The rat demon's name was originally Hui Sanshier.
But now, what he was called was clearly no longer important.
What was important was that the Bottomless Old Mother of Black Mud Ridge's Bottomless Cave had arrived.
She had now burrowed into the body of Shu Guifang.
That invisible aura not only made the surrounding rats prostrate and kowtow.
It also made the few of us feel an immense pressure.
This was the greatest leader of the rat tribe in the entire south.
It was said that she herself possessed a thousand years of cultivation.
Her Taoist mastery was incredibly high.
And her rat offspring below were estimated to number in the millions.
Directly or indirectly, they could affect the safe operation of several human cities.
Her power and influence were immeasurable.
Hui Sanshier was terrified, immediately kneeling on the ground and beginning to kowtow.
The Bottomless Old Mother opened her eyes, looked around, and then at the kneeling Hui Sanshier at her feet.
Suddenly, she let out a cold snort:
"Sanshier, Old Mother ordered you to leave the cave, accumulate good deeds, and spread good fortune.
Instead, you've been consorting with all sorts of unsavory demons.
Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"
The Bottomless Old Mother's voice did not sound very old or hoarse.
Instead, it was clear and steady.
But imperceptibly, it carried a strong pressure and aura.
Hui Sanshier, kneeling on the ground, trembled all over, clearly terrified to the extreme.
"Old... Old Mother, this... this might be a misunderstanding.
Sanshier, Sanshier did not know beforehand, did not know that brothers Hei and Qing were disciples of the Netherworld Cult.
This possibly, is... a misunderstanding..."
Hui Sanshier didn't dare to lift his head.
He spoke in his defense.
This fellow had even directly admitted to eating people in the sewers of Hanshan Town, how could he not know?
As soon as these words fell, the Bottomless Old Mother became enraged:
"You scoundrel, you still dare to quibble! Do you want Old Mother to extract your soul and confirm everything one by one?"
With that, the Bottomless Old Mother raised her hand, and a terrifying aura descended from the heavens.
That aura erupted with a "hum."
It instantly struck the kneeling Hui Sanshier, flipping him over and sending him rolling eight or nine meters away, coughing up blood.
But this time, the blood Hui Sanshier spat out was not red, but green.
Seeing this, Old Mo and I still didn't understand what was happening.
The master in front of me then spoke in a low voice:
"His Taoist cultivation is gone."
"Gone?"
I blurted out subconsciously.
My master nodded slightly:
"The rat demon's demon core is shattered, which is why he's spitting green blood.
The demon core is like the inner elixir formed within our bodies.
When the inner elixir shatters, the Taoist cultivation naturally disappears..."
After hearing my master's explanation, Old Mo and I finally understood.
And Hui Sanshier, who had been flipped to the ground, did not show any trace of dissatisfaction after repeatedly spitting blood.
Instead, he quickly knelt on the ground and crawled over:
"Old Mother, spare me, Old Mother, spare me.
Sanshier, Sanshier knows his fault, Sanshier knows his fault.
I beg Old Mother to spare Sanshier's life, considering Sanshier's past merits!"
After speaking, Hui Sanshier continuously kowtowed to the Bottomless Old Mother.
His head struck the ground repeatedly, making dull "bang bang bang" sounds.
The Bottomless Old Mother's expression remained unchanged, and she did not look at him again.
Instead, she turned her gaze towards us.
And spoke to the few of us:
"Fellow Daoists, please forgive me.
It is due to the Old Demon's failure in discipline.
Allowing the offspring in the cave to cause trouble.
But please rest assured, fellow Daoists.
Upon returning to the cave, the Old Demon will diligently discipline and restrain the cave's disciples."
With the Bottomless Old Mother speaking like this.
The outcome of the matter became obvious.
She intended to spare Hui Sanshier's life.
Otherwise, she would have not just crippled his cultivation but killed him on the spot.
Although I guessed the Bottomless Old Mother's intentions, I didn't say anything.
I just watched quietly.
Before leaving, my master repeatedly cautioned me.
Telling me not to speak carelessly.
Because offending these wild immortals, especially those with such great power, would lead to no good outcome.
Moreover, with my masters present, they had been in the martial world for many years.
They were all old foxes and should have understood the unspoken meaning.
Therefore, as a junior, I found it inappropriate to say anything.
I just stood behind and watched quietly.
My master and uncle also remained silent, not even frowning.
As the representative of the Daoist sect, Yunxia Gu, however, clasped her fists:
"Old Immortal, Yunxia was merely ordered to hand him over to you.
As for how he is to be dealt with, that is for you, the Old Immortal, to decide."
The Bottomless Old Mother smiled slightly, clearly pleased with Yunxia Gu's answer.
Because Yunxia Gu had provided the Bottomless Old Mother with a way to save face.
The Bottomless Old Mother's unspoken intention was very clear: crippling Hui Sanshier's cultivation and promising to discipline him back at the cave meant she wanted to save Hui Sanshier's life.
Now, asking for our opinion was merely a formality.
To agree would be a favor, allowing her to save face.
To disagree, our words would seem insignificant.
The Bottomless Old Mother was determined to protect this old rat, and no matter what we said, it would be meaningless.
Subsequently, the Bottomless Old Mother nodded.
Then she turned to look at Hui Sanshier, who was still "bang bang bang" kowtowing:
"Stop kowtowing."
Upon hearing this, Hui Sanshier breathed a sigh of relief.
But he still finished his last kowtow.
With his head bleeding, he thanked the Bottomless Old Mother:
"Thank... thank Old Mother for not taking my life."
After speaking, Hui Sanshier's body swayed.
With a "clang," he fell to the ground.
The next second, black mist permeated his entire body.
Immediately afterward, he directly transformed back into his original form.
An old rat, its demonic power almost completely lost, gasping for its last breath, appearing as if it could die at any moment...