Tang Youshu looked around in all directions, finally gazing at the lit windows on the inn’s second floor.

Through the casement windows, he still seemed to see Yu Ling’er’s figure. Earlier, Yu Ling’er had managed to say a few words to him, something about running out of money. Unfortunately, before he could give her more silver, she had been dragged upstairs by Xiaoxiao.

Touching his now-empty money pouch from paying compensation, Tang Youshu slowly sighed.

After just a few days apart, why had Ling’er’s cheeks become thinner? It must be that the silver he gave wasn’t enough. Young girls were at the age of growing, and that pouch of silver he’d given was truly too little.

With his master’s divine status returned, it seemed he wouldn’t go to the Wei family for banknotes anymore. It looked like he’d have to find opportunities to sell some aphrodisiac love talismans to continue supporting the household!

As for Yu Ling’er and Xiaoxiao returning to their inn rooms, Yu Ling’er worriedly touched Xiaoxiao’s cheek and asked if she should go to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of egg and vinegar sobering soup.

Xiaoxiao smiled and told Yu Ling’er not to worry about her, just to go rest.

Wine doesn’t intoxicate people—people intoxicate themselves. Most so-called drunkards throughout history were just using alcohol to act crazy.

She was the same—her drunkenness was real, about seventy percent. Her inability to walk was also real at the time, but it wouldn’t have let anyone take advantage of her for anything.

Xiaoxiao had long ago detected someone following her. She had even secretly hoped it might be Wei Jie, unable to rest easy about her, following all the way.

After all, since crossing over two hundred years ago, Wei Jie had never voluntarily separated from her. There had always seemed to be some inexplicable connection between them.

But when Qin Lingxiao appeared tonight, Xiaoxiao was greatly disappointed. So the one following her was just Qin Lingxiao after all.

Having merged with the Five Phoenix, her six senses were even sharper. So, after Qin Lingxiao appeared and they had drunk half their wine, Xiaoxiao vaguely sensed that someone else seemed to be watching from the shadows.

Xiaoxiao simply acted more thoroughly drunk to see if she could draw the snake from its hole, but never expected Qin Lingxiao to grow bold with lust and try to take liberties while her eyes were closed!

Even if Wei Jie and the others hadn’t appeared, once Xiaoxiao focused and sobered up a bit, she wouldn’t have let Qin Lingxiao take advantage.

But when Wei Jie appeared before Xiaoxiao’s eyes, it truly made her think in a daze that her good disciple Jie’er had returned!

However, facts proved that seeing some people would only increase unhappiness. The greater the wild joy in one moment, the greater the disappointment in the next.

Xiaoxiao was even too lazy to ask why Wei Jie and Tang Youshu had appeared here.

But it seemed she hadn’t eaten enough of Luoyi City’s delicious food yet, and she’d have to leave again. It was just that today Qin Lingxiao had run like a dog chasing a rabbit, far too quickly! Otherwise, Xiaoxiao had wanted to discuss with him methods for quickly returning to two hundred years later.

So Yu Ling’er returned to her room, and Cui Xiaoxiao also prepared to lie down and rest.

But just as she lay on the bed, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of what seemed to be a dark shadow by the window…

How had this person entered? How had she not detected anything at all?

Xiaoxiao sat up abruptly, but the dark shadow had already spoken coldly: “At such an excellent time, you fall asleep immediately upon lying down! Did your master never tell you that nighttime meditation is most beneficial for cultivation?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Xiaoxiao helplessly smoothed her disheveled hair at her temples: “Old Master Tang died too early and indeed never taught me much, but I should have taught you some rules—when entering a girl’s bedroom, you should knock, and if someone doesn’t let you in, don’t just barge in!”

Wei Jie remained silent. Of course, he knew that Xiaoxiao had lectured him countless times not to always enter her room without knocking.

But most of the time, he didn’t listen, always unexpectedly pushing open Xiaoxiao’s window and poking his head in with a smile to call “Master”…

Thinking of this, Wei Jie’s forehead tightened again, and the flame pattern on his forehead seemed to remind him that those irrelevant old memories didn’t need further consideration.

But tonight, Xiaoxiao’s self-degradation in drinking with Qin Lingxiao on the rooftop couldn’t be ignored like this.

If she were truly his master, that would be one thing—if Cui Xiaoxiao wanted to degrade herself and disgrace her position as an elder, he, as a disciple, would be too lazy to care.

But according to Tang Youshu’s account, Cui Xiaoxiao was his grand-disciple!

Since she was his junior, how could he watch her be so dejected and bring shame to their sect?

Thinking this, seeing Cui Xiaoxiao’s completely unteachable appearance, he walked over in a few steps and pulled her from the bed with one grab: “You have time to admire the moon and drink with men, but no time to meditate and cultivate? Cui Xiaoxiao, you weren’t like this before!”

Wei Jie gripped her wrist very forcefully. Xiaoxiao couldn’t break free for a moment and could only laugh awkwardly: “People change. You weren’t like this toward me before either!”

She was just temporarily lacking motivation to move forward and wanted to find a place to eat, drink, and sleep to heal her wounds!

Since Wei Jie had already awakened his divine status and wanted to sever worldly desires, he should naturally progress. Why bother disturbing her, a mere mortal?

Wei Jie now considered himself detached from romantic feelings, but being a qualified grand-master supervising his grand-disciple’s progress didn’t conflict with his divine status.

Grand-Master Wei persisted quite energetically, even rolling up Xiaoxiao’s sleeves again.

Xiaoxiao’s entire arm was now covered with dense golden scales. One could see that these past days of dejected emotions had deepened Xiaoxiao’s demonification.

This matched his expectations—the demonic nature of the Demon Pearl required corresponding spiritual cultivation to suppress.

Moreover, Xiaoxiao had previously merged and been possessed by the Five Phoenix, making the situation even more complex. If she continued slacking off like this, her life could be in danger.

Thinking this, Wei Jie glared at Xiaoxiao. Seeing her unteachable appearance, his gaze became even colder.

Wei Jie even thought: If she continued being so stubborn, he’d just ignore her. After all, fate was predetermined—she originally had an unlucky destiny of ten injuries. If she truly became demonized, it wouldn’t surprise anyone.

Wei Jie thought coldly, but his chest suddenly couldn’t help but ache.

It seemed like the aftereffect of when he had shed heart’s blood and tears for this woman in the Phoenix Secret Realm.

These past few days, whenever he thought of matters related to this woman, his chest would ache dully, as if someone were chiseling it with a wooden chisel.

Though he had no intention of wasting even a fraction of time on romantic feelings, he always wanted to see if she was safely resisting the demonic nature.

So he had found the excuse of investigating Lord Can’s whereabouts to come down the mountain and check on her condition.

The result was that this woman was even worse than he had imagined!

Wei Jie was even somewhat annoyed with Tang Youshu—even if they needed to find someone with the ten-injury fate to restart the divine statue, couldn’t they find someone more worry-free?

Xiaoxiao felt she’d had enough sadness for tonight.

Of course, she cherished her own life. Even if Wei Jie hadn’t come to warn her, after indulging in self-pity for a few days, she would have pulled herself together and begun improving her spiritual power.

After all, others cultivated to become immortals, while she cultivated to save her life.

But Wei Jie didn’t know that this nominal master was even more rebellious!

If he had advised her as an old friend, they could still manage polite pleasantries.

But this Wei fellow insisted on putting on grand-master airs and lecturing her—stinky brat, go play with yourself!

Now, Cui Xiaoxiao was too lazy to even talk to him. She suddenly struck out, slashing a palm toward Wei Jie’s chest.

Wei Jie instinctively dodged backward, retreating several steps out the door.

Immediately after, Xiaoxiao’s door slammed shut forcefully in front of him.

Only a clear, cold female voice could be heard from inside the room: “It’s already late. Please, Honored Wei, take your disciple and leave quickly! From the moment I left Lingshan, I have no longer been a Talisman Sect disciple. Everything about me is no trouble for you to worry about!”

Wei Jie was extremely annoyed by this woman’s stubborn refusal to learn: What was she trying to do? Did she want to betray the sect without her master’s consent?

So he said coldly: “You’re quite capable. Without your master’s agreement, let’s see which sect would dare accept you!”

The girl inside seemed angered by his words and shouted angrily through the door: “I’ve always been capable—why would I need to join another sect! Let me tell you, I’m going to establish my mountain and found a new sect! Starting tomorrow, I’ll establish a sect! The new sect will be… the Carefree Hehuan Sect!”

Wei Jie hadn’t expected Cui Xiaoxiao to have plans to establish the Hehuan Sect!

He was so angered by his dissolute grand-disciple’s unbridled declaration that his purple eyes slightly showed blood-red.

If the blue flame on his forehead hadn’t timely stabilized Wei Jie’s primordial spirit and made him cold again, he might have done something rash.

This woman was truly useless for cultivation! If he said more, Wei Jie feared he couldn’t stabilize his churning blood and energy!

The next moment, he was too lazy to say more to the unreasonable girl, just wrapped in ten thousand feet of frost and disappeared into the quiet corridor.

But after Wei Jie left, several guest room doors on this floor were opened.

These people were precisely the disciple-seekers who had been driven down the mountain by Cui Xiaoxiao earlier. They had come to stay when there was commotion about paying for wall repairs.

Among them was naturally the persistent Ling Zhishan!

A disciple from Wonderful Immortal Mountain said worriedly, “Junior Sister, I think we should forget it! This Cui Xiaoxiao is going to change to cultivating the Hehuan Sect… We brothers don’t mind—if we must enter a sect, at worst we’ll be ravaged by that female demon and endure humiliation while lying low… But how can someone of your noble background accept such an unrestrained and dissolute sect?”

Hearing her senior brother’s somewhat off-track consolation, Ling Zhishan couldn’t help but widen her almond-shaped eyes: “Are you crazy? Can’t you see that Wei Jie’s cultivation is now far above Cui Xiaoxiao’s? Would I ignore a true great talent to bow to Cui Xiaoxiao, this demoness? Oh my, what are your brains thinking?”

Saying this, she led people downstairs to check out.

After Cui Xiaoxiao left the mountain, she wasn’t only followed by Qin Lingxiao, but also by over ten persistent sect disciples who still wanted to become her students.

After all, they had nearly died on Ghost Stone Cliff—how could they be content when such a life-threatening effort couldn’t even get results?

But they never expected that following here, they would get the shocking news that Cui Xiaoxiao was formally changing course, deciding to abandon the Talisman Sect and switch to practicing the Hehuan Sect.

Now everyone understood! No wonder Cui Xiaoxiao had given them laxative poison before—she was testing whether the disciples’ vital essence was abundant enough for great use!

Some disciples left with Ling Zhishan and the others, but most stayed.

The next day, after she had completely sobered up and gotten out of bed, yawning as she opened her door, she saw a row of disciples kneeling in front of her door.

Each showed shy expressions, all bowing to Hehuan Sect Leader Cui, expressing that they had long admired the Hehuan Sect’s dual cultivation methods and that if they had a chance to learn such profound and ancient cultivation mysteries from Sect Leader Cui, they would practice day and night without stopping…

Xiaoxiao listened to their nonsense with an expressionless face, feeling she must have opened the door wrong. She immediately closed it, then… jumped out the window instead.

After she whistled for the fox and Yu Ling’er also leaped down from the second floor, she said admiringly: “Xiaoxiao, you’re truly someone who accomplishes great things. Just saying you’d establish your mountain, and immediately there are prospects! But these new disciples can’t just be chosen for their looks—you have to see if their family wealth is abundant. At minimum, recruit more wealthy disciples like Wei Jie, so the master won’t worry about food and drink!”

Last night, Tang Youshu had secretly found her room and knocked on her window. Unfortunately, he had no money either, so he gave Ling’er a jade pendant he carried, telling her to pawn it first. When he sold some medicine talismans, he’d bring silver.

Seeing that he completely didn’t mention taking her and Xiaoxiao back to Ghost Stone Cliff, Yu Ling’er was too angry to listen to Young Master Tang’s nonsense and slammed the window shut.

As a result, Young Master Tang got his hand caught, fell with a crash, seemingly smashing a big hole in the inn’s stable shed, causing people below to demand he pay for damages again…

It looked like Young Master Tang needed to make some big business deals…

But if Xiaoxiao established a sect and recruited wealthy disciples, Young Master Tang wouldn’t have to work so hard.

Seeing Yu Ling’er even more excited than herself, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help asking: “What? You’re not going back to the Talisman Sect and want to join my Hehuan Sect too?”

Yu Ling’er thought seriously: “You’re our fox clan’s benefactor who helped us through heavenly tribulation. I should follow you! Wei Jie now has that attitude of not recognizing even his relatives, and Young Master Tang has learned bad habits from him. If I go back, who knows how Wei Jie will bully me! I’ll follow you, and this Carefree Hehuan Sect—the word ‘carefree’ sounds very suitable for our fox clan! Why don’t I have Tang Youshu switch to your tutelage too!”

Thinking this, Yu Ling’er’s fox eyes immediately lit up, wishing Xiaoxiao would immediately recruit talented disciples so Young Master Tang could switch to a famous master.

Xiaoxiao felt that since she had sobered up, she needn’t continue such nutritionless conversations with Yu Ling’er.

She just helplessly rolled her eyes and turned toward the street.

Xiaoxiao had originally wanted to find a place to eat breakfast. But when she reached the main street, she discovered the main road was blocked, with crowds of people watching the excitement everywhere.

After asking around, she learned that the King of Changshan was marrying off his daughter, and today was the eve of the ceremony—the day for the groom’s family to send betrothal gifts.

As for why King of Changshan’s daughter’s wedding was being held in Luoyi City, it was because King of Changshan’s fief was rather distant, while Princess Yongning’s future in-laws lived in Changcheng, not far from Luoyi.

For convenience in marrying off his daughter, the King of Changshan had arrived first to temporarily stay in Luoyi City, receive betrothal gifts here, and conveniently have the wedding procession.

This was a common method among families marrying daughters far away, mostly to accommodate the groom’s family by sending the daughter ahead before the wedding, making the ceremony much more convenient.

Xiaoxiao watched the long betrothal gift convoy on the street, knowing the street would be blocked for a while.

Fearing that those disciples wanting to join the Hehuan Sect would follow again, she didn’t watch much excitement but put on a face-covering hood and pulled Yu Ling’er to a nearby pastry shop.

With everyone watching the excitement on the street, all the tea tables in the pastry shop were empty.

Xiaoxiao went upstairs, ordered two or three kinds of pastries, and had a pot of flower tea to share with Ling’er.

However, they weren’t the only customers on the second floor. There seemed to be female guests in the neighboring private room, too. Through the bead curtain, Xiaoxiao saw that the woman also wore gauze covering her face and sat with her back turned.

After all, this was a place men often visited, so it was normal for women to be discreet and low-key.

After eating a couple of bites, two customers who had just finished watching the excitement also came in. After going upstairs to sit by the private room window, they ordered tea and snacks while saying: “King of Changshan has always been generous and particular. This time, the worthy son-in-law he’s recruited isn’t bad either—such an impressive display, truly particular.”

The other couldn’t help but burst out laughing: “This is impressive? I have a cousin who yesterday helped pack gift boxes for that Loyal and Brave Marquis’s eldest son in Changcheng. He said these boxes looked like a lot but weren’t full. Those silver boxes that looked heaped on top were indeed solid silver ingots on the upper half, but the lower half was padded with bricks! And some silk fabrics were old, spoiled cloth. This is scraping together everything, putting on a fat face to look rich—hilarious!”

Hearing this, the other customer became interested and slapped his leg: “I knew it! Everyone says that Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household has declined now, just keeping up appearances, surviving on the old foundation of the Marquis’s wife’s natal family. How could they be so generous, marrying a daughter-in-law this time? Turns out they’re playing this trick! But what did King of Changshan see in the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household to be willing to let his daughter, raised like precious jade, marry into such a family?”

“I heard King of Changshan values loyalty and righteousness. Wasn’t there that banquet fire where he was disfigured? I heard it was this Loyal and Brave Marquis’s son who saved the King of Changshan, so the two households formed this marriage agreement… But that young master had already been hollowed out by wine and women—how could he still heroically save people? Tsk tsk, perhaps knowing that the young princess was as beautiful as a flower, he risked his life to please his future father-in-law?”

When men gossiped, they were just as endless as long-tongued women.

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao paused in her tea drinking and couldn’t help but listen carefully to the men’s conversation next door.

She knew that today’s bride, receiving betrothal gifts, was Princess Yongning, who had once given her the Ghost Stone Cliff residence.

That young princess was generous and beautiful. Such a lovable girl was going to marry into such a hopeless family that used stones to pass for silver?

Xiaoxiao felt sorry for that young princess just hearing about it…

Just then, Xiaoxiao noticed the hooded woman who had been sitting with her back turned suddenly stood up, walked straight out of the private room, and angrily asked those gossiping customers: “How dare you spread such nonsense—what evidence do you have?”

The two long-tongued men were chatting enthusiastically and never expected someone to be eavesdropping nearby.

Criticizing wealthy families wasn’t right either, so they could only glare and deny: “We were just chatting about our own business—what’s it to you?”

The young girl said angrily, “You claim the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household used inferior goods to deceive with betrothal gifts—what proof do you have?”

The two men glared and denied: “We never said such things. If you’re so curious, why don’t you go help Princess Yongning receive the betrothal gifts and see for yourself!”

At this time, several maid-like girls came to persuade her, one saying quietly: “Why listen to these marketplace gossips? It’s getting late—let’s go back!”

But the hooded girl wouldn’t listen, only gritting her teeth: “Such market riffraff know about this, but I don’t. If it’s true, must I wait until the betrothal gifts enter the household to swallow this bitter water?”

Saying this, she walked to the inn entrance in a few steps. Through the crowd, she looked at the betrothal procession that hadn’t finished passing, suddenly raised her hand to focus, pointing two fingers at her temple, her eyes staring intently at those heaped silver boxes in the betrothal convoy.

Just then, the shop banners on the street were suddenly blown, swaying by the wind, and the gusting wind made people unable to open their eyes.

That sudden wind grew stronger and stronger. Even the box carriers couldn’t stand steady. With several crashing sounds, those silver boxes were overturned and scattered everywhere.

Xiaoxiao sat by the second-floor window and could see clearly—those boxes indeed only had shallow layers of silver on top, while below were all green bricks that had also spilled out.

It seemed the long-tongued man’s cousin hadn’t lied—the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s household was putting on a fat face to look rich!

At this time, seeing the girl’s veil blown up by the wind, Xiaoxiao also recognized her as Princess Yongning, whom she’d met twice before.

This Princess Yongning control the wind? Xiaoxiao hadn’t seen that the golden branch and jade leaf possessed such arts before!

But this girl was bold enough, actually exposing her future in-laws’ shame so publicly on the street.

Just then, Princess Yongning coldly said to a guard behind her: “Go! Tell the betrothal party that it’s my meaning—the Loyal and Brave Marquis household’s servants are crafty and made errors packing the boxes. Please have them return home, recount the betrothal gifts, and come set a date with my father again! When you speak, be loud—don’t let anyone pretend to be deaf and act like they can’t hear!”

After receiving orders, the guard quickly went down. After he led people to stop the betrothal convoy and displayed the King of Changshan’s waist token, he coldly repeated Princess Yongning’s instructions.

These words caused an uproar throughout the street. By now, what couldn’t people understand? It turned out the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s people had been using inferior goods to water down the betrothal gifts, but heaven didn’t cooperate—a great wind revealed the deception, and the King of Changshan’s people saw it. Now they were returning the betrothal gifts to the Marquis household for renegotiation!

Now, the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s people were also in chaos, standing dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. They ended up crouching to collect the scattered silver and bricks while waiting for their household head to decide.

The Loyal and Brave Marquis’s steward was so anxious that he stamped his foot, simply abandoning the betrothal convoy to first go to King Changshan’s temporary Luoyi residence to explain to the King.

Seeing Princess Yongning also going downstairs to return home, Xiaoxiao said to Yu Ling’er: “Come, let’s follow and see too.”

Yu Ling’er’s gossiping heart was always bigger than humans’—how could she miss such excitement? So she and Xiaoxiao put on hoods and followed downstairs.

But the further they walked, the stranger Yu Ling’er felt, and she couldn’t help but whisper: “Aren’t they walking toward the former Lord Can’s mansion?”