Chapter 03: So Noisy

Gu Chi raised his palm, gazing at the girl’s plump hip line before him.

She was clearly only eighteen years old, yet her figure was already exceptionally tall and graceful.

Even in a loose blue gauze skirt, now tightly bound by ropes, her body’s exquisite and prominent curves were fully revealed.

Her waist was slender, barely graspable with one hand, yet the honeyed buttocks below it were as round and perky as a ripe peach.

Being a bad person meant no conscience would condemn him.

With that thought, Gu Chi’s palm was about to fall.

Fang Xiyu closed her eyes tightly, roaring in near despair.

“You dare?!”

What answered her was a “smack.”

“So stupid.”

Gu Chi suddenly laughed.

“Though the Fire Phoenix Saintess is annoyingly noisy, she clearly understands her situation.

She knows to act cute, play pitiful, and cooperate obediently.

Even if asked to bark like a puppy, she’d stick out her tongue and do it.

Unlike you.”

Fang Xiyu’s cheeks flushed red, the killing intent in her eyes nearly solidifying into substance.

But she couldn’t move an inch.

“Beg for mercy now, and I can stop.”

Gu Chi looked down at her from above.

Fang Xiyu’s body trembled nonstop.

That slap had covered her cheeks in a rosy glow.

Breathing heavily from anger, her forehead dripped with fragrant sweat.

She said nothing for a long time.

Until the wind from his palm neared her honeyed buttocks again, she gritted her teeth, exerting all her strength.

“If you dare hit me one more time… I’ll die right in front of you…

After I die… my mother will indiscriminately kill every rogue cultivator who entered this secret realm this time… to avenge me!”

“Heh heh heh.”

Gu Chi laughed instead.

“You’re so sure I’m a rogue cultivator?

Not a disciple from another sect?

There are plenty of disciples from other sects in this secret realm too.

If I were one of them, unless your mother kills everyone…

I’d indeed have nowhere to escape.

But if she does that, your entire Moon Wheel Sect will be condemned by all.

Don’t you know how many sects in the Eastern Domain are eyeing your Moon Wheel Sect’s blessed lands?”

“Your Moon Wheel Sect is the top righteous sect in the Eastern Domain.

As sect master, no matter how much she dotes on her daughter, she wouldn’t do such a thing.

So… begging me for mercy would be more practical.”

“I did nothing wrong… why should I beg a villain like you?!”

“Your stupidity is your fault.

I’ve said it—those things weren’t done by me.

Why pin them on my head?

All these years, I’ve never killed anyone in a secret realm, except that suicidal Flying Snow Sect Young Master.

I’ve never defiled any female cultivator.

Just because someone wears a mask like mine doesn’t make it me.”

“Why should I believe you?!”

“Because if you don’t want to get hit right now, you have no choice but to believe me.”

“Does a villain like you need my belief?!”

“Though I’ve done plenty of bad things, if I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it.

I hate being framed.

Last chance.

I’ll count down from five.

If I don’t hear you beg and admit wrong… I’ll hit.”

“Five.”

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

Even at one, Gu Chi just watched her keep her eyes shut tight, not uttering a single word of plea.

Come to think of it, the Fire Phoenix Saintess was right—Fang Xiyu was indeed a stubborn fool who wouldn’t bend.

He had originally gotten Fang Xiyu’s itinerary and the area she wanted to explore from the Fire Phoenix Saintess.

And he had promised to spank Fang Xiyu hard on her behalf.

Now the deal was done.

Gu Chi stepped back, sat on the bluestone, and looked at Fang Xiyu trembling under the campfire light, two lines of clear tears sliding from her eye corners.

He felt an indescribable emotion.

It wasn’t guilt—his conscience had long been fed to the dogs.

He was just marveling at the strange friendship between women.

Fang Xiyu probably thought the Fire Phoenix Saintess truly saw her as a close confidante.

Little did she know the saintess had been madly jealous of her since childhood.

That’s why she specifically contacted him, even spending a thousand high-grade spirit stones to sell her intelligence, just so he would kidnap her too.

To let the Moon Wheel Fairy, who had never suffered setbacks since young, taste the flavor of utter humiliation and powerlessness.

Of course, out of professional ethics, Gu Chi would keep this to himself, not mentioning a word to Fang Xiyu.

That earlier slap had been secretly recorded with a shadow stone.

He’d send it to the Fire Phoenix Saintess later to get the remaining five hundred spirit stones.

Outside the cave, there was no moon, just pitch black, with noisy rain.

At first, Fang Xiyu’s crying was silent.

Gradually, it gained sound—not wailing, just rapid breathing, shoulders shaking, resentful like a kitten or puppy.

Gu Chi sat there calmly for an hour.

Fang Xiyu cried for an hour, until her tears nearly dried up.

Unable to escape the world through crying anymore, she slowly turned her head, her eyes venomously fixed on those eyes.

As if to remember him forever, to one day slice him into a thousand pieces and scatter his ashes.

“Memorized it?”

Gu Chi smiled at her.

“Memorized, then sleep well.

Be careful—if you stare too long, I’ll appear in your dreams and make you scream wildly.”

## <font size=”+1″>The Ransom and Waiting</font>

The next day, noon.

Fang Xiyu woke early but kept her eyes shut tight after, using the darkness before her to escape everything in front.

As if not looking or thinking could make her forget her situation.

She couldn’t bear being like fish on the chopping block, at another’s mercy, yet powerless.

Until noon, Gu Chi suddenly spoke.

“Your mother is very trustworthy—the spirit stone note has been received.”

Fang Xiyu slowly opened her eyes, looking at those smiling eyes.

“Can you let me go now?”

“Not yet.”

Gu Chi shook his head.

“At least three days.

I need to confirm my partner outside is absolutely safe—no tailing, no pursuit.

Only after she signals me that she’s in a completely safe place can I release you.”

Fang Xiyu closed her eyes again, saying nothing more, as if preparing to sleep on.

Gu Chi didn’t disturb her further.

Another day and night passed.

The rain outside had stopped.

The two were like two trees in the cave, standing silently, wordless.

Until sword qi sharp enough to sever his hair came at him.

Only then did Gu Chi stop resting his eyes and open them.

What came was a sword tip.

Sword cultivators mastering flying swords wasn’t rare—it was basic.

But with all forty acupoints sealed, still gathering spiritual energy to release a fast and accurate flying sword sneak attack was uncommon.

This sword was like a fleeting swan, his eyes catching only a white light, stinging painfully.

Uncommon, but not impossible.

Gu Chi tilted his head, dodging the flying sword.

The blade plunged fully into the cave’s bluestone, the hilt still buzzing and vibrating.

All hope in Fang Xiyu’s eyes shattered.

The next instant… her eyes turned ashen, revealing resigned fear.

She had accumulated this strike for a day and night, even burning a drop of her hard-saved essence blood at the cost of her foundation.

Gathering sword intent for so long, this sword carried her anger and unwillingness.

Even on normal days, she might not guarantee such a strike.

But Qingmian dodged it far too casually.

His calm gaze now made Fang Xiyu despair.

She had lost the bet and knew what price to pay.

When one resigns to fate, fear lessens.

Now her eyes held more venom than fear, staring dead at his eyes, as if to devour him alive.

But Gu Chi just smiled.

“During this day and night, I was only resting my eyes, not sleeping.

I could sense your sword ring vibrate three times.”

The sword ring was a cultivator’s spirit sword, usually worn on the wrist.

When stimulated by spiritual energy, it returns to its original form.

“You…”

“Though I don’t know much about swords, I’m not stupid.”

“Ten breaths ago, your heartbeat sped up a bit—I was alerted, so dodging was easy.

If you could perfectly mask your heartbeat acceleration when striking, my head might have moved.

Regrettably, you failed.”

Gu Chi looked at Fang Xiyu, now pale as paper.

Even without blood on her face, her cheeks were still breathtakingly beautiful.

Her eyes were so clear and cold, yet she had narrow, long eyes that always seemed to hold an unspoken seductive charm.

“Burning essence blood will weaken your body.

Your body already lacks spiritual energy nourishment.

Tonight is the full moon—you’ll be tormented by your flawed Ice Vein Spiritual Root, pain like ten thousand cones piercing your heart.”

“So, I won’t retaliate.

As long as you willingly bear the cost of losing the bet.”

With that, Gu Chi leaned back on the bluestone, continuing to rest his eyes.

## <font size=”+1″>The Full Moon Torment</font>

Full moon night.

When Gu Chi opened his eyes, suppressed groans—nearly tearing apart—reached his ears.

Naturally from Fang Xiyu.

Her flawed Ice Vein Spiritual Root made full moon nights especially painful.

Moreover, with spiritual energy unable to circulate and essence blood depleted, her body now felt like it was being torn by cold.

This sensation was probably more terrifying than a thousand ice needles piercing her flesh at once.

She wept in pain, rolling and trembling on the bluestone.

The more she struggled, the tighter the ropes bound her.

Her whole body tensed up, the arches under her slender ankles taut, large beads of sweat seeping out, quickly freezing into transparent ice crystals.

The entire cave now turned bone-chillingly cold due to her flawed Ice Vein Spiritual Root.

Gu Chi rubbed his hands, sighing helplessly.

“So noisy.”

Fang Xiyu couldn’t hear him now—the pain was driving her mad.

Normally at this time, she’d soak in a spiritual spring lined with blazing warm jade to relieve half of it.

Now she was losing her mind, consciousness blurring, starting to mumble incoherently.

“Mother… it hurts so much… save me… Mother…”

In her most helpless and painful moment, she could only think of her closest person.

Gu Chi watched her struggling form, his eyes holding not a trace of pity.

His lips moved, saying soundless words.

“You still have a mother to call… My parents both died by your hands.

When I was tormented by gu insects to the point of wishing for death, who could I call?”

Bone-deep hatred quietly ignited in his chest, bringing a heart-piercing pain.

In an instant, he regained composure, adjusted his breathing, finally calming the gu insect in his body.

He slowly stood up, sighing lightly.

He took out his alchemy furnace, rummaging through his vast storage ring.

Finally, he found half the herbs from that earlier prescription.
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