"What?" Di Nufeng exclaimed in astonishment.
Although it was somewhat expected, this incident still felt too extreme for her, challenging her understanding[1].
"It's not that kind of bullying," Chu Liang hurriedly explained. "The other day, the Alchemy Master's great-grandson..."
Immediately, he recounted how Lingtong had attacked the Golden-Furred Hou, how Liu Qin had beaten the Hou, and how later disciples from the Hall of Alchemy had come for revenge. Thanks to the intervention of Senior Zhang from the Great Astral Sect, they had narrowly avoided a disaster... He narrated the entire series of grievances they had suffered.
"If it weren't for Senior Zhang's righteous intervention, Teacher, I truly wouldn't know if I could still see you!" Chu Liang's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke emotionally.
"Dammit!" Di Nufeng fumed after listening, her anger flaring. "I've heard about that old guy raising a mischievous great-grandson before. If he isn't disciplined properly, won't he become a problem of the Mount Shu Sect in the future!"
Esteemed Teacher, does your anger stem from the sense of crisis over losing your title?
Chu Liang mused internally before asking, "Esteemed Teacher, what should we do?"
"What should we do?" Di Nufeng stared at him strangely as she said, "You've worked with me many times before, aren't you familiar with the procedure?"
"But that's the Alchemy Master," Chu Liang pointed out.
Di Nufeng waved her hand dismissively. "Just watch how I will stand up for you!"
...
"Esteemed Teacher, you must stand up for us!"
In the conference hall of the Hall of Alchemy, Liu Qin and Lu Xun knelt on the ground and cried bitterly.
Zhang Juque had beaten them up and then brought them to the Alchemy Master for a stern reprimand. Though their injuries were not severe, the spread of the news would undoubtedly tarnish their reputation and dignity, leaving them feeling uneasy.
Meanwhile, Chen Lingtong clung to the Alchemy Master's leg, wailing loudly, "Great-grandpa!! I'm in so much pain! You have no idea how Chu Liang bullied me! Because of him, the spirit beasts hurled me into the sky... twice!"
The Alchemy Master sat at the center of the hall, his expression dark and serene, resembling calm water.
Despite his esteemed status, Zhang Juque showed him no respect, bringing his disciples and great-grandson directly to him, forcing him to scold them in person and refusing to leave until he was finished.
Naturally, this behavior left the Alchemy Master feeling furious.
But there was nothing he could do. Firstly, Zhang Juque had the backing of the Great Astral Sect, a powerful faction within the Divine Nine, similar to the Mount Shu Sect. Additionally, the Great Astral Sect possessed the Xuanhuang Battle Armor, ranked seventh on the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures, further strengthening their influence. Their strength surpassed even that of the Mount Shu Sect.
Secondly, Zhang Juque's actions were justified.
His great-grandson was mischievous, and his disciples had indeed been caught causing trouble on someone else's territory. These were undeniable facts. Although he personally might not have considered the act of throwing stones at the spirit beast a big deal, his disciples were perceived as the instigators of the incident, leaving him with no grounds to argue.
He had no choice but to reprimand these junior disciples in front of Zhang Juque, aiming to swiftly send this esteemed figure of high status out. Then, he intended to resume the conversation in private.
He paid little heed to the tears of those two inept disciples, but his great-grandson's cries stirred a sense of distress within him.
Both his grandson and his grandson's wife had sacrificed their lives for the Mount Shu Sect, leaving behind only Chen Lingtong, the clever and precious child of his grandson, who always held a special place in his heart.
This was his cherished child, whom he had never dared to harm in the slightest. The sight of this precious kid being beaten up outside ignited a palpable fury within the Alchemy Master. However, the situation became somewhat complicated when considering Chu Liang's affiliation as a disciple of Di Nufeng.
Di Nufeng was not one to show him any respect.
"That's enough! Stop crying!" The Alchemy Master suddenly reprimanded.
The two disciples immediately fell silent, afraid to shed another tear.
Chen Lingtong froze in shock. The Alchemy Master immediately embraced the child's head, comforting him, "Xiaotong, don't cry. I won't let you suffer."
"Great-grandfather, will you help me give him a beating?" Chen Lingtong immediately asked.
"Erm..." The Alchemy Master paused in contemplation before responding, "As an elder, I am restricted in what I can do. When his teacher returns, I will escort you to his peak and demand justice. He will apologize and make amends for what happened, alright?"
"Just an apology? At the very least, he should be hung from a tree... twice!" Chen Lingtong pouted, ready to burst into tears once more.
The Alchemy Master felt somewhat helpless. Given his status and position, he could never physically punish a junior.
At this moment, Lu Xun stood up and said, "Esteemed Teacher, why don't we, the disciples, handle this matter ourselves? We've brought shame upon you this time, and we hope to have a chance to redeem ourselves. This is between us junior disciples, so let us deal with it ourselves!"
He had surmised that there were certain actions their teacher couldn't take due to his status, so he volunteered to help share the burden.
The Alchemy Master glared at him and shouted, "Both of you! Leave at once!"
Despite the harsh tone, it was evident that he had tacitly consented.
Lu Xun swiftly grabbed Liu Qin, and together they exited the main hall.
...
The next moment, the expression on the Alchemy Master's face suddenly shifted. He abruptly rose to his feet, positioning himself protectively in front of his young grandson.
Then, two thunderous sounds reverberated through the air.
Just as Liu Qin had exited the door, he was sent hurtling back at lightning speed, slamming violently into the wall. The force of the impact caused the walls of the main hall to fracture, and his body became lodged in the wall, contorted like a curled shrimp.
It was evident that he had lost consciousness.
If the walls of the Hall of Alchemy hadn't been made of extremely sturdy materials, he might have already broken through several walls and been propelled out to the peaks outside.
Immediately after, Lu Xun followed, crashing into Liu Qin's body, and both of them became embedded in the wall.
However, perhaps because Liu Qin took the brunt of the impact, Lu Xun's force was slightly lighter, and he didn't lose consciousness. He could barely manage to open his eyes.
As he struggled to open his eyes, he saw a tall and voluptuous woman, dressed in a fiery red gown, entering the main hall. With every step she took, the dress swayed, revealing a glimpse of fair legs through the high slit.
Following behind her was a young man dressed in embroidered clothing. With a harmless smile on his face, he took small and cautious steps as he entered the hall. It was Chu Liang!
As Lu Xun saw Chu Liang, he felt his blood boiling in his chest.
This guy is definitely a harbinger of disaster. Ever since I met him, everything's been a mess. My secret schemes keep flopping, and now I've been beaten up twice in plain sight... Lu Xun thought to himself.
"Di Nufeng!" The Alchemy Master's voice thundered with fury as he shouted, "How dare you come to the Hall of Alchemy and beat up my disciples!"
"He's just a nobody, what's the big deal about beating him?" Di Nufeng replied in a lazy tone. "Are you trying to cause a scene?!"
The Alchemy Master's hair bristled as he raised his hand, summoning a furnace with imposing force, seemingly ready to strike at the slightest disagreement!
"Hold on." Di Nufeng suddenly waved his hand and said, "I am not here to fight with you. I just came to seek justice because I heard that my disciple and our Golden-Furred Hou were bullied."
"And my disciples were beaten up by Zhang Juque. And you said that your disciple was bullied?" The Alchemy Master said angrily.
They were the ones who had suffered a setback and were still contemplating how they could exact revenge against Chu Liang. Despite this, Di Nufeng dared to show up at their territory demanding justice?
This was truly intolerable!
"Zhang Juque was the one who beat them. What does it have to do with me, Di Nufeng?" Di Nufeng looked puzzled. "I'm not the one who laid a hand on them, am I?"
As she spoke, her gaze drifted downward toward Chen Lingtong, who was being protected by the Alchemy Master.
As Chen Lingtong peeked out from behind the Alchemy Master, she suddenly asked while smiling at him, "Was it you who threw stones at my Hou?"
With that smile, a glint of fierceness briefly flickered in her otherwise relaxed gaze.
Ah... For the first time since birth, Chen Lingtong experienced a fear so profound, it felt as if he had plummeted into the depths of hell. His expression froze for a moment, and his face instantly turned pale white.
It seemed like he was petrified.
After a moment, he came back to his senses. Fear was evident in his eyes as he opened his mouth wide and cried out, "I was wrong! I'll never dare to throw stones at the spirit beast again!"
"Great-grandpa! Save me!
"Waaah—"
1. Do I need to explain what type of bullying Di Nufeng is thinking? ☜
"What?" Di Nufeng exclaimed in astonishment.
Although it was somewhat expected, this incident still felt too extreme for her, challenging her understanding[1].
"It's not that kind of bullying," Chu Liang hurriedly explained. "The other day, the Alchemy Master's great-grandson..."
Immediately, he recounted how Lingtong had attacked the Golden-Furred Hou, how Liu Qin had beaten the Hou, and how later disciples from the Hall of Alchemy had come for revenge. Thanks to the intervention of Senior Zhang from the Great Astral Sect, they had narrowly avoided a disaster... He narrated the entire series of grievances they had suffered.
"If it weren't for Senior Zhang's righteous intervention, Teacher, I truly wouldn't know if I could still see you!" Chu Liang's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke emotionally.
"Dammit!" Di Nufeng fumed after listening, her anger flaring. "I've heard about that old guy raising a mischievous great-grandson before. If he isn't disciplined properly, won't he become a problem of the Mount Shu Sect in the future!"
Esteemed Teacher, does your anger stem from the sense of crisis over losing your title?
Chu Liang mused internally before asking, "Esteemed Teacher, what should we do?"
"What should we do?" Di Nufeng stared at him strangely as she said, "You've worked with me many times before, aren't you familiar with the procedure?"
"But that's the Alchemy Master," Chu Liang pointed out.
Di Nufeng waved her hand dismissively. "Just watch how I will stand up for you!"
...
"Esteemed Teacher, you must stand up for us!"
In the conference hall of the Hall of Alchemy, Liu Qin and Lu Xun knelt on the ground and cried bitterly.
Zhang Juque had beaten them up and then brought them to the Alchemy Master for a stern reprimand. Though their injuries were not severe, the spread of the news would undoubtedly tarnish their reputation and dignity, leaving them feeling uneasy.
Meanwhile, Chen Lingtong clung to the Alchemy Master's leg, wailing loudly, "Great-grandpa!! I'm in so much pain! You have no idea how Chu Liang bullied me! Because of him, the spirit beasts hurled me into the sky... twice!"
The Alchemy Master sat at the center of the hall, his expression dark and serene, resembling calm water.
Despite his esteemed status, Zhang Juque showed him no respect, bringing his disciples and great-grandson directly to him, forcing him to scold them in person and refusing to leave until he was finished.
Naturally, this behavior left the Alchemy Master feeling furious.
But there was nothing he could do. Firstly, Zhang Juque had the backing of the Great Astral Sect, a powerful faction within the Divine Nine, similar to the Mount Shu Sect. Additionally, the Great Astral Sect possessed the Xuanhuang Battle Armor, ranked seventh on the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures, further strengthening their influence. Their strength surpassed even that of the Mount Shu Sect.
Secondly, Zhang Juque's actions were justified.
His great-grandson was mischievous, and his disciples had indeed been caught causing trouble on someone else's territory. These were undeniable facts. Although he personally might not have considered the act of throwing stones at the spirit beast a big deal, his disciples were perceived as the instigators of the incident, leaving him with no grounds to argue.
He had no choice but to reprimand these junior disciples in front of Zhang Juque, aiming to swiftly send this esteemed figure of high status out. Then, he intended to resume the conversation in private.
He paid little heed to the tears of those two inept disciples, but his great-grandson's cries stirred a sense of distress within him.
Both his grandson and his grandson's wife had sacrificed their lives for the Mount Shu Sect, leaving behind only Chen Lingtong, the clever and precious child of his grandson, who always held a special place in his heart.
This was his cherished child, whom he had never dared to harm in the slightest. The sight of this precious kid being beaten up outside ignited a palpable fury within the Alchemy Master. However, the situation became somewhat complicated when considering Chu Liang's affiliation as a disciple of Di Nufeng.
Di Nufeng was not one to show him any respect.
"That's enough! Stop crying!" The Alchemy Master suddenly reprimanded.
The two disciples immediately fell silent, afraid to shed another tear.
Chen Lingtong froze in shock. The Alchemy Master immediately embraced the child's head, comforting him, "Xiaotong, don't cry. I won't let you suffer."
"Great-grandfather, will you help me give him a beating?" Chen Lingtong immediately asked.
"Erm..." The Alchemy Master paused in contemplation before responding, "As an elder, I am restricted in what I can do. When his teacher returns, I will escort you to his peak and demand justice. He will apologize and make amends for what happened, alright?"
"Just an apology? At the very least, he should be hung from a tree... twice!" Chen Lingtong pouted, ready to burst into tears once more.
The Alchemy Master felt somewhat helpless. Given his status and position, he could never physically punish a junior.
At this moment, Lu Xun stood up and said, "Esteemed Teacher, why don't we, the disciples, handle this matter ourselves? We've brought shame upon you this time, and we hope to have a chance to redeem ourselves. This is between us junior disciples, so let us deal with it ourselves!"
He had surmised that there were certain actions their teacher couldn't take due to his status, so he volunteered to help share the burden.
The Alchemy Master glared at him and shouted, "Both of you! Leave at once!"
Despite the harsh tone, it was evident that he had tacitly consented.
Lu Xun swiftly grabbed Liu Qin, and together they exited the main hall.
...
The next moment, the expression on the Alchemy Master's face suddenly shifted. He abruptly rose to his feet, positioning himself protectively in front of his young grandson.
Then, two thunderous sounds reverberated through the air.
Just as Liu Qin had exited the door, he was sent hurtling back at lightning speed, slamming violently into the wall. The force of the impact caused the walls of the main hall to fracture, and his body became lodged in the wall, contorted like a curled shrimp.
It was evident that he had lost consciousness.
If the walls of the Hall of Alchemy hadn't been made of extremely sturdy materials, he might have already broken through several walls and been propelled out to the peaks outside.
Immediately after, Lu Xun followed, crashing into Liu Qin's body, and both of them became embedded in the wall.
However, perhaps because Liu Qin took the brunt of the impact, Lu Xun's force was slightly lighter, and he didn't lose consciousness. He could barely manage to open his eyes.
As he struggled to open his eyes, he saw a tall and voluptuous woman, dressed in a fiery red gown, entering the main hall. With every step she took, the dress swayed, revealing a glimpse of fair legs through the high slit.
Following behind her was a young man dressed in embroidered clothing. With a harmless smile on his face, he took small and cautious steps as he entered the hall. It was Chu Liang!
As Lu Xun saw Chu Liang, he felt his blood boiling in his chest.
This guy is definitely a harbinger of disaster. Ever since I met him, everything's been a mess. My secret schemes keep flopping, and now I've been beaten up twice in plain sight... Lu Xun thought to himself.
"Di Nufeng!" The Alchemy Master's voice thundered with fury as he shouted, "How dare you come to the Hall of Alchemy and beat up my disciples!"
"He's just a nobody, what's the big deal about beating him?" Di Nufeng replied in a lazy tone. "Are you trying to cause a scene?!"
The Alchemy Master's hair bristled as he raised his hand, summoning a furnace with imposing force, seemingly ready to strike at the slightest disagreement!
"Hold on." Di Nufeng suddenly waved his hand and said, "I am not here to fight with you. I just came to seek justice because I heard that my disciple and our Golden-Furred Hou were bullied."
"And my disciples were beaten up by Zhang Juque. And you said that your disciple was bullied?" The Alchemy Master said angrily.
They were the ones who had suffered a setback and were still contemplating how they could exact revenge against Chu Liang. Despite this, Di Nufeng dared to show up at their territory demanding justice?
This was truly intolerable!
"Zhang Juque was the one who beat them. What does it have to do with me, Di Nufeng?" Di Nufeng looked puzzled. "I'm not the one who laid a hand on them, am I?"
As she spoke, her gaze drifted downward toward Chen Lingtong, who was being protected by the Alchemy Master.
As Chen Lingtong peeked out from behind the Alchemy Master, she suddenly asked while smiling at him, "Was it you who threw stones at my Hou?"
With that smile, a glint of fierceness briefly flickered in her otherwise relaxed gaze.
Ah... For the first time since birth, Chen Lingtong experienced a fear so profound, it felt as if he had plummeted into the depths of hell. His expression froze for a moment, and his face instantly turned pale white.
It seemed like he was petrified.
After a moment, he came back to his senses. Fear was evident in his eyes as he opened his mouth wide and cried out, "I was wrong! I'll never dare to throw stones at the spirit beast again!"
"Great-grandpa! Save me!
"Waaah—"
1. Do I need to explain what type of bullying Di Nufeng is thinking? ☜
