If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1352 The Bewitching Venerable

The purple-haired demon lord gave Liu Ji a deep look and sighed, "Master Liu, never cultivate the 'Taigong Treasure Record'. Jiang Taigong will really plunder your luck, drain your spiritual energy, and steal everything from you."

Why would someone have everything taken away from practicing the "Taigong Baolu"?

Liu Ji felt that this time the purple-haired old demon's tone was more complex, more sincere, and more infectious.

The last time he heard him say such things, he was mostly suspicious, but now he was mostly frightened, and his suspicions could not suppress his fear.

The purple-haired demon lord said, "I don't know the specific principles, but I can be 100% certain that anyone who actively spreads immortal techniques and secret manuals is doing so in order to plunder everything from cultivators."

Squeezing out all one's luck is just the tip of the iceberg.

Those greedy and wicked demons treated you like sugarcane, chewing you relentlessly until not a single drop of sweetness could be squeezed from your very soul.

This was a heartfelt statement, and she spoke with genuine emotion.

—The more you talk about it, the more terrifying and absurd it becomes. Have you forgotten that you yourself are the old devil?

Liu Ji muttered to himself, then turned to Peng Yue and asked, "Brother Peng, did you exchange the 'Taigong Baolu' with Daoist Hong?"

Peng Yue shook his head repeatedly and said, "Master Hong did come to me, but I had doubts about his identity and purpose, so I didn't dare to provoke him and we didn't have a deep conversation."

—Alas, I cannot refuse the conditions offered by Master Hong! I have only read a small part of the "Taigong's Art of War," yet I have gained so much from it that I cannot put it down. I have no choice but to exchange all forty-five of the Earthly Fiend Divine Powers for it.

He muttered to himself, then subtly changed the subject, saying, "Brother Liu, the purple-haired Taoist also has a set of 'Seventy-Two Mysterious Techniques of Earthly Fiends.' Would you be interested in exchanging them?"

Liu Ji looked at the purple-haired old demon and asked in confusion, "Didn't the Daoist priest fall into a deep sleep and fail to enter the White Cloud Cave?"

"Although I couldn't enter the White Cloud Cave, you have!" the purple-haired old demon blurted out.

"We've been inside." Liu Ji paused for a moment, then looked horrified.

Seeing that the way he was looking at him was strange, the purple-haired old demon quickly smiled and explained, "What I mean is that my friend has been inside the White Cloud Cave."

Chief Liu, have you passed on the extraordinary techniques you've learned to your own brothers?
We have brothers too!

Moreover, my "Seventy-Two Wonderful Techniques of Earthly Fiends" is not quite the same as the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Divine Powers of Baiyun Cave.

For example, Baiyun Cave has a supernatural power called "Tongyou," which means communicating with the netherworld.

Among my seventy-two wondrous methods is the "Wonderful Method of Penetrating the Netherworld," but what I penetrate is the Nether Gate, which is the anus.

For those suffering from constipation, hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, or rectal bleeding after sexual intercourse, this miraculous method of penetrating the spirit will bring immediate relief.

Liu Ji and the heroes of Pei County behind him all had distorted expressions and felt a chill run down their spines.

The purple-haired old demon took out a piece of spirit jade from his sleeve and stuffed it directly into Liu Ji's arms, saying, "You may not be able to master the seventy-two earthly fiend divine abilities that you have learned from the White Cloud Cave."

Those supernatural powers are all-encompassing, but they require exceptional talent and good fortune to cultivate, making them difficult to master.

Even if you manage to learn it with great effort, you might not be able to use it.

But I guarantee that you will find my seventy-two wondrous arts easy to learn; all you need is a foundation in internal energy cultivation.

After you've learned it, you'll definitely be able to use it frequently.

For example, Tongyou. Chief Liu, I see your lips are pale and your pulse is weak. It seems you've been a bandit in Mangdang Mountain for many years and haven't eaten any vegetables for a long time. You must often suffer from constipation, or even rectal bleeding, right?
"Cultivating the ability to communicate with the spirits will ensure a smooth journey and good health for you."

Liu Ji's face flushed red, and he stammered, wanting to return the spirit jade.

The purple-haired old demon held his hand and said, "Also, you are a great hero, and great heroes often indulge in wine and women."

Look at you, in the prime of your life, you should be relaxed and at ease. Instead, aren't you rushing around like a madman?
Among the seventy-two wondrous arts, there is one called "Macho and Promising," which guarantees you will be vigorous and your marriage harmonious.

"No, no need. I think I'm quite successful," Liu Ji said awkwardly.

Even so, his refusal was not as strong as before.

Peng Yue said, "Liu Ji, please accept it. I can vouch for the Taoist priest; his seventy-two wondrous arts are truly useful."

Lu Wan gently nudged Liu Ji and whispered, "Brother, I need that 'Manly Man, Ambitious Man' technique."

A fairy wife is wonderful, but a mortal body working in a fairy's land might ruin a man's manhood.

Liu Ji was helpless and could only ask, "Daoist Master, how many different techniques do you want to try?"

The purple-haired old demon laughed and said, "Just give me one Earthly Fiend Divine Power."

Liu Ji exclaimed in surprise, "Only one skill, and it's an Earthly Fiend Divine Power! Daoist, you're really losing out!"

The purple-haired old demon explained, "My wonderful techniques are ultimately inferior to great supernatural powers; switching to another one will suffice."

I still need to find other people later, so I can't price things for different people and ruin my good reputation.

As the group was talking, Fan Kuai led Xiao He, Cao Can, Wang Ling, and others over.

"Brother Ji, you guessed right, something really has happened."

From a distance, Fan Kuai shouted, "Baiyun Water Marsh has lost about a thousand people in just one day."

There are evil cultivators secretly harming people!
"What a brilliant tactic! They killed so many people so stealthily, and we barely even noticed."

Liu Ji's expression changed slightly, and he exclaimed in a low voice, "The evil cultivators are so arrogant and domineering. In just one day, they have harmed more than a thousand people. Do they intend to wipe out all the heroes and extraordinary people who have encountered immortal opportunities on Baiyun Peak?"

Xiao He said, "Demonic cultivators are utterly depraved; nothing they do is surprising."

From this moment on, we absolutely cannot be separated again; we must remain vigilant at all times. Uh, Purple-haired Taoist Priest, you're here too!

He chuckled awkwardly.

Liu Ji had about a hundred underlings, and Peng Yue had about two hundred. The large group of them gathered together and blocked the purple-haired demon lord.

After squeezing through the crowd and getting to Liu Ji's side, Xiao He noticed that the old demon's expression was not very good.

The purple-haired old demon said, "You think the panic in the market is because of us demonic cultivators? Hmph, you are sorely mistaken."

We members of the Demonic Sect are very disciplined; we won't kill and rob treasures on the very first day.

It's a very simple principle; it's only the first day, and the sheep haven't even been fattened up yet!

In fact, many of the fellow Daoists who disappeared today were my friends, that is, the underworld among Qi cultivators.

Like you, you are members of the underworld in the human world.

We are all from the underworld. Almost all the people who have disappeared are from the underworld, regardless of whether they are江湖客 (jianghu kè kè, wandering swordsmen) or 炼气士 (liànqì shì, qiànqì shì, qiā ...).

I reckon this killing spree had nothing to do with murder and looting.

It's purely a charade by certain self-proclaimed righteous hypocrites and true villains, playing the trick of 'eliminating evil and upholding justice.'

Xiao He disagreed with this statement a thousand times: I am a dignified official of the government, not a gangster, and I am certainly not like you, old devil.

In fact, not to mention a wealthy and powerful man like him from the county, even Peng Yue and others who were bandits in Juye found the old demon's words very offensive.

But the purple-haired old demon was still self-righteous, winking at them, "Liu Ji, Peng Yue, one of you is the King and Chief of Mangdang Mountain, and the other is the chief of the Eighteen Villages of Juye."

We're all in the underworld, so we should be quite familiar with this kind of thing, right?

"Heh heh, righteous heroes stormed to your mountain stronghold's gates, shouting 'Acting on behalf of Heaven, good and evil cannot coexist!'" Liu Ji replied dryly, "I am not a mountain king, I have not established a stronghold, and no heroes have come looking for me."

—Have you ever seen a mountain bandit who makes a living by having his wife deliver food from afar?

Mangdang Mountain is a desolate and wild place, rarely visited by people, so there's no chance to rob someone on the road.

Liu Ji felt wronged and somewhat humiliated.

Peng Yue and the Juye bandits remained silent.

Unlike the desolation of Mangdang Mountain, Juye Marsh is located in a strategic area of ​​the Central Plains, with thriving commerce in nearby cities and busy water and land transportation.

They didn't kill or rob, they just charged passing merchants a "toll".

They often encountered chivalrous heroes who sought to take down their water fortress.

For example, five years ago, the hero "Young Master Jing" led a group of young men and women, dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, and took down fifteen water fortresses in Juye Marsh.

Peng Yue dared not resist, fearing that it would attract the county constable to lead his troops to kill him.

“If it were truly a celestial being from the Xuanmen sect upholding justice, they would have already raised their banners,” Fan Kuai said.

The purple-haired old demon looked around nervously and said, "If it were any other great immortal from the Xuanmen sect, they might just reveal their identities and fight fair and square. But what about Grand Tutor Yu Fengxian of the Great Qin?"

Upon hearing the name "Grand Tutor Yu," Liu Ji felt a chill run down his spine and panicked. He quickly said, "Grand Tutor Yu is so upright and honorable. If she were to take action, she would only become more blatant."

"You don't understand. Before becoming Grand Tutor Yu, Yu Fengxian was known in the cultivation circle as 'wiping out your whole family and interrogating you about your immortal techniques'."

The purple-haired old demon left these words behind, then squeezed out of the crowd and swaggered toward the next martial arts master.

Liu Ji stared at his back for a long time.

Initially, the powerful figures in the martial arts world treated the Old Demon with a distant, polite but cold attitude.

But after chatting for a short while, the old demon handed over a piece of spirit jade, and the martial arts heroes immediately became very friendly.

Liu Ji seemed thoughtful. "Brother Peng, do you think that old devil was lying?"

Peng Yue also looked at the old demon chatting with someone in the distance, "Take a look at his 'Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques' first, they are indeed very useful."

Liu Ji picked up the spirit jade and scanned through the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Techniques. He said with a strange expression, "The names are similar to the Earthly Fiend Divine Powers of Baiyun Cave, but the content is completely different."

Tongyou actually means to clear and treat the pylorus.

'Hutian' means something that can hold things in its belly.

You can eat whatever you want without gaining weight or becoming overweight; you can eat a whole cow in one meal and go a month without eating.

Peng Yue said, "What I mean is that his Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Techniques have nothing to do with the White Cloud Secret Techniques, which means that he did not obtain the seventy-two techniques by killing people to steal treasures or interrogating souls."

Liu Ji was stunned for a moment, then said, "Even if it's not him, it could be some other evil cultivator or demon, guarding the outer perimeter of Baiyun Water Marsh, specifically hunting down cultivators who are meditating in seclusion and possess the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Divine Powers."

Those heretical practitioners don't hide their thoughts; they've stated them publicly before.

"We can't rule out the possibility that Grand Tutor Yu is secretly killing us. We'd better leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, and we should travel in groups to avoid being alone and giving the villains an opportunity," Peng Yue secretly transmitted his voice.

—Damn it, you guys can go back to Juye Marsh, but I'm already in Mangdang Mountain, where else can I go?
Liu Ji felt depressed.

The next morning, as expected, many heroes and extraordinary individuals gathered together, forming a large force of over a thousand people, and left Mangdang Mountain in a grand procession.

Although they came from different hometowns, they at least had to leave the dangerous killing field of Mangdang Mountain and go to a town outside before they separated.

This is just the first group; not everyone has left.

Many extraordinary individuals, unwilling to accept that they hadn't gathered all the Heavenly and Earthly Fiend techniques, remained behind.

"Let's go too!"

Liu Ji enjoys excitement, but Baiyunshuize is not lively now, but turbulent.

"Lord Xiao, Fan Kuai, we brothers will see you off from Mangdang Mountain."

Xiao He asked, "What about you? Why don't you change your appearance, go down the mountain and hide for a few days, and wait until after the New Year?"
With us covering for you, as long as you can keep it from the county magistrate, no one will report you.

Liu Ji sighed, “I am innocent, but I was falsely accused. Now that I am indeed a fugitive, how could I not be targeted and reported?”

I think it's safer for me to stay on the main peak of Mangdang.

That's my 'natal mountain'! Even though I don't know any of the Five Elements escape techniques, I can still use earth escape on my natal mountain."

Liu Ji also led his brothers away from Baiyun Marsh, and the market by the marsh became increasingly desolate and bleak.

The purple-haired old demon remained completely at ease and content.

She even hired a Taoist boy, set up a stall, and hung a banner that read, "Purple hair bewitches the heart, credibility guaranteed."

And you know what? She's actually gained some credibility in Mangdang Shuize now.

Because many people successfully exchanged cultivation techniques with her, or had her act as their intermediary, two cultivators who were wary of each other exchanged the Nine Heavens Secret Manual of White Cloud Cave. Everything went smoothly without any unexpected incidents, and their reputation spread far and wide.

The night after Bai Yunfeng disappeared, around 11:45 AM.

The purple-haired old demon lay on the rocking chair, swaying back and forth, seemingly asleep.

There was a campfire in front of her, and a little child sat beside it, dozing off, his head nodding off.

In the nearby market, there were many people like her who had built small sheds and set up bonfires.

Even at this point, people still gathered together, either whispering or arguing heatedly.

The path to immortality is arduous, and the chance to attain immortality is rare.

They really went all out to try and find a connection with the immortals.

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over the child's face.

"Purple hair bewitches the heart, humph!" The voice from beneath the black robe was neither male nor female, neither old nor young, delicate and soft, yet powerful and resonant, its volume not loud but reaching straight to the heart.

The boy was startled. He opened his eyes and saw a black-robed cultivator. He immediately got up and respectfully asked, "Master, would you like to exchange cultivation techniques?"

"Do you know who I am?" The black-robed cultivator had barely asked the question when he sensed a sense of unease.

His eyes flashed with a scarlet light as he looked at the child with murderous intent. In the next instant, he suddenly took two steps back and turned to look in the other direction.

The purple-haired old demon had already sat up, and said with a smile, "Mi Xin, what brings you here too?"

—Why did you take so long to arrive? I waited for two days and two nights.

Thankfully, these past two days haven't been a complete waste of time.

The Queen Mother and the Jade Emperor ran a business together, spreading the "Nine Heavens Secret Techniques," while Jiang Ziya arranged for a white glove to distribute the "Taigong Precious Record." Since things were already in chaos, she also got involved, spreading her own "Seventy-Two Wonderful Arts."

It cannot lead to immortality, but it does happen to touch upon the laws, so it can be considered "immortal arts".

(End of this chapter)