Chapter 36
This ghost doctor’s lifelong pursuit was to gain people’s reverence and praise. Even if he himself was still a mediocre doctor, and the medical skills he borrowed were nothing more than demonic powers, he could still immerse himself in this illusion and be unable to extricate himself.
But now, this young lady was looking at him coldly and with disdain, as if looking at foul water in a ditch.
This contemptuous sideways glance, as if an older sister was glaring at her foolish and incompetent younger brother who had caused their father’s death…
In this moment, he was frightened by his guilty conscience, crying with tears streaming down his face. In an instant, he was beaten back to his original form, once again becoming the unconfident person he used to be.
“Please, let me treat your illness, I will do my best, I definitely won’t cause another patient’s death…”
Xiao Xiao looked at his manic, fickle appearance and couldn’t help sighing inwardly: Although the pain from the injuries on her body was indeed difficult to treat, looking at it now, what was most difficult to treat was the human heart.
In her view, the one most in need of treatment was this mediocre doctor who had been possessed by a demon to satisfy his own delusional vanity!
However, after the ghost doctor cried for a while, he suddenly thought of something and looked up with a cunning smile: “No, you don’t dare to kill me! In this world, besides me, there’s no one who can heal your arm. Tsk tsk, injuries from heavenly punishment, it seems you’re not a good person either, why pretend to be a saint in front of me?”
Xiao Xiao also smiled and leaned a bit closer, while pressing her sword tightly against his neck: “Is that so? If that’s really the case, I would rather cut off my own arm than need treatment from a vicious person like you!”
With that said, she swung her precious sword, about to stab into the young man’s Ghost Palace acupoint. Once stabbed, the demon possessing his body would be forced to separate.
But just at this moment, the door to this ghost alley courtyard was forcibly pushed open.
A large group of people carrying swords and sabers rushed into the courtyard.
Xiao Xiao turned her head to look, oh, they were all old acquaintances!
It could be seen that people from the Four Great Sects had once again gathered in the small alley of Luoyi City.
The leader was the long-bearded elder of Ebony Peak. As soon as he saw Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao, he immediately frowned with his long eyebrows and said, “Why is it you two again? What are you doing here? Could it be… the people outside were all killed by you?”
Xiao Xiao quickly pointed to the young man under her sword: “You’ve misunderstood, this person is the real culprit!”
It turned out that the Three Great Sects had received a letter from Soaring Cloud Pavilion, saying that they had discovered something strange in Luoyi City. Every year during the Ghost Festival, there would be evil demons slaughtering people at the vegetable market entrance.
It just so happened that last year, a relative of a disciple from Ebony Peak had come to seek medical treatment and had also become a victim. At the time, they had no idea why he had collapsed on the streets of Luoyi.
Now, after reading the letter from Soaring Cloud Pavilion, that disciple cried and pleaded in front of the sect elders, begging his fellow disciples to uncover the truth. Naturally, subduing demons and monsters was the duty of the Four Great Sects.
This time, the Four Great Sects had gathered a large army to subjugate the evil demons. Timing it just right, they hurried over to investigate.
As a result, as soon as they arrived, they discovered that there seemed to be a demonic aura in this place, and there was even a “Nineteenth Lane” that did not exist in the city.
However, they didn’t expect that when they rushed in along the alley filled with corpses, they would encounter Wei Jie and his master from the Talisman Sect, Cui Xiao Xiao.
Last time at Mount Qilao, the Four Great Sects had an unpleasant confrontation with these two. They didn’t expect to encounter them again this time.
When they heard Xiao Xiao say that the murderer was the young man she was forcing with her sword, the elder frowned suspiciously.
Right now, that young man had a sickly appearance, was as thin as a skeleton, had a deathly pale face, and had tears in his eyes. No matter how you looked at him, he didn’t seem capable of killing anyone.
Moreover, as soon as that ghost doctor saw people rushing in, he immediately cried out, “Save me! I was forced into the courtyard by these two people. They said they needed a living person as a sacrifice to call the ghost doctor to treat an illness… They… They want to use me as an offering!”
Hearing this, several disciples from Wonderful Immortal Mountain angrily shouted, “Wei Jie! You demon, you’re actually so vicious. You and your master are simply in cahoots with each other!”
With someone taking the lead, the others also started making a racket. In an instant, the crowd was in an uproar, seeming like they wanted to immediately apprehend this master and disciple pair from the Talisman Sect. The insults hurled at them also became more and more excessive.
Wei Jie always had a carefree and flippant appearance, but Xiao Xiao now knew what some of his subtle expressions meant.
For example, right now, when the corners of his eyes were curved, but the right corner of his mouth lifted first, it looked like he was smiling, but he was actually truly angry!
Xiao Xiao saw that the people from the Four Great Sects indeed still hadn’t made much progress, galloping forward on the path of seeking death.
According to the original trajectory from two hundred years ago, these people should have come to Luoyi City a few days later to surround Wei Jie’s fox demon mother, and then have an intense battle with Wei Jie.
But now, they had arrived in Luoyi City early and encountered them in this ghost alley, which was very different from the previous trajectory.
Who knew where things had gone wrong again.
However, the Four Great Sects misunderstanding the Talisman Sect disciples of sacrificing living people was a false accusation that disgraced their sect, and couldn’t be borne!
Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao no longer hesitated. She raised her sword and stabbed towards the young man’s Ghost Palace acupoint, the acupoint of that lying ghost doctor.
The gemstones on the ancient treasure sword “Defying the Heavens” were imbued with heavenly punishment energy. The moment the sword light pierced the acupoint, it was like heavenly punishment descending.
That young ghost doctor immediately couldn’t hold on. As his eyes rolled back, he raised his hands, scattering red dust, trying to make a final struggle.
That originally fair face actually took on the ferocious appearance of a skeleton, and then wrinkles rapidly appeared on his face. In an instant, he changed from a youthful young man into an old man with skin like a walnut.
It was clear to discerning eyes that this was a sign of the separation of man and demon. It seemed this young man had been possessed by the demon for quite some time!
To the extent that after the separation, the young man immediately aged. Sobbing, he cried out, “No… Don’t abandon me… I don’t want to become a mediocre doctor again. I’ll help you kill even more people! I can’t accept this…”
Crying until the end, he finally passed away with a whimper. From his bleeding nostrils, a spider-like insect escaped.
After emerging from the nostrils, that insect expanded as if blown up, becoming the size of a fist, and even had a face with disheveled hair.
That demon quickly surveyed the surroundings. Suddenly, its eyes flashed with wild joy. Without any hesitation, it rushed towards Wei Jie, even shouting with ecstasy, “There’s actually such a suitable body for demonification. Quick, I’ll help you fulfill your wish…”
But Wei Jie just stood there motionlessly, with no intention of dodging at all.
Just as that demonic spider spat out demon silk that was about to reach Wei Jie, Cui Xiao Xiao, with quick eyes and hands, slashed with her sword, cutting that large spider into two segments.
And just as Xiao Xiao slayed that demon, the wounds on her arm that had been unable to heal all along seemed to have gotten much better in an instant…
It seemed that slaying demons and monsters counted as an act of merit, seemingly offsetting the wrath of heavenly punishment, allowing her wounds to heal quite a bit.
The moment that possessing demon died, the alley it had transformed also suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Everyone now flashed back to the vegetable market street entrance on the east side of Luoyi City, surrounded by closed shops.
On the ground lay the hunters who had killed each other earlier, as well as the withered corpse of that ghost doctor.
Among the disciples of the Four Great Sects, quite a few had inhaled the red demonic dust the ghost doctor scattered just before dying. The toxicity now took effect, causing their killing intent to be exposed. They actually started chasing and hacking at their own fellow disciples.
Fortunately, the elders leading the various sects had much experience. They pressed on their disciples’ guardian acupoints, knocking them out on the ground.
At this point, Xiao Xiao didn’t need to say anything. The facts were glaringly obvious, slapping the Four Great Sects in the face.
The Four Great Sects swallowed back the insults that had been at the tips of their tongues, not knowing where to spew them now.
The elder from Ebony Peak was the first to recover. He cleared his throat and said, “In the matter of subduing demons and monsters, one must not act recklessly alone. If your Talisman Sect had notified us Four Great Sects earlier, it would have avoided this fearless misunderstanding!”
Xiao Xiao put away her long sword, slightly lifted her chin and said as if suddenly realizing, “So that’s how it is. Senior, this junior and my disciple have learned a lesson!”
That elder was just trying to smooth things over with some irrelevant words. Who knew this young lady from the Talisman Sect wouldn’t make a fuss and only laughingly went along with what he said, making it impossible for them to continue shamelessly blaming her.
Speaking of which, this master and disciple pair had subdued a demon and upheld justice, doing nothing wrong. Instead, it was them who had first committed the verbal wrongdoing of harshly berating this master and disciple pair for no reason.
Just at this moment, just like in the trajectory of the previous life, the night watchman on patrol passed by. Seeing the ground covered in corpses and a group of armed men, he was so frightened that he hurriedly started sounding his copper gong.
Thereupon, a large group of soldiers came swarming over, surrounding them so tightly that not even water could trickle through.
It was now just past midnight, and their clamorous noise echoed through the empty streets.
Under the cover of night, the white-robed man standing on the roof of a tall building not far away heard the words Xiao Xiao and the others had just spoken, and the ancient treasure sword Xiao Xiao held also entered his field of vision.
This sword… Wasn’t it “Defying the Heavens”? It should have been Wei Jie’s sword, how did it end up in Cui Xiao Xiao’s hands?
This man was none other than Qin Lingxiao. As the final owner of this ancient sword two hundred years later, he was also extremely shocked and angry at this moment!
Actually, this segment of Wei Jie visiting the ghost doctor was within his expectations.
Although in the original trajectory, he had not taken Wei Jie as his master at this time and was not in Luoyi City.
But Qin Lingxiao clearly remembered Tang Youshu telling him that after Wei Jie’s arm was severed at Mount Qilao, he had come to Luoyi City to seek treatment from the ghost doctor. Moreover, that ghost doctor was very effective. After Wei Jie returned from seeing the doctor alone, his severed arm had healed.
Although later on, it was said that ghost doctor seemed to have also been killed by Wei Jie and never appeared again.
But as for what exactly happened in between, even Tang Youshu didn’t know.
However, the fact that Wei Jie had committed murder in Luoyi City was absolutely certain. Although Wei Jie later gained King Can’s appreciation and was able to escape the crime of massacre.
But when Qin Lingxiao heard Tang Youshu unintentionally mention this, he gnashed his silver teeth, feeling that Wei Jie was killing people like scything flax, his crimes piling up to heaven.
If he had been in Luoyi City at that time, he definitely wouldn’t have let this demon escape the responsibility for his crimes!
Qin Lingxiao, who had left Mount Tuyun early, didn’t know that Xiao Xiao had taken on most of the heavenly punishment for Wei Jiu.
After leaving the fox mountain, he returned to Soaring Cloud Pavilion. While using the power of the spiritual spring to refine golden cores, he also deduced that as long as Wei Jiu was struck by heavenly punishment, he would still come to Luoyi to seek medical treatment like in the previous trajectory.
In his view, it was only natural for Wei Jie to take action and kill in order to obtain the sole right to treatment.
But this time, Wei Jie wouldn’t be so lucky as to gain the protection of the powerful and avoid bearing the crime of murder like before.
Only if the world saw the vicious heart of this nameless young man early on could they join hands to completely eliminate this scoundrel!
Therefore, Qin Lingxiao deliberately used some techniques to leak the secret of this ghost doctor, and gathered the people of the Four Great Sects to come to Luoyi City early, in order to block the way of the arm-severed, unhealed demon who kills.
But why had everything gotten messed up again? Wei Jie, who should have been receiving treatment, had now become Cui Xiao Xiao with an injured arm.
Moreover, they actually didn’t let the ghost doctor treat the injury. Instead, Cui Xiao Xiao used a treasure sword to force the ghost doctor to reveal his demonic form, exposing the fact that the ghost doctor had set up a trap to kill those seeking treatment. Then, right in front of the Four Great Sects, she personally slayed that chief culprit!
This… Wasn’t this greatly different from the original trajectory?
Seeing that long-bearded elder from Ebony Peak once again muddleheadedly playing the role of peacemaker, Qin Lingxiao felt a surge of anger in his heart!
Damn Cui Xiao Xiao! She must be messing things up again! Could it be that she wanted to support Wei Jie in becoming a world-renowned chivalrous hero?
Seeing the officials and soldiers gathering more and more on the streets, Qin Lingxiao knew that going down there himself would be of no use. He could only angrily clench his fists. After sending a signal to the Soaring Cloud Pavilion disciples to retreat, he turned and left the tall building.
And just at this moment, those officials and soldiers also heard everyone’s explanations. They saw the withered corpse of that ghost doctor, which was truly terrifying and detestable.
Homicide cases occurred in the city every year, but there were no clues. The officials and soldiers had long suspected that it was the work of ghosts and demons. Now, seeing a group of Daoist immortals with an air of transcendence gathered together, and then looking at that repulsive corpse, they could half-believe this story.
The disciples under Ebony Peak were numerous, and some of them made a living in Luoyi City. There were even some who knew the leading officials and soldiers. With such interaction and negotiation from both sides, things became much easier.
However, those officials and soldiers didn’t dare to make arbitrary decisions. They could only temporarily detain everyone and then report to King Can.
This time, it was indeed like the trajectory of the previous life. King Can, who took pleasure in making friends with extraordinary people, heard about it and immediately inquired about who the demon-slayer was. He then invited the two demon-slaying individuals from the Talisman Sect, Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao, to the royal mansion for a chat.
Of course, King Can also extended an enthusiastic invitation to the Four Great Sects to come along.
However, among the Four Great Sects, the disciples of Soaring Cloud Pavilion always walked the path of being untainted by worldly dust. With an order from the young pavilion master, they took the excuse of immediately returning to report and gracefully departed.
As for the other three great sects, they gladly accepted the invitation and were treated as honored guests by the prince, invited into the royal mansion for wine.
It was now past midnight, and dawn would arrive in a few more hours, but from the looks of it, King Can seemed to have stayed up all night. He even personally came to the door to welcome them, showing his respect for the wise and able.
Because it was Xiao Xiao who had slain the demon, after hearing the introduction from the officials and soldiers, King Can couldn’t help sizing up this immortal swordswoman up and down.
It was just that this swordswoman looked really too young. When paired with that pair of big eyes that were gently smiling, there was actually a delicate and gentle feeling, making it really hard to imagine her slender arms swinging a sword to slay demons.
Instead, that tall and handsome unrestrained man beside her, looking at his powerful long arms and the faint sharpness flashing in his purple eyes, even carrying an oppressive aura…
Observing Wei Jie’s faintly purple eyes, King Can’s smile became even more amiable.
And Xiao Xiao, after performing a salute, also lifted her head to size up this young prince.
This prince favored by the current emperor, King Can, looked to be not yet thirty, cultured and refined, carrying the regal air of the royal family, but his speech and conduct were quite approachable.
He lavished praise on Xiao Xiao and the Four Great Sects for their chivalrous hearts and courage, ridding the people of Luoyi City of a scourge. Therefore, he wanted to hold a grand feast on behalf of all the city’s residents to thank the various extraordinary gentlemen!
That demon was slain by Cui Xiao Xiao, so this honor should also be attributed to the master and disciple pair of the Talisman Sect.
But Xiao Xiao discovered that besides a bit of qi in the dantian from cultivation, the skill of this flattery was also quite profound.
Among the Three Great Sects, that smooth-talking elder from Ebony Peak was the most vivid in his storytelling.
He was seen tugging his long beard, with an air of transcendent elegance. He narrated in detail the hardships his sect’s disciples had endured over the past few years, setting up a network of eyes and ears in Luoyi City to investigate Ghost Alley. Hearing this, King Can kept nodding in approval and personally offered toasts.
Even Xiao Xiao, the person involved, had a hazy feeling that she was able to fortunately kill that ghost doctor all thanks to the meritorious efforts laid out by Ebony Peak.
So after a few rounds of wine, the prestige of Xiao Xiao, this little-known sect leader, was quickly overshadowed by the other three great sects.
That elder from Ebony Peak quite enjoyed socializing with the rich and powerful, getting along swimmingly in his conversation with King Can. He even gifted King Can two golden cores he had just recently refined.
The four great cultivation sects had resounding reputations, with numerous world-famous chivalrous individuals among their disciples. King Can was also happy to make friends with them, clinking cups and drinking together. For a time, the atmosphere was harmonious.
Xiao Xiao didn’t need to socialize with the powerful and wealthy, and was actually quite happy. She had spent the whole night in the ghost alley and was also really hungry.
The feast at the prince’s mansion was filled with delicacies and fine foods, things one couldn’t easily eat on normal days.
Just as she picked up her chopsticks and was about to pick up some food, Wei Jie beside her kicked her leg under the table again.
Xiao Xiao had learned her lesson at the Wei family. As soon as her disciple kicked, she immediately put down her chopsticks and turned to look at Wei Jie.
She suddenly remembered that earlier, when King Can offered toasts, the wine cups handed to her had all been blocked by Wei Jie.
However, Wei Jie’s excuse was quite appropriate, saying that his master’s arm had not yet healed and could not be tainted with alcohol. Could it be… he saw something wrong with the food and wine on this table?
Wei Jie grinned at her, as if praising his master for being a good student, but didn’t explain.
Just at this moment, King Can suddenly asked with concern, “Swordswoman Cui, why haven’t you touched your chopsticks? Could it be that the food and wine are not to your liking?”
Xiao Xiao hurriedly smiled and said, “How could the fine delicacies of the prince’s mansion not be delicious? It’s just that my disciple and I are currently in a state of abstaining from grains to refine our qi. We dare not partake of food and drink. I hope Your Highness will not take offense.”
She felt that since she had already clarified the fact that she was not a murderous demon, there was no meaning in staying here clinking cups. So she used the excuse that her arm was still somewhat injured and she was very tired, wanting to bid farewell early and return to rest.
King Can saw that there was indeed still blood on her sleeve and didn’t try to make her stay longer. However, the reward money couldn’t be left behind.
Therefore, after Xiao Xiao declined to rest at the prince’s mansion, King Can had his attendants carry chests filled with gold and silver to send off the two chivalrous individuals.
Xiao Xiao was used to freeloading off her disciples. Rarely earning gold and silver herself today, she wasn’t polite. After thanking King Can, she left the prince’s mansion with Wei Jie.
However, as they passed through the corridor towards the main gate of the prince’s mansion, Xiao Xiao caught a glimpse of someone looking towards them from a tall building not far away.
When she turned her head to look, in that tall building under the moonlight, a woman’s dress seemed to flutter as she trailed her long skirt into the building.
That woman’s silhouette was enchanting, the kind that made one unable to shift their gaze after a single glance. She seemed to be that veiled woman seen that day below the restaurant.
Xiao Xiao immediately shifted her gaze to Wei Jie. He was also looking at that tall building, his gaze cold and his lips pressed tightly together.
However, he quickly came back to his senses and lowered his head to say to Xiao Xiao, “Let’s go, your disciples are still waiting for us.”
Xiao Xiao nodded, not saying anything.
She suspected that woman was the songstress who had sung that soul-stirring song that day, and even more so suspected she was Wei Jie’s birth mother, the fox demoness Si Ling.
Last time, it was her heading to the restaurant to sing for King Can. Now she had appeared in the tall building of the prince’s mansion, clearly already King Can’s close female confidante.
However, if she was truly Si Ling, she definitely wouldn’t be submitting to King Can’s power and taking residence with him. She certainly had other intentions.
Thinking of the fox demoness’s deep hatred for the Four Great Sects, Xiao Xiao couldn’t help glancing back at the brightly lit hall.
In this lifetime, the Four Great Sects had come to Luoyi City early. Right now, the elders of the Three Great Sects were all drinking with the prince.
That fox demoness hated the Four Great Sects to the bone. She couldn’t be making a move now, right?
Wei Jie didn’t let her eat the food and drink the wine at the banquet. Could it be that Si Ling had tampered with all of it?
And Wei Jie’s deep gaze earlier… Did he recognize that woman was his mother?
Thinking of the various trajectories of the original course of events, if the fox demoness ultimately encountered the Four Great Sects and unfortunately lost her life, then wouldn’t Wei Jie fall into a blood feud and begin a slaughter of the Four Great Sects?
But if that was really the case, she should be happy. After all, only in this way could the derailed events return to their proper track, and she could successfully withdraw.
But Xiao Xiao found that her heart seemed to be pressed down by a stone, unable to feel happy no matter what.
On the way back, Xiao Xiao didn’t say anything the whole time. The man beside her also seemed to have something on his mind, only silently accompanying her.
When they reached the entrance of the inn, Xiao Xiao suddenly didn’t want to go in. She turned her head and asked 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 something to eat.”
After he came out carrying a small wine jar he had pilfered from the inn’s kitchen, as well as a bowl of braised beef, he took her to leap onto the inn’s roof and ate a late-night snack with Xiao Xiao under the moonlight.
Actually, without Xiao Xiao saying anything, Wei Jie knew she was hungry.
On the way back, Wei Jie had heard this grain-abstaining immortal master’s stomach growl a few times, almost matching a crowing rooster.
Xiao Xiao picked up the braised beef and took a big bite. Only after that did she ask, “Earlier at the prince’s mansion, why did you kick my leg? Could it be that there was poison in King Can’s food and wine?”
Who knew Wei Jie would raise his eyebrows, shake his head and say, “… I was just afraid your eating manner would be unrefined and scare the prince.”
Hearing this kind of absurdly outrageous reason, Xiao Xiao stared with wide eyes, her cheeks bulging with beef she couldn’t even swallow.
Wei Jie saw Xiao Xiao’s rarely flustered appearance and instantly let out a hearty laugh. Unfortunately, before he finished laughing, Xiao Xiao had already fiercely swallowed the beef in her mouth. Then, using his own hand, she took another big bite of the beef he was holding.
Scoundrel! Making her miss out on a meal of fine delicacies! Did he think that by teasing her like this, she wouldn’t eat?
Wei Jie was afraid she would choke and laughingly poured her a cup of wine.
Too many things had happened tonight. However, when facing that demonized ghost doctor, this little girl’s imposing manner as she said she would rather sever her own arm than let him treat her really made Wei Jie take a new look at her.
So after the joke, he casually said, “I always used to hear you say that the Talisman Sect’s tenet was to subdue demons and slay monsters. I didn’t expect you, this little sect leader, to actually have quite the bearing when push came to shove, indeed much stronger than those fame-seeking hypocrites of the Four Great Sects.”
Xiao Xiao downed a cup of wine and tilted her head, saying, “Then I’ll take that as you praising me.”
The smile on Wei Jie’s face gradually faded. Narrowing his purple eyes, he quietly looked at her and suddenly said in a low voice, “Then if one day… I’m overtaken by a demon, Master, will you also unhesitatingly raise your sword to slay the demon?”
