Zhang Ziling rested her chin on one hand. Naturally, she could guess that Xiao Yu intended to spare Wang Mei's life.
Yet if she indulged Xiao Yu in refining Human Pills and human medicine before so many people, how was she supposed to uphold her own principles?
Before she could give the order, someone behind her shouted, "Refine her into a Human Pill!!! How dare that damned bitch harm her fellow disciples?"
"I was wondering why some people had previously been killed by the Profound Spirit Sect. Maybe Wang Mei did that too!"
Wang Mei trembled her hands with immense difficulty, her heart filled with resentment.
That Zhao Gang had simply sold her out like this...
He had sworn again and again that he would love her for a lifetime.
He had said that the marriage his family arranged was merely going through the motions, that he would marry her once things settled down.
He had even captured two little girls for her to practice with.
She had truly believed she would fly onto a branch and become a phoenix.
"Kill her!!! Refine her into a Human Pill! Aren't we short on pills right now?"
"Peel off her skin and refine it into a magic artifact! She has to pay the price!"
The crowd was fired up with righteous fury, a group of people screaming hysterically.
Xiao Yu lowered his head slightly. He naturally knew there had to be more spies among this group.
Those who shouted the fiercest might already have prepared their escape routes.
Zhang Ziling looked coldly at Wang Mei and slowly raised her hand. "Those who bring calamity upon themselves cannot live! Last time, I punished you by making you copy the sect rules, and I thought you would turn over a new leaf! Since you refuse to mend your ways despite repeated instruction, do not blame me..."
As Zhang Ziling spoke, she raised her hand and released a golden talisman. Wang Mei immediately broke down crying. "Master... Master, don't!!!"
"Your disciple knows she was wrong! Your disciple truly knows she was wrong!!!"
"Junior Sister Ling... please..."
Before she could finish, the golden pattern on the talisman slowly emerged into the air.
Wang Mei was sucked into that talisman just like that, as though she had never existed.
The golden talisman drifted lightly before Xiao Yu and stopped.
Zhang Ziling lowered her voice. "From this day onward, if anyone in the branch dares harm a fellow disciple again, I do not care who they are!!!"
Xiao Yu could hear a trace of reluctance in her voice. After all, Wang Mei had been her eldest disciple for many years. Naturally, she had feelings for her.
At that moment, Zhang Ziling looked around once more. "Have you brought all the Jade Maiden Sect disciples I told you to gather earlier?"
Several people in the crowd slowly stepped forward and released the Jade Maiden Sect disciples they had won from their respective magic artifacts.
The instant they were released, miserable cries rang out one after another.
Xiao Yu frowned at the words. Looking at those female cultivators who barely looked human, he instinctively clenched his fists.
Hua Lian in the Maidservant Pavilion recognized several fellow disciples at a glance.
Heartbroken, she cried out, "They're Junior Sister Liu and the others... How could these bastards be so vicious? They actually mutilated their hands and feet..."
Xiao Yu slowly exhaled, holding the talisman that contained Wang Mei in both hands without saying a word.
He had originally planned to take away these female captives from the Jade Maiden Sect as well.
But seeing them in such a state...
Some had all four limbs broken, some were disheveled and filthy, while others appeared to have gone mad.
Neither human nor ghost.
Several female cultivators had even become wizened old women. One look was enough to tell that their origins had been drained by an evil technique.
Taking them back would probably be useless.
Looking at the Jade Maiden Sect captives before her, Zhang Ziling naturally knew those men had certainly hidden some away.
They had merely brought out these worthless ones to fob her off.
"Everyone, I know our situation is precarious right now, but since I, Zhang Ziling, am here, I will lead everyone to accomplish something!"
"The reason I asked you to bring out the Jade Maiden Sect captives is naturally for the coming battle!"
"I guarantee everyone that if we win this battle, each person will receive one low-grade magic artifact!"
Everyone was startled upon hearing this and began discussing among themselves.
Yet after waiting for a long time, no one released any more captives.
Xiao Yu pursed his lips. This group was truly sly as foxes.
They all knew Zhang Ziling was drawing them a pie to satisfy their hunger. If anyone released more captives now, would that not mean they harbored ulterior motives?
Looking at the crazed female captives, Zhang Ziling sighed helplessly.
Then she raised her hand, took out her magic artifact, and directly stored those women away.
"Dismissed. Xiao Yu, Wang Mei is yours to deal with... I will personally interrogate these captives!"
Xiao Yu cupped his fists again, then returned to the alchemy room with the talisman containing Wang Mei.
Zhao Gang watched Xiao Yu leave, a sinister smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
Wang Mei probably would not have a good time in Xiao Yu's hands.
Besides, that woman suffered from a chronic ailment. She needed the blood of young boys and girls to preserve her youth and beauty.
What the hell did it have to do with him whether she lived or died?
He might as well return to the main sect tomorrow. There was nothing interesting here anyway.
Back in the alchemy room, Xiao Yu was examining the golden talisman.
This thing was quite convenient. It could actually store living people?
He wondered how it was made...
Thinking of the several maidservants in his alchemy room, it would be much more convenient if he had such a talisman when taking them away.
The Jade Maiden Gourd was simply too ruthless. That thing could refine a person's mind and body.
"Lian'er, what kind of talisman is this? Can you refine one?"
Hua Lian in the Maidservant Pavilion still had reddened eyes. Recalling the junior sisters she had just seen, her eye sockets were red beyond recognition.
"This is a Puppet-Human Talisman. Lian'er cannot refine it, Master... Master, why didn't you help them..."
Xiao Yu waved his hand. "They are not good people anyway, and they have not triggered the system's judgment yet. Why should I care about them? I think my master has other plans..."
Hua Lian felt somewhat aggrieved.
Ever since she had devoted herself to Xiao Yu wholeheartedly these past few days, she had realized that Xiao Yu's heart was not actually that bad.
He was just somewhat lustful...
When people who had helped him met with disaster, he would lend a hand.
And toward Li Qingyun and the other girls, he was very gentle—at the very least, far gentler than he was to her and her master, Bai Yue.
Seeing her expression, Xiao Yu smiled softly. "Your Jade Maiden Sect should not have been founded long ago, right? You're only eighteen. By my calculation, the Jade Maiden Sect could not have existed for more than fifteen years."
Hua Lian shook her head. "Reporting to Master... The Jade Maiden Sect has existed for several decades. Master only began accepting disciples later..."
"I know Master hates righteous female cultivators like us. From childhood, we were taught the ideals of eliminating demons and defending the Dao. The vast majority of cultivators are the same kind of person as Master..."
"The more prestigious and orthodox a sect is, the more they care about what others think of them. If anyone says a single bad word about them, they will swarm together and attack!"
The corners of Xiao Yu's lips rose. After releasing Hua Lian, he gently stroked her head. "Mm. Don't be sad. From now on, you only need to help your master with all your heart. There is no Jade Maiden Sect, and you have no junior sisters! They deserved it!"
"Search your own heart. How many of them did not deserve it?"
Hua Lian exhaled, unable to say anything for a moment...
"Alright, Lian'er. Go refine Qi-Concealing Pills and bring them to me later!"
"Do not be so upset. Tonight, Master will give you the thing your master likes to eat most!"
Only then did Hua Lian's mood improve somewhat.
She took the Qi-Concealing Stone and left.
Xiao Yu picked up the Puppet-Human Talisman and examined it again.
This thing seemed to be single-use?
Should he get some more...
As he probed the inside of the talisman with his divine sense, the talisman slowly lit up.
After Wang Mei inside the talisman sensed someone watching her, she immediately covered her face in panic. "Don't... don't look at me..."
Xiao Yu thought he had seen wrong and sharply sucked in a breath.
Looking at the woman inside the Puppet-Human Talisman, her face covered in wrinkles and her body covered in dark spots...
Was that really Wang Mei?
After sensing Xiao Yu's divine sense, Wang Mei shouted in utter collapse, "I told you not to look... sob... What exactly do you want..."
Xiao Yu subconsciously swallowed. How was Wang Mei even uglier than Mei Chunlan?
At least Senior Sister Mei still had dentures. Wang Mei did not even have dentures.
No matter how he looked at her, she did not resemble a person.
She looked like a heap of rotten flesh!
If she had not been wearing Wang Mei's seductive black robe, he would not even have thought she was human.
And her voice was somewhat terrifying too...
It was completely unlike Wang Mei's soul-hooking, foxlike voice.
Her current voice sounded like a millstone grinding beans, scraping and grating!
At that moment, Wang Mei suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, then looked at the talisman's restrictions around her and cried out.
"If you want to kill me... then kill me...!"
Xiao Yu pursed his lips and slowly exhaled as he looked at her 0% Sin Value.
To place her in the Judgment Room, he had to raise her Sin Value toward him to 100%.
Committing evil against others would not do. She had to commit evil against him!
Recalling his experience with taking in Hua Lian, Xiao Yu could not help rubbing his chin.
To provoke evil toward him in her heart, he first had to treat her well!
Making her repay kindness with enmity was the most direct method!
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Yu looked at her information panel.
Wang Mei, 37 years old, Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement (severely injured).
Appearance: 93 points. Height: 168 cm. Weight: 47.5 kg.
Aptitude: Metal-Wood Dual Spiritual Root.
Her aptitude was not bad, but her heart was too vicious. To preserve her beauty, she had killed many children.
"Jealous of every woman more beautiful than herself... Once she discovers a woman more beautiful than her, she will harbor extreme resentment..."
Wang Mei seemed to hear Xiao Yu's words and began sobbing in complete collapse.
Her face twisted as tears gushed forth like a spring, as though she wanted to cry out all her pain.
Her fingers tightly clutched the corner of her clothes. "My face... no... my face... sob..."
Her cries were especially shrill, leaving Xiao Yu stunned for a moment.
Looking at the woman sprawled on the ground and weeping in despair, he could not help pursing his lips.
Her face seemed to have been corroded by something?
Sulfuric acid?
Wang Mei continued crying, tears streaming endlessly down that old, ugly face.
Remembering how those women had disfigured her when she was young, her cries became increasingly shrill.
Even if she died... she did not want to die with such a face.
"No... no—!!" Her voice trembled.
"My face, give it back to me... Give it back to me now!!!"
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