flying stones and dust, a withered locust tree was exposed from the ground.

When another bolt of lightning struck, a golden light burst out from the split tree trunk, and a sword covered in rust and dust soared into the air, instantly attracting the lightning from the sky to wrap around the sword body.

When the lightning struck the treasure sword, the dust on the sword body shook off, revealing the black obsidian-like gems inlaid on the sword body.

Xiao Xiao had seen this sword before, in the silkworm farm in Fei County. Qin Lingxiao used this sword to slay the silkworm demon. It used to be Wei Jie’s weapon…

Xiao Xiao had read in her master’s secret manual that Wei Jie had even given the sword a name, called “Defying the Heavens”.

After all, it was a divine object that could safely accept tens of thousands of thunderbolts in the heavenly punishment. It dared to defy the heavens, worthy of its name!

Such a domineering name indeed had a bit of the Demon Lord’s arrogance in it.

Her master had once written that this sword had a great origin. It was a weapon that Goddess Nüwa had secretly hidden in the sacred land of the fox tribe. The black obsidian-like gems inlaid on the sword body were said to be forged from the remaining colored stones she used to mend the heavens.

Only these stones that could mend the heavens could withstand the lightning of the heavenly tribulation and slay all the demons in the world.

This sword was originally enshrined in the Nüwa Temple. It was said that when King Zhou entered the temple, he not only wrote a poem to flirt with the goddess, but also took a fancy to this treasure sword enshrined in the shrine and ordered his attendants to bring it back to the palace.

King Zhou was the reincarnation of an evil god. If this sword fell into his hands, it would definitely stir up a storm of blood and gore in the world.

Fortunately, the fox tribe’s Daji, who was sent by Goddess Nüwa to seduce King Zhou, stole back this sword and returned it to Goddess Nüwa.

Nüwa didn’t want any more accidents, so she hid this sword in the mountain belly of Mount Tuyun. But she never thought that when encountering the heavenly tribulation, half of the mountain would be cut off, so this sword was once again exposed to the world.

In the original trajectory of events, Wei Jie obtained this sword, and the sword absorbed most of the energy of the heavenly punishment, finally saving the remnants of the fox tribe.

As the benefactor of the entire fox tribe, from then on, all the people of Mount Tuyun followed Wei Jie’s orders, serving him and making countless efforts for him.

Of course, these were all past events, and now the course of events had been disrupted, but the trajectory of the divine sword’s appearance remained unchanged!

The divine sword buried for a thousand years was now wildly drinking the rolling thunderbolt energy around it. Because of the protection of the heavenly mending divine stones, it allowed this ancient sword to steadily absorb the entangled lightning.

The heavens perhaps sensed the existence of this heaven-defying divine sword and was unwilling to provide it with energy in vain. After angrily striking down a few more thunderbolts, the thunder gradually subsided, while the sword still hovered in midair, its blade flashing with sparks.

Xiao Xiao took a deep breath, knowing that it wasn’t over yet.

According to the Demon Bead’s words, she had disrupted Wei Jie’s original trajectory, but she couldn’t miss the tribulations that Wei Jie was supposed to go through.

Whether it was falling off a cliff, being bitten by a snake, or being struck by lightning now, if he didn’t bear what he was supposed to, someone had to bear it for him!

Now the sword had come out, but it needed someone to leap up and grasp it in their hand.

However, the person who grasped it would also have to suffer the pain of a severed arm…

Xiao Xiao decided to let Wei Jie take it. After all, this was originally his responsibility, and he had the bloodline of a female demon, so he could heal himself, right?

Although she thought so, she still asked with concern, “If you suffer a serious injury, can you heal yourself?”

Wei Jie didn’t know why she suddenly asked this, but he still answered honestly, “Minor injuries are generally not a problem, but injuries like broken legs and fractured bones are no different from ordinary people.”

This… Xiao Xiao was a bit troubled.

If he was bitten by the snake back then and improved his cultivation, initially forming his demonic arts, it would be fine. After all, his demonized body could withstand the pain of a severed arm, and in the end, with the care of his disciple Tang Youshu, he could find a famous doctor to reattach the severed arm.

But the current Wei Jie… didn’t have the original demonic arts to protect his body!

Although he had also drunk a mouthful of spiritual spring water, which could condense qi in his dantian, he had not yet reached the stage of forming a Golden Core.

If the current Wei Jie was struck by lightning, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold on until the time of reattaching his arm like in the previous trajectory…

After thinking about it, Xiao Xiao felt that it was better for a friend to die than for her to die. No matter what, it was better than severing her own arm.

Thinking of this, she hardened her heart and deceived Wei Jie, “Do you see that sword? That is an ancient divine sword left behind by Goddess Nüwa. Once you possess it, you can slay heaven and earth and subdue ghosts and gods… You will definitely be able to dominate the world. Hurry up and take it down!”

Wei Jie frowned as he looked at the sword surrounded by lightning, seeming to hesitate for a moment, then asked, “You want it?”

Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and nodded. Wei Jie nodded, “Alright, I’ll get it for you.”

After saying that, he no longer hesitated. He picked up Xiao Xiao and went towards the sword suspended in midair.

Xiao Xiao found that this Wei Jie looked shrewd, but he always got muddled at critical moments.

For example, in the valley, he misunderstood that she wanted the snake venom, so he risked taking the venom before the snake’s head stiffened.

Now it was the same. He didn’t seem to want to take that sword. After hearing that she wanted it, he went to take it without hesitation.

In comparison, she, who tricked him into taking the sword, was so despicable.

Just as Wei Jie was holding her and leaping into the air, with his big hand about to pass through the crisscrossing lightning, Xiao Xiao’s hand suddenly reached past him, taking the lead in reaching for that sword…

Xiao Xiao regretted it. She felt that with the Demon Bead protecting her body, she must be much stronger than Wei Jie!

Thinking like this, her chivalrous spirit rose: since that was the case, let her bear this tribulation for him instead…

The moment she touched that sword, the lightning suddenly became enraged again and began to flow from the sword body towards Xiao Xiao’s hand.

This thunderous pain… was even more terrible than imagined!

Xiao Xiao couldn’t bear the pain and couldn’t help but scream miserably. Suddenly, her arm was pulled back by someone again. It turned out that Wei Jie saw the lightning attacking her arm and quickly pulled the iron chain to fling her away, then dodged the lightning and rushed to seize that sword.

The two of them pushed and pulled each other’s hands back and forth. Then there was a snap… The lightning happened to strike the chain connecting their two hands.

The wrath of the thunder was

irresistible. The shackles connecting them that were impervious to swords and spears were shattered into two pieces with a sound.

The lightning surged, and Xiao Xiao’s arm was grazed by a thunderbolt, causing her to scream in pain again.

And the shackles tightly clasped on their wrists were also struck into ashes. Both of their wrists were burned, and they fell back to the ground together.

At this moment, the dark clouds dispersed, the lightning disappeared, and that sword also fell beside the two of them.

Xiao Xiao was in so much pain that she was rolling on the ground holding her arm. Wei Jie was also injured, but his injuries were not severe. He didn’t even care about himself and first picked up Xiao Xiao to check her arm.

Although the energy of the lightning had already been absorbed by the ancient sword, the remaining power was still there. If it had directly hit the arm, the arm would probably have been severed.

Fortunately, when they were fighting over it, that thunderbolt struck the chain connecting the two of them. Although that chain was impervious to swords and spears, it obviously couldn’t withstand a strike from the heavenly punishment and broke apart. But the rolling residual shock still burned a big gash on Xiao Xiao’s arm.

The two of them were both injured by the heavenly punishment at the same time, but Xiao Xiao’s injuries were much more severe than Wei Jie’s!

The wound was very deep, almost exposing the white bones. No wonder she was in so much pain that her face was pale as paper and she was gritting her teeth and rolling on the ground.

Tang Youshu also rushed over at this time, hurriedly taking out white cloth and hemostatic medicinal powder, wanting to stop the bleeding for Xiao Xiao.

But Wei Jie said with a grim face, “This is a strike from the heavenly punishment. Human medicine is useless…”

Saying that, he suddenly drew out a dagger, cut open his own arm’s wound a bit more, letting the blood flow out, and then dripped it onto Xiao Xiao’s wound.

The blood of a female demon was yin in nature and not something ordinary people could withstand. But Xiao Xiao had a special constitution. When Wei Jie’s blood dripped on the wound, it was quickly absorbed by her. In a short while, the exposed white bones were finally wrapped in flesh and blood, and could hardly be seen anymore.

But after some flesh grew, the wound no longer changed and was still a decaying and blurry appearance.

Although the injury was too severe to fully recover in a short time, Xiao Xiao’s pain was greatly reduced, and she could at least sit up.

At this moment, Wei Jie picked up that sword and unhesitatingly handed it to Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao looked at this sword with mixed feelings and shook her head, “I don’t want it. You take it!”

Wei Jie had a cold face and stuffed the sword into Xiao Xiao’s other hand, saying with a hint of mockery, “You went to grab it without regard for your life just now. How come you don’t want it anymore? Take it! What do I need it for?”

Xiao Xiao’s eyes still held tears of pain. Hearing these words, she wanted to cry silently even more: This was the weapon that the future Demon Lord used to dominate the world. What would she do with it in her hands?

At this moment, she found that Yu Ling’er was holding a dying hairless fox in her arms, and together with a group of tribesmen, they were kneeling in unison in front of her and Wei Jie.

The Fox King had already exhausted her thousand years of cultivation in the catastrophe of the heavenly punishment just now. Now she couldn’t even speak human language and could only lie in her daughter’s arms, whimpering and making weak fox cries.

Yu Ling’er understood her mother’s words and explained to Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie with tears in her eyes, “My mother said that you two returned, wearing the fox skin to divert the heavenly punishment, allowing her to keep her life. You are the benefactors of our Mount Tu tribe. Please accept our bow!”

After saying that, she hugged her mother and led the remaining tribesmen to bow to Xiao Xiao and the others together.

Xiao Xiao had just caught her breath and was rejoicing that she had escaped a disaster and kept her arm. She didn’t expect the fox tribe, who had been extremely unfriendly to her before, to perform the grand ceremony of kneeling and bowing in unison.

As the saying goes, it’s better to resolve grudges than to hold them. Since the fox tribe was grateful, they probably wouldn’t hold a grudge against the previous incident of holding the Fox King hostage.

So Xiao Xiao went with the flow and said, “It was just a small favor… How could we just watch someone die and not save them?”

The Fox King whimpered a few more sentences, but Yu Ling’er seemed very reluctant. She said in a low voice, “Mother said that you two saved the lives of our fox tribe. Now that our fox tribe’s tactic of deceiving the heavens to escape the heavenly tribulation has been exposed by the heavens, I’m afraid there will be even greater punishments waiting for our Mount Tu tribe in the future. If you two don’t mind… we are willing to follow you two. Please, benefactors, continue to protect our fox tribe!”

Xiao Xiao knew that these were exactly the same as the previous events.

The fox tribe followed Wei Jie down the mountain and also accumulated strength for him to establish the demonic path in the future. Later, Wei Jie recruited soldiers and horses, and had countless demons under his command. The fox tribe was just the beginning.

But Cui Xiao Xiao was not Wei Jie. She didn’t want to be any Demon Lord at all, let alone recruit these demon tribes. As long as it had nothing to do with the tribulations that Wei Jie was supposed to go through, she would save trouble whenever possible!

So she kept waving her hand and said, “No, no! Our Talisman Sect’s mountain gate is too small to support so many of you. Moreover, this heavenly punishment has passed. There should be no more incidents in the future. You should cultivate well on the mountain. Next time, you will definitely be able to pass the tribulation successfully!”

But the Fox King seemed to have made up her mind. She whimpered and cried for a while more. Yu Ling’er became even more grief-stricken, with tears filling her big eyes. She said with resentful sobs, “Mother said… if the benefactors find it troublesome to have too many people, then the tribesmen won’t follow too many. But I… must go with the benefactors, attending to them, warming their quilt and fanning their pillow…”

Towards the end, Yu Ling’er seemed to feel that her mother making her serve others like this was too humiliating. She suddenly burst into tears.

Now, Xiao Xiao didn’t know how to respond.

How was this situation like a human trafficker picking up people at the village entrance? It was actually such a scene of flesh and blood parting, so painful that they didn’t want to live!

Actually, the Fox King being so diligent was not because she was confused and didn’t know how to repay them.

The Fox King knew well the consequences of deceiving the heavens. The heavenly punishment that almost blew up the entire Mount Tuyun this time was clear evidence!

But the heavenly punishment that should have slaughtered the entire tribe ended inexplicably, seeming to have something to do with these Talisman Sect master and disciple who suddenly returned.

The Fox King suspected that they were people with great blessings, so the fox tribe was lucky enough to escape.

Now that her thousand years of cultivation had been destroyed in an instant, and she couldn’t even speak human language, how could she protect her daughter?

She overheard her daughter making an appointment with that good-for-nothing young pavilion master of Soaring Cloud Pavilion, saying that after she passed the tribulation, Yu Ling’er would secretly go down the mountain to find him.

In the Fox King’s view, that Qin Lingxiao was not a good person.

In the previous incident, it was obvious that Qin Lingxiao was using the fox tribe as a stepping stone to suppress this Talisman Sect master and disciple pair.

He could borrow a knife to kill someone. What kind of man was he?

So she used the name of repaying kindness to let her daughter follow these two people with great blessings and a strong sense of righteousness. It could not only avoid the heavenly punishment coming again and implicating her daughter but also prevent Ling’er from secretly getting involved with Qin Lingxiao and ruining her cultivation prospects.

But in Yu Ling’er’s view, although this master and disciple of the Talisman Sect indeed saved the fox tribe and were their great benefactors, these two had an unclear relationship and were promiscuous. Especially that Wei Jie, he could even take advantage of his benefactor in broad daylight.

Mother told her to serve these two people. Wouldn’t that be throwing her into a den of debauchery? At that time, when Young Pavilion Master Qin saw her standing behind these promiscuous men and women, how would he despise her?

In short, Xiao Xiao didn’t want to accept, and Yu Ling’er didn’t want to go.

Unfortunately, the Fox King, who had accumulated a thousand years of wisdom, used all of it now. She actually forced her daughter to take an oath. If she didn’t follow Cui Xiao Xiao, Yu Ling’er would immediately dissipate her cultivation and never be able to transform into human form again!

With her mother on the verge of death, her wishes could not be disobeyed. As a result, Yu Ling’er took the oath while crying and sobbing, then took her small luggage and was about to go down the mountain with Cui Xiao Xiao and the others.

Cui Xiao Xiao was a bit dumbfounded – there was actually such a thing as forcing a daughter to follow someone by making a poisonous oath?

Chapter 30

Seeing the situation stabilize, Xiao Xiao finally had a chance to speak and mediate.

“Everyone, my disciple and I came here out of desperation, just to ask for a bowl of spiritual spring water. We didn’t want to cause such a scene. As long as you let us leave the mountain, we will certainly ensure that the esteemed Fox King returns safely. We absolutely won’t harm a single hair on it.”

The fox held in Wei Jie’s hand actually spoke at this time, sounding like a middle-aged woman, “I hope you two can keep your word. Ling’er, let them go!”

The Fox King knew that the heavenly tribulation was imminent and didn’t want any complications at this time.

She had been in seclusion in her cave to avoid the heavenly tribulation. Only when her daughter gathered the tribesmen today did she realize in shock that her daughter Yu Ling’er had brought a young pavilion master of Soaring Cloud Pavilion into the mountain behind her back. Not only did she give him spiritual spring to drink, but she was also unusually intimate with him and even wanted to follow him down the mountain.

The Fox King was also furious in her heart, but with the heavenly tribulation approaching, she didn’t want to cause any trouble. She just planned to turn a blind eye for now, muddle through the heavenly tribulation first, and then slowly deal with this scoundrel who seduced her daughter.

But unexpectedly, this Qin Lingxiao was really a troublemaker. He actually incited her daughter and tribesmen to attack those two intruders.

She didn’t know what background these two intruders had. If they caused a scene on Mount Tuyun, it would definitely bring unnecessary trouble to the fox tribe that had always been in seclusion.

She was hesitating whether to stop her daughter when the two intruders recognized her and even captured her.

Wei Jie’s intimidating beast roar just now indeed proved her thought. This person really had a great background, seeming to be from the Demon Subduing Wei Family!

And the talisman that girl took out made the Fox King even more alarmed.

The Talisman Sect had declined for a thousand years, and most of the people in the world were imposters, no longer frightening.

She never thought that there would still be a spirit talisman in this world that could shock the mighty Fox King! Could it be that she was a true immortal descending from the heavens, a descendant of Jiang Shang?

These two intruders obviously calculated that she was about to face the heavenly tribulation and didn’t dare to use her true qi to reveal her true form, not even as good as an ordinary fox, so they were so fearless.

The mighty Fox King was held by someone, grabbing her neck. She had really lost all face.

The Fox King weighed the pros and cons. She couldn’t tear her face with these rascals at this time. She could only send these two away first. After she passed the tribulation, she would slowly settle the score with them!

Since the Fox King had spoken, the other tribesmen naturally obeyed. So the fog in the mountain completely retreated, finally revealing the mountain path.

Wei Jie carried the old fox, pulled Cui Xiao Xiao, and led Tang Youshu, who was carrying a bamboo basket, leisurely breaking away from the fox group, preparing to hurry down the mountain.

The Fox King had never spoken the whole time. Only when they reached the foot of the mountain did she ask, “You have all come down from Mount Tuyun. Can you keep your promise and let me go back?”

Wei Jie raised his eyebrows and didn’t let go. Instead, he looked at Cui Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao looked at the fox’s eyes staring at her, so deep and still carrying irresolvable hostility.

The fox tribe was the most vengeful. For them to hold the Fox King hostage like this, the grudge was irreconcilable.

Even if this Fox King died in this ordeal, the other fox tribesmen would probably remember them. These creatures had long lifespans. Two hundred years later, their Lingshan Talisman Sect would probably never have peace.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao apologized to the Fox King very sincerely, “I’m really sorry, Fox King. If I weren’t poisoned by yin toxin, I definitely wouldn’t dare to come and disturb you fox immortals’ cultivation. As the saying goes, we become acquainted through fighting. In the future, if the fox tribe needs any help, I will definitely go through fire and water without hesitation to repay the favor of the spiritual spring!”

These words from Xiao Xiao were also just pleasantries, only hoping that everyone would look better on the surface. If the Fox King was softhearted and no longer held a grudge against them, that would be even better.

However, that fox narrowed its eyes and said with hidden meaning, “Rest assured, our entire fox tribe will definitely not make things difficult for you today…”

Xiao Xiao was a slick person! She immediately heard the hidden meaning in the Fox King’s words. It only said “will definitely not make things difficult today,” meaning that in the future, this hatred would be endless.

It seemed that she had formed a grudge with the fox tribe.

Xiao Xiao sighed slightly and said with hidden meaning, “Alright then, let’s part ways here. I hope you, Fox King, can safely pass the tribulation and ascend early…”

Of course, these words were also beautiful pleasantries. Because Xiao Xiao remembered that this Fox King was probably going to encounter an insurmountable hurdle! But she couldn’t tell people. If she said too much, she was afraid she would also suffer heavenly punishment.

Her master’s secret manual was written in great detail, especially this part of his shared experience with his benefactor Wei Jie.

In the previous trajectory two hundred years ago, Wei Jie drank the spiritual spring on Mount Tuyun, coinciding with the Fox King’s tribulation.

Originally, the Fox King’s method of shedding its skin and using a clay fox as a fake body had been used for thousands of years and should have been safe and sound.

However, on the night of the tribulation, the fierce wind did not stop, and the fox skin on the fake body was actually blown away by the wind!

The fox tribe’s trick of deceiving the heavens was completely exposed. The heavens were enraged and brought down unprecedented thunderous fury. Tens of thousands of lightning bolts punished the entire fox tribe, striking Mount Tuyun, and actually cut off ten zhang from the mountain top.

According to reason, the Fox King could not escape the calamity. But because Wei Jie was on Mount Tuyun at that time, perhaps out of gratitude to the fox tribe for giving him the spiritual spring, he actually grabbed the fox skin blown away by the wind, put it on his body, and ran around the mountain to divert the lightning and thunder.

As a result, while running, he tripped and actually stumbled over a withered locust tree at the foot of the northern mountain.

Originally, tens of thousands of thunderbolts should have struck and killed him, but when the thunderbolts hit that withered locust tree, an ancient old sword was actually exposed under the tree roots. That sword was rusty and inserted in a withered wooden stake, but it acted like a lightning rod, attracting bolt after bolt of lightning to strike that treasure sword.

That sword actually became tougher and sharper under the strikes of thunder, and finally, it rose into the air, shedding its rust under the strikes of thunder, revealing a sword body inlaid with black obsidian.

Wei Jie was also daring. Seeing that the old sword was not afraid of heavenly punishment, he actually leaped into the air in that situation and grabbed that sword.

As a result, when seizing the sword, a bolt of lightning struck his left arm, severing it on the spot. And that sword that safely passed the heavenly tribulation became Wei Jie’s handy weapon.

Strangely, when Wei Jie’s arm was severed, the thunderous fury subsided. Wei Jie had blocked the great disaster for the fox tribe.

But this heavenly punishment implicated most of the fox tribe. The Fox King did not successfully pass the tribulation and lost the fox skin, unable to transform back into human form.

Thus, the position of the fox tribe leader was passed to Yu Ling’er, and Yu Ling’er led the remaining tribesmen to follow Wei Jie, becoming his left and right arms in his future conquests and killing sprees…

Seeing the Fox King swishing its tail and disappearing into the dense forest of the mountain, Xiao Xiao sighed slightly and then took Wei Jie and Tang Youshu down the mountain.

She knew what would happen to Mount Tuyun next, so naturally, she had to walk quickly to avoid being struck by lightning.

But at this moment, a voice that hadn’t been heard for a long time sounded in her body again, “You’re really something! You dare to change Wei Jie’s fate line like this! Do you really have a death wish?”

Xiao Xiao knew it was the Demon Bead talking. She thought the effect of the spiritual spring could at least suppress it for a while, but she didn’t expect it to speak again.

Xiao Xiao could only say to the Demon Bead in her heart, “What do you want to do? When will you be able to leave my body?”

“You think I don’t want to leave? You’re not a good host for me. When the time comes, I will naturally leave! But I don’t want to die with you, killed by heavenly lightning! You are an outsider from two hundred years later. Originally, you were just a spectator, but you had to change Wei Jie’s fate. If Wei Jie were an ordinary person, it would be fine, but he happens to be the future Demon Lord. If you change his fate, you will suffer heavenly punishment, and your soul will be annihilated!”

Xiao Xiao sneered, “Are you trying to scare me again? I changed his fate long ago. How come I haven’t seen the heavens punish me?”

The Demon Bead chuckled coldly, with a meaningful tone, “That’s because someone else bore his fate! Think carefully, since you came to this time two hundred years ago, haven’t you gone through every tribulation of Wei Jie’s? It’s because you maintained the balance, so the heavenly punishment hasn’t arrived. But Wei Jie is destined to lose an arm on Mount Tuyun. If you take Wei Jie and leave like this, you’ll probably suffer the same fate as the fox tribe! If you’re not stupid, hurry up and take me back up the mountain. Either you or Wei Jie must bear this tribulation! Don’t implicate me and get struck by lightning with you, you dead girl. Think clearly…”

The rest of the words were incoherent, but it seemed to be cursing. The Demon Bead’s accumulated strength seemed to be exhausted again and once more fell into deep sleep.

Xiao Xiao silently thought about the Demon Bead’s words and felt that it was probably just trying to scare her. Knowing that there was a heavenly tribulation on Mount Tuyun but still staying to face the tribulation would be truly not thinking clearly.

The people and events of these two hundred years ago actually had nothing to do with her. She just wanted to find the statue quickly and then return to two hundred years later.

However, the Demon Bead’s words kept circling in her ears, making her think and think.

She had something on her mind and just walked silently along the way, but as she walked, she couldn’t help but sigh with melancholy.

As a result, her sigh made Wei Jie turn his head to look at her. He tugged at the chain connecting the two of them and asked, “What’s wrong? Is your body feeling unwell again? Do you want me to carry you?”

After saying that, he actually squatted down, waiting for Xiao Xiao to climb onto his back.

Xiao Xiao was about to decline, but Wei Jie tugged at the chain, and the delicate girl was suddenly pulled onto his back. Then he stood up steadily with Xiao Xiao on his back and continued to walk forward with big strides.

He had a tall and strong physique, with arms like iron. Even carrying a girl on his back while walking, it was effortless, making the short Tang Youshu have to jog behind him.

Xiao Xiao had never been carried on someone’s back like this from a young age.

She was a posthumous child. Her father had passed away before she was born. And her adoptive father was not a loving father who would take care of children. He had raised her as a boy since she was young.

Now, climbing on a man’s back, the feeling of her chest being warmed by his heat was really making her feel extremely flustered and uncomfortable. Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but want to jump down.

But Wei Jie bounced her up again, making her obediently lie on his back. He strode quickly all the way, and in the end, he even glanced at Tang Youshu, who was falling behind, panting.

Seeing that Tang Youshu couldn’t keep up, Wei Jie had a casual smile and turned his head to ask Xiao Xiao, whose face was close to his, “So, who looks more like your father, me or that skinny chicken?”

He was too close. Xiao Xiao was slightly dazed for a moment before realizing what nonsense he was saying. As a result, the bit of gratitude that had just arisen in Xiao Xiao was instantly shattered into pieces…

This guy still remembered her words about Tang Youshu being like a loving father and actually wanted to be her father, skipping a generation!

Where was the dignity of being a master?

Xiao Xiao knocked Wei Jie’s head with a flick and then struggled to jump down from his back. She patted his solid back and said, “Did you forget the rules of the Talisman Sect? You’re punished to recite them a hundred more times!”

Actually, as the sect master, Cui Xiao Xiao didn’t quite remember what rules the Talisman Sect had.

But because the Talisman Sect was too prosperous in this era two hundred years ago, with many branches!

So Sect Master Cui made up a few rules on the spot. The first one was: respect the sect master and listen to the sect master’s words!

The grand-disciple Tang Youshu indeed kept it in mind, but this disciple Wei Jie was always flippant, without any semblance of being a disciple.

Wei Jie saw that she had great strength in patting people, looking vigorous and energetic, not like the poison was acting up, so he didn’t insist on carrying her anymore.

He definitely wouldn’t recite any sect rules. He just waved the branch he broke off from the roadside as a whip, whipping the flowers and grass by the road while humming mountain songs contentedly.

He was born devilishly handsome, with a head full of loose black hair, only a leather band tied around his forehead to fix it. His long sideburns and loose hair fluttering with his wide robe in the wind exuded an indescribable free and easy charm.

Tang Youshu finally caught up at this time, looking at his tall and handsome master walking in front with a face full of admiration.

When he heard Wei Jie loudly calling his disciple, asking if he had bought wine, Tang Youshu hurriedly handed over the wine gourd, letting his master drink while walking.

Xiao Xiao discovered that in terms of respecting the master and being filial, she still had to learn from her benefactor Tang Youshu.

He not only prepared wine but also took out a paper-wrapped packet of five-spice roasted beans, jogging all the way, holding it high for his master to enjoy with his wine at any time.

With snacks to go with the wine, Wei Jie finally realized the benefit of having a filial disciple.

Seeing his skinny chicken-like disciple being so thoughtful and filial, he did reward his disciple with something good with the help of the wine.

It was a corpse flea that had sucked Qin Lingxiao’s blood until it was full.

Tang Youshu knew this was a good thing, so he didn’t mind the disgusting appearance of the big insect and hurriedly bit open the insect’s belly and started sucking.

However, unlike the situation where Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie felt refreshed after sucking the insect’s blood, not long after Tang Youshu drank the insect’s blood, his face color suddenly changed. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead. Holding his stomach, he staggered into a nearby bush.

Xiao Xiao saw that her benefactor’s face didn’t look good and hurriedly wanted to follow. Wei Jie grabbed her wrist with one hand, “He’s going to poop. Do you want to go too? Are you afraid he can’t wipe his butt clean?”

Xiao Xiao stopped in her tracks somewhat embarrassedly, but after thinking for a bit

, she suddenly understood – things that came out of the underworld all carried yin energy that mortals couldn’t withstand.

Just like how the Wei Family matriarch previously used fish and shrimp from the River of Forgetfulness to test her, the corpse fleas on this corpse-eating beast also came from the underworld and had an extremely cold attribute.

Wei Jie had grown up in the Wei Family since he was young and had long adapted to such cold things. And because Xiao Xiao had the Demon Bead in her body, she also had no reaction.

But Tang Youshu was now just an ordinary person without any cultivation foundation. How could he withstand eating such cold and yin things? He would probably excrete his entire intestines in a moment.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao said anxiously, “How could you let him eat this! How can he withstand it!”

Wei Jie actually had no ill intentions and really wanted to let his filial disciple improve his cultivation.

It’s just that he didn’t expect his disciple to be so weak. Even with the spiritual spring boost in the blood, he couldn’t help him resist the cold yin energy.

It seemed that the effect of the spiritual spring hadn’t taken effect yet and was excreted out by his poop.

From this, it could be seen that letting Tang Youshu cultivate was like trying to help the shoots grow by pulling them up.

When Tang Youshu came out from behind the bush, hunched over and with a pale face, Wei Jie handed him a water flask to wash his hands, then calmly said, “Your foundation is not suitable for cultivation. If you force it, I’m afraid it will harm your body. It’s better for you to go home now and be a doctor to live a peaceful life, which is not bad either.”

After saying that, he turned around and continued walking forward.

Tang Youshu hadn’t recovered from his weakness yet, but he was already hit so hard by his master Wei Jie. He instantly teared up again and knelt on the spot, miserably calling for his master.

Xiao Xiao pulled Wei Jie, who was about to leave, and helped Tang Youshu up again, gently comforting, “Your master is not very good at judging people. How can you be as bad as he said! As the saying goes, diligence can make up for clumsiness. I believe you will definitely become a great sect master who will found a sect!”

Tang Youshu didn’t expect his grand-master to think so highly of him and couldn’t help but ask emotionally, “Really? Grand-master, do you really think I can?”

Xiao Xiao nodded affirmatively, “The Talisman Sect is originally different from other sects. It doesn’t require very high foundation qi. Once you grasp the trick, the future path of cultivation will be much smoother… I dare not say that you will definitely be able to ascend to immortality in the future, but it is certain that you can live longer than ordinary people!”

The skinny scholar was greatly encouraged when he heard this, “Grand-master! Now, I have confidence!”

But at this moment, another bucket of cold water was poured on his head, “You clearly know he is not suitable, but you still encourage him to cultivate… Does our Talisman Sect really can’t recruit disciples?”

It turned out that Wei Jie heard this part of Cui Xiao Xiao “telling fortune” to Tang Youshu and felt that she was fooling a fool to give her money all the way, so he couldn’t help but speak sarcastically.

Before he finished speaking, the sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds. The afternoon that was still sunny instantly became as dark as night.

Hearing the rumbling thunder, Tang Youshu rummaged through his bamboo basket and said in a low voice, “Not good, my umbrella fell when we were on the mountain earlier…”

Wei Jie frowned as he looked at the rolling and intertwining lightning and thunder on Mount Tuyun in the distance, and said in a deep voice, “I’m afraid an umbrella won’t be of use either…”

Only then did they see that mass of lightning, constantly swirling above Mount Tuyun, and gathering more and more. The wind also began to swirl. The lightning in the clouds seemed like countless giant dragons writhing in midair…

Xiao Xiao had never seen such bizarre thunder and rain. She knew that the Fox King’s heavenly tribulation had arrived!

The few brief sentences in her master’s secret manual couldn’t fully present the shocking scene in front of her eyes.

Only by personally being there, standing in this vast heaven and earth, could one deeply experience the oppressive feeling of the immeasurable tribulation that could destroy heaven, earth, and all things pressing down from above.

If cultivators experienced the raging destruction of the heavenly tribulation above their heads earlier, perhaps more than half of them would feel timid and no longer dare to live and exist with the heavens, challenging the will to go against the cycle of the Dao of Heaven.

The wind was very strong. Even though they were far away from Mount Tuyun, they were almost blown off their feet by the wind.

Just as Xiao Xiao was standing in a daze with countless thoughts in her mind, the fierce wind suddenly stopped, but the dark clouds became even thicker. Looking up at that dense layer of clouds, it was as if an enraged and ferocious face appeared.

The rolling thunder in the distance seemed to be provoked, or perhaps it had accumulated enough power. It suddenly struck down towards Mount Tuyun with a thunderous boom.

Chapter 29

After figuring it out, Xiao Xiao’s gaze towards Qin Lingxiao couldn’t help but carry a hint of mockery.

Qin Lingxiao also didn’t expect that Cui Xiao Xiao actually knew the story of Mount Tuyun and even called out Yu Ling’er’s name.

It seemed that their group’s arrival at Mount Tu was indeed Cui Xiao Xiao’s doing! What exactly did she want to do? Was she really trying to assist Wei Jie in becoming a demon?

Moreover… when he saw that his former senior brother Tang Youshu was actually carrying a bamboo basket and standing behind Wei Jie, quietly calling Wei Jie master, Qin Lingxiao’s eyes instantly narrowed.

What was going on? That fool Tang Youshu actually took Wei Jie as his master again, just like in the previous trajectory?

Qin Lingxiao’s heart sank even more, becoming more certain that Cui Xiao Xiao, this variable, was helping Wei Jie.

Thinking of this, Qin Lingxiao took a step forward, blocking Yu Ling’er in front of him, cutting off her opportunity to speak with Cui Xiao Xiao again. He only said to Xiao Xiao with a cold and handsome face, “Cui Xiao Xiao, don’t be too complacent. You should know that there are deities above. If you assist the wicked, you will surely be punished by heaven!”

Cui Xiao Xiao didn’t have the deep schemes that Qin Lingxiao speculated.

She originally just happened to walk to the foot of Mount Tuyun, and by chance, the poison acted up. She thought of this story and wanted to ask for a bowl of spiritual spring water to suppress the yin poison. She didn’t expect to encounter Qin Lingxiao here.

She didn’t want to waste words. She waved the chain and said, “Young Pavilion Master Qin, give me the key. You always lock me together with him. Who knows, I might think of generating some right and wrong!”

However, Qin Lingxiao sneered and suddenly pointed a finger, once again forming a qi sword, “No need. After I kill him, you can chop off his arm and regain your freedom.”

Because of Yu Ling’er, Qin Lingxiao had already drunk the spiritual spring, instantly opening up his blocked meridians. His dantian surged with qi, and he could already condense qi swords.

After all, he had experienced a cultivation journey of two hundred years. Many obstacles that cultivators needed to realize over a long period of time, he had already comprehended on his own.

So with the help of the spiritual spring, Qin Lingxiao had already broken through the fourth level obstacle and could directly condense two swords.

Although this level of cultivation couldn’t compare to his two hundred years later self as the number one sword sect master in the world, it was more than enough to deal with the current Wei Jie!

While Cui Xiao Xiao’s arm was connected to Wei Jie’s, making it inconvenient to move, and with the fox tribe people surrounding them, it was the perfect opportunity to eliminate the root of the problem!

That demon king Wei Jie had unfathomable thoughts and extremely high talents. He was Qin Lingxiao’s long-standing inner demon.

This time, with time reversed, he absolutely couldn’t let Wei Jie have a chance to rise again!

Thinking like this, Qin Lingxiao waved his long finger, drawing out another qi sword. After the two swords circled above his head, they rushed straight towards the two people who were shackled together.

This time, there were two qi swords, rushing from the east and west directions. Wei Jie and Xiao Xiao had no way to defend. Even if they swung the invincible chain, they couldn’t block the two swords at the same time.

Xiao Xiao quickly told Tang Youshu to hide behind a nearby big rock. She hurriedly summoned water to form ice, wanting to freeze the rushing qi swords.

But Qin Lingxiao’s cultivation had obviously improved greatly. Xiao Xiao couldn’t freeze the qi swords at all.

Seeing the qi swords carrying a thunderous momentum and rushing towards their faces, at this critical moment, Wei Jie suddenly swung his arm and formed a glowing half-circle qi shield, barely blocking the attack of the two swords with a clang.

This change greatly surprised Qin Lingxiao.

Because the qi shield formed by Wei Jie… was exactly the same as the qi shield of Wonderful Immortal Mountain among the Four Great Sects!

This qi shield was the ingenious defensive technique of Wonderful Immortal Mountain and had never been passed on to outsiders. Moreover, the new disciples often needed to meditate painfully under the waterfall of Wonderful Immortal Mountain for three years until they could bring out the qi shield to block the slanting waterfall above their heads before they could pass the first hurdle of entering the sect.

Those three years of pouring washed away the mediocre talents. Only those who could stay were the true disciples of the Qi Sect of Wonderful Immortal Mountain.

And in Wei Jie’s previous life trajectory, he had never practiced the qi shield of Wonderful Immortal Mountain!

How could he, who should have been ordinary now, suddenly use the ultimate skill of the Four Great Sects to block it?

Not only Qin Lingxiao was greatly surprised, but even Cui Xiao Xiao beside Wei Jie was also a bit dumbfounded.

Although she had taught him this technique, she had only casually taught it to Wei Jie to pass the time so that he wouldn’t snore.

There were only a few brief sentences about this qi shield technique in her master’s secret manual. Xiao Xiao herself, as a novice cultivator, didn’t fully understand the method.

When she taught it, it was more or less absurd and not very sincere.

But in just a few short days, Wei Jie had actually comprehended the trick and could form the shield without suffering under the waterfall for three years?

How strong must his comprehension and qi cultivation ability be?

No wonder her master Tang Youshu always praised his demonic master Wei Jie endlessly when he was alive, saying that he was a heaven-sent genius rarely seen in a thousand years!

With such aptitude and talent, even if he hadn’t been bitten by the snake, if he had found a famous master, Wei Jie would have likely become a great cultivator in a hundred years, and even ascending to immortality might not have been difficult.

Just looking at his current skill and cultivation, he was much better than her. She really couldn’t teach Wei Jie anything. His taking her as his master seemed to have more of a component of boredom and amusement.

As for the fox demoness Yu Ling’er, she didn’t know about the undercurrents between these few people.

Seeing Qin Lingxiao’s qi sword being deflected, she became anxious in her heart, worried that the Benefactor would be at a disadvantage when confronting those people.

So Yu Ling’er immediately transformed into her human form, turning into a lovely girl, and said to Wei Jie and the others, “You should also know that this is not a place where riffraff can enter. Why don’t you leave quickly!”

Xiao Xiao wanted to leave. Since they weren’t willing to give the spring water, there was no need to stay here.

But she couldn’t pull the man beside her. Wei Jie didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.

Xiao Xiao said in a low voice, “Let’s go. We’ll think of another way.”

However, Wei Jie’s tall figure remained unmoved. His gaze glanced at her lazily and said lightly, “Can you wait?”

Xiao Xiao was stumped by the question because she indeed wasn’t sure if she could endure the next overwhelming attack of the yin poison.

Wei Jie smiled and held the qi shield with one hand. He glanced at the fox girl and directly asked something unrelated, “Did this Young Pavilion Master Qin drink the spiritual spring of Mount Tuyun?”

Wei Jie remembered that when they were at Qilao Mountain, this young man surnamed Qin had been instigating the other sects to take action, but he himself had hidden behind and didn’t dare to show his face.

But today, not only did the one surnamed Qin shoot a sneak attack early on, he even came out to fight them one-on-two in a high-profile manner.

What great courage was this? Who gave it to him?

Wei Jie guessed that the one surnamed Qin must have drunk the spiritual spring that Xiao Xiao mentioned, greatly increasing his strength and courage.

Yu Ling’er couldn’t lie. Moreover, being stared at by Wei Jie’s light purple demonic eyes, she became a bit absentminded. When Wei Jie asked this, she actually nodded honestly and said, “Young Pavilion Master Qin is Ling’er’s savior. He should naturally drink our fox tribe’s holy water. He just drank three bowls…”

Wei Jie heard this and nodded very satisfactorily. Then he suddenly took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom and threw it towards Qin Lingxiao.

Although Wei Jie’s movement was fast, Qin Lingxiao had long been on guard: What hidden weapon did this guy use? It absolutely couldn’t hurt him.

He sneered and elegantly waved his long fingers, guiding the qi sword to quickly knock away that porcelain bottle.

The porcelain bottle shattered as soon as it touched the qi sword. But from the porcelain bottle, many black seeds the size of sesame seeds splashed out.

These things were also sinister. They automatically sought out hosts with abundant spiritual energy and actually went straight for Qin Lingxiao, attaching to his arms and neck.

Those things were too small, like dust. Qin Lingxiao couldn’t defend against them. When they stuck to Qin Lingxiao’s skin, those black seeds seemed to inflate as if blown up, rapidly swelling.

At this time, Cui Xiao Xiao finally saw those black seeds clearly. In an instant, they had already turned into palm-sized fleas! Those black seeds… weren’t they the corpse fleas that Wei Jie had collected from that corpse-eating beast before?

Qin Lingxiao was a lofty and elegant person. When he was suddenly attached by insects with a rotten stench, he instantly felt extremely nauseous!

Moreover, the places bitten by the insects felt a burst of sharp pain. He hurriedly reached out to pull off the insects and then threw them away in disgust.

However, Wei Jie swung his long robe and caught those corpse fleas. He twisted off the sharp mouth of one of the insects and handed it to Xiao Xiao, saying, “Quickly suck it dry!”

The smell of the insect was rotten and its appearance was hideous. It was really unbearable to even look at.

But Cui Xiao Xiao instantly understood Wei Jie’s intention.

Qin Lingxiao had just drunk three large bowls of spiritual spring not long ago, and there were still remnants of the spiritual spring in his blood. Now that those big fleas had sucked Qin Lingxiao’s blood, their bellies were filled with precious nourishing substances!

Thinking of the pain of the yin poison attack, Xiao Xiao steeled her heart and fiercely bit into the flea’s fat belly, closing her eyes and starting to suck the blood in its belly.

A girl as beautiful and pure as a flower, biting a fat black insect under the moonlight, that kind of scene was simply unbearable to watch.

Qin Lingxiao had always disliked insects. Seeing Xiao Xiao’s heroic eating appearance, he actually couldn’t hold back and bent over to dry heave a few times.

But after the feeling of nausea passed, Qin Lingxiao also realized Wei Jie’s intention of using insects to sneak attack him. They were trying to drink the spiritual spring water in a roundabout way! Thinking of this, Qin Lingxiao angrily glared at this master-disciple pair.

Wei Jie’s idea was correct. Qin Lingxiao had just drunk the spiritual spring not long ago, and his blood was indeed full of spiritual energy.

When Qin Lingxiao’s blood entered her mouth, Xiao Xiao felt extremely comfortable all over her body. Even without meditating and regulating her breath, the qi in her dantian was automatically gathering, seemingly having the momentum to condense into a Golden Core…

You should know that for ordinary people to cultivate, just the stage of condensing qi and establishing foundation often required a hundred years of time.

When one could condense qi into a core, it was often after a hundred years. After refining the Golden Core, one could transcend the hundred-year lifespan of mortals and continue to cultivate towards the stage of condensing the Golden Core into a Nascent Soul.

And her master Tang Youshu back then had spent a very long time before condensing qi into a core. So although his age was similar to his junior brother Qin Lingxiao, he looked seventy or eighty years older than Qin Lingxiao in appearance.

And for those like Qin Lingxiao who had good opportunities and formed their Golden Core early, they could maintain a youthful appearance.

And how long had Xiao Xiao been cultivating? She actually had the tendency to form a Golden Core! No wonder everyone longed for fortuitous encounters in cultivation. It was really a step to ascend to heaven!

However, Cui Xiao Xiao had no time to be happy. She couldn’t wait to check the spots of scales on her wrist, and they had suddenly become much lighter.

The spiritual spring had finally suppressed the poison in her body a little!

As for Yu Ling’er, she had been watching the sudden change beside her. Seeing that woman suck the flea dry, the blood stains at the corner of her mouth had not dried, and on the skin of her wrist… there were actually spots of snake scales.

The little fox was both shocked and angry. She couldn’t help but shout, “What kind of demon are you? You actually went to great lengths to steal our fox tribe’s spiritual spring to drink!”

Cui Xiao Xiao heard her call herself a demon and was slightly stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly endlessly.

That’s right. Since she had inexplicably traversed to two hundred years ago, she had unintentionally walked half of Wei Jie’s path to demonhood.

The one who fell into the deep valley and was poisoned by the Broken Soul Snake was her, the one who had the Demon Bead refined by Wei Jie on her body was her, and now the one who drank the spiritual spring to overcome the demonic nature was also her!

In this case, it seemed quite reasonable to be called a demoness by others!

She really wanted to ask, which expert two hundred years ago had calculated that her extremely yin fate would overcome Wei Jie?

Now, from her perspective, it was clearly Wei Jie who was overcoming her!

Qin Lingxiao heard Yu Ling’er call Cui Xiao Xiao a demon and also sneered coldly. He said in a deep voice, “Cui Xiao Xiao, if you turn back now and cut ties with that Wei Jie, I can still save you. But if you remain obsessed and keep entangling with him, I’m afraid you will really fall into the demonic path and never be able to recover!”

Xiao Xiao and this Sect Master Qin had always been talking past each other. She calmed her qi in the dantian and waved the shackles on her hand again, “If it weren’t for your chain, I would have separated from him long ago. It’s useless for you to say these things to me. It’s better to unlock it for me first.”

Jie’er didn’t like hearing this. He felt that his master had the suspicion of being ungrateful, actually saying things about wanting to hurriedly break ties with him in front of that Qin guy!

Did she forget who helped her suppress the yin poison?

He glared at Xiao Xiao with a cold gaze, his expression as cold and aloof as a lotus in the high mountains.

Xiao Xiao hurriedly maintained the fragile master-disciple affection and whispered, “Master is really too hungry! It would be so much better if our hands were separated. I could eat and drink with peace of mind… When we go down the mountain, Master will treat you to braised meat, alright?”

When she said this, Sect Master Cui accidentally swallowed.

Wei Jie was finally amused by her greedy appearance and asked lazily, “Treat me? Do you have money?”

Tang Youshu behind them hurriedly interjected, “Grand-master and Master want to eat braised meat? When we go down the mountain, this disciple will immediately

buy it for you!”

Xiao Xiao looked at her young benefactor, Mr. Tang, with a moved expression and quickly reminded, “I want two portions, with extra vinegar and spice…”

The fox girl Yu Ling’er couldn’t bear to listen anymore.

What kind of lowly sect was this? If they weren’t being affectionate with each other, they were eating and drinking! They were truly a family of vulgar people!

Moreover, that master and disciple worked together to use stinky insects to suck the Benefactor’s blood. That Cui Xiao Xiao was clearly possessed by a demon. She drank the spiritual spring, wouldn’t that just intensify her demonic nature?

Seeing the bite marks on Qin Lingxiao’s neck, Yu Ling’er couldn’t help but feel distressed.

She said to Qin Lingxiao, “Young Pavilion Master! This demoness is full of tricks and has already drunk our fox tribe’s spiritual spring. Once she becomes powerful, she will bring disaster to the world. It will be our fox tribe’s fault. We can’t let her go down the mountain! Come, capture that demoness!”

Xiao Xiao looked at Yu Ling’er’s righteous appearance as if she hated evil, and she almost laughed out of anger.

This fox girl had personally led a genuine demon king into the forbidden area of the fox tribe in the original two hundred years ago, and even secretly took the spiritual spring and gave it to the demon king Wei Jie to drink behind the tribe leader’s back.

Now it was good. She only drank some blood mixed with spiritual spring, and this fox girl started to feel distressed for the benefactor, putting on an appearance of righteousness and evil not being able to coexist, wanting to hold her accountable.

However, being surrounded by so many foxes, whether they could successfully break through really became a problem.

Just at this moment, Wei Jie twisted another big flea, raised his neck, and sucked it dry in gulps. Seeing more and more foxes surrounding them, he knew that today’s matter probably couldn’t end well. He could only drink some nourishing stuff first and then fight hard later.

Qin Lingxiao saw Wei Jie drink his blood and let out a low roar in anger.

He never thought that despite all his calculations, Wei Jie still managed to drink the fox tribe’s spiritual spring!

His cultivation would probably also greatly increase. Could it be that even though he had taken the upper hand, he still had to watch the thief Wei Jie succeed in the end and go on to slaughter the Four Great Sects?

Qin Lingxiao had always been wary of Wei Jie in his heart. Seeing that Wei Jie had obtained a fortuitous encounter after twists and turns, he couldn’t let him off even more.

However, Wei Jie had entered the Talisman Sect, and his master Cui Xiao Xiao’s carefree attitude had indeed won the disciple’s heart.

Wei Jie now also understood the principle of not being able to confront head-on. Since Xiao Xiao had obtained the spiritual spring to detoxify, staying here any longer was of no benefit. It was best to withdraw first.

Unfortunately, at this time, Mount Tuyun was shrouded in fog, and demonic energy filled the sky. They couldn’t see the way at all. The three of them, ancestor and disciples, walked in a circle and returned to the original place again.

And those foxes had already guarded the checkpoint and surrounded them, determined not to let the people who stole the spiritual spring go down the mountain.

With such a confrontation, it was inevitable that a bloody battle would ensue.

Xiao Xiao saw this situation and felt a bit difficult. Foxes were spiritual creatures, not to mention that many foxes in the fox tribe had already cultivated human forms. If they accidentally injured these spiritual creatures during the fight later, not only would it damage their blessings, but they would also suffer the long-lasting and endless revenge of the fox tribe.

Her master’s secret manual had specifically instructed that if the fox tribe did not commit evil, they should not be easily harmed.

It was a pity that these foxes were instigated by Qin Lingxiao. For some reason, their hostility towards her and Wei Jie was so great. Could it be that later they really had to go through a rain of blades and swords, with flesh and blood splattering, in order to escape?

While thinking about this in her heart, Xiao Xiao’s eyes suddenly fixed on something: among this group of foxes, a skinny fox with hair loss had mixed in at some unknown time…

It stood at the very back of the fox group, looking thin and small, with bare fur, extremely unsightly.

When Cui Xiao Xiao stared at it, that hairless skinny fox even retreated a bit, as if not wanting people to notice it.

As Xiao Xiao’s thoughts turned, she recalled the anecdotes about those demon tribes that she had chatted about with her senior brother and the others before.

These demon tribes would have a great demon tribulation every thousand years.

Unlike humans, the heavens had even harsher conditions for demon tribes to ascend to immortality. Very few demon tribes could pass the tribulation and ascend.

However, among the demon tribes, spiritual creatures like foxes naturally had some opportunistic tricks to muddle through.

This was also an inside story that Master Tang Youshu learned when he accompanied his master Wei Jie to Mount Tuyun back then.

It was said that the ancestor of the fox tribe once had a fateful connection with Nüwa. With the blessing of Goddess Nüwa, when molding clay figurines, she casually molded a dozen clay foxes and gave them to the ancestor of Tu Shan.

And now, every few thousand years, when a nine-tailed spirit fox capable of ascension appeared in the tribe, it would voluntarily shed its fur, put its fox skin on the clay fox blessed by Nüwa, and then stop eating or drinking, starving itself until it became thin and emaciated, greatly reducing its vitality, and then hiding in the tribe.

In this way, when the heavenly tribulation struck, that fake clay fox wearing the fur would deceive the heavens, attracting tens of thousands of heavenly thunderbolts, allowing the real fox to pass the tribulation by luck.

This was also the trick that allowed the fox tribe to far surpass other demon tribes in ascension.

Xiao Xiao had a deep impression of this part of demon history. Now she suddenly remembered it.

Her eyesight was different from ordinary people’s. She immediately saw that the wise eyes of that thin and small fox were full of spiritual power, which did not match its emaciated body at all.

As her thoughts flowed, she whispered to Wei Jie, “You see that fox…”

Wei Jie looked in the direction of Xiao Xiao’s gaze and saw the skinny fox hiding in the back.

“What’s wrong?” He didn’t know the secrets of the fox tribe, so naturally, he didn’t understand why Xiao Xiao asked him to look.

Xiao Xiao couldn’t explain too much in detail, so she simply instructed, “That fox might be the fox king… Later, if we really start fighting, capture the king first!”

Now that they were surrounded by the fox tribe, they couldn’t confront them head-on and could only use their wits. If that fox was really the fox king, then she had become emaciated like this. She must be preparing to undergo the tribulation and even less dared to reveal her true strength at such a critical moment…

Wei Jie suspiciously looked at that skinny fox that was all skin and bones – compared to the other foxes with shiny fur and large size, this fox looked pitiful as if it was about to die. How could it possibly be the fox king?

However, since Xiao Xiao said so, she must have her reasons.

Wei Jie had always felt that this little master of his was his lucky star. Since the lucky star had pointed out the direction, he might as well give it a try!

Thinking of this, the two exchanged glances and understood each other’s intentions. Wei Jie wrapped his arm around Xiao Xiao’s slender waist with one hand, exerted force with his feet, and the two of them suddenly attacked the skinny fox in the corner together.

As a descendant of the Demon Subduing Wei Family, Wei Jie was born with the talent to intimidate these exotic beasts. He suddenly let out a beast roar.

Because he had just drunk the spiritual blood, the surging true qi allowed the Wei Family’s beast roar to exert its maximum power. Those foxes pouncing over instantly had their souls leave their bodies and froze on the ground, unable to move.

However, this beast roar was useless against humans.

Qin Lingxiao glanced at the dazed Yu Ling’er beside him, snorted coldly, and immediately waved his qi sword to pounce on the two.

At the moment when Wei Jie picked her up and leaped into the air, Xiao Xiao also used one hand to flick the water-transforming talisman, urging the water flow to wrap around Qin Lingxiao, and then instantly activated the ice condensation, freezing his hands and feet.

Although Qin Lingxiao immediately shattered the ice, he was slowed down for a moment.

The cooperation between the master and disciple this time was too perfect. In an instant, Wei Jie had already turned his fist into a palm and firmly grasped the neck of that skinny fox.

This change was beyond everyone’s expectation, especially those fox tribesmen. They never thought that these two intruders would actually circle around and directly attack a skinny fox in the back.

Xiao Xiao had already taken out the demon-subduing talisman drawn with her blood and steadily pasted it on the fox’s forehead.

Her talisman drawing skills had now improved by leaps and bounds. Naturally, this demon-subduing talisman was not a fake. After being pasted, that fox instantly scattered its condensed primordial spirit. Nine magnificent huge tails drilled out from the skinny and small fox’s butt, swaying in the air, completely disproportionate to its hairless and thin body.

At this time, Yu Ling’er, who had just recovered from the shock of the beast roar, was both surprised and angry. She pounced over, shouting “Mother,” ready to rescue that fox.

But Wei Jie held the nine-tailed fox firmly and even declared that if anyone dared to take a step forward, he would immediately crush its throat.

Yu Ling’er was afraid of harming the captured fox and didn’t dare to approach. She could only look at her mother with tears in her eyes, feeling anxious.

Chapter 28

Xiao Xiao couldn’t bear to see her benefactor Tang Youshu kneeling to someone. She quickly helped him up and comforted him in a soft and gentle voice, “It’s alright. With your master here, he will definitely find a way out!”

Wei Jie was also used to Xiao Xiao’s two-faced treatment towards him and Mr. Tang. Seeing Xiao Xiao throw the task to him, he turned his handsome face and coldly looked around, not saying anything more.

He had left Qilao Mountain at the age of twelve and traveled around, having seen and experienced a lot. He had encountered situations like this ghost wall before, so he was not panicked in his heart.

Wei Jie’s broken sword had snapped, and his long whip was also left at the Wei family to tie up the corpse-eating beast.

At this time, he had no handy weapon. He simply broke off a branch from a peach tree, stripped off the side branches and green leaves, and made it into a peach wood cane. Then he said to Xiao Xiao and Tang Youshu, “You two put your hands on my shoulders and follow me.”

After saying that, Wei Jie took a handkerchief from Xiao Xiao for wiping faces. After slightly distinguishing the direction, he used it to cover his eyes and probed the way with the peach wood cane, groping forward like a blind man.

Xiao Xiao and Tang Youshu followed his instructions and placed their hands on his shoulders, walking with him.

They kept their eyes open. In places where there should be a mountain wall, Wei Jie led them to walk inside. As a result, Wei Jie was actually able to pass through the mountain, but they were blocked.

Xiao Xiao had a pair of unusual eyes, and ordinary illusion techniques couldn’t deceive her. But she was certain that there was a mountain wall in front of them. How could Wei Jie pass through it?

Wei Jie explained, “This Mount Tuyun is the place where Nüwa selected soil to create humans. At that time, she didn’t want to be disturbed by other deities, so she set up an earthen barrier. Anyone who has opened the eyes of wisdom cannot pass through. However, she didn’t want the animals in the mountain to get lost, so as long as they are birds, insects, or beasts that haven’t opened the eyes of wisdom, they are not affected. The eyes are the source of delusion. If you think you can’t pass through, you really can’t pass through. Close your eyes and follow me.”

Hearing Wei Jie’s explanation, Xiao Xiao and Tang Youshu closed their eyes. This time, they successfully passed through that “mountain wall” by following Wei Jie.

They didn’t know how long they had walked. Suddenly, there was a snapping sound. The peach wood cane in Wei Jie’s hand actually broke!

When Wei Jie took off the handkerchief and slowly opened his eyes, he found that the surroundings were dark and gloomy, seeming to have countless shadows flashing. Under the moonlight, it appeared to be full of ghostly figures.

Xiao Xiao also opened her eyes. She could see more clearly and could even see dots of light like fireflies shining in the forest.

When she looked more closely, she found that the dots of light were not fireflies, but… glowing green eyes!

At this moment, Wei Jie cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, “We didn’t mean to offend you. We are just passing by. We’ll just ask for some water to drink and then leave.”

Hearing his words, a fox slowly walked out from the darkness.

The fox’s fur was glowing white under the moonlight, even slightly shimmering like shiny satin. Its fox tail actually had two, floating high up, very elegant.

This fox was the true form of Yu Ling’er. She brought her fellow tribesmen to investigate when unusual visitors came to the mountain.

When Yu Ling’er saw the outline of their clothing from a distance, she recognized that these three intruders were the men and women who were messing around by the lake during the day.

It seemed that these men and women felt that the lake wasn’t satisfying enough, so they drilled into Mount Tu, planning to disturb the sacred land of the fox tribe.

They encountered the illusion set up by the fox tribe and got lost in the mountain. Yu Ling’er originally planned to trap them and let them suffer a bit before going down the mountain.

But to her surprise, the man in black clothes actually came up with a clever trick. He used a peach wood cane that could ward off evil, covered his eyes, and actually walked out of the illusion step by step, stumbling upon the entrance of the fox tribe in the mountain.

How could the forbidden area of the fox tribe allow people to intrude casually? So Yu Ling’er came to stop the three intruders in the name of the tribe leader.

She hadn’t seen Wei Jie’s appearance clearly before. It wasn’t until Wei Jie took off the blindfold handkerchief that she saw his enchanting features.

Both men and women in the fox tribe were extremely beautiful and charming. Yu Ling’er was used to seeing them.

But this man who suddenly intruded, apart from his handsome appearance, his light purple eyes also exuded a power that could penetrate people’s hearts. That tall and evil charm was completely different from the delicate fox tribe men, and even more different from Benefactor Qin Lingxiao’s gentle and elegant temperament.

The so-called “one glance, a thousand years” was really true.

For some reason, Yu Ling’er felt a slight ripple in her heart. But when she thought of the scene she saw during the day of this man wantonly indulging in pleasure, she instantly sobered up.

Even if this man was even more charming, he was still a person with vulgar behavior. The fox tribe didn’t fall in love easily and was the most deeply affectionate. They despised men who were promiscuous.

Thinking of this, Yu Ling’er still maintained her fox form and said to Wei Jie with a cold face, “This is not a place you can intrude. If you are sensible, leave early. Otherwise, you will die without a proper burial.”

If an ordinary person heard a fox suddenly speak, they would definitely be scared witless and flee in panic.

But Wei Jie cupped his hands with a straight face and said, “I’m sorry for coming uninvited and disturbing you. It’s just that my master is poisoned by a strange toxin and needs the spiritual spring from the sacred land of the fox tribe to suppress the poison. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Since you are all cultivators, you naturally want to accumulate good karma. If you can save my master’s life, I will be endlessly grateful.”

If he hadn’t explained, it would have been fine. But after saying this, Yu Ling’er’s gaze as she looked back and forth between him and Cui Xiao Xiao became even more shocked and… disgusted!

The identity of this promiscuous couple turned out to be master and disciple? Could it be that they cultivated some kind of sexual arts? Moreover, the hands of this master-disciple pair were actually shackled together… Was this to intimately be together day and night, never to part?

Thinking like this, the relationship between the two of them was really getting dirtier and more unbearable. How were they worthy of stepping on the sacred land of the fox tribe?

Thinking of this, Yu Ling’er didn’t bother to waste words with the visitors. She just swished her two tails, and her fellow tribesmen hidden in the forest immediately bared their fangs and wagged their tails, pouncing towards the invaders.

Cui Xiao Xiao originally thought that based on the relationship between Wei Jie and the fox girl from two hundred years ago, even if they were strangers this time, after some good negotiation, getting a mouthful of water to drink shouldn’t be a problem.

But to her surprise, after the talking fox saw Wei Jie’s appearance clearly, it looked at him as if seeing a toad, and without saying a word, it wanted to start a fight with its mouth.

Oh no! The fox that Wei Jie originally saved must have encountered a calamity and didn’t survive! The remaining foxes now looked at them with disfavor and naturally wanted to bite them!

However, they intruded into someone else’s forbidden area in the first place, so they were in the wrong. Being driven away was normal.

So she hurriedly called out, “If you fox immortals are unwilling, we will leave. Why be so fierce and pounce over to bite us?”

But the foxes that gradually walked out from the shadows seemed unwilling to let the invaders go easily and still bared their fangs, closing in on them.

Xiao Xiao knew that if they fought, these foxes would either die or be injured. She didn’t want to commit the sin of killing without reason, so she hurriedly waved her hand to summon water, preparing to scatter these foxes in a moment and then hurry down the mountain to escape.

Actually, those foxes had no intention of hurting people. They were just too lazy to waste words and wanted to scare away the invaders quickly. So although their mouths were very big, they were just putting on a show.

But unexpectedly, just as the foxes pounced over and Xiao Xiao swung the water snake to defend against their attack, a qi sword suddenly slashed through Xiao Xiao’s water wall and rushed straight towards Wei Jie’s face.

That qi sword came with a fierce momentum, making it impossible to avoid.

Wei Jie knew that he was connected to Xiao Xiao and couldn’t avoid it at all. If his dodging movement was too big, Xiao Xiao beside him would likely be hit as well.

In a moment of desperation, he had a flash of inspiration. He raised his hand and used the shackle on his wrist to block it.

The shackle, which was impervious to swords and spears, played its role at this critical moment. With a clang, it barely blocked the fierce attack of the qi sword.

The force of the qi sword was too great. Under the impact, Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie were both sent flying and fell to the ground.

Wei Jie landed first, using his own body as a cushion to absorb the impact for Xiao Xiao, while Xiao Xiao fell right on her disciple’s body with her butt.

Unfortunately, the place where the master sat was just three inches below the dantian. Wei Jie let out a groan in pain and bit his lip hard, tightly hugging the little girl in his arms.

Xiao Xiao heard his gasp and also knew that she might have injured him. She quickly got up, held his shoulders, and asked, “How is it? Are you alright?”

Wei Jie’s handsome face was pale. He took a deep breath and finally calmed down, but said, “You look quite thin, but your butt is quite fleshy…”

“…”

If they weren’t surrounded by a group of foxes, at another time, Cui Xiao Xiao would definitely wash this guy’s mouth properly!

Unfortunately, now was a critical moment of confrontation. They still had to maintain the hypocritical affection between master and disciple. Xiao Xiao smiled without reaching her eyes and said, “Master has been eating ‘too well’ these past few days and has gained some weight. Sorry for hurting you, my disciple…”

Bastard! He clearly knew that she had been abstaining from grains for the past few days and had lost a lot of weight. How could she have any flesh!

As for Yu Ling’er, she never expected that this master and disciple would still be able to hug each other during the confrontation, and then affectionately whisper to each other as if no one else was around.

The little fox had never seen such a thing. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out what kind of dog-like master and disciple they were from which sect. Could they really be cultivating some kind of sexual art?

At this moment, a cold male voice said, “Cui Xiao Xiao, I really didn’t expect that you would fall so low…”

It turned out that Qin Lingxiao, who was hidden in the dark, couldn’t stand watching Cui Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie hugging and cuddling, so he walked out from the dense forest.

The sneak attack qi sword just now was sent out by Qin Lingxiao.

Cui Xiao Xiao originally thought that the fox tribe had such great hostility towards them because they were intruders.

But when Qin Lingxiao appeared, she suddenly had a feeling of realization.

According to the previous trajectory, Wei Jie should have saved the fox girl and come to Mount Tuyun to drink the spiritual spring. But Qin Lingxiao, who shouldn’t be here, appeared.

Seeing that the fox tribe had no wariness towards Young Pavilion Master Qin, they clearly treated him as an honored guest!

If Wei Jie’s life trajectory had changed now, was the fox girl he was supposed to save still there?

Thinking of this, Cui Xiao Xiao suddenly shouted towards the fox group to test, “Yu Ling’er, are you alright?”

The leading two-tailed spirit fox suddenly stepped forward, walked to Qin Lingxiao’s side, and asked Cui Xiao Xiao in confusion, “How do you know my name?”

It turned out that this two-tailed fox was Yu Ling’er, who should have been saved by Wei Jie…

Seeing the fox intimately standing beside Qin Lingxiao, Xiao Xiao understood everything at once: this Qin Lingxiao was really shameless! Taking advantage of the fact that his soul had traversed earlier, he actually took Wei Jie’s fortune, replaced Wei Jie to save the fox girl, and came to Mount Tuyun to prepare to drink the spiritual spring!

Chapter 27

It’s just that the time for the spiritual spring to gush out had not yet arrived, so Qin Lingxiao lingered here for a few days. During the day when he had nothing to do, he would go out for a walk.

He never expected that today, on the opposite shore of the lake outside Mount Tuyun, he would accidentally see Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao.

Qin Lingxiao was even more surprised that the girl Cui Xiao Xiao was actually so shameless, getting entangled with this demon king Wei Jie in such a way!

The man and woman, under the guise of being master and disciple, were actually hugging together without any restraint in broad daylight.

Thinking of Cui Xiao Xiao’s indifferent attitude every time she saw him, Qin Lingxiao felt inexplicably stifled. Seeing this scene, Qin Lingxiao’s expression became even more disdainful!

Cui Xiao Xiao was unwilling to marry him, the leader of a major righteous sect, and firmly refused his marriage proposal, but she mixed together with someone like Wei Jie. It was clear that her character was despicable and she was not a kind-hearted person.

She was so frivolous, fascinated by Wei Jie’s appearance. She was just a vulgar woman! She really disappointed him!

However… what surprised him even more was that former Master Wei Jie.

Back then, when Qin Lingxiao hid his identity and joined Wei Jie’s sect, Wei Jie had not yet completely transformed into a demon.

Because of his female demon bloodline, Wei Jie’s appearance had an indescribable evil charm.

His bewitching appearance indeed enchanted many women. Even the fox tribe girl Yu Ling’er he saved was one of Wei Jie’s infatuated admirers.

However, Qin Lingxiao had never seen Wei Jie being bewitched by female charms and messing around with a woman in such a flirtatious way.

Wei Jie had a rarely seen cold and hard heart in the world. Moreover, when his demonic nature was deep, he had completely lost his humanity and would not devote himself to a woman.

Qin Lingxiao despised Wei Jie, but he unconsciously imitated Wei Jie’s behavior. As a result, after Qin Lingxiao became famous, he also unconsciously learned his former demonic master’s way of treating the women who were fond of him, always being cold and aloof.

Now it seemed that in this life, Wei Jie had lost his opportunity and ultimately could not succeed. He had become even more degenerate, and even his previous lofty pride was almost gone…

Thinking of this, Qin Lingxiao sneered again. He originally wanted to teach Cui Xiao Xiao a lesson and let her suffer by Wei Jie’s side for a while before finding an opportunity to give her the key.

But unexpectedly, this pair of man and woman had already become so close. Since that was the case, he didn’t need to bother for her sake. Just let this pair of man and woman be locked together for a lifetime!

However… why would Wei Jie appear at Mount Tuyun at this juncture? Could it be that Cui Xiao Xiao leaked the secret again, leading Wei Jie here, wanting to come to Mount Tuyun to drink the spiritual spring and seize the opportunity?

Qin Lingxiao’s handsome eyes slightly narrowed, and he sneered again – unfortunately, he had already arrived here first. Even if Wei Jie racked his brains, he could not set foot in Mount Tuyun!

“Benefactor, what are you looking at?” At this moment, a soft whisper came from behind Qin Lingxiao.

A white-clad girl with a pointed face and big eyes was holding a basket of freshly picked mountain fruits and walked up behind Qin Lingxiao.

She was the fox girl Yu Ling’er rescued by Qin Lingxiao. She was the beloved daughter of the fox tribe leader and could be considered the pearl of the fox tribe.

Every hundred years, the members of the fox tribe would face a tribulation.

Yu Ling’er was still young, and this first tribulation was the “human tribulation”. When she was picking fruits at the foot of the mountain, she suddenly felt unwell and transformed into a white fox, but encountered hunters trying to kill her. Fortunately, she was rescued by the young pavilion master of Soaring Cloud Pavilion who happened to pass by.

Thinking of when her hind leg was injured and she was held in the arms of this handsome young pavilion master, the face of the inexperienced Yu Ling’er turned red.

The fox tribe valued righteousness and gratitude. Since Qin Lingxiao saved her, she should repay him with everything she had.

So when he mentioned that he was always unable to raise his true qi to the fourth level of heaven due to his limited cultivation, Yu Ling’er took the initiative to bring Qin Lingxiao to Mount Tuyun to wait for the spiritual spring to gush out.

The spiritual spring of Mount Tuyun could never be found by outsiders without the guidance of the Tu tribe people. With the blessing of the spiritual spring, she believed that Benefactor Qin Lingxiao would definitely be able to rapidly improve his cultivation.

However, when she walked over just now, she saw that Young Pavilion Master Qin seemed to be in a bad mood. His eyes looking ahead also seemed to be spitting fire.

She followed his line of sight and saw a pair of man and woman fooling around on the opposite shore of the lake.

Although it looked indecent, there was nothing inappropriate about it, so Yu Ling’er asked in confusion.

Qin Lingxiao turned his head to look at the fox girl and thought: In the previous life, Wei Jie had bewitched this fox girl, making her lose her mind for him, and she was willing to offend the heavenly rules for him.

Although in this life, he had seized Wei Jie’s opportunity, he still had to avoid this fox girl being bewitched by Wei Jie’s charm and falling in love with Wei Jie.

Thinking of this, he said indifferently, “I just saw a lecherous thief who is used to playing with women. It makes me feel a bit disgusted!”

Yu Ling’er looked again in the direction of his gaze, just in time to see the young man by the lake pressing the woman in his arms to the ground, lowering his head, not knowing what he was doing.

At this moment, a scholar holding a fishing rod came running from a distance. He stood beside the entangled man and woman, seeming at a loss, and could only bend down to persuade them.

But the man pressing down on the woman didn’t restrain himself at all. He was still wantonly lying on top of the woman, simply lustful and shameless!

Even if they were in love, in broad daylight, to take advantage of a woman like this while others were watching, how could he be a good person?

Yu Ling’er’s eyes were filled with disgust. She couldn’t help but say to Qin Lingxiao, “Benefactor, should we go over and save that woman?”

Qin Lingxiao sneered, “I see that the woman seems to be willing to be with them. If you and I rush over, we might disturb their fun. You are now at a time when you should focus on cultivation. Don’t get tainted by the secular world. Let’s go. The spiritual spring is about to gush out. Let’s head back.”

After shamelessly splashing dirty water on Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao, Qin Lingxiao took Yu Ling’er back to Mount Tu along the secret path in the mountain.

Tonight, the spiritual spring would gush out, a perfect opportunity. He didn’t want to waste time with boring people. As for Wei Jie, he would deal with him later.

On the other hand, Cui Xiao Xiao, who was pressed to the ground by Wei Jie at this time, was convulsing all over, almost biting off her own tongue from the pain.

Afraid that she would hurt herself, Wei Jie, who had been pressing her down tightly and pinching her chin, raised his head and said to Tang Youshu who was at a loss beside him, “Quick, go find the medicine bottle in the package over there! The yin poison in her body is acting up!”

Upon hearing this, Tang Youshu hurriedly threw the fishing rod in his hand, rushed to the place where the package was placed, and found the medicine that the old matriarch of the Wei family had given to Xiao Xiao before.

After taking out the medicine pill, Wei Jie quickly took out one and put it into Xiao Xiao’s mouth.

It turned out that just now, Xiao Xiao’s poison suddenly acted up. Wei Jie was afraid that she would hurt herself, so he pressed her down tightly. But from a distance, it looked like a man and a woman were shamelessly flirting with each other, to the extent that Qin Lingxiao could splash dirty water on them.

At this time, Xiao Xiao, who was tortured by the suddenly activated yin poison, was already drenched in sweat in an instant and could only collapse in Wei Jie’s arms, exhausted.

This was the first time Wei Jie saw Xiao Xiao’s poison act up. Although the medicine given by his grandmother reduced the frequency of the Demon Bead’s yin poison attacks, once it acted up, it was still very tormenting.

Wei Jie carefully wiped the sweat from Xiao Xiao’s forehead, then asked her in a low voice, “How is it? Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”

Xiao Xiao finally let out a long breath when the medicine took effect, and she struggled to sit up from Wei Jie’s arms.

Just now, she didn’t expect that the yin poison would act up again while she was “wiping” Wei Jie’s face.

Although she had taken the medicine from the Wei family’s matriarch, reducing the number of times the poison attacked, it seemed to be like blocking a flood. The more it was blocked, the more powerful the poison became. This time, the delayed attack felt even more domineering.

The suffering she was experiencing now should have been endured by Wei Jie back then. She just didn’t know how he resolved it and was finally able to force out the demonic turbid qi and transform it into the Demon Bead.

When she rolled up her sleeve and looked at the pattern of the Demon Bead on her arm again, she found that those patterns had actually turned into patches of snake scales, looking quite horrifying.

Xiao Xiao stared at those scales, inexplicably feeling that something bad was going to happen. If she let this Demon Bead possess her body, would she eventually turn into Wei Jie’s original half-human, half-snake appearance?

Perhaps because she looked too pitiful when the poison acted up, Wei Jie actually put aside his bad intentions and stopped teasing his little master.

He took his own change of clothes and spread them on the ground, letting Xiao Xiao lie down and rest. Then he went fishing with Tang Youshu, preparing to stew some fish soup for Xiao Xiao to nourish her later.

Xiao Xiao was lost in thought, lying half-reclined with her eyes closed, regulating her breath. When she opened her eyes, she saw the green mountains on the opposite side of the lake.

At this time, the sun was setting in the west, just at the moment when the slanting sun was halfway up the mountain. When the sunlight fell into the mountain hollow, it happened to shine on a rock.

She squinted at the rock, and no matter how she looked at it, it resembled a fox. But this light only lasted for a moment. When she mentioned it to Wei Jie and Tang Youshu, the two said they didn’t see any rock.

Xiao Xiao knew that her eyesight was different from ordinary people’s. Since they couldn’t see it, it meant that what she saw was an unusual phenomenon in the mountain.

In this situation… it seemed to coincide with a strange encounter mentioned in her master’s secret manual.

Her master said that after he took Wei Jie as his master, he once saw his master unintentionally rescue a fox girl. As a result, he got the opportunity to drink the spiritual spring, which better suppressed the discomfort brought by the exchange of snake blood. Moreover, Wei Jie’s strength improved by leaps and bounds because of this, achieving the effect of traveling a thousand miles in a day.

And the name of that fox mountain seemed to be Mount Tuyun. At the entrance of Mount Tuyun, there was a fox rock that would be illuminated by the setting sun at dusk, emitting a glow.

Xiao Xiao suddenly sat up. Was the heavens seeing that she had suffered too much and specifically guiding her to Mount Tuyun?

She hurriedly took out the secret manual and carefully read it. She found that the time for the spiritual spring to gush out seemed to be exactly tonight!

If she could drink the spiritual spring water, it would definitely alleviate the pain of the yin poison attacks. Time was of the essence. They had to find the entrance to Mount Tuyun as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, this time, due to her appearance, a part of Wei Jie’s trajectory had changed. Wei Jie didn’t seem to have rescued a fox girl like in the previous life and obtained the benefit of entering the mountain.

But now that her yin poison was acting up, she could only try everything possible. Her master said that the fox girl was in love with Wei Jie. Perhaps with a handsome man leading the way, they could persuade the fox girl to give them a ladle of spiritual spring water.

Thinking like this, Xiao Xiao immediately sat up and pointed to the mountain path on the opposite side of the lake, “Let’s go. We’ll spend the night on the mountain tonight!”

When the grand-master gave the order, the disciples naturally obeyed.

However, when they entered the mountain and walked around the mountainside six times, Tang Youshu stared at the familiar-looking big tree in front of him and couldn’t help but say, “It seems we passed by this big tree before… Master, are we lost?”

Wei Jie held up the torch and looked at the tree. There were still the marks he had carved with a dagger when he passed by before…

At this moment, Tang Youshu suddenly remembered something and said to Wei Jie in a low voice, “Master, when I went to the nearby village to buy a fishing rod earlier, the villagers seemed to have told me that we shouldn’t go up Mount Tuyun. There’s a ghost wall here…”

Ghost wall, as the name suggests, no matter how many marks you make, you can’t escape the demon’s illusion and will be trapped on the mountain until you die of exhaustion.

Wei Jie looked at his beloved disciple and also sneered, “You could have mentioned this unimportant matter a bit later, like when we’re about to die of exhaustion on the mountain. It wouldn’t be too late to say it then!”

Tang Youshu knelt on the ground with a thud, his face full of shame, “Master! It’s all this disciple’s fault. At that time, this disciple was only focused on buying a fishing rod from the villagers and thought it was just the ignorant words of a village man. Who knew that this Mount Tu would be so sinister!”

Chapter 26

Although she sounded cold, Xiao Xiao immediately looked at Wei Jie’s back.

During the fight just now, Wei Jie had indeed protected her a few times. At that time, she seemed to hear him groaning. Thinking about it now, he must have been scratched on the back…

But Wei Jie turned away with a cold face and didn’t let her see. He kicked the howling corpse-eating beast to sit on a large rock nearby.

Unfortunately, they were chained together. Xiao Xiao was dragged by him and had to raise her head with effort to look at his back.

Oh my, it was indeed quite injured!

After Wei Jie sat down, Xiao Xiao quickly took out the medicine she carried with her, preparing to help Wei Jie take off his clothes so she could apply it for him.

But Wei Jie pulled his clothes and said, “It’s alright. The wound will heal on its own in a while. Your medicine is so precious. It’s better to save it for your Mr. Tang.”

Xiao Xiao took a closer look and indeed, the inch-long wound that looked ferocious just now had mostly healed in this short time.

He was a mixed-blood of human and demon. His self-healing ability was unmatched. As long as it was a minor flesh wound, it could heal on its own.

Tang Youshu didn’t know about the undercurrent between his master and grand-master. He just heard Wei Jie agree and kowtowed to Cui Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie repeatedly. Then he happily became the fourth-generation grand disciple of the Talisman Sect.

Seeing the lineage of the Talisman Sect becoming more and more skewed, Xiao Xiao thought about how to write names on the sect’s genealogy and felt a headache.

This former demonic ancestor had now become her disciple, and her former benefactor had become her grand-disciple!

This distorted lineage of inheritance in Lingshan Talisman Sect could only be kept secret. When she found a way to set things right and return to two hundred years later, she would definitely go to her master’s grave to burn incense and kowtow, admitting her mistake properly.

But now she had at least remedied some things. At the very least, she let Master Tang Youshu acknowledge Wei Jie as his master, following the original trajectory.

While secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Xiao Xiao pointed at the dog rubbing against Wei Jie’s pant leg and asked, “How should we deal with this corpse-eating beast?”

This time, Wei Jie didn’t act up with Xiao Xiao. He kicked the dog’s butt again and said lazily, “It’s not a creature of the yang realm. It must be sent back to the underworld quickly. Otherwise, if it absorbs too much yang energy, it can only return when the ghost gate opens wide during the ghost month.”

After saying that, he picked up the deliberately fawning big-mouthed dog and shook it hard. Many black sesame-sized dots actually fell off its body.

According to Wei Jie, these were all corpse fleas on the corpse-eating beast. If they were raised and crushed, they would be a rare sacred medicine for healing wounds.

So Xiao Xiao watched him catch the sesame-sized dots one by one and put them in a small porcelain bottle.

Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but shudder and reminded Wei Jie to put away the bottle properly. Otherwise, since they were together every day now, if they got on her body, it would be disgusting.

Since they had to send the corpse-eating beast back, they naturally needed the permission of the Wei Family. Otherwise, outsiders were absolutely not allowed to approach the intersection of yin and yang.

Wei Jie had no interest in seeing the Wei Family people again. He just tied the rope restraining the corpse-eating beast to the demon-suppressing stone statue in front of the Wei Family’s door, then walked far away and threw a pebble to knock on the door.

When the Wei Family guards opened the door, there seemed to be nothing in front of the door except a moving rope.

When Wei Jingfeng came to the front of the door, he naturally smelled the rotten stench of the corpse-eating beast and knew that the invisible corpse-eating beast was tied to the rope.

In his pleasant surprise, he looked around but couldn’t see the person who sent this exotic beast back…

But the whip tied around the beast’s neck was clearly Jie’er’s… Wei Jingfeng held the whip in his hand. Thinking of the harsh words he had said to his nephew earlier, his heart was filled with mixed feelings at this moment…

That child actually listened to his mother’s words and went to catch the corpse-eating beast alone…

As for the three impromptu ancestor, master, and disciple of the Talisman Sect, after leaving Qilao Mountain, they were a bit aimless.

Although it was only a little more than two hundred years apart, the world had changed beyond recognition. Everywhere was unfamiliar.

Cui Xiao Xiao tried hard to recall the stone cave where she originally found the statue, but she couldn’t locate the place name on the sheepskin map from two hundred years ago. Because many places had very different names after two hundred years.

In this case, they could only slowly explore and advance, hoping that the changes around that stone cave would not be too great, making it easier to find. But she didn’t know if the statue was in the stone cave at this time.

Xiao Xiao felt that the hope was slim, but she could only give it a try.

In addition to finding the statue, another urgent matter was to find Qin Lingxiao and let him hand over the key to unlock the Soul Locking Shackle on her hand!

Xiao Xiao hadn’t bathed for a full five days now, and she didn’t even dare to eat or drink too much.

It wasn’t that she had transcended the mortal world and no longer felt hunger or thirst. She couldn’t resist it at first and had done it once or twice. It was really embarrassing enough to wish for the world to end!

Even if Wei Jie obediently turned his head and stuffed his ears with cotton cloth, it was no use.

By the same token, when it was Wei Jie’s turn to relieve himself, Xiao Xiao also had to close her eyes and listen to the sound of the spring water with him. Such an experience was something she wished to immediately forget.

So when it came to eating and drinking, Xiao Xiao not only ate less herself but also had to keep an eye on Wei Jie, asking him to restrain himself and not eat or drink too much.

However, Wei Jie obviously wasn’t troubled by this kind of mental knot. Under Xiao Xiao’s sharp gaze, he calmly drank another large bowl of soup.

As soon as he finished drinking, his grand-disciple Tang Youshu diligently filled another bowl for his master Wei Jie.

Xiao Xiao didn’t dare to scold Tang Youshu and could only whisper to Wei Jie, “Drink less, otherwise later…”

Wei Jie’s mouth curved into a smile. He also filled a bowl of lotus root and peanut soup for Xiao Xiao.

“Master, you should drink more. I see that you have been irritable these past two days. Every time, it’s just a trickle and not very smooth. This is because you’re too dry. You need to nourish yourself well!”

Xiao Xiao looked at him silently, slowly wrapping her gaze around his neck and then forcefully tightening it!

At the same time, she cursed Qin Lingxiao, the culprit, in her heart again!

In the past few days, forced by the situation, Xiao Xiao had already started to practice abstinence from grains early on. For cultivators, every critical moment of enhancing the qi in the dantian, fasting and abstaining from grains are very beneficial.

However, not every newly initiated cultivator can persist.

You should know that the delicacies of the human world are the most difficult to give up. Even those who have ascended to immortality sometimes come to the human world to sneak a bite.

But at this time, Xiao Xiao had nothing she couldn’t give up. She wished she could abstain from grains and ascend to immortality in one go, staying far away from this annoying mortal world.

With no desires or pursuits, she actually managed to abstain from grains for a few days on and off.

Wei Jie was not as ambitious as Xiao Xiao. He smiled and looked at his master’s “affectionate” gaze, leisurely picking up a chicken leg and biting into it.

Among the three of them, Tang Youshu was the one with money, so along the way, they would choose a decent restaurant in the village to eat and rest. Almost every meal had wine and meat.

As for why Tang Youshu was so generous, there was a reason.

He was born into a family of famous doctors. At a young age, he was already able to take pulses and diagnose illnesses. That time he went to Qilao Mountain, it was to collect unique herbs on the mountain. He accidentally fell into the valley.

He wanted to break free from the shackles of the mortal body and cultivate the way of immortality. Along the way, he earned money by practicing medicine and seeking famous masters.

According to Tang Youshu, his best-selling product was the ancestral aphrodisiac ointment. Just one patch on the upper abdomen could invigorate a man’s vitality and make him vigorous like a newlywed. It’s just that the formula was complex and needed to be hot compressed before use, which was quite troublesome. If it could be simplified, it would sell even better.

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao sighed in her heart. It turned out that her old master had been making a fortune with this kind of aphrodisiac plaster since he was young.

Thinking about it, the treasure that made the most money for the Talisman Sect later – the Infatuation Talisman, her master had indeed been consistent over these two hundred years, striding forward on the path of benefiting men all over the world.

Xiao Xiao had been looking forward to such generous and casual ordering of meals for a long time, but she didn’t expect that a chain was even more hateful than the Gold Consuming Curse, making her not dare to eat or drink.

Wei Jie’s style was quite established. Every meal must have meat and wine, very carefree and leisurely.

Xiao Xiao ate very little. Every time, she would enter a meditative state early. Unfortunately, she was shackled to Wei Jie. When she meditated, Wei Jie would lie beside her and sleep, listening to the snoring rising and falling, which greatly affected her meditation.

If she didn’t meditate, her stomach would also gurgle. Xiao Xiao decided that she still had to take up the responsibility of a master and urge her “unruly disciple” to make some progress.

But when she pulled Wei Jie up and asked him to meditate with her, Wei Jie stretched and yawned, “Master doesn’t teach me any skills. I don’t know what to practice either.”

In the past few days, he saw Xiao Xiao teaching Tang Youshu how to draw talismans in her spare time and also teaching him breathing techniques. It was a scene of deep affection between father and daughter.

This grand-master happily taught her grand-disciple, overstepping her authority. But the Sect Master of the Talisman Sect had no intention of teaching her legitimate eldest disciple.

Although Wei Jie originally had ulterior motives when taking her as his master and didn’t really want to learn skills from Xiao Xiao, now being contrasted by Tang Youshu, losing the fight for the master’s favor, he inevitably felt psychologically unbalanced and a bit unpleasant.

Hearing Wei Jie’s words, Xiao Xiao nodded.

That’s right. Since she had taken on the title of his master, if she didn’t teach anything, it would seem ungracious.

However, if she taught him the skills of the Talisman Sect and he returned to his own life trajectory in the future, gradually walking the demonic path, wouldn’t it tarnish the reputation of Lingshan Talisman Sect?

Xiao Xiao thought and thought, and decided to teach him the skills of the Four Great Sects. He had a deep grudge with the Four Great Cultivation Sects. In the future, when they inevitably meet on a narrow path, he could fight fire with fire if he knew both himself and the enemy.

As for how to teach, Xiao Xiao was not worried. After all, Ancestor Wei Jie himself had summarized it systematically. She just needed to follow the example and pass on the cultivation methods of other sects summarized by Wei Jie himself to Wei Jie.

And among the Four Great Sects, the qi shield of Wonderful Immortal Mountain was actually the most practical. Xiao Xiao didn’t want to teach the future Demon King skills to harm others. The qi shield could be used for self-defense and protection, which was most suitable.

Wei Jie sat cross-legged opposite Xiao Xiao, listening to her proficiently explaining the method of condensing the qi shield of Wonderful Immortal Mountain. Suddenly, he asked, “Why are you so familiar with the shortcomings of the techniques of the Four Great Sects and even know their cultivation methods? What connection do you have with the Four Great Sects?”

When asking this, Wei Jie’s purple eyes gleaming with light slightly narrowed, staring intently at Cui Xiao Xiao.

Although the future Demon Venerable’s demonic arts were not yet perfected, his aura was gradually emerging. When he stared at someone, it was a bit hard to withstand his gaze.

However, Cui Xiao Xiao had followed her adoptive father to deceive people since she was a child. The title of “Thousand-Faced Beauty” on the streets was not in vain. She firmly met the gaze of the future Demon Venerable and said sincerely, “The cultivation of the Four Great Sects is shallow and easily seen through. How can it compare to the vastness and profundity of our Talisman Sect? But to practice the profound teachings of the Talisman Sect, one must first learn the ways of the Four Great Sects. Here, I’ve passed on the techniques to you. You can slowly comprehend them yourself.”

Actually, Xiao Xiao knew that the Four Great Sects could become major cultivation sects. How could their skills be learned just by saying they could be learned?

The Wei Jie from two hundred years ago, because of resisting the snake poison, had a fortuitous encounter and his cultivation greatly advanced, giving him a solid foundation. No matter what he practiced, he could handle it with ease.

But the current Wei Jie, due to her interference, was still an ordinary fellow.

Although he had comprehended some unorthodox methods relying on his intelligence and talent, it was a bit of a pipe dream to think he could cultivate the profound teachings of the Four Great Sects just from her brief instruction.

Xiao Xiao just wanted to deal with her obedient disciple, so he wouldn’t keep disturbing her meditation.

However, Wei Jie actually put on the appearance of a teachable child and really sat beside Xiao Xiao, closing his eyes and entering meditation.

Xiao Xiao secretly opened her eyes and observed the man beside her. His meditation posture was not standard, with his arms casually placed on his crossed long legs, and his waist was not very straight. Rather than meditating, it was more like taking a nap.

But his appearance and figure were outstanding. No matter how he sat, he exuded an otherworldly and carefree elegance.

Xiao Xiao really found it hard to imagine what terrifying appearance he would have when he transformed into a half-snake person covered in scales all over his body.

After looking for a while, Xiao Xiao also closed her eyes. At least this time, Wei Jie was not poisoned. Hopefully, he could change from evil to good and commit less slaughter in the future…

However, she didn’t know that when she closed her eyes, the man sitting opposite her slowly opened his eyes. His light purple eyes shimmered with a faint glow under the moonlight, lingering on the girl’s long curled eyelashes and perky little nose…

Under the moonlight, with the occasional chirping of night insects, he looked enough and then closed his eyes with satisfaction. At the same time, he straightened his body, and the breath of qi circulation and breathing revolved above his head as he gradually entered meditation.

In the past few days, they had been like this, walking during the day and cultivating at night. The pills given by the Wei Family matriarch seemed to be really effective. In the past few days, Xiao Xiao never had an attack, which also allowed her to gradually put her mind at ease.

But it was really inconvenient to be handcuffed to Wei Jie all

the time. Xiao Xiao still decided to go find Qin Lingxiao first and unlock the Soul Locking Shackle.

How to get to Soaring Cloud Pavilion was another big problem.

Xiao Xiao looked at the map for a long time and found that Soaring Cloud Pavilion seemed to be not too far from here. Fortunately, Tang Youshu often collected herbs and was quite familiar with the surrounding paths. With his help, the journey became smoother.

Wei Jie didn’t seem to be as anxious as Xiao Xiao to find Qin Lingxiao and unlock the Soul Locking Shackle. Along the way, he walked and stopped leisurely, seeming to be quite carefree.

This day, after finishing lunch, Wei Jie actually pulled Xiao Xiao to the Qingshui Pond far away from the village to fish.

Xiao Xiao watched Tang Youshu being ordered by Wei Jie to buy fishing rods and bait. She couldn’t help but say, “Since you’ve become a master, you should teach your disciple some breathing techniques. You always let him buy this and buy that. What kind of master are you?”

Wei Jie leaned against the rock by the pond, comfortably stretching his waist, his head resting on his arms, a blade of grass in his mouth, and said lazily, “If you put it that way, I’m still your disciple, right? Have you ever taught me attentively? Every day, apart from glaring at me, it’s glaring at me. What? Regretting accepting me as your disciple?”

His appearance was too good. Even when he was casually stretching his long legs with his eyes half-closed, he looked like a picture of a beautiful person drunk.

The bloodline of the female demon was too captivating. Xiao Xiao would inadvertently stare in a daze.

As a result, when Wei Jie half-opened his eyes, he happened to make eye contact with Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao hurriedly turned her head away, pretending to admire the scenery by the pond. Because they were locked together, the two could never be too far apart. So when Wei Jie sat up, he was shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Xiao.

He turned his head to look at the girl beside him. Her skin was delicate and white, her cheeks slightly flushed, and the long lashes of her big eyes were trembling slightly, like fluttering black butterflies…

Xiao Xiao noticed that he wasn’t speaking, so she turned to look. As a result, she made close eye contact with him again.

Cui Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but retreat slightly, asking him vigilantly, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

Wei Jie deliberately leaned closer and lowered his head, “Master also secretly looks at me all the time. I’m your disciple. What’s there that can’t be looked at? Next time, there’s no need to be secretive…”

Xiao Xiao would occasionally fail to resist sneaking a peek at him, but she didn’t expect him to say it so openly without giving his master any face.

Xiao Xiao was at a loss for words for a moment, but the dignity of a master could not be lost. She just pretended to be calm, took out a handkerchief, and wiped Wei Jie’s cheek with a look of concern, “Look at you, your face is dirty again, and you still blame Master for looking at you! Jie’er, be good. Next time, don’t always be naughty and crawl into corners…”

With that said, she still felt it wasn’t clean enough, so she spat hard on the handkerchief and wanted to continue wiping her obedient disciple’s face.

Wei Jie’s face changed. How could he let her handkerchief touch his face? He hurriedly retreated.

But his hand was connected to Xiao Xiao’s. With such a big movement, he pulled Xiao Xiao to fall into his arms.

Xiao Xiao was also angered by Wei Jie and intended to teach him a lesson. Regardless of anything, she grabbed his collar and continued to press the handkerchief on Wei Jie’s face, while calling him Jie’er and disciple.

The two made a fuss. In the eyes of outsiders, it was truly a scene of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, childhood sweethearts by the green shade of the lake.

Unfortunately, this scene happened to fall into the eyes of the young man in the pavilion on the other side of the pond.

Since the incident at Qilao Mountain, Qin Lingxiao didn’t hurry back to Soaring Cloud Pavilion to see his father, but came to this ravine of Mount Tuyun.

This Mount Tuyun was said to be the birthplace of the ancestor of the Tu Tribe.

Legend has it that Yu the Great’s wife, Tu Shan, was the incarnation of a nine-tailed white fox, a symbol of the prosperity of offspring.

However, later on, the fox tribe gradually gave birth to demons like Daji who brought disaster to the world, and the reputation of the fox tribe gradually deteriorated.

Therefore, the Tu Tribe gradually declined. Most of the tribesmen went into seclusion, isolating themselves from the mortal world. Even most of the descendants of the Tu Tribe removed the three waters of spirituality from their names and changed their surname to “Yu,” only seeking to no longer step into the struggle for power in the mortal world and not damage the blessings of the fox tribe any further.

And this Mount Tuyun was the location of the spiritual spring that resonated with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Every hundred years, the spiritual spring would gush out from the ground of Mount Tuyun, allowing the younger generation of the fox tribe to drink it and seek to transform themselves.

Even if one was not from the fox tribe, if one could drink the spiritual spring water, it would be of great benefit to one’s cultivation and skills.

Two hundred years ago, after Wei Jie was poisoned by the snake, he unintentionally saved a fox tribe girl. That girl was grateful and led Wei Jie to Mount Tuyun. After drinking the spiritual spring, he suppressed the toxicity better and absorbed the fox tribe for his own use. From then on, he recruited soldiers and horses on the demonic path, and his strength grew day by day.

Now, Wei Jie’s fate had been disrupted by Cui Xiao Xiao and was no longer fearsome. However, Qin Lingxiao didn’t want Wei Jie’s previous opportunities to be wasted.

So Qin Lingxiao specially grasped the timing and appeared in the right place. He drove away the hunters and saved the fox girl Yu Ling’er, who should have been saved by Wei Jie, and was led by her to Mount Tuyun.

This time, he wanted to seize the upper hand and not leave any chance for Wei Jie.