Chapter 18
However, after careful recollection, Cui Xiaoxiao gradually understood: The severely injured Demon Lord Wei Jie, who was originally supposed to engage in a decisive battle with the four major sects, managed to escape without fighting due to her obstruction.
Moreover, when the two of them fell, their excessive weight caused the egg in the pit to shatter, prematurely attracting the Soul-Devouring Twin-Headed Serpent.
Then, with her assistance, Wei Jie was able to calmly prepare and, aided by the Soul-Settling Talisman, effortlessly kill the Soul-Devouring Serpent without being affected by its venom.
This… didn’t she unintentionally change the events that occurred two hundred years ago?
If he wasn’t bitten, how could he have been poisoned, and how could he have cultivated the divine skill to counteract the demonic nature, eventually leading to his soul being scattered by his disciple Qin Lingxiao’s attack? How could Master Tang Youshu have become heartbroken, left, and established the Talisman Sect?
How would these altered events unfold?
Cui Xiaoxiao closed her eyes in anguish, seemingly having inadvertently disrupted Wei Jie’s path to becoming a demon.
She didn’t know how the heavens would punish her, this person who interfered with the laws of nature. Would it rain down a million thunderbolts, zapping her into shreds?
However, Wei Jie misunderstood Cui Xiaoxiao’s pained expression, thinking she regretted taking him as a disciple.
Thus, he slowly straightened his body, lowered his gaze towards the distressed young girl, and coldly sneered, nonchalantly mocking her: “What? Is the master regretting taking me as a disciple?”
As he spoke these words, his enchanting, profound eyes contained a smile, yet it wasn’t a genuine one, reflecting more of a cold indifference towards the cruelty of the world.
When Cui Xiaoxiao raised her head to look at his jade-carved, handsome face, she felt a chill in her heart. She thought: If she didn’t investigate thoroughly, taking in this demonic thing would be an utter misfortune for the Talisman Sect!
However, if she were to retract her acceptance now, this fellow might harbor resentment.
Although she didn’t care much about his origins, she was deeply concerned about his future infamy and absolutely couldn’t allow his evil deeds to tarnish the name of the Numinous Mountain Talisman Sect.
But to drive away this evil disciple, she needed to be tactful and withdraw gradually, not abruptly severing ties. After all, this person would become the future Demon Lord, extremely sinister.
Currently alone, she was likely no match for this Demon Lord who single-handedly slew the Soul-Devouring Serpent.
With this thought, Cui Xiaoxiao blinked, took a deep breath, and smiled unconvincingly: “How could that be? You possess remarkable talents and are undoubtedly a rare genius. Good, you will… surely achieve great things in the future! Your master is truly fortunate to have taken you as a disciple!”
Upon hearing this, Wei Jie suddenly fell silent, widening his handsome eyes and silently staring at Xiaoxiao.
He could tell that this young lady was being somewhat insincere, but he didn’t know why she didn’t immediately retract her acceptance. Didn’t she realize that once tainted, she would face endless troubles?
In fact, his earlier request to become her disciple was not sincere. His single-knee kneel was merely a superficial ritual, purely intended to tease this ignorant little girl.
Once she learned of his origins, she would naturally regret her decision and make an unsightly attempt to disassociate herself from him.
This wasn’t a problem, as he had endured enough disdainful looks since childhood to become indifferent. He merely saw it as a way to amuse and entertain himself.
But he never expected this little girl, who claimed to be the sect leader of the Numinous Mountain Talisman Sect, to defy convention and stubbornly refuse to immediately disown him as her disciple…
Fine, since he was idly bored anyway, he might as well indulge his new “master” for a while.
With this thought, Wei Jie slowly smiled, bowed to Xiaoxiao, and said: “I too am fortunate to have joined your sect!”
As for Cui Xiaoxiao, after flattering her new senior disciple with empty praises, her heart was burning with anxiety.
After all, she didn’t know how to return to two hundred years ago, and she had interfered with the laws of nature, unaware of the potential consequences.
However, what perplexed Cui Xiaoxiao even more was Wei Jie himself—this notorious Demon Lord from the legends didn’t seem as despicable as depicted. At the very least, during the crisis when the strange serpent attacked, he didn’t abandon her and flee alone.
As Cui Xiaoxiao pondered with a troubled mind, she heard Wei Jie casually ask: “Master, I still don’t know your name. You’re… sixteen years old this year, right?”
Cui Xiaoxiao let out a slight sigh, thinking to herself: “They didn’t know each other’s identity and happily took each other as master and disciple. She and Wei Jie were truly unique!”
However, what did this young man mean? ‘Sixteen years old this year’? Was he belittling his master for being too young and inexperienced?
She shot him a sidelong glance: “My name is Cui Xiaoxiao, and I’m seventeen this year… I don’t know how old I’ll be next year…”
May the heavens protect her and allow her to safely pass through this calamity; otherwise, next year would bring not a birthday but a memorial day.
“Oh…” Wei Jie heard his master’s incoherent words and slowly raised his head, his eyes beneath his sword-like brows seeming to glimmer faintly. He extended his long fingers, slowly calculating, and asked with a probing tone: “Seventeen… a good age. The master is actually two years younger than me… so you were born in the year of Guichou(Ox)… a Yin year. Master, when is your birthday?”
Cui Xiaoxiao’s gaze fixed on his inquisitive look, and she slowly smiled: “Why? Does the disciple also practice fortune-telling? Are you trying to see if the master’s birthday is auspicious or not?”
Her extremely Yin birthday in the past two hundred years would be an ominous talisman, and she would never reveal it to this Demon Lord!
Seeing that she didn’t answer but instead asked a question, Wei Jie didn’t mind too much. He merely smiled faintly and said: “I was just wondering about the master’s birthday so I don’t miss the opportunity to wish you well in the future… There’s no need to calculate the master’s fortune, as it must be good. At least, after meeting the master, I seem to have encountered continuous good luck, always able to turn danger into safety…”
Cui Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement: “It seems my destiny is indeed compatible with yours, disciple…”
Wei Jie had a demonic and ominous beauty, but when he smiled, the corners of his mouth revealed sharp canine teeth, making him look like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man.
If she hadn’t time-traveled from two hundred years ago, Cui Xiaoxiao would never have imagined that this man, smiling so innocently, would become the notorious Demon Lord who would make people tremble in fear years later.
The master and disciple smiled warmly at each other.
Cui Xiaoxiao stood up, intending to take advantage of this harmonious atmosphere to lecture her disciple about the profound master-disciple bond, which she likened to a chance encounter, before parting ways.
She wanted to bid farewell to her disciple and let the obedient young man cultivate independently in the future. She was not from two hundred years ago, and if she remained by Wei Jie’s side for too long, she might interfere with too many laws of nature. It would be better for them to separate temporarily.
However, at that moment, they heard human voices calling out from above their heads: “There was some commotion down there earlier. Wei Jie must be hiding in the valley below. Come on, let’s hurry down and take a look!”
It seemed that after searching fruitlessly, the four major sects heard the sounds of combat coming from the valley below and decided to investigate.
Upon hearing these voices, Wei Jie said to Xiaoxiao: “We should leave quickly, or we won’t be able to escape.”
However…Cui Xiaoxiao looked at the serpent’s corpse lying on the ground and had a sudden thought: “I’ve heard that the venom of this ancient giant serpent has miraculous effects. Why don’t we collect some to bring with us? It might prove useful in the future!”
According to the original course of events, Wei Jie had to be poisoned in order to undergo demonic tranformation and become the Demon Monarch. So if he was bitten by the snake venom, everything could revert seamlessly and all would be well in the world!
She could also rid herself of the suspicion of interfering with the laws of nature and calmly find a way to return to two hundred years later.
So she wanted to lure Wei Jie into going near the snake’s head again to see if there was an opportunity to get things back on track.
Unfortunately, her newly accepted disciple was no fool. After looking at the snake’s head, he rejected the idea: “The snake has just died, and its body is not yet stiff. Taking its venom now may not be advisable…”
Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t really expect to easily deceive the great Demon Lord. She dejectedly stood up, pondering her next move.
Wei Jie had been observing his master’s face the entire time. Seeing the disappointment on her pitiful little face…
He pondered for a moment, then untied his wine gourd and suddenly walked towards the male serpent’s head. Cui Xiaoxiao’s spirits lifted as she silently cheered for the snake’s head: “Come on! Don’t die completely, go! Bite him fiercely!”
As if sensing Sect Leader Cui’s calls, just as Wei Jie used his sword to pry open the snake’s mouth, its dazed pupils seemed to regain focus, emitting a murderous aura as it suddenly opened its jaws wide and viciously bit towards Wei Jie’s extended arm.
Fortunately, Wei Jie was quick-handed, immediately withdrawing his arm. He then picked up a large rock nearby and repeatedly smashed it forcefully against the serpent’s head.
Soon, the snake’s head lay motionless. He then continued to pry its jaws open with his bare hands, using his sword to prop it open and the gourd to extract the venom dripping from its venomous fangs.
Cui Xiaoxiao held her breath in anticipation, hoping for a miracle that would allow the not-yet-dead snake’s head to bite Wei Jie, putting everything back on the right track.
But Wei Jie’s strength seemed extraordinarily great as he used his sword to prop open the snake’s mouth, effortlessly collecting the venom without incident.
After obtaining the venom, he handed the gourd to Cui Xiaoxiao: “Here!”
Cui Xiaoxiao was dazed, not understanding Wei Jie’s intentions.
Wei Jie pursed his lips: “Wasn’t the master eager to have it? I took some for you. Keep it safe, but be careful not to accidentally ingest the venom, or even the highest heavenly immortals couldn’t save you.”
So he had misunderstood that Cui Xiaoxiao wanted the snake venom, which prompted him to risk himself and personally collect it for her.
Cui Xiaoxiao felt her cheeks flush. She had exhausted so many schemes in hopes that Wei Jie would be bitten by the venomous serpent, only for him to filially risk himself simply because his master desired it…
Ever since her adoptive father and master, she couldn’t recall anyone treating her so kindly.
Yet now, for no apparent reason, she owed Wei Jie a favor.
In this situation, hoping for her disciple to be bitten by the snake would be outright cruel.
Fortunately, she had the venom in hand and could use it to poison him a few drops at any time, allowing Wei Jie’s path to becoming a demon to resume its proper course.
For now, she could only take it one step at a time. She would wait for Wei Jie to reveal his true ugly nature, allowing her to revert the Demon Lord to his original form without any guilt…
The path Wei Jie took to lead her away followed the route where the Soul-Devouring Serpent had come, along an upturned earthen path that seemed to extend to the mouth of the valley.
After walking for a while, they seemed to enter a winding, secluded path, causing one to lose their sense of direction.
However, Wei Jie appeared quite adept at discerning directions, always able to find inconspicuous paths through the exceptionally dense foliage.
Cui Xiaoxiao was perplexed as to why he was so familiar with the area.
Wei Jie candidly explained: “…I lived on Elder Mountain for a few years as a child, so I’m naturally familiar with it.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Xiaoxiao was infuriated: “So you knew there was a Soul-Devouring Serpent in the valley below, yet you still jumped down?”
As Wei Jie cleared the thorny branches blocking their path, he nonchalantly smiled: “I said I wouldn’t jump, but you insisted on jumping, Master. To preserve the green mountains and forests, I had no choice but to give it a try.”
Listen to that – it became the master’s fault again.
Observing the tall man walking ahead, Cui Xiaoxiao became increasingly vexed: Befitting of someone destined to become a Demon Lord, he was truly cunning! Despite knowing those people were pursuing him, he didn’t reveal it. And despite knowing about the serpent in the valley, he didn’t warn her, intending to use her as a shield. How vile!
No, she had to be on guard against him. With the pursuers from the four major sects outside, at the very least, she needed to keep an escape route open for herself… With this thought, Xiaoxiao’s gaze fell upon the cloth bag containing spirit pills tied to his waist.
Nonchalantly catching up to him, in the blink of an eye, she deftly transferred the bag into her own embrace…
Thanks to Wei Jie’s familiarity with the route, it didn’t take long for them to exit the valley, leaving their pursuers far behind.
Those from the four major sects seemed to deeply resent the thief who stole the spirit pills, dispatching people not only to pursue them up the mountain but also to stand guard below.
So when Wei Jie and Cui Xiaoxiao emerged together from the ravine, someone immediately blocked their path.
“Wei Jie! Where do you think you’re going?”
Cui Xiaoxiao looked up and saw that the four major sects wore white, azure, black, and grey robes respectively, with a group of white-robed people standing at the forefront.
Judging by their cold gazes, these white-robed people’s attire… was identical to that of the Nine Mystic Sword Sect two hundred years later. No wonder she had mistaken them earlier as pursuers from the Nine Mystic Sword Sect.
However… the one leading these white-robed people at the front… wasn’t that Qin Lingxiao?
