Chapter 114: Do Not Say You Were Not Warned

As Yan Chixia continued to advance in his cultivation, his mastery of alchemy grew increasingly refined. Immortal Qingxu felt deeply gratified by this progress.

Mount Li, Purple Mist Palace.

Fairy Jiuxiao was preparing to refine "Miasma-Dispelling Pills" in the alchemy room when She Mei'er suddenly burst in, her face streaming with tears. She sobbed uncontrollably, "Master, Master, Mei'er... I can no longer go on living!"

"What?" Fairy Jiuxiao was startled. "Mei'er, you were perfectly fine; why can you no longer go on living? Do not cry, child. Tell me, what happened when you went down the mountain to buy herbs?"

She Mei'er wept, "Master, after I bought the herbs at the Sun Family Apothecary and was about to head back, I unexpectedly ran into a vile scoundrel. Not only did he insult me with lewd and unbridled remarks, he also... he also..."

"He did what?" Fairy Jiuxiao demanded sternly.

She Mei'er choked out between sobs, "He touched my face with his filthy hands..."

"What?" Fairy Jiuxiao was incensed. "Aside from Yan Chixia, who would dare touch my Mei'er's face? Tell me, which hand did the scoundrel use to touch you?"

"His left hand..."

"Why his left? Most people use their right... Could it be that the scoundrel only has one hand?"

"No, he has two. Master, the scoundrel is left-handed..."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes! Master, because my face has never been touched by any other man, I remember it with agonizing clarity!"

"Hmph! If that is the case, then that filthy left hand shall cease to exist," Fairy Jiuxiao said, her expression cold as frost. "Mei'er, did the scoundrel reveal his identity?"

"He did," She Mei'er replied. "Master, when I asked who he was, he claimed to be the master of the Return Peak Temple on Mount Emei, known as Daoist Wuji."

"Utterly detestable!" Fairy Jiuxiao exclaimed, her fury soaring. "Mei'er, I shall send a message to that scoundrel now. I will give him until sunset today to sever his own left hand as penance... or he will not live to see tomorrow's sun!"

With that, Fairy Jiuxiao channeled her spiritual energy to summon a "Psychic Jade Slip" from her storage space. Placing it on her palm, she silently infused it with her intent and commanded, "Go!" Instantly, the slip transformed into a streak of golden light, shooting off toward the Return Peak Temple on Mount Emei.

Seeing Fairy Jiuxiao take immediate action to avenge her, She Mei'er felt a surge of joy and burst into a smile through her tears. "Oh, Master, you are the best! Master, I heard you say just now, 'Aside from Yan Chixia, who would dare touch my Mei'er's face?' Does that mean you are willing to let me be with Yan Chixia?"

"What do you think?" Fairy Jiuxiao retorted with a cold tone. "Even if I were not willing, would it matter? Silly girl, bring out the herbs. Let us focus on refining the Miasma-Dispelling Pills first. Afterward, we shall head to the Return Peak Temple on Mount Emei to deal with that scoundrel..."

Mount Emei, Return Peak Temple.

Daoist Wuji, who had returned to his temple using the Earth Escape Technique, was pacing back and forth, feeling deeply unsettled. Suddenly, a flash of golden light appeared in the sky above him, and a Psychic Jade Slip materialized. A cold, chilling voice resonated:

"Listen well, you scoundrel: I am Fairy Jiuxiao. I forgive your pathetic, base nature, but you have dared to insult my disciple with your lewd胆. This is intolerable! I command you to sever your left hand by sunset today as penance. Only then will you have a chance at survival... otherwise, you will not see tomorrow's sun. Do not say you were not warned!"

Upon hearing this, Daoist Wuji felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He stood dumbfounded, his face ashen. The Psychic Jade Slip faded into a streak of golden light and vanished.

"Heavens!" Daoist Wuji cried out in despair. "Why does the thing I fear most happen? What terrible luck have I brought upon myself to provoke Fairy Jiuxiao? She is a woman of her word—a force to be reckoned with! If I do not mutilate myself as instructed, I surely face death! But if I sever my left hand, I will be a cripple. With only one hand... how can I ever ascend to immortality? Heavens, what am I to do?"

Terrified and frantic, he paced like an ant on a hot pan, unable to think of a way out. As the sun began to sink, he broke into a cold sweat.

Just then, his vision blurred, and Fairy Jiuxiao and She Mei'er appeared before him.

"Ah!" Daoist Wuji trembled violently. Seeing the stern-faced Fairy and the radiant She Mei'er, he broke into a cold sweat. "F-Former... Senior... I... I..."

"You what?" Fairy Jiuxiao said coldly. "The sun is setting. Scoundrel, why haven't you severed your left hand yet? Do you not wish to see tomorrow's sun?"

"That's right!" She Mei'er added, filled with righteous indignation. "Scoundrel, so you have a day where you are brought low and disgraced? When you humiliated me earlier, you were so arrogant and overbearing. What happened? How did you turn into such a coward so quickly?"

"Mei'er, enough talk," Fairy Jiuxiao said, her gaze cutting like a blade into the Daoist’s bloodless face. "Scoundrel, I am a busy woman; I have no time for your stalling. I will count to three. If your left hand is still intact when I finish, I shall send you to the afterlife immediately! One..."

"S-S-Senior, please spare me!" Before she could even finish the first count, Daoist Wuji fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing frantically. "I... I... I was wrong! I will never dare do it again! Please, Senior..."

"Two..." Fairy Jiuxiao continued, ignoring him. "...Three." As she finished, seeing the Daoist trembling like chaff and refusing to move, she gave a cold snort and slowly raised her right hand...

"Ah!" Daoist Wuji shrieked as he felt an overwhelming killing intent wash over him. Scrambling to his feet in terror, he cried, "Senior, wait! I will sever it, I will!"

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a cold, gleaming sword from his storage space. Facing the formidable Fairy Jiuxiao, he had lost all courage. He knew that a life of mutilation was better than no life at all. He decided to sacrifice his hand to save his life.

She Mei'er stood by, watching with cold indifference, feeling a sense of vindication. Daoist Wuji raised his trembling left hand, gripped the sword tightly in his right, and with a sudden grit of his teeth, swung down with all his might...