(Chapter 17 is being reviewed, please wait, it is being unlocked)
......
1:45 PM.
Willow Smoke Lane.
The most popular Yihong House in Yunling Town, favored by male cultivators, was just across the alley.
At this time, a male cultivator staggered out from Yihong House, mumbling:
"When I sell all the talismans tomorrow, I'll make you all wear black gauze cloud pattern skirts, dress as that Demon Sect Saintess to serve me!"
This person seemed to be a Talisman Master, but he had drunk a lot, and his steps were unsteady.
He walked into Willow Smoke Lane, stumbling along a path that gradually became secluded.
Suddenly, two figures in black robes appeared ahead, exuding a chilling aura.
The Talisman Master froze, remembering recent rumors of ghost cultivators robbing people, and he sobered up considerably. He immediately pulled out two Divine Movement Talismans, placed them on his legs, and his figure transformed into a stream of light as he turned to flee.
Bang!
Ah!
Then he was struck by a red ray, his body was sent flying back, and he crashed heavily onto the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, watching yet another black-robed figure slowly approach, terrified out of his wits.
Just as he was about to reach for his talisman paper, the two blocking his way had already flashed over, one of them stepping on his hands.
The Talisman Master was terrified and pleaded for mercy:
"Three seniors, I'll give you everything, spare my life!"
The black-robed person who had shot the red ray to knock down the Talisman Master stepped forward, bent down to rummage through him, and found more than ten talisman papers, over ten Spirit Stones, and a few First Grade Spirit Pills.
"Ha, turns out you're a fat sheep."
He gestured, and another black-robed person already had a dagger in his hand, its cold glint suggested it was a Low Tier Magical Artifact.
The Talisman Master screamed miserably: "Spare my life, senior! Spare me!"
Da, da, da...
At this moment, a peculiar sound of footsteps echoed, both heavy and light, both near and far, as if treading on their hearts.
The three black-robed people looked towards the sound, only to see a mysterious figure approaching.
She had red hair, clad in a red tight outfit, her hips swaying and undulating as she walked.
Her tall and voluptuous figure seemed to possess a certain allure, making it hard for anyone to look away.
However, her face was covered with a red veil, concealing her features, leaving only a pair of cold, piercing eyes flashing chillingly in the darkness.
The three black-robed people exchanged glances, cautious, as they all drew identical dagger-like Magical Artifacts.
"Who are you?"
One of the black-robed people asked aloud.
The red-haired female cultivator continued walking slowly towards the three, her steps unbroken.
"Courting death!"
Seeing the hostility of the newcomer, the three spoke no more. One restrained the Talisman Master, while the other two simultaneously swung their daggers, sending two red rays attacking the red-haired female cultivator.
Then they bent low and rushed from both sides towards the female cultivator, one dagger aimed at her throat, the other slashing toward her thigh.
These three were from the Blood Pill Sect in the land of South Demon. This sect comprised Alchemists, but unlike the Alchemists of the Righteous Path, all their alchemy materials were seized and plundered.
As such, the three were exceptionally experienced in Magical Combat, initiating with close-quarter killing moves, leaving no room for the opponent.
The Righteous Path cultivators from the Eastern Cultivation Land found it difficult to counter such attacks, even if their cultivation surpassed the three in black robes; caught off guard, they could only lament.
However, the red-haired female cultivator dodged the two red rays with ease, and with an unknown maneuver, grasped the dagger-like Magical Artifacts from the two black-robed people, reversing them into their thighs.
Ah! Ah!
Two shrill cries were abruptly cut off halfway, as the female cultivator shot out a pill with each hand, which flew straight into the mouths of the two black-robed people.
Her tall figure didn't stop, and in the next instant, she was already in front of the remaining black-robed person.
This black-robed person reacted swiftly, his body shook, and several talisman papers lit up, but the red-haired female cultivator's hand elegantly waved, and a vivid red flame burst from her palm, instantly engulfing all the talisman papers the black-robed person released, turning them to ashes.
The black-robed person's pupils reflected the oncoming flames, utterly horrified, he could only stare, waiting for death.
In the next moment, the flames vanished, the black-robed person's eyes widened, his body trembling like a leaf, and in the rustling sound, his pants were already wet.
In that instant just now, the aura within the flames was terrifying, akin to an ancient beast.
The black-robed person had killed quite a few cultivators, a hardened mindset; yet facing this terrifying aura, he could not suppress the fear seemingly originating from his soul.
"You, who exactly are… uh?!"
Before he could finish speaking, a pill had already flown into his mouth, straight down his throat.
Instantly, all the meridians in his body felt as if they were being gnawed by ten thousand insects, an unbearable pain.
The black-cloaked man collapsed to his knees, mouth agape, but he couldn't even produce a scream.
His two companions had fallen to the ground and were writhing a moment earlier, their faces twisted in the same silent agony.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life!"
The talisman master who had been robbed narrowly escaped death and hurriedly expressed his gratitude to the red-haired female cultivator, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over her tall and voluptuous figure.
The red-haired female cultivator looked at him, a ethereal voice coming from beneath the red veil:
"What did you just say?"
The talisman master was startled, quickly responding, "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life!"
The red-haired female cultivator said, "Not that sentence."
The talisman master was momentarily stunned and hesitantly said, "Spare me, Senior?"
The red-haired female cultivator looked at him, her gaze growing colder, and reminded him, "You said, what did you want those prostitute cultivators to do?"
The talisman master's gaze finally moved from her tall and voluptuous body to her face, stammering:
"I—I said I wanted them all to wear that Demon Sect witch's black gauze cloud pattern skirt and serve me well."
"That's the one."
The red-haired female cultivator clapped her hands, and in her ethereal voice was unexpectedly a hint of mischievousness, causing mountains to tremble, mesmerizing the lustful talisman master.
Boldly harboring impure thoughts, he reached out to grab her ankle: "Senior, I'm injured. I live in Cyan Luo Lane, not far from here. Could you perhaps escort me?"
"I could."
After the red-haired female cultivator spoke, she extended her jade-like hand in front of the talisman master. He was overjoyed and reached out, only to see that her white hand suddenly turned red.
Suddenly, a bright red flame burst forth, enveloping the talisman master completely!
The shriek of pain had just begun when the red-haired female cultivator slashed his throat with the black-cloaked man's dagger.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle...
In the flames, the talisman master clutched his throat, curling up on the ground, gradually ceasing to move.
In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the talisman master's body had turned to ashes, the flames receded, leaving nothing on the ground.
The three black-cloaked men, who had been screaming silently, witnessed this scene, their eyes filled with horror and fear, and the two who hadn't lost control of their bowels were now wet.
They had killed many people themselves, but in terms of cold-blooded cruelty and unpredictability, they weren't even as menacing as a single finger of the red-haired female cultivator!
At this moment, the red-haired female cultivator walked up to the three of them, waving her hand, sending three streams of spiritual power into their bodies.
The excruciating pain, like being devoured by thousands of ants, vanished instantly.
"Is this the Heart-devouring Pill?"
One of them asked, trembling.
The Heart-devouring Pill is a vicious fifth-grade pill. After consuming it, the body experiences agonizing pain, alleviated only temporarily by the spiritual energy of the pill's holder.
It recurs every month, and without relief from the holder's spiritual energy, the victim will die as their meridians shatter.
This means that the poisoned person becomes a slave to the pill holder forever.
The Heart-devouring Pill is refined from "Heart-devouring Grass."
But Heart-devouring Grass is not naturally occurring; it must be cultivated by a Fifth Tier Spirit Plant Master and then refined by a Fifth Grade Alchemist.
In other words, the red-haired female cultivator standing before them was either a Fifth Tier Spirit Plant Master or a Fifth Grade Alchemist?
The three black-cloaked men trembled all over, struggling to bow repeatedly to the female cultivator:
"Spare us, Senior! Spare us, Senior!"
The red-haired female cultivator responded coldly, "Starting today, do not go out to rob, and do not do anything that draws attention."
"We will heed the Senior's command!"
The three kowtowed in acknowledgment.
The red-haired female cultivator paused for a moment, then added:
"Are you from the Blood Pill Sect?"
The three exchanged glances, not daring to hide the truth: "Your eyes are as sharp as torches, Senior. Indeed, we are from the Blood Pill Sect, but we were expelled and cannot survive in the South Demon region, so we came here."
"Since you are from the Blood Pill Sect, do you..."
The red-haired female cultivator turned her head to look elsewhere, her ethereal voice seeming slightly awkward:
"Have a pill furnace?"