Qin Lingxiao’s eyes widened as he stared at the young man ahead, who looked exactly like him, thinking: Were they all looking into an enormous mirror?

But he quickly realized something was wrong. The surroundings of those shadow-like figures weren’t the same shops around them at all!

To be safe, he had already summoned his qi sword, suspended in the air, vigilantly watching the group of “people” approaching.

Just then, the leading “Qin Lingxiao” across from them also summoned his qi sword, suddenly showing a fierce expression and lunging toward them.

Accompanying “him” were “Cui Xiaoxiao” and “Yu Ling’er,” along with several fox clan members and a group of Lingyun Pavilion “people.”

This… wasn’t their reflection at all!

Xiaoxiao silently cursed and could only steel herself to meet their attacks, fighting with the fakes.

When they engaged in combat, Qin Lingxiao’s heart relaxed somewhat.

Although the fake “Qin Lingxiao” looked exactly like him and used identical moves, seeming to know all his techniques and weaknesses, constantly attacking his martial arts’ vulnerable points.

However, the opponent’s spiritual power controlling the qi sword was far too weak! Not nearly enough to contend with him.

If this were the case, he could defeat this fake within three to five moves!

The others felt similarly to Qin Lingxiao. These fakes across from them seemed to lack inner strength and posed no real threat!

But Cui Xiaoxiao’s experience was completely different!

A demon pearl had been sleeping within her body, and only when her spiritual platform’s true qi balanced with the demon pearl’s demonic nature could she suppress it.

But the moment she crossed swords with the fake Cui Xiaoxiao, the demon pearl screamed at the top of its lungs: “Fool, stop fighting with it! If you keep fighting, you’ll run out of spiritual power!”

Even without its warning, Xiaoxiao had noticed. The moment they engaged in combat, she felt her spiritual platform’s qi leaking out bit by bit like water from a broken gourd.

Just as she retreated, the fake also retreated, staring at Xiaoxiao with vigilance.

Xiaoxiao silently said to the demon pearl, “You seem quite concerned about me…”

The demon pearl snorted: “I only took a nap, and you brought me to such a dangerous place. It would be one thing if you were killed by the fake, but these are all illusions condensed into fake people! If you die, who would I possess? Wouldn’t I be trapped here to death?”

Xiaoxiao suddenly understood. She and the demon pearl were now grasshoppers tied to the same rope; no wonder the demon pearl was so frantic.

When she looked up again, the groups were already fighting, completely indistinguishable from each other.

However, she could see that of the two sides that had been evenly matched, one side now showed obvious decline and was increasingly struggling!

Xiaoxiao shouted: “Yu Ling’er!”

One of the Yu Ling’ers who was barely holding on while extending fox claws to scratch people replied dejectedly: “Quick! I can’t hold on much longer!”

Xiaoxiao understood the mechanism and immediately shouted to Qin Lingxiao and the others still fighting: “Stop fighting quickly! They’re activated by the hostility in your hearts to fight you, and they’re absorbing your true qi. The longer you fight, the stronger they become! Quick, recite calming mantras to pacify the killing intent and hostility in your hearts!”

The fox clan trusted Xiaoxiao completely. She was a person of deep fortune – listening to her would be right!

So they immediately stopped fighting and retreated.

Indeed, when the fox clan stopped fighting, those fake foxes also stopped, only licking their claws with lingering satisfaction, as if slowly savoring the spiritual power they had just absorbed.

Their provocative gazes could easily make people lose their reason again.

But Qin Lingxiao and his group seemed not to notice Xiaoxiao’s warning and continued entangling with the fakes.

Finally, Qin Lingxiao’s shoulder was pierced by a qi sword, causing him to grunt in pain.

Xiaoxiao knew that these fake people in the mirror images wouldn’t make sounds.

Hearing this injured one could make sounds; he was probably the real Qin Lingxiao, so she shouted again: “If you still won’t listen to me, you’ll probably die here.”

This time, Qin Lingxiao finally believed in the evil nature of this place. With a command, he brought the Lingyun Pavilion disciples to reluctantly retreat.

But when he retreated, Qin Lingxiao, across from him, still showed fierce intent and pressed forward step by step.

So Xiaoxiao and the others could only follow Qin Lingxiao’s group in retreat, backing up to the entrance of the Temple of the God of Wealth.

Qin Lingxiao covered his injured shoulder and gritted his teeth: “What’s happening? Why is he still following me?”

Xiaoxiao guessed: “Perhaps the hostility in your heart toward him is too strong. This fake is like your reflection in a mirror – if you want to kill him, he wants to eliminate you!”

Qin Lingxiao gritted his teeth, turned his head, closed his eyes, and forced himself to suppress the anger in his heart. Indeed, those fakes stopped in front of the Temple of the God of Wealth and advanced no further.

Xiaoxiao was now afraid that the other groups had encountered the same situation. If they hadn’t discovered the trick, they would definitely fight the mirror images to the end, ultimately exhausting their true qi and dying!

So she ordered several little foxes following her to quickly go in other directions to send messages, lest they fall into a bitter struggle with the fakes!

Seeing Qin Lingxiao bleeding continuously, Xiaoxiao couldn’t just watch him die. They were now in the same boat and needed to break through the formation together.

So she walked over, took out wound medicine from her cloth shoulder bag, and bandaged Qin Lingxiao’s wound.

There was no choice – the Talisman Sect was a ninth-rate cultivation sect with generally low cultivation levels, so when going out, their cloth shoulder bags contained medicine for all kinds of ailments!

Xiaoxiao had grown up fighting in the streets and was often injured, so she was quite skilled at treating wounds. Her slender fingers lightly touched as she evenly sprinkled hemostatic powder into Qin Lingxiao’s torn sleeve, then wrapped it with gauze.

These delicate fingers touching his wound didn’t hurt. Qin Lingxiao couldn’t help but look down at the girl standing beside him.

This girl had long, curved eyelashes and a soft, lovely nose shape. Her profile now looked like jade carved by an artisan. Looking for too long couldn’t help but make one’s heart flutter…

Just then, Yu Ling’er suddenly let out a sharp fox cry, as if someone were stabbing her with a knife: “Ahhhh! What… what are you doing!”

Xiaoxiao looked in the direction of Yu Ling’er’s gaze, confused…

At the entrance of the Temple of the God of Wealth, the fake Qin Lingxiao suddenly embraced the fake Cui Xiaoxiao beside him, then leaned down, and the handsome man and beautiful woman kissed deeply…

Cui Xiaoxiao had never experienced such a situation. Even her clever little brain seemed a bit rusty.

She just felt dumbstruck, her eyes seeming to burn with chili oil…

Mirror images were reflections of one’s true nature.

Xiaoxiao couldn’t believe it as she glared back at Qin Lingxiao – Please! What kind of thoughts were in the mind of this righteous gentleman? Why would that fake act like a lustful ghost, holding and kissing a young girl endlessly?

Qin Lingxiao also seemed not to have expected that the fake could so truthfully reflect his inner thoughts, betraying his momentary flutter of desire.

His face flushed slightly, and he looked back at Xiaoxiao in confusion, then said indignantly: “Why are you looking at me? I’m not him!”

At the same time, the fake Cui Xiaoxiao finally took action.

The girl cleanly gave the fake Young Pavilion Master two resounding slaps, then kicked “Qin Lingxiao” down and viciously added two more kicks!

This time, it was Qin Lingxiao’s turn to stare accusingly at Cui Xiaoxiao.

Xiaoxiao also looked innocent: “Why are you looking at me? I’m not her…”

Just then, the fake Ling’er seemed to have rolled around enough and viciously bared her fox claws to tear at the fake Xiaoxiao.

As a result, the real Xiaoxiao glared at the tearful Yu Ling’er beside her, and the fake fox immediately drooped her ears and didn’t dare move.

Qin Lingxiao didn’t want to dwell on such matters. He took a deep breath and changed the subject: “How long do we have to be trapped here?”

Xiaoxiao was quite embarrassed, too. After all, that fake looked exactly like her, and she vaguely felt she had been violated somehow, but she couldn’t kick the real Qin Lingxiao to the ground.

With Yu Ling’er looking aggrieved and full of jealousy, Xiaoxiao could only try to ease the atmosphere: “The tightly closed city gate we saw earlier should be the real one. Luoyi City has the Wei family’s spies. Such a large formation, they couldn’t fail to notice. If the Wei family and Wei Jie discover something’s wrong, we should be rescued soon.”

Qin Lingxiao seemed to dislike hearing Xiaoxiao praise Wei Jie, so he snorted coldly and corrected her: “As long as my father and the Four Great Sects are safe, no matter how great the evil, they can subdue it! Rather than hoping for a few Wei family tomb guardians, it’s better to wait for the Four Great Sects to come to the rescue.”

Xiaoxiao knew that compared to the Four Great Sects, the demon-subduing Wei family was much more low-key. They had always lived in seclusion, guarding Qilao Mountain, and rarely came to the human realm. Moreover, the Wei family was later annihilated overnight, with no descendants, making them even more silent.

No wonder Qin Lingxiao looked down on the demon-subduing Wei family.

Such cold mockery, calling the Wei family tomb watchers, was quite prevalent among the Four Great Sects.

However, Xiaoxiao didn’t like hearing this. Wei Jie was her disciple after all. How could she let others mock her disciple’s family?

So she deliberately smiled sweetly and whispered in a voice only Qin Lingxiao could hear: “If the Four Great Sects were reliable, why were they played around by Lord Can in the previous life? Hoping for them? Might as well hope for a bundle of firewood!”

Hearing Xiaoxiao’s words, Qin Lingxiao could no longer maintain his composure. He glared at her angrily and whispered back: “Don’t hope for them – are you going to hope for Wei Jie instead? Look at you always hanging around with a demon head like Wei Jie! Don’t you know what he did to the Four Great Sects later? His massacre of Lingyun Pavilion is undeniable! No matter how you defend him, it’s useless!”

Xiaoxiao was about to die of anger and couldn’t help raising her voice: “You have the nerve to mention that! Do I love hanging around with him? If you hadn’t locked me and him together back then, would I have been with him?”

Qin Lingxiao was also very angry and shouted: “You female swindler, don’t argue! You promised to return to Lingyun Pavilion with me a few days ago! Did you do it?”

Just then, a cool voice came from the Temple of the God of Wealth: “So that’s how it is…”

Hearing this familiar voice, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but feel her scalp tingle. She looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a tall man in shining silver armor stepping on the temple threshold with his long legs, coldly watching Cui Xiaoxiao and Qin Lingxiao inside the temple hall.

Xiaoxiao was used to seeing that man in black robes and hadn’t expected that when he wore armor, he would have such a different heroic style!

That waist tightly wrapped in silver armor plates appeared even more upright, and the martial aura diluted the man’s original soft femininity. He looked handsome yet deadly, making one’s legs go weak…

But now wasn’t the leisurely time to admire a beauty under the moon!

Looking at Wei Jie, who had suddenly appeared, and his tense jaw and cold, prominent nose tip, Xiaoxiao wasn’t sure how much he had heard…

Standing beside Wei Jie was Tang Youshu.

Master Tang was also wearing silver armor, but his body was too frail, so the armor hung loosely on him and kept swaying. He still carried his ever-present bamboo basket on his back, naturally unable to achieve his teacher’s handsome and deadly appearance.

Master Tang was standing behind Wei Jie, winking at Xiaoxiao below, looking anxious as if his teacher’s mood wasn’t very good.

Even without Tang Youshu’s hints, Xiaoxiao could guess Wei Jie wasn’t happy.

Because not far behind these teachers and disciples, there were two identical “Wei Jie” and “Tang Youshu” following them.

At this moment, the fake Wei Jie stretched out his long leg and kicked the “Qin Lingxiao” still lying on the ground several more times, then took a few steps to the “Cui Xiaoxiao” whose lips were still red, reached out his hand, and very rudely wiped her mouth…

That roughness made even Xiaoxiao, the original, feel her lips hurt. She couldn’t help covering her mouth and finally couldn’t help shouting at Wei Jie: “That… that’s about enough!”

Being called by his master, Wei Jie seemed to control his emotions.

The fake Wei Jie finally reluctantly let go of “Xiaoxiao.”

Being caught badmouthing her disciple like this made Xiaoxiao, as the master, quite embarrassed. She could naturally understand her beloved disciple’s slight anger and loss of composure.

She could only clear her throat: “Oh no! How are you also in this city? But it’s really great to meet you! I was worried about you, so I came back…”

Wei Jie said in a cool tone: “Sorry for interrupting your heart-to-heart conversation with this… Young Pavilion Master.”

Xiaoxiao had never seen Wei Jie’s expression so cold and serious. She could only try to explain: “Actually, when I left, it was also to let you gain some experience. After all, your abilities are quite good now. Why must you always follow me…”

Before Xiaoxiao could finish, Wei Jie said lightly: “If men and women need romantic dalliance, having a disciple around is indeed inconvenient…”

Xiaoxiao couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Romantic, your big head ghost!

She and Qin Lingxiao had been hungry and starving these past few days – their mouths were so bland they could hatch birds! And he talked about romance? Could that be eaten?

She was too lazy to explain and asked again: “What’s going on with this illusory city? That… madam also came back. Do you know if she entered the city?”

Now with Lingyun Pavilion disciples and Qin Lingxiao present, she could only vaguely say “madam” to remind Wei Jie that Siling had returned.

Wei Jie understood. He frowned slightly and said concisely, “She won’t enter the city anymore. Because now this illusory city can neither be exited nor entered…”

Qin Lingxiao was worried about his father and didn’t care about his dislike for Wei Jie at this moment. He asked: “What’s going on with this city? Did you create this mess?”

Wei Jie didn’t even look at him, only continuing to explain to Xiaoxiao: “This city’s capacity is limited. Before digesting the food already consumed, it won’t open the city gates to let new people in.”

“Food?” Xiaoxiao looked at Wei Jie in confusion.

“That’s you and me – all the people who entered the city. After these fake bodies absorb the spiritual power of the originals and kill them, the city gates will open again to attract more people.”

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help gasping.

According to Wei Jie’s meaning, until all living people in the city were killed, no one could leave?

Just then, the other groups that had scattered also returned in twos and threes.

Although Xiaoxiao had sent people to warn them in time, the scattered groups still suffered heavy losses, with several Lingyun Pavilion disciples even seriously injured.

After all, human nature – suddenly seeing something that looks exactly like oneself would generate uncontrollable disgust.

Lingyun Pavilion disciples had always had smooth sailing and thought highly of themselves. Even after hearing warnings, they couldn’t control their killing intent for a moment, but it backfired on themselves.

When everyone gathered in the Temple of the God of Wealth, all the fake bodies also congregated outside the temple, each staring with ghostly eyes, crowding at the temple entrance, fixedly watching the people inside.

Just waiting for when the living people inside became restless and unable to control their emotions, a life-and-death battle could reignite.

Yu Ling’er, seeing this situation, fell into deep despair. She said quietly, “What should we do? Am I going to starve to death? If I had known this would happen, I’d rather have died under the beast hunters’ claws. At least I wouldn’t have suffered…”

Qin Lingxiao pursed his lips and led the Lingyun Pavilion disciples to sit on the side steps, meditating and regulating their breathing to conserve energy.

The fake Lingyun Pavilion goods outside also began regulating their breathing. Who knew if the partially injured Lingyun Pavilion disciples would still be a match for the fakes when they fought?

The atmosphere on the Lingshan Talisman Sect side was subtle.

The teacher and disciple who had been reunited after a long separation showed no warmth or excitement. Wei Jie leaned against a temple pillar with lowered eyes, not knowing what he was thinking, with no intention of chatting with his teacher.

Xiaoxiao was also too embarrassed to talk to Wei Jie and could only ask Master Tang about what had happened these past days and why they appeared here.

Fortunately, Tang Youshu treated Master Cui as warmly as always, greeting Master Cui and Yu Ling’er to eat and chat.

Because he traveled extensively practicing medicine, he liked carrying a large bamboo basket with him.

This bamboo basket was now like a treasure box. Seeing what Tang Youshu took out from it, both Cui Xiaoxiao and Yu Ling’er’s eyes lit up.

Especially Yu Ling’er, licking her lips: “Master Tang, you’re truly extraordinary! How do you still have so many butter candy treats in your bamboo basket?”

Tang Youshu smiled and took out another oil paper package: “Eat slowly, there are also barbecued chicken legs here!”

Yu Ling’er almost threw herself into Tang Youshu’s arms, tearfully saying: “How did you know I wanted to eat this? I’ve been dreaming about the barbecued chicken legs from the shop across from the inn these past days!”

However, the fake Ling’er outside the temple wasn’t so restrained. “She” was now nuzzling into “Tang Youshu’s” arms like a puppy!

Next, Tang Youshu told them about his experiences these past days.

It turned out that less than a day after Cui Xiaoxiao and Yu Ling’er left, Tang Youshu got hungry because he had eaten all the food in his bamboo basket.

Once hungry, he had to return to the city to buy food. While queuing to buy barbecued chicken legs, he saw many soldiers running out of the marketplace in crowds. He heard that something had happened at Autumn Water Pool, where Lord Can was holding his birthday banquet. People returning to the city said they saw fire soaring to the sky there, reddening half the sky.

Tang Youshu knew his teacher had also gone to attend the banquet. Anxiously, he packed up the chicken legs and hired a donkey cart at the street corner to go to Autumn Water Pool to investigate.

But halfway there, the donkey cart was seized by returning government soldiers. Tang Youshu was dragged off the cart and thrown into the roadside bushes.

He could only watch helplessly as those soldiers who had stolen the cart fled.

Later, he learned that at Lord Can’s birthday banquet, when everyone was in high spirits from drinking, Wei family head Wei Jingling suddenly appeared and exposed Lord Can’s crimes of secretly raising Underworld poison insects with the intent to bring disaster to the mortal world.

This statement caused an uproar.

Elder Wumu Feng, having become close friends with Lord Can in just a few days, immediately slammed the table and questioned how the Wei family could make such slanderous accusations against a noble prince without evidence.

The Wei family, who never socialized with others, had their subordinates display silver rings.

Those silver rings surrounded the Four Great Sects’ people, resonating with sounds like chiming bells.

When Wei Jingling explained the dangers of puppet poison, the sect masters led by Lingyun Pavilion’s Qinhe immediately reacted, sitting cross-legged to meditate and examine their meridians.

This examination was alarming – it accelerated the crawling speed of the insects in their bodies.

Qinhe and the others all had darkened brows and glared at Lord Can.

However, Lord Can calmly asked Wei Jingling in return: even if the Four Great Sects were infected with poison, how could he prove it was this wealthy, idle prince who poisoned them?

He was a noble son who usually had no contact with cultivated people. Why would he do such things?

On the contrary, Lord Can had heard from the Four Great Sects’ elders that the Wei family’s rebellious son Wei Jie was in the city, and his teacher Cui Xiaoxiao also seemed somewhat evil.

Lord Can had just discovered that his recently beloved singer Siling was the Numei Siling who had escaped from the Four Great Sects years ago.

Someone had seen Wei Jie secretly meeting with Siling and then helping her leave the city. Lord Can didn’t know what these evil mother and son intended, so he had been secretly sending people to investigate. Unexpectedly, the Wei family people deceived by Wei Jie were now making counter-accusations. Wasn’t this calling the thief to catch the thief?

In any case, Lord Can was reasonable and eloquent. Even the Four Great Sects, who discovered they were infected with puppet poison, wavered in their hearts after hearing his words, suspecting this was a trap set by Wei Jie in collusion with the Wei family.

Just as Lord Can was using his silver tongue to turn the tide, Wei Jie slowly emerged from behind Wei Jingling, holding a moving dog leash in his hand, though nothing seemed to be on the leash.

However, a close maidservant behind Lord Can’s face changed dramatically and kept retreating.

What Wei Jie held was the Corpse-eating Beast he had originally caught with Xiaoxiao.

This creature naturally loved eating decay and liked gathering wandering souls. Unfortunately, the puppet poison’s larvae were precisely nourished by souls thrown into the Underworld’s River of Forgetting.

If the larvae entered human bodies, it was fine – mixing with human blood could mask their cold nature.

But those who raised the insects, if they dealt with such cold evil things daily, evil qi would inevitably invade their limbs and bones, with the aura condensing and not dispersing.

To the Corpse-eating Beast, this smell was no different from the delicious food’s rich aroma!