Having cultivated myself into an immortal, all I want to do is raise female disciples.

"These little wenches are taking advantage of me one after another, aren't they..."

The old rogue was frustrated, but thankfully, he had managed to place seventeen different formations on all the girls' Taoist robes.

Barring any major issues, there shouldn't be any problems.

Otherwise, how could that old rogue feel at ease leaving these troublesome girls behind? He wouldn't feel at ease without at least a dozen formations around him when he goes out.

Sigh, I just don't know who triggered the Taoist robe formation...

Is it getting cold now?

45. Zhang Xiaohan

Just as the sharp blade was about to pierce Fan Luokui's snow-white skin, a vibrant crimson magic circle appeared as if descending from the sky, blocking the old woman's surprise attack.

Unexpectedly gaining enough time to react, Fan Luokui quickly retreated, blocking Zhang Ruoxue's face, which was filled with horror. He drew his long sword from its sheath and held it horizontally in front of him, his pale golden eyes filled with vigilance and coldness.

Despite her failed attack, the old woman showed no sign of disappointment. She simply stood there stiffly and blankly, the dagger in her hand gleaming with a blood-like light—clearly a unique magical artifact.

"That's nothing."

Zhang Xiaohan's tone suddenly turned icy, and an indescribable gloom appeared on her face.

The dark light emanating from his purplish-black eyes at this moment was not something an eighteen-year-old boy in the throes of puberty could possess; rather, it was more like the sinister and ruthless gaze of a primordial beast from ancient times or even the distant past.

He remained motionless and silent, and his mere presence made Fan Luokui feel a suffocating pressure, as if her soul was being choked. He was completely different from the foolish, silly boy she had seen before.

Zhang Ruoxue couldn't understand how the somewhat foolish and honest boy who used to follow her around calling her "sister" had become like this.

What exactly happened to Zhang Xiaohan?!

Even under Zhang Ruoxue's shocked and trembling gaze, Zhang Xiaohan still stared intently at Fan Luokui, or more precisely, at the red light that suddenly shone around her.

“A magic array… an ancient magic array?” Zhang Xiaohan asked sternly, looking up at Fan Luokui. “You are not a member of the Lei Yu Sect.”

Whether I am or not is none of your business.

Fan Luokui lowered her center of gravity subtly, slightly raised her eyelids, and stared warily at Zhang Xiaohan and his parents, constantly on guard against their every move.

"More than that, I'd like to know who you really are?"

Zhang Xiaohan gave a sinister smile, raised his right hand, and cracked his knuckles, making a clicking sound—"Who I am is none of your business, is it?"

"At least I need to know whether the culprit who turned this village into this state is the insect manipulator or not."

"Oh."

Zhang Xiaohan covered her mouth expressionlessly, deliberately and obviously feigning surprise, as if mocking Fan Luokui's judgment, "Wow, you actually guessed that I'm an insect manipulator, that's amazing!"

Fan Luokui stared coldly at him, her peripheral vision noticing a small flying insect slowly emerging from the pile of corpses of the scarlet-eyed black insects behind her. She bit her lip and said, "Actually, you heard the conversation between me and Senior Sister Zhang just now, didn't you?"

"Yes, I heard everything clearly. Of course, I also heard very clearly that you are afraid of bugs."

The boy revealed a chilling smile, showing no intention of refuting Fan Luokui.

His words clearly acknowledged his identity as an insect manipulator.

In other words... all of Fan Luokui's previous guesses were accurate.

But—how is that possible?

Zhang Ruoxue shook her head, still somewhat dazed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Memories kept flooding my mind: scenes of me and my younger brother having a big fight, scenes of us having dinner together, scenes of us laughing and joking—

She didn't believe it, staring intently at Zhang Xiaohan, "Xiaohan, why..."

Why would you do something like that?

Before Zhang Ruoxue could finish her trembling words, Zhang Xiaohan mimicked her tone, pinched his own throat, and finished her sentence with a cold laugh.

The boy then grinned, revealing two rows of snow-white teeth, and tilted his head to the side.

"Of course it's to survive. Do you think I've had it so hard all these years?"

"you……"

Before Zhang Ruoxue could finish speaking, the boy suddenly clapped his hands, as if he had remembered something.

"Oh, right, sister, you don't seem to know yet?"

Zhang Xiaohan pointed to the elderly couple beside her, placed her entire hand on the man's blank face, and moved her fingers wildly as if she were striking the strings of a musical instrument.

"These two people... never gave birth to me. I'm not your biological brother. I have absolutely no blood relation to a weak mortal like you!"

“I was picked up by you weak mortals. I have been sleeping in this forest for countless years, from the ancient times you speak of until now... Ah, to be honest, it’s wonderful to be able to breathe pure air.”

"but--"

Zhang Xiaohan sighed, his tone becoming unusually calm, "After waking up, my soul was too weak, so I could only temporarily seal off my past memories to prevent this fragile soul from being overwhelmed. So, without realizing it, I became your younger brother and son for more than ten years... Now that I think about it, I'm really quite miserable."

An existence from ancient times...

Hearing this, Fan Luo Kui's heart pounded. The possibility of the other party lying to her at this time was extremely low. If the other party was really an existence from the ancient era, then it was very likely that... she and Senior Sister Zhang would not be able to leave Jingyuan Village alive.

We must think of a solution.

Fan Luokui turned to the side and glanced at Zhang Ruoxue, who was standing there in a daze. Judging from her senior sister's almost collapsing expression, she could not count on her.

For now, all we can do is try to buy time while we think of an escape plan.

Fan Luo Kui looked at the couple not far away, whose expressions were as stiff as puppets, and said calmly, "So you woke up two years ago, and after waking up, you implanted the Gu worms into the souls of the villagers in order to restore your strength?"

“That’s right.” Zhang Xiaohan snapped his fingers, but his face was full of regret. “However, the villagers’ spiritual energy was really insufficient, and I was too weak at the beginning, so I made a lot of failed attempts. It’s one thing for these failed attempts to die, but in the end, they were almost discovered by other villagers. Well, you should have seen it too. Right now, those self-righteous guys are lying in the cave sleeping forever.”

I see……

Those villagers who turned to skeletal remains were not only food for the villagers, but also people who had discovered the secrets of the insect manipulators...

However, according to him, his strength has not actually recovered yet?

If that's the case, there might still be a chance of winning.

The girl's eyes shone like stars, her red and white shrine maiden robes fluttered in the breeze, and Fan Luokui quietly circulated her spiritual energy, her right hand gripping the hilt of her sword, clearly ready for battle.

The previous battle with the giant insect-like monster hadn't cost her too much spiritual energy, and Fan Luokui was currently close to her peak condition. Even if the opponent was an ancient insect manipulator, she might be able to put up a fight if he hadn't recovered much of his strength.

However, Zhang Xiaohan was not unaware of her little scheme.

"Beautiful lady, I advise you not to think too much. Although I haven't fully recovered, I'm not someone a little girl like you can handle."

Are you trying to say that your cultivation level is far above mine?

"No, no, no—" Zhang Xiaohan stretched out a finger and shook it gently twice. "Little girl, don't misunderstand. Cultivation level is not the key to victory or defeat. Perhaps it is for people of your Lingze era, but in our era, cultivation level was just a useless thing."

"Furthermore, even if you could really kill me, did you ask the person next to you for their opinion?"

Zhang Xiaohan grinned, his mocking and sarcastic gaze falling on Zhang Ruoxue, who was drenched in sweat and trembling slightly.

"—My dear sister, would you really bear to kill me?"

"..."

Is she willing to do that?

This question is like asking Fan Luokui, "Are you willing to kill Fan Dongyin?"

Even knowing she's been deceived, even knowing her loved ones have some wicked secret—would she be willing to do that?

Zhang Ruoxue remained silent and still, simply keeping her head down and clutching Fan Luokui's clothes tightly with her hands.

She hesitated.

If it were anyone else, she might have yelled "Get the hell out of here!" and then, without a second thought, swung her fist and delivered a devastating blow.

Because Zhang Ruoxue is a tough woman, whether it's killing insects or beating people, she's not as gentle and indecisive as other women.

Her only weakness is her emotions.

"You bastard—"

Seeing Zhang Ruoxue like this, Fan Luokui's delicate face grew even colder. She knew just how much damage family ties could inflict on a person, and even she herself was still unable to completely escape the shadow of her father.

That's why she glared at Zhang Xiaohan with such resentment, because this guy... was now using this to push Zhang Ruoxue's heart to the brink of despair.

If this continues, there is no doubt that Zhang Ruoxue will break down.

With a slight chill on her cheeks, Fan Luokui held the knife in her right hand, lowered her center of gravity, and made a preparatory movement for a diving attack, her eyes filled with a sinister light.

"Since Senior Sister Zhang is reluctant to kill you, and since she still cares about the family ties of those years, then I will kill you for her!"

"Oh? Kill me for her?" Zhang Xiaohan sneered. "Leaving aside whether you can defeat me in a fight, I'd like to ask you, can you really kill me?"

Or rather—

Zhang Xiaohan raised his hands, and the next second, countless flames suddenly appeared from the village.

Zhang Ruoxue and Fan Luokui stared wide-eyed in disbelief in the direction of Jingyuan Village. Given their cultivation levels, their hearing was naturally much better than that of ordinary people.

That's why they could clearly hear... the orderly, military-like footsteps.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

The sheer number of them was so great that the forest trembled and the earth shook.

But that wasn't the army.

Those were villagers.

All the villagers of Jingyuan Village!

From the oldest to the youngest, from Grandma Lin to Wang Xiaoer, who was not yet ten years old, from Uncle Wang to the elderly village chief...

Each person, holding a torch, appeared before Fan Luokui and Zhang Ruoxue with perfectly synchronized steps, like puppets, and surrounded Zhang Xiaohan like human shields.

Zhang Xiaohan laughed wildly, and the glow of dusk slowly faded away. The blazing sun fell, replaced by a cold, dark night with howling winds.

"Little girl, can you come before me with the same resolve to kill these villagers?"

46. ​​Come and kill me!

Hundreds of villagers, their eyes glazed over, their limbs stiff, each face bearing a cold, silent, and sinister malice, like puppets. They held their torches high, letting the flickering flames illuminate their eerie faces against the dark night sky.

From seventy-year-old women to ten-year-old children, without exception—