What this ghost doctor sought throughout his life was people’s admiration and praise. Even though he remained a quack doctor, and the medical skills he borrowed were merely the power of demons, he could still immerse himself in this illusion, unable to extricate himself.

But now, this girl was looking at him with cold disdain, as if looking at stinking water in a gutter.

That contemptuous sideways glance reminded him of his sister glaring at his foolish, incompetent self, who had caused their father’s death…

At this moment, he became fearful due to his guilty conscience, crying with tears streaming down his face. In an instant, he was beaten back to his original form, returning to his former unconfident self.

“Please, let me treat your illness. I’ll be careful and absolutely won’t kill anyone again…”

Xiaoxiao watched his mad and erratic behavior, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: The physical ailments may be difficult to treat, but now it seems the hardest thing to cure is the human heart.

In her view, the one who most needed treatment was this quack doctor who borrowed demonic possession to satisfy his vain vanity!

However, after crying for a while, the ghost doctor suddenly thought of something and looked up with a sly smile: “No, you don’t dare kill me! Besides me, no one in this world can cure your arm. Tsk tsk, wounds from heavenly punishment – it seems you’re not a good person either. Why pretend to be a saint in front of me?”

Xiaoxiao also smiled as she moved closer, simultaneously pressing her sword tightly against his throat: “Is that so? If that’s truly the case, I’d rather cut off my arm than need someone as vicious as you to treat it!”

Having said this, she swung her precious sword, about to pierce the youth’s Ghost Palace acupoint. Once struck, the demon possessing his body would be forcibly stripped away.

But just then, the main gate of this ghostly alley courtyard was violently burst open.

A large group of people wielding swords and blades rushed into the courtyard.

Xiaoxiao turned to look – oh, they were all old acquaintances!

She saw the forces of the Four Great Sects gathered once again in the small alleys of Luoyi.

The leader was the long-bearded elder from Wumu Peak. Upon seeing Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao, he immediately frowned: “How is it you two again? What are you doing here? Could it be… You killed all those people outside?”

Xiaoxiao quickly pointed to the youth under her sword: “You’ve got it wrong, this person is the real culprit!”

It turned out the Three Great Sects had received a letter from Lingyun Pavilion, saying they had discovered something strange in Luoyi City – every Zhongyuan Festival, evil demons would go on killing sprees at the vegetable market entrance.

It happened that last year, a relative of a Wumu Peak disciple had come seeking medical treatment and also became a victim. At the time, they didn’t understand why he had fallen dead in Luoyi’s streets.

Now, having seen Lingyun Pavilion’s letter, that disciple tearfully pleaded before the elders, begging his fellow disciples to investigate the truth. Such demon-slaying and evil-eliminating matters were naturally the duty of the Four Great Sects.

This time, the Four Great Sects assembled a great army to crusade against evil demons, calculated the timing precisely, and rushed over to investigate.

Upon arriving, they discovered there seemed to be a demonic aura here, plus a “Nineteenth Lane” that didn’t exist in the city.

Unexpectedly, when they stormed in along the corpse-strewn alley, they found Wei Jie and his Talismonger Sect master Cui Xiaoxiao.

Last time at Qilao Mountain, the Four Great Sects had an unpleasant encounter with these two. They never expected to meet them again this time.

When the elder heard Cui Xiaoxiao say the killer was the youth she was threatening with her sword, he frowned suspiciously.

Now that youth looked sickly, thin as a skeleton, pale and tearful – he didn’t look capable of killing anyone.

As for the ghost doctor, seeing people burst in, he immediately cried out: “Help! I was coerced into this courtyard by these two people. They said consulting a ghost doctor required live human sacrifices… they… they want to use me as an offering!”

Hearing this, several disciples from Miaoxian Mountain immediately shouted angrily: “Wei Jie! You demon, so vicious! You and your master are truly in league with each other!”

With someone taking the lead, others joined in the commotion. For a moment, emotions ran high, as if they were about to immediately capture this master-disciple pair from the Talismonger Sect. The insults became increasingly excessive.

Wei Jie always had a carefree, devil-may-care attitude, but Xiaoxiao now understood what some of his subtle expressions meant.

For instance, now that his eyes were curved, but the right corner of his mouth lifted first, he looked like he was smiling, but he was truly angry!

Xiaoxiao saw that these Four Great Sects people indeed hadn’t improved at all, galloping forward on the road to seeking death.

According to the original trajectory from two hundred years ago, these people should have come to Luoyi City some days later to encircle Wei Jie’s succubus mother, then engage in a fierce battle with Wei Jie.

But now, they had come to Luoyi City early and encountered them in this ghost alley, which was vastly different from the previous trajectory.

She wondered what had gone wrong again.

However, the Four Great Sects misunderstood the Talismonger Sect disciples of sacrificing living people – such a disgraceful accusation couldn’t be borne!

Thinking of this, Xiaoxiao hesitated no more and thrust her sword toward the Ghost Palace point of the lying youth.

Yu Tiandou’s gemstone was saturated with heavenly punishment energy. When the sword light pierced the acupoint, it was like heavenly punishment descending.

The youth ghost doctor immediately couldn’t withstand it. As his eyes rolled back, his hands scattered red dust, attempting a final desperate struggle.

That originally pale face revealed a skull’s grimace, then rapidly showed wrinkles, instantly transforming from a young man into a walnut-skinned old man.

Anyone with eyes could see this was a sign of human-demon separation. This youth had been possessed by a demon for quite some time!

So much so that after separation, the youth immediately aged rapidly, sobbing and crying: “No… don’t abandon me… I don’t want to become a quack again. I’ll help you kill more people! I’m not willing…”

Crying to the end, he finally whimpered and died. From his bleeding nostrils escaped a spider-like insect.

After emerging from the nostrils, the insect inflated like a balloon to fist size, topped with a disheveled face.

The demon quickly swept its gaze around the circle. Suddenly, its eyes showed wild joy, and without hesitation, it rushed toward Wei Jie, crying out joyfully: “Such a perfect body for becoming a demon! Quick, I’ll help you fulfill your wishes…”

But Wei Jie just stood there steadily, with no intention of dodging.

Just as the demon spider shot out demonic silk and was about to reach Wei Jie, Cui Xiaoxiao moved quickly, slashing with her sword and cleaving the large spider in two.

The moment Xiaoxiao slayed the demon, the continuously unhealed wound on her arm seemed to improve significantly…

It appeared that slaying demons and eliminating evil counted as a meritorious deed, seemingly offsetting heavenly punishment’s wrath and allowing her wound to heal considerably.

The moment this possessing demon died, the alley it had conjured also suddenly vanished.

Everyone was now back at the vegetable market entrance in eastern Luoyi City, surrounded by closed shops.

On the ground lay the hunters who had killed each other earlier, along with the ghost doctor’s withered corpse.

Among the Four Great Sects’ disciples, quite a few had inhaled the red demonic dust the ghost doctor scattered before dying. Now the poison took effect, and they became murderous, actually chasing and attacking their fellow disciples.

Fortunately, the leading elders of each sect were experienced. They pressed their Gong Shou acupoints and knocked them to the ground.

Now Xiaoxiao didn’t need to say anything – the facts slapped the Four Great Sects in the face.

The Four Great Sects had their accusations stuck in their throats, not knowing where to direct their spite.

The elder from Wumu Peak was the first to recover, cleared his throat, and said: “In demon-slaying matters, one mustn’t act recklessly alone. If your Talismonger Sect had informed us Four Great Sects beforehand, we could have avoided needless misunderstandings!”

Xiaoxiao sheathed her long sword, slightly raised her chin, and said with sudden realization: “I see. Elder sir, my disciple and I have learned our lesson!”

The elder had originally been making conversation to save face. Who knew this little girl from the Talismonger Sect wouldn’t make a fuss, but laughingly go along with his words, making it impossible to continue shamelessly criticizing them.

Speaking of which, the master and disciple had slain demons and upheld justice, doing nothing wrong. Instead, they had first committed verbal sins, cursing the master-disciple pair without cause.

Just then, as in the previous life’s trajectory, night watchmen passing by saw the bodies everywhere and a group of armed people, and in fright, hurriedly began striking their bronze gongs.

Thus, a large group of soldiers came rushing over, surrounding them.

At this moment, just past midnight, their commotion echoed through the empty streets.

Under the cover of night, a white-robed man standing on a tall building’s rooftop took in all of Xiaoxiao and the others’ conversation, and the ancient precious sword in Xiaoxiao’s hand also entered his sight.

This sword… wasn’t it “Yu Tiandou”? It should have been Wei Jie’s sword – how had it fallen into Cui Xiaoxiao’s hands?

This man was precisely Qin Lingxiao. As the final owner of this ancient sword two hundred years later, he was shocked and furious!

Wei Jie’s visit to the ghost doctor had been within his expectations.

Although in the original trajectory, he hadn’t become Wei Jie’s disciple at this time and wasn’t in Luoyi City.

But Qin Lingxiao clearly remembered Tang Youshu once telling him that after Wei Jie’s arm was severed at Qilao Mountain, he came to Luoyi City to find the ghost doctor for treatment. Moreover, that ghost doctor was very effective – after Wei Jie returned from seeking treatment alone, his severed arm had healed.

Although later it was said that the ghost doctor seemed to have been killed by Wei Jie and never appeared again.

But Tang Youshu didn’t know the process in between.

However, Wei Jie’s committing murder in Luoyi City was true. Although Wei Jie later gained Lord Can’s favor and escaped responsibility for the massacre.

But when Qin Lingxiao heard Tang Youshu casually mention this incident, he ground his teeth, feeling Wei Jie killed like hemp, his sins overwhelming.

If he had been in Luoyi City then, he would never have let this demon escape justice!

Having left Tuyun Mountain early, Qin Lingxiao didn’t know about Xiaoxiao taking most of Wei Jie’s heavenly punishment.

After leaving Fox Mountain, he returned to Lingyun Pavilion, using the spiritual spring’s power to condense his core while deducing that as long as Wei Jie suffered heavenly punishment, he would still come to Luoyi seeking medical treatment as in the previous trajectory.

In his view, Wei Jie’s killing people to obtain exclusive treatment rights was perfectly normal.

But this time, Wei Jie wouldn’t be so lucky as before, gaining noble protection and not bearing responsibility for murder.

Only if people saw this nobody’s viper heart early could they join together to eliminate this scoundrel!

So Qin Lingxiao used methods to deliberately leak the ghost doctor’s secrets, gathering the Four Great Sects early to Luoyi City, hoping to corner the murderous demon before Wei Jie’s severed arm could be reattached.

But why had everything gone awry again? Wei Jie, who should have received treatment, had now become Cui Xiaoxiao with the injured arm.

Moreover, they hadn’t let the ghost doctor treat them. Cui Xiaoxiao had used her precious sword to force the ghost doctor to reveal his demonic form, exposing the ghost doctor’s trap of killing those seeking treatment, then personally slaying the real culprit before the Four Great Sects!

This… wasn’t this completely different from the original trajectory?

Watching that Wumu Peak elder again confusedly acting as peacemaker, Qin Lingxiao felt a surge of anger!

Damn Cui Xiaoxiao! She must be causing trouble again! Did she want to support Wei Jie in becoming a famous hero?

Seeing more and more soldiers gathering in the marketplace, Qin Lingxiao knew going down would be useless. He angrily clenched his fists, signaled the Lingyun Pavilion disciples to withdraw, then turned and left the tall building.

Just then, those soldiers also heard everyone’s explanations. They saw the ghost doctor’s withered, terrifying corpse.

The city had murders every year with no clues. The soldiers had long suspected ghostly mischief. Now, seeing a group of immortal-looking cultivators gathered, plus that hideous corpse, the story became somewhat believable.

Wumu Peak had many disciples, some making their living in Luoyi City. Some even knew the leading soldiers. With such connections and negotiations, things became easier.

However, those soldiers dared not make arbitrary decisions and could only detain everyone temporarily, then report to Lord Can.

This time, as in the previous life’s trajectory, Lord Can, who loved associating with extraordinary people, heard about it and immediately asked who had slain the demon, then invited the Talismonger Sect’s two demon-slayers, Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao, to his mansion for a meeting.

Of course, Lord Can also graciously invited the Four Great Sects along.

However, among the Four Great Sects, Lingyun Pavilion’s disciples always took the path of remaining untainted by worldly dust. Using the excuse that their young pavilion master had ordered them to report back immediately, they departed elegantly.

As for the other three sects, they happily accepted the invitation to be honored guests, entering the mansion for wine.

By now, it was past midnight. In a few hours, it would be dawn, but Lord Can seemed to have been awake all night, even personally coming to the gate to welcome them with courtesy befitting scholars.

Since Xiaoxiao had slain the demon, after hearing the soldiers’ introductions, Lord Can couldn’t help examining this fairy heroine up and down.

Only this heroine looked too young. When her large eyes smiled gently and warmly, she gave off a delicate, gentle feeling. It was hard to imagine her slender arms wielding a sword to slay demons.

Instead, the tall, handsome, unrestrained man beside her looked strong-armed and vigorous, with purple eyes showing faint brilliance, even carrying an intimidating aura…

Examining Wei Jie’s light purple eyes, Lord Can smiled even more amiably.

After Xiaoxiao bowed, she also looked up to examine this young prince.

This beloved brother of the current emperor, Lord Can, appeared to be under thirty, refined and elegant, carrying royal nobility, yet his speech and manner were quite approachable.

He highly praised Xiaoxiao and the Four Great Sects’ chivalrous hearts for eliminating harm to Luoyi City’s people, so he would host a great feast on behalf of all citizens to thank the extraordinary individuals!

The demon was slain by Cui Xiaoxiao, so this honor should go entirely to the Talismonger Sect master and disciple.

But Xiaoxiao discovered that besides cultivating the dantian’s qi, the skill of eloquence was also profound.

Among the three sects, that smooth elder from Wumu Peak was most vivid in storytelling.

Stroking his long beard with an immortal bearing, he detailed how his sect’s disciples had worked hard in Luoyi City for years, spreading informants everywhere to investigate the ghost alley. Hearing this, Lord Can nodded approvingly and personally offered toasts.

Even Xiaoxiao, the person involved, vaguely felt that her lucky killing of the ghost doctor was entirely due to Wumu Peak’s hard preparation work.

So within a few drinks, Xiaoxiao, this unknown small sect leader, quickly had her spotlight overshadowed by the other three sects.

That Wumu Peak elder was quite enthusiastic about worldly affairs, enjoying connections with nobles. He got along well with Lord Can, even presenting him with two Golden Cores he had just refined.

The Four Great Cultivation Sects had resounding reputations with many famous heroes among their disciples. Lord Can was also pleased to associate with them, toasting and drinking in a harmonious atmosphere.

Xiaoxiao didn’t need to socialize with nobles, which was quite comfortable for her. She had spent a night in the ghost alley and was truly hungry.

The prince’s mansion feast was full of delicacies not ordinarily available.

Just as she picked up chopsticks to take food, Wei Jie kicked her leg under the table again.

Having learned her lesson at the Wei family, as soon as her disciple kicked, Xiaoxiao immediately put down her chopsticks and looked at Wei Jie.

She suddenly remembered that when Lord Can offered toasts earlier, the wine cups he handed her were all intercepted by Wei Jie.

However, Wei Jie’s excuse was tactful, saying his master’s arm hadn’t fully healed and couldn’t be contaminated by alcohol. Could it be… he saw something wrong with the wine and food?

Wei Jie smiled at her as if praising his master for being teachable, but didn’t explain.

Just then, Lord Can suddenly asked with concern: “Miss Cui, why haven’t you touched your chopsticks? Is the food not to your taste?”

Xiaoxiao quickly smiled: “How could the prince’s mansion delicacies not be delicious? It’s just that my disciple and I are currently in the grain-abstaining qi cultivation stage and dare not touch food. Please don’t blame us, Your Highness.”

She felt that, having clarified they weren’t murderous demons, there was no point in continuing this drinking and dining. She excused herself, saying her arm was still somewhat injured and she was quite tired, wanting to take early leave to rest.

Lord Can saw her sleeves were indeed still bloodstained and didn’t detain her much, but the reward money couldn’t be refused.

So after Xiaoxiao politely declined resting at the mansion, Lord Can had guards escort the two heroes home with chests of gold and silver.

Having grown accustomed to living off her disciples and grand-disciples, Xiaoxiao was pleased to earn money herself today and didn’t refuse. After thanking Lord Can, she left the mansion with Wei Jie.

However, as they passed through the long corridor toward the mansion’s main gate, Xiaoxiao glimpsed someone watching them from a distant tall building.

When she turned to look, in that moonlit building, a skirt seemed to flutter as a woman with a long trailing dress entered the building.

That woman’s silhouette was graceful, making one unable to look away. She seemed to be the veiled woman from the tavern that day.

Xiaoxiao immediately looked at Wei Jie. He was also looking at that building, his gaze cold, his lips pressed tight.

But he quickly came back to himself, lowering his head to tell Xiaoxiao: “Let’s go. Your grand-disciples are still waiting for us.”

Xiaoxiao nodded without speaking.

She suspected that woman was the singing girl who had sung that heart-stirring song, and further suspected she was Wei Jie’s birth mother, the succubus Siling.

Last time, she had gone to the tavern to sing for Lord Can. Now she appeared in the prince’s mansion, clearly already the prince’s beloved.

But if she was truly Siling, she wasn’t submitting to Lord Can’s power to shelter herself here – she must have ulterior motives.

Thinking of the succubus’s deep hatred for the Four Great Sects, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help looking back at the brightly lit hall.

In this life, the Four Great Sects had come to Luoyi City early, and now the three sects’ elders were all drinking with the prince.

That succubus hated the Four Great Sects to the bone. Could she be doing something now?

Wei Jie was preventing her from eating the feast’s food and wine – had they all been tampered with by Siling?

And Wei Jie’s deep gaze earlier… had he recognized that woman as his mother?

Thinking of the original trajectory’s events, if the succubus ultimately encountered the Four Great Sects and unfortunately died, wouldn’t Wei Jie fall into bloody vengeance and massacre the Four Great Sects?

But if it truly was so, she should be happy, because only then could everything disordered return to the right track, and she could retire successfully.

But Xiaoxiao found her heart felt weighed down by a stone, unable to feel happy at all.

Back, Xiaoxiao remained silent, and the man beside her also seemed preoccupied, only accompanying her in silence.

When they reached the inn entrance, Xiaoxiao suddenly didn’t want to go in. She turned to ask Wei Jie: “Are you… hungry?”

Wei Jie nodded and said, “The shops aren’t open at this hour. I’ll go to the kitchen to find some food.”

After he returned carrying a small wine jar and a bowl of braised beef from the inn’s kitchen, he led her up to the inn’s rooftop to eat a midnight snack under the moon.

Even without Xiaoxiao saying so, Wei Jie knew she was hungry.

On the way back, Wei Jie had heard the grain-abstaining immortal master’s stomach growling several times, almost rivaling a crowing rooster.

Xiaoxiao took the braised beef and bit off a large piece, then asked: “Why did you kick my leg at the mansion earlier? Was there poison in Lord Can’s food?”

But Wei Jie raised his eyebrows and shook his head: “…I was just afraid your eating manner would be unseemly and frighten the prince.”

Hearing this absurd explanation, Xiaoxiao stared wide-eyed, the beef in her puffed cheeks unable to be swallowed.

Seeing Xiaoxiao’s rare, embarrassed appearance, Wei Jie burst into hearty laughter. But before he finished laughing, Xiaoxiao had already viciously swallowed the beef in her mouth, then bit off another large piece from his portion.

Bad thing! Making her miss a delicious feast! Did he think she wouldn’t eat after being mocked like this?

Wei Jie, afraid she’d choke, laughingly poured her a cup of wine.

Too much had happened tonight. But when this little girl faced that demon-possessed ghost doctor, boldly saying she’d rather sever her arm than let him treat her, it truly made Wei Jie look at her with new respect.

So after joking, he casually said: “I always heard you say the Talismonger Sect’s principle is slaying demons and eliminating evil. I never expected you, this little sect leader, would have substance when it mattered, much better than those Four Great Sects who fish for fame.”

Xiaoxiao drained a cup of wine, tilted her head, and said: “Then I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Wei Jie’s smile gradually faded. His purple eyes slightly narrowed as he quietly watched her, suddenly saying in a low voice: “Then if one day… I became a demon, would Master also unhesitatingly raise her sword to eliminate the demon?”