Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t know Qin Lingxiao’s thoughts and, hearing him ask if she wanted to go back, only replied, “Of course I want to go back. Do you know where that Zhu Jiuyin statue is?”

The seal on the statue was placed by Master Tang Youshu back then, but Master had never left a single word about the statue. Since Qin Lingxiao had also traveled back, everything would be manageable. As long as he got the statue, the two of them could restart it.

However, Qin Lingxiao said, “That statue was originally found by Wei Jie. How would I know where it is!”

After hearing this, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help feeling disappointed, thinking: Did she have to wait until Wei Jie found Zhu Jiuyin before she could return?

Just then, someone came toward them, shouting in grief and anger, “Trouble! That demon Wei Jie used some method to fill the valley with poisonous gas. All those who went down the cliff to chase him have been poisoned and knocked unconscious!”

It turned out that when Cui Xiaoxiao and Wei Jie were fighting the Po Hun giant python in the valley earlier, the sounds they made attracted the attention of the four great sects’ disciples on the mountain.

Just after Cui Xiaoxiao and Wei Jie left the valley, someone used energy cultivation to jump down the cliff. Unfortunately, the poisonous miasma sprayed by the Po Hun Snake hadn’t dispersed yet, and these people all fell victim to it, collapsing helplessly.

Those standing on the cliff saw from afar and didn’t dare go down, so they attributed their fellow disciples’ poisoning to Wei Jie, this half-demon person.

After hearing that person’s report, Cui Xiaoxiao instinctively wanted to explain and take out the snake bile from her water pouch to detoxify those people.

But as soon as she began to speak, that person glared at her and shouted, “It’s her! I saw her by Wei Jie’s side, even helping him escape. She’s obviously in league with him! Young Pavilion Master Qin, quickly capture this demoness and don’t let her run away!”

Seeing that Wei Jie’s trouble was about to be blamed on her, Cui Xiaoxiao wasn’t panicked because she had already thought of an escape plan. She quickly explained, “Everyone seems to have some misunderstanding. There’s a Po Hun giant python hidden under that cliff—it’s the one that sprayed poisonous mist and knocked out your fellow disciples… The Golden Cores you lost, I’ve already retrieved them for you and will return them now.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand and threw the pouch she had taken to an elderly man dressed in black robes across from her: “Sir, please check—the Golden Cores are all inside, returning them to their rightful owners. Also, I only met that pill thief by chance. This matter has nothing to do with me, so I’ll take my leave now…”

Just then, a black figure leaped like a soaring dragon straight out of the crowd, extending a long hand to try to snatch the bag of Golden Cores from Cui Xiaoxiao’s hands.

Unfortunately, he was still a step too late, watching as Cui Xiaoxiao threw his pouch to the four great sects’ people.

It turned out Wei Jie had just discovered that his pouch had somehow ended up in Cui Xiaoxiao’s hands. Seeing that she was returning the Golden Cores without asking him, he was greatly displeased.

Due to his anger, Wei Jie’s facial expression became increasingly stern. The tall man in black robes with dark hair flowing in the wind, when he glared sideways at people, his light purple pupils flashed with a bewitching light. Under his straight nose, his thin lips were slightly pursed, making his handsome chin carry endless allure.

Cui Xiaoxiao felt somewhat guilty under his glare and turned her head to avoid it.

But on second thought, those Golden Cores were stolen goods—what was wrong with her returning them to their rightful owners? So she turned her head back and glared at Wei Jie defiantly.

However, beautiful men were like West Lake water—even their anger and fury were intoxicating. Even when this kid glared coldly at people, he was devastatingly handsome. Staring too long would make one lose self-control.

He truly was a descendant of female demons, with bewitching charm in his eyes and brows that could turn all living beings upside down.

Xiaoxiao somewhat conceded defeat and quickly looked away, silently reciting the Heart-Clearing Mantra passed down by her master.

However, she wasn’t the only one nearly bewitched by this male demon. Many female disciples from the four great sects with insufficient willpower were also staring at Wei Jie transfixed, seemingly unable to look away. Even some men seemed to be staring at him with dazed expressions…

Just as Cui Xiaoxiao hadn’t yet stabilized her mind from the male beauty’s bewitchment, Wei Jie suddenly put away the angry expression on his face, walked forward in a few steps, grabbed Cui Xiaoxiao’s hand, and loudly said, “Master, I don’t blame you. You must have been afraid of them and had no choice but to return the Golden Cores. Don’t be afraid—this disciple will rescue you!”

After speaking, he looked around at the surrounding disciples and deliberately said loudly, “This is my Wei Jie’s benefactor master! Let’s see who dares to bully her!”

When Qin Lingxiao saw his father’s killer appear before him again, he was so hateful that his teeth itched. When he heard Wei Jie call Cui Xiaoxiao master, he looked back at Cui Xiaoxiao in disbelief.

She hadn’t mentioned accepting Wei Jie as a disciple earlier! Was she crazy? She dared to accept such a demon lord!

Cui Xiaoxiao also hadn’t expected that Wei Jie would suddenly change his tune, pouncing on her like a crying baby waiting to be fed, even calling her master brazenly in front of the four great sects.

For a moment, she was caught off guard by Wei Jie’s underhanded move.

Just then, people from the other three great sects who had been surrounding Wei Jie also arrived, saying in disbelief, “This little girl is your master? There’s a sect in the world that dares to accept you, Wei Jie? Tell us the name so we can broaden our horizons!”

Wei Jie glanced at Cui Xiaoxiao, thinking that she had quietly stolen his Golden Cores, which was truly detestable, so he said word by word, “My master is the Lingshan Talismonger Sect Leader—Cui Xiaoxiao!”

Everyone was stunned after hearing this, then burst into laughter toward the sky: “What bullshit Talismonger Sect? Never even heard of it! Didn’t you, Wei Jie, establish it yourself? And your master? Just this little girl?”

This sky-filling laughter merged into one, with many people laughing uncontrollably.

This was understandable—two hundred years ago, Tang Youshu hadn’t yet become Wei Jie’s disciple, much less established the Lingshan Talismonger Sect independently.

A sect appearing out of nowhere really did seem like any random cats and dogs setting up their banner!

Amidst the roaring laughter, Cui Xiaoxiao sighed to the sky: Master, I’m sorry to you, old man. I’m bringing shame even to two hundred years ago!

Damn Wei Jie—announcing her sect affiliation at this time was simply bringing disgrace to the Lingshan Talismonger Sect! Now, even if she vehemently denied it, people probably wouldn’t believe her.

As the Talismonger Sect Leader, how could she allow people to mock the Lingshan Sect? After sighing once, she decided to display some divine powers. She casually pulled out a Water Transformation Talisman, flicked her finger with one hand, and summoned a shower of rain above the heads of the people who were laughing and swaying.

This strange torrential downpour immediately drenched everyone in a sorry state and stopped their laughter.

Such rain-summoning talisman skills that could be used at will required some cultivation, yet this young-looking girl did it easily. Could there be some Lingshan Talismonger Sect that had appeared from nowhere?

Before Tang Youshu founded the Lingshan Talismonger Sect, talisman-crafting had never been considered elegant, and there were no famous figures worth mentioning.

When Cui Xiaoxiao displayed this skillful water-summoning technique, it was enough to shock the four great sects of two hundred years ago.

“If everyone has laughed enough, please listen to me,” Xiaoxiao snapped her fingers with one hand again, stopping the sudden “heavy rain.”

She continued loudly, “My disciple is mischievous and has made mistakes. I apologize to everyone on his behalf. However, I have already returned the Golden Cores for him, so please be magnanimous and spare him this once. Otherwise, how much silver compensation do you think is appropriate? I’ll have this child, Wei Jie, find a way to gather it for everyone!”

In this situation, it was a few against many. Now she was inexplicably tied together with this demon lord. Even if she said she didn’t know him, probably no one would believe it.

Considering that he had saved her life in the valley, Cui Xiaoxiao steeled herself to wade through muddy waters, wanting to temporarily help Wei Jie settle this lawsuit and persuade the four great sects to retreat. Everyone could part on good terms, and she could withdraw gracefully.

That Wei fellow had better be sensible and not bite the hand that feeds him!

Wei Jie was not very sensible. He was quite dissatisfied with Cui Xiaoxiao’s submissive and weak words. Just as he was about to speak, his waist was severely pinched by his newly acknowledged female master.

The red mole at the corner of his little master’s eye seemed about to drip blood, and her sideways glare at Wei Jie clearly said: “If you dare say one more word, I’ll feed you snake poison to ascend to heaven right now!”

Unfortunately, her delicate features, paired with her wide staring eyes, looked somewhat cute with girlish charm, no matter how you looked at it.

Wei Jie looked down at her sideways, apparently calculating some devilish scheme. He raised his sword-like eyebrows but didn’t speak again.

As for that black-robed elder, he was an elder from the Ebony Peak Energy Sect, the second-largest cultivation sect after Lingyun Pavilion.

He never expected this young girl who claimed to be the Talismonger Sect Leader to openly admit Wei Jie’s theft and unhesitatingly return the Golden Cores.

The old man tugged at his wet beard. As they say, you don’t hit someone who’s smiling at you. Since she had admitted it, continuing to be harsh seemed pointless… But how did the little girl summon rain at will? What to do without spare clothes to change into?

Just as the Ebony Peak elder was about to smooth things over and hurry back to change clothes and drink, Qin Lingxiao spoke gloomily, “If a thief is caught, returning stolen goods is expected. But without severe punishment, wouldn’t it make the world think that our four great sects’ pill chambers are open for anyone to come and go freely?”

After hearing his words, people from the other three great sects also immediately became angry and chimed in, expressing their desire to severely punish Wei Jie and his master, who indulged their disciple’s evil deeds.

Cui Xiaoxiao could see that Qin Lingxiao was being a troublemaker, deliberately trying to create difficulties.

If he were simply making trouble for Wei Jie, Xiaoxiao could just be a spectator and not interfere with past events.

But now Wei Jie was using the Lingshan Talismonger Sect’s name. Xiaoxiao couldn’t watch her sect’s reputation fall with a thud into the cesspit of two hundred years ago. She had to try her best to save it.

Taking advantage of clearing her throat, she asked Wei Jie in a low voice, “Why did you steal people’s Golden Cores when you had nothing better to do?”

Wei Jie lowered his long, curved eyelashes and looked down at her. He seemed to find it quite interesting that someone was standing up for him, so he honestly answered, “The batch of Golden Cores they refined used my mother’s blood as a catalyst…”

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxiao immediately understood, because she had seen introductions to precious medicinal materials for pill-making and talisman-crafting in her master’s secret texts.

Wei Jie’s birth mother was a female demon. Female demons were evil beings that turned all living things upside down and bewitched the human world. The blood of such eternally youthful beings had the effect of maintaining human youth.

Throughout dynasties, emperors had secretly sent people to hunt female demons to obtain demon blood for maintaining youth and extending life.

For cultivators, if they could obtain female demon blood to refine pills, the power of the Golden Cores would greatly increase.

When the four great sects besieged Qilao Mountain and forced Wei Jingling to death, it was said that the escaped female demon had appeared. Seeing Wei Jingling fall in a pool of blood, she wailed to the sky, her tears of blood sprinkling throughout the wilderness.

At that time, the four great sects wanted to capture the female demon alive and strip her bones and skin, but unfortunately, she managed to escape in the end.

However, the female demon’s blood tears scattered in the wilderness were collected by the four great sects, who eagerly started their furnaces to refine pills.

Such precious materials naturally required refining Golden Cores that were opened once every ten years. Who would have thought that just as the ten-year period arrived, before they could start the furnace, Wei Jie appeared and stole all the Golden Cores clean?

After hearing Wei Jie’s explanation, Cui Xiaoxiao felt a pang of guilt.

Her original intention was to first return the stolen goods to appease the four great sects’ anger, then conveniently scold Wei Jie for his poor character in the name of being his master, and finally expel Wei Jie from the Talismonger Sect in front of the four great sects, cutting ties with him cleanly.

As for whatever trouble Wei Jie might cause in the future, it would have nothing to do with her and the Lingshan Talismonger Sect.

But she never expected that Wei Jie’s reason for stealing the Golden Cores was actually because of “filial piety”!