Chapter 19

Yu Xizhi had seen such sword intent before.

That was when she was leaning against a tree in the misty forest and had just written down a series of names in a small book of grudges. After getting up and wandering into the forest in confusion, she took the wrong step.

He had once split apart the mist.

Tonight, he severed the moonlight once again.

The sword intent of Xie Junzhi was in stark contrast to his entire demeanor.

He favored white clothing; his figure was tall yet slender; his black hair flowed gently; his eyes and eyebrows were sharp and listless, but there was always a gentle smile on his lips; and occasionally he would tilt his head and cough. Although his cough sounds a bit casual, it still makes people feel that he was born weak.

However, all these images, when he grasped the sword, would shatter completely.

His sword Qi, was like a wandering dragon, like a rainbow, exhilarating yet containing a hint of ferocity. From the moment he raised his sword, the momentum was at its peak, and such grandeur seemed as if it would never diminish!

Clearly, it was the same Yanxiao sword, but in her hands, it was just a sword, whereas in his hands, Yanxiao seemed like a part of his body; wherever he pointed, the sword followed.

The weakness of the Jealousy Demon lay in its limbs; only after severing its limbs would its vulnerable neck be exposed; otherwise, it was extremely difficult to strike its throat with a sword.

Xie Junzhi’s sword could certainly strike, but he did not directly aim for the Jealousy Demon’s neck.

Since he had said he wanted Yu Xizhi to see, he wanted her to look carefully.

So with this sword, from bottom to top, as graceful as flowing water and as magnificent as a startled swan, he first severed the Jealousy Demon’s legs, then, with a flick of his wrist, he cut through its arms, and finally, cleanly and decisively, he struck it down with one sword!

By the time his sword came to a stop, the Jealousy Demon had abruptly halted all its movements towards Cheng Luocen.

Cheng Luocen rolled backwards, narrowly avoiding the Jealousy Demon’s claws as they came down. Just as it was about to remind him of its next attack, all of his muscles tensed all over, and he was in a sorry state. But then the old man let out a long sigh: “Such domineering sword intent. There’s no need to hide; it’s already dead.”

Cheng Luocen was stunned.

Dead…?

As the thought crossed his mind, the Jealousy Demon stopped all its movements.

Its limbs and head revealed overly smooth wounds that burst apart into pieces!

Xie Junzhi flipped his hand and threw a fire talisman, and soon flames engulfed it. Before the Jealousy Demon’s blood could even seep into the ground, it was devoured by the flames that meandered along the path, leaving nothing but a wisp of ashes in no time.

The physical body naturally wouldn’t disappear so quickly, but after being possessed as a demon and then dying, the demon would become a dry, wooden-like existence; if not burned with fire and left to live or die on its own, then the demon’s body would turn back into demonic energy and merge into the heavens and earth, becoming nourishment for other demons.

“Did you see clearly?” Amidst the burning flames and dim smoke, Xie Junzhi slowly approached. He turned the hilt of the sword and handed Yanxiao over.

Yu Xizhi took the sword dumbfoundedly.

She did see everything clearly, not even daring to blink.

But even though she knew Xie Junzhi had slowed down his sword speed for her, guiding her stroke by stroke, like teaching a child to write characters,.

Yet she still felt that the sword was too fast and too grand.

The sword was drawn too fast, and the sword was released too fast.

The sword intent is too grand, and the killing intent is also too grand.

Yanxiao was slightly warm in her hands; such a sword was enough to excite any sword.

And it seemed like Xie Junzhi wanted to say something more but suddenly raised his hand to cover his lips, unable to stop coughing for a moment.

He might have expended quite a bit of energy. His originally cold, pale skin looked even paler after such a sword strike. He took a slight breath, suppressing a cough, before straightening up again.

“When killing demons, don’t even think about whether they’re still human.”

His tone was light, but his words were grim. Since the Jealousy Demon incarnated in Ah Kou had died, he closed the barrier around this place by clasping his hands together, then turned Yu Xizhi’s shoulder, making her look towards the town. “Ah Kou is the demon mother of this town. The remaining demon offspring are all entrusted to you.”

As he spoke, the barrier spread out from where he stood, forcibly separating ordinary people without any cultivation from demons.

Maintaining a barrier for an entire city alone should have been a huge drain, but he appeared relaxed. However, there was an increasing sense of fragmented coughing rising within him, prompting him to press his lips again.

It didn’t matter what gender; the first Jealousy demon to seek jealousy and enter the town of Lengbei was the Jealousy Demon mother. The demon mother would gather companions to come together, and because the demon mother found a suitable host first, all the other demons drawn by her would naturally become her demon offspring. When demon offspring absorbed demonic energy and human flesh essence, they were forced to share a portion with the demon mother, so the demon mother was always the most powerful among the group of demons.

—But that didn’t mean Xie Junzhi was the only one who could handle it with a single sword.

In the dim night, the Jealousy Demons lurking in the town finally woke up because of Ah Kou’s death. Screams echoed, and the figures of demons appeared in the night one after another. At the moment when all the Jealousy Demons stood upright, they all lifted their heads simultaneously, staring straight in Yu Xizhi’s direction!

Yu Xizhi was startled.

This was her battlefield.

Xie Junzhi had said everything left was hers, meaning he wouldn’t lend a hand anymore.

She gripped the sword tightly, took a step forward, and took a deep breath.

Compared to the current situation, even chasing after Biebao couldn’t be considered a warm-up.

She had guessed that this task was intentionally set by Xie Junzhi. When she caught Biebao, she was still wondering if this task was really for beginners. Although there was a coincidence of throwing the meat pie by accident, it was strange to get it so easily.

Now it seemed that what she was facing in front of her was the real test.

The ground trembled, the night wind blew, and the small twig on the girl’s head trembled slightly.

Her hand, holding the sword, also trembled slightly.

The Jealousy Demons began to run in her direction.

Rather than nervousness, there was a kind of indescribable excitement in Yu Xizhi’s heart.

Or perhaps her slight trembling was like the anticipation and excitement one felt when facing a long-awaited ceremony unconsciously.

“Did you already know about this?” she asked softly.

“So, is that why you brought me here?”

Xie Junzhi, not knowing where he had pulled out a handful of fire talismans, said, as a matter of course, “You kill in the front, I’ll burn in the back. Clear division of labor. If we move fast enough, we can finish killing before dawn.”

—He completely ignored her question.

But at this moment, barely half an hour after dark, upon hearing Xie Junzhi’s words, Yu Xizhi almost blacked out before she could even draw her sword.

“No, wait, do we really have to kill until dawn? There are too many of them!” Yu Xizhi gasped for breath.

“Too many? If you had come a few days later, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even need to open this barrier, and we would have to slaughter the entire city directly.”

Xie Junzhi obviously lacked empathy, and as a final reminder, he kindly said, “They’re here.”

As he spoke, the nearest Jealousy Demon was just a few meters away.

Yu Xizhi closed her eyes slightly and mentally went through Xie Junzhi’s sword moves again.

Yanxiao rises.

The girl in the goose-yellow clothes lightly steps on her toes, her body already in mid-air. Although her technique is still somewhat unripe and lacking in momentum, her sword intent is vigorous enough!

When she first slayed a Jealousy Demon, she couldn’t achieve a continuous strike, but she constantly adjusted her posture between strikes, tirelessly regaining her momentum.

She wasn’t very skilled, but she was focused enough.

If you’re going to do something, you should do your best.

It doesn’t matter what else; she likes the exhilarating feeling of swinging a sword, and she likes the feeling of being invincible as soon as she raises her sword.

One day, she wants to unleash a sword like Xie Junzhi’s, stunning the heavens.

With only Xie Junzhi’s perfect sword intent left in her heart and eyes, her sword becomes faster and sharper, but also more composed.

Cheng Luocen struggled to get up, wanting to shield Huangli behind him, only to find that a barrier had already separated those who had not yet entered cultivation from the outside.

He looked up in astonishment, countless black shadows rushing towards him, the earth trembling, the night deepening, yet the sword light continued to cut through the night. At the fastest moments, it almost seemed like daylight.

There was a lotus-like flame intermittently shining and dimming.

The white-clad youth followed casually behind the girl swinging her sword, throwing fire talismans at the falling Jealousy Demons, burning them to ashes. He occasionally said a few words, seemingly indifferent and fearless towards the ugly Jealousy Demons lurking around him. Clearly, without a sword in hand, he himself seemed like the sharpest sword.

Or perhaps, in this deep night, amidst the fiery demon corpses and trembling earth, he was the only glimpse of white.

The old man in rear looked on in amazement and said, “Oh my, to be honest, this girl’s comprehension is really high, almost as good as yours. With so many Jealousy Demons, are they going to kill all night? Just now, she only glanced at that sword technique, and now she’s already imitating it seven or eight times. Although I can’t see through her cultivation, it’s clear that she possesses formidable spiritual energy. Cultivators are also humans; how many ordinary people can hold on for so long? It’s only because she carries such a strong spiritual energy within her that she can kill all night. Ah, youth is truly wonderful.”

“What kind of sword technique is this?” Cheng Luocen’s pupils were filled with sword light; he unconsciously clenched his fist, unable to conceal the longing in his eyes.

“This is the Kunwu Sword.”

The old man sighed with emotion.

“Although Kunwu’s founder is a later generation in my era, the younger generation is formidable indeed. Do you know that Kunwu Mountain was originally one entity, and now it spans across mountain ranges? It was the founder who split the mountain with his sword back then. There’s some estrangement between me and Kunwu Mountain in my generation, so I can’t name this sword technique, but this sword intent is Kunwu sword intent. Pay attention and remember carefully. Since you have decided to enter Kunwu, learning such sword intent wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“That… how can there be such a strong spiritual energy?” Cheng Luocen asked hoarsely.

“That’s simple; find a grandmaster to absorb some, almost suck them dry, and you’ll have it.”

The old man’s tone was casual.

“Unfortunately, there are no grandmasters left in this world.”

Speaking of this, the old man’s voice suddenly paused.

It seemed that he had just realized how contradictory his words were, and after a moment of hesitation, he slowly spoke again, “Wait… if there are no grandmasters in the world, where does this girl get so much spiritual energy? With so much spiritual energy, why does she only reach the level of Dao awareness when she wields her sword? What is this all about?! Strange, so strange!”

“What about that sword just now? What level was it?” Cheng Luocen couldn’t quite understand the old man’s rambling, so he just stared straight ahead at the silhouette of the person wielding the sword and asked again.

“That sword, it’s just the subjugation of the world—powerful but not surprising. This boy looks about your age, and although I can’t see his cultivation, I’d guess he’s at the foundation establishment stage. Killing an immature Jealousy Demon, even a Jealousy Demon Mother, with the Foundation Establishment stage is more than enough. How should I put it? He’s indeed talented, but you don’t know that in ancient times, there weren’t too many people as young as him who could subdue the world. I’ve seen too many of them. But put that aside, there are more mysteries surrounding this girl.”

The old man rambled on, sounding a bit crazy. “I can’t figure it out; I really can’t figure it out…”

There was a gleam in Cheng Luocen’s eyes. The next moment, he suddenly asked, “Old man, if you had encountered them first, would you still choose me?”

The old man was taken aback and said, “They? What are they?”

“Don’t pretend to be silly; it’s them.” Cheng Luocen looked at them and said, “You said she’s extremely talented; you said he’s brilliant and stunning. If you meet them first…”

“What a fart! Life’s circumstances are not a matter of ‘if’!”

The old man shouted angrily, awakening Cheng Luocen from his confusion.

“On the path of the Dao, you can compare yourself to others, but you cannot be obsessed with comparison! There will always be someone better than you—always someone rising. If you’re always looking back and forth like this, how can you seize the opportunity on the path of the Dao? I chose you because of our fate; what does it have to do with others? It’s just encountering this strange little girl that makes me feel like I’ve heard of this situation somewhere before, but I can’t remember it for a moment. I’m just feeling sentimental. Don’t let yourself become confused as soon as you start cultivating.”

Cheng Luocen instantly woke up from his previous thoughts, realizing that he had been too narrow-minded in the past.

Seeing such a naturally gifted talent for the first time, he was truly shocked.

While Cheng Luocen was speechless with astonishment, the old man racked his brains.

On the other side, Yu Xizhi was suffering in silence.

Her swordsmanship became more and more fluid, evidently reaching the threshold of Xie Junzhi’s sword intent just now. However, every time she was about to feel proud of herself, Xie Junzhi’s voice would always appear accurately.

“A bit off.”

“Too slow by a fraction.”

“You’re killing demons, not chopping bones.”

“The cut isn’t smooth enough; the sword intent needs to be smoother.”

“When you have a sword in your hand, don’t let your mind wander. Every sword must be used with all your might. As a swordsman on the battlefield, you never know if you’ll have the chance to strike again. Do you understand what I mean?”

…

No one had ever guided her like this.

In the past, she was lazy, even in the Yu family.

Seeing her willingness to touch the sword, which was extremely rare, her elder brother was delighted and wouldn’t say anything heavy.

Her master was the head of the Kunwu Sect, the leader of all immortals. Originally, it was like getting two for the price of one with her. After several disappointments, he almost forgot that he still had such a direct disciple.

Although there were many teachers on Taiqing Peak, most of them naturally liked Xia Yiyao and, for no apparent reason, hated her. She caught one teacher, Xu, but there were also teachers, Chen, Li, and Liu.

Moreover, the so-called teachers, at most, were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with not much Dao heart, making it difficult to compete on the path of cultivation. So they became teachers to enjoy the benefits.

—If not for this, who wouldn’t want to be an elder and enjoy a comfortable life while being worshipped? Why bother to consume mental energy dealing with disciples who were just starting to learn?

Only this Ancestor Xie behind her, with a cold tone, went straight to the point.

She didn’t know why he treated her like this, what his purpose was, or why he was like this. Perhaps it was because she had been contaminated by his blood, some kind of remorse after being implicated by him, or perhaps it was just because he had been bored staying in the back mountain for too long and did it on a whim.

But at least at this moment, she was willing to be the sword in his hand, feeling the exhilaration.

Yu Xizhi had lost count of how many Jealousy Demons she had killed. All she could see was the light of her sword, and all she could hear were the sounds of sword qi, Jealousy Demons falling to the ground, fire, and Xie Junzhi’s guidance.

Eventually, the eastern sky began to lighten. She struck down with her sword, then looked up, only to realize that she had already reached the eastern end of the city from the west.

Behind her was a trail of dust, but ahead was a clear path.

The sword qi didn’t dissipate, and with the last Jealousy Demon falling to the ground and the flames extinguishing, Xie Junzhi… hadn’t spoken for a long time.

She turned around, dusty and disheveled.

Just as the last Jealousy Demon turned to ashes and the fire was about to die out, the first rays of dawn fell on her, revealing Xie Junzhi’s handsome face in the morning light.

After such a night, the dew in Lengbei Town was hazy, the shadows of the trees blurred, the road was broken with bricks, and countless people died of jealousy in their hearts, but even more people survived unscathed.

The wind blew, stirring her slightly disheveled hair and the tips of Xie Junzhi’s hair. Her face was tinged with the light gray of the fire.

He gave her a faint smile.

“You broke through two realms in one night, from late Qi refining to early Foundation Establishment.”

Xie Junzhi looked at her, his smile gentle and his words casual, but it seemed that everything had long been planned. And with such an attitude, he appeared exceptionally aloof but also qualified to look down on the world: “You see, Foundation Establishment is not that difficult; the same is true for grandmasters.”

“You did well; congratulations on Foundation Establishment.”

…

“Who’s boasting here?!” A stern voice rang out in the academy, and a young man in Kunwu Taoist robes stood up and glared at the person beside him. “Foundation Establishment isn’t that difficult? Xuanping, you really have a big mouth. Why don’t you try to establish one for me to see?”

The atmosphere in the entire study hall became heavy.

The people of Xiya Tower had been staying in the Kunwu Mountain Sect for more than a week. Using the words of the disciples of the Kunwu Mountain Sect to describe them, these people seemed like locusts passing through. They didn’t know what Xiya Tower was up to, but it seemed like they wanted to set foot on every peak of the Kunwu Mountain Sect, and they even circled around Qianya Peak twice.

If it weren’t for the sword intent of the Sword Tomb directly injuring Xuan Fan, who attempted to take a step forward, and frightening off all the disciples, perhaps the peace and quiet of the junior uncle would have been disturbed.

The more they thought about it, the angrier the disciples of the Kunwu Mountain Sect became.

The junior uncle worked hard to guard a peak alone, suppressing the mountain full of sword qi with his own body, and yet they couldn’t even stop disciples from other sects of the same generation!

This was truly… frustrating!

Gao Xiude had lost count of how many times he wanted to challenge these Xiya Tower disciples to a sword duel. However, every time he thought about it, he remembered the words of the Sect Master, who instructed them to get along well with the Xiya Tower disciples.

After all, the junior sister… still relied on the master of the tower.

If they took advantage of their territory to bully the Xiya Tower disciples, and in case they angered the tower’s master and didn’t get the junior sister treated, what would they do?

“If you want me to establish a foundation, I’ll do it. But it’ll be embarrassing for me.” Xuan Ping didn’t buy Gao Xiude’s approach; sitting on the mat, swaying back and forth, his smile looked annoying and dazzling. “Brother Gao, if you have the ability, why don’t you come first? Here I am, giving you the chance.”

Gao Xiude took a deep breath.

Another deep breath.

The grating laughter continued to echo in the study hall. Xuan Ping seemed to feel that this wasn’t enough, or perhaps teasing him was amusing: “Brother Gao, we’ve known each other for more than a week, attended the same class, walked the same path, and even read the same book. I have to say, your Kunwu Mountain Sect does have an outstanding place. Look, I struggled for half a year with my realm, but after coming to the Kunwu Mountain Sect, I jumped to the late Qi refining stage. If your junior sister falls ill for a few more days, maybe I can charge straight to complete and move to the foundation establishment stage and go to the second floor to take a look?”

Laughter erupted from the Xiya Tower group, enjoying themselves without restraint.

The disciples of the Kunwu Mountain Sect were grim-faced.

Xuan Fan was injured by the sword intent that penetrating his lungs. At first glance, it sounded serious, but Xiya Tower was renowned for its elixirs throughout the world. Even if the junior sister was injured, they would still have to ask them for help. How could a mere lung injury affect the personal disciple of the second-floor master of Xiya Tower?

The sword intent of the Sword Tomb was fierce and sharp. Those whose cultivation was insufficient would be severely injured when they confronted it head-on.

But if they didn’t die from it, this kind of sword intent was the best for tempering the body and refining the mind.

Otherwise, why would the inner disciples and direct disciples of the Kunwu Mountain Sect have to walk through the Misty Forest every day?

So, although Xuan Fan and Xuan Ping were injured while trying to enter the Sword Tomb, these injuries were not disasters but great blessings.

Originally only in the middle stage of Qi refining, the twin brothers broke through their realms overnight in the guest house. By the time dawn arrived, the clouds of the Kunwu Mountain Sect had gathered and scattered again. When the sun rose, the twin brothers were already in the late stage of Qi refining.

The people of Xiya Tower were naturally overjoyed, and the master of the tower personally intervened, taking out two coveted Taiwei Pills and giving them to each of the brothers as rewards.

The cost of refining the Taiwei Pill is extremely high. It requires several rare materials that are no longer available in the world. The failure rate during the refining process is also higher than that of other elixirs. It ranks high on the list of the top ten valuable elixirs. It has the effect of reviving the dead and rejuvenating the flesh, almost equivalent to gaining an extra life.

If this were inside Xiya Tower, they could break through as they pleased, but all of this happened right under the noses of the Kunwu Mountain Sect.

The disciples of Kunwu were envious and itchy, but with the prohibition in place, if they forcibly entered the Sword Tomb, they would end up in the Hall of Discipline. How could they treat these people from Xiya Tower the same way, picking them up and putting them down lightly?

Unconsciously, the level of concern and compassion for the junior sister’s illness was gradually diluted by this sense of dissatisfaction and restraint towards the disciples of Xiya Tower.

Among those with anxious emotions was Xia Yiyao.

She never expected that the person who had spoken to her so gently and kindly would say, “This illness is indeed not simple. It seems it will take time to adjust. You’ll have to endure a bit, little girl,” would turn out to be so genuine.

Endure a bit. I literally meant just that—enduring a bit.

Those elixir pills… were truly… very bitter.

After Xia Yiyao came to the Kunwu Mountain Sect, she had also been recuperating her body. At her weakest, Master Huaiwei even found a famous physician from the mortal world to feed her some Chinese medicine. However, none of those rare herbs tasted good. Later, two candied plums were the only thing she could stomach.

Until she tasted the medicine from Master Tan.

Even the sweetest candied plums couldn’t mask the strength of Master Tan’s elixir.

Xia Yiyao felt like she had tasted the bitterness of her entire life.

She never knew that a person could be made to cry so miserably by bitterness.

…But it seemed Master Huaiwei was used to seeing her like this. She didn’t feel quite comfortable saying, “This child is delicate. I have to coax her every time she takes medicine.”

Xia Yiyao wiped away her tears. “Master, this medicine is really too bitter, really…”

“Alright, alright, good medicine tastes bitter.”

Master Huaiwei lovingly rubbed her head. “Master Tan,sorry for letting you see a joke.”

Xia Yiyao:…

No, really, it’s not that. Master, if you’re capable, take a sip, and you’ll know!

This medicine is not something a person can swallow!

If Master Tan wasn’t Master Tan, she would have suspected that he was specifically targeting her!

Moreover, her problem was caused by her own sword; taking medicine… was completely useless!

But somehow, Master Tan had managed to make her condition look a bit better. Master Huaiwei was naturally delighted, insisting on watching her drink the medicine and not even giving her a chance to secretly pour it away.

Xia Yiyao, with tearful eyes, wanted to speak but hesitated, finding no one to confide in. She could only silently harbor her resentment while glaring at Master Tan, who was still sitting by the window, always smiling and never speaking.

Little did she know, despite Master Tan’s outwardly amiable smile, he was also quite annoyed in secret.

All sorts of rare medicinal herbs had been used up, and enough favors had been earned from the Kunwu Mountain Sect to allow him to use them as leverage to recruit a disciple to Xiya Tower.

Yet, after more than a week, these useless disciples still hadn’t found anyone.

This was truly unreasonable.

With eight thousand outer disciples and a variety of inner disciples, there were not even tens of thousands of people in Kunwu. That day in the noodle shop, the girl had even lifted her veil; her face was clearly visible. Cultivators should have good memories, and moreover, the appearance of that girl was definitely unforgettable.

How could… they still not find her?

Master Tan’s troubles were not limited to this.

He had unknowingly stayed in Kunwu Mountain Sect for too long.

After all, he was the number-one alchemist on the Yuanshen Continent. Every move he made, every night he stayed, stirred the hearts of countless people. When he promised to come to Kunwu Mountain Sect, the old folks could all guess that he wanted the Kunwu Mountain Sect to owe a favor.

But that was it.

Who would have thought that he would stay for so long?

After staying for so long, was it because he was truly painstakingly trying to cure Huaiyun’s little disciple? What kind of illness could render him so helpless, with no effect even after treating it for so long? Did it require him to deplete his cultivation?

If so, how much of a favor did Master Tan want Kunwu Mountain Sect to owe him? And why would he not leave Kunwu Mountain Sect if not for this?

Was he being detained, or did Master Tan himself want to do something?

In just a week of his stay, all the ancestors of the five sects and three paths of the Yuanshen Continent had already turned their attention to him. Countless people were speculating about the intentions behind Master Tan’s actions, and numerous scouts were shuttling back and forth in Xianyun County. Even the old Taoist in red from Baiyu Pavilion seemed to have realized something and was already on his way to Kunwu Mountain Sect.

Master Tan subconsciously felt that the old Taoist in red was here to compete for disciples with him.

After all, among the five sects and three paths now, only he and the old Taoist in red had yet to find a satisfactory disciple. In terms of guessing his thoughts, the old Taoist in red dared to claim the top spot, and no one dared to argue otherwise.

Master Tan took a deep breath. Despite his unsettled mood, he still had some confidence.

That little girl clearly had a fate with him. Whether intentional or not, the matter of fate was indescribable. Everything should have a sequence, and he couldn’t possibly have his disciples snatched away by the old Taoist in red, right?

People who are good at rolling pills are craftsmen.

They, the craftsmen, are too lazy to hold brushes and draw symbols, tsk.

Since he couldn’t find her, he might as well try his luck at the noodle shop again.

With this in mind, Master Tan slowly got up. He smiled apologetically at Master Huaiwei. “Feeling greedy again, I want to go eat a bowl of noodles.”

…

“The formation is both a swordsmanship and a talismanship. There are sword intents and talismans in the world; all things return to one,” said Xie Junzhi, neither fast nor slow. He glanced around, seemingly wanting to pick up a small twig from the tree, but before he could raise his hand, the small twig used by Yu Xizhi to tie up her hair jumped out on its own and fell into his hand.

“Oops!” Yuzhi’s long hair poured down; she reached out to grab it but couldn’t catch it in time. She could only let the small twig jump and fly away. She sighed and rummaged through her Qiankun bag, not finding any hairpins, only a pair of chopsticks.

Yu Xizhi:…

Well, it’s not impossible.

She slowly took out a chopstick and re-tied her long hair, securing it with the wooden chopstick.

“You’re really not picky.” Xie Junzhi held the small twig and glanced at the chopsticks on her head.

“It’s all wood, so why bother distinguishing between high and low?” Yuzhi shrugged nonchalantly.

“When I used Agarwood before, no one even bothered to look at me differently. In this world, in the end, it’s still whoever’s sword is the fastest, whoever’s fist is the biggest, who’s the most powerful.”

After dealing with the aftermath of the Jealousy Demons that day in Lengbei Town, Yu Xizhi learned that the reputation of the Kunwu Mountain Sect was quite useful.

The mayor of Lengbei Town had already sensed something the night before, and seeing the dusty little immortal the next day, his shocked and fearful appearance finally eased a lot. Hearing Yu Xizhi’s account of the previous day under the clear sky almost made the mayor faint on the spot.

The relief and disaster relief work afterwards was all handled by Huangli, an outer disciple surnamed Huang, who, despite his young age, was extremely proficient and reliable in handling such matters. The incident with Ah Kou seemed to deeply affect him. Originally lively and talkative, Huang Li seemed to want to bury himself in the busy work of post-disaster reconstruction so he wouldn’t have to think about Ah Kou.

Compared to Yu Xizhi and Xie Junzhi, who had just arrived in Lengbei Town, Huang Li had been living in Lengbei Town for quite some time. Apart from Ah Kou, there were many others who had become Jealousy Demons, all familiar faces to him.

After everything settled down, when Yu Xizhi and Xie Junzhi were preparing to take Cheng Luocen back to Kunwu, Huang Li took a deep breath many times before finally saying the words he had long wanted to say: “I… I also want to cultivate. I also want to return to Kunwu Mountain Sect. I want to cultivate my qi, I want to be able to detect demons earlier the next time I encounter one.”

If he could detect them earlier, perhaps he could notice something wrong with Ah Kou.

Or perhaps he could save more people earlier.

Yu Xizhi agreed.

The four of them did not directly return to Kunwu Mountain Sect. After leaving Lengbei Town, Huang Li seemed to have come out of the shadow of death that had engulfed Lengbei Town, and he became much more lively, with his usual vivacity returning. He was exceptionally good at finding topics of conversation, which relieved Yu Xizhi of much of the awkwardness of facing Cheng Luocen.

So Yuzhi decided to reward Huangli with a bowl of noodles. After all, as an outer disciple, unlike her as a direct disciple, even if others didn’t approve of her cooking, she could indulge herself a bit in these matters under the name of being the sister of Yu Si and the direct disciple of Huaiyun, and no one dared to criticize her face-to-face.

But once Huang Li returned to the outer sect, it would be extremely difficult for him to eat noodles again.

Xie Junzhi casually waved a small twig along the way, gesturing for a few talismans for her, and then handed the twig back to her. Yu Xizhi recalled for a moment and recreated the gestures.

There was a faint crackling sound of breaking air as the two walked, blossoming all the way.

Huang Li and Cheng Luocen walked at the back and also wanted to look over, but as soon as they cast their eyes over, they felt their eyes moisten, and they couldn’t help but shed tears.

A noodle shop was right in front of them.

Yu Xizhi put away the twig and casually inserted it into her hair. She didn’t mind the extra twig beside the chopsticks on her head and even said with a smile as she turned back, “The owner of this shop has accepted my guidance. The exclusively made beef meatballs are absolutely delicious. Oh, I also called my eldest brother to come. My eldest brother is…”

“Oh, isn’t this Senior Brother Yu Si? Senior Brother, haven’t you gone into living without grains yet? Why did you come here to eat noodles?”

A voice floated out of the noodle shop along with the fragrance.

“I know the answer to this one. Do you all remember that dormitory at Muyong Peak that used to smell like meat pies? I heard that Senior Brother Yu’s sister, who hasn’t gone into living without grains, finally went on a mission and is finally coming back, so Senior Brother specifically came here to wait?”

Another laugh followed: “Senior Brother, every family has its own difficulties. Here, have a couple more meatballs. The beef meatballs from this shop are indeed delicious.”

“Speaking of which, we haven’t met the Second Sister from Taiqing Peak yet. It’s a coincidence that we get to meet her today and open our eyes.”

Yu Xizhi frowned slightly, feeling that these voices were somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had heard them.

By now, Cheng Luocen and Huang Li naturally knew Yu Xizhi’s identity. At this moment, hearing the unabashed ridicule and mockery towards her in the noodle shop, their faces changed slightly, and they looked at Yu Xizhi quietly.

But the girl didn’t even flicker her eyebrows, seemingly immune to such malice long ago, or perhaps the mocking laughter had never touched her heart.

She pushed open the door curtain, took a step in, greeted everyone with a smile, and said in a clear voice, “Eldest Brother, I’m back!”

At the same time she spoke, in an inconspicuous corner of the noodle shop, a man in black lifted the curtain on his head and slowly released the aura he had been suppressing for a long time. He looked at the Xiya Tower disciples in front of him, his face extremely ugly. “A dormitory that smells like meat pies?”