Deep in the River God Temple.

In a dark little room, a black table, a copper bowl, an iron cage.

The old crone gnawed on her own pale hands with a crunch in front of the copper bowl, and in just a moment, her ten fingers were gnawed to a bloody pulp by her own doing.

She seemed to feel no pain, rather licking the blood dripping from her fingertips with relish.

Inside the rune-decorated iron cage, a small hedgehog with prickly spines was curled up.

The little hedgehog had a strange book box on its back. Upon closer inspection, the straps of that book box had deeply embedded into the little hedgehog's shoulders.

Blood was faintly seeping from where the straps were.

The little hedgehog was originally curled up motionlessly, but as the old crone gnawed on her fingers and muttered to herself—

Her words grew more and more deranged: "Fragrant, so fragrant...Even through the Water Dragon Mirror, I can already smell that astonishing fragrance!

Someone with such fragrance must be a famed scholar across the world, surely possessing merit as well.

Wonderful, how can I bear this anymore?

I can't hold back anymore; eating him will definitely boost my cultivation. What if he is someone special, with powerful figures backing him?

Even if the government intervenes, it's not like I can't run... Heh, little one, have you woken up?

I see you're all worked up, what are you hiding? You can't hide anymore!"

The little hedgehog could no longer hold back, it flipped and sat up in the cage, glaring angrily at the old crone, fiercely saying:

"Who's hiding? I'm not afraid of you, let me tell you, if you dare to have thoughts of harming and eating people, celestial justice won't spare you!

You won't eat anyone, you said he's a famous scholar, he must be a great master.

You still want to eat him, humph! Overestimating yourself.

You might end up arrested by the Prison Control Department, skinned and flayed, suppressed for a thousand years!"

It was fierce, thinking its words harsh, yet unexpectedly the old crone burst into laughter instead.

"Heh heh heh, ho ho ho…"

The old crone laughed so hard she was shaking, she even stopped gnawing on her fingers, pointing at the little hedgehog as she laughed:

"Celestial justice? Celestial justice!

Heh heh heh, how is there such a laughable Little Demon in the world.

You say if I harm and eat people, celestial justice won't spare me?

Heh heh heh, do you know what celestial justice is? Do you think celestial justice only stands on the human side?

Is eating people really such a heinous crime?

Humans eat demons too, humans eat all things!

Ha ha ha, if eating people were truly a heinous crime, what is this celestial justice called? Why not simply call it human justice?"

Upon hearing this, the little hedgehog was momentarily stunned.

It froze in the cage, not knowing how to retort against the old crone, but deep down, it knew what she said had to be wrong.

It rummaged for words, but could find none, hating its own tongue-tied self, angrily said: "Anyhow, eating people is wrong, if humans eat demons…even demons with intelligence shouldn't be eaten!

If you eat everything, you're bound to suffer celestial retribution, I…"

Before it could finish, the old crone suddenly waved her hand over the surface of the Copper Bowl Water Mirror.

As she waved, dark red blood beads scattered into the water.

In an instant, it seemed as if some peculiar mechanism had been triggered, the next moment, voices of wind, cries, and dialogue came from the copper bowl.

It turned out that this Copper Bowl Water Mirror could not only transmit images but also convey sound.

A child's voice, filled with panic, said: "Big brother, that jade infant, it—it fully emerged, why did it suddenly raise its head? Did it discover us?"

Immediately after, a young man's voice, calm and composed, said: "No rush, wait a little longer."

Though only four words were spoken, as soon as the little hedgehog heard the voice, it was struck dumb within the cage as if hit by lightning.

Its facial expression changed too significantly, not that it didn't want to control it, but caught off guard, it had no way to control itself.

At that exact moment of its expression, the old crone suddenly said "Hmm."

She sharply said: "Little Hedgehog, do you recognize this scholar?"

Without waiting for the little hedgehog's response, the old crone laughed again, "Heh heh heh, so you do recognize him, how interesting, I just wondered why such a person suddenly came to my remote and desolate place.

So, it turns out he came looking for you… very good, it seems your bond is quite deep.

He comes looking for you, you worry for him, tut tut tut!"

The little hedgehog's spines stood up straight, unable to endure any longer, it surged up with all its strength, ramming into the iron cage fiercely.

"You vile thief, you are not allowed to eat him! Do you know who Mr. Chen is?

If you dare act recklessly, I will explode myself right now, taking my book box with me, and you'll never get my book box again!"

Wei Yuan had been captured by this Immortal Witch, and at a glance, she saw that the book box was an extraordinary magical treasure.

If she didn't want Wei Yuan's book box and couldn't separate it intact from Wei Yuan, this Immortal Witch would have long since skinned and eaten Wei Yuan.

Though the book box protected him, making it difficult for the Immortal Witch to eat him directly, Wei Yuan's mana was still tightly sealed by her.

Within the cage, the Little Hedgehog's cries for help fell unheard.

Being intimidated and tormented to utter despair, it never imagined that in such a desperate situation, it would hear Chen Xu's voice through the adversary's Copper Bowl magical treasure.

Chen Xu had actually come!

In that instant, fear overpowered joy for Wei Yuan.

He wanted to utter some fierce threats to intimidate the Immortal Witch, but knowing the opponent was insane.

Such madmen would use any means to increase their cultivation.

Wei Yuan knew merely self-exploding would hardly threaten her, so after speaking, his tone shifted again:

"If you want me not to self-explode, or if you want my book box, it's not impossible. I can tell you the incantation for my book box, but you must not harm my friend Chen Xu.

Come closer, and I'll tell you the incantation…"

Wei Yuan spoke these words, actually hoping to lure the Immortal Witch to his side.

Only at a close enough distance did he believe he could ensure that by self-exploding, he would take her down with him.

Perhaps, even if he couldn't kill this evil cultivator, he could at least severely injure her.

This was Wei Yuan's full strategy, afraid she would not take the bait, yet seeing her eyes filled with greed, and excited she said: "Are you serious?"

Then she stepped around the square table, taking one step, two steps, getting closer to the cage where Wei Yuan was placed.

Wei Yuan's little heart was entirely on edge, suddenly hearing her chuckle:

"Oh, little hedgehog, how naive and adorable you are.

Do you think your Granny doesn't know what you are thinking? Heh heh, I can tell you now, your little scheming, Granny saw through it at a glance.

The one you wish to save, you certainly cannot save, because he's as naive as you, feeling pity upon seeing an adorable child.

Don't believe me, just watch…"

Saying so, the Immortal Witch suddenly cast a spell.

The cage containing Wei Yuan abruptly moved, floating over the copper bowl.

Wei Yuan quickly looked down into the Water Mirror.

The sight was terrifying.

He saw the bloody, bizarre infant on the ground suddenly shoot up like an arrow toward the tree top where Chen Xu was!

Chen Xu was holding Ah Sheng, who screamed in terror: "Big brother, save me, let's run…"

Before he could finish, Ah Sheng suddenly turned, revealing sharp teeth, then took a bite at Chen Xu's neck with a chomp.

Being so close, how could Chen Xu avoid such an unanticipated, betrayal-like bite?

But in that split second, suddenly there was a bang!

It was Chen Xu's palm, landing before Ah Sheng's teeth could.

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