Chapter 5

Chapter 5

My sins, my sins...

On his way back, Zhong Yixiao was mumbling this phrase in a daze, confessing to Buddha, appalled that he could stoop so low as to make a move on a child?! No wonder the child looked at him with eyes full of murderous intent!

Perhaps the child's desire to go to the Demon Cult was a shadow cast by his degenerate actions! The child wasn't wrong; he truly was scum QAQ!

After apologizing to Mo Jiao numerous times, Zhong Yixiao swore by heaven and earth, "Rest assured! I will take responsibility for you! I will help you find your family, then go and apologize in person, I really owe you an apology..."

...This time he couldn't escape it!

Mo Jiao's mouth twitched; he didn't want any responsibility, okay? Surely Zhong Yixiao must be out of his mind?

Zhong Yixiao hadn't considered that the child in front of him appeared to be only nine years old, and by normal standards, would have been only eight last year. What was he thinking, wouldn't someone stop him? Maybe they tried but couldn't...

...Oh my, the more he thought about it, the more beastly he felt, capable of laying hands on an eight-year-old child!

Zhong Yixiao felt he should kneel before Buddha and confess.

But the child he had wronged was right beside him, alone and helpless in the world (?), and Young Master Zhong couldn't bear to see him like this. He only wanted to settle the child first, then apologize to his family later and compensate the child well.

Young Master Zhong's heart was filled with self-reproach, finally arriving at their lodging for the night.

The Nameless Medical Clinic.

This clinic was called the Nameless Medical Clinic, not because it lacked a name, but because its name was actually Nameless, a pretentious name only Doctor Chang could think of.

Mo Jiao had been here before, and it was here that he had encountered Zhong Yixiao again. Now standing at the entrance, still tightly held by Zhong Yixiao, his urge to hit someone was uncontrollable, clearly written in his eyes.

Zhong Yixiao felt deeply indebted to Mo Jiao, thinking of many ways to make amends on the way. Arriving at the clinic, still immersed in his tearful inner self-reproach, he tried to appease with a smile, "Jiaojiao, we'll be staying here for a while. My master is here recovering from illness. Once she's better, I'll take you to find your family, or you can come back to Xianyun Manor with me."

"Your master?" Mo Jiao raised an eyebrow.

Zhong Yixiao nodded, "He Yuntao is my master, but this secret must not be revealed. The Xianxia Sect consists entirely of women, and I was an exception taken in by my master. Revealing this would cause trouble for the Xianxia Sect, so I'm only telling you."

Mo Jiao: "…No wonder, I thought you had something going on with that old Taoist nun."

Initially, Zhong Yixiao wanted to scold the child, but realizing all faults were his, having ruined the child, his attitude turned exceedingly awkward, "Jiaojiao, you can't say things like that next time, master would be angry."

"What do I care?"

The child's attitude was too bad, Zhong Yixiao could only sigh, lamenting his fate.

Mo Jiao didn't care what he thought. The guy had dared to take liberties with him a year ago; it was already quite generous not to kill him on the spot. Calling him scum, so what? Isn't it okay to scold him?

Now at Chang the Divine Doctor's place, without finding the Left Protector, Chang could still be useful. Ditching Zhong Yixiao was only a matter of time. Mo Jiao would not let the news of him, the dignified leader of the demonic sect, being taken advantage of spread, although he didn't know why he didn't want to harm Zhong Yixiao.

Chang the Divine Doctor had already returned to his medical clinic, suspecting it was the foolish Left Protector who had leaked the information, exposing the Lotus Flower Residence. But upon seeing Zhong Yixiao return with that child following him, he was immediately startled into action.

He Yuntao, who was still speaking with him, asked, "What's wrong with Chang the Divine Doctor?"

Chang chuckled nervously, now visited by the demonic sect leader he had callously abandoned earlier that day, wondering if the visitor might kill him! Yet, he faced a listless Zhong Yixiao, his heart pounding, his eyes filled with terror towards Mo Jiao.

"…Young Master Zhong has returned, and this is…"

His voice trembled as he spoke, Mo Jiao's expressionless gaze seemed to dissect him.

Unaware of the undercurrents, Zhong Yixiao dejectedly said, "This is Jiaojiao, whom I brought back from the Lotus Flower Residence. The demonic fiend had kidnapped him, surely up to no good. From now on, he will be with me."

"Jiaojiao?"

Hearing Zhong Yixiao's words, Chang the Divine Doctor was even more terrified, but facing Mo Jiao's increasingly icy look, he dared not misname again, joking, "Did Young Master encounter people from the demonic sect today?"

Clearly a rhetorical question, He Yuntao emerged upon hearing this, locking eyes with the child by Zhong Yixiao, whose eyes brimmed with lethal intent. He Yuntao, having lived for decades and seen more people than Zhong Yixiao has crossed bridges, recognized at a glance that this child was no ordinary child, and felt a vague familiarity but couldn't place where she had seen this child before.

Certainly, a child with such a gaze couldn't be good.

Master He Yun frowned and asked, "Where did this Demon Cult villain come from?"

Zhong Yixiao then released Mo Jiao and bowed to Master He Yun, explaining, "Today on the street, someone spotted the Demon Cult's Left Guardian Xia Qingming. Shen Yizhou found that Lotus Flower Cottage was a den of the Demon Cult, so we raided it to capture them, but they managed to escape beforehand."

...So it was indeed that fool, Left Guardian, who exposed us!

Both Mo Jiao and Doctor Chang thought this simultaneously, cursing Left Guardian in their hearts.

"I see," Master He Yun nodded slightly, then turned to look at Mo Jiao, finding his appearance too striking and his gaze too fierce, which she disliked, yet still asked politely, "And who might this be?"

With a long sigh, Zhong Yixiao knew he couldn't explain in a few words. He hadn't planned to keep it from Master He Yun and hoped she could give him some advice, so he asked Doctor Chang, "Could you please take care of Jiaojiao for me?"

Doctor Chang naturally nodded, owing an explanation to Mo Jiao for abandoning him, and conveniently shifted the blame onto Left Guardian.

Master He Yun, confused, followed her disciple with a clouded face to the backyard.

Once they were gone, Doctor Chang knelt down, crying out, "Oh, Leader! It's so good you're alright! I told you that fool, Left Guardian, wasn't reliable. He said you went out to buy candied haws... That's why I left first."

Mo Jiao's expression darkened further, silently staring at Doctor Chang until he broke out in a cold sweat, then spoke softly, "That does sound like something Left Guardian would say."

Doctor Chang breathed a sigh of relief, but Mo Jiao continued, "Enough talk, now help me get rid of Zhong Yixiao, or else..."

Looking back to see no one was around, Doctor Chang got up, looking troubled, "Leader, I'm not one of your Demon Cult... Yes, yes, I'm involved with your cult, but let's be clear, I took gold to treat illnesses, not to involve in other matters."

Mo Jiao sneered, "If you don't help, I have plenty of ways to deal with you. But if you do help, whatever you want, I can give you."

Uncharacteristically, Doctor Chang brightened, "I love doing business with you, Leader! Straight to the point. Actually, I just want to study the antidote to your cult's deadliest poison, Duan Chang San. I wonder, Leader..."

"You want the antidote recipe from my cult, isn't it to help the righteous path break through my Demon Cult?" Mo Jiao glanced at Doctor Chang's greedy eyes, his lips curling into a cold smile.

Doctor Chang hastily waved his hands, "No, no, I just love researching. I won't do anything else."

No one would believe that, and Mo Jiao couldn't be bothered to haggle. He decided, "You have to treat the illness, and you must help. Once I return to the Demon Cult, the antidote recipe is yours."

Doctor Chang, aware of the complexities, suddenly felt uneasy with Mo Jiao's straightforwardness, chuckling nervously, "You're not tricking me, are you, Leader?"

Mo Jiao gave him a look, "If you're not going to do it, forget it..."

"I'll do it, do it, do it!"

Doctor Chang hurriedly said, "Of course, I will help the Leader!"

After all, missing this village, there wouldn't be such a shop again. How could Doctor Chang pass up the antidote recipe for Duan Chang San he had coveted for years? He knew the Ghost Doctor of the Demon Cult for many years, competing in medical skills. But the enhanced version of Duan Chang San Mo Jiao developed truly causes one's intestines to break apart gradually without death, a truly vicious poison.

Such a cruel medicine was also dreaded by the righteous path.

While the Ghost Doctor had already deciphered the formula, Doctor Chang had not.

Mo Jiao, striking the snake at its vital, reasoned that since he concocted Duan Chang San, he could enhance it further. After giving out the recipe, changing the poison formula would render the previous antidote useless, ensuring no one could take advantage of Mo Jiao.

"Where's Left Guardian? Where did he die?"

Recalling Left Guardian with disdain, Doctor Chang complained to Mo Jiao, "After abandoning you, Left Guardian fled, saying he couldn't beat so many masters of the Martial Arts Alliance alone. He went to seek help from our sub-branches. But I think, it's very likely that Left Guardian intentionally exposed himself, perhaps he's a spy from the Martial Arts Alliance infiltrated into our Demon Cult!"

Mo Jiao frowned, pondering, "I had thought of that before, but dismissed it because he's so foolish. But now... having seen how stupid those people from the Martial Arts Alliance are, I think what you said is possible."

Doctor Chang: "..."

Zhong Yixiao confessed everything to Master He Yun, kneeling and repenting.

"It's all my fault, I'm not human, I ruined Jiaojiao, she's still such a young girl (Mo Jiao: When did I ever say I was a girl?!), it's all because of my gluttony. If I hadn't drunk, none of this would have happened..."

Master He Yun's expression grew serious, naturally believing her disciple, but considering the other party was indeed a child under nine, she too felt it was rather cruel. Now understanding the child's fierce gaze had its reasons.

"You really are foolish. So, how do you plan to make amends?"

Zhong Yixiao looked up blankly, "Then, I'll help her find her family, apologize personally, and then, I'll marry her, at least take responsibility for Jiaojiao's future. Master, what do you think?"

Master He Yun sighed, "Given the circumstances, that's all we can do now. Treat that child kindly, educate her well, don't let her be led astray... Xiaor, it's also time for you to let go of Zhuang Feiyu, stop dwelling on him, and treat the child well."

Hearing that name, Zhong Yixiao felt a pang in his heart, but more than that, guilt. Thinking of how he had ruined such a beautiful child like Mo Jiao, he was filled with remorse.

"I understand, Master."

Life truly is unpredictable; he merely went out to enjoy a spectacle and returned with a child bride...