Chapter 21: Shocking! Even the Holy Lord Has Secretly Become a Toady!

Ye Chen stared in wide-eyed confusion.

"Master, what are you talking about?"

Suddenly scolded by his master, Ye Chen was completely bewildered. He had merely been looking after Lin'er; he hadn't even had any physical contact with her! How did that translate into seeking pleasure with a prostitute?

Suddenly, Ye Chen looked closely at Lin'er and felt his fists clench. He stood up abruptly.

"Master! I was indeed in the wrong earlier; I shouldn't have lost my temper with you. But you cannot slander Lin'er! She is not a prostitute! She is a companion who fought alongside me! If she hadn't shielded me from the beast, she wouldn't be injured!"

Ling Hu glanced around, and indeed, she did not see the prostitutes who had been there earlier. She lowered her head in humility. Even though she was Ye Chen’s master, her choice remained to bow her head and admit her mistake rather than using her status to guide him.

"It was a misunderstanding. I apologize."

Seeing Ling Hu like this, Ye Chen sneered. "Could it be that Xiao Chenxin likes those prostitutes, and you mistakenly thought I was the same kind of person? Master, rest assured, I, Ye Chen, walk the straight and narrow; I do not engage in such things. I am different from Xiao Chenxin. Master, please do not confuse us or mix us up."

Ling Hu quickly raised her head and explained in a flustered tone, "Xiao Chenxin didn't..."

Seeing that Ye Chen was unappreciative, she added weakly, "I just hope you didn't either."

These were meant to be mundane words, but to Ye Chen, they touched a raw nerve. Xiao Chenxin? That damned Xiao Chenxin again! How could his master speak up for an outsider like that? Especially since that outsider had nearly taken his life!

This deeply displeased Ye Chen. He let out a cold huff, turned away from Ling Hu, and knelt to continue examining Lin'er's injuries, even though it was unnecessary.

"Lin'er, does your leg still hurt?"

Lin'er quickly shook her head. "Don't worry, Brother Ye Chen. This little bit of pain is nothing."

Seeing this, Ling Hu felt a stinging sensation in her heart. She silently closed the door and turned away, her footsteps growing heavier as she returned to her room. She did not understand why things had come to this. Could over a decade of companionship and growing up together not compare to the insignificant leg injury of a weak girl?

It was just a minor wound! Why did Ye Chen need to carry her all the way back and care for her so meticulously? She had clearly shielded Ye Chen from a fatal blow in the past, yet he had never shown her a shred of concern!

***

The next morning, Ye Chen was stirred from his sleep by Ling Hu’s telepathic message.

"I am returning to the Yaoguang Sacred Land now. Be careful while you are out. Some scoundrels love to feign kindness; do not fall for their tricks. I have left cultivation techniques in the room; take them when you have time. It is the second volume of the 'Twelve Heavens-Slaying Swords.' Study it first, and when I find an opportunity, I will come to find you and provide guidance. Do not worry about me; Xiao Chenxin has not made things difficult for me."

Hearing this, Ye Chen was struck with a sudden pang of panic in his chest, as if he had lost something vital. He immediately rushed into the next room, but Ling Hu was already gone, leaving behind only the manuscript she had written the night before.

Ye Chen picked up the technique and noticed several water stains on the pages. His heart ached. "Master..."

Elsewhere, Ling Hu returned to the Yaoguang Sacred Land with haste, went straight to her room, and refused to see anyone for three days. Xiao Chenxin came by every morning to check on her condition.

On the morning of the fourth day, before Xiao Chenxin could knock, the door creaked open. Ling Hu looked up at him.

"I have caused you worry these past few days, Master. Your disciple is now well."

Xiao Chenxin looked directly at her.

[Simp Value: 70!]

All his hard work had only lowered Ling Hu's simp value by 15 points. Xiao Chenxin felt a wave of disappointment. After all that preparation and effort, only 15 points? Had the system malfunctioned?

Just as he was looking around, wondering if he should find a disciple to check if the system was acting up, a familiar figure appeared in his view.

[Name: Su Yao]
[Luck: Golden]
[Simp Value: 66]

Hmm...

Wait, what?!!

Xiao Chenxin’s mouth twitched, and his breathing stalled! No, Sacred Master, what is going on with you! Didn't you warn me just a few days ago not to be a simp? Why have you become one yourself?

Xiao Chenxin nearly coughed up blood. He could no longer care about Ling Hu. If the Sacred Master of the Yaoguang Sacred Land became someone else's simp, wouldn't she just hand over the entire Sacred Land the moment the other person asked? Just like his predecessor, who had even given away the Supreme Bone!

No! This must not happen! He had finally established a foothold in the Yaoguang Sacred Land and found a place to cultivate! He could not let it all be given away for nothing!

With this thought, Xiao Chenxin’s expression darkened as he approached Su Yao. "Sacred Master, come with me for a moment."

Su Yao let out an "ah" and pointed toward Ling Hu. "Uncle-Grandmaster, I was just passing by to deliver something to her."

Xiao Chenxin let out a cold huff, quietly releasing his spiritual energy. In these few days, his strength had increased significantly on its own. Foundation Establishment Stage, Level Six! He intended to use force.

The moment his energy was released, Sacred Master Su Yao exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle-Grandmaster! How have you improved so rapidly? Be careful of an unstable foundation!"

Before Xiao Chenxin could speak, Su Yao grabbed his hand and flew into the sky, heading straight toward the Heavenly Pool of Flowing Light!

The Heavenly Pool was not merely her bathing spot; it was a treasure born of heaven and earth. Bathing in it could solidify one's foundation and clear obstacles for future cultivation. It was a treasure reserved only for the Sacred Master. She had to use it to help her Uncle-Grandmaster consolidate his foundation, for without it, his cultivation path would be like a castle in the air!

Mid-air, Xiao Chenxin suddenly exerted force, pulling back the eager Su Yao. "What is wrong with you? You advised me not to be a simp, so why have you become one?"

Su Yao was rendered speechless by the question. A simp? Who was being a simp?!

Thinking he had struck a nerve, Xiao Chenxin said with a stern face, "I am the Uncle-Grandmaster of the Yaoguang Sacred Land. Do I not have the authority to lecture you, my junior?"

Su Yao clutched her sleeves, lowering her head, stammering for a long time. "I suppose you do."

Xiao Chenxin personally pulled Su Yao back to the Red Dust Peak, then summoned Ling Hu, and brought them both to the summit. There stood only a seemingly dilapidated pavilion.

Both women were at a loss. Xiao Chenxin sent a surge of spiritual energy into the building, then, with his hands behind his back, he stepped inside. "Follow me."

This was the second supreme treasure of the Red Dust Peak, the Red Dust Pavilion. Its existence was comparable even to the Supreme Bone! As a peak within the Yaoguang Sacred Land that had transitioned from a "gathering place for servants and outer disciples," how could it have undergone such a transformation without a few treasures to anchor the peak?

Seeing that the two women had not followed him into the pavilion, he channeled his energy to pull them both inside.

Unlike its dilapidated exterior, the interior of the Red Dust Pavilion was a vast, empty void.

"Uncle-Grandmaster, is it really necessary to use this for her?" Ling Hu, unaware of what this was, whispered softly. "If this is a punishment, I, Ling Hu, am willing to accept it."

Xiao Chenxin let out a cold huff and looked straight at Su Yao. "She is only being taught a lesson along the way. As for you, Su Yao, you are the one I truly need to deal with!"

As Xiao Chenxin’s words fell, Su Yao felt the ground vanish beneath her feet, as if she were plummeting into a boundless abyss.