Becoming evil makes you ten times stronger, but becoming a demon gives you hundredfold strength

Western Wastes, Moon-Watching Sect, within the Sect's gates.

A group of little flower demons, only an inch tall, fluttered around joyously, preparing various desserts and drinks, placing them beside the man, all just to see his satisfaction.

About a dozen phoenix hairpins, opulent and heavy, adorned the various little foxes who were either dancing or singing in chorus, their painted brows and almond eyes conveying affection.

Further away, a group of loyal dog demons kept a vigilant watch over their surroundings. Even though this was the tranquil gate of the Moon-Watching Sect, they still remained steadfast in their duty.

The focus of everyone's attention in the center was the master of the Moon-Watching Sect, Mr. Meng.

The human race often cries out for the slaughter of demons and the subjugation of evil, but the demons feel wronged, especially those gathered in the Moon-Watching Sect, who are quite aggrieved, feeling this to be quite unfair.

Like the deceased Dog Lady, who led people to work hard in foreign lands, loyally and reasonably, only to be slandered at the time of final payment for theft and destruction, with the remaining wages withheld. If they dared to argue, the employers would cry out that a demon is killing people and call for someone to slay the demon and subdue the evil!

They are dog demons, the most ethically minded of their kind, and yet, it's so hard to find a good employer, let alone someone like Sect Master Meng.

The kindness of Sect Master Meng towards everyone is beyond words. Demons who moved their families up the mountain expected to be exploited, but instead, they received free Spirit Rice thrice a day and only had to hand over medium-grade Spirit Stones or better, receiving higher compensation in Spiritual Medicine and Spirit Rice.

In their daily lives, they weren't expected to risk their lives to gather intelligence from the outside and could do so voluntarily.

As for losses in the marketplace, the Moon-Watching Sect gave partial compensation each month. After twelve months of compensation, like those little flower demons who thought they were done for, they not only received compensation but also more benefits for good work on the mountain fields. Sect Master Meng even resolved their loan issues.

The foxes were a bit wronged at first, with the twelve most beautiful selected to serve with tears, bearing indignities because they were pure maidens. But after more than half a year, they felt even more aggrieved; not one fox was called to serve Mr. Meng in bed. Instead, they were subject to idle talk claiming they weren't attractive enough for Sect Master Meng, and that they were incapable, with others insisting they should step aside.

"What a wonderful day it is."

Meng Yu sat on the grass, observing everything around him, taking in the fragrance of the grass and the looks from the crowd, feeling very good.

"Yes, it is."

Accompanying Meng Yu was Hua Miaochai, still with her Lin Daiyu-like social phobia.

"All right, you're going to take charge of the Moon-Watching Sect sooner or later, and you can't keep this up. Look at these little flower demons, each one smiling so brightly and happily. That's how it should be. You, on the other hand, are purely someone who suffered too much as a child and was then too scared of this and that. Here, let me give you a gift."

A Protective Formation unfolded, making it so outsiders could neither see nor hear what was happening inside.

With a wave of his hand, Meng Yu placed a Spirit Talisman into Hua Miaochai's hands.

She, of course, knew what this was—the scanning array in the Sect's gates was only hers to operate, and she knew that Meng Yu's Cultivation had improved and that the quantity of Divine Thunder in his Storage Bag had increased, along with two other fine items.

"Here, this is for you."

Master Taohua gave Meng Yu a talisman, one that the Nascent Soul Ancestor had created with his own vital blood and various rare materials, forging a Body-protecting Charm.

Typically, a Body-protecting Charm might sound impressive, but its activation requires deliberate action, and those that trigger passively could easily lead to one's demise.

For instance, when Meng Yu faced Master Lihua's second sword strike, the Stroke of Weak Water, so delicate and ephemeral, if the opponent had a passive amulet, it would surely be triggered. If there were several amulets activating at once, they might conflict like Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and then Meng Yu could directly take them down.

As for the intelligent High-grade Protective Talisman, like the one in Hua Miaochai's hand, it's simply not available on the market. It's a Nascent Soul Master's own vital blood that's used to inscribe it, and it has developed something akin to a Sword Spirit—activated proactively with one's own Spiritual Energy, it can withstand a full blow from a Middle Stage Golden Core Master. Even passively triggered, it could block a normal Golden Core Master's full blow.

Although the effects of passive activation are much weaker, being able to save one's life is great.

This was a genuinely lifesaving item, and now Meng Yu, having received a second one from Master Ouyang, was giving it to Hua Miaochai.

"This is too valuable, I can't accept it."

"Take it. You're now the linchpin of the Sect!"

Meng Yu said earnestly.

Those in the Sect's ranks, the Golden Core members...how should I put it...Song Wuqiu might be considered battle-hardened and ruthless, which Meng Yu doesn't have to worry about. As for the rest, they are rubbish (not in terms of character but in terms of combat power and alertness).

Whether it's Bu Xiaoniao or Hua Miaochai, or Grand Carp Immortal, or the curvaceous foxes with their wonderful tails, though they're at the Golden Core stage, they have plenty of weaknesses. Two months ago, during a dinner with Meng Yu, could you imagine Bu Xiaoniao getting drunk? Grand Carp Immortal, responsible for managing the Great Formation, actually coming to join the fun? Hua Miaochai not following procedures properly without a proper handover? And Huahua clinging to Meng Yu with deep affection, as if asking him, "With all this closeness, how can you not be moved?"

Meng Yu and Song Wuqiu could only smile bitterly at each other at the time. What a mess of a team this was.

"Are they really that unreliable?"

"No, they're very reliable. Other demons are even less so."

Song Wuqiu's response left Meng Yu at a loss for words.

But no matter what, Meng Yu was still grateful to have encountered this group of heartless yet deeply loyal demons. Of course, this was under the condition that they all were beauties of national grace and heavenly fragrance and that truly, if you were kind to them, they would remember your kindness!

Among these demons, Meng Yu was most concerned about Hua Miaochai.

She was the soul of the Sect, the Long River Nine Bends Array was said to be controlled by two, but the true master was her. The Grand Carp Immortal had only partial authority, and her biggest problem was that her close combat strength was inadequate, and she was prone to shyness and social anxiety, often liking to hide away. She was also kind-hearted, which meant, to put it bluntly, in a horror film, she would be the first to be killed in the bathroom.

"But this is too precious." Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

Hua Miaochai still wanted to decline, but she realized that Meng Yu had grabbed her hand.

"Hua Hua, Qian Qian has already said, let me take care of you."

Meng Yu's voice was filled with tenderness, and the warmth from his hand gave Hua Miaochai an odd sensation she had never felt before. It was as if a hot stream was washing over her nerves repeatedly, and the man was looking at her with a burning intensity in his eyes.

"Don't do this, please don't, Meng Yu, I, I am good friends with Qian Qian, I don't want to... you should go find the fox, bother her instead, don't do this..."

She pushed Meng Yu away forcefully, only to find that the talisman had already been placed in her hand.

"What are you saying you don't want to do?"

Meng Yu blinked his eyes, and then blinked again.

This talisman from Ouyang Zhenxue really was an eye-opener for him.

This time when Meng Yu returned, he had obtained two such talismans.

Despite the vastness of the Immortal Sect, these types of talismans were truly not available for sale. They had to be crafted by a Nascent Soul master using their own vital essence and precious materials, and their shelf life was only twenty to thirty years. Worth a life in themselves, nobody would trade them casually.

Ouyang Zhenxue, carrying that talisman, sought an audience with Meng Yu.

In fact, Meng Yu really did not want to see her. He had added her contact information only to make her suffer more, to look at her beautiful pictures and enjoy the pleasure of the victor, keeping her on tenterhooks and waiting for the day to finish her off.

But it had to be said, this woman knew how to give gifts, and her subservient attitude had brought Meng Yu considerable benefits.

Meng Yu did not take her talisman but gave her the opportunity to meet with him instead.

She humbly begged Meng Yu to spare her and her family, professed her willingness to do anything for Meng Yu and even said, "I can be refined into a puppet and taken to the Old Immortal Gate to fight for you."

It's guessable to everyone that Meng Yu couldn't bring people with him through teleportation, but inanimate objects weren't a problem. So, she could leave her Divine Soul here but give her body to Meng Yu to refine into a puppet to accompany him in battle.

A Golden Core Master's body is flawless and is excellent material for casting spells.

Next to Meng Yu, the only Golden Cores now were Bai Qianqian, Master Lihua, and Fairy Taohua. Even Xie Feiyan was merely a swordsmanship instructor.

Despite Master Lihua and Master Taohua being very nice to Meng Yu, they also had their own pride.

Regrettably, Meng Yu was someone who could differentiate clearly, or perhaps his heart was cold as ice.

"I appreciate your past kindness, and I have tried to repay it. But taking my fundamental advantages for nothing, that I cannot allow."

"Is it worth it for you to be refined into a puppet?" Meng Yu had curiously asked Ouyang Zhenxue at the time.

"Tell the truth, I want to hear the truth."

"Bai Qianqian receives your true love because she is wholeheartedly sincere to you. But without her by your side, I can be your assistant. If you let my body go to war with you, then as long as I don't die, when you achieve the Nascent Soul, you will surely remember my good deeds, restore me to my original state, and if I die in battle, you will also remember my contributions. After achieving the Nascent Soul, or even after you transform, you will find a new body for me."

When one attains enlightenment, even their pets ascend to heaven, but you have to become a pet first, not just instructing someone to do something, etc. Some people can develop affections for pets, but they will never love them as they do people.

Her answer made Meng Yu somewhat tempted.

However, seeing the grinding teeth of both Fairy Taohua and Master Lihua by his side, Meng Yu ultimately gave up. But he did take Master Ouyang's talisman, signaling that our grudges end here.

Then, as she took advantage of the situation, under the watchful eyes of the two beautiful sisters, either gnashing their teeth or smiling with hidden daggers, proclaiming what they could help him acquire and that she could bear him a child to put his mind at ease, she was finally driven out by Master Lihua.

The talisman from Master Taohua, Meng Yu accepted, but for Master Ouyang's, besides worrying about Hua Miaochai, Meng Yu also feared that the Ouyang family might have some other trick up their sleeve, so he decided to give it to Hua Miaochai instead.

"Keep the matter of the talisman to yourself. You still need to be careful and remind everyone to be cautious, very cautious, because I always feel like something isn't quite right!"

Although Hua Miaochai's face was flushed to the point of being purple and her head was radiating heat, Meng Yu still handed her the Spirit Talisman.

All seemed calm, but Meng Yu couldn't fathom some key points in the back of his mind.

It was very abnormal, whether it was the Sky-splitting Sword Sect, the two major trade associations, their mobilization capacity, or the scale of their actions.

Was there a Nascent Soul involved, or was there some strange thing that had infiltrated the Moon-Watching Sect?

Then, a graceful figure flickered in the distance, Song Wuqiu's sweet smile casting an alluring charm like frosted sugar in sunlight.

She beckoned Meng Yu with her finger.

Swings within the wall, a path beyond, bewitching flowers on the outside, a laughing beauty on the inside.