Although Xi Jingxuan had regained her sight, to further prove she wouldn’t go berserk, Jun Changxiao kept telling her tragic stories along the way.
Each time after listening, Palace Master Xi would furrow her brows with a dejected expression, but she remained normal without going berserk.
At this point, Jun Changxiao temporarily concluded that the absorbed energy was the culprit causing her split personality!
So he decided: “Release it? Impossible. I’ll just keep it locked up.”
The vacuum cleaner’s internal barrier was very strong—the unclean thing couldn’t break out, so it could handle long-term imprisonment.
Jun Changxiao even considered whether to stock up on more.
“Sect Master Jun.”
Xi Jingxuan said: “Do you have more stories?”
“Yes!”
Jun Changxiao sat cross-legged, bit into an apple, and said: “Yesterday I told you about Romeo and Juliet. Today I’ll tell you about Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.”
System: “……”
“Good!”
Xi Jingxuan’s big eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“The story goes like this…”
“Later, Liang Shanbo died, and Zhu Yingtai knelt crying before his grave. Suddenly she saw Liang Shanbo’s figure, and the two transformed into butterflies and flew away together.”
After listening, Xi Jingxuan had become a tearful mess.
She removed her glasses to wipe her tears, choking up: “Why can’t lovers be together?”
“Sigh.”
Jun Changxiao shook his head: “What is love in this world, that it makes people pledge life and death?”
“Palace Master Xi.”
After a pause, he said: “Tomorrow I’ll tell you the story of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.”
The system couldn’t help but comment: “I think host, this would be the perfect time to sing ‘Happy Breakup,’ ‘Kind Breakup,’ ‘Breaking Up Is No Big Deal,’ ‘Autumn Is the Season for Breakups,’ and other such songs!”
“Scram.”
“I don’t know how to sing those!”
……
Along the way.
Whenever they encountered scenic spots, Jun Changxiao would deliberately stop to let Xi Jingxuan appreciate them.
The others tactfully left to give the two private time together.
“So this is a waterfall.”
Xi Jingxuan looked at the water flowing like the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven, her face beaming with an even more brilliant smile.
In just a few days, she had adapted to this colorful world, and her mood kept getting better.
Of course.
Xi Jingxuan also clearly understood that she could see the light of day again because of Jun Changxiao, so whenever she looked at him, her cheeks would unconsciously redden.
Jun Changxiao didn’t notice anything.
Whenever he had time, he would study the strange energy inside the vacuum cleaner.
Something that could instantly increase someone’s strength by several times or more—if he could thoroughly research it and use it without losing rationality, that would be perfect.
Unfortunately, after studying it the entire way, he gained nothing.
The next day.
At a fork in the road.
“Palace Master Xi.”
Jun Changxiao stopped and cupped his fists: “Let’s part ways here. Be careful on the road.”
“Mm.”
Xi Jingxuan nodded, but when preparing to leave, she turned back: “Thank you, Sect Master Jun, for your help. I’ll always remember this kindness.”
Jun Changxiao said: “We’re friends.”
“Since we’re friends, why can’t we become allies?” Xi Jingxuan smiled.
She had brought up this idea when Cangshan Sect and Wangu Sect formed an alliance, but the elders had vetoed it, thinking Jun Changxiao attracted too much trouble.
Now though.
Sun Fanghua and Leng Xingyue were very supportive.
Sect Master Jun said: “That’s fine.”
Having many allied sects was quite normal for a sect—he naturally wouldn’t refuse.
“After returning, I’ll make a public announcement.” Xi Jingxuan said.
“Mm.”
Just like that.
The serious matter of forming an alliance, instead of being completed at a solemn negotiation table, was casually settled in the wilderness by the two sect masters with a few words—the efficiency was astonishingly high!
“Farewell.”
“Farewell.”
Xi Jingxuan reluctantly led the two elders back to Miaohua Palace, while Jun Changxiao led his group back to Wangu Sect.
“Elder Wei.”
On the road, Jiang Xie whispered: “Elder Leng has left, and you didn’t say anything.”
“Sigh.”
Elder Wei sighed.
Since returning from the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, he had remained silent and taciturn, clearly unable to accept that the girl he once deeply loved had perished.
Looking at the somewhat haggard Elder Wei, Jun Changxiao secretly thought: “So it’s still better to focus on developing the sect, to avoid being troubled by love or hurt by love later.”
The system retorted: “Says the guy who can’t even find a woman.”
……
Wangu Sect.
After Jun Changxiao returned, he threw the bound Miao Saifeng into prison.
Zhao Doudou was absolutely delighted—unexpectedly, the new cellmate was a devastatingly beautiful woman!
However.
That very night he was in tears.
Because although this woman was restrained and had her qi meridians sealed, many terrifying spiders, centipedes, and other venomous creatures appeared in the cell.
He grabbed the barred window, crying out tragically: “Sect Master, give me a different cell——”
“Sect Master.”
Jiang Xie said: “Are you going to keep that woman imprisoned?”
“Mm.”
Jun Changxiao said: “Keep her locked up for now.”
Ding Xingwang suggested: “The art of poison mastered to the extreme is impossible to guard against. Sect Master could try recruiting her for our use.”
“Yeah.”
The Ning brothers expressed agreement.
Jun Changxiao bringing Miao Saifeng back actually had this intention.
But he knew that despite being restrained and facing death at any moment, Miao Saifeng stubbornly refused to compromise, which showed she was a woman with character. Making her submit probably wouldn’t be easy.
Since that was the case.
Just keep her locked up for now.
To prevent the number one laborer from dying an untimely death, Jun Changxiao moved Miao Saifeng to a separate cell.
Zhao Doudou breathed a long sigh of relief, clutching his chest: “I’d rather share a cell with the Demon King than with that venomous woman!”
……
A few days later.
Miaohua Palace publicly announced its allied relationship with Wangu Sect.
In the past, people would definitely think Jun Changxiao was latching onto a fourth-rate sect’s coattails, but now they considered forming an alliance with Wangu Sect an honor.
The alliance matter didn’t create much of a stir, because many big shots were speculating that the Wangu Sect Master and Miaohua Palace Master had an unspeakable relationship—now that they’d formed an alliance, it basically confirmed it!
“From now on, we can’t provoke Miaohua Palace!”
“Everyone listen up—when training in the outside world, if you encounter Miaohua Palace disciples, you must be extremely cautious and never provoke them!”
Many fourth and fifth-rate sect leaders were admonishing their disciples, clearly showing that Wangu Sect’s prestige had made many forces wary.
……
“How’s the intelligence network deployment going?”
This day, Jun Changxiao came to Xiyu Hall to inquire about the situation.
Li Luoqiu took out a map of Xingyun Continent and pointed to several provinces: “At least five provinces have been fully deployed. The southeast Shi Province is still being rapidly extended—it should be fully covered in about a month.”
“Progress is good.”
“It’s because Sect Master provided adequate funding.”
Relying solely on disciples to serve as intelligence agents definitely wasn’t realistic—many intelligence members were recruited wandering cultivators.
Simply put.
The intelligence system covering several major provinces under Xiyu Hall was mostly staffed by disciples, but the majority were wandering cultivators gathering information and receiving corresponding compensation.
Those who performed well during this period would be recommended by branch hall masters to become members of Wangu Sect.
Wangu Sect’s disciple recruitment now had two channels: first, the mountain gate examination to obtain quality youth; second, transfers from branch halls.
Recruitment had formed a positive cycle and was running smoothly, so Sect Master Jun no longer needed to worry about how to recruit disciples.
As for pill and resource aspects, Li Qingyang was fully in charge—refining whatever was needed, absolutely reliable.
“Comfortable.”
Lying in his study chair, Jun Changxiao closed his eyes for a brief rest.
Although many matters still required his involvement, the sect was gradually becoming more standardized and operating smoothly, with fewer and fewer things to worry about.
Hands-off manager.
Truly, just around the corner!
“Right.”
Jun Changxiao opened his eyes and said: “Let’s get the Planar Battlefield Portal installed first.”
—