Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

The process of calling for reinforcements went surprisingly smoothly.

Ruan Ayao didn't ask for spirit stones, and didn't even ask what was going on, yet she was willing to bring her sect's disciples to help Zhu Wuyao out for free.

As Zhu Wuyao came out of the house, he was somewhat puzzled.

She actually has such a good relationship with the Taibai Sect?

The day of departure arrived.

Zhu Wuyao changed his appearance to resemble Juli and stood in the group.

A disciple standing nearby came up and put his arm around "Juli's" shoulder, saying:

"I was thinking you wouldn't be able to get out. How about it? Let's go get a drink when we get there?"

Who is this person?

In order to sever his connection with the Taibai Sect, Zhu Wuyao did not tell anyone that he was impersonating "Juli".

Once they passed through Tongzhou, Zhu Wuyao would find an opportunity to leave the group, change his appearance, and go to the meeting place to meet that unknown thug.

Ruan Ayao, on the other hand, would find another reason to bring the Taibai Sect disciples to the vicinity of the meeting place.

They were just waiting for the signal to smash the cup before swarming forward.

Therefore, the other disciples were unaware that "Juli" was an imposter.

Zhu Wuyao shook his head and said:

"I, Julius, hereby abstain from alcohol, starting today. From this day forward, if I ever touch a drop of alcohol again, I will stand in the street and shout three times, 'I, Julius, am an idiot!'"

To everyone's surprise, Jolie's cronies didn't suspect a thing.

Instead, they cheerfully joked:

"Come on, that's what you said last time!"

"What, a new trick this time? Didn't you say last time, 'If I, Juli, ever touch alcohol again, I'll laugh three times outside Senior Sister Ruan's room in the middle of the night'?"

……

Zhu Wuyao was somewhat speechless.

She intended to use this to prove "Julie's" determination to change herself, in order to cover up the stark difference in her subsequent behavior.

Unexpectedly, they stumbled upon the age-old mystery of "why Jolie smiles in the middle of the night"...

Fortunately, at this time, Nguyen A Yao began to reorganize the team.

"Since the battle of that year, the bat demons that roamed the south were wiped out. However, recently the Taibai Sect received news that the bat demon inheritor has appeared in the south and the Blood Erosion Curse has reappeared."

"A drop of blood from a fingertip, devouring the soul and turning it into a puppet."

"Anyone who is afflicted by the Blood Erosion Curse will become delirious and become a puppet of the curse caster, and even close relatives will find it difficult to recognize them."

"Back then, the bat demon sacrificed an entire city, weaving souls into a curse, and controlled three elders of my Taibai Sect, nearly causing a catastrophe..."

Zhu Wuyao listened in a daze.

This thing sounds extremely dangerous.

If the inheritor of the "Blood Erosion Curse" has already mastered the technique, these Taibai Sect disciples might not be able to withstand it.

If they were more powerful, they could have directly taken control of Ruan Ayao...

Is this a mission to exorcise demons or to serve food?

Just as Zhu Wuyao had predicted, Ruan Ayao also knew that she was the one most likely to be targeted.

Although she had made thorough preparations for this trip, if something unexpected happened, there weren't many powerful cultivators in this remote place, which could potentially lead to disaster.

Therefore, she confiscated the spirit stones and provided Zhu Wuyao with free assistance.

If an accident does occur, at least there will be an extra layer of protection in addition to the prepared contingency plans.

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"Hey, Juli, the cultivators at this border are such a handful. If it weren't for the high contribution points they offer, I really wouldn't want to come."

"Not only is it dangerous, but we also lack backup..."

Zhu Wuyao nodded, indicating his strong agreement.

Just like her Star-Picking Tower, guarding the border is also a tough job.

Aside from those who are only after contribution points, they really need some ideological awareness to keep up, because one day, the small sects and factions in the neighborhood might start causing trouble.

Looking at it this way, Zhaixinglou is indeed at the bottom.

The jurisdiction of the Star-Picking Tower is not that wide. There are some areas under the jurisdiction of small sects in the north that the Star-Picking Tower cannot intervene in at all.

Zhu Wuyao's version of Julius asked:

"Can Senior Sister Ruan manage to lead the team alone?"

Upon hearing this, Jolie's friend became animated, seemingly somewhat indignant, and said:

"Actually, this news is somewhat unfounded. Our sect is quite responsible; even if there's no real danger, we still send people to check it out."

"Hey! You've already sent people, couldn't you have sent a few more?"

"The Taibai Sect doesn't take this seriously at all!"

"If Senior Sister Ruan hadn't insisted on coming, the leader of this team might have been even weaker..."

Is this an unconfirmed report?

Zhu Wuyao frowned and said:

"If even Senior Sister Ruan isn't strong enough, what if we send someone with even weaker cultivation? Wouldn't it mean that if one of them dies, the whole family will be wiped out?"

"That's right. If someone dies, it means the matter is serious and it proves the news is true. At that time, they will send a more powerful cultivator here. If he dies again, the sect will consolidate its forces and pay close attention to this matter!"

Although there are teleportation arrays and communication talismans.

But it can't compare to the convenience and speed of the mobile phone and airplane era, and there are costs involved in going back and forth.

With forces concentrated here, the defenses of other, more critical areas will be weakened, leaving us with no choice but to weigh the lesser of two evils and opt for a more conservative approach.

Only when things escalate to a significant level and become more "harmful" in comparison will they be taken seriously.

When resources are limited, only raising your hand to block when you feel the pain is a slow but effective approach.

Zhu Wuyao refrained from commenting on the actions of the Taibai Sect.

She travels the world alone, and her information network may not be very sharp or well-informed. The matter of the "Blood Corrosion Curse" is indeed worth paying attention to, and we should be on guard against it as soon as possible.

If Taibai Sect can resolve this matter, she will be safer traveling in the south.

She feigned a complaint and inquired:

"When will we be able to finish this and go back? I wonder if the place we went to has any good wine and delicacies?"

Jolie's friend, a talkative fellow, immediately laughed and retorted after hearing this complaint:

"Aren't you going to quit drinking? Why are you bringing it up now?"

"The place we're going to is really remote. After Tongzhou, further south are all lawless barbarians. There are no restaurants there. You'd be lucky if they didn't serve you a plate of wild vegetables!"

We were chatting idly.

Zhu Wuyao spotted the Juque Sect cultivators from afar.

Did they get wind of this and come to block our way?

Ruan Ayao stepped forward without changing her expression, only to hear the Juque Sect cultivator ask:

"Fellow Daoist Ruan, where are we headed?"

"Your identity is special. You are a direct disciple of the Taibai Sect. You should at least say something before entering our Juque Sect's territory."

The two areas are adjacent, and their jurisdictions differ, making it difficult to clarify the situation.

They probably thought that the Taibai Sect had obtained news of some blessed land and wanted to go there to search for treasure, so they naturally wanted to find out more and get a share of the spoils.

"The place I'm going into isn't your Juque Sect's territory. I've gone to great lengths to take this detour, yet you Juque Sect are like wildcats that have caught a whiff of fish, relentlessly chasing after me?"

Ruan Ayao chuckled and continued:

"If it were just a lucky find or a secret treasure, that would be one thing. But our Taibai Sect is going after the evil cultivators. What, do you want a piece of the pie too?"

"Why don't you lend me a few of your Juque Sect disciples?"