Inside the Buddhist cave.

“I’ve been by Uncle’s side for five hundred years. These are all the things I can remember.”

Since Yin Changli had instructed him to speak in detail, Bai Xingxian recounted everything thoroughly, taking the entire night.

Yin Changli sat cross-legged behind the table, his fingertip tracing circles over the small hole Xiang Haikui had previously stabbed with her dagger, silently pondering.

Bai Xingxian added: “But these five hundred years are merely a drop in the ocean of your experiences.”

His finger paused, and Yin Changli asked: “Little Bai, in your eyes, am I ultimately a good person or a bad person?”

“This…”

The question truly stumped Bai Xingxian. The youth’s delicate features scrunched up, not knowing how to answer.

He had seen his uncle sigh with regret over a withering flower, and also seen him take lives with the flick of a finger without blinking.

He was indeed a contradictory person.

Observing his expression, Yin Changli reflected thoughtfully that he might not be a good person, but perhaps not a terrible one either.

Otherwise, Miss Xiang wouldn’t protect him so wholeheartedly.

After all, in his current state, he probably had no value to her anymore.

“By the way,” he remembered something, “if my real name is Yin Changli, why does she call me ‘Hanpi’?”

“…” Bai Xingxian’s hand, hidden in his sleeve, trembled slightly.

How could he dare to explain?

Don’t be fooled by Uncle’s current gentleness that could squeeze water—it was all an illusion, an illusion.

Yin Changli had another question: “You said you rescued me from the chopping board in a restaurant. Why were you in the kitchen? If you didn’t know the black snake was me, why did you think to save it?”

Eep~

Save me.

Bai Xingxian hung his head, not daring to meet his uncle’s eyes.

Regarding the little black snake being cut in two, he had lied.

Although Little Sister Kui’s cut couldn’t kill Uncle, Uncle had nearly died due to internal injuries.

But with Uncle’s temperament, if he knew he had been pickled and chopped, once his memory returned, he would certainly make Little Sister Kui suffer terribly.

Little Sister Kui might confess about wanting to eat Uncle, and then he would suffer terribly, too.

Uncle had nearly died before, so he probably wouldn’t remember anything. Surely he wouldn’t detect a little lie.

Yin Changli, of course, saw through all his concealment.

The truth was probably worse and quite embarrassing.

He had consistently detected a faint smell of pickled meat coming from Miss Xiang.

His true form had likely suffered some inhuman mistreatment, and they had made up a lie to cover it up, feeling it would damage his dignity.

Miss Xiang was truly a warm-hearted, kind, and considerate young woman.

Bai Xingxian watched in terror as his uncle propped his chin with one hand while using a silver needle to adjust the wick of the oil lamp with the other.

Pop—the dim light illuminated his unfathomable, liquid eyes…

Bai Xingxian’s skin broke out in goosebumps.

Usually, when that inscrutable, strange expression appeared on Uncle’s face, it meant someone was about to die.

No! Uncle, please listen to Little Bai tell the truth. Little Bai will never dare lie to you again!

As Bai Xingxian trembled, about to open his mouth and beg for mercy, Xiang Tianqing called from outside: “Master.”

The Buddhist cave had no door ward, and the two had been conversing in whispers. Yin Changli sat up straight: “Please enter.”

When Xiang Tianqing entered, Yin Changli hadn’t completely hidden his previous expression, causing her to pause slightly.

The Master was…

In just a few days, his image had fluctuated like waves.

From a sacred high monk to otherworldly detachment, and suddenly now more like a “person”?

“Miss Xiang?”

Xiang Tianqing came back to her senses: “Master, something’s wrong with Young Master Lu. Blood is flowing from his seven orifices again. Would you like to examine him yourself?”

After having his soul seized, Lu Xiqiao had remained unconscious. Since Xiang Tianqing knew some medicine, she had dragged him to the adjacent cave for treatment.

“This is normal,” said Yin Changli, who had also experienced soul seizure and knew its power.

“Mmm.” Xiang Tianqing wanted to say something more.

But Yin Changli prepared to meditate: “Miss Xiang need not concern herself with him anymore. This humble monk plans to seclude himself for a few days. If the lady has no other matters, she may return to the City Lord’s mansion.”

This was a dismissal.

And, suddenly, he had reverted to his “otherworldly detached” side.

So the Master showed different faces to different people?

For a moment, Xiang Tianqing very much wanted to know just how many faces he had.

“Little Bai, you go out too.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

Bai Xingxian hesitated briefly, then swallowed his explanation and went to crouch by the door to stand guard.

Yin Changli held his fingers in a lotus position and closed his eyes.

After possessing the body, he had wanted to devour Dao Chen’s divine soul to become the complete master of this physical form, so he had been contending with Dao Chen and the Tianren Sword.

Now, he thought differently.

“Dao Chen, my true form still exists and should be repairable. I am only borrowing your body temporarily.”

“If you cooperate, during this time, I will nurture you in my sea of consciousness, and will also help temper your physical body and cultivate the Tianren Sword for you.”

“If you don’t cooperate, at most I’ll waste some spiritual energy to devour you completely. You and Tianren are no match for me. You’re a clever person and should know how to choose.”

Xiang Haikui and Meng Xilou truly did walk out beyond the border.

As mentioned before, although Yin Sha resembled China’s Yumen Pass, its harshness was directly proportional to the abilities of cultivators.

Flying treasures couldn’t take flight, and without camel beasts, they could only walk.

Treading on the several-hundred-degree yellow sand beyond the border, under the several-hundred-degree sunlight, was similar to being in an alchemy furnace.

And yes, it did make one sweat.

Xiang Haikui herself was in a miserable state, her face shiny with oil.

Meng Xilou walked beside her, one hand behind his back, the other holding a shimmering oil-paper umbrella that shaded them both.

His face was reddened from the sun, his thin lips cracked, but he maintained his dignified demeanor, his spine perfectly straight.

His hairstyle remained impeccable.

“In the past, this area, this area, this area—none were places where humans could set foot…” he indicated various regions with his finger. “I spent thirty years…”

He had the air of “Look, this is all the realm I conquered for you.”

Xiang Haikui felt truly nauseated. Where on earth did this stinking idiot get such a clichéd script for wooing women?

Probably in the Upper Realm, beauties threw themselves at him, and he never had to put effort into pursuing any woman. Was he learning on the fly?

His learning ability was truly pathetically poor.

As Xiang Haikui criticized inwardly, Liu Yixing and Luo Yunxiu, hidden in the shadows, were extremely annoyed as well.

Though they could conceal themselves, the sand still burned their feet, and the sunlight remained scorching.

Luo Yunxiu cursed loudly: “I’m going to write a memorial to report him to the Upper Realm!”

When they had gone to the City Lord’s mansion for elimination work, they had discovered Xiang Tianqing’s identity.

Seeing Meng Xilou didn’t surprise them either.

Sending avatars to the lower realm to protect family members undergoing tribulation was no longer anything unusual.

They didn’t know the true identity, but judging from the radiance in Xiang Tianqing’s soul, the family’s protective divine weapon must be extraordinary.

They had no reason to provoke them.

Hearing Xiang Haikui panting beside him, Meng Xilou said calmly: “Little Junior Sister, if you’re tired, just tell me. I can carry you on my back.”

Xiang Haikui rolled her eyes, not bothering to banter with him. She detected something unusual.

Along the way, they saw no sand monkeys, nor encountered any monsters.

Had they all been devoured by that evolving monster?

If so, if that monster could eat even the sealed Shen Yao, what form would it evolve into?

“How are we going to find it if we just wander like this?” Xiang Haikui asked.

“It will come to us of its own accord,” Meng Xilou said without concern.

Xiang Haikui: “How so?”

Meng Xilou replied with a hint of pride: “Given that monster’s rate of evolution, it’s likely not a creature of the mortal realm. It will naturally sense that the radiance of my soul is different…”

Xiang Haikui understood—his and Xiang Tianqing’s souls both shimmered with light.

After walking for over half an hour more, Meng Xilou suddenly stopped and extended his arm across her chest.

Xiang Haikui’s nerves tightened. She used her Wind-Chasing Qi Perception technique to investigate but found nothing unusual.

She asked: “What’s wrong?”

Meng Xilou: “There’s movement below.”

Just as he spoke, they heard a roar.

The sand pile exploded, and a large creature climbed out of the pit.

Xiang Haikui’s eyes widened.

It was a sand bear!

She drew a deep breath—this was truly beyond her ability to fight.

Her Tian Kuang sword was a heavy blade, but sand bears were famous for their thick hides and toughness, virtually indestructible—essentially the nemesis of Tian Kuang.

Moreover, this sand bear was in eighth grade, three full grades higher than herself.

Besides, Tian Kuang showed no excitement at all.

Sand bears were rather dull-witted, relying entirely on brute strength, and wouldn’t arouse Tian Kuang’s competitive spirit.

What was strange was that sand bears didn’t usually attack humans actively, yet today this one charged at them with red eyes, swinging its thick, pudgy bear paws fiercely.

Was this the doing of that large monster?

Had it driven the sand bear, which shouldn’t appear in this area, and sent it into a berserk state?

“Little Junior Sister, take this.” Meng Xilou calmly handed her the sun umbrella.

Xiang Haikui had already prepared to draw her sword and fight, but he forcibly placed the umbrella handle in her hand.

“I can just practice…” She tried to return the umbrella.

“It’s merely an eighth-grade sand bear,” Meng Xilou said decisively, stepping forward to shield her. “With me here, why would a woman need to take action?”

Fine, I’ll step aside and watch your solo performance.

Xiang Haikui retreated, holding the umbrella.

She saw threads of light aura condense around Meng Xilou’s body, those halos encircling him, making him appear like a divine being.

As the sand bear’s giant paw came down, the silk-like light turned into thorns, entangling the sand bear’s wrist.

Meng Xilou stood with his hands behind his back, his expression composed.

Then those silken lights suddenly transformed into a long sword, which he gripped and struck toward the sand bear.

So, Meng Xilou was also a sword cultivator?

Xiang Haikui developed a desire to know her enemy, but after careful observation for quite some time, she discovered his sword techniques were merely flashy displays—all about looking impressive.

She figured it out.

The lack of monsters along the way was likely because Meng Xilou’s people had cleared the area.

Meng Xilou had deliberately led her to this spot to encounter this artificially enraged sand bear.

Playing the hero, saving the beauty?

Come on, brother, it’s 9012 already.

Just shoot me directly, can you please stop torturing me with your terrible acting, brother?

Seeing the sand bear about to be stabbed by the sword, Xiang Haikui cried out in feigned shock: “No, Senior Brother!”

Meng Xilou:?

Bad moves deserved bad tactics. Xiang Haikui clenched her small fists in apparent distress: “I love bears the most! Bears are so cute, how could you kill a bear?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the confused Meng Xilou was punched by that adorable bear.