Thinking carefully about it, the first time was somewhat unavoidable. She had been choking Wei Jie’s neck then, the situation was urgent, and they were close together, so mouth-to-mouth was the only option.

When returning it, the situation wasn’t so urgent, and there should indeed have been other methods.

At the very least, they didn’t need lips touching lips so closely!

Moreover, that rebellious disciple had “failed” in transferring several times, taking advantage of her for nothing.

Qin Lingxiao was indeed Wei Jie’s disciple for many years—he saw through this particular flaw of his demon master very accurately!

Having figured this out, Xiaoxiao’s steps carried lotus fire as she descended the mountain.

These past few days, Wei Jie went out during the day to gather information, and calculating the time, he should be returning.

Sure enough, upon entering the courtyard, she saw Wei Jie sitting leisurely in the yard, listening to Yu Ling’er pulling Tang Youshu along to complain!

When Cui Xiaoxiao entered the courtyard wrapped in lotus fire and murderous intent, Yu Ling’er was startled and unconsciously lowered her voice by three degrees.

Wei Jie stretched his long legs and got up, about to speak to Xiaoxiao. But Xiaoxiao didn’t even glance at him, just knocked him aside with her shoulder and entered the house carrying that box of pastries.

Wei Jie had already heard Yu Ling’er’s confused complaints and learned about his master’s misdeeds of molesting his disciple-grandson in the small grove.

He didn’t think Xiaoxiao was going to practice the Hehuan Sect extensively, probably seeing that Tang Youshu reminded her of her deceased father.

Because Xiaoxiao had said Tang Youshu resembled her late father. Though Wei Jie later learned through indirect questioning that Xiaoxiao was a posthumous child whose father had died before she was born, so she had never known what her father looked like.

But perhaps her imagined father overlapped with Tang Youshu’s image?

Just then, Xiaoxiao returned. Wei Jie had originally thought that after Yu Ling’er’s commotion, Cui Xiaoxiao would feel somewhat uncomfortable when she returned to see everyone, and he would need to comfort her gently.

He never expected that Cui Xiaoxiao would stride in with a gait that recognized no relatives, knocking him aside, making it seem as if he had been the one holding his disciple-grandson’s hand in the woods.

Wei Jie rubbed his shoulder and followed closely behind Xiaoxiao, very familiarly pouring her a cup of water and handing it over. Looking at her puffed-up, angry face, he teased: “What’s wrong? Didn’t get enough advantage from your discipline, so angry, your face is all puffed up? How about I lend you my hand to touch?”

Xiaoxiao didn’t take the water cup, just sat at the table edge and looked sideways at Wei Jie: “I’m asking you, is mouth-to-mouth the only way to transfer inner core?”

Ever since returning the inner core, Xiaoxiao had grabbed Wei Jie by his collar and instructed him to forget about that incident—neither master nor disciple would mention it again.

Unexpectedly, in just a few days, Xiaoxiao herself had broken the rule.

Wei Jie slowly revealed his white teeth, showing a smile on his handsome face. He simply sat beside her, elbow propped on the table, palm supporting his chin, looking somewhat innocent: “Didn’t you say to forget about this? Why bring it up again?”

Wei Jie’s appearance leaned toward the demonic, but when he showed genuine joy, he would reveal a pair of clean, adorable canine teeth, adding an indescribable childishness that neutralized his natural dark charm and unrestrained wildness.

Looking at such a handsome and brilliant smile, Xiaoxiao silently drank all the water in the cup, maintaining her composure to avoid being bewitched by male beauty.

“Qin Lingxiao told me there are many ways to transfer the inner core. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Wei Jie’s canine teeth slowly disappeared behind his thin lips, his eyes flashing: “When did you see him? What did he tell you?”

Xiaoxiao roughly described Qin Lingxiao’s visit and what he had said, then asked: “You deceived me—what do you have to say?”

Wei Jie sneered: “You injured his father, yet he eagerly came to sow discord between us and even brought you pastries? If I were his father, I’d use this rebellious son for sword practice as a sacrifice to heaven—keeping such a bastard is just a waste of rice!”

Xiaoxiao was amused by his anger: “So you can’t stand that he didn’t turn me into a sieve despite not holding grudges?”

Wei Jie looked Xiaoxiao up and down with an investigative expression: “Can’t you see what Qin Lingxiao’s feelings toward you are?”

Xiaoxiao wasn’t stupid—she naturally knew Qin Lingxiao seemed to have some feelings for her. After all, she still clearly remembered what Qin Lingxiao’s false body had done in the illusory city.

Of course, this didn’t rule out that the boy Qin Lingxiao was holding a grudge and wanted to imitate his experience of lying low beside Wei Jie, also trying to deceive her into good feelings before seeking an opportunity to avenge his father.

However, now she wanted to awaken the person before her, stopping any inappropriate romantic thoughts before the demon head Wei developed more elaborate schemes.

After all, she and he were not the same kind of people! As they say, righteousness and evil cannot coexist; master and disciple cannot share a bed!

Moreover, they were master-ancestor and disciple-granddaughter separated by two hundred years in a pure relationship!

He should save those tricks for charming girls to use on someone else!

However, this disciple of hers was best at using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.

With Xiaoxiao pressing him directly, he leisurely opened Qin Lingxiao’s pastry box, saying coolly: “If even Master doesn’t know there are other methods, how would this disciple know? He says a few words, and you come to question me? What kind of onion is he? Is he my master’s wife?”

Xiaoxiao was rendered speechless by his anger and could only sneer: “I can’t control this rebellious disciple—looks like I need to find you a formidable master’s wife!”

Wei Jie stopped smiling, looking at Xiaoxiao with unfathomable depth, then fixed his gaze on the box. This box contained custom-made pastries that at first glance might be mistaken for a fruit box. The pastries were made to look like honey peaches, apples, and round, adorable jade rabbits, each lifelike, and when pinched open, they all contained fragrant fillings.

That bastard surnamed Qin spared no expense!

He picked up a delicate pastry, bit into it without ceremony, then frowned: “What a strange taste—truly awful!”

Before Xiaoxiao could speak, he swept his long arm and threw these custom-made pastries worth ten taels of silver per box through the window into the pigpen on one side of the courtyard!

Look at that style! If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was the dignified Spirit Sect Leader!

Xiaoxiao angrily slapped his head: “That was something someone gave me—who asked you to make decisions!”

But Wei Jie smoothly grasped her slender wrist and pulled her into his embrace, lowering his head to press his forehead against hers, saying softly: “Alright, alright, I was wrong. How about… I’ll take you into the city to buy good ones to compensate you?”

Xiaoxiao was caught off guard, her face so close to his, looking at his sword-like brows and straight nose, and the mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth, immediately losing some control over the burning in her cheeks.

Without needing to look in a mirror, she could guess she was already blushing like flying clouds.

Wei Jie stared intently at the adorable master in his arms, those pink cheeks looking sweeter than honey peach pastries…

But Xiaoxiao suddenly took a deep breath and forcefully pushed him away.

Qin Lingxiao had said one thing correctly—this demon head was naturally gifted at charming young girls!

One moment of inattention and she’d lose her soul to his enchantment.

She had already unluckily become demonic in his place—if she were also bewitched by him until dizzy and confused, wouldn’t she have to stake her very life for him!

Wei Jie knew what Xiaoxiao looked like when truly angry. Before the fierce kitten could scratch, he stopped teasing her and said: “But one thing that Qin fellow said was true—someone is committing evil deeds under our Lingshan Talismonger Sect’s name!”

These past two days, he had taken several fox clan members out to gather information, only to see nearby county towns covered with wanted posters bearing his and Cui Xiaoxiao’s portraits.

Nearby villages had consecutive incidents of villagers being dragged into forests while working in fields, drained of blood, and hanged from tree branches.

Some people swore they had seen the two people in the portraits commit these murders, and that the woman had floor-length hair and black armor for harming people, clearly demonic.

So the authorities offered high rewards, sincerely recruiting capable individuals from all quarters to capture these two Talismonger Sect demons and eliminate harm for the people!

This experience had never been described in his master’s secret records.

This meant that so many villagers dying unjustly was indeed a change that occurred because she arrived in this life.

Xiaoxiao spun in place several times, asking Wei Jie, “Should we go explore those villages to see if we can find clues?”

Wei Jie said, “I’ve already been. Those people’s shoulders were all crushed, dying from excessive blood loss…”

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao immediately remembered crushing Lingyun Pavilion Master Qin He’s shoulder. It seemed someone was using this as a pretext to frame the villagers’ deaths on her, too.

Who could do such deeds? With Qin He’s spiritual bones damaged and unable to take care of himself, the mastermind behind this naturally couldn’t be separated from that Ghost Sect’s Wan Lian Shi!

And that Wan Lian Shi was under Lord Can’s orders—poisonous insects on the same rope that needed to be uprooted entirely!

So if they wanted to expose the mastermind and clear themselves and the Lingshan Talismonger Sect, they had to meet that Lord Can!

However, Lord Can had always kept his doors closed. How to meet him was quite a question. Moreover, that prince’s manor was guarded by the sacred Xiezhi, so direct assault definitely wouldn’t work.

Now Xiaoxiao had used silver talismans to improve invisibility talismans, with effects greatly enhanced compared to before, but she didn’t know if they could slip past the Xiezhi’s ears and eyes.

Moreover, silver talismans had a limited duration, only maintaining effectiveness for less than an hour, but an hour would be sufficient.

The two decided to break into Lord Can’s manor at night to see what demons and monsters were hidden inside that manor!

So the Talismonger Sect group packed up and prepared to break into Luoyi City once more.

However, when they again neared Luoyi City, Xiaoxiao’s extraordinary eyesight immediately noticed some changes in the city’s defenses.

Looking far into the distance, she could see that all four corners of the city walls were covered with human skin talismans soaked in fresh blood. These blood-dripping talismans connected into sheets, weaving a bloody net that seemed to shroud the entire city in blood qi.

Wei Jie had scouted many times and understood the function of those blood talismans, so he explained: “These are all blood talismans marking unwelcome guests. Anyone who enters without passing through the city gates will automatically have blood talismans attached to their bodies when crossing the city walls—they can’t be washed off even with water. From then on, wherever they go, they’ll be discovered by the talisman controller, with nowhere to hide.”

It seemed that after offending the four great sects, Lord Can was also wary, fearing that uncontrolled individuals might enter the city to harm him, so he had set up these blood talismans to prevent supernatural individuals from flying or tunneling over walls to enter privately.

But this created a problem—with those blood talismans forming blood lines, even if they used invisibility, their bodies would probably still be contaminated and detected by Lord Can’s minions.

To avoid contaminating themselves with blood talismans, they could only use the city’s sole main gate.

Xiaoxiao saw that besides the guarding soldiers at the city gate, there was also a person with heterochromatic eyes, one of which looked like a snake’s, capable of becoming a long pupil.

Whenever someone entered the city, he would stare intently at their face like a searchlight, missing no one.

Wei Jie said such heterochromatic-eyed people had replaced one of their human eyes with a snake eye from the Great Marsh of Beize.

With such a snake eye, even with invisibility talismans, they would immediately be discovered. Because snake eyes observe people differently from others, not by seeing shadows and outlines, but by sensing the heat people emit.

Even the most sophisticated invisibility talismans would fail under such Great Marsh snake eyes. It seemed Wan Lian Shi knew they had previously used invisibility talismans and, though disdainful of the Talismonger Sect’s crudeness, had made complete defensive preparations.

This being the case, it seemed impossible for them, with their wanted portraits, to sneak in through the city gates!

Regarding this point, Wei Jie had planned. He had specifically chosen dusk when the city gates hadn’t yet closed and arranged for music house personnel to help them slip in through the gates.

When Xiaoxiao stared wide-eyed at the clothes Wei Jie handed her, she couldn’t help but whisper: “You… want me to wear this?”

Wei Jie nodded: “Not just you—I have to wear them too… Hurry, or we’ll miss the music house’s flower cart procession!”

The clothes Wei Jie gave Xiaoxiao were belly dancing costumes from the city’s music houses.

Because they were about to mix in with the music house’s flower cart procession to enter the city.

Luoyi City had been holding a courtesan contest, with dancing girls and singing courtesans from surrounding cities coming and going continuously.

And Lord Can recently seemed to be entertaining important people, also needing some courtesans from elsewhere to add prestige to the occasion.

After all, with Siling gone, there were no suitable beauties to be found in Luoyi City’s music houses.

Siling had several loyal servants in the music houses, so Wei Jie easily obtained two name tags through his mother’s influence, just right for bringing Xiaoxiao along to sneak in.

After Xiaoxiao changed into the fire-red dancing dress in the forest, she awkwardly tugged at the thin shirt, covering her partially exposed slender waist, then looked up to ask Wei Jie: “Dressed like this, will I not be recognized?”

But after asking Wei Jie, she got no response for a long time. When she looked up, she found Wei Jie staring at her with burning eyes.

Just looking at her face, one would think Xiaoxiao was a slender girl.

Her usual robes weren’t form-fitting; loose and large, giving an impression of thinness.

Who would have expected that when Xiaoxiao wore the thin shirt and long skirt of a Western Region dancing girl, they’d discover that the slender bamboo pole was a honey peach secretly hanging on the branch…

Where she shouldn’t be small, Xiaoxiao wasn’t small at all…

Especially with her porcelain-white skin paired with the fire-red dress, it made her eyes appear even more pitiful and her figure graceful and charming.

That slender waist, wrapped with a golden bell chain, jingled as she walked, involuntarily drawing one’s gaze to the beautiful curves outlined by her tight fire-red hip skirt…

The pure and beautiful woman had only changed her outfit, yet she had the feeling of a reincarnated enchantress, as if transformed into a different person!

Wei Jie’s gaze wandered between her slender neck and full chest, his expression becoming increasingly subtle and tense…

He regretted not having carefully examined this dancing dress earlier! He especially hadn’t expected Xiaoxiao to look so seductive and alluring when wearing it!

Wei Jie had originally hoped she would blend unremarkably among those voluptuous and charming dancing girls, slipping past the city gate guards without notice.

But she had such a pure yet seductive enchantress appearance—how could she possibly blend in?

This was Xiaoxiao’s first time wearing such a seductive thin shirt and dancing dress, and she felt very uncomfortable, but when she had looked at herself by the stream earlier, she thought she looked very beautiful.

Though somewhat improper, this was also the first time in her life that she had worn a pretty dress.

A girl’s vanity was at work, and she wanted to hear some praise.

She had originally thought Wei Jie would at least compliment her after seeing her, but unexpectedly, he frowned tightly with a face full of dissatisfaction, taking a long time before saying, “You should change back. I’ll think of another way…”

Xiaoxiao’s face fell slightly. Was she so bad that people couldn’t bear to look at her?

Thinking this, she simply stopped covering herself and raised the gauze draped over her shoulders: “But I think it’s quite good! No different from the usual dancing girls…”

As she spoke, she even imitated Yu Ling’er’s manner, slightly twisting in a segment of fox dance.

Don’t say—Xiaoxiao was very talented at dancing. When she twisted her waist and swayed lightly, then gracefully leaped and spun in a circle, the loose braid tie was also flung off, and her full head of black hair flew with the red dress. When she stopped, her dark tresses casually slid down at her collarbone… In a trance, she seemed like a fairy emerging from flowers, or like a celestial maiden banished to the mortal world.

Wei Jie had never been a proper gentleman—he acted according to his whims.

When Xiaoxiao’s flying dark hair brushed across his face, he could no longer endure constraining himself!

The golden bells at her slender waist hadn’t yet stopped ringing when Xiaoxiao was suddenly lifted by him.

The handsome, tall man grasped Xiaoxiao’s slender waist and pressed her firmly against a thick tree. Though Xiaoxiao was much shorter than he, she was now lifted to eye level.

With her back against the tree trunk and nowhere to escape, she nervously watched the man’s handsome face slowly approach.

Finally, she could only extend her hand to stop him, tremblingly saying: “Hey, what are you doing?”

Wei Jie focused on her red lips, his eyes burning, his high nose touching hers as he said softly: “Dancing girls accompany people for drinking and conversation. Do you know how to respond?”

Xiaoxiao knew she had the bad habit of staring blankly at his handsome face.

Now with his face so close to hers, she was reminded of their inner core transfer and felt a tingling sensation creeping up her spine, making her unable to raise her head and look directly into Wei Jie’s purple eyes.

However, this kid’s words were truly hateful—they were just disguising themselves as dancing girls to enter the city, so why would they need to accompany anyone for drinks?

Besides, if she didn’t know how, did he?

Hearing his master’s unconvinced question, Wei Jie laughed softly: “At the very least, you can’t puff up your cheeks in anger and secretly glare at people!”

As he spoke, he straightened Xiaoxiao’s chin to make her look directly at him, saying softly: “Look at me…”

Xiaoxiao seemed bewitched by his words and unconsciously half-raised her eyes to look at him.

She was about to ask what she should look at when he had already lowered his head, and his cool lips once again settled on hers…

Though they had made lip contact several times before, those previous times all had proper excuses to support them, always allowing one to deceive oneself and accept it calmly, just closing one’s eyes and bearing it!

But this time, with the two alone and kissing without warning, what excuse could she use to deceive herself?

Thinking this, momentarily somewhat lost in it and nearly dancing along with him, Xiaoxiao quickly withdrew the arm that had hooked around his neck and forcefully pushed him away.

After he was pushed away, Xiaoxiao also landed on the ground, breathing slightly hard and glaring at him angrily: “You’re quite skilled! Have you accompanied women for drinks before?”

Wei Jie’s thin lips curved into a mischievous smile as he honestly replied: “I’ve only accompanied you drinking on the rooftop…”

Xiaoxiao remembered that time when Yu Ling’er had knocked them down with a pole and couldn’t help but giggle. But after laughing, she quickly resumed her serious expression, secretly reminding herself not to fool around with him like this!

“I’m making it clear to you today. There are plenty of good girls in the world—you can entangle with whichever you like, just don’t entangle with me…”

Wei Jie looked at her intently, his smile gradually fading: “Why? Because you’re my master? If that’s the case, I can immediately sever our master-disciple relationship…”

Xiaoxiao irritably ran her hands through her black hair: “…You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. In any case, you and I are not suitable!”

How could she explain? Say that she had traveled from two hundred years in the future? That he was supposed to die in a few years? That, apart from their nominal master-ancestor and grandson relationship, they had no other connection whatsoever?

However, her flustered appearance, in Wei Jie’s eyes, looked like someone who didn’t know how to refuse an annoying person’s advances.

The heat in Wei Jie’s eyes gradually turned cold. For a moment, not knowing what he was thinking, he just stared with a pair of purple eyes that seemed to glisten with moisture, tightly pressing his lips together.

Looking at Xiaoxiao this way, he was exactly like a dog that had just been wagging its tail to please, only to be kicked out the door, evoking sudden pity…

Just then, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the forest, and a man’s voice called softly: “Hey, is A Jie there?”

Wei Jie knew it was the music house carriage he had arranged to meet.

Xiaoxiao also let out a long sigh of relief.

Just now, being looked at by Wei Jie like that, she had almost felt guilty, thinking she had hurt him.

This showed the demon head’s natural skill at charming women! Truly worthy of having female demon blood—deadly at bewitching people!

It was too late for her to change clothes now. Wei Jie could only turn to the carriage and ask the man for a thick cloak, then hand it to Xiaoxiao, saying indifferently: “It’s cold—put this on.”

Xiaoxiao was too lazy to correct that it was now late July, and after nightfall, it was swelteringly hot!

She didn’t take the cloak and just got on the carriage.

After boarding the carriage, she discovered it was full of women of various figures, dressed even more elaborately than her, all sizing up Xiaoxiao.

“Oh my, where did Mama find this girl? She’s so striking!” Many of them were newly brought from other places and didn’t recognize the wanted female demon at all.

Some women even unceremoniously pinched Xiaoxiao’s arms and slender waist: “Really, the makings of a dancer! You must put in real effort when parading through the streets later!”

Xiaoxiao just smiled apologetically, learning from their conversation that tonight, many courtesan carriages would enter the city for a parade, for the city’s nobles to select courtesans.

With the enchanting songstress Siling suddenly disappearing, this year’s courtesan title had become suspenseful.

All the women were putting forth their best efforts, dressing elaborately, hoping to win first place.