Gu Junshi did not argue with him, only saying, "Bianye originates from the Netherworld. At first glance, it appears unremarkable, but its roots draw sustenance from death qi to grow. Living creatures simply cannot digest it. Take it back and place it in a place with the most abundant spiritual energy for half a month. When its qi dissipates and its leaves wither, consume it immediately with purified Yu Feng Xian Lu. Otherwise, it will completely turn to ash and vanish."
Wei Li only then understood the whole story. He knew very little about Bianye, and even existing texts rarely contained detailed descriptions of it. It was Mo Tu who had told him that Bianye could alleviate the backlash he suffered. He had kept this in mind, but after searching, he discovered that the item could not be preserved in the Spirit Realm as it was intolerant of the environment.
If she had not stopped him just now, he would have rashly consumed it. Even if he hadn't died, he would have been burned in the lungs by the death qi contained within the leaves, leading to immense suffering.
He couldn't bring himself to say "thank you." He wrapped the Bianye in spiritual energy and put it away. His attitude towards her visibly softened slightly. He asked, "Are you a ghost cultivator or a demon cultivator?"
The terrifying scene earlier was clearly the work of a ghost cultivator, a technique to summon lonely souls from another realm into the mortal world. Yet, her profound abyssal abilities when they fought seemed like those of a demon cultivator, making it difficult for him to discern whether she was a ghost or a demon.
But she replied, "I am a human cultivator."
"...Human cultivator? Do you even believe that yourself?"
Human cultivators refine their spirit with spiritual energy, tempering their divine consciousness and purifying their mortal bodies to cultivate a righteous and awe-inspiring aura. But looking at her, shrouded in darkness and hiding her true form, he, a demon cultivator, seemed more orthodox.
Gu Junshi looked at him, "You don't believe me?"
His jade eyes rolled, "Show me your face, and I'll believe you."
Ghost cultivators and demon cultivators had distinct characteristics. One cultivated with yin energy, appearing ghostly and grotesque, while the other cultivated with demonic energy, resulting in a ferocious appearance.
Gu Junshi knew this cunning fox was trying to trap her.
"Whether you believe me or not, what concern is it of mine?" she asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, he became convinced that her origins were dubious. Those who are upright do not fear what is crooked, and if she was afraid to even show her face, what good person could she be?
He became curious, "You, from an evil sect, why are you secretly protecting that Heavenly Spiritual Root? They say good and evil are irreconcilable. Could it be..."
He paused, humorously imagining—could this little demon secretly have a crush on him?
Heh, what a poor and vulgar taste.
Gu Junshi, unaware of his imaginings, stated directly, "He might face great trouble tomorrow. Remember our agreement."
Seeing her about to leave, he called out to her, asking the question that had been bothering him: "Why did you step on my face and cut off my hair?"
She stared at him and retorted, "You knew that the Immortality Seeking Stone had nothing to do with that mortal woman, yet you still branded her face with the Soul Locking Curse, making her a slave to the Great Evolution Sect to repay her debts?"
Wei Li, self-assured and arrogant, was unfazed. He frowned, "I did it because I wanted to. She's just a mere mortal."
Besides... the elegant ink-colored eyes reappeared in his mind. They were neither demonic nor alluring. He didn't have a deep impression of the mortal woman's face, but he inexplicably remembered her pair of cold, aloof eyes that had never once acknowledged him.
Gu Junshi smiled upon hearing this, but her eyes held no warmth. It was a shame he couldn't see it.
"The reason is the same."
With those four words, she vanished. Wei Li took a moment to process them, then bared his two sharp fox teeth, enraged. He turned and flattened another patch of earth in his fury.
Little demon, you just wait.
Once he fully recovered from his backlash, he would definitely pluck out every single one of her hairs!
—
The next day, Wei Li finally understood what the little demon had meant by "trouble" for the Heavenly Spiritual Root.
Early in the morning, all five Mountain Lords of the Great Evolution Sect had gathered at the "Zhu Que Tower," where the Sect Leader resided. Wei Li, having tossed and turned all night, was still lacking in spirit. He lazily propped his chin, his face half-covered by a red silk veil, and glanced down at the noisy dispute below. They were all arguing over the ownership of an "immortal sword."
An immortal sword?
Even after living for seven or eight hundred years, Wei Li had never encountered an "immortal artifact." To think that this "immortal artifact" would be born right before his eyes!
He suddenly sat up straight. Not to mention the envious and hateful expression on the face of the Ninth Devourer Mountain Lord, even he felt a pang of covetousness.
However, he ultimately suppressed his bestial nature with the sliver of humanity accumulated over years of cultivation. He didn't immediately become greedy. This immortal artifact had awakened its sentience and voluntarily bonded with the Heavenly Spiritual Root. This was something that couldn't be argued against or snatched away. If he were to make the Heavenly Spiritual Root "voluntarily" break the contract... but he had made an agreement with that little demon yesterday...
She had gone to great lengths to reach an agreement with him beforehand, restraining his actions, and even used him to restrain the entire sect from causing trouble for the Heavenly Spiritual Root.
She was truly infatuated. Knowing he already had a wife, she still silently cleared all obstacles for him from behind, seeking no reward. Yet, Wei Li disdained such people. What was the use of her doing so much, like a shy maiden from a fairy tale, if it wasn't displayed before him? In the end, the Heavenly Spiritual Root would still only have eyes for his mortal wife.