Though this halfway master and disciple had agreed on a post-meal stroll for digestion, Cui Xiaoxiao was anxious as fire, wishing she could fly to the valley in one bound. Naturally, her steps were hurried.

Wei Jie was somewhat puzzled and asked: “Is what you dropped very important? You seem quite urgent?”

Cui Xiaoxiao tugged at the chain connecting them, urging Wei Jie to walk faster while saying urgently: “Naturally it’s important…”

Since being transported by Zhulong’s statue over two hundred years ago, her Ten Wounds fate had truly reached its peak – almost everything went wrong.

It didn’t matter if she had bad luck, but she absolutely couldn’t implicate her master!

Thinking this, her steps quickened even more.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her slender waist, then she was lifted entirely by Wei Jie with one hand. The next moment, she heard the wind around her ears as Wei Jie carried her and began running swiftly over the grass.

Xiaoxiao knew that Wei Jie at this time hadn’t yet mastered demonic arts, but she hadn’t expected his body movement technique to be so accomplished.

She asked Wei Jie distractedly – was this also self-taught?

Wei Jie explained: “I accidentally saved a great master who taught me the incantation. I figured it out after pondering for a few days.”

Xiaoxiao remembered that Master Tang Youshu had mentioned that before Wei Jie fell too deep into demonhood, he had many friends and learned numerous strange arts. His comprehension was unmatched – integrating everything he learned, he formed his school.

If he hadn’t become demonic back then and had found a famous master, his cultivation achievements would probably be formidable. Ascending to immortality within a hundred years might not have been difficult.

Just from his current skills and cultivation, he was much more accomplished than her. She couldn’t teach Wei Jie anything at all. His taking her as a master was mostly for amusement and to relieve boredom.

In the time it took to lose focus, Wei Jie had already brought Xiaoxiao back to the snake-slaying valley.

At this time, evening was approaching. The great snake’s corpse still lay motionless there, with the pungent stench of snake blood permeating everywhere.

But strangely, such a large rotting corpse hadn’t attracted other animals to gnaw on it. This valley didn’t even have the sounds of night insects.

Xiaoxiao guessed the Po Hun Snake’s venom was too domineering – even in death, its power remained, causing other snakes and insects to avoid it.

However, the Corpse-eating Beast was another kind of evil existence that consumed all carrion in the world. The more poisonous and rotten the corpse, the more it liked it.

When carrion wasn’t enough, it would attract evil spirits and demons to create slaughter, piling up rotting corpses for their enjoyment.

But with such a heavy stench, why hadn’t it attracted the Corpse-eating Beast yet? And where was Master Tang Youshu? Had he accidentally entered this valley following the original trajectory?

Just then, Xiaoxiao noticed Wei Jie staring intently at the snake’s belly, so she followed his gaze.

Though the valley was dim at this time, Xiaoxiao’s eyes were different from ordinary people’s – she immediately saw what was wrong with the snake’s belly.

The snake’s belly looked bulging and seemed to rise and fall like breathing in the darkness.

Had this snake… come back to life?

No! There was something in its stomach!

Xiaoxiao quickly exchanged glances with Wei Jie. Wei Jie silently drew his whip while Xiaoxiao took out the water-transforming talisman from her bosom.

Just then, the snake’s belly bulged again, and a thin dog-like animal crawled out from the torn snake’s belly. It looked like a dog but wasn’t one, with a large head and small body, sporting a huge mouth full of fangs.

At this moment, it was covered in sticky snake blood, licking the blood from its lips while staring fixedly at Xiaoxiao and Wei Jie.

When it raised its nose to sniff their scent carried by the wind, its eyes seemed to burst with wild joy, as if seeing two pieces of prime meat.

Just as Wei Jie swung his whip to strike it, it suddenly jumped into the nearby stream, rolled around, washed off the blood, became increasingly transparent, and quickly disappeared.

Xiaoxiao understood – this dog-like creature that could turn invisible was the Corpse-eating Beast! It had indeed been attracted by the great snake’s body, following the original timeline.

But… where was the master?

As the Corpse-eating Beast disappeared, all the pores on Xiaoxiao’s body stood on end. She knew the beast hadn’t left but was invisibly lurking in some corner, eyeing her and Wei Jie like a tiger.

Thinking this, she casually raised the water-transforming talisman, creating a stream of water that formed a circle around herself and Wei Jie, then gradually expanded outward.

Perhaps because survival in this time two hundred years ago was so harsh, requiring repeated life-and-death struggles, Xiaoxiao found her ability to control water had stabilized considerably – it was effortless! She could make the water ring move steadily.

Wei Jie couldn’t help but look down approvingly at his little master, saying quietly, “This water-controlling trick is good. When there’s time, master must give me some guidance…”

If he weren’t the future great demon, just for that sweet mouth, any master would teach him everything!

Unfortunately, Xiaoxiao now only wanted to save her future benefactor, then break this damned Soul-Locking Cuff and stay far away from the great demon.

As for her paper-thin master-disciple relationship with Wei Jie, there was no need to take it seriously.

Just then, the water flow in the southeast corner was suddenly cut off by something. Under the water’s impact, the invisible Corpse-eating Beast that had been trying to approach them finally showed itself!

The beast seemed to find these two troublesome and needed to find help. It bared its teeth, suddenly raised its head, and howled, making hissing sounds.

The next moment, ground cracks opened and murky yellow smoke emerged. Then the smoke gradually gathered into the shape of the dead two-headed snake and coiled around the Corpse-eating Beast.

As the smoke swirled, the Corpse-eating Beast’s size suddenly increased several times, and its head gradually split into two.

Xiaoxiao gasped, finally understanding why the Wei family matriarch said this Corpse-eating Beast would cause devastation to living beings.

It not only devoured carrion but also claimed the soul and spirit power of corpses for itself, absorbing the strength of souls.

If this evil creature wreaked havoc in the mortal world and devoured thousands of souls, how terrifying would the accumulated soul power be?

Though the beast had the Po Hun Snake’s soul enhancement, it didn’t rashly pounce on the conjoined pair. Instead, like a cunning wolf, it swished its snake-like long tail, alternating steps and moving back and forth to size up the two, seemingly slowly looking for weaknesses.

Just then, rustling sounds suddenly came from the cliff above, followed by a scream, and then someone fell from the high mountainside.

That person was still holding a torch. When he fell, coincidentally, the torch flew right onto the Corpse-eating Beast.

The Corpse-eating Beast, burned by fire, howled in pain, then shook its two heads and charged straight at the fallen person.

By the firelight, Xiaoxiao saw that the person seemed to be a fair-skinned scholar wearing the distinctive blue headband of literati, holding a herb-gathering hoe in his hand.

This person was nothing like the master in Xiaoxiao’s memory.

After all, when Tang Youshu met Xiaoxiao, he was already over two hundred and twenty years old, white-haired with snowy brows, his face covered in walnut-like wrinkles. She couldn’t imagine what he looked like when young.

But this scholar’s falling time matched Master Tang Youshu’s from back then. Xiaoxiao immediately determined that the newcomer was her benefactor.

Seeing the Corpse-eating Beast pounce toward the scholar, Xiaoxiao anxiously controlled the water flow as a whip, lashing hard at the Corpse-eating Beast.

Perhaps due to urgency, this time when Xiaoxiao circulated her power, she felt the qi in her dantian flow through her limbs and bones. When it condensed in her hands, the controlled water flow froze inch by inch.

Finally, an ice crystal sword formed in Xiaoxiao’s hand, striking hard against one of the Corpse-eating Beast’s dog heads.

Success! She could use the Ice Condensation Technique!

Before Xiaoxiao could celebrate, the attacked Corpse-eating Beast howled in pain and turning to pounce at her and Wei Jie.

This halfway master-disciple pair had no coordination – one went left, one went right, each preparing to dodge. But connected by that damned chain, neither could escape and bounced back into each other.

At this critical moment, Wei Jie finally used the Wei family’s beast-capturing technique – Beast Roar!

He opened his mouth and let out a deep, low roar at the Corpse-eating Beast. The sound caused the snake’s soul, coiled around the beast, to disperse like scattered smoke.

Unfortunately, Wei Jie’s true qi cultivation wasn’t sufficient for a lasting effect. In just moments, the snake soul coiled around again.

But those moments of preparation were enough.

Seeing the Corpse-eating Beast’s two heads biting toward her and Wei Jie, Xiaoxiao again formed an ice dagger in her hand, stabbing hard at the beast’s mouth.

Wei Jie stuck his whip handle into the Corpse-eating Beast’s mouth.

At this crucial moment, Xiaoxiao saw Wei Jie embrace one of the beast’s heads with his arms. She steeled her heart and copied him, hugging the other beast’s head and restraining it from moving.

Just then, Wei Jie shouted to the scholar sitting on the ground: “Hey! Come here!”

The scholar had been sitting dumbly on the ground, seemingly unable to recover. Only when he heard Wei Jie’s shout did he trembleingly get up.

“Lend us your mouth – blow some yang qi into this beast’s mouth!” Corpse-eating Beasts were addicted to carrion but feared yang qi. Wei Jie knew this and gave such instructions.

Ah? The scholar seemed stunned.

While forcefully strangling the beast’s neck, Wei Jie shouted: “Quickly! Or once it breaks free, it’ll kill us all – we’ll all become its meal!”

Hearing this, the scholar immediately rallied his spirits, mustered endless courage, and boldly stretched his neck to blow hard into the beast’s mouth propped open by the whip.

Strangely, the beast seemed unable to stand the scholar’s breath and felt sick enough to roll its eyes. Then, with a forceful struggle, it broke free from Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao, then, like a drunk, lay on the ground vomiting violently.

As a result, the Po Hun Snake meat it had just eaten was vomited out completely.

The continuously vomiting Corpse-eating Beast shrank rapidly like a deflated leather pouch. Wei Jie lashed out with his whip and caught it around the neck.

This Corpse-eating Beast only liked carrion and couldn’t be contaminated by human yang qi. Having expelled the Po Hun Snake’s soul power, it returned to looking like a pug, no longer invisible, just holding up its huge head and wagging its tail ingratiatingly at Wei Jie.

Just then, Wei Jie heard Cui Xiaoxiao beside him asking urgently: “How are you? Are you injured?”

The voice carried a crying tone – genuine anxiety from the heart.

Wei Jie knew she must have gotten worried when he protected her earlier.

He couldn’t help but smile, about to turn and tell Xiaoxiao he was fine.

But when he turned around, he saw his master’s small face full of distress as she quickly ran toward the fair-faced scholar who had been sitting dumbly on the ground…

Wei Jie, locked together with her, could only pull a long face as she dragged him forward.

Xiaoxiao rushed to the scholar, helping the still dizzy and confused scholar. After confirming he was only frightened and unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief and gently asked: “May I ask… what is your honorable surname, young master?”

The scholar had watched a spectacular human-beast battle after falling and was forced to breathe mouth-to-mouth with the fierce monster. He was so dazed he couldn’t recover, so he sat blankly on a large rock.

Only when Xiaoxiao dragged Wei Jie over and showed concern for him did he slowly wipe his sweaty forehead and bow: “This humble scholar is surnamed Tang, named Youshu. May I ask the honorable names of you two heroes?”

Hearing the scholar give his name as “Tang Youshu,” Xiaoxiao’s suspended heart completely settled.

Thank the gods in all directions! She had finally arrived in time to save the master!

But the current master looked refined and scholarly, fair and clean, overflowing with youthful energy – so different from the white-haired, wise elder in her memory.

Yet looking at his gentle, jade-like gaze, it was the same as the old man in her memory!

Xiaoxiao never expected that in her lifetime she would have the fortune to see master again!

For a moment, she was overwhelmed with emotions, her eyes unknowingly moistening as she respectfully helped Tang Youshu up, quietly saying: “Mas… Young Master Tang, I was truly terrified just now…”

Just then, a lazy voice came from the side: “The situation just now couldn’t scare anyone to death. Without me, at most you would have been eaten by the Corpse-eating Beast, then your souls wouldn’t be able to transcend and would be controlled by it forever.”

Wei Jie added unhurriedly from the side. Looking at his expression, he seemed to regret not seeing the spectacular man-eating scene.

Young Master Tang, hearing this, was quite sensible and quickly bowed: “This hero’s skills are outstanding, well-versed in beast-capturing methods – an extraordinary person! I have been traveling famous mountains and rivers, seeking immortal masters, never expecting to meet a great master here…”

Saying this, Tang Youshu trembled with excitement and knelt on the ground with a thud: “If the hero doesn’t despise me, I’m willing to take you as my master and learn the arts of subduing demons and eliminating evil!”

Wei Jie’s calm courage just now had moved the young scholar’s aspiring heart, making him want to become his disciple.

These words were almost identical to what Tang Youshu had said when he first met Wei Jie back then.

But this time, after looking him up and down critically, the great demon Wei mocked: “Your Honor appears to have poor bone structure and isn’t material for cultivation. You’d better seek famous masters elsewhere!”

As soon as these words came out, Xiaoxiao was stunned.

According to Master’s secret biography records, when Wei Jie took disciples back then, he indeed said master’s qualifications were poor, but grateful that Tang Youshu had risked his life fighting the Corpse-eating Beast for him, he still made an exception and accepted him.

But now, because her appearance had disrupted events, Wei Jie wasn’t in a desperate, helpless situation, and Master Tang Youshu’s life-saving merit was greatly diminished. Given Wei Jie’s nature, he would never accept a stranger as a disciple for no reason…

Seeing Tang Youshu’s disappointed and hurt expression after being rejected, Xiaoxiao’s heart was quite uncomfortable.

Because she knew how much master worshipped his demonic master.

He had once said that taking Wei Jie as master was something he never regretted in this life!

Thinking this, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help pulling Wei Jie aside and quietly pleading with her master: “…Since he sincerely wants to take you as master, why not accept him?”

Wei Jie was using his whip to lead the Corpse-eating Beast, extremely bored as he kicked its bottom with his foot. Hearing Xiaoxiao’s words, he half-raised an eyebrow, his purple eyes seemingly smiling yet not, probing: “You’re quite warm-hearted, treating that scholar very well… Didn’t you say you dropped something in the valley? Why don’t I see you searching, but instead you’re showing such concern for that scholar? Could it be… You dropped a lover?”

What kind of talk was this! Simply disrespectful to masters and treasonous!

Xiaoxiao glared wide-eyed: “Bah! What lover! I felt an instant connection with Young Master Tang – looking at him, I feel he’s kind-hearted, just like a father!”

Wei Jie nodded in sudden understanding, then turned and asked loudly to the youth still kneeling: “Young Master Tang, what’s your honorable age?”

Tang Youshu quickly replied respectfully: “I’m sixteen this year!”

Oh, so this “father” was a year younger than Sect Leader Cui!

Wei Jie turned to glare sideways at his master, silently accusing his master of taking someone younger as a father – how shameful!

Well, Cui Xiaoxiao couldn’t explain to Wei Jie this spontaneous father-daughter affection that far transcended age limitations.

She cleared her throat and said to Tang Youshu, “Young Master Tang, the future is long. You’ve seen too few sects now, so you think he’s an extraordinary talent. Perhaps you’ll meet a master more suitable for you later… You will achieve great things!”

These words obviously couldn’t comfort young Tang Youshu’s wounded heart. He looked at Wei Jie disappointedly, his lips trembling, even his eyes moistening.

Xiaoxiao couldn’t bear to see this. If she returned to over two hundred years ago only to make master sad and hurt, wouldn’t that be treasonous?

She pursed her lips and glared at her rebellious disciple: “Just taking a disciple! This grandmaster agrees! You should accept him first! Such talent – our Talismonger Sect wants him!”

Wei Jie sneered, looked over the scrawny, chick-like Tang Youshu, and said cheerfully: “Why don’t you quickly thank your grandmaster? Come, kowtow to her first!”

Tang Youshu looked at Cui Xiaoxiao somewhat incredulously, quietly confirming with Wei Jie: “This young lady… is your master?”

Seeing Wei Jie nod, Tang Youshu immediately rallied his spirits and kowtowed to his grand-master: “Grand-master above, please accept this disciple’s bow!”

How could Cui Xiaoxiao dare accept this life-shortening bow? She quickly ran over to support his arm: “Our Talismonger Sect doesn’t stand on ceremony – we don’t practice such grand rituals. Just call me Xiaoxiao normally, no need for all this grand-master business!”

Ah? How could this be so improper? Tang Youshu immediately shook his head like a rattling drum, repeatedly saying: “How could this be appropriate?”

But Wei Jie improperly added: “Oh, informal! Not bad… Xiaoxiao, look at my back – did the Corpse-eating Beast scratch it?”

Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t want the demon head addressing her so intimately. She glared coldly at him: “You must call me master! Don’t call me by my name!”