Tiger Demon, Oh Ho Ho

After giving Xu Yuanyuan a thorough scolding, Zhou Er asked:

"I have a question for you. Where's Bai Fengting? What did you do with her?"

"Master, you mean Sister Bai! I don't know where Sister Bai went, either. I've been looking for her lately."

Xu Yuanyuan knew Zhou Er's rune was on her and that she couldn't lie to him. She had planted a mental seal in herself ahead of time, erasing her memories of Bai Fengting.

The restriction lifted once every three days, and then she would go bring Bai Fengting food.

Otherwise, if Bai Fengting really died, there would be no undoing it.

Seeing that Xu Yuanyuan truly seemed not to know, Zhou Er glanced at the Nightmare Heart-Control Talisman on her lower abdomen, a symbol of her loyalty, and didn't suspect her further.

"Master, I want to be with you forever."

Xu Yuanyuan hugged Zhou Er's arm affectionately as she spoke.

"Get lost!"

Zhou Er flung her away with a sweep of his arm.

He was already troubled over Bai Fengting. Xu Yuanyuan had just wasted an entire hour of his time, and he couldn't keep dragging things out like this.

Bai Fengting might be in unimaginable danger right now. He had to hurry and rescue her.

Since he couldn't get any useful information from Xu Yuanyuan, Zhou Er got dressed and considered where to go next.

He had two leads in mind: the Taiyi Talisman Alliance and the Bai Family.

The Bai Family seemed the likeliest. Bai Fengting might have been threatened by them and forced to return.

The information he had so far pointed in that direction, too.

So without hesitation, he left Xu Yuanyuan behind and headed for Qingzhu Workshop.

He was already at the middle stage of Golden Core. Dealing with a Foundation Establishment family would be a piece of cake.

However, he chose not to reveal his identity. Instead, he disguised himself and began by looking for information.

Zhou Er first visited several of the Bai Family's shops.

"Shopkeeper, doesn't your Bai Family have an incredibly beautiful young woman? Why haven't I seen her around?"

Zhou Er asked, putting on an act.

"Who do you mean? Bai Fengting? She fled the family over a year ago. Her father went to bring her back, and he disappeared, too."

The shopkeeper's answer left Zhou Er bitterly disappointed.

He asked several other shopkeepers and even sneaked into the Bai Family compound, but still found no sign of Bai Fengting.

He could only return empty-handed.

When he got back to Lin Shiyu's Cave Mansion, she asked in confusion:

"Senior Brother, you've been leaving the Sunset Sect these past few days. What have you been doing?"

Lin Shiyu had already noticed something was off.

"The shopkeeper of the Yuanfeng Talisman Shop, who I've worked with for a long time, Bai Fengting, has disappeared. I've been searching for her. She still owes me a huge pile of Spirit Stones, and I'm worried she ran off with the money."

Zhou Er had prepared his explanation in advance.

His story was a little far-fetched, but Lin Shiyu was still willing to believe him. She let the matter go and said:

"Senior Brother, I believe you."

After tending to Lin Shiyu and satisfying her, Zhou Er continued to wonder where Bai Fengting had gone.

The first place that came to mind was naturally the Taiyi Talisman Alliance.

Those people were always pulling all sorts of underhanded tricks behind the scenes.

But the Taiyi Talisman Alliance was too secretive, and powerful figures stood behind it. It wasn't something he could find just by looking.

For a while, Zhou Er was at a loss.

Xu Yuanyuan might be involved, too.

When his thoughts hit a dead end, Zhou Er began to suspect Xu Yuanyuan.

There was nothing else he could do, so he kept a closer eye on her for a few more days.

At last, he discovered that every few days Xu Yuanyuan went to a small mountain near Yunxia Mountain.

Realizing that Xu Yuanyuan had indeed been hiding something from him, Zhou Er quietly followed her.

Then he saw something that left him utterly stunned.

Xu Yuanyuan entered a secret chamber, struck Bai Fengting twice, fed her a Bigu Pill, then hurried away.

She had just stepped out of the secret passage when she ran into Zhou Er.

"Master!"

Xu Yuanyuan looked flustered and nervous.

"Bai Fengting's in there, isn't she?"

Zhou Er asked coolly.

"Master..."

Xu Yuanyuan had just started to make an excuse when the Nightmare Heart-Control Talisman on her took control, making it impossible for her to lie.

"She is!"

Xu Yuanyuan collapsed to the ground and answered weakly.

Zhou Er dragged Xu Yuanyuan along, broke through the restriction, and entered the room. As expected, Bai Fengting was inside, her clothes in tatters.

Bai Fengting hung suspended in the air, her collar slightly open to reveal a sliver of her slender, pearly-white neck. Her cuffs were worn, and the skin at her wrists was as white as snow.

When she saw Zhou Er, her long lashes trembled; tears glimmered in her eyes, on the verge of falling.

"Senior!"

Bai Fengting said, looking pitiful.

Zhou Er hurried over, untied the ropes binding Bai Fengting, and helped her down.

"It's all right. I'm here."

Bai Fengting sobbed in Zhou Er's arms. He saw fresh and old scars all over her body, so he used the Water Healing Technique, spending his spiritual energy to treat them.

Then Zhou Er shot Xu Yuanyuan a cold look.

"While I was in seclusion, you actually did something so disappointing."

"Master! I..."

Xu Yuanyuan tried to explain, but Zhou Er answered with a resounding slap.

"Fengting, how do you want to punish her?"

Zhou Er asked Bai Fengting.

Bai Fengting said nothing. She only cowered in Zhou Er's arms, trembling nonstop. Clearly, Xu Yuanyuan had hurt her deeply.

Seeing this, Zhou Er took Bai Fengting back first and let her calm down.

Then he brought Xu Yuanyuan to the secret chamber himself and began questioning her.

"Yuanyuan, what did I tell you before?"

Zhou Er lifted Xu Yuanyuan's chin and asked.

"Master said I had to take good care of Bai Fengting and listen to her."

Xu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth as she spoke.

"And what did you do?"

Zhou Er asked.

"Master, I know I was wrong."

Xu Yuanyuan replied.

After a round of punishment, Zhou Er looked at Xu Yuanyuan, who was barely able to stand, but he still wasn't satisfied.

In the end, though, this was for Bai Fengting to decide.

Once Bai Fengting had calmed down a little, Zhou Er brought her to Xu Yuanyuan and said:

"Fengting, Xu Yuanyuan's right here. Punish her however you like."

Bai Fengting walked toward Xu Yuanyuan without saying a word. Then she turned back, hooked an arm around Zhou Er's neck, and said:

"Senior, I don't want to punish her. I want us to... right here..."

Xu Yuanyuan could only watch her master and Bai Fengting flirting right in front of her and listen to their intimate sounds, consumed by endless regret.

Afterward, Zhou Er learned how to punish Xu Yuanyuan. He often brought Bai Fengting here to be intimate with her in front of Xu Yuanyuan.

But he never touched Xu Yuanyuan, not even once.

Each time, Xu Yuanyuan felt as though tens of thousands of ants were crawling over her body. She cried out in anguish:

"Master, please! You can even hit me, if you want! Why are you ignoring me?"

Zhou Er paid no attention. He treated her voice like background music.

Only at the very end, when Xu Yuanyuan was about to lose all hope, did Zhou Er say:

"Yuanyuan, if you do this again, I won't touch you ever again."

"Master, I truly know I was wrong. I promise it won't happen again."

Xu Yuanyuan trembled as she sobbed.

After that, Zhou Er let Xu Yuanyuan go and rewarded her with a little affection. She was blissfully happy.

"From now on, you have to listen to Fengting."

Zhou Er added another instruction.

After finally settling the two women, Zhou Er began to think over his path of cultivation.

He was already at the middle stage of Golden Core, and his cultivation was decent. But he lacked a cultivation technique that could take him all the way to Nascent Soul.

Besides that, he also lacked Magic Treasures for fighting his enemies.

Now that the Righteous-Demonic War was raging, the Wanbao Pavilions everywhere had been emptied, and the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce had disbanded, with each branch fending for itself.

Buying Magic Treasures through the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce was no longer realistic.

And in the Sunset Sect, someone like him, whose identity was dubious and who couldn't be trusted, wouldn't be given the sect's Magic Treasures so easily.

Besides, he couldn't reveal himself.

So although he still had a sect identity, in practice he was little different from a Rogue Cultivator.

Zhou Er lived like a Rogue Cultivator, but Lin Shiyu still had a master.

After all, Lin Shiyu had spent sixty or seventy years in the sect and was considered one of its senior members.

Her master wasn't Elder He Lin, but another Golden Core True Person who had taken her as a disciple because she seemed gifted: Su Yudie.

During the year or so since arriving at the Sunset Sect, Zhou Er hadn't dared accompany Lin Shiyu to visit the elder.

"Senior Brother, my master said she'd like to meet you. Could you come with me?"

Lin Shiyu asked.

"Shiyu, you know my identity's complicated right now. I can't reveal myself carelessly."

Zhou Er was a little flustered. He was afraid he might give himself away in front of the True Person.

"Senior Brother, my parents have passed away. My master is my elder, and now that I'm with you, she's a little worried about me. You don't need to worry, either. My master is a very kind person. She might even be able to help with your hidden ailment."

Lin Shiyu said.

Lin Shiyu had already discovered that Zhou Er had another woman outside the sect and wanted her master to help keep him in line.

After discussing it back and forth, Zhou Er could only agree to pay a visit.

Su Yudie's palace stood atop one of the main peaks of Xiayun Mountain. She wasn't in seclusion, so the two of them were able to meet her without trouble.

She stood amid the pine breeze and bamboo shadows, dressed in a plain white Daoist robe with wide sleeves hanging loosely. Her black hair seemed dusted with frost, and silvery-white strands fell from her forehead like a flowing spring, lending her an otherworldly, cool elegance.

Her face was as smooth as jade, her skin cool and pale as porcelain. Her brows were sharply defined but not severe, and her eyes were as light and still as a cold pool. Their pale color and distant gaze held not a ripple.

Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips pale, and her jawline clean and precise. She seemed untouched by the mortal world. Though her face was stunningly beautiful, her cold reserve made her seem fit only to be admired from afar.

She was tall and slender, her shoulders straight and sharply defined. Her waist was slender without seeming frail, and her robe outlined her long, upright figure. Its wide sleeves added to her graceful bearing.

She stood there like a lonely pine beneath a wintry moon, her presence calm and austere, carrying the dignity and detachment of a grandmaster. Her face showed no joy or anger, only cool distance. She inspired respect at a glance, yet made people hesitate to approach.

"Shiyu, you're here."

When Su Yudie saw them, she didn't speak aloud, only sending her voice through Spiritual Sense.

Then she invited them to sit at a stone table.

"Fellow Daoist Lei, you're dignified and handsome. You and Shiyu make quite a pair."

Su Yudie didn't make things difficult for Zhou Er. She simply sent the words through Spiritual Sense, her face unmoving and her expression as cool as ever.

After a few exchanges, Su Yudie asked Lin Shiyu to leave so that she could speak with Zhou Er alone.

Once Lin Shiyu had left, Su Yudie barked:

"Monster, why haven't you shown your true form?"

"True Person Su, what are you talking about?"

Zhou Er asked, baffled.

"Evil Flood Dragon! I don't know how you bewitched Shiyu, but I'm not as naive as she is."

As she spoke, Su Yudie flung out her horsetail whisk. It reached for Zhou Er, intent on binding him.

Zhou Er stayed calm. He used the Thunder Light Escape Technique, shot into the air, and fled on a cloud.

He had learned this secret technique beneath the sea. It let him turn into a flash of lightning and escape in an instant. Even a cultivator one level above him might not be able to catch up. It was the reason he dared to act without fear.

Now that his identity was exposed, he couldn't stay in the Sunset Sect. He could only venture deep into the Sunset Mountain Range and search for traces of the Demon Race.

Now, he remembered the mission the Eight-Armed Heavenly King had given him.

"Shiyu, stay in the Sunset Sect for now. I'll come find you again in a while!"

After sending his message through Spiritual Sense, Zhou Er transformed into a streak of purple lightning and vanished without a trace.

Hearing this, Lin Shiyu was horrified. She immediately understood that her master had attacked Zhou Er, forcing him to leave.

"Master! You promised you wouldn't attack Senior Brother."

Lin Shiyu confronted Su Yudie, who had failed to catch up with Zhou Er, her voice full of resentment.

"Shiyu, you know he's no good, and you're still covering for him!"

Su Yudie detested men who couldn't stay faithful. The moment she learned Zhou Er had another lover, she had already decided to capture him and turn him into a medicinal ingredient.

What she hadn't expected was that Zhou Er would move so quickly, rendering the trap she'd laid useless.

Now, Lin Shiyu regretted it deeply.

Although she was heartbroken over Zhou Er's womanizing these days, at least he spent most of his time by her side, which offered her some comfort.

But now Zhou Er had left, and they'd probably find it hard to meet again.

After shaking off his pursuers, Zhou Er landed near an unknown valley in the Sunset Mountain Range.

"Perfect. I'm tired of staying at the Sunset Sect anyway. I've been wanting to find myself a pretty Demon Race girl and try something new."

Now Zhou Er remembered what was good about Lei Jiani. Demon Race beauties were more fun to play with, after all.

He had talismans in hand, along with over three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. He could make a living out in the world.

Using his Spiritual Sense to search for demonic aura, Zhou Er quickly found the presence of a suspicious Fierce Tiger.

Following the aura, he soon spotted a female Tiger Demon.

Her skin was a cool, honeyed ivory. Her brows and eyes were sharp as blades, the corners of her eyes tilting slightly upward. Her irises were pale amber, and when she looked at someone, her gaze carried the fearsome majesty unique to a tiger, with a hint of bewitching allure beneath it.

Her nose was high-bridged, her lips a vivid red, and her jawline clean-cut.

Her hair hung loose, a tawny brown streaked with pale gold and frost-white, falling casually over her shoulders. A few wisps framed her cheeks, lending her a touch of wildness.

She wore only a close-fitting animal-hide bandeau, revealing sleek, firm shoulders and neck, and a slender yet powerful waist and abdomen. Her skin was taut and lustrous, her figure perfectly balanced between fullness and delicacy—both alluring and fierce.

Around her waist was a skirt made of the vibrant hide of a Siberian tiger. Its orange-yellow coat was crossed with thick black stripes, and its fluffy fur fell to her knees, brimming with wildness.

"Who's there?"

The Tiger Demon noticed Zhou Er's probing gaze.