Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 5 A Thousand Pieces of Gold Can't Buy My Happiness

"Disciple, you're keeping these three by your side, are you planning to use them as test subjects for medicine?"

Mo Ci's question made Chen Ye pause, his face showing confusion: "Master, why aren't you sleeping? Is this what you're asking?" He muttered to himself, "Isn't it said that only sleep can restore energy? How come you have time to worry about such trivial matters now?"

"I'm just worried that you'll expose your identity. Ordinary people may not know that you're using demonic methods, but if you encounter a righteous cultivator and they casually reveal a little information, you'll be exposed. The matter in Cui County is most likely that someone is impersonating the Qinghe Sword Sect to collect young boys and girls, and the Qinghe Sword Sect will definitely send someone to investigate."

"You may think this place is far from Cui County, but the Qinghe Sword Sect's sword control technique is the best in the world. A hundred miles is nothing to them..."

Mo Ci's words were full of worry. He could not forget how the clear sword light had easily cut the magic weapon he had spent half his life forging into two halves.

It is no exaggeration to say that Qinghe's swordsmanship is the best in the world.

With Chen Ye's current skills, he probably wouldn't even have time to see the sword light flash before his head was gone.

Chen Ye interrupted his master's rambling and said confidently, "If that's the reason, then this family of three should be killed even more. Once the cultivators of the Qinghe Sword Sect see these three and inquire a little, I will be a kind-hearted cultivator who saved this family of three."

Mo Ci retorted angrily, "Foolish! If the Qinghe Sword Sect sees the Myriad Soul Banner and the Blood Pill, how will you explain yourself? Do you think righteous cultivators are all fools?"

"Master, rest assured, I've already prepared my explanation." Chen Ye cleared his throat, his tone suddenly changing as if he were a completely different person: "Fellow heroes, I truly do not know what crime I have committed. I merely picked up this talking white banner on the road. The old man inside said he was harmed by a villain and sealed inside the banner. He claimed he would teach me cultivation and ask me to help him escape. He also said he could grant me three wishes. I truly did not know he was a bad person. I swear I have never harmed anyone, and I even used the method he taught me to save someone's life..."

Mo Ci watched his apprentice's brilliant performance, from his expression to his tone of voice, which was so realistic that even with his keen eyesight, he could not find the slightest flaw.

Furthermore, upon closer examination, this explanation isn't entirely unreasonable. This young man has only just entered the Qi Awakening Realm, and in the past few months of cultivation, he hasn't harmed anyone and can be considered completely innocent. According to the rules of the Qinghe Sword Sect, this young man might not necessarily be punished.

But Mo Ci immediately sensed something was wrong and shouted angrily, "Wait, are you exposing your master to save you from disaster?!"

What do you mean by being bewitched by the old man in the white banner? Isn't this just clearly sending yourself to the swords of those sword cultivators?

Chen Ye replied matter-of-factly, "What else can I do? Master, we are demonic cultivators. In critical moments, I will definitely sacrifice you to protect myself. I will follow your teachings and never be soft-hearted in critical moments."

Mo Ci was so angry at Chen Ye that she almost lost her soul, but seeing the smile in the boy's eyes, she knew that he was teasing her master and deliberately betraying his master. If he really had such a heart, she would probably have been annihilated long ago.

Having calmed down considerably, Mo Ci asked in a deep voice, "Stop grinning. Tell me honestly, what is your purpose in saving this family of three?"

Chen Ye kept walking and said, "I think Zhao Hezhou is a respectable man. He fled for a hundred miles in a sorry state and I don't know how much suffering he endured. Even now, he still has some of the dignity of a scholar, which is really rare. Let's give him a way out and make him feel better."

Mo Ci snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Hmph, just trying to save face. This kind of man is not even as good as that woman. At least his wife is more decisive than him."

"Indeed, his wife is also remarkable, even stronger than Zhao Hezhou. The couple is clearly well-off and young, so having another child wouldn't be difficult. But to abandon everything and leave for a distant land for one's own flesh and blood is something not everyone can do. Master, we've traveled to many places these past few months. If others were to be forcibly conscripted by the government, they would only weep behind closed doors, deceiving themselves that their child had truly entered the immortal sect. How many would actually flee with their entire family for this? Zhao Hezhou is just a weak scholar. If he were truly cowardly and incompetent, how could he have endured this hundred-mile escape? He would have abandoned his wife and children long ago."

Chen Ye's words left Mo Ci speechless for a moment. It wasn't because Chen Ye's words were particularly reasonable or well-founded, but because he noticed that Chen Ye always tended to think the best of people, while he himself always focused on other people's shortcomings.

Ultimately, he was still young, not yet as wary and suspicious as the years had worn him down, always feeling that others wanted to harm him.

In the past, Mo Ci would have definitely taught Chen Ye a lesson, letting his disciple know the wickedness of the human heart. But after Chen Ye used the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to protect his soul, Mo Ci felt he had no right to criticize Chen Ye anymore. If this disciple were truly as cold-blooded and ruthless as he had taught him, would he still be alive today?
This Myriad Soul Banner, though touted as a demonic artifact, is in reality a burden to Chen Ye, utterly useless and only more likely to invite trouble.

If we really want to teach him how to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune, shouldn't we advise him to first throw away this Ten Thousand Souls Banner?

Seeing his master remain silent, Chen Ye spoke up to comfort him: "Master, I was just joking with you when I said all that. There is only one reason for saving this family of three."

Mo Ci asked curiously, "What's the reason?"

Chen Ye laughed and said, "I cultivate the demonic path, and what I value is doing whatever I want. Why do I save people? Of course, it's because I'm willing. That's enough. Why do I need any other reason?"

Mo Ci: ...

This kid, he really is a demon cultivator; it's impossible to tell which of his words are sincere. Oh well, I'll just go back to sleep.

Mo Ci snorted coldly and sank into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, remaining silent.

Chen Ye took it as just a casual chat between master and disciple, and was not affected at all. He moved with lightning speed and disappeared into the forest again.

Before long, birds in the forest took flight in fright, and the howls of wolves rose and fell.

From sunrise to sunset, Chen Ye carried several dead wolves back to the dilapidated temple.

Upon entering, one sees two wild boars, bound and dead, their tusks broken, blood flowing from their seven orifices—a gruesome sight. The caged birds have also lost most of their feathers and are covered in wounds. Undoubtedly, these animals endured an extremely painful struggle before their deaths.

Upon seeing Chen Ye return, Zhao Hezhou's face turned ashen, and with trembling hands, he presented the hemp cloth, saying in a trembling voice, "Brave warrior, I have carefully recorded the appearance of the wild boar and the bird before they were poisoned. Please take a look."

After Chen Ye took the linen cloth covered with charcoal writing, Zhao Hezhou seemed to finally be unable to hold back and ran to the side to dry heave.

Chen Ye did not mock Zhao Hezhou for being timid. Instead, he carefully studied the records above, and after a moment, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Chen Ye's judgment was correct. Although Zhao Hezhou was a frail scholar, he still possessed the integrity of a learned man and truly went all out to fulfill his promise. From the onset of the poisoning to its end, he recorded the entire process in meticulous detail, using not flowery language that was rambling but incomprehensible, but rather vividly and accurately depicting the whole process.

Judging from Zhao Hezhou's current appearance, it's hard to imagine how he managed to endure watching all of this.

Chen Ye found the key in this record: whether it was wild boars or birds, although the onset of the poison varied, the symptoms were similar. When the poison took effect, they would all emit long hisses, the sounds of which differed, but they all exhibited a posture of raising their heads and stretching their necks, like the howl of wolves. While struggling, they would frantically tear at everything in their path. Although birds' beaks are only for pecking, these birds opened their mouths and tore at everything like wolves, swaying from side to side.

These details were recorded very clearly by Zhao Hezhou, and should not be unfounded.

Could wolf blood pills cause users to develop wolf-like habits?
Chen Ye raised an eyebrow, feeling that he had found a crucial clue.

(End of this chapter)