So even though Cui Xiaoxiao was now studying earnestly, it was merely cramming at the last minute and utterly useless!

After the three senior disciples finished eating, they didn’t accompany the sect leader in her diligent studies, but went to the adjacent guest room to rest.

Once they left the dining hall, Ji Wuqi immediately began complaining: “Master was wise all his life, so why did he become confused at his deathbed and give the Talismonger Sect to this female swindler who just joined?”

Originally, when they followed Master traveling around Ling Mountain, they encountered a pair claiming to be refugees—a father and daughter. The man insisted on selling his daughter to Master as a servant, but they were a pair of thieves attempting to steal their silver while they slept.

Not only that, but the old male swindler was most vicious. Seeing that Master was alert and his attempts repeatedly failed, evil arose from his courage, and he tried to put poison in their tea to kill the master and the disciples. Fortunately, the female swindler’s conscience wasn’t completely dead, and she secretly knocked over the tea.

After Master saw through their scheme and subdued the two, he gave all his money to that male swindler, truly buying this Cui Xiaoxiao. Even though this female swindler tried to escape several times with her terrible record, Master never treated her harshly.

Ji Wuqi could still understand Master wanting to convert worldly people and reform female thieves. But Master passing the sect leader position to this female thief was completely incomprehensible.

Whenever he thought of this female thief’s stubbornness when she first entered the sect—talking back to Master and telling lies constantly—Ji Wuqi’s anger flared up.

It would be better if tonight were more dangerous! It would be perfect to let this female swindler know that the position of Talismonger Sect leader wasn’t something any cat or dog could handle. If she could be scared into disappearing without a word, that would be truly satisfying!

Second Senior Sister Jiang Nanmu brought an oil lamp to the diligent young sect leader. The sun was gradually setting, and the light was dim, requiring candles for illumination.

“Sect Leader junior sister, you needn’t worry too much. With the three of us here, you won’t need to take action at all.”

Cui Xiaoxiao looked up at Second Senior Sister, who had always been kind to her, smiled slightly, and suddenly changed the topic: “How old is that Jiuxuan Sword Sect leader, and what does he look like?”

Jiang Nanmu was stunned for a moment before replying: “This person has always been elusive like a dragon. It’s said he constantly cultivates in seclusion at his sect, and is only years away from transcending tribulation and ascending. As for what he looks like… I’ve never actually seen him.”

Although her own master, Tang Youshu, had once apprenticed alongside Qin Lingxiao, strictly speaking, Qin Lingxiao could be considered her martial uncle.

But ever since Qin Lingxiao killed his master to prove his way, slaying the Demon Lord master Wei Jie, most of the disciples under that former demon’s seat had gone their separate ways and never contacted each other until death.

Xiaoxiao nodded thoughtfully: “I see those sword sect disciples all have red lotus lines on their foreheads… I wonder what status in the sword sect someone with eight red lines would have?”

Jiang Nanmu helped her adjust the oil lamp brighter and said casually, “Those lotus marks represent the manifestation of the sword sect’s true qi cultivation. In all the world, someone who could have eight red lotus lines would probably only be the sword sect’s founding sect leader Qin Lingxiao…”

Cui Xiaoxiao nodded in understanding and asked no more. At this time, the night grew deeper, and the two chatting women didn’t notice that on the roof beam of the dim room, several silkworms had somehow crawled up and were writhing their bodies, slowly spitting silk and wrapping around the beam…

After eating and drinking their fill, it was time to work hard for the benefactor who provided the meal!

When the night drum struck the hour of hai, the Talismonger Sect members prepared themselves and, led by a bailiff, arrived at the silk farm located in the county outskirts.

The leading bailiff was still muttering: “I said long ago that this silk farm was cursed. Originally, all the large and small silk farms within a hundred li radius belonged to the Bai family from the east of the county, but unfortunately, the Bai family had no heirs and died out one after another from illness. At the time, people said that their family specialized in the business of extracting cocoons and peeling silk, killing too many lives—this was karmic retribution! Look, now that the Jin family has taken over this business, the silk farm has problems again! It’s all because they don’t respect the Silkworm God!”

Cui Xiaoxiao loved to chat. She had also heard various supernatural stories about the silk farm from the gatekeeper during the day, so she asked with great interest: “I also heard that the last young wife of the Bai family was pregnant, but unfortunately, she seemed to be unfaithful and was caught and drowned in a well…”

The bailiff looked at this immortal lady admiringly: “You’ve only just arrived in our Fei County, yet you understand so clearly! Your supernatural abilities are truly remarkable! However… that lady wasn’t said to be drowned, but was locked in a woodshed and burned alive…”

Hearing this, Cui Xiaoxiao became excited and widened her eyes: “Such a thing happened!”

The bailiff immediately perked up and whispered proudly: “Ordinary people don’t know this! It’s said that the Bai family woman had an affair with someone, and even the child in her belly wasn’t the Bai family’s… Ah, that woodshed was piled with a lot of dried tobacco leaves, and somehow caught fire. The smell lingered for three days. Sigh, it was also dry season—who knows how the fire started! Oh, right, the place that burned isn’t far from here. I heard from the Bai family servants that nobody was found in the woodshed—don’t know if that’s true or false.”

While chatting like this, they arrived at the silk farm.

The silk farm’s main gate was tightly closed, and rows of mulberry trees around the courtyard appeared somewhat eerie and desolate under the hazy half-moon.

When they pushed open the sealed door, countless moths suddenly flew out from inside. It seemed that because no one had been tending to them, those silkworm pupae had transformed into moths, and since the group was carrying lanterns, the moths fluttered toward the entrance.

Second Senior Sister Jiang Nanmu, being a girl, had a natural aversion to these flying insects and couldn’t help but cover her face and cry out softly.

Ji Wuqi quickly drew out a talisman, silently recited incantations, and soon his palms transformed into fire, burning those moths to nothing.

Cui Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but praise: “Senior Brother, you can summon true fire!”

Hearing these words, Ji Wuqi was very proud. Unlike Junior Brother A’Yi’s deceptive illusions, Ji Wuqi had been in the sect the longest and could already skillfully utilize the power of water and fire among the five elements—this wasn’t mere trickery!

In the faint fragrant smell of burnt cocoons, Cui Xiaoxiao slightly narrowed her big eyes. Just now, in that sky full of firelight, she seemed to have seen something.

But when Cui Xiaoxiao mentioned it, the other people all said they hadn’t seen anything. Ji Wuqi said harshly, “If you’re afraid, don’t come in. Don’t put on mysterious airs and say frightening things!”

After speaking, he took the lead and walked in.

But after just a few steps, Ji Wuqi stopped again, because the path ahead was blocked by sheets of silkworm silk like barriers, making it impossible to step through.

Just then, voices came from behind: “It seems you simply won’t listen to advice and have come to die in vain. You don’t know your limitations!”

The Talismonger Sect people turned to look and saw that group of ethereally-robed Jiuxuan Sword Sect disciples had come again.

At this time, they were still dressed in flowing white robes, but in the pitch-black night, their bodies emanated a faint white light—this was the Tiangang spiritual light emanating from their dantian, which could not only illuminate but also resist sword and blade attacks.

Such cultivation was truly enviable. Even the lowest disciples in the Jiuxuan Sword Sect, with only two lotus curve lines on their foreheads, could become outstanding members if they went to other sects or schools!

Cui Xiaoxiao searched among the disciples behind and once again saw that disciple with a clean, unmarked forehead. However, this time, there was a pretty woman beside him, dressed in black fitted clothing, looking like a female cultivator.

The leading sword sect’s eldest disciple, Jiang Zheng, looked straight ahead, too lazy to pay attention to the unworthy Talismonger Sect. He pulled out a compass from his robe, quickly surveyed the surroundings following the rotation of the yin-yang fish, then instructed: “This place indeed has heavy demonic qi. Everyone, be alert and quickly find the hidden demon. But be careful not to harm what’s inside its body… You understand, right?”

After speaking, the sword sect disciples scattered in all directions like heavenly immortals.

Their bodies emitted faint spiritual light shields, and they gracefully wielded spirit swords to slice through those entangling silkworm threads, wanting to quickly enter the silk farm’s courtyard.

Ji Wuqi was very displeased with the sword sect disciples’ showing off.

Among the Talismonger Sect disciples, Ji Wuqi had the strongest power, so he immediately tried to gather his dantian energy, wanting to make his body emit some spiritual light too.

Unfortunately, he had eaten too much at dinner, and with this slight exertion, he couldn’t control it properly. Loud farting sounds exploded in a series throughout the courtyard…

The three senior disciples very tacitly scattered simultaneously. For that moment, their solid fellowship wavered slightly as they wanted to temporarily distance themselves from Senior Brother.

While Ji Wuqi’s face flushed red in embarrassment, the Jiuxuan Sword Sect disciples were already displaying their supernatural abilities, their white robes flowing, their forms graceful, using sword qi to clear most of the white threads entangled throughout the courtyard.

As the most incompetent one, Cui Xiaoxiao could only watch from the side. But as she watched, her delicate eyebrows slightly frowned, and she called out loudly: “Quickly withdraw your swords, don’t cut anymore!”

Unfortunately, her words carried no weight, and those sword sect disciples continued fluttering about like agile doves.

However, one disciple in the sword sect—that handsome man with the completely smooth forehead—also suddenly called out not long after Cui Xiaoxiao spoke: “Everyone stop!”

It seemed this sword sect disciple’s words carried considerable weight, as those disciples all stopped their actions.

But when they stopped and tried to withdraw the spirit swords in their hands, they suddenly discovered that their swords were entangled with countless fine threads. These threads, even in the thick darkness of night, still flickered with strange spiritual light, as if they had absorbed spiritual energy and kept flashing.

Some disciples had already channeled their qi to withdraw their swords. When the spirit swords formed from true qi were withdrawn, those clinging glowing threads followed them into their bodies. Those disciples suddenly widened their eyes and let out wails, their skin rapidly withering like soil losing moisture.

Seeing this, the other disciples quickly drew their swords to cut those threads that sucked human essence, but the more they cut, the more appeared. Soon, their spirit swords were densely wrapped in threads like cocoons.

Quickly, their hands were also covered by the threads, and they all began showing signs of having their essence extracted.

That sword sect disciple with the smooth forehead suddenly raised his hand, and ten thousand Tiangang qi needles emerged from his palm, attacking those disciples.

When the qi needles struck those disciples, they deflated like pig bladders, their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed unconscious. The spiritual threads wrapped around them seemed to sense no more true qi and loosened one after another.

The leading eldest disciple, watching those disciples collapse one after another, couldn’t help but say painfully, “Master… you’ve destroyed their sword qi cultivation!”

That handsome sword sect man with the smooth forehead said: “I didn’t expect that demon to nourish itself on cultivators’ spiritual energy and has already gained power. If I hadn’t sealed their true qi cultivation, not only would their lives be difficult to preserve, but after the demon absorbed enough true qi, it would be even harder to deal with… After returning, give them Qi-Stabilizing Pills to slowly replenish their internal energy deficiency.”

“Not necessarily. Your method could very well ruin their cultivation foundation. Even if they take immortal pills and miraculous medicines, they’ll find it difficult to reach the Yuan Ying Golden Core realm in the future!” Ji Wuqi had seen everything clearly from the side. Seeing this person act so ruthlessly toward his fellow disciples, he immediately spoke mockingly.

Hearing this, that handsome man slowly cast his gaze over, looking coldly at Ji Wuqi. His gaze was like needles, actually causing Ji Wuqi’s unfinished words to become completely stuck in his throat.

The leading eldest disciple seemed unable to bear outsiders criticizing his fellow disciples and angrily drew his sword to teach the talkative Ji Wuqi a lesson.

But just then, Cui Xiaoxiao stared fixedly ahead and said softly: “It’s too late, that demon has already fed itself full…”