As for the Jin surname, having squandered his family fortune and offended the prefect, plus his previous bullying of men and women in the countryside that had made him countless enemies, without official backing and wealth to rely on, his good fortune had come to an end. The several Talismonger Sect disciples were too lazy to stay and wait to see his outcome.

Although they had punished the evildoer and vented their anger, the several disciples of the Talismonger Sect still faced an uncertain future. After finishing the last piece of butter cake they had brought from Fei County, Ji Wuqi burped contentedly, then said wistfully: “Master’s curse is too domineering – who knows when it can be lifted?”

A’Yi sat behind Ji Wuqi, applying burn ointment to his neck. Hearing this, he turned to ask Cui Xiaoxiao: “Sect Leader junior sister, let’s go to a more bustling town next. The feeling of going hungry is too unbearable!”

Cui Xiaoxiao was using a brush dipped in cinnabar to draw talismans. Hearing this, she didn’t respond but held her breath and concentrated, meticulously copying the patterns from the sect’s secret manual.

After Xiaoxiao finished drawing several talismans and compared them with those in the book, she nodded with great satisfaction. At least now she could accurately draw the talisman patterns.

This time, she had drawn the water-transformation talisman that was the entry-level for Talismonger Sect disciples. Using the talisman to invoke the water of the five elements, when scattered into the air, it could transform into sweet dew. If encountering fires and such, one could raise the talisman to help people eliminate disasters and extinguish flames.

After putting down her brush, she waved the talisman into mid-air while silently reciting incantations, wanting to transform the talisman into rain.

The three senior brothers and sisters all widened their eyes, wanting to see their current sect leader display divine powers again.

Unfortunately, that paper floated in mid-air and slowly fell down with no change whatsoever.

Cui Xiaoxiao refused to believe it and threw up two more, but they were still just yellow toilet paper fluttering down.

Jiang Nanmu couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment, while Ji Wuqi burst into laughter: “I thought you had ability before, but now I see that night was just a blind cat catching a dead mouse!”

Cui Xiaoxiao pressed her lips together and quickly dispelled the gloom in her heart, changing the subject: “Master once mentioned in the secret manual that our Talismonger Sect’s place of origin wasn’t Lingshan. Back then, Master had gained great fortune at Qilao’s Mountain Phoenix Pool, met his master Wei Jie there, and comprehended the profound meanings of the Talismonger Sect. If we want to improve our cultivation, we should go see the Phoenix Pool at Qilao Mountain.”

Since the sect leader had spoken, the remaining disciples naturally complied. Cui Xiaoxiao got up to pack her luggage, but a pearl fell from her pocket.

Jiang Nanmu bent down to pick it up, only to discover that this was the tainted Demon Pearl.

Compared to that night, this pearl was even dimmer, completely like an unremarkable stone ball.

Cui Xiaoxiao took the pearl and examined it from all sides, truly unable to figure out why this pearl had suddenly appeared in her pocket.

Having traveled the martial world with her adoptive father since childhood, Cui Xiaoxiao was not only skilled at deceiving people but also had supernatural pickpocketing abilities.

However, this time she refused to admit it. Although she had participated in subduing that demon, she had only taken the insect skin and never thought about taking this troublesome Demon Pearl!

Ji Wuqi was convinced Cui Xiaoxiao had taken it, looking at her with contempt: “A dog can’t stop eating shit! You swore before Master that you would reform and turn over a new leaf! Yet you take things without asking!”

Cui Xiaoxiao seriously refuted: “Do you think I could pickpocket that prodigiously talented person? He’s someone who can cleave demons in half with one sword! I also don’t know how this pearl ended up in my pocket.”

Ji Wuqi was stumped, feeling her words weren’t unreasonable, so he muttered to himself: “If you didn’t steal it, could this pearl have run into your pocket by itself?”

Hearing him say this, several people looked at the Demon Pearl with fearful expressions. However, this gray, stone-like thing seemed not to react, lying motionlessly on the table surface, really unable to maintain people’s fear for too long.

Finally, Ji Wuqi concluded that this Demon Pearl with the attribute of greed naturally favored greedy people. Unfortunately, among those present, this female swindler had the worst character, so it was understandable that the Demon Pearl was attracted to Cui Xiaoxiao.

Second senior sister Jiang Nanmu suggested returning this Demon Pearl to the Sword Sect’s leader, but Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t want to deal with the Sword Sect people again.

That Qin Lingxiao had spoken offensively, actually daring to tell her fortune – don’t think being handsome gives you the right to recklessly expose people’s scars!

She didn’t know this thing’s wonderful uses, but it couldn’t be placed carelessly, lest more innocent people like the Bai family woman suffer from it.

Thinking this, Cui Xiaoxiao rummaged through her bundle and took out the soul-suppressing wooden box her master had left her on his deathbed.

This wooden box was said to be made from phoenix tree wood from the wilderness where phoenixes roost. The phoenix was a bird of fire, and the phoenix tree it had roosted in was also an object of ultimate yang that could trap demons and drive away evil.

After Cui Xiaoxiao put the Demon Pearl into the wooden box, her heart became slightly more at ease, thinking that when she returned to Lingshan, she would search the Talismonger Sect’s artifact pavilion for magical tools to dissolve the Demon Pearl’s evil karma.

She just didn’t know that the moment the wooden box closed, the originally dim pearl suddenly emitted a flash of deep blue ghostly light…

On the way to Phoenix Pool, the scenery was quite beautiful, but they hadn’t walked far when they encountered the Jiuxuan Sword Sect disciples again.

The leading Sword Sect disciple handed Cui Xiaoxiao an elegant invitation.

Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t understand what this meant. The messenger Jiang Zheng said arrogantly, “Master requests Sect Leader Cui to meet at the pavilion ahead by the stream.”

Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t want to go. She knew that Qin Lingxiao had probably discovered the spirit pearl was missing, suspected she had tampered with it, and was coming to find fault.

Hatefully, Ji Wuqi had clearly said he used concealment talismans along the way to hide their tracks – how were they still found by these Sword Sect disciples?

Cui Xiaoxiao wanted to say she wouldn’t go, but the Sword Sect disciples weren’t very polite – that energy sword was already at her neck.

When Ji Wuqi and the others wanted to clash with the Sword Sect disciples, Cui Xiaoxiao quickly stopped them and agreed to go alone to meet Qin Lingxiao.

When she arrived at the stream poolside, Qin Lingxiao was sitting cross-legged in the pavilion, controlling swords with his energy. Seven spirit swords, emanating faint golden light, were flying rapidly above his head.

Upon seeing Cui Xiaoxiao approach, he lightly flicked his finger to recall the energy swords, then gently tapped the jade table beside him, indicating for Xiaoxiao to sit down and drink together.

As the foremost Sword Sect leader, to condescend to invite an unorthodox practitioner for tea would normally leave others feeling honored beyond measure.

Cui Xiaoxiao knew this was a Hongmen Banquet and simply didn’t sit down, just smiled and spoke frankly: “Sect Leader Qin wants to demand something back… Why that pearl ended up in my pocket, I’m also not quite clear. Reasonably speaking, I also participated in subduing the demon, so this spirit pearl belonging to me wouldn’t be excessive. However, if Sect Leader Qin wants it, I can understand and naturally should present it to you, lest it harm the harmony between our two sects.”

This slippery tone was the diplomatic skill Xiaoxiao had developed from her past martial world training.

Cui Xiaoxiao knew she was no match for Qin Lingxiao’s energy swords, so, being cornered, she naturally took the initiative to show goodwill and quickly sent away this plague god.

Hearing Cui Xiaoxiao’s words, Qin Lingxiao smiled coldly in disbelief, his tone drawn out: “It wasn’t you who took it?”

After the demon elimination at the silk farm, the Sword Sect disciples had already thoroughly investigated this new Talismonger Sect leader’s background and reported it all to Qin Lingxiao.

A female pickpocket who had mixed in the marketplace for years, yet claimed she didn’t steal anything? Who would believe that!

Cui Xiaoxiao nodded. Although she didn’t expect Sect Leader Qin to believe her, the facts were as such.

She reached out to take the soul-suppressing wooden box from her pocket and handed it back to Qin Lingxiao, wanting to quickly resolve this dispute.

The moment Qin Lingxiao’s hand touched that wooden box, the soul-suppressing wooden box burst into roaring flames.

Qin Lingxiao was startled and quickly channeled his energy to strike away the wooden box.

Just then, a bright light flashed, and the originally dim Demon Pearl seemed to be fully charged again, becoming luminously bright.

It nimbly dodged Qin Lingxiao’s several attempts to grab it, escaping like a piercing arrow, but then seemed to change its mind and suddenly rushed back toward Cui Xiaoxiao, standing nearby.

Cui Xiaoxiao was caught off guard and was struck by the Demon Pearl, knocking her to the ground. She felt heat surging at her wrist, her chest burning hot, and the Demon Pearl instantly vanished without a trace.

When she tried to get up, Qin Lingxiao suddenly walked over, grabbed her wrist, and pushed up her sleeve, revealing snake-like winding talisman patterns that had appeared on Cui Xiaoxiao’s wrist.

“What is this?” Cui Xiaoxiao asked, enduring the pain in her chest.

Qin Lingxiao’s expression was somewhat indescribably complex, glaring hatefully at Cui Xiaoxiao as if he had swallowed dog shit, somewhat unable to contain his indignation.

Finally, he seemed to make up his mind, slowly raising his eyes to look at Cui Xiaoxiao and ask: “It seems you also know clearly that I must have this Demon Pearl… Since that’s the case, let’s fulfill your wish. I wonder if you’ve previously chosen a cultivation partner for dual cultivation?”

Huh? Cui Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected Qin Lingxiao to suddenly ask such a completely unrelated question.

And Qin Lingxiao seemed unwilling to hear Cui Xiaoxiao’s answer, continuing on his own: “You probably haven’t, otherwise you wouldn’t need to scheme against me so carefully. Regardless of what sect one cultivates, if you find a suitable immortal partner for dual cultivation, it will be twice as effective with half the effort. My Golden Core has already formed – I only lack the final transformation into Yuan Ying to ascend and transcend tribulation. If you can dual cultivate with me, it’s equivalent to avoiding a hundred years of bitter cultivation… You should know clearly that such a shortcut normally wouldn’t be your turn, but you used trickery to absorb and fuse the Demon Pearl, leaving me no other choice but to comply with your wishes… Only the wedding ceremony will be simple – I don’t want to make it known throughout the world!”

When Qin Lingxiao said this, his tone was like being forced to eat shit. But Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t feel that marrying Qin Lingxiao would be like eating a ginseng fruit!

She widened her eyes and asked hesitantly: “Sect Leader Qin… are you confused from anger? I have cooling talismans for heat relief here – would you like to apply one to your head acupoints?”

Qin Lingxiao’s mood was still not good, only saying coldly: “You deliberately took the Demon Pearl and absorbed it into your body – isn’t this to scheme for this marriage?… My Jiuxuan Sword Sect has always valued reputation and will naturally take responsibility for you to the end. It’s just that a forced melon won’t be sweet. Miss, you’ve schemed so carefully – don’t regret it later…”

He now urgently needed the Demon Pearl to suppress the demonic nature within his body. And this Cui Xiaoxiao had deliberately absorbed the Demon Pearl – her heart was damnable!

If he wanted to draw the Demon Pearl to himself, he would either have to kill this Cui Xiaoxiao, or enter the cold pool together with her, man and woman alone, cultivating together for seven days and seven nights.

Although the Lingshan Talismonger Sect wasn’t a major sect, it had always been dedicated to subduing demons and eliminating evil, also considered righteous. If he killed this scheming woman, it would tarnish the reputation of the great Sword Sect.

Soaking in the cold pool together sounded acceptable, but looked bad. Those Talismonger Sect people would probably spread word everywhere that he coveted feminine beauty but wouldn’t protect the woman’s reputation.

If he didn’t marry her and word spread, wouldn’t he become someone who deceived women for pleasure?

For now, he could only temporarily become partners with her, legitimately absorb the Demon Pearl… Moreover, this woman’s blood was the nemesis of his demonic cultivation. If he found the right method, he might be able to eliminate his hidden troubles.

If she became his wife, it would also prevent interested parties from recruiting her to deal with him.

Qin Lingxiao had seen countless such scheming, infatuated women who carefully plotted against him! He just hadn’t expected to be pecked in the eye by a small chick this time and fall into a trap.

In his annoyance, Qin Lingxiao could only console himself: This woman’s fate was special, and her bloodline was also the nemesis of Wei Jie’s demonic nature – perhaps marrying her wouldn’t be too much of a loss.

Thinking this way, Qin Lingxiao’s mood gradually steadied, his displeasure diminished somewhat, only waited for this unorthodox wild chicken sect leader to tearfully and gratefully accept the marriage proposal.