PWE – Chapter 90 When you see him, you’d better be careful.

If she wasn’t mistaken, that lightning was nothing like ordinary lightning.

It was Heaven’s Punishment — a form of divine retribution the Heavenly Dao used on demons or cultivators.

When a demon or cultivator grew too powerful and committed excessive evil, the Heavenly Dao would personally mete out punishment, striking them with heavenly thunder.

But…

She had been to Hongta Mountain before. At that time, she hadn’t sensed any powerful demons or high-level cultivators there.

Could something have suddenly appeared on Hongta Mountain?
Judging by that lightning—like it was ready to split heaven and earth—the thing’s cultivation must be extraordinary!

Normally, heavenly punishment occurred at night or during thunderstorms. But now it was daytime, with bright sunlight outside.

For the Heavenly Dao to unleash punishment at a time like this… it meant the creature’s sins had enraged the Heavenly Dao beyond tolerance. It couldn’t wait even a moment longer to punish him!

“Comrade Xiao, why does that lightning… look a little strange?” He Xiuyan stared at Hongta Mountain for a moment, clearly puzzled.

Shi Jinzhú echoed him. “Yeah, I also feel like that lightning… is kind of different from normal lightning.”

Even Shi Jinzhú could tell something was wrong—that showed just how terrifying that lightning was.

Xiao Wange withdrew her gaze from the mountain and looked at them, frowning slightly. “There’s nothing strange about it. Spring thunder looks similar—just as startling.”

She picked up her chopsticks from the table. “Let’s keep eating. We can talk after the meal.”

Shi Jinzhú and Mu Yunhao also picked up the chopsticks they had just set down.

But both of them shot a glance at He Xiuyan. His problem seemed serious… who knew how Comrade Xiao planned to handle it.

He Xiuyan pursed his lips and looked at Xiao Wange. “Comrade Xiao, about my problem…”

“Your issue is complicated. But no matter how complicated it is, we still need to eat. If you don’t eat, where will you get the strength to fight demons?” Xiao Wange said, picking up a piece of cabbage and popping it into her mouth. She gave him a sideways glance.

He Xiuyan nodded. “You’re right.”

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? There are bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen. Go grab a set. You don’t need to be formal in my home.”
She had taught him some Daoist techniques — in her eyes, he was basically her disciple.

A disciple visiting home shouldn’t need to be too polite.

He Xiuyan felt a sudden floating sensation of delight.

He immediately broke into a smile, nodding vigorously. “I haven’t eaten! I’ll go get a bowl and chopsticks right now!”

And he ran to the kitchen excitedly.

Watching his back, Mu Yunhao frowned slightly. He knew He Xiuyan — he had once performed a ritual for a friend of Mu Yunhao. They weren’t close, but they were acquainted.

He hadn’t expected He Xiuyan to know Comrade Xiao… and judging by their interaction, they seemed quite familiar.

That line “don’t be a stranger” from Comrade Xiao made something twist uncomfortably in his chest.
It felt like someone else was coveting something that belonged to him.

After getting his bowl and chopsticks, He Xiuyan sat down and began eating.

After a few bites, he lifted his eyes and glanced at Mu Yunhao.

He hadn’t expected Mu Yunhao to be here. Wasn’t he the head of the largest factory in the county? Someone that busy shouldn’t have time to be here.

And he kept feeling something off about the way Mu Yunhao looked at Comrade Xiao — an emotion he couldn’t describe.

Could it be that Mu Yunhao also liked Comrade Xiao?
If so, that was too annoying.

If Mu Yunhao liked her enough to personally come here… that meant he had ulterior motives.

But Comrade Xiao was a married woman. Harboring such thoughts about a married woman was far too filthy.

He himself liked Comrade Xiao, but he would never overstep his boundaries. In her presence, one misstep and he might not even be allowed to remain an acquaintance.

His fingers tightened around his chopsticks. He lowered his head and ate seriously.

He believed Comrade Xiao would never be swayed by someone like Mu Yunhao. After all, she was no ordinary woman.

She was practically a goddess — winning her heart wouldn’t be easy.

…

After the meal, He Xiuyan voluntarily carried the dishes to the kitchen and washed them.

He had come here to eat and also to ask her for help. It was only right that he show some understanding and do a bit of work.

If he acted like a guest and did nothing, that would be too shameless.

Seeing him take over the chores he had intended to do himself, Mu Yunhao frowned, his expression darkening.

After washing the dishes, He Xiuyan came out of the kitchen and looked at Xiao Wange. “Comrade Xiao, the meal’s done and the dishes are washed. Could you come with me now? About my problem…”

“Mm. Let’s go.” Xiao Wange nodded and glanced at him.

Mu Yunhao walked out of the yard and quickly opened the car door.

“I’ll drive you,” he said to her.

He Xiuyan frowned. He wanted to refuse. But the neighboring town was far away — walking would be exhausting.

He didn’t want Comrade Xiao to get tired, so… he could only accept Mu Yunhao driving them.

Xiao Wange nodded. “Alright, thank you.”

Mu Yunhao smiled. “It’s no trouble.”

She didn’t say anything more and got into the car with Zhao Zhao.

Shi Jinzhú climbed in with Taotao. “Can I come watch the excitement?”

She’d never seen a demon before. She was curious.

He Xiuyan, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to her. “You’d better not. What if that demon takes a liking to you and wants to harm you? That would be awful.”

Shi Jinzhú blinked. “Take a liking to me? Impossible. I’m not that charming. And even if it does want to do something to me, Comrade Xiao is here. She won’t let it succeed.”

He Xiuyan’s face darkened. He wanted to say more, but Xiao Wange spoke first:

“If you want to watch, then come. Maybe seeing the demon will serve as a good warning.”

Shi Jinzhú was stunned. “A warning? What kind of demon is it?”

Xiao Wange kept her gaze on the road ahead and didn’t answer.

He Xiuyan said, “I’ve met it before — but I still don’t know what kind of creature it is. Its cultivation is extremely high, several times stronger than mine. When it takes human form, it’s unbelievably beautiful… like a movie star. Wei Chuchu fell for its face—she was bewitched by that skin. Now she’s gone missing, and we suspect… she’s probably met a bad end.”

“Who’s Wei Chuchu?” Shi Jinzhú asked quickly.

“She’s the daughter of a wealthy family in the next town. Two months ago, she met a man — the demon. She fell in love at first sight and brought him home within days, wanting to marry him. He disguised himself well, pretending to be wealthy and from the provincial capital. Her parents saw that and immediately agreed to the marriage.”

He Xiuyan paused, then continued:

“After the wedding, he took her to the provincial capital. A few days ago, she returned alone for her father’s birthday — but her face was pale, her steps unsteady, like she was gravely ill. A Daoist from our temple saw her and immediately recognized that she had been drained of her essence by a demon. Her condition was very serious — if drained for a few more days, she would die.”

“You went to help but failed?” Shi Jinzhú asked.

He Xiuyan nodded. “Yes. I underestimated the demon. When I arrived, before I even made a move, he took Wei Chuchu and disappeared. Literally disappeared. They went into a storage room — solid walls, no windows — and vanished without a trace.”

He sighed heavily. “I went back to the temple and asked the abbot for help. But even the abbot couldn’t do anything. He said the demon’s cultivation should be at least a thousand years. A thousand-year demon… we’re no match for that.”

Shi Jinzhú sucked in a sharp breath. “A thousand-year demon… then Wei Chuchu is probably done for. Even if Comrade Xiao goes now… she might not even find a corpse.”

That demon had probably eaten her already.
It might be too late to save her.

He Xiuyan’s brows knit tightly. “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t gone to Wei’s house that day, maybe Wei Chuchu could’ve lived a few days longer. The demon must’ve sensed my hostility, so it escaped early.”

Shi Jinzhú clicked her tongue but said nothing more. Running into a thousand-year demon — Wei Chuchu really had terrible luck.

He Xiuyan suddenly remembered something and turned to Xiao Wange. “Comrade Xiao, that demon is really handsome. Extremely handsome. Even I, a man, almost felt tempted. Comrade Xiao, I know your cultivation is deep and your mind is steady, but his appearance is dangerously bewitching. So when you see him, you must be careful.”

He was genuinely worried—because besides his looks, that demon seemed able to charm the mind. If Comrade Xiao got caught off guard, she might fall under its spell.

If that happened… even killing himself wouldn’t be enough to atone.

Xiao Wange’s lips twitched. She smiled carelessly and said, slowly:

“Hearing you say all that… now I’m actually curious. I want to see just how beautiful this demon really is.”