Chapter 33: Yan Chen’s Moment of Glory, Xu Yao’s Peculiar Obsession

"How about staying here for the night?" Ling Tian looked at Xiao Ling’er, who had a rather dangerous glint in her eyes, and rubbed his nose awkwardly.

"That won’t be necessary..."

"Oh, right, here, take this. It can adapt to your body and change color with your thoughts. Later, when you externalize your bloodline..." Ling Tian stopped abruptly, feeling a chill at his back, and quickly handed the garment in his hand to Xiao Ling’er.

Consider it compensation for the earlier feast for his eyes.

After Xiao Ling’er took the item, Ling Tian left without a backward glance. Xiao Ling’er fiddled with the garment in her hands, gazing thoughtfully at Ling Tian’s departing figure. Then she pulled out a piece of candy and popped it in her mouth. Delicious~

...

"Brother Yanchen, I’ve been looking for you so many times, but you never came back. I was planning to go and find you at that place, but Grandpa stopped me. Speaking of which, it makes me angry—he even put me in confinement for a few days because of it."

A pretty young girl, with a lovely figure, looked at Yanchen with stars in her eyes.

Her grandfather had introduced Yanchen to her, but at first, she hadn’t agreed in her heart. Xu Yao already had a boy she cared about.

That day, after a quarrel with someone, that boy had stepped forward to defend the other side. Xu Yao, accustomed to throwing her weight around as the granddaughter of the Grand Elder Xu Yun of the Divine Fire Sect, couldn’t stand being slighted like that.

They ended up fighting, and although the boy’s cultivation was low, his techniques seemed endless. Xu Yao was defeated and captured by him.

That day, she couldn’t recall how many times she’d been spanked—her bottom was swollen high. Tears had welled in her eyes from the humiliation; she had always been above others, never treated like this before.

When the boy finally left and she was untied, the pain on her backside burned his image into her mind. In her anger, she hadn’t looked carefully at his face, but now, recalling, he seemed especially handsome.

For the first time, she didn’t seek vengeance. Her bottom ached for days, and the boy’s words and appearance became deeply etched in her heart.

She even began to follow his advice, refraining from bullying others. Xu Yun was surprised at the change in her.

Unable to refuse her grandfather, she agreed to meet Yanchen, intending to brush him off with an excuse—only to encounter the boy who’d haunted her thoughts. She was grateful she’d agreed; otherwise, who knew how long before she’d see Yanchen again?

That was the reason Xu Yao became infatuated with Yanchen.

Yanchen, however, did not care for this spoiled young lady. He’d thought she would cause trouble once she recognized him, but instead, her attitude toward him was astonishingly good.

Yanchen could only shake his head. Strange things happen every year, but this year there seem to be more than ever.

"Don’t blame your master. He’s doing it for your own good. In that situation, if you’d gone, things would’ve been even more complicated." Yanchen shook his head, refusing to follow Xu Yao’s line of conversation—walls have ears.

"For your sake, I won’t hold it against him." Xu Yao huffed arrogantly, then picked up a spirit fruit, peeled it, and offered it to Yanchen.

Faced with Xu Yao’s eager gaze, Yanchen had no choice but to accept it.

They chatted idly for a while, and before they knew it, an hour had passed.

"So, is there something else you needed from me?"

Yanchen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Perhaps Xu Yao had time to waste, but he certainly didn’t. He’d rather spend the time cultivating—then, in the Flame Domain Secret Realm, he’d have a better chance of defeating Ling Tian.

"Well, actually, there is something. I... I want you to do what you did that day—spank me!"

Xu Yao lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushed, biting her lip as she voiced her request. She didn’t even know why she said it—perhaps it was just from the heart.

To be honest, if she and Yanchen hadn’t known each other for long, and she’d made such a request back then, Yanchen would’ve thought her a pervert. But now that he was finally back, if she didn’t ask, who knew when he’d disappear again? She couldn’t bear to wait three more years!

"You... Very well, I’ll agree to it," Yanchen said, after giving Xu Yao a once-over, his eyes flashing.

The truth was, he’d suffered too much along the way and needed a way to vent his frustration—and here was the perfect target, delivered right to him. Since she’d asked for it, he couldn’t be blamed.

Yanchen had no ulterior motives—he was too young, and his heart still belonged to Xiao Ling’er.

When Yanchen agreed, Xu Yao’s eyelids fluttered, her gaze growing unfocused. Thoughts of her favorite little illustrated books crowded her mind.

She didn’t refuse Yanchen—after all, she’d asked for it.

Yanchen stood up, raised his palm high, and brought it down with no hint of mercy.

Smack!

"Mmm~"

The sensation Xu Yao had longed for flooded her, and she couldn’t help but let out a sound. Yanchen, inexperienced in such things, felt a jolt of electricity run through him at the sound, a wave of pleasure rising within.

His strikes grew heavier. Before long, a faint smile curled at his lips, his mind lost in endless fantasies. It was as if he was no longer spanking Xu Yao, but Xiao Ling’er.

"Admit you were wrong, will you? Siding with that Tian Ling and leaving me behind? Rolling your eyes at me, teaming up with him, and forbidding me from calling you Ling’er? I’ll make you say it, make you say it!"

Yanchen’s vanity was greatly satisfied, pleasure wrapping around him.

"Stop, Brother Yanchen, please stop..." Xu Yao’s cries finally brought Yanchen back from his reverie. Seeing her brows tightly knitted, he withdrew his numb hand.

Inwardly, he was already plotting—once he eliminated Ling Tian, he would subject Xiao Ling’er to this same treatment. She might be upset, but he would truly relish it.

"Brother Yanchen, I... I’ll be going now..."

With those words, Xu Yao fled as if escaping for her life—she couldn’t stay any longer. After what had just happened, she could barely contain herself. Any longer, and she’d embarrass herself in front of Yanchen, something she would never allow.

"That girl seems quite taken with you."

A phantom appeared beside Yanchen, dressed in a deep red robe, with white hair and an ethereal, scholarly bearing.

"I don’t like her," Yanchen replied without hesitation. Kindness in hardship always warms more than favors in prosperity.

Shen Yan, listening to his disciple, felt helpless. At times, Yanchen was so clear-headed—except when it came to Xiao Ling’er, and then he was recklessly impulsive. Even in the presence of a true, full-strength Emperor, he’d nearly acted out. Shen Yan had almost wanted to slap him dead on the spot.

Yet when it came to women easily within reach, Yanchen had no interest at all. He liked whom he liked; for those he didn’t, he felt nothing. Stubbornness was carved into his bones.

In Shen Yan’s eyes, women were just pink skeletons, good for momentary release—one night was the same as any other. Opposing someone powerful for the sake of a woman was not worth it. Only strength was truly worth pursuing. Only with strength could one live longer!

Unfortunately, Yanchen did not seem to understand this yet.

With these words, Shen Yan meant only to remind Yanchen to cherish those beside him. Seeing there was no point, he let the matter drop.

"Do you really intend to kill that boy, Tian Ling?"

Shen Yan’s expression turned serious. He didn’t want to get involved—when an Emperor is enraged, corpses litter the land!

"He has become a demon in my heart," Yanchen replied coldly, not directly answering.

Shen Yan shook his head. A heart demon was a taboo for cultivators; Yanchen’s words showed he would never let Ling Tian go.

"I know what you’re worried about, Master. Killing doesn’t require our own hands. If we have evidence that someone else killed him, even if that person wants revenge, it won’t lead back to us."

A faint smile appeared on Yanchen’s lips as he looked at Shen Yan.

"You mean..."

Shen Yan narrowed his eyes, staring at the communication jade in Yanchen’s hand, and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Ha, you sly boy, you’ve handled this well!"

Yanchen caressed the communication jade, a cold smile on his lips.

"Tian Ling, let’s see what fate awaits you..."