My ancestors were spiritual plant growers, so it's not surprising that I hunt demons every day,

Why kill that poisonous woman?

Zhu Chaoyun, his face contorted with rage, suddenly stopped, spat in disgust, and said, somewhat bewildered:

"I just wanted to borrow your Cold Light Crossbow to hunt a couple of edible demons, Sister Cui Ying. When did you become so stingy?"

"A demon that can eat."

Cui Ying sighed softly: "I thought it was your stepmother bullying you again."

"When has she ever not bullied us?!"

Just then, Zhu Wanqiu chased after him, grabbed her brother's arm, and burst into tears:

"Brother, don't go. I don't eat spirit rabbit meat."

"Why shouldn't I eat it?"

Zhu Chaoyun turned around angrily and looked at his younger sister, who was only as tall as his chest, saying to her indignantly, "Your brother worked his life on the line to earn spirit stones to buy spirit rabbit meat, why don't you eat it?"

"Brother, don't be angry. You know I don't like eating meat, especially rabbit meat, it's very gamey and not tasty at all."

Zhu Wanqiu was the same age as Cui Ying's fourth sister, but much shorter, and always spoke with a weak and feeble voice.

"Don't try to fool me. Who doesn't want to eat spiritual food? Since they won't give you any, I'll just flip the table and nobody will get any."

"You wait here, I'll go into the mountains and hunt a few plump rabbits. We'll steam them and roast them to make that wicked woman furious."

After watching the brother and sister talk for a while, Cui Ying probably realized what had happened at the Zhu family earlier.

"You're not allowed to go."

Cui Ying rolled her eyes and coldly retorted, "I think you're not here to eat meat, but to deliver it to the great demons in the mountains. It's almost dark; which rogue cultivator would dare to stay alone in the mountains?"

Zhu Chaoyun glanced at the crossbow in her hand, and said defiantly, "With the Cold Light Crossbow, what's there to be afraid of?"

Seeing Zhu Chaoyun's angry words, Cui Ying shook her head, too lazy to argue with him: "I won't stop you if you want to go, but I can't lend you this crossbow."

Zhu Chaoyun grew anxious, her voice filled with disbelief: "You little brat, I've spoiled you for nothing!"

"It is because you have always taken care of me that I have come to invite you to hunt demons in the Phoenix Mountains tomorrow."

"Going into the mountains? To hunt demons?"

Zhu Chaoyun's face lit up with joy, and he subconsciously scratched his head, saying somewhat awkwardly:

"It turns out it was all a misunderstanding, Cui Ying. I misunderstood you."

"It won't happen again."

Cui Ying rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Zhu Wanqiu beside her and said:

"Come to my house for fish. We stewed some bluefin bream today, and there's still a lot left."

Upon hearing about the spirit fish, Zhu Wanqiu's eyes lit up at first, but she quickly shook her head.

The Cui family wasn't considered wealthy in the village, and they had a large family.

He was already grateful that his uncle from the Cui family would take him into the mountains to hunt demons and earn spirit stones, so how could he possibly have the nerve to go to the Cui family to eat spirit food?

“Really, there’s no need, Sister Cui Ying. I’ve already eaten at home. Besides, I heard that Sister Cui Yue and Brother Cui Yan are at a critical stage of Qi induction, so these spiritual foods are just what they need to replenish.”

Seeing Zhu Wanqiu shaking her head so hard it was almost like a rattle drum, Cui Ying nodded and didn't try to persuade her any further.

"In that case, let's hunt some demon meat tomorrow and eat our fill."

After saying that, Cui Ying instructed Zhu Chaoyun, "Come to my house after 5 a.m. tomorrow and go into the mountains early."

Zhu Chaoyun nodded vigorously: "Okay."

-

The next morning, before dawn, Yang went into the house and gently woke him up.

"Third sister, third sister."

"What is it, sister-in-law?"

Cui Ying refined a Qi Gathering Pill given to her by Gu Shiyin last night and didn't rest until 3:45 AM.

After all, the situation in this life has changed, and she needs to make several preparations.

Sensing that it was Yang's presence, she kept her eyes closed and did not disturb Cui Yue, who was sleeping beside her.

Madam Yang pursed her lips and asked in a low voice, "Third Sister, you came back so late last time, shouldn't we set off earlier today?"

Cui Ying nodded, and after Yang turned and left, she immediately got up to prepare.

When she finished tidying up and opened the door, she saw two familiar figures already standing in the yard.

"Wasn't it supposed to be the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)? Why are you here so early?"

Zhu Chaoyun pointed to the sky and rolled her eyes at her nonchalantly: "It's already a quarter past Mao Shi (5:15 AM), you lazy girl!"

Cui Ying glanced at the sky; the thick fog had mostly dissipated, and a faint golden light was rising from the horizon.

At this moment, her mother and sister-in-law came over with several bowls of steamed egg custard and several side dishes.

"Come on, come eat!"

Wang urged, "Chaoyun, you should eat something too."

Zhu Chaoyun shook her head and replied, "Thank you, Aunt. I came out after I finished eating."

"Do you think I believe your stepmother would be so kind as to make you breakfast?"

Wang placed the things on the small table in the courtyard, and said without looking up:

"Eat up, your uncle may not be very capable, but he's not short of food."

Zhu Chaoyun quickly waved her hand, looking somewhat flustered: "Aunt, really, there's no need."

Wang glared at him, then shoved a bowl of steamed egg custard into his hands, saying forcefully, "Dare to talk back to your aunt? Hmm!?"

Zhu Chaoyun couldn't refuse, so he finally sat down at the low table and said with a simple smile, "Aunt's cooking is as good as ever!"

"loquacious."

Seeing Zhu Chaoyun eating heartily with a spoon, Madam Wang immediately put on a kind smile. She turned and went into the main room to retrieve a bulging package:

"Food and drinks are all prepared. It's good to go out and explore. Remember, you can only walk along the edge of the mountains."

“Without my uncles’ encouragement, we wouldn’t dare go too far. We’re all kids who grew up listening to stories of monsters eating people, so we know what we’re doing. With me watching over Cui Ying, Aunt, you can rest assured.”

After the siblings finished breakfast, Cui Ying immediately led her brother Cui Cong and Zhu Chaoyun toward Songcui Cliff.

At this moment, dawn was breaking.

The pine-covered cliff was shrouded in mist, and the trouser legs of the group became soaked after walking only a short distance.

Cui Ying's method of entering the mountains was unique, so she naturally avoided encountering those rogue cultivators who were also entering the mountains, and thus enjoyed a peaceful journey.

But their hearts were pounding with excitement. Even Zhu Chaoyun, who was usually very talkative, buried himself in his work and quickly climbed to the edge of the cliff at the top of the mountain.

"Are we really going to jump!?"

Zhu Chaoyun glanced at the bottomless abyss and gasped.

"This shortcut is really dangerous!"

Zhu Chaoyun wiped the sweat from his brow and suddenly admired Cui Ying's courage. After all, this was a bottomless abyss; a slight misstep could result in being smashed to pieces.

Not everyone has the courage to jump without knowing how to fly.

A moment later, with the help of the Lightness Technique, Zhu Chaoyun landed safely outside Chiyang Valley, clinging to the vines. He felt his calves were a little weak.

Cui Cong's face was also a little pale, but because he had no spiritual bones, he often practiced some secular internal energy cultivation methods to strengthen his body.

Although they cannot compare to Qi cultivators who can summon wind and rain, they still possess a physique capable of scaling walls and leaping across rooftops.

He once fought two cultivators at the early stage of Qi Refining in close combat and was not at a disadvantage at all.

Nevertheless, it was only thanks to the two lightness techniques Cui Ying bestowed upon him that he was able to successfully reach the bottom of the cliff.

"Whoo~"

He leaned against the towering ancient tree beside him and exhaled a breath of stale air, which made him feel much better.

After Cui Cong and Zhu Chaoyun, with Qingzhang grass in their mouths, followed Cui Ying through Chiyang Valley, turning left and right, they admired him even more.

"Great, Cui Ying!"

Zhu Chaoyun glanced back at the dark, misty fog behind him, then turned and gave Cui Ying a thumbs up:

"I used to laugh at you for reading all sorts of miscellaneous books and jade slips... I never imagined you'd actually make a name for yourself with them!"

"Perhaps this is what they call mutual support and mutual restraint!"

Cui Cong had grown up hearing about the poisonous miasma of Chiyang Valley, so he was quite surprised to learn that this small wild herb in his hand could neutralize the strange poison.

However, he was a few years older than Zhu Chaoyun and had a more composed personality.

Seeing that his younger sister didn't seem inclined to speak, he looked up at the sky:

"It's already 7:45 AM. Going back would require taking a detour, and we don't have much time left. Let's hurry up and go."

Cui Ying shook her head and bowed deeply to the boundless, ancient forest.

"this?"

Zhu Chaoyun was so shocked by Cui Ying's actions that she was speechless for a long time before finally asking Cui Cong beside her:

"Is Cui Ying performing a grand kowtow to the Phoenix Cry Mountain Range?!"

Cui Cong was completely baffled. He had never heard his father mention any custom of visiting the mountain in his entire life.

He glanced at Cui Ying, who was muttering to herself incessantly, swallowed hard, and said:

"Don't ask. My sister has her reasons for doing this. We can't go wrong by following her lead."

"what?!"

Zhu Chaoyun was stunned when he heard this. He glanced at Cui Ying, whose face was devout, and then at Cui Cong, who was also kneeling on the ground.

He gritted his teeth and knelt down outside Chiyang Valley with a "plop".