"It’s nothing, I just have some instructions to give."
Chen Ye said casually, looking at Zhiwei,
"Zhiwei, where is Qing Jun? How come I haven’t seen her since I’ve returned?"
Zhiwei pressed her lips together, her expression darkened: "When Qing Jun heard Master went to Black Cliff City, she wanted to go and rescue Master."
What?
Don’t tell him, he just returned from Black Cliff City and Qing Jun turned around and went there?
"This is ridiculous! She’s just a Qi Cultivation Cultivator, even if she goes to Black Cliff City, what can she do? Besides, I have returned..." Chen Ye almost lost his breath.
"Hmm... Master, please wait."
Zhiwei cleared her throat, paused, and then said,
"True Inheritor Bai knew about Qing Jun’s thoughts and let a Peak Master lead Qing Jun to Black Cliff City. Qing Jun didn’t know the location of Black Cliff City, so she agreed... then the Peak Master let Qing Jun sit inside the Spiritual Ship, while the ship wandered around Moon Rhinoceros District, she thought she was heading to Black Cliff City but was actually still in Moon Rhinoceros Lake District."
Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
He skeptically glanced at his expressionless eldest disciple, feeling like Zhiwei was purposely trying to scare him.
"That’s good then. Zhiwei, watch the front yard, no one is allowed near the backyard. I have some things to instruct Zhang Chuxi."
"...Yes, Master."
Zhiwei nodded and turned to leave.
Guard?
A guarding that seemed familiar.
But there is absolutely nothing between Master and Zhang Chuxi.
...
In the courtyard, only Chen Ye and Zhang Chuxi remained.
"Why... why did you let her go?"
Zhang Chuxi was somewhat panicked, her eyes dodging,
"She left. Who... who will help me prepare hot water?"
Chen Ye truly laughed in anger.
Aunt Lan’s fate remains unknown, four loyal guards died for her.
Yet after she escaped unscathed, she showed no guilt and instead worried more about her appearance.
The most important thing.
She even treated his disciple like a maid!
The disciple has always been Chen Ye’s reverse scale.
Her words instantly ignited the anger in Chen Ye’s heart, knowing that he hasn’t even settled the score with Zhang Chuxi for Qing Jun yet!
"Heh... Chuxi."
Chen Ye’s voice suddenly softened, he grasped the girl’s dirty little hand.
"What... what are you going to do..."
Zhang Chuxi trembled all over, looking at Chen Ye in horror, wanting to pull her hand back but didn’t dare.
"Did you want to kill me back then? If I were dead, Qing Jun’s fate wouldn’t be good either." Chen Ye said with a smile, but his words were chilling.
Oh no!
Zhang Chuxi’s heart skipped a beat, she forced herself and said: "I didn’t, I just wanted... just to make a joke."
Chen Ye looked at Zhang Chuxi with a smiling face:
"Lying isn’t for bad kids, you know? Joking, would you go to the remote Canghe County? Joking, would you bring four Death Warriors?"
As he spoke, he touched the girl’s greasy hair, feeling nostalgic,
"Chuxi, do you say you’re a good child... Ah, when we first met, back then you still framed Qing Jun."
Despicable...
Zhang Chuxi dared to be angry but couldn’t speak.
So what?
The things from the Cloud Mist Secret Realm are hers, it was clearly Xu Qingjun who seized her things!
As for the four Death Warriors.
It’s been said they are Death Warriors, they died, and they died, what does it have to do with her with so many dying in the world?
Only Aunt Lan, she indeed feels a bit guilty.
But Aunt Lan had gone to the East Sea now, escaping alive shouldn’t be difficult among those of the same rank, right?
Damn Chen Ye!
Actually intimidating her!
When she sees her mother, she must settle the old scores with him!
Zhang Chuxi seethed with resentment, but dared not show it on her face.
She lowered her little face and murmured: "Guardian Chen, in the past, all were Chuxi’s mistakes... Chuxi won’t repeat them in the future. Besides, Chuxi is no longer a child, already an adult."
What a pity.
The hatred in her eyes, how could Chen Ye not see it?
"This brat, so evil... can’t let her cause me trouble in the future."
Chen Ye thought darkly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
Anyway, he had already repaid the favor owed to the Fourth Elder.
Now, whatever he does to Zhang Chuxi, he has no guilt.
And Zhang Chuxi, having just escaped death, was panicked and fearful of him, with no guards by her side, Aunt Lan not with her, and having lost contact with the Fourth Elder.
It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Adult? I thought you were about Qing Jun’s age." Chen Ye said with a laugh.
He wasn’t surprised by this news.
Zhang Chuxi seemed slightly older than Qing Jun, indeed just barely an adult.
"..."
Zhang Chuxi lowered her head, not daring to speak. She had already sensed the situation was not right.
Sure enough.
Chen Ye grabbed her little hand, leading her towards the back: "As a master, I can’t bear for my disciple to serve others, so I’ll have to take her place."
"No... don’t need you..."
Zhang Chuxi’s voice trembled as she tried hard to make herself smaller.
She clutched her collar tightly, knees together, futilely resisting Chen Ye’s pull.
"Do you have a choice?"
Chen Ye let out a cold laugh and leaned down, scooping her up effortlessly.
Zhang Chuxi let out a shocked cry, feet off the ground, kicking futilely, and mud smudged onto Chen Ye’s robe as he frowned deeply.
He didn’t head towards the room but went straight to the open-air well in the corner of the backyard.
There was a tall wooden barrel here, with several buckets of spare well water beside it.
Chen Ye’s mind moved slightly, and the Hundred Herbs Furnace hovered over the barrel, its lid lightly opening, a warm verdant flame descending into the water.
The well water rapidly heated up, with wisps of white steam rising.
"Ssssss——"
Chen Ye, without patience to untie, exerted a slight force with his fingertips, the condensed True Yuan slicing like a blade, directly ripping through the filthy ties and side fabric of the skirt waist!
The shredded brocade fell, revealing the corner of her undergarment, subtly outlining the slender waist and slightly undulating curve of the young girl.
"You!"
Zhang Chuxi was struck like a thunderbolt, instinctively wrapping her arms tightly around her chest, her body curling like a frightened shrimp.
Chen Ye, expression unchanged, lied: "What’s the big deal? Qing Jun, when she was young, also had me help her bathe."
"Splash!"
While speaking, Chen Ye reached out and tugged, removing the muddy, blood-stained robe, exposing Zhang Chuxi’s snow-white, rounded shoulders to the slightly cool night breeze.
"Ah——!" She let out a short scream, desperately trying to cover more with her arms.
Chen Ye smirked; does she really think he’s going to do something?
He didn’t remove her remaining undergarments but instead lifted her slender arms, tossing her in.
"Get in!"
Before the words finished, Zhang Chuxi felt a powerful force, her body weightless.
"Splash!"
She was thrown entirely into the large wooden barrel filled with warm well water!
Water splashed everywhere.
The warm water instantly enveloped her cold, trembling body, and the immense impact made her cough violently, her hair, and the dried mud on her face quickly disintegrating in the water, turning murky.
She struggled helplessly, emerging from the water, gasping, her wet hair sticking to her cheeks and neck, her wide eyes filled with extreme shame and anger.
Chen Ye stood by the barrel, towering over her as she struggled in the murky water, casually taking the wooden ladle beside him and scooping up clean warm water, pouring it over her head.
"Cough... Cough cough... Chen Ye! I hate you! I will surely tell my mother! I’ll make sure you die a horrible death!"
The warm water washed over her face, washing away the mud, revealing the pale, delicate face beneath.
She coughed as she screamed and cried, tears mixed with warm water rolling down.
Chen Ye, irritated: "Hmph! Qing Jun wanted me to help her, and I refused, and you’re giving me trouble."
"You bastard! Who do you think you are? How dare you treat me this way?! I’m the Fourth Elder’s daughter! You’re just a lowly Loose Cultivator! A Guardian! You dare humiliate me this way..."
Zhang Chuxi gritted her teeth, her face flushing with blood, spewing out everything from her heart.
She never imagined Chen Ye would dare act this way towards her!
Being the Lingyin Sect’s dog... doesn’t that mean he’s a servant of hers, Zhang Chuxi’s?
"Slap!"
A crisp slap, louder than her scream.
Zhang Chuxi’s cries and curses abruptly stopped.
She held her rapidly swelling cheek, utterly stunned, her beautiful starry eyes wide in disbelief.