The fairies I raised were all enchantresses.

036 Attending the banquet, protecting the food

At the same time, in the shantytown, outside the dilapidated thatched houses.

Old Wang, his back hunched, his cheeks sallow and sunken, watched Zhang Po and the others enter the mansion with a gloomy gaze, spitting out a mouthful of saliva viciously.

"Damn it, they didn't invite the Taoist priest to the memorial banquet! They clearly never considered him one of their own; they deserve to die!"

Old Wang had dark eye sockets, gray hair, incoherent speech, and a stench like that of a dead fish.

He was in extremely poor condition, appearing to have aged more than ten years in just over a month, and he also developed some mental problems.

Whenever he gets close to Xiao Cui, he gets inexplicably angry and loses control. After he takes action, he experiences tinnitus, dizziness, and mental confusion.

At its worst, he almost lost his sense of time and logical thinking.

It wasn't until Xiao Cui frequently visited Jubaoge a while ago and the frequency of contact decreased that he was able to catch his breath and regain some of his senses.

"This is outrageous! This brat dared to poison me!"

Old Wang muttered that he had wanted to kill Xiao Cui a while ago.

Unfortunately, Yunmo of Jubaoge has gone mad for some reason, and is willing to break off relations to protect this girl.

He couldn't afford to offend Jubaoge, so he returned home dejectedly. Today, he happened to bump into Yunmo entering Ling Wudao's residence.

"Yunmo and Ling Wudao have a past relationship, no wonder... this Yunmo, a dignified steward of Jubaoge, insisted on protecting a servant who did not have a contract of servitude."

"No wonder that brat could afford such a vicious poison. She wouldn't have the guts. It's that scoundrel Ling Wudao who's trying to harm me!"

Old Wang's eyes were bloodshot, and his withered fingers clenched so tightly they trembled.

It now seems that this boy saw through his plan to poison Lingzhu Jiang. The so-called drinking of the liquid was just a ruse, and Ling Wudao was probably not poisoned at all from beginning to end.

He had intended to wait for Ling Wudao to exhaust his true essence and die from weakness, but unexpectedly, he was waiting for his own death.

"The Treasure Pavilion is too powerful; I, a Daoist priest, cannot afford to offend them alone..."

Old Wang harbored resentment, yet was unwilling to suffer in silence; his will to survive was also strong.

His methods were clumsy; he couldn't even find the deadly poison in the body, and he was no match for the Treasure Pavilion. Only by seeking help from the powerful backer behind him could he have a glimmer of hope.

"The Treasure Pavilion is powerful, and the Qinghe Sect is not to be trifled with either!"

Old Wang snorted, put on his straw hat to cover himself completely, then disappeared into the shadows and staggered toward the inner ring road.

......

Yunmo was very flustered and too nervous to speak.

"Deacon Yunmo, it seems your name isn't on the list of guests I invited?"

Luo Fanchen stood with his head bowed at the main entrance, greeting the guests with a smile. His eyes were peaceful, and a faint smile played on his lips.

Yunmo felt an overwhelming pressure, her mind went blank for a moment, filled with fear and unease. She tried to say something, but couldn't utter a single word. Her usual composure had long since vanished.

She stood frozen in place, her delicate hands trembling like leaves in her sleeve.

That's it... She's annoyed Lord Ling, so her career at Jubaoge is officially over.

At the critical moment, Xiao Cui boldly pinched Yun Mo's palm, and the latter was startled awake, hurriedly saying in a trembling voice.

"I heard that you are hosting a banquet for your neighbors, so I must be celebrating something. I brought some small gifts to pay my respects. I have no intention of bothering you."

"A banquet for neighbors? Is Deacon Yunmo my neighbor?"

Luo Fanchen remained calm and continued to exert pressure. In their previous meetings, he had been far too gentle compared to the Daoist disciples.

"I..."

Yunmo was in a state of utter confusion; the anger of the orthodox Xuanmen sect was putting immense pressure on her.

The head of her clan, her great-grandfather, was a member of the Fenxiang Sect, a renowned and powerful clan. He was strict and demanding of his descendants, rarely smiling, and was a nightmare for her generation of grandchildren.

Of course, her great-grandfather was an outer disciple and had not yet formed his core. She was just an insignificant concubine in the family.

Because of her great-grandfather, she both revered and feared the disciples of the Taoist sect and the Xuanzong sect, especially the orthodox Xuanzong sect.

If Lord Ling were to return to his clan, he could wipe out her entire family with just a single word.

The pressure was overwhelming, and it finally brought out Yunmo's professionalism. She forced herself to calm down and said tremblingly.

"As for a neighboring property, perhaps... I think that thatched hut behind your mansion is quite nice, and I'm interested in buying it. I wonder if you would agree?"

She knew that Old Man Wang was a member of the Qinghe Sect, and that he was most likely placed there to show goodwill to Lord Ling.

Her move was intended to appease the adults' anger while attempting to have Jubaoge replace Qinghe Sect. Of course, Old Man Wang, the owner of the thatched hut, would probably have to risk his life.

"Since we're neighbors, please come in."

Luo Fanchen smiled and stepped aside to welcome the group into the main hall.

If Jubaoge could help him get rid of Old Man Wang and avoid retaliation from Qinghe Sect, that would be perfect.

In the future, when he goes out, he can help take care of Mo Xue. As long as he doesn't directly reveal his Yi Wood True Essence in front of the Treasure Pavilion Master, there is basically no risk of being exposed.

Yunmo is indeed a clever steward of the Treasure Pavilion, but he's a bit timid.

"What is Ling Wudao's identity?"

Grandma Zhang kept her head down and pretended not to see anything the whole time.

Yun Mo, a steward of the Treasure Pavilion with a cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Refining, was as timid and submissive as a quail in front of Ling Wudao.

Ling Wudao is only at the fourth level of Qi Refining, right? That's pretty much what she expected. He is indeed a scion of a powerful family. But the possibility of him failing in the struggle that she had previously guessed is not necessarily true. Jubao Pavilion is clearly giving him its full support.

In any case, Ling Wudao was not someone she could easily provoke.

The glass lamps swayed, illuminating the hall brightly. Everyone took their seats in order. Yunmo's pretty face was filled with joy, and she was also very grateful to Xiaocui.

If the girl hadn't woken her up in time, she would have surely offended Lord Ling today.

Now, not only has his annoyance been successfully resolved, but he has also gained some trust, and the qualification of Jubaoge to support Lord Ling has been partially secured.

"You clever little girl, if you can return to the boudoir safely today, I will redeem you from your servitude."

Yunmo silently recited in his heart, glancing at the reserved Xiaocui out of the corner of his eye, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation.

After everyone was seated, two beautiful figures, one tall and one short, slowly walked in from the kitchen. The former was petite and exquisite, with almond-shaped eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and an oval face that was gentle and fair, exuding a charming yet spirited air.

It was Mo Xue, whom I had met once before.

The latter was tall and graceful, with an elegant oval face, delicate and smooth skin like jade, and bright, soft eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows. Her lips, untouched by rouge, were slightly pursed, and a beauty mark at the corner of her lips was enough to make her alluring.

If Mo Xue is a girl from a modest family, the latter is elegant and graceful, with an extraordinary beauty.

As the two approached, the candlelight seemed to dim slightly, and Yunmo felt somewhat ashamed of himself in front of the tall woman.

"No...it's a spirit puppet?"

Yunmo murmured silently, quite surprised.

Having seen the world, she immediately noticed something amiss with the tall woman. Although the woman acted like an ordinary person, there was still something unnatural about her.

Every gesture it made exuded soul power, clearly indicating that it was a puppet possessed by a spirit.

The puppet looks impressive but is useless; judging from its aura, it is only a low-grade first-level puppet, and it only relies on its soul to be lifelike.

This soul must belong to a cultivator, and it is extremely well preserved. At least the three souls are intact, and the seven spirits are also very likely complete.

"Four levels of Qi Refining, capable of preserving the soul and body, truly worthy of the Xuanzong's methods..."

Yunmo exclaimed in admiration, "Even someone as powerful as the Pavilion Master would find it difficult to achieve a complete soul capture without thorough preparation and the aid of magical treasures."

In Lord Ling's mansion, there is only an unknown low-grade magic artifact that serves as the core of the spirit-gathering array, right?

"Mo Xue, Qiu Yun, greet our distinguished guests."

Luo Fanchen nodded slightly. After exchanging glances, Mo Xue and Qiu Yun bowed respectfully. Finally, the two women focused their gazes on Yun Mo.

"I treat Mo Xue and Qiu Yun as my own daughters. I hope that Granny Zhang and Fairy Yunmo will take good care of them in the future."

After Luo Fanchen finished speaking, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, but when he looked back, he found nothing amiss.

Mo Xue and Qiu Yun looked at each other with resentment, seemingly very dissatisfied with the phrase "treat him as their own son," but they quickly shifted their focus and continued to stare intently at Yun Mo, their eyes full of meaning, making Yun Mo feel uneasy.

Yunmo felt a chill run down his spine as the hairs on his forearms stood on end. He was puzzled.

It's gotten cold for no reason...?