Chapter 81: Zhou Chen Humiliated, Xiaoping Peak Seized
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Qu Yiqiu waved her hand and said, “Our shop only has three rooms for now, and just those few are enough. Don’t feel distressed about these things—once they grow, the profits they bring will far surpass these investments.”
Yao Zhimei frowned, casting a stern glance at Dashan and Ershan, then sighed helplessly, “I never should have trusted those two and wasted all my spirit stones on them. His Majesty is right—even if the other little ones are useless, with these resources to support them, we’re sure to train a few decent alchemists and talisman makers!”
Qu Yiqiu looked at the terrified Dashan and Ershan, whose faces were full of dread, clearly afraid Yao Zhimei might strike again, and smiled gently. “The three of you ghost cultivator brothers have all reached the late Foundation Establishment stage and will have to deal with people outside. It’s time you took on better names.”
“What names does Your Majesty have in mind for them?” Yao Zhimei asked curiously.
Dashan and Ershan looked up at her, both surprised and delighted.
Sanshan also poked his head out from behind, joyfully pleading, “We beg Your Majesty to bestow us new names!”
Qu Yiqiu thought for a moment, and under their eager gazes, spoke slowly, “From now on, Dashan will be known as Shen Mengkai, Ershan as Shen Zhongming, and Sanshan as Shen Jiyun. What do you think?”
She hardly needed to ask—the three ignorant fellows were already awestruck by their new names.
“Your Majesty’s naming is truly refined! Much better than Yao’s…” Dashan exclaimed, clapping excitedly, but at the threatening look from Yao Zhimei, he swallowed the rest of his words.
Ershan and Sanshan nodded vigorously, cheering, “We have new names now!”
“Hmph.” Yao Zhimei curled her lip with a scoff.
Qu Yiqiu smiled. These three were far too easy to please.
“Since your names are settled and business isn’t much today, you can close early and discuss the allocation of resources and the price of pills. I’ll return to Tianyan Sect for now.”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty, I’ll handle this. I’ll reassess the abilities of these little ones!” Yao Zhimei swept her gaze with authority over the three still-excited fellows.
They immediately froze, not daring to move, though their faces still shone with joy.
Qu Yiqiu chuckled and replied, “Alright, then I’m off.”
“Safe journey, Your Majesty!” the three called out in unison.
Qu Yiqiu nodded slightly, her figure swift as the wind as she departed.
Night fell, the heavens dark as ink.
Qu Yiqiu returned silently to her cave abode, without disturbing anyone.
The next day.
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The sky was clear and the air crisp.
Qu Yiqiu left her cave as usual and knocked on Mu Yunjin’s door, but there was no response.
Her eyes shifted, and she stealthily sent out a strand of divine sense to probe inside.
There, she saw Mu Yunjin sitting cross-legged on the sandalwood and pearwood moon-bed she had given her, carved with a dragon motif, quietly cultivating. The four walls were bare and spotless.
Qu Yiqiu withdrew her divine sense, feeling a tinge of shame for her own spying.
She had thought Mu Yunjin might be up to something secretive. After all, she suspected that Mu Yunjin was hiding something, her cultivation odd and mysterious.
“Forget it, let Master handle her own affairs!” Qu Yiqiu muttered internally.
Because of the Spring Rain Pavilion incident, she had to return early to avoid her identity being exposed and being hunted by Wu Dingshan.
Now, she planned to finish handling the shop business before searching for Mo Qinglei’s whereabouts.
Looking at the rising sun in the east, she couldn’t help but wonder how well the spiritual plants cared for by Zhao Wen and Huang Lan were growing.
Qu Yiqiu turned and walked down the mountain, passing through the bamboo grove with light steps toward the spirit fields.
In a dense and verdant grove—
Zhou Chen’s face was flushed, his neck stiff with indignation. “You can’t let the spirit beasts from Wanqian Peak roam here!”
Wu Zhongdao and Chen Chuangfu exchanged glances and snickered.
Chen Chuangfu waved the jade token in his hand with a roguish grin, “As your senior, I’m making use of this spot to raise Lord Hong’s spirit beasts. What can you do about it?”
“Hahaha, this kid can’t do a thing. The other day, he rushed out of the disciples’ quarters, and I thought he’d found some big backer. Turns out he’s just a menial disciple on this godforsaken little Ping Peak. Nearly made me laugh my head off!”
Wu Zhongdao clutched his belly in exaggerated laughter, tears nearly streaming down his face.
Inside his sleeve, Zhou Chen’s fists were clenched tightly, his jaw set, veins bulging at his temples as he struggled to endure. “Senior Wu, Senior Chen, please return the jade tokens for entering and leaving Little Ping Peak. This is Lord Mo’s domain—Lord Hong’s spirit beasts cannot be kept here!”
Chen Chuangfu threw his head back and laughed, picking at his ear with a rascal’s air, “What did you say? Say it again? I couldn’t quite hear you!”
“Hahaha, hahaha!” Wu Zhongdao’s laughter echoed through the grove.
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Qu Yiqiu paused in her steps, her ears pricking up as she glanced toward the grove.
It was a place she rarely visited—why would there be laughter coming from there?
With her cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage, her senses had grown especially keen.
She decided at once to go and see what was happening.
In Zhou Chen’s chest, it felt as if a wild lion was roaring. His face, so red a moment ago, now turned ashen as he stared at Wu Zhongdao and Chen Chuangfu’s mocking faces. He felt as if he’d been thrown back into those dark, lightless disciples’ quarters.
The days and nights spent under their bullying, their insults, at their beck and call, like a dog.
Fear brought a cold sweat to his brow, and his pale lips trembled as he shouted, “Seniors, please take your spirit beasts away and return the jade token to me!”
As if once was not enough, Zhou Chen raised his voice again, “Seniors, please take your spirit beasts away and return the jade token to me!”
Wu Zhongdao and Chen Chuangfu’s laughter cut off abruptly. They exchanged icy glances, cruelty flashing in their eyes.
Wu Zhongdao kicked over a rock to his left, channeling spiritual power to smash it into Zhou Chen’s head, snarling, “What did you say just now? Are you ordering us around?”
Zhou Chen took the blow head-on, a bloody dent opening in his forehead as blood trickled down his face.
Still, he stared stubbornly, eyes wide. “I wouldn’t dare order my seniors about. I am only begging you to take the spirit beasts away and return what belongs to Little Ping Peak!”
Wu Zhongdao was about to kick over another sharp stone for a lesson, but Chen Chuangfu stopped him with a gesture.
Chen Chuangfu shot him a look, then sneered at Zhou Chen, “If you want the jade token from my hand, fine—kneel down and kowtow five hundred times. With each kowtow, shout, ‘I, Zhou Chen, am nothing. The Peak Lord of Little Ping Peak is a good-for-nothing!’”
A sharp glint flashed in Wu Zhongdao’s eyes, and he praised Chen Chuangfu, “Senior, you have such good ideas! Excellent—Zhou Chen, get down and kowtow, admit your mistakes!”
“Hahaha, hahaha!!” Chen Chuangfu’s wild laughter echoed through the grove.
The veins at Zhou Chen’s temple throbbed as if about to burst, yet his lips were bloodless. Hands trembling, he released his fists and resigned himself. “I, Zhou Chen, am nothing. I am a good-for-nothing! But this has nothing to do with Lord Mo. I’m willing to admit my mistakes and kowtow—please, seniors, don’t trouble Lord Mo!”
Wu Zhongdao glanced at Chen Chuangfu and spoke via sound transmission, “Mo Qinglei may be down and out, but she’s still Old Ancestor Chu’s disciple. If we make Zhou Chen shout that, someone might overhear and use it against us!”