Hua Lian's Judgment Score Is Full

Xiao Yu looked at the sobbing Hua Lian without a trace of pity in his eyes.

In this world, he knew better than anyone how much a wicked woman's tears were worth.

He had no desire to care whether she truly loved someone, nor whether she had some marriage contract.

From the moment she had wanted to feed him a poisonous pill, the ending had already been decided.

Hua Lian wept and choked back sobs.

Memories of her childhood surfaced, each one as clear as yesterday.

That year, famine had ravaged Hexi Province. She had only been a few years old. Human flesh was cheaper than pigs and dogs.

Bitter cold, drought, locust plagues, epidemics, soaring prices, war, a great famine among the people—everyone devoured one another.

She clearly remembered the day winter arrived.

Goose-feather snow fell from the sky as she followed her parents barefoot on the road of flight.

Thousands froze or starved to death by the roadside each day, their corpses strewn across the wilderness.

She remembered with perfect clarity her feet, frozen until they had necrotized. Though they had lost all feeling, they still carried her through the snow.

Among the crowd, mothers ate their dead children, husbands ate their dead wives, and families ate one another.

White bones lay piled high, and the stench of rot filled the mountains.

Her father froze to death and was eaten by her mother.

Then her mother froze to death as well...

And was fought over and divided among the others.

She hid in a snowdrift amid the freezing cold, expressionlessly watching those crazed carnivorous beasts.

She did not know why she had come into this world.

Just as she was about to freeze to death in the snow, Bai Yue appeared.

Her master had been like the Mystic Maiden of the Nine Heavens. Looking at those disaster victims, she merely raised her hand and melted all the ice and snow covering the road.

But... when those mortals saw her master's face, wicked thoughts arose in their hearts.

Those men felt they would not live much longer anyway. Rather than die like this, they might as well indulge themselves once before death.

They swarmed forward together, intending to subdue Bai Yue.

Bai Yue looked at that group with disgust and wiped them all out in a single move.

"Barren mountains and foul waters, shrewish women and cunning commoners... you deserve to die!"

There had been no shortage of innocent people caught up in it.

Yet Bai Yue was not moved in the slightest. Instead, she pulled Hua Lian out of the snowdrift.

That had been the first warm thing Hua Lian had eaten in a month.

"A Supreme Ice Spirit Root? This seat is recruiting disciples right now. From today onward, I am your master!"

From then on, Hua Lian became the Jade Maiden Sect's most decisive and ruthless inner disciple.

Whenever she encountered wickedness, regardless of age or sex, once someone was at fault, she would execute them on the spot.

She had crawled out from a pile of corpses. She believed only that the more vicious someone was, the poorer and more miserable they were, the more dangerous and evil they became.

Even if she killed the wrong person, she did not wish to let a single one go.

Yet even someone like her had fallen in love.

Lin Ce, the Profound Spirit Sect's chief inner disciple.

He had told her she was beautiful, the greatest beauty in Hexi Province.

He said he had admired her for a long time. She had agreed, but who could have expected war to break out again?

Her Spiritual Root had been utterly destroyed.

Hua Lian sobbed until she could no longer form words as she recalled her childhood.

Though Xiao Yu had saved her life, her master had saved it too.

And Lin Ce's subordinates had actually intended to violate her master...

She no longer wished to verify whether it was true or false.

When she heard Bai Yue's scream, her tears burst through the dam once more. "Don't hurt her anymore... please, spare my master!"

"I... I am willing to swear upon my Dao heart!"

"I am willing..."

With tears pouring down her face, Hua Lian raised two fingers. "I, Hua Lian, swear upon my Dao heart that for this life and this world, I will forever serve Master. I will never again have any entanglement with another man. Should I betray this oath, may heaven's mighty five thunders strike me down! May my cultivation never advance for the rest of my life!!!"

"I swear! I absolutely, absolutely will not betray Master again!!!"

[Hua Lian's Judgment Score is full. Maidservant Cultivation function activated! Maidservant Pavilion activated.]

[Maidservant Pavilion: Maidservants may live and cultivate within. Currently unlocked maidservant-exclusive attire includes cheongsams, black stockings, and high heels.]

When Xiao Yu saw the system prompt appear, he was in an excellent mood.

He raised a hand and pulled her into his embrace. "Your master is not as obedient as you. She still doesn't know where she went wrong. If you want your master to receive Master's rewards just like you, then leave her alone!"

Confusion filled Hua Lian's gaze. After pondering for a moment, she unexpectedly wrapped her arms around Xiao Yu. "Everything shall be according to Master's wishes..."

Xiao Yu smiled faintly and raised his hand to open Hua Lian's cultivation panel.

After several days of Body Tempering, she had already reached the fifth layer.

He vaguely remembered that Hua Lian had once been a Grade-Two Alchemist.

If he first raised her cultivation to the Qi Refining First Layer, she would be able to use spiritual power to refine pills.

Her pill-refining speed would increase greatly.

With that thought, Xiao Yu tapped the cultivation option.

[Hua Lian requires another 120 hours of Elysian Union Art Body Tempering to advance to the Qi Refining First Layer. If Body Tempering is assisted with a Meridian-Opening Pill and Marrow-Cleansing Pill, the time may be reduced by half!]

[It is recommended that she cultivate a supreme ice-element cultivation art and the Joyful Union Art, which can increase her cultivation speed.]

[Staying in the Maidservant Pavilion can further improve her comprehension and cultivation speed!]

Seeing this, Xiao Yu hurried to the pill-refining room.

"Lian'er, refine a batch of Meridian-Opening Pills and Marrow-Cleansing Pills yourself. Master will enter seclusion with you later!"

Hua Lian beamed. "Mm!! Thank you for your favor, Master! Lian'er will refine the pills at once!"

"Oh, right, Master... the martial uncle from our Jade Maiden Sect branch may have already arrived near Jiangliu City. Shouldn't you tell the Hehuan Sect disciples on the front lines? What if the other side launches a surprise attack..."

Hearing this, the corners of Xiao Yu's mouth rose slightly. It seemed she had truly joined him wholeheartedly.

"Mm... by the way, you cultivate the Five Elements Goddess Art, right? Write down every cultivation art you know for me. Also, write down all of Bai Yue's dirty secrets—everything you know!"

Hua Lian hesitated for a moment. "My master's dirty secrets?"

Xiao Yu said, "Yes. You don't want your master to suffer every day either, do you? If she realizes her mistakes sooner, she can come out sooner. What do you think?"

Hua Lian nodded repeatedly. "Mm-mm, Master speaks wisely! As for what Master said earlier about taking revenge on Junior Sister Ye, it would be better to wait. She is the daughter of an elder from our branch, a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage expert. Even if we lure her over now, we still won't be able to beat her..."

Xiao Yu smiled and walked away.

He first found Li Qingyun and the other three, then raised his hand and used the Blood-Forged Soul Restriction to forge them once more.

Li Qingyun nervously watched the blood on his fingertip. After thinking for a moment, she still pressed her head toward it.

After she consumed the blood, something seemed to flash between her brows.

Xiao Yu spoke softly. "Mm, just a few more days and it will be done!"

Li Qingyun asked in a quiet voice, "Benefactor... what is this?"

Xiao Yu said, "It's nothing. Haven't you already reached the Body Tempering Stage with my help? This thing can help increase your cultivation!"

After saying that, Xiao Yu looked toward Zhang Lan and Huang Xiang, who were washing clothes in the courtyard. Over the past few days, the mother and daughter seemed to have washed every piece of clothing in the pill-refining room.

They had scrubbed the entire pill-refining room until it gleamed brightly.

Even the previously chaotic woods had become much neater.

"Come over. It's your turn!"

Zhang Lan and Huang Xiang hurried over. Huang Xiang stared wide-eyed with excitement and cried, "Benefactor, can... can we become as powerful as you later on?"

Zhang Lan awkwardly tugged Huang Xiang back and scolded her, "Xiang'er, don't be rude... don't disturb Benefactor!"

Xiao Yu waved a hand. "It's fine. Come here!"

When Zhao Hongye, who had been meditating and cultivating inside the room, saw Xiao Yu forging the others again, she lowered her head and walked over.

Xiao Yu glanced at her and slowly raised his hand before her. "What? You're being so cooperative today? No more making trouble?"

Sorrow filled Zhao Hongye's eyes. "I... you saved me. I know you favor women. I am willing to let you place a restriction on me, but can you let me preserve my primordial yin until the Golden Core Stage... The cultivation art I practice is rather special. I must remain a virgin!"

When Zhao Hongye said this, Zhang Lan and Huang Xiang both tilted their heads away.

They were awkward beyond measure.

Xiao Yu rubbed his chin. "Mm, as long as you bear me no disloyal thoughts, I will naturally give you the respect you deserve."

Zhao Hongye subconsciously clenched her sleeve cuff. Looking at Xiao Yu's raised finger, she pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Mm... I... am actually from the Profound Spirit Sect. Elder Zhao of the Profound Spirit Sect is my father. I said before that I was a Rogue Cultivator because I feared you would hand me over as a hostage..."

"You saved my life, and I will remember it in my heart. No matter whether this battle is won or lost, I will not forget that you rescued me from the gourd!"

Xiao Yu had long known she was hiding something from him.

Who would have thought he had caught such a big fish!

The daughter of a Profound Spirit Sect elder—perhaps this woman might become his way out of the Hehuan Sect in the future.

After all, there were far fewer women in the demonic path than in the righteous path. The odds of encountering wicked women were too low.

He had to take the initiative and judge all those wicked women outside.

Xiao Yu smiled and raised his hand, forging her with blood.

After dealing with today's matters, Xiao Yu looked beyond the formation.

If what Hua Lian had said earlier was true, then he truly needed to send Zhang Ziling a warning.

The Jade Maiden Sect branch elder seemed to be a Golden Core Stage cultivator, while Zhang Ziling was only in the Foundation Establishment Realm. It would be troublesome if she encountered one.

The appearance of a Golden Core Stage cultivator would be enough to turn the entire battle around. To be safe, he should go tell her.

With that thought, Xiao Yu summoned the Puppet Eagle, mounted it, and flew out of the formation.

The very next second after he flew away, Mei Chunlan, standing in the distant woods, said to the old woman behind her with a dark expression, "I told you he had secrets. Elder Zhang even gave him a bonded Puppet Eagle!"

Another aged old woman grinned mockingly, her pair of protruding teeth painfully conspicuous. "He is an Alchemist now. Aren't you afraid the higher-ups will find out?"

Mei Chunlan sneered coldly. "Ma Cuihong, do you think the demonic path sent our Hehuan Sect out here to conquer the world? We are nothing but cannon fodder. The Profound Spirit Sect is far stronger than the Jade Maiden Sect. How could our Hehuan Sect Master possibly be a match for the Profound Spirit Three Elders!"

"Their sect has three Golden Core Stage experts. Wouldn't they crush us beneath their feet?"

"Our sect master and his wife have had no news these past few days. I doubt they can hold on for many more!"

Ma Cuihong rubbed her wrinkled chin with a half-smile. "Mm, that is true. You mean... we should flee and directly dig out the secrets on Xiao Yu's body?"

Mei Chunlan said, "Zhang Ziling is only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. If our sect master can't hold the eastern side, she will very likely have to flee too!"

"People die for wealth, birds die for food... If I, Mei Chunlan, cannot obtain something, then no matter what, I will destroy it!"

"When the time comes, we sisters will split the benefits evenly! Go make preparations quickly!"