Cui Xiaoxiao withdrew her gaze and again looked down at the stone tablet closest to her.

The characters carved on this stone tablet were easy to recognize. After reading a few lines, Cui Xiaoxiao understood the reason for the forest of stone tablets here.

But… the story on this stone tablet… how was it the same as the allusion about Qilao Mountain that Second Senior Sister had told her when they first arrived at Qilao Mountain?

Back then, standing below Phoenix Pool at Qilao Mountain were dragon bone tablets recording the four great sects’ achievements in besieging the Wei family of Qilao Mountain.

Qilao Mountain was the junction between the Underworld and the mortal realm, and had always been guarded by the demon-subduing Wei family.

Unfortunately, when it came to Wei Jingling’s generation over two hundred years ago, he was dissatisfied that he and his clan were trapped here due to ancestral responsibilities. He secretly released an extremely beautiful female demon to pass the time and relieve his boredom. This kind of female demon was originally an expert at toying with men, and she turned the tables on him, bewitching Wei Jingling until he was completely spellbound and forgot the Wei family’s duties entirely.

In the end, he not only bore an evil offspring with that female demon but also secretly released three monsters from the Underworld to wreak havoc in the mortal world.

How could the righteous warriors who eliminated demons and protected the way endure this? So they united together, conquered the Wei family, and forced them to hand over the female demon and that evil offspring.

Wei Jingling, perhaps bewitched by the female demon until he lost his soul, stubbornly refused to surrender them. However, to avoid implicating other Wei family members, he went down the mountain alone to face the four great sects by himself.

Finally, Wei Jingling felt his fate was sealed and killed himself in fear of punishment, falling into the Underworld abyss.

To admonish the Wei family, the four great sects that participated in the siege erected stone tablets large and small, both to warn Wei family descendants and incidentally sing their praises.

Later, these stone tablets were all shattered by one person, and from then on, a previously unknown young man began to intimidate all directions, gradually entering the vision of cultivation sects…

This past event didn’t need Second Senior Sister’s introduction – Cui Xiaoxiao already knew it. Because Master had also mentioned it in passing in his secret manual’s daily trivia.

The person who shattered the stone tablets below Phoenix Pool at Qilao Mountain back then was precisely the demon who later stirred up bloody storms in the mortal world – Wei Jie.

Wild histories said that “Wei” and “Wei” were homophonic. That Wei Jie was probably the child born between Wei Jingling and the Underworld female demon back then, which was why he acted as he did, and later, when his demonic power was perfected, he avenged his father by massacring Lingyun Pavilion and single-handedly challenging the four great sects.

But… all this happened two hundred years ago!

How could there now be another young man imitating Wei Jie from back then, wielding a whip to strike tablets? And the four great sects had quite an addiction to fame – besides Qilao Mountain, they had originally erected tablets on other mountain peaks too?

Cui Xiaoxiao looked again and again, unable to figure it out.

Looking at these stone tablets, they appeared to have been erected not many years ago. The four great sects from two hundred years ago were later almost completely slaughtered by Wei Jie, so who knew which surviving disciples and grand-disciples had erected these tablets?

Before Cui Xiaoxiao could come to her senses, the man standing on the stone tablet seemed to sense her presence. He suddenly turned his face slightly, and the long whip in his hand struck straight toward Cui Xiaoxiao.

Cui Xiaoxiao quickly pulled out a water-dividing talisman and immediately drew water to form a water shield.

But the water shield infused with spiritual energy couldn’t stop that ferocious whip either. The whip tip with three steel needles cleanly pierced through the water shield, stabbing toward Cui Xiaoxiao’s face.

Cui Xiaoxiao cried out in alarm, silently calling this bad, and could only close her eyes and wait for the stinging pain to come.

Who knew that after the man heard her cry, he turned his wrist and withdrew the whip at the last moment, then, like black lightning, quickly jumped before her eyes.

Just in the moment of turning around, his face was already covered with black gauze, showing only thick black sword-like eyebrows and a pair of… eyes that were black but revealed a faint alluring purple light.

Cui Xiaoxiao had never seen such bewitching eyes. Looking at them for long seemed to hook one’s soul, making one forget what to say…

That man saw that the one disturbing him was a spiritually beautiful young girl of no great age. He originally didn’t want to pay attention, but for some unknown reason, after a moment of silence, he was the first to speak: “You’re quite skilled with talismans. Which sect’s disciple are you?”

Cui Xiaoxiao was startled, but hearing his peaceful tone and that he had stopped in time without hurting her, she had no reason to pretend to be mute. So she cupped her fists tentatively and said: “I am a disciple of the Lingshan Talismonger Sect… May I ask if you’ve heard of it?”

That man raised his handsome, thick eyebrows, seeming to think seriously, then said: “Lingshan Talismonger Sect? Never heard of it… But why are you here?”

Cui Xiaoxiao felt this man was somewhat ignorant. Although the Lingshan Talismonger Sect couldn’t compare to those great sects, her master, Tang Youshu, wasn’t a nobody and could barely be considered to have some reputation.

This man had never heard of it?

She blinked her eyes and instead of answering, asked back: “You’ve been asking all along – it should be my turn to ask you. Why are you smashing these stone tablets?”

That man should be a drunkard. He turned his face to lift his veil, drained the last few drops of wine from his gourd, then hung up the wine gourd with lingering satisfaction. Pointing at one of the stone tablets, he said lazily, “These tablets are made of dragon bone, which is truly rare. But dragons are divine creatures that soar through heaven and earth, sleeping in clouds and lying drunk on ocean floors – nothing is more carefree than that. Such gallant spiritual creatures – it’s bad enough that their bones after death are made into tablets, but the characters on the tablets don’t use carefree cursive script, insisting on being printed neat and orderly, every character dull and stupid, with constrained brushwork, as if afraid people won’t understand. It’s truly like lice growing on a dragon’s body – even in death, they won’t let it rest in peace! Whipping them to pieces also gives these dragon bones a good scratch, satisfying and refreshing!”

Saying this, he sneered again and casually shattered two more stone tablets. Where the whip reached, true qi flowed, showing this man’s cultivation was not low.

These words were complete nonsense – the wild ravings of a drunkard!

But listening to them, Xiaoxiao felt they made some sense and couldn’t help nodding.

A good horse deserves a good saddle, a good tablet deserves good calligraphy – how much more so for spiritual creatures like dragons? How could they be willing to have their bones become tablets praising the achievements of mortals?

Although this drunkard was having a drunken fit, his words were frank and natural – he could be considered a person of true temperament.

Since he loved smashing, let him smash!

She didn’t want to disturb his refined interest and should quickly leave this place to inquire about which direction Qilao Mountain was.

So she cupped her fists again and asked: “May I ask, which way should I go to reach Qilao Mountain?”

That person looked Cui Xiaoxiao up and down and said slowly: “This place… is Qilao Mountain.”

Cui Xiaoxiao was stunned and once again looked around in confusion at the lush greenery covering the mountains and fields.

She really shouldn’t have asked a drunkard for directions! How could this place possibly be the sand-covered Qilao Mountain?

But just then, a crowd of people suddenly came bustling up the mountain. They were all flying on swords, looking like they had considerable cultivation.

Cui Xiaoxiao had excellent eyesight and immediately saw that the group in the lead wore ethereal white robes – they should be Jiuxuan Sword Sect disciples. As for the various people following behind, she didn’t know where the sword sect had gathered these helpers from.

Damn it, these persistent pests had chased her here!

Just then, the man beside her suddenly drew an old sword without a hilt from his waist, wrapping a piece of torn cloth around the bare hilt several times, looking like he was preparing to fight to the death with those coming up the mountain.

Cui Xiaoxiao felt this had nothing to do with the man, so she said: “Sir, they’re coming for me – it has nothing to do with you. If you have no business here, please leave.”

But this time, the man looked at her quite seriously and asked back: “Oh, why are they chasing you?”

Cui Xiaoxiao frowned at the black mass of people below, suspecting that Jiuxuan Sword Sect had come out in full force!

Was Qin Lingxiao an old bachelor who couldn’t find a wife? Making such an investment to catch her!

So she snorted coldly and said: “Someone thinks I should marry him, so he’s shamelessly chasing me everywhere… You should leave quickly. If you don’t go now, you won’t be able to leave soon.”

That man looked Cui Xiaoxiao over and said thoughtfully: “I see. The young lady indeed has some beauty; no wonder she’s attracted a lecher. Today, the wine is good wine, and the person I’ve met is also a beautiful person. Being so, how could I disappoint good wine and a beautiful woman by leaving you alone to face danger?”

Cui Xiaoxiao felt these words had a somewhat flirtatious flavor and looked up coldly at the man beside her.

But before she could voice her reproach, she saw the man spread his long arms and point at the black mass of people about to come up the mountain: “Young lady, rest assured – I’ll fight alongside you. See how many you can take on alone? We’ll just divide them up!”

Cui Xiaoxiao felt that although this masked man spoke improperly, he had a chivalrous spirit. Even though this wasn’t his business, he actively joined the fight – she’d never seen someone so eager to get into a fight.

But this man wasn’t putting on airs. He flew straight up, and the sword qi he wielded knocked several people in dark robes to the ground.

Those people in dark robes seemed to have no intention of chasing Cui Xiaoxiao. With angry faces, they surrounded the young man, and both sides immediately became entangled in battle.

Cui Xiaoxiao could have taken this opportunity to turn and run, but this man had stuck his neck out for her in his drunken enthusiasm. If she abandoned him, it would be too lacking in chivalrous spirit.

Thinking of this, Cui Xiaoxiao flicked her wrist and pulled out four water-transforming talismans, instantly summoning four water pythons that rushed toward the people coming up the mountain. Taking advantage of their being knocked down by the water, Cui Xiaoxiao quickly shouted to that man: “There are so many of them – we can’t fight them head-on! Quick! Come with me!”

That man seemed reluctant to retreat, lazily twirling a sword flower in his hand: “A man should stand tall between heaven and earth – how can there be reason to flee without fighting?”

Cui Xiaoxiao least liked hearing such boastful words from men.

She walked over, grabbed the man’s sleeve and ran, saying as she ran: “A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years. We’re outnumbered – why fight them to mutual destruction? While the green mountains remain, there’s no fear of lacking firewood. Sir, if we don’t leave now, we won’t be able to preserve these green mountains and firewood! Be careful that your wine gourd will be smashed too!”

That young man seemed amused by Cui Xiaoxiao’s words and readily followed her lead, running with her while asking: “Then… where should we hide to preserve these green mountains and firewood?”

Cui Xiaoxiao had already thought of an escape route and said without blinking: “I just climbed up from a mountain valley. That valley seems to have many caves, leading who knows where. It’s thickly forested and perfect for hiding. Let’s hide first, and when it gets dark, we’ll figure out another plan.”

The man thought about it and nodded: “That makes sense… I’m not familiar with this place. Please lead the way, young lady!”

Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t dare delay and went straight in the direction she had climbed up from. The man following behind her was leisurely and unhurried, watching this thin girl swing her long fox-tail braid, swinging it back and forth like a forest sprite…

Soon, she reached the place she had climbed up from and pointed at the cliff, saying to Wei Jie: “Sir, please go down first!”

But the man looked at the valley bottom with somewhat deep eyes, and after a moment of silence said: “This valley bottom… it would be better not to jump.”

Cui Xiaoxiao thought he was afraid of heights and was even lazier to urge the man on. She was just prepared to follow the method she had used to climb up, grabbing the vines growing on the cliff wall and slowly climbing down.

But who knew that after looking for a while, that man suddenly grabbed Cui Xiaoxiao’s collar with one hand without any warning and jumped down toward the cliff…

This cliff was very high – Cui Xiaoxiao had spent a long time climbing up earlier. But jumping down only took an instant to reach the ground.

Because they landed too quickly, when both their toes touched ground, although the man used his power to absorb the impact of landing, he still smashed a large pit in the ground covered with fallen leaves.

When the two fell into the large pit, Cui Xiaoxiao discovered a wet, sticky feeling coming from beneath her. How did this pit seem to have several huge eggs, and they had happened to land on several giant eggs? Now these eggs had cracked, and egg liquid immediately flowed out…