Chapter 336: Chapter 336: Wearing a Skirt Today
After a burst of black light, Chen Pingping and his companions finally returned safely to the Heaven Martial Continent.
It was still that narrow cave.
The only difference was its emptiness—Chen Shixian was nowhere to be seen, nor were Zi Ji and Lao Huang present...
Chen Pingping frowned, scanning the altar.
He hadn’t noticed anything before, but one glance now startled him.
Jin Lun looked as if his life essence had been drained. He lay prostrate on the altar, convulsing, his face haggard and his eyes lifeless.
Sensing a gaze, Jin Lun subconsciously lifted his head. Upon seeing it was Chen Pingping who had appeared, he immediately burst into loud sobs. "BOO HOO! Human Clan expert, please, kill me! I beg you."
Chen Pingping was speechless.
"Hurry, give me a quick death! I can’t take it anymore!" Jin Lun wailed, utterly grief-stricken.
But as he cried, he noticed the imposing figure behind Chen Pingping.
The Emperor Spirit?
Jin Lun’s crying came to an abrupt halt. His breathing grew ragged, his pupils constricted, and his gaze locked onto the Emperor Spirit.
Heavens! What happened in the Spirit Realm? Why is the Emperor Spirit of my Purple Gold Divine Clan here?
Jin Lun couldn’t believe it. "You... it... why are you all here?"
Nearby, Guang Xiaoyu stepped out with a mischievous grin, uttering two words that made him freeze in terror, "You guess!"
Indeed! She’s the Demon Emperor.
In that single instant, a multitude of thoughts flooded Jin Lun’s mind.
The Demon Emperor has been in the Spirit Realm for some time. The Purple Gold Divine Clan must have suffered a calamity by now; otherwise, the Emperor Spirit wouldn’t be here. It’s over, all over!
Jin Lun fell into despair, feeling as if his world had gone dark.
"How did you end up like this?" Chen Pingping asked.
"..."
BOO HOO!
At the mention of this, Jin Lun cried out once more, "Kill me! Please, I beg you, I don’t want to live anymore."
He had truly had enough. He was sick of it—being tortured by Guang Xiaoyu, suppressed by Lao Huang, and having his blood drained by Zi Ji and Chen Shixian, who insisted on using it to open that portal.
Damn it! If the blood of powerful individuals could break through spatial barriers, they wouldn’t have needed to use a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon in the first place! This is common sense, don’t they understand?
Despite his best efforts to explain, the two women wouldn’t listen. They stubbornly insisted on using his blood to open the portal, but naturally, they failed.
Later, hearing that the sky was falling, the two women had scrambled away.
They left a half-dead Jin Lun behind.
"If you can live, then live well," Chen Pingping said before turning to leave.
After Chen Pingping and Jiang Ni’er left, Guang Xiaoyu blinked, suddenly leaned in with a mischievous grin, and said, "Be smart and keep your mouth shut. Otherwise... heh-heh... I won’t let you die so easily."
"I understand, I understand. I didn’t say anything just now," Jin Lun stammered.
"Hmm, I believe you."
"Empress, may I ask about the Spirit Realm... uh, if you don’t want to say, that’s fine too."
"The situation is... passable, just a bit dire. As for more details, if you manage to leave this place alive, you can find out for yourself!" She was unwilling to say more.
As the saying goes, the more one says, the more one errs. It was better to say less, maintain an air of mystery, and make him revere her all the more.
「...」
"Martial Uncle is back!"
As soon as Chen Pingping and the others appeared on Qingfeng, word spread through the Sect. Hundreds of young disciples swarmed over, clamoring to see the legendary Martial Uncle.
It couldn’t be helped; Chen Pingping’s fame within the Wuji Sect was simply too great. Various legendary stories about him endured, further embellished by Hongxiu.
Chen Pingping had become the symbol of invincibility in the Wuji Sect.
Among the new disciples, many had come specifically for Chen Pingping. However, since Qingfeng wasn’t accepting disciples, they could only choose other peaks.
"Where? Where?"
"Make way, let me have a look!"
"Eh? Where’s Martial Uncle?"
"Don’t be noisy..."
"I heard that our Martial Uncle is as handsome as a banished immortal, heroic and charming, and has captivated countless young girls. I wonder if it’s true. Ah... If only I could marry Martial Uncle."
"Ha, keep dreaming. How could a big shot like Martial Uncle fancy you?"
The brief discussion revealed the new generation’s enthusiasm and adoration for Chen Pingping.
Shortly after, a small black dog appeared on the lawn.
Someone exclaimed, "I see him! I see him! That dog, that’s Martial Uncle’s Hei!"
"Mm, and there’s a chicken, to the left..."
"As expected of Martial Uncle, even the little black dog he raises is so divinely graceful." A young maiden stared at the little black dog, her eyes sparkling.
She then began to fantasize about marrying Chen Pingping.
Not to be outdone, a girl beside her chimed in, "WOW! WOW! WOW! Look at that chicken! Although it’s bald, it’s very cute and full of spirit. Once its feathers grow in, it’s bound to be a Divine Beast!"
The Earth Chicken shot them a disdainful glance, its expression clearly disapproving.
Inside the house!
Hearing these discussions, Guang Xiaoyu couldn’t help but recall the past.
The Three Peaks used to disparage Chen Pingping constantly. They’d say he just herded cattle and raised dogs, was unlearned and idle—that the boy was probably a lost cause.
Now, times had changed. When a new batch of disciples looked towards Qingfeng and saw Hei and the Earth Chicken, their comments were entirely different...
Honestly! How ridiculous.
As she recalled these contrasting attitudes, she conveniently forgot her own past—how she, too, had once looked down on this elder martial brother of hers.
"Emperor Spirit, go chase them away. They’re too noisy," Guang Xiaoyu ordered the Emperor Spirit.
Since leaving the cave, the Emperor Spirit had been squatting in the courtyard, not daring to make a single rash move, terrified of disturbing something.
Guang Xiaoyu was speechless. You’re supposed to be a Spiritual Beast who once followed a Great Emperor! How can you be so timid? What’s the difference between you and a mouse? Can’t you show some backbone?
The Emperor Spirit shook its head, clearly refusing to go out no matter what.
Seeing this, Guang Xiaoyu was so exasperated she laughed. "If you were my mount, I’d butcher you right now!"
Utterly spineless.
WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
Hei, who had been playing on the lawn, suddenly charged over.
The massive Emperor Spirit looked terrified, its eyes bulging. It scrambled out to the crowd and let out a furious roar.
Guang Xiaoyu’s mouth fell slightly agape.
The nearby Earth Chicken glanced over but paid it no further mind.
Hei trotted back, wagging its tail.
The Emperor Spirit, visibly relieved, retreated once more to its corner of the courtyard.
Guang Xiaoyu snapped back to her senses. There was only one way to describe the Emperor Spirit: beyond saving.
The new disciples gathered outside were startled by the Emperor Spirit, but their shock quickly turned to excitement. "WOW! WOW! WOW! Martial Uncle is so amazing! He even rears such a majestic Demon Beast!"
"As expected of Martial Uncle."
"But, why won’t Martial Uncle come out to see me?"
"Why would he see you?"
"I wore a skirt today."
The other disciple was speechless.
Unable to bear it any longer, Guang Xiaoyu pushed open the door to the house and yelled, "All of you, get back to where you came from! Right now! Immediately! You have one minute!"
WHOOSH!
The group of new disciples scattered in an instant.
They had never seen Guang Xiaoyu, but they had all heard that Qingfeng had three disciples: Martial Uncle Chen Pingping, Martial Aunt Guang Xiaoyu, and Little Martial Aunt Zi Ji.
In their minds, Chen Pingping was an invincible figure—gentle, kind, amiable, and approachable. He treated new disciples as if they were his own children.
As for Martial Aunt Guang Xiaoyu, rumor had it she was a ferocious woman who killed without batting an eye and delighted in torturing new disciples with cruel and terrifying methods.
This was the image Hongxiu had cultivated. It wasn’t specifically aimed at Guang Xiaoyu; Hongxiu simply believed that every sect needed both a "good cop" and a "bad cop" figure.
Before long, Nangong Jue, Zhuge Wushuang, Mo Wuwei, and Hongxiu arrived together.
Guang Xiaoyu turned and smiled. "Senior Martial Brothers, Sect Leader!"
"Where’s your Senior Martial Brother?" Hongxiu asked, looking up.
"In his room!" she replied, pointing towards Chen Pingping’s room.
Just then, Jiang Ni’er’s voice cried out from the room, "Ah! Senior Brother, you’re hurting me!"