Seeing Mingyue arguing with Jun Shuxue for his sake, Ji Shiyou felt a warmth in his heart. This little tree spirit was usually muddled, but at a critical moment, she was quite sharp, knowing to question Jun Shuxue why she wasn't unconscious.
"I drugged you? Senior Brother, I never imagined. You would twist the truth for this demoness. The one who drugged us must be her. Fellow disciples, do you remember what you ate? This demoness had ill intentions from the start. Before you rested, didn't you all eat the steamed buns she gave you? I wasn't unconscious because I didn't eat them. Fortunately, I didn't eat them, otherwise, no one would have discovered her scheme or exposed her identity as a demonic cultivator. If you don't believe me, there's another piece of evidence. She claims she didn't interact with the two deceased disciples. Then, please, Second Brother, re-examine the bodies. I watched from afar. One of the disciples struggled when he was killed, as if he pulled something from her. If you find it, it will prove she's lying."
Faced with Mingyue's questioning, Jun Shuxue remained unfazed. Her answers were flawless, logical, and well-reasoned. She even presented new clues that were impossible to refute. Tian Jian could only return to the bodies of the two murdered disciples and examine them carefully again.
"Fairy Mingyue, it seems Junior Sister Jun did not wrong you. Senior Brother, you can no longer protect her. These two disciples were killed by her, the evidence is conclusive. We, as disciples of the immortal sects, have the mission to eliminate demons and uphold righteousness. No matter how much you like this demoness, you cannot collude with her. This will ruin your reputation and make you an enemy of the cultivation world. Senior Brother, give the order! Kill this demoness and avenge our fallen comrades. Rid the Moonflower Realm of this scourge. Senior Brother, do not hesitate!"
Tian Jian held a pear-shaped jade pendant in his hand and offered it to Mingyue, his face darkened, earnestly persuading her. He feared that Senior Brother would be led astray by his affections and make a grave mistake.
Mingyue's eyes were a little unfocused, and she cursed Ji Shiyou in her heart. She knew that Ji Shiyou hadn't killed anyone. Jun Shuxue definitely had a problem, but she didn't care about any of that. It was an internal matter for the Golden Crow Palace, and it had nothing to do with her. What displeased her was that Ji Shiyou had lost her belongings. He didn't realize that this jade pendant had been hanging on her waist, it was obvious. At some point, Jun Shuxue had stolen it. What angered her was that her current body was being used by Ji Shiyou. Why was he so careless as to lose her belongings? This made her heart ache, and she almost pounced on her own body to check. She wanted to know if, besides this jade pendant, everything else was still there.
Her reaction was misinterpreted by Tian Jian as hesitation, so he continued to persuade her. "Senior Brother, if you insist on going your own way, disregarding camaraderie and the rules of the immortal sects, then don't blame us for being impolite and joining forces against you. Fellow disciples, Senior Brother has been deluded by a demoness, his virtue is compromised, and he has fallen into depravity. We cannot let one person affect the reputation of the Golden Crow Palace. Let us join forces and capture them, escort them back to the palace, and hand them over to the Palace Lord for judgment."
Jun Shuxue stood tall and righteous, appearing as the embodiment of justice. She incited everyone to attack, to surround Ji Shiyou and Mingyue. The disciples of the Golden Crow Palace were filled with righteous indignation and were about to act.
At this moment, Ji Shiyou moved. With a palm strike, he deflected Jun Shuxue's sword towards his own, then his figure flickered. After a few leaps, he disappeared into the night. He had considered it; in the current situation, leaving was the best option. With his cultivation, he could subdue everyone, but then what? All the evidence pointed to him as the murderer. If he were to fight, it would be even harder to explain. Moreover, if he stayed, he would drag Mingyue down with him. Therefore, he chose to leave, so that Jun Shuxue and Tian Jian and the others could no longer pressure Mingyue to deal with him.
"Senior Brother, why didn't you attack just now? With your cultivation, you could have stopped and killed her. You are just indulging in lust and protecting that demoness. This matter is not over. When we return to the palace, I will definitely report it to the Palace Lord."
Ji Shiyou's palm strike was powerful. It not only sent Jun Shuxue's precious sword flying but also knocked her to the ground. As she got up from the ground, she said angrily to Mingyue, "You stole the jade pendant when you bumped into him at the inn, didn't you?"
Mingyue suddenly understood why her jade pendant had appeared in the hands of the deceased disciples of the Golden Crow Palace. However, with Ji Shiyou's escape, it made it seem like his identity had been exposed and he had fled in fear of punishment. This indirectly admitted his identity as a demonic cultivator. She could only infer, with no proof. Therefore, she could only take advantage of Tian Jian and the others going to handle the bodies and quietly asked Jun Shuxue, "Senior Brother, please don't speak nonsense. Do you have any evidence?"
Jun Shuxue gave a sinister smile and turned to walk back towards the camp. Seeing her expression, Mingyue was certain her guess was correct. She also returned to the camp. She had only slept for two hours last night. It was still early before dawn, and she needed to catch up on sleep.
When she woke up in the morning, Tian Jian had already led the men to bury their fallen comrades. Mingyue took out the remaining meat buns and ate breakfast by herself. Seeing everyone else eating dry rations, she didn't share anymore. After tidying up, Mingyue glanced at Jun Shuxue and ordered them to set off. Jun Shuxue reverted to her silent demeanor, unlike the arrogant woman from the previous night. Because of the deaths, everyone remained silent while traveling today.
As darkness fell, they found an abandoned temple to spend the night. The dilapidated temple seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. Only the main hall had not collapsed, so more than a dozen people slept in the main hall, not separated. Their mood was still quite heavy. After eating something haphazardly, they all closed their eyes to rest. Mingyue's sleeping place was beneath the Buddha statue, next to the offering table. Ever since the incident last night, the disciples of the Golden Crow Palace had kept their distance from her. Even Tian Jian hadn't spoken to her all day. When they decided to rest here, he hadn't even asked for her permission. Mingyue clearly felt the hostility from everyone. But she didn't care. She wasn't Ji Shiyou. It was good that they ignored her; she preferred peace and quiet. If Ji Shiyou hadn't sent her a telepathic message before he left last night, telling her to stay, she would have left with him long ago. She didn't want to be with these fools anyway!
As she slept, Mingyue felt the temperature in the main hall suddenly drop. Her body didn't move, her eyes narrowed, not yet open. She saw the candlelight in the main hall flicker violently. Then, a fragrance like orchids and musk wafted through the hall. After the fragrance, the snoring of the Golden Crow Palace disciples, who had been fast asleep, disappeared. They must have fallen unconscious. Mingyue's hands tightened on her quilt. She knew that the fragrance was problematic and could cause people to fall unconscious. However, she had the pear blossom fragrance, so the scent had no effect on her. Her clear state made her very nervous. In the flickering candlelight, she saw Jun Shuxue, who was lying on one side of the main hall, stand up.
"It really is her?" Mingyue thought, but she was very puzzled. Jun Shuxue was a disciple of an immortal sect, so why would she cultivate the demonic path and absorb human essence? She didn't know who would be unlucky today to be killed by her. As Mingyue was lost in thought, she saw Jun Shuxue walking towards her.
"No way? Could I be that unlucky one?" Mingyue wailed in her heart.