It was just that the time for the spiritual spring to emerge hadn’t arrived yet, so Qin Lingxiao lingered here for a few days. With nothing to do during the day, he would venture out of the mountain for walks.

He never expected that today, on the opposite shore of the lake outside Tuyun Mountain, he would inadvertently see Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao.

Qin Lingxiao was even more shocked that this girl, Cui Xiaoxiao, had become so shameless, entangling herself with that demon Wei Jie to such an extent!

A man and woman bearing the titles of master and disciple were embracing without any restraint in broad daylight.

Remembering how Cui Xiaoxiao showed him a cold face every time she saw him, Qin Lingxiao felt inexplicably stuffy. Seeing this scene now made his expression even more disdainful!

Cui Xiaoxiao was unwilling to marry him, a member of a righteous major sect, firmly rejecting his marriage proposal, yet she mingled with someone like Wei Jie. This showed her vile character – she was no virtuous person.

She was so frivolous, bewitched by Wei Jie’s appearance – just a vulgar woman! How utterly disappointing!

However, what surprised him even more was his former master, Wei Jie.

Back when Qin Lingxiao concealed his identity and sought refuge under Wei Jie’s tutelage, Wei Jie hadn’t completely transformed into a demon yet.

Due to his Numei bloodline, Wei Jie’s appearance carried an indescribable evil charm.

His bewitching looks had indeed captivated many women. Even the fox clan girl Yu Ling’er he had saved, was one of Wei Jie’s devoted admirers.

However, Qin Lingxiao had never seen Wei Jie bewitched by feminine charms, frolicking so wantonly with a woman.

Wei Jie’s heart was hard and cold, rarely seen in the world. When his demonic nature became deep, he had completely extinguished his humanity and would never pledge his heart to a woman.

Though Qin Lingxiao despised Wei Jie, his conduct was unconsciously influenced by him. So much so that after Qin Lingxiao became famous, he unconsciously adopted his former demonic master’s manner when dealing with women who were infatuated with him, always cold and distant.

Now it seemed that this lifetime’s Wei Jie, having lost his opportunities, truly couldn’t amount to anything and had become even more depraved. Even his former noble pride was almost completely gone…

Thinking this, Qin Lingxiao coldly laughed again. He had originally wanted to teach Cui Xiaoxiao a lesson, letting her suffer beside Wei Jie before finding an opportunity to give her the key.

But unexpectedly, this pair of despicable lovers was already so close. Since this was the case, he needn’t worry about her anymore – let this pair remain locked together for life!

However… why would Wei Jie appear outside Tuyun Mountain at this critical moment? Could it be that Cui Xiaoxiao had leaked secrets again, leading Wei Jie here to Tuyun Mountain to drink from the spiritual spring and seize the opportunity?

Qin Lingxiao’s handsome eyes slightly narrowed as he sneered again – unfortunately, he had already arrived here first. No matter how Wei Jie racked his brains, he wouldn’t be able to set foot on Tuyun Mountain!

“Benefactor, what are you looking at?” Just then, a whisper came from behind Qin Lingxiao.

A white-clothed girl with a pointed face and large eyes was carrying a basket of freshly picked mountain fruits, approaching Qin Lingxiao behind.

She was Yu Ling’er, the fox girl saved by Qin Lingxiao. She was the beloved daughter of the fox clan chief, considered the pearl of the fox clan.

Fox clan members faced a tribulation every hundred years.

Yu Ling’er was young, and this first tribulation was the “human tribulation.” While picking fruits at the foot of the mountain, she suddenly felt unwell and transformed into a white fox, but encountered hunters trying to capture her. Fortunately, she was saved by the passing Young Pavilion Master of Lingyun Pavilion.

Remembering how this handsome young pavilion master had held her in his arms when her hind leg was injured, the innocent Yu Ling’er’s cheeks flushed red.

The fox clan valued loyalty and gratitude. Since Qin Lingxiao had saved her, she should repay him with everything she had.

So when he mentioned that his cultivation was limited and he could never elevate his true qi to the fourth heaven, Yu Ling’er volunteered to bring Qin Lingxiao to Tuyun Mountain to wait for the spiritual spring to emerge.

Without the guidance of Tushan clan members, outsiders could never find Tuyun Mountain’s spiritual spring. With the spiritual spring’s enhancement, she believed her benefactor Qin Lingxiao would surely advance his cultivation rapidly.

However, when she approached just now, she noticed that Young Pavilion Master Qin seemed to be in a bad mood, his eyes looking ahead seemed to be blazing with fire.

Following his gaze, she saw a man and a woman frolicking on the opposite shore of the lake.

Though it looked unseemly, there was nothing particularly improper about it, so Yu Ling’er asked in confusion.

Qin Lingxiao turned to look at the fox girl, thinking to himself: In the previous life, Wei Jie had bewitched this fox girl completely, making her willing to violate heavenly laws for him.

Though in this life he had taken Wei Jie’s opportunity, he still needed to prevent this fox girl from being bewitched by Wei Jie’s appearance and becoming infatuated with him.

With this thought, he said indifferently, “Just saw a lustful thief who’s skilled at toying with women. Found it rather disgusting!”

Yu Ling’er looked again, following his gaze, and saw the young man by the lake pressing the woman in his arms to the ground, lowering his head, doing who knows what.

Just then, a scholar carrying a fishing rod ran over from a distance. He stood beside the entangled man and woman, seemingly at a loss, only able to bend down and try to persuade them.

But the man pressing down on the woman showed no restraint at all, still brazenly lying on top of the woman, truly consumed by lust, utterly shameless!

Even if they were mutually willing, to treat a woman so frivolously in broad daylight while others watched – how could he be any decent person?

Yu Ling’er’s eyes filled with disgust as she couldn’t help saying to Qin Lingxiao, “Benefactor, should we go save that woman?”

Qin Lingxiao sneered, “I observe that the woman is with them willingly. If you and I rashly interfere, we might spoil others’ pleasure. You’re currently in a time of focused cultivation – don’t be tainted by worldly vulgarity. Let’s go. The spiritual spring is about to emerge. Let’s return.”

After shamelessly slandering Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao, Qin Lingxiao led Yu Ling’er back to Tushan via the mountain’s secret path.

Tonight, the spiritual spring would emerge – a perfect opportunity. He didn’t want to waste time with boring people. As for Wei Jie, he could deal with him later.

Now speaking of Cui Xiaoxiao, who was being pressed down by Wei Jie, she was convulsing all over, in such pain that she nearly bit through her tongue.

Afraid she would hurt herself, Wei Jie kept pressing her down firmly, gripping her chin as he looked up at the helpless Tang Youshu nearby: “Quick, go find the medicine bottle in the bundle over there! The Yin poison in her body has flared up!”

Hearing this, Tang Youshu hastily threw down the fishing rod in his hands and rushed to where the bundles were placed, rummaging through the medicine the Wei family grandmother had originally given to Xiaoxiao.

After getting the pill out, Wei Jie quickly placed one in Xiaoxiao’s mouth.

It turned out that Xiaoxiao’s poison had suddenly flared up just now, and Wei Jie was afraid she would hurt herself, so he pressed her down firmly. But from a distance, it looked like a man and woman shamelessly frolicking, allowing Qin Lingxiao to slander them thoroughly.

Xiaoxiao, tortured by the suddenly flaring Yin poison, was already drenched in sweat and could only collapse weakly in Wei Jie’s arms.

This was Wei Jie’s first time seeing Xiaoxiao’s poison flare up. Though grandmother’s medicine had reduced the frequency of the Demon Pearl’s Yin poison attacks, once it flared up, it was still very tormenting.

Wei Jie carefully wiped the sweat from Xiaoxiao’s forehead, then asked in a low voice, “How do you feel? Is there anywhere else uncomfortable?”

After the medicine took effect, Xiaoxiao finally breathed a slow sigh of relief and struggled to sit up from Wei Jie’s embrace.

Just now, she hadn’t expected the Yin poison to flare up again while she was “wiping” Wei Jie’s face.

Though she had taken the Wei family grandmother’s medicine, reducing the frequency of poison attacks, it seemed like damming a flood – the more it was blocked, the more toxic it became. This delayed attack felt even more domineering.

The pain she was suffering now should be what Wei Jie had endured back then. She just didn’t know how he had resolved it and was finally able to force out the demonic turbid qi, transforming it into the Demon Pearl.

When she rolled up her sleeve to look at the patterns the Demon Pearl manifested on her arm, she discovered those lines had become scale-like patterns, looking quite terrifying.

Xiaoxiao stared at those scales, inexplicably feeling that something terrible was about to happen. If she let this Demon Pearl continue possessing her body, would she eventually become like Wei Jie’s original half-human, half-snake form?

Seeing her attack looking too pitiful, Wei Jie put away his mischievous thoughts and stopped teasing his little master.

He spread his spare clothes on the ground for Xiaoxiao to lie down and rest, then went fishing with Tang Youshu, planning to stew some fish soup for Xiaoxiao later to nourish her.

Xiaoxiao was heavy with worry, half-lying with eyes closed in meditation. When she opened her eyes, she saw the green mountains across the lake.

The sun was setting now, with slanted rays hitting halfway up the mountain. When the sunlight hit a depression in the mountain, it happened to illuminate a stone.

She squinted at that stone – no matter how she looked at it, it seemed like a fox. But this light lasted only a moment. When she mentioned it to Wei Jie and Tang Youshu, both said they hadn’t seen any stone.

Xiaoxiao knew her eyesight was different from ordinary people. Since they couldn’t see it, it meant she was seeing a mountain anomaly.

This scene… coincided with another adventure described in her master’s secret manual.

Master had said that after becoming Wei Jie’s disciple, he had once seen his master inadvertently save a fox girl, thus gaining the opportunity to drink from a spiritual spring, better suppressing the discomfort brought by the exchanged snake blood. Moreover, Wei Jie’s power advanced by leaps and bounds because of this, achieving the effect of a thousand li in a day.

That Fox Mountain seemed to be called Tuyun Mountain. At the entrance to Tuyun Mountain, there was a fox stone that would be illuminated by the setting sun at dusk, emitting light.

Xiaoxiao suddenly sat up. Was heaven seeing that she had suffered too much, and especially guiding her to Tuyun Mountain?

She quickly pulled out the secret manual and read it carefully, discovering that the time for this spiritual spring to emerge seemed to be exactly tonight!

If she could drink the spiritual spring water, it would alleviate the pain of the Yin poison attacks. Time was of the essence – they needed to quickly find the entrance to Tuyun Mountain.

Unfortunately, this time, because of her appearance, she had changed part of Wei Jie’s trajectory. Wei Jie didn’t seem to have saved a fox girl as in the previous life to gain the benefit of entering the mountain.

But now with her Yin poison flaring up, she could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive. Master had said that the fox girl was infatuated with Wei Jie – perhaps with a handsome man leading the way, they could persuade that fox girl to give them a ladle of spiritual spring water.

Thinking this, Xiaoxiao immediately sat up and pointed to the mountain across the lake: “Let’s go. We’re spending the night on the mountain tonight!”

When the grand-master spoke, disciples and grand-disciples naturally obeyed.

However, after they entered the mountain and circled the mountainside six times, Tang Youshu stared at the seemingly familiar large tree before them and couldn’t help saying, “We seem to have passed this big tree before… Master, are we lost?”

Wei Jie held up the torch and looked at the tree. There were still scratch marks he had carved with his dagger when passing by earlier…

Tang Youshu suddenly remembered something and whispered to Wei Jie, “Master, when I went to buy fishing rods in the nearby village earlier, the villagers seemed to tell me that this Tuyun Mountain couldn’t be climbed – there are ghost walls here…”

Ghost walls, as the name suggests, no matter how many marks you made, you couldn’t escape the ghostly barriers and would be trapped to death on the mountain.

Wei Jie looked at his beloved disciple and laughed coldly, “Such an unimportant matter – you could have mentioned it later, like when we’re exhausted to death on the mountain!”

Tang Youshu fell to his knees with a thud, his face full of shame: “Master! It’s all this disciple’s fault. At the time, I was only focused on buying fishing rods from the villagers and thought it was just ignorant peasant talk. Who knew this Tushan was so evil!”