Mistaken Era – Chapter 4
Hearing her words, everyone turned to look, yet saw no abnormalities within the courtyard’s tangled silk barriers.
However, Cui Xiaoxiao suddenly turned and rushed back towards the main entrance gate, shouting loudly: “Run! It’s about to emerge from its cocoon!”
At the same time, the gate seemed to be manipulated by silk threads, slamming shut on its own accord.
Then, a tearing, ripping sound erupted from the depths of the farm’s residences, as if something was bursting open.
Everyone immediately tensed, while the Talisman Sect disciples hurriedly sought cover behind water vats, wood piles, or anything providing concealment.
Jiang Nanmu and Junior Brother A Yi hid behind stacked silkworm trays. But as she steadied herself to search for Junior Sect Master Cui Xiaoxiao, Jiang Nanmu was shocked to find Xiaoxiao had positioned herself directly behind that elegant Sword Sect disciple.
This Cui Xiaoxiao! Did she actually think the Sword Sect disciple would protect her? That youth had ruthlessly struck down his own sect mates – he’d likely use her as a human shield before long!
The elegant female cultivator beside the disciple also seemed taken aback by Cui Xiaoxiao’s sudden intrusion behind them, instinctively raising a delicate brow as if about to wave her sleeves and qi to forcibly push Xiaoxiao away.
But at that moment, Cui Xiaoxiao spoke up: “Sect Master Qin, have you ever raised silkworm babies before?”
The handsome male disciple and his female companion both froze, clearly not expecting this flirtatious woman to address him as “Sect Master Qin.” They couldn’t help glancing over at her in surprise.
Cui Xiaoxiao smiled faintly at the youth with the unblemished brow: “The masking powder on your forehead isn’t very seamless. Across the heavens, the only one who could possess eight red lotus mark lines would seem to be the Nine Profundities’ Sect Master Qin Lingxiao…”
The tall, elegant male lowered his gaze coolly towards Xiaoxiao: “Masking powder? I used a concealing technique – even peers of similar cultivation shouldn’t be able to see through it…just how did you discern the flaw?”
This…Xiaoxiao could not explain.
At eight years old, she had suffered a high fever that left her eyes imbued with powers of supernatural insight upon recovery.
Previously wandering the jianghu, she mostly used this ability to help her adoptive father identify wealthy marks ripe for fleecing.
Earlier at the county yatemen, Cui Xiaoxiao immediately spotted the eight crimson lines twisted into a lotus seal hidden on this youth’s brow.
As Second Senior Sister Jiang Nanmu mentioned, those red lines represented the Sword Sect’s cultivation levels – more lines signified deeper attainments.
Possessing the full eight lines meant this person’s powers transcended mortality, having broken through eight tribulations and standing just one final passage away from immortal ascension.
The reason Cui Xiaoxiao considered withdrawing was recognizing this disciple as the renowned Qin Lingxiao, the Nine Profundities’ sect master.
For such an eminent figure to personally attend to a mere county magistrate’s trifling monster disturbance? It hinted that either Qin was easily bored these days, or there were profound secrets here beyond a minor official’s abilities to handle.
As Ji Wuqi said, for the Talisman Sect’s integrity they could not simply take charity. Since that was the case, Cui Xiaoxiao could only now resign herself to giving her life alongside these great cultivators.
However…Cui Xiaoxiao glanced at Qin Lingxiao again, feeling there was something different about his aura compared to earlier, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.
With no time to ponder further, Cui Xiaoxiao eyed the ominous giant cocoon deep within the woven silk barricades. Taking a deep breath, she continued to Qin Lingxiao: “Those who have raised silkworms know—when the larvae are molting their skins, you cannot manually assist or their lives will be forfeit. This demonic beast is currently undergoing its own metamorphosis. We cannot wait for it to fully emerge, or we may miss our chance to interrupt and cripple its transformation.”
Hearing her explanation, Qin Lingxiao immediately understood her meaning.
It seemed the demonic entity was rapidly gaining strength. Even with him present, subduing it would require tremendous effort.
If Cui Xiaoxiao’s speculation was accurate, disrupting its molting process may be the only chance to expose an exploitable weakness.
With that thought, Qin Lingxiao sprang forward towards the dense web of silk strands. Cui Xiaoxiao quickly retreated to shelter behind a nearby water vat.
As Qin Lingxiao’s form flashed closer to the courtyard’s depths, countless strange threads lashed out to intercept him.
Knowing his sword qi could not touch them, Qin Lingxiao withdrew, snagging a long branch with a flick of his fingers before rapidly whirling it to entangle the attacking silk strands.
At this moment, Ji Wuqi emerged to flaunt his own abilities, retrieving a fire talisman with intent to incinerate the encroaching silk threads. Seeing his plan, Cui Xiaoxiao immediately shouted: “Hold, do not ignite the flames!”
Alas, her warning came too late – Ji Wuqi had already activated the talisman’s yellowed script, conjuring dazzling tongues of fire billowing towards the silk.
The Talisman Sect’s arts were not mere illusory tricks. For a senior disciple like Ji Wuqi who rigorously trained within the sect for years, channeling the five elemental energies through talisman scripts to invoke water and fire techniques was child’s play.
So the inferno Ji Wuqi summoned was of truest flames. Yet when meeting those peculiar silk strands, the fire’s scorching heat was greedily absorbed. In an instant, those threads transformed into millions of “fire lines” ensnaring Ji Wuqi’s body.
Seeing their senior trapped in raging flames quickly burning away his robes, Jiang Nanmu and A Yi rushed forward to rescue him. But those threads, despite lacking visible combustion, still drained spiritual energies – rendering them impossible to directly touch.
As Ji Wuqi became engulfed in the blazing inferno, screaming in agony, the frantic Jiang Nanmu flung all caution aside, reaching out to pull the burning silk lines away with her bare hands.
It was then that Cui Xiaoxiao stuck her head out from behind the water vat and shouted sharply: “Wait!”
As she spoke, she flung a paper packet from her robes into the adjacent vat, using a ladle to stir its contents before rapidly dousing the burning, shrieking Ji Wuqi with a scoop of liquid.
Where the liquid met the threads, the raging fires immediately extinguished, the silk retracting and wilting away.
Nearly immolated, Ji Wuqi felt an immense relief wash over him despite his scorched, stinging body.
Yet the Talisman disciples could scarcely believe Cui Xiaoxiao had repelled the demonic silk with just a few ladles of water.
Finished entangling the obstructing threads, Qin Lingxiao turned to ask: “What did you put in that water?”
Cui Xiaoxiao scooped another ladle of water and poured it over several of her fellow disciples, then replied, “It’s powder made from grinding water-pipe tobacco leaves.”
It turned out that earlier, when eating, Cui Xiaoxiao had chatted for a while with the gatekeeper, inquiring in detail about the people and events related to the demonic silkworm incident at the silkworm farm.
Among those who stood night watch, not everyone had fallen victim to the evil deed. One of them was actually the gatekeeper’s cousin, originally keeping watch alongside the two assailants who were killed. However, that night, he alone survived.
It was said that at the time, thousands upon thousands of silkworm threads suddenly descended from the rafters, entangling several people. But the threads wrapping around the cousin became fewer and fewer. Later, when those few were dragged away alive, only the cousin broke free from the threads and escaped.
Perhaps terrified by the ordeal, the cousin later contracted lung disease and coughed incessantly, appearing to be on his last breaths.
However, according to the physician, the cousin’s illness had little to do with the demonic entity, but rather stemmed from his pipe-smoking habit – he never parted with his water pipe, and even his teeth had turned yellow from the smoke. The lung disease had taken root long ago.
The casual remark sparked an idea in Cui Xiaoxiao’s mind – could it be that the demon disliked the smell of smoke?
So she specifically asked the gatekeeper for a bag of water-pipe tobacco leaves. Not only did she grind them into powder and keep them in her pocket, but before coming here, she also smoked the leaves to imbue her clothes with the scent.
When entering the courtyard earlier, those silkworm threads attacked the Sword Sect disciples several times, yet never approached Cui Xiaoxiao, seeming to confirm her speculation.
Now it proved effective, barely saving the life of her senior martial brother Ji Wuqi.
After hearing her explanation, the few disciples from the Talisman Sect finally understood the reasoning behind this junior martial sister’s earlier actions.
No one else felt too awkward, but Ji Wuqi felt quite embarrassed, wanting to thank this trickster girl yet unable to open his mouth.
But for now, no one cared about his unease. Having learned of the demon’s aversion to smoke, the remaining Sword Sect disciples rushed over, trying to snatch Cui Xiaoxiao’s ladle to splashwater on themselves.
However, Cui Xiaoxiao raised the ladle and glanced at these disciples scornfully, “The prestigious Nine Profundities Sword Sect, relying not on your sword auras to subdue demons, but resorting to the same methods as our lowly side-path cultivation? If word gets out, it’ll make you seem so debased!”
During the day, they had mocked the Talisman Sect and their master – she remembered it all well!
Saying this, Cui Xiaoxiao looked at Qin Lingxiao and asked with a provoking smile, “Sect Master Qin, don’t you agree?”
Qin Lingxiao did not speak, only coldly watching his disappointing disciples, then glancing at Cui Xiaoxiao. His gaze darkened slightly as he leapt forward, speeding towards the depths of the silkworm farm.
The extraordinarily beautiful woman keeping pace beside Qin Lingxiao had not uttered a word. But when Qin Lingxiao looked at Cui Xiaoxiao, she also glared fiercely at the young girl, seeming to harbor some hostility.
However, Cui Xiaoxiao’s attention was focused solely on the advancing Qin Lingxiao.
As the founding patriarch of the Nine Profundities Sword Sect, his cultivation far surpassed those of the other disciples. When he dashed forward, a mist-like true qi armor enveloped his body.
Though the demonic threads tried to entangle Qin Lingxiao, upon touching that misty true qi armor, they rapidly froze into ice. Qin Lingxiao manifested a sword with his hand and, with a forceful wave, shattered those demonic threads.
This display of power greatly shocked the Talisman Sect disciples.
It was well known that Qin Lingxiao had once killed his own demonic master out of a sense of righteousness, while also absorbing the master’s supreme cultivation. It was said that the demon Wei Jie had practiced the Demonic Path’s Heart Devouring Great Technique, which required extinguishing all human emotions to succeed.
However, Qin Lingxiao, as Wei Jie’s prized disciple, was able to absorb most of his master’s power while using his self-created Orthodox Sword Dharma to resolve the demonic technique’s karmic backlash.
Strictly speaking though, a large portion of Qin Lingxiao’s cultivation was derived from the top-tier Demonic Path, which was perhaps why he could neutralize the threat of the demonic threads.
Not allowing others to ponder further, Qin Lingxiao had already shattered most of the demonic threads in the depths of the silkworm farm. Under the dim moonlight, a huge black cocoon was revealed on the rafters above the building.
This black cocoon was slowly wriggling, its rough surface cracking open a crevice – just as Cui Xiaoxiao had anticipated, the demonic chrysalis was indeed starting to molt.
Qin Lingxiao narrowed his eyes slightly, realizing that the young matriarch of the lowly Talisman Sect seemed to have some insight. After all, when the demonic threads were entangling everyone earlier, how could she be the first to know the cocoon was about to hatch?
