Qiu Xier disagreed, "When has Shifu ever come to check our progress? We'll go and return quickly, naturally he won't find out."
Ranran didn't mind either; she was also in her playful years, and Shifu had never said they couldn't go down the mountain. The second senior brother should have gone to the town nearby, which was very close. If they went to shop, it would be perfect to buy gifts for her parents.
After all, this was her first time going on a long trip away from home since birth. The last time she went shopping, she saw a piece of fabric suitable for her mother, but unfortunately, there was only about a meter left, which was not enough to make a skirt.
*一匹布 is about 3.3 meters
The shopkeeper told her that new stock would arrive in a few days, so it was just nice to go have a look. Going on a trip and returning empty-handed to West Mountain would be quite embarrassing.
Thinking about this, they tidied up, each took their weapons, wore veiled hats, and went down the mountain together.
This manner of young heroes felt very cool and unrestrained; the three juniors were now skilled and agile, flying and leaping down the mountain with great joy.
Because the tea and hot springs here were famous, the visitors were mostly wealthy families, so the town was bustling.
When they were near the town entrance, they had seen the figure of the second senior brother from afar. They had originally planned to secretly follow him, but unfortunately, the second senior brother hurriedly walked and disappeared after turning into a long street.
Since they couldn't find him, they decided to simply shop and buy things. Besides buying gifts for their parents, Ranran also planned to buy a gift for Uncle Master Zeng. After all, she should express her gratitude after accepting his exquisite mechanism stick.
Ranran planned to buy Uncle Master a pair of thick-soled shoes and soft white cotton fabric. She would personally make him a few pairs of comfortable and breathable socks and embroider *Pine tree motifs.
*劲松 不畏风寒而挺立的松树.比喻刚强不屈的人.
Sturdy pine tree, used to describe resolute and unyielding people.
Uncle Master's feet were as important as a craftsman's hands and naturally needed meticulous care. While selecting breathable white cotton fabric, Ranran inadvertently looked up and saw the second senior brother in front of a courtyard, smiling foolishly, and then walked straight into the courtyard.
Ranran wanted to call Gao cang and Qiu Xier but didn't know which stall they were at. So she simply put down the cotton fabric and walked towards the courtyard, wanting to see what the second senior brother was up to.
There was a tall tree next to the courtyard. Ranran lightly jumped up to it, and she could see the situation inside the courtyard.
She saw the second senior brother standing in the courtyard, smiling indulgently at a burly man, saying, "Rou'er, it's only been a day, why do you miss me so much? Come on, wipe away your tears…"
As he spoke, the second senior brother took out a handkerchief from his pocket, hugged the burly man's thick waist, and wiped his tear-streaked face. Finally, he planted a big kiss on the man's dark and hairy face…
Ranran's cultivation was not enough, and she was so shocked that she almost fell from the tree!
Second senior brother, so you're like this! Your tastes are really too heavy!
Thinking that she unintentionally witnessed the second senior brother's illicit affair, Ranran felt very sorry as well.
But soon, she realized something was wrong. The burly man whom Bai Baishan kissed looked very angry, gritting his teeth and showing a completely different expression from the teary-eyed appearance the second senior brother was talking about, as if he could tear the second senior brother apart at any moment.
However, his words were flat and dry, like reciting lines from a play, "Bai Lang, without you by my side, I can't even sleep well. I've already prepared the bathwater for you. Do you want to take a bath first?"
Hearing this, the second senior brother raised an eyebrow, smoothly lifted the man's chin, and said in a flirtatious tone, "Are you so impatient because I didn't give you enough yesterday? Don't worry, after I take a bath, I'll make sure to give you a good time…"
Hearing this, Ranran tried to stop herself from puking. She bit her finger, and felt unsure if she should continue eavesdropping. Although she felt that the second senior brother also had the freedom to love a man, seeing him being affectionate with a hairy brute made her feel extremely embarrassed and had goosebumps all over.
But at this moment, she noticed that the burly man named "Rou'er" had led the second senior brother to a tub filled with crimson bloodwater.
The second senior brother seemed oblivious to the unusual tub and began undressing, chatting merrily with "Rou'er" while entering the tub. In an instant, the blood-red water in the tub eagerly rushed into the second senior brother's body, and he suddenly rolled his eyes and fell unconscious in the tub.
Ranran was horrified. Just when she was about to go rescue the second senior brother, a woman walked out of the house and said to the burly man, "He has absorbed the blood of a horned demon and can't wake up for a while! Go, drip more *'One Leaf Veils the Eyes' into his eyes again, so he won't notice anything wrong after he wakes up."
*一叶障目
The burly man roughly lifted the second senior brother's eyelids and dripped some medicine into his eyes, but it was unclear what the medicine was for.
Just then, the burly man named "Rou'er" couldn't hold himself back anymore. He said to the woman, "Elder Tu, can't you find a woman to do this kind of seduction work? This kid keeps touching me like a horny dog every time, I really want to cut him alive!"
The beautiful woman glared at him fiercely and said, "I'm the only woman in Crimson Gate, if you won't do it, do you want me to deal with this idiot?!"
With that, the burly man quickly knelt down, bowing repeatedly and profusely declared that he doesn't dare.
Tu Jiuyuan softened her tone and said, "He's under the influence of the drug, so a few suggestive words can create illusions in his eyes and sounds in his ears. In his eyes now, you are the stunning beauty that only appears in his dreams, and he thinks he has had passionate moments with you several times. This is an excellent opportunity that must be utilized well. Su Yi Shui is on Tea Fragrance Mountain. This kid's body has already absorbed the blood of a horned demon, so any pool he soaks in will have the poison of the horned demon, subtly poisoning without detection. Once Su Yi Shui is poisoned, his internal energy will be disrupted, which will help Master regain his core cultivation. If this plan succeeds, you will be the top contributor… Besides, you are not a delicate girl, what harm is there in letting this kid take a little advantage of you?"
Upon hearing this, "Rou'er" immediately saluted with clasped fist and declared loudly, "For the sake of the Master, I am willing to do anything!"
If it were an ordinary day, Ranran would have had the leisure to sigh at the hardships of being a disciple of the demonic sect. Even a proud and upright man of seven feet had to play the role of a woman to seduce others.
But now, her second senior brother was the victim, and from what she heard, they were planning something against theirShifu, Su Yi Shui! But what exactly were they planning to do?
Just then, after the female demonic leader finished her instructions, she turned and left the courtyard, walking towards another street.
Ranran looked at the second senior brother sleeping unconscious in the tub and was certain that since he was being manipulated by them, but he should be temporarily safe. So she agilely leaped from the rooftops, following that Tu Jiuyuan.
She walked swiftly to a lavishly decorated teahouse and walked in directly.
Some tea customers also wanted to enter, but they were stopped by two burly men at the door, who said that the teahouse had been booked and asked them to find another place.
Ranran knew that there must be some secrets in this teahouse, but she couldn't enter at the moment.
So Ranran looked around and suddenly saw a tall Poplar tree on the street.
She walked over, circled behind the tree, took advantage of the distraction around her, lightly stepped on the tip of her toes, and leaped onto the tall tree. Then she jumped to a nearby rooftop, then another, moving like stepping on lotus leaves in a pond, quickly reaching the rooftop of the teahouse.
She found a shady corner of the roof, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and focused her mind. In no time, she entered a meditative state, able to ignore the noise from the street and listen clearly to the voices inside the teahouse.
A sharp male voice said, "Wei Jiu, His Majesty's intention is simple. With a useless key, we can obtain the whereabouts of the Spirit Spring. Isn't this a win-win situation?"
At this point, Ranran heard a familiar piercing laughter, "Mu Qingge has been reborn again, why has she become so timid? If she wants something from me, she should come and ask for it herself. Why involve an emperor to intimidate people? Does she think I, Wei Jiu, am a eunuch in the palace, peeing my pants at a mere threat and complying at once?!"
His words were sarcastic and pointed, and the seemingly eunuch-like man, upon hearing Wei Jiu's biting words, smiled awkwardly, "How could Chief Wei possibly be like us servants? Your cultivation is profound, your followers are numerous, you are the number one person among the demon cultivators! His Majesty has never cared about immortal cultivation affairs, but now he needs Master Mu to refine pills for him. However, Master Mu has some misunderstandings with you. His Majesty is willing to mediate, and if we can turn hostility into friendship, wouldn't it be a win-win situation? His Majesty is willing to give a reward on behalf of Master Mu, would these ten thousand taels of gold satisfy you?"
Wei Jiu smiled and said, "Mu Qingge said she knows the whereabouts of the Netherworld Spring, I believe her! But it's not good for her to avoid me and seek help from other men. Tell her, the Marrow-Cleansing Pool Meet is coming up, and this time, my disciples from Crimson Gate will also participate. At that time, I will prepare a banquet for her and also check if the Grievance water poison she's suffering from is serious. Of course, if she can't bear it any longer, Crimson Gate will always welcome her. But if she continues to get other men to negotiate with me, even if it's the emperor, I'll treat him like a fart!"
To mock the emperor in front of a high-ranking eunuch like this, this demon has to the the only one in the entire world.
The old eunuch took a deep breath, seemingly finding it difficult to continue in his anger. But he probably knew Wei Jiu's murderous temperament, so he just chuckled twice and said, "Back then, you secretly assisted His Majesty and he has always remembered it. If this matter fails, it won't diminish His Majesty's love and respect for you."
Wei Jiu laughed coldly, "If he truly appreciated it, why has he only made temples for Mu Qingge to be worshiped? I don't see him build a golden statue for me? These tricks of maintaining balance and giving benefits, let him save them for his officials."
When the eunuch left, Tu Jiuyuan came over and quietly mentioned Su Yi Shui's disciple has returned to meet "Rou'er" again in the small courtyard. At the end, Tu Jiuyuan said, "The Chief is wise. When we found Su Yi Shui's disciples in town, you came up with this wonderful plan. That Bai Baishan is indeed a gullible fool."
Wei Jiu smiled sincerely this time, "When I saw Su Yi Shui's disciples in the town, I immediately took notice of this person with shallow roots and a wandering gaze… But it's also strange, there's actually a hint of demonic aura on him. If it weren't for the lingering yin energy on him which has not dissipated, 'One Leaf Veils the Eyes' wouldn't be so effective. This hidden piece must be used well."
After saying this, the teahouse fell silent, only the sound of tea lids hitting tea cups and people sipping tea could be heard.
At this moment, Tu Jiuyuan hesitated again and said, "Chief, you've lost most of your cultivation, it's time to retreat and recuperate. Why bother asking Mu Qingge to come personally? If there's anything, I, your subordinate can convey it on your behalf…"
Ranran heard this, and Wei Jiu's voice suddenly turned cold, and he slowly spoke, "Jiuyuan, do I need to consult with you before I do things?"
The woman called Jiuyuan seems to have knelt down with a thud, "Chief is wise and possesses great foresight. Whatever you do must have profound intentions. I spoke too much, I deserve punishment!"
After a series of slaps and punches to the face, there was a pause, then Wei Jiu spoke again, "Alright, get up. I know your private thoughts. You didn't want me to see Mu Qingge, but don't worry, I already said no one can replace you…"
Ranran, who was sitting on the rooftop, slowly opened her eyes at this point, allowing the bustling noises of the street to fill her ears again. At first, she wasn't sure of the woman's identity. During the birth of the Jue Mountain Spirit Fruit, there was chaos on Jue Mountain, and she hadn't paid attention to the disciples of the Crimson Gate. But she never expected that the person this woman came to see secretly… turned out to be the demonic cultivator Wei Jiu!
Although she didn't see him, Wei Jiu's unique voice was unmistakable.
When did her second senior brother fall victim to the schemes of the demonic sect? Thinking that they wanted to use her second senior brother to harm their Shifu, Ranran couldn't help but feel anxious.
So she stood up, intending to go back and report to her Shifu first.
Just as Ranran stood up, a string of bells fell from her pocket – these bells were bought by her third senior sister just now, with each of them having a string.
As Ranran bent down to pick it up, the tiles under her feet suddenly cracked, and a long whip wrapped around her ankle like a spirit snake, pulling her down directly.
In the instant she was pulled down, her body naturally reacted. With a quick flip, she broke free from the whip's entanglement, steadying herself skillfully and landing lightly on the ground.
And at this moment, she also saw a man still sitting in a high chair, sipping tea.
It was indeed Wei Jiu. Unlike the ethereal aura of her Shifu, this man's features are rather sinister in its beauty.
However, unlike his domineering attitude on Jue Mountain, the Wei Jiu who lost almost half of his core appeared much gloomier. Although he smiled when looking at her, there was a strong killing intent in his eyes.
It's no wonder that when he had tried to ask Mu Qingge to become his Master but wasn't accepted into the West Mountain Sect. This man might be beautiful, but he also gave off a chilly discomfort.
But now wasn't the time to critique a great demon. When she fell down, many Crimson Gate disciples with swords and knives appeared out of nowhere, surrounding her. They were just waiting for Wei Jiu's command to chop her into pieces.
Ranran did not expect to fall into such a dangerous situation in a mere instant. Now, she could only hope that the forest was dark enough that day and Wei Jiu has too many things on his mind, so he probably forgot what she looked like.
Thinking of this, she forced herself to calm down and smiled apologetically, "I was practicing my legwork on the rooftop and happened to pass by here. I accidentally stepped on the rooftop. I'm willing to compensate with silver, may I ask if the innkeeper is downstairs?"
As she spoke, she took out her purse to go downstairs and talk to the innkeeper.
But the people surrounding her showed no intention of letting her go. The swords and knives rang loudly, pointing directly at Ranran's delicate neck.
They were all high-level cultivators, and their footwork was not weak. Now that someone had eavesdropped on their Master's conversation, they naturally didn't need to keep any witnesses alive. So the falling swords and knives didn't hold back, chopping straight down.
However, Ranran was slippery like an eel. With a twist of her waist, she slid between the blades, jumped onto a table, and darted around like a rabbit.
Just then, the long whip that had pulled her down came again, carrying spiritual power with it.
Ranran glanced and saw that it was the beautiful woman standing beside Wei Jiu who was swinging the whip. She should be Wei Jiu's right-hand woman, the witch Tu Jiuyuan!
The ankle that had been entangled by the whip earlier was still throbbing with pain. Tu Jiuyuan's figure was hot, and her whip carried an equally hot and relentless forcefulness . If she were entangled again, she probably will be badly injured.
When the whip attacked, her body reacted faster than her mind. Ranran quickly pulled out a mechanism stick made by her fourteenth Uncle Master, pressing the spring in the middle. Hooks popped out from both sides of the stick, caught the whip, and automatically tightened it. Then Ranran quickly wrapped the whip around, making it unable to cause trouble again.
Her actions were smooth and fluid, completely imitating her Shifu's moves when he was fighting with Wei Jiu, using that rolling pin to capture his weapons. Even her pose was identical.
At this moment, the man who had been drinking tea and watching suddenly stared at this familiar move, slowly put down his teacup, and gritted his teeth, "Little girl, so it's you!"
Although Tu Jiuyuan had pulled the girl down just now, as Ranran had expected, he hadn't recognized her immediately. He had just felt that this girl looked strangely familiar.
It wasn't until she displayed the technique of entwining the whip, triggering a humiliating memory in Wei Jiu's mind, that he suddenly remembered this was the girl who had smiled at him while sitting in the tree during the array formation in the forest!
If he remembered correctly, she was Su Yi Shui's disciple and had witnessed the whole process of him being made a fool of by Su Yi Shui…
Although this girl seemed to have grown a lot, and she appeared fair and beautiful under the bright daylight, but her smiling face just now was just like how she looked in the forest, truly hateful!
Wei Jiu didn't intend for anyone to know about his visit at this time, but he didn't expect to hear some movement on the rooftop and end up pulling down one of Su Yi Shui's disciples.
Wei Jiu didn't intend for anyone to know about his visit at this time, but he didn't expect to hear some movement on the rooftop and end up pulling down one of Su Yi Shui's disciples.
Wei Jiu couldn't help but smile slowly, admiring the look of fear and shock in the little girl's widened pupils.
Since she was Su Yi Shui's disciple, he couldn't just kill her outright.
Since he couldn't vent his anger on that Su for the time being, playing with this little girl was better than nothing. How should he slowly kill her to somewhat vent his resentment over these days!
Ranran heard Wei Jiu's words and thought to herself, "This is bad!"
She didn't check the almanac before leaving today, and she ended up tracking someone she shouldn't mess with, after tracking her second senior brother. Wei Jiu was an archenemy of their Shifu, and now that he had recognized her, falling into his hands would probably be worse than death.
But her Shifu had said, don't panic when encountering demons and monsters. Now that she was surrounded, she could only use the "Delay" Technique to save herself. With her thoughts swirling, Ranran could only awkwardly smile to ease the tense atmosphere, and then cheerfully said to Wei Jiu, "Shifu has been waiting outside. He sent me to invite Master Wei. Can Your Excellency come downstairs to meet him?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Jiu's expression changed slightly. He thought he had kept his movements hidden and had even used the soul-catching technique "One Leaf Veils the Eyes" to manipulate Su Yi Water's second disciple, allowing him to use her for his own purposes.
He hadn't expected Su Yi Shui to have caught on so soon and even sent a disciple to eavesdrop on the rooftop. In that case, has his scheme failed?
He also didn't think that this seemingly inexperienced little girl in front of him could be telling such barefaced lies with a straight face, making it really hard to tell if Su Yi Shui was really downstairs.
Ranran calmly flipped the stick, released the whip, and then pointed in the direction of the stairs, saying, "Shifu is here, and he has also invited Elder Mu. Didn't you want to meet her? They are waiting for you downstairs!"
This bait was quite clever. Wei Jiu had always had some unspeakable sentiments for Mu Qingge. When he heard that Mu Qingge was together with Su Yi Shui, he was immediately bothered.
By the side, Tu Jiuyuan also showed a hint of jealousy. Her face tightened, unable to resist, she headed towards the stairs to see what was going on.
In the moment she turned, a flaw in the encirclement appeared. Ranran seized this rare opportunity, silently recited a Flash technique, and with lightning speed, bounced up, leaped over those big men, and jumped down from the window.
Her agility was extraordinary. Although Tu Jiuyuan was quick to react and tried to use the whip to entangle her again, she missed the mark. What came back was just a pink shoe embroidered with tiny plum blossoms.
When Tu Jiuyuan jumped down the stairs, she only saw a startled crowd that immediately scattered, but she didn't see the figure of that little girl anywhere.
Tu Jiuyuan cracked her whip angrily: "Little brat, next time I see you, it will be your death!"
In the time it took for her to turn around, Wei Jiu had already stood behind her, coldly saying, "Chase in the direction of the Tea Fragrance Mountain."
Tu Jiuyuan hesitated, "But if Su Yi Shui is here too…"
Before she could finish, Wei Jiu had already grabbed her chin, smiling and saying, "Look at the useless trash I raised, not even as cunning as a little brat. If her Master were here, would she run away like a rabbit? Chase her down for me. It's not easy to create this Bai Baishan as a pawn. We can't let it go to waste!"
After saying that, he roughly pushed Tu Jiuyuan away. Tu Jiuyuan felt embarrassed by the mockery of her Excellency, signaled to her subordinates, and quickly leaped onto the roof, heading towards Tea Fragrance Mountain.
Meanwhile, Wei Jiu picked up the embroidered shoe that Ranran had dropped and looked at it – this should have been sewn by the girl herself. There was just simple patterns on the shoe surface, but there seemed to be words embroidered on the insole. Wei Jiu squinted and saw four big characters embroidered on it, "To Pass Every Test."
Around the four characters was a circle of sincere prayer chants.
It would seem that the Master's tests at West Mountain was strict. As a disciple, she had actually come up with such a wishing technique.
Everyone knew that when the demonic cultivator Wei Jiu smiled, it meant someone was going to die. He looked at the embroidered shoe and smiled darkly: Cunning little girl, when she is brought back here, he will be sure to make her suffer!"