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

Chapter 73 The Death Ordeal Has Passed
Qingyunfang was the largest market town in the vicinity. Wei Changsheng had been running around all day and just wanted to find a place to rest.

He hadn't originally planned to drink; he was just passing by the tavern. But he vaguely heard Mo Suixin's voice, so he turned back to look for her.

Who would have thought that I would be startled as soon as I entered the door.

Wei Changsheng could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Why would Mo Suixin be drinking with that rogue cultivator, and even holding hands with him?
Isn't this junior sister known for being aloof and keeping people at arm's length?
Moreover, the two of them had only just arrived at Baihai Valley, and she hadn't even said a single word to Chen Ye. How could they have become like this in the blink of an eye?

Su Chunyi of the Qinghe Sword Sect was the same. It was his first time going out for training. He had only known Chen Ye for a few days, but he was already infatuated with him. He disregarded the friendship between the Qinghe Sword Sect and the Fenxiang Sect and humiliated himself for this rogue cultivator.

Is this still a rogue cultivator from another sect? Could he be a demon skilled in seduction in disguise?

Wei Changsheng was shocked, thinking he had fallen under an illusion, and instinctively tried to use his magic weapon to break the illusion.

Then he remembered that his Xuan Yu Dragon Pattern Pendant had been stolen by Chen Ye, and he became even angrier.

Losing control of his emotions, Wei Changsheng disregarded those around him and couldn't help but shout.

This surprised everyone in the tavern.

Wei Changsheng wasn't disguised; anyone could tell he was a disciple of the Fenxiang Sect. So, the junior sister he mentioned must also be from the Fenxiang Sect.

Everyone looked at Chen Ye again, and were immediately filled with admiration.

Who is this young man? How could he even get his hands on a disciple of the Burning Incense Sect?
I used to think that the young man was blind to have fallen for this girl who was wrapped up like a dumpling and dared not show her true face. Now I realize that I was blind to her true worth.

No matter what this girl looks like, her inner self is as golden as gold.

Mo Suixin was so frightened by Wei Changsheng that she withdrew her hand, feeling a surge of anger in her heart.

How can this person be so clueless about social etiquette, shouting and yelling in front of everyone as if afraid others won't know he's a disciple of the Incense Burning Sect?
Noticing the gazes of everyone in the tavern, Mo Suixin sighed; the rumors were finally getting out of hand.

It's estimated that in a few days, many versions of the story about the Incense Burning Sect disciples having affairs with rogue cultivators will circulate. If this gets back to the Incense Burning Sect, it will likely cause a lot of trouble.

Everything went wrong today. First, Chen Ye took advantage of me, and then I had to come drinking with him. I finally managed to disguise myself, but all that effort was wasted because of Wei Changsheng.

The calculation clearly indicated that Chen Ye was facing a very bad omen, so why was it that I was the one who suffered misfortune from beginning to end?
Is this a terrible omen for Chen Ye or for himself?

Mo Suixin was about to leave when Chen Ye pulled her into his arms again.

Mo Suixin was taken aback. Even at this point, he was still taking advantage of her?

However, before Mo Suixin could break free, Chen Ye loudly said, "Brother Wei of the Incense Burning Sect, stop calling me 'Junior Sister' so affectionately. We've only met once. This is my Junior Sister, not yours."

Wei Changsheng was stunned for a moment, not immediately understanding what Chen Ye meant.

Mo Suixin also looked at Chen Ye with an extremely surprised expression, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Chen Ye, however, seemed completely absorbed in his role and showed no sign of stopping. He continued speaking to Wei Changsheng, "Don't think that just because you're a disciple of the Burning Incense Sect, you can keep bothering us. We respect the prestige of the Burning Incense Sect, not because we're afraid of you. Please leave and don't spoil our drinking mood."

Upon seeing this, many of the drinkers gasped in shock.

This young man dares to speak to the disciples of the Incense Burning Sect like that? He certainly has guts, but he's far too reckless.

The Incense Burning Sect is a behemoth. Even if they don't take direct action, just releasing some information will attract many people to curry favor with them, and the young man will be kept in constant turmoil.

Mo Suixin was held in Chen Ye's arms, her surprise still lingering in her eyes.

This time, however, I wasn't surprised that he took advantage of me, but rather that he changed the story with just one sentence.

Previously, everyone was misled by Wei Changsheng's shout and thought that a disciple of the Burning Incense Sect had gone out to meet someone in secret and had been caught red-handed by Wei Changsheng.

But after Chen Ye said those words, the story took an instant turn, and it became as if Wei Changsheng was coveting someone else's junior sister and lost his composure out of embarrassment and anger.

Many people looked at Wei Changsheng with disdain.

With just that one simple sentence, she was extricated from any potential rumors or gossip.
What impressive rhetoric, and such keen adaptability. But will Wei Changsheng cooperate willingly?

If he continues to cause trouble here regardless of the consequences, his identity as a disciple of the Incense Burning Sect will eventually be exposed.

Wei Changsheng's face changed color rapidly, alternating between white and red.

At this moment, he gradually came to his senses and realized that his actions were damaging the reputation of the Incense Burning Sect.

But clearly, Mo Suixin and Chen Ye were behaving ambiguously, so how did Chen Ye suddenly twist the truth and make it seem like Mo Suixin was the one bullying men and women?
Since things have already blown up this big, rather than suffering alone, I might as well drag them down with me.

Looking at Wei Changsheng's expression of wanting to die together, Mo Suixin sighed inwardly, knowing that she would ultimately not escape her fate.

However, at this critical moment, Chen Ye suddenly took something out of his storage bag.

The object flashed before Wei Changsheng's eyes, and Wei Changsheng, who had been eager to drag others down with him, instantly changed his expression. After hesitating for a moment, he finally turned around without saying a word and hurriedly left the tavern.

Mo Suixin breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately became curious. What method did Chen Ye use to make Wei Changsheng so obediently admit defeat?
As Wei Changsheng left, the tavern gradually returned to its usual state, though the whispers of the patrons continued unabated. Who knew how many strange and wonderful stories would be woven into the tales of tonight's events?

Mo Suixin had no time to care about the rumors at this moment, and only asked curiously, "What exactly did you do just now?"

With a smile on his face, Chen Ye calmly took out a cyan jade pendant and placed it in Mo Suixin's hand.

Mo Suixin looked closely and exclaimed in surprise, "This is a Xuan Jade Dragon Pattern Pendant?!"

This is no ordinary magic weapon; it's quite famous even within the Incense Burning Sect.

This jade pendant was personally crafted by the head of the Longevity Hall of the Incense Burning Sect and was bestowed only upon disciples who displayed exceptional talent within the Longevity Hall.

It not only possesses miraculous effects such as suppressing inner demons and dispelling illusions, but is also a symbol of status and prestige. Only disciples who are bestowed with this jade pendant are qualified to compete for the position of chief disciple of the Longevity Hall.

Seeing this, Chen Ye patiently explained, "I had some misunderstanding with Brother Wei before, and this jade pendant ended up in my hands. I just showed him the jade pendant, and he naturally understood what I meant. If he wants me to return the jade pendant to him, he can only swallow his anger."

Mo Suixin exclaimed in surprise, "For my sake, you're actually going to return such a precious Xuan Yu Dragon Pattern Pendant to him? Do you know how valuable this magic treasure is?"

Chen Ye, however, said nonchalantly, "It's just an external possession. Everything in this world has its cause and effect. The reason you came to me today was to help me avoid this calamity. Later, I asked you to teach me divination, which caused you to be misunderstood. This cause and effect is ultimately related to me. Since that's the case, I'll use this jade pendant to help you resolve your troubles."

Mo Suixin pressed further, "Are you telling the truth?"

Chen Ye laughed and said, "I was just kidding. The main thing is that I've studied this jade pendant for a long time but haven't been able to make it work. I figured only disciples of the Burning Incense Sect could use it. Since it's useless to me, I might as well do you a favor."

Mo Suixin gripped the black jade dragon-patterned pendant tightly in her hand, momentarily at a loss for words.

The two sat quietly, still leaning on each other as they had when they first arrived, until the wine in the pot was finished.

The tavern was filled with customers who came and went in twos and threes, and no one knew how many groups had come and gone, until the sound of a clapper came from outside the tavern.

It was past midnight, but Chen Ye's expression remained unchanged, showing no signs of poisoning whatsoever.

Mo Suixin sighed softly and said slowly, "It seems your death calamity has passed. I miscalculated again this time."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye immediately stood up, solemnly took out a transcribed book, and presented it to Mo Suixin. It was the secret technique of the Heavenly Book recorded in the fragment of the Ksitigarbha Sutra.

Mo Suixin reached out and took the handwritten secret manual, her heart filled with emotion.

The precious secret technique that the Incense Burning Sect had gone to great lengths to obtain by exchanging the Soul Cleansing Flower for was acquired so easily.

Recalling the previous divination, Chen Ye did indeed offer it up willingly, just as predicted.

Despite having calculated it correctly, Mo Suixin felt a strange sense of loss. After a moment's hesitation, she said to Chen Ye, "In this way, we are even. Farewell..."

Chen Ye smiled and said, "What are you talking about wiping it off? I've only just begun to learn divination, so you can't deny me as your student. I still have many questions I'd like to ask you for guidance in the future."

Mo Suixin smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll teach you everything I can."

(End of this chapter)