Mistaken Era 117 Final Chapter

Chapter 117

Wei Sitian vividly remembered her fourteenth birthday. She had been traveling with her mother and her Aunt Ling’er, but instead of visiting scenic mountains and serene lakes, they had ventured into dangerous territories, bandit-infested regions, where villages lay in ruins, their inhabitants slaughtered.

The sudden appearance of three beautiful women, one young and innocent, in this desolate landscape was like throwing three white rabbits into a wolf den.

Sitian, sheltered by her father, had never witnessed such suffering.

Seeing a child, clutching a doll with a severed arm, his face streaked with tears, his sobs echoing through the air, she felt her own eyes welling up, wanting to comfort him.

But her mother, her grip on her hand tightening, said, her voice firm, “I brought you here, against your father’s wishes, to show you the darkness of the world. To be a powerful cultivator… it’s useless if you can’t distinguish between good and evil.”

Sitian, confused, looked at her Aunt Ling’er, who, sensing her bewilderment, said, “Look at that child. He might seem small and innocent, but his hands, his knuckles suggest he’s older than he appears. And this village, everyone’s dead, except him. Something’s not right.”

Yu Ling’er, no longer the naive little fox, her experiences, her time with Xiao Xiao, having honed her instincts, her eyes sharp, her mind alert.

Sitian, following her gaze, noticed the inconsistencies.

Xiao Xiao, hidden in the shadows, created a paper figure, imbuing it with her own likeness, sending it towards the crying child.

As the figure approached, the child suddenly threw a pouch of powder, then, grabbing a dagger, pressed it against the figure’s throat, his grin cruel. “Don’t scream, little lady,” he said, his voice raspy. “Where are your companions? We have many brothers up in the mountains. We need more entertainment.”

The powder, filled with a potent sleeping herb, would ensure her compliance. Seeing her swaying, her body weakening, he eagerly reached for her robe, wanting to assess her worth.

If she was desirable, they could sell her to a brothel in the city after they were done with her. It would be a profitable venture.

But as his hand touched her, the figure burst into flames, his hand searing, the pain excruciating.

He screamed, his body engulfed in flames, rolling on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire.

A dozen men, their faces scarred, their bodies burly, emerged from the house, helping him, their voices a chorus of curses, their eyes scanning the ruins.

Those women thought they could escape? They were on their territory now! Even a deity wouldn’t leave unscathed!

Sitian, watching, her eyes wide with horror, finally understood her mother’s warnings about the darkness of the human heart.

A voice, low and urgent, spoke from behind them. “What are you waiting for? Run!”

Xiao Xiao turned and saw a young man, his skin tanned, his body tall and strong, standing there, his presence unexpected.

His cultivation was impressive. They hadn’t even sensed his approach.

He was a new recruit, forced into joining the bandits, but his conscience hadn’t been completely extinguished. Seeing those three women, their fate sealed… he had to help them.

But as they turned to face him, his gaze met Yu Ling’er’s, her eyes, shaped like a fox’s, sparkling, and his heart skipped a beat. He had seen her before in his dreams. She was always crying, asking him when he would find her.

And Yu Ling’er, recognizing him instantly, despite his changed appearance, his youthful innocence replaced by a hardened maturity, his height increased, his aura now tinged with a hint of darkness, felt a surge of joy.

She had found him!

Without hesitation, she rushed towards him, throwing her arms around him, her sobs echoing through the air.

Sitian stared, speechless. Her aunt had just warned her about the dangers of trusting strangers, and now she was clinging to a man she didn’t even know!

And her cries would surely attract the other bandits!

As expected, they appeared, their expressions furious, their weapons drawn. “Agou!” one of them shouted, his voice laced with anger. “You’re trying to free them again?! Didn’t we break your legs last time?! You ungrateful bastard! You’re asking for it!”

The young man, gritting his teeth, pushed Yu Ling’er away. “Go!” he shouted, his voice strained.

He stood before them, his body shielding them, his leg, still injured from his previous attempt, dragging behind him – he might die, but at least he could save them.

He didn’t know them, but that look in her eyes, that flicker of recognition… he had to protect her.

The bandits, consumed by their bloodlust, charged at him, ready to tear him apart.

But a gust of wind, a stench of decay, and a monstrous creature, its mouth gaping, its teeth sharp as blades, appeared, biting off their heads, its movements swift and brutal.

The remaining bandits, terrified, scattered, but the Corpse Eater, its speed incredible, its hunger insatiable, pursued them, leaving no survivors.

Seeing the Corpse Eater, Xiao Xiao knew he had arrived.

She turned, her voice laced with a forced cheerfulness. “What are you doing here? You said you wouldn’t come.”

A tall figure, his presence commanding, emerged from the ruins.

The young man, his eyes widening, stared at him, his beauty undeniable, his purple eyes, like a deity’s, mesmerizing.

Seeing him stroking the Corpse Eater’s head, his demeanor calm, a wave of admiration washed over him. He wanted to be his disciple, to learn from him!

Wei Jie, hearing Xiao Xiao’s question, scoffed. “I told you to keep Sitian away from this chaos, and you brought her here? What were you thinking? Taking her to the heavens?”

Xiao Xiao chuckled, her arms wrapping around his waist, her voice a teasing murmur. “She’s called Sitian, but we can’t keep her naive forever. She needs to experience the world, to learn, or she’ll be easily deceived. And you… you’re looking good. Who’s this handsome man? He’s so captivating.”

His wife’s words, her compliments, her touch were like the waters of the River of Forgetfulness, erasing his worries, his anxieties. He smiled, his canine teeth flashing, his stern facade crumbling.

The young man, unable to contain himself, fell to his knees before Wei Jie, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and desperation. “Master, will you accept me as your disciple? I was a bandit, but… I want to change… to learn from you.”

“No!” Xiao Xiao shouted, cutting him off, her voice sharp, her gaze fixed on the young man. “I was the one who burned those bandits! You saw my skills! Why are you asking him? He just… released a dog! If you want to learn something useful… become my disciple!”

The young man stared at her, bewildered. She had a point. But that man’s aura was compelling.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Xiao Xiao, grabbing his shoulders, her gaze softening as she saw his injured leg, the whip marks on his face, the evidence of his suffering, her heart aching for him, said, “I was like you… lost, confused. But someone saved me, taught me, guided me. I owe him a debt… And so… I’ll be your master! Congratulations! You’re now the third generation’s chief disciple!”

Wei Jie frowned. He was the third generation’s chief disciple!

But as he opened his mouth to protest, she glared at him, her message clear – challenge her on this, and say goodbye to your “wife” privileges.

He was a deity now, his wisdom, his understanding of human emotions, enhanced. He weighed his options, then… silence.

And so, Xiao Xiao finally had the disciple she had always wanted.

But her beloved disciple, an orphan, his name unremarkable. Wei Jie, her “husband,” insisted on giving him a new one – Tang Tiandou.

Xiao Xiao, hearing the name, couldn’t help but laugh. “Why fight?” she asked Wei Jie later that night, her body nestled against his, their embrace a comforting warmth. “Even the Heavenly Emperor has yielded. And Wise Ancestor said that you can be a wandering immortal, a free spirit. Why cling to this struggle?”

Wise Ancestor, the old monk who had guided them… his wisdom was profound.

He had said Wei Jie’s mortal ties weren’t severed, that he didn’t need to return to the heavens.

Wei Jie, his lips brushing against her cheek, murmured, “It’s not my fight. It’s his. He has to defy fate. His actions, sending you to the future disrupted the natural order. And now reborn… he has to pay the price. That’s why I waited fourteen years. He had to suffer. Otherwise, even our help wouldn’t be enough. But now, it’s almost over. And if the heavens continue to test him, we’ll fight back. We’ll tear a hole in the sky.”

To defy fate… one had to appease the heavens, to offer a sacrifice. He and Xiao Xiao had suffered, their debts repaid. And Tang Youshu, he had to endure his own trials. But at least, his injured leg… they could fix that.

Xiao Xiao, seeing his stubbornness, his defiance, was suddenly grateful she had become Tang Youshu’s master. If Wei Jie had been his teacher… who knew what kind of monster he would have become?

They were in a town in the Jiangnan region, its canals reflecting the moonlight, its streets bustling with activity.

She looked out the window and saw Yu Ling’er and Tang Tiandou, sitting on a rooftop across the canal, their heads close together, their conversation a secret.

Who said stories about foxes and scholars never ended well?

As she smiled, Wei Jie, closing the window, pulled her close, his voice a husky murmur. “Why are you watching them? You left without saying goodbye. I’ve been starving. How will you compensate me?”

And then, like Jixiang, his mouth opened wide, devouring hers, as he kissed her with a ferocity that mirrored the hunger that had been gnawing at him, his passion a raw and unbridled expression of his deepest need.

Their joyous laughter and soft whispers of pleasure filled the room, spilling out the window like a gentle breeze, and echoing across the water, creating a sense of carefree abandon that seemed to linger on the air…

[END]