Chapter 131: Please Punish Me, Master

On the flying boat.

Chen Huai’an stood at the bow with his hands behind his back, gazing at the endless sea of clouds, exuding the demeanor of a true master.

Su Qinian and Liu Yuanqing looked at his figure in admiration.

This... was only his avatar!

And his real body was still battling a powerful demon!

Not only that, but his real body had also been poisoned by the demon!

If not for these hindrances, wouldn’t the avatar he summoned be even stronger?

What could such a great figure be thinking at this moment?

Chen Huai’an, however, was feeling miserable.

He was praying for the duration of this avatar to end as soon as possible.

Although wearing the VR helmet allowed him to be close to his beloved Qingran, the problem was—there were too many third wheels on this flying boat!

Now, he just felt awkward.

This was his first time acting as a leader. Who the hell knew what a leader was supposed to say in a situation like this?

Maybe he should just use Heavenly Divination?

It’s free anyway, so why not?

Boom!

Suddenly, the sky above Cangyun Realm shifted violently, even causing the flying boat to tremble slightly.

"Who is divining the Heavenly Dao?!"

"It seems to be the same great figure who frequently performed divinations before. Is something major about to happen in Cangyun Realm?"

Liu Yuanqing and Su Qinian glanced at the sky in panic and immediately lowered the altitude of the flying boat.

Heavenly Divination went against the natural order and could easily provoke the wrath of the Dao.

What if a lightning bolt struck them as collateral damage?

As soon as Chen Huai’an received his answer, the sky over Cangyun Realm returned to calm. A group of cultivators collectively sighed in relief and resumed their cultivation.

Becoming a leader is easy.

When it comes to speaking, just make your subordinates summarize things for you.

Having them summarize now and then not only helps uncover missing details but also keeps them under pressure. Finally, giving a bit of praise or criticism would naturally increase their loyalty and sense of belonging.

With that in mind, Chen Huai’an cleared his throat and suddenly said, "Have you learned anything from observing me today?"

Su Qinian and Liu Yuanqing immediately perked up.

This was a test from their senior!

Su Qinian took two steps forward, cupped his hands respectfully, and said, "Senior, I believe that as a member of the Sword Pavilion, we should act with dominance—straightforward and decisive! We must never be sneaky or hesitant! From now on, I will ensure that all disciples of our pavilion carry themselves with your unyielding spirit!"

Liu Yuanqing quickly followed up, "I believe that the Sword Pavilion should act with reason, with righteousness on our side. Our approach should be balanced—not too fast nor too slow—so that others willingly submit to us!"

Chen Huai’an nodded. "Mm."

Honestly, he had no idea what they were talking about.

But it didn’t matter.

All he needed to do was vaguely repeat what they said in a slightly more refined manner.

After a brief pause, his voice resonated in the air:

"Arrogance must not grow unchecked, desires must not be indulged, joy must not be excessive, and ambition must not overflow! One must cultivate virtue through martial strength and subdue others with virtue! Just like Zhou Xuanzi—despite how much I’ve taken from him, he still had to respectfully send me off. That is true control of the situation!"

Su Qinian’s eyes gleamed with realization as he bowed deeply. "Hearing these words today is like having cold water poured over my head, instantly clearing my mind. I am in awe!"

Liu Yuanqing carefully mulled over "Chen Huai’an’s" words and nodded repeatedly.

As expected of a senior!

While he and Su Qinian could only utter empty phrases, their senior spoke profound wisdom.

In Cangyun Realm, where the strong prey on the weak, only strength grants one the right to speak of morality. True dominance lay in wielding overwhelming power while still adhering to virtue—that was true subjugation.

It sounded simple but was incredibly difficult to achieve.

Take the so-called Smiling Buddha, for example. He possessed great strength but indulged in reckless slaughter to justify his path, discarding morality long ago.

Chen Huai’an was utterly baffled as he looked at the deeply moved expressions of Su Qinian and Liu Yuanqing.

Did he just say something profound and awe-inspiring?

All he did was repeat their words!

This misunderstanding was getting way out of hand.

He had to stay away from these two old men—stupidity might be contagious.

—

As soon as the flying boat arrived at Luoxia Peak, Chen Huai’an’s avatar time was about to end.

For the last few seconds, he decided to make one final impression.

He soared into the air and slashed out a sword strike.

Clang!

Sword Qi surged, tearing open a rift in the void.

His figure then dissipated into countless strands of Sword Qi, vanishing into the rift.

Li Qingran clutched the Dragon-Patterned Cauldron, gazing at the spot where her master had disappeared, hesitating to speak.

Didn’t Master say he was going to punish her?

How could he just leave like that…

She hadn’t even had a proper conversation with him yet.

Pouting in frustration, she lightly kicked a small, unfortunate rock into the bushes.

"To have the honor of traveling with your master today, I have gained much insight. I shall now return to closed-door cultivation!"

Liu Yuanqing smiled at Li Qingran, his eyes filled with indulgence, as if looking at his own granddaughter.

"I have also learned a lot. Once I store these resources in the warehouse, I too shall enter seclusion for some time…" Su Qinian stroked his beard, looking at Li Qingran as if she were a walking treasure trove.

With that, the two Nascent Soul powerhouses each returned to their respective mountains.

Yue Qianchi, meanwhile, licked her lips as she clutched her nearly-bursting storage pouch, her eyes gleaming.

She placed a few bottles of mild spirit wine at the entrance of Li Qingran’s small house and chuckled. "That brat Xu An always tries to bribe me with spirit wine. Well, today, I’ll drink Dan Sect’s finest wine right in front of his face. How satisfying! Hahaha!"

Imagining Xu An’s pitiful expression, Yue Qianchi burst into laughter.

"Senior Sister, you should drink less. Too much alcohol isn’t good for you…"

"Don’t worry, don’t worry. They call me Yue Thousand Cups! Alright, I’m off~"

Yue Qianchi leaped onto her flying sword and dashed into the sunset-drenched sky of Luoxia Peak.

Li Qingran lingered at the peak for a moment before hugging the Dragon-Patterned Cauldron and heading back to her small house.

She hadn’t spoken much with her master today. Her heart felt empty.

As soon as she stepped inside and sat down, she suddenly felt an all-too-familiar gaze watching her.

She instinctively looked toward the void, her previous frustration vanishing in an instant. Her peach-blossom eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Master!"

【Qingran, do you realize your mistake?!】

Her master’s voice carried no true reproach, but Li Qingran still lowered her head, fiddling with her nails, her small hands properly placed on her lap.

Her heartbeat quickened, and even her breathing became unsteady.

"Qingran knows her mistake. Qingran should not have deceived Master… Please, Master, punish me…"

How would Master punish her?

She felt a bit nervous.

The Sword Pavilion had a Hall of Discipline. There was also the Cliff of Reflection.

Would Master send her to one of those places for punishment?

She disliked dark places…

But if it was Master’s order…

【Hmph, of course, there will be punishment!】

A moment of silence stretched through the void. Every second felt like an eternity to Li Qingran.

Suddenly, a few pieces of clothing fell onto her bed.

Among them was… a dudou (a traditional undergarment).

Before she could even be shocked, her master’s voice echoed again—this time, a little awkwardly.

【Since you rarely go down the mountain, I made you some new clothes to change into.】

【Hmm… But you still have plenty of old clothes, don’t you?】

【Your embroidery skills are quite poor and need practice. So…】

【As punishment, you shall repurpose fabric from your old clothes and make a few scented sachets and storage pouches for me!】

【Do you accept?】

…

…

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