Starting from his vigorous old age, he began to conquer Liaozhai.

"You're quite an interesting person. As I just mentioned, I noticed you the moment you first arrived at the Corpse Grave."

How can you say we've never met before?

The woman looked at Cao Xiong strangely, and the doubt on her face seemed genuine.

After a while, seeing that Cao Xiong was still keeping his head down and not saying anything, the woman became somewhat disheartened.

"Alright, I won't joke with you anymore. My name is Nie Xiaoqian. Three years ago, after my father and I came to Guobei County, we were harassed. Thank you for your help, sir."

Nie Xiaoqian placed her hands on her lower abdomen and gave Cao Xiong a deep bow.

"I see. It seems my memory isn't very good."

Cao Xiong remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was seething with turmoil.

Nie Xiaoqian was simply too famous in the Liaozhai stories of her previous life.

At the same time, he searched his memory for information about three years ago, and it seemed that what Nie Xiaoqian said was true.

At that time, a father and daughter fled to Guobei County and were harassed by a group of thugs. Cao Xiong then taught a lesson to the thugs.

It wasn't that he was kind-hearted at the time; he was simply in a bad mood and wanted to vent.

The little girl at that time was wearing tattered clothes and had smeared dirt on her face, making her completely unrecognizable from the Nie Xiaoqian in front of us.

"I wonder, Miss Xiaoqian, what brings you to stop me in this desolate place so late at night?"

Nie Xiaoqian's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

"Did you kill a corpse demon at an inn three days ago, sir?"

Sure enough.

Cao Xiong had already guessed it in his heart. When he was chatting with the old man at the inn, the old man said that his daughter-in-law often dreamed of Lanruo Temple before she died.

So he nodded in reply.

"Yes, that's true."

"Does my lord know that you've gotten yourself into big trouble?"

Cao Xiong's heart tightened. "Please explain further, Miss Xiaoqian."

Nie Xiaoqian smoothed her long hair behind her ear. "That corpse demon was a servant chosen by the Yaksha ghost in Lanruo Temple. She was an extraordinary woman born in an inauspicious year, month, and hour."

"It was intended as a cultivation furnace, but you killed it just as it became a corpse demon."

Nie Xiaoqian paused for a moment, observed Cao Xiong's expression, and continued...

"I tracked you here on the orders of the Yaksha demon to kill you."

"I didn't sense any murderous intent from Miss Xiaoqian."

Cao Xiong's face remained calm and composed, but his hand never left the hilt of his knife.

Hehe~

Nie Xiaoqian regained her previous liveliness, "I have already used my charm technique, but it was unsuccessful."

"You're really amazing, sir."

Nie Xiaoqian walked forward in a crisscross pattern, getting a little closer to Cao Xiong.

"Besides, you helped me when I was alive."

"Well then, thank you for your mercy, Miss Xiaoqian. I am just an old mortal, how could I possibly be a match for you?"

"You really think so?"

Nie Xiaoqian rolled her eyes, her tone mocking.

"certainly."

Cao Xiong didn't back down, but he genuinely wasn't confident he could defeat Nie Xiaoqian.

Even though he possessed the skill of drawing his sword, Nie Xiaoqian was neither a demon nor a corpse monster, but a female ghost, and her mental attacks were too sinister.

"Alright, I didn't lay a hand on you just now to repay your kindness."

"Next, I'll tell you something else. How do you plan to repay me?"

Nie Xiaoqian stared intently at Cao Xiong.

Cao Xiong didn't look up, but he could still feel Nie Xiaoqian's burning gaze.

He suspected that Nie Xiaoqian wanted to absorb his yang energy.

"Then Miss Xiaoqian, please don't tell me anymore. It's getting late, and I need to go back."

"That's not up to you."

As if teleporting, Nie Xiaoqian was glued to Cao Xiong in the next moment.

"court death!"

Cao Xiong channeled his inner energy, attempting to execute a sword-drawing technique, but Nie Xiaoqian firmly grasped his hand on the hilt.

"I'm just a little cold, does Lord Cao have to be so angry?"

Cao Xiong gradually calmed down. "Miss Xiaoqian, please stop joking with me. Just say what you have to say."

"The Yaksha-ki is busy lately, so he sent me. Look, you're having so much trouble dealing with me, how can you possibly beat the Yaksha-ki?"

"Are you sure you don't want to hear what's coming next? It concerns the life and death of an adult, and even if you hide in the city, it won't make a difference."

Whether Nie Xiaoqian's words were true or false was unknown, but Cao Xiong could not afford to ignore them. Although demons and ghosts were rampant throughout the Ming Dynasty, it was still generally stable.

The main reason is that those powerful demons and ghosts cannot enter densely populated areas, such as county towns, prefecture towns, or even some large towns.

It is said that because the Ming Dynasty was in turmoil, but the nation's fortunes had not yet collapsed, it was still able to suppress evil spirits.

Nie Xiaoqian said that the Yaksha ghost could deal with him, and that it would be useless for him to stay in the county town.

Could it be that the Yaksha demon possesses the means of saving the Bodhisattva from the miraculous journey in the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio?

"Please speak, Miss Xiaoqian."

"Hehe~, although the Yaksha demon can't enter the county town, it knows a cultivator named Zhuquanzi, who is a Qi cultivator."

"Zhuquanzi will finish his seclusion in two months at most."

"Phew~"

Nie Xiaoqian tiptoed and blew a breath into Cao Xiong's ear without anyone noticing.

Cao Xiong was instantly aroused, and his body reacted uncontrollably.

Nie Xiaoqian suddenly pulled away from Cao Xiong, her cheeks flushed.

"I thought you weren't interested in me."

Cao Xiong sighed inwardly, "Although I am already sixty, I am still a martial artist, so it is normal for my blood and energy to be vigorous."

"Oh? Then I'll tell you the news, sir. How do you plan to thank me?"

Cao Xiong felt helpless; it seemed he would have to pay a price tonight.

"If Miss Xiaoqian wants me to repay her kindness, I will do my best to do so."

Nie Xiaoqian suddenly fell silent. Although she was a female ghost, she had never harmed anyone. Because of this, she was punished by her grandmother and was not allowed to enter the Tree Demon Cave to cultivate.

After leaving the Tree Demon Cave, she needed to absorb men's yang energy or essence blood to maintain the stability of her soul.

Ordinary people have weak yang energy. If they are inhaled twice, they may become seriously ill or even die.

Only martial artists who have entered the realm can recover after having a small amount of yang energy absorbed.

Although Cao Xiong is a bit old, he is an upright person and a Bone Forging Realm martial artist, making him a suitable candidate.

Nie Xiaoqian's hesitation disappeared. "My lord, although I am a female ghost, I have never harmed anyone. Now I am being punished by my grandmother. In order to maintain my soul, I must absorb yang energy. Otherwise, I am afraid that my soul will soon be scattered."

"Please, sir, help me."

After Nie Xiaoqian finished speaking, she bowed to Cao Xiong once more.

Although Cao Xiong had anticipated this, his expression still turned somewhat unpleasant when he heard Nie Xiaoqian say it so bluntly.

Yang energy is also very important for a martial artist. How many martial artists have ruined their health and foundation by indulging in wine and women?

Oh well, when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. It's just that you get a few breaths of yang energy sucked out. It's not like you get sucked out every day. You'll recover after a couple of days of rest.

The most important thing right now is to get out of there.

"What do you need me to do?"

Seeing that Cao Xiong agreed, Nie Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief. With a gentle wave of her arm, the white veil flew out and covered Cao Xiong's eyes.

The next moment, Cao Xiong felt a tingling sensation on his lips.