Chapter 217: Please, Master, Don't Look—The Divine Maiden Would Never Sink So Low (1)
"Just joking, Heavenly Dao Lord. This should be our first meeting, right?"
"You really picked a terrible time to show up, and an even worse moment to butt in."
"Toying with a disciple's feelings is taboo, you know. How could you deceive her like that?"
As Su Qing spoke, he casually waved the little figurine's arms and legs.
His nonchalant attitude was like a kid discovering a fun new toy.
The Heavenly Dao Lord let the devious brat manipulate her miniature form at will, disdaining to answer his questions.
She was just a wisp of divine will now, with about as much fighting power as a chibi doll.
She could probably lose to a large rat in a one-on-one, so resisting was out of the question.
She didn't look at Su Qing at all. Her gaze fell on her disciple, her heart filled with disappointment.
Truthfully, this entire wager had been a test for her disciple.
A person's reactions in such a scenario couldn't be faked.
She'd wanted to see whether her disciple had truly been coerced.
But the result had been the worst one possible. Of course she was disappointed.
As for Su Qing's behavior... did it even matter?
No matter who he was, the Heavenly Dao Lord saw him as an enemy.
With a dangerous enemy like this, killing him was the safest option.
That cold gaze deeply wounded Ye Xueyi.
She instinctively dropped her sword and walked up to Su Qing.
Her whole body was chilled, and only by his side could she feel a bit of warmth.
Master, why would you lie to me like this?
"What's the point of pressuring her? She's just my little pet."
"My carefully trained pet would never betray her master."
Su Qing bluntly revealed the truth.
There was no point hiding it anymore.
Ye Xueyi trembled, snapping out of the daze her master's deception had left her in.
She looked at Su Qing, a blush rising on her pale cheeks, flustered and lost.
The Divine Maiden had never imagined such things would be exposed—especially in front of her master!
"What did you just say?"
The Heavenly Dao Lord whipped her head around, eyes locked onto Su Qing.
Her gaze burned with disbelief.
"You heard me loud and clear, didn't you? No need to make me repeat it."
"Yes, it means exactly what you think it does. She's mine now."
Su Qing helpfully confirmed her worst assumptions.
"How dare you do something like this?!"
The Heavenly Dao Lord was unusually furious, glaring at Su Qing's mocking eyes.
She'd seen a lot in her years, so she understood perfectly what he meant.
But that didn't mean she could accept it!
"That's a funny question. I was just giving you a little payback."
"You left such an innocent little girl in front of me. Wouldn't it be a waste not to do anything?"
"She resisted at first, of course, but you trusted her too much."
"It took some work, but your obedient disciple is now my little pet."
"And it's all because of you."
Su Qing beamed.
He took all the blame upon himself, playing the part of the villain masterfully.
Ye Xueyi, instead of feeling humiliated, suddenly understood.
He said that to protect her!
Just moments ago her heart had been drowning in sorrow, but now a wave of warmth swept through it.
No matter how clever the Heavenly Dao Lord was, she didn't know how to respond.
But now, there was nothing for her to say.
"A pet daring to bring someone to test her master? You've got some nerve."
"Get over here and kneel. I need to teach you a proper lesson today."
Su Qing looked at the Divine Maiden and spoke with authority.
"Yes, Master..."
Ye Xueyi replied softly.
Despite being treated like this, her eyes held more gratitude than reluctance.
He really is a soft-hearted man pretending to be cruel!
If it weren't for him, who knows what could've happened today?
If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. There was no other choice but to cooperate.
The blue-haired, red-eyed Divine Maiden knelt at the boy's feet like a dog.
She bit her lip gently, her flushed face showing a mix of reluctance and helpless submission.
Su Qing was a man of action—he didn't hesitate to start the punishment.
Pa!
A crisp slap rang through the room.
The Heavenly Dao Lord's body and heart both jolted at the sound.
"Ugh!"
The Divine Maiden let out a pained whimper, clearly stung by the blow.
She instinctively reached back to cover the spot, red eyes now brimming with tears.
"Take your hand away. We're not done yet."
Su Qing spoke in a commanding tone.
Ye Xueyi hesitated for two seconds, then finally moved her hand away.
Pa!
Another hard slap landed.
The Divine Maiden covered her mouth, stubbornly holding back any sound.
"Sorry you had to see this. Maybe it's because you're here—she's a bit stiff."
"Normally, I train her quite well. This sort of thing doesn't happen."
As Su Qing continued the punishment, he casually explained things to the Heavenly Dao Lord.
Trapped in her chibi form, the Heavenly Dao Lord could only watch as her disciple took the punishment meant for her.
Every time he hit her, she felt a surge of uncontrollable fury.
She herself had never even dared to strike her!
And from the sound of it, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
That thought made her heart ache even more.
It was obvious her disciple felt deeply ashamed in front of her.
But she couldn't resist. Just trying to cover herself was already the strongest resistance she could muster.
Ye Xueyi was the heir she had raised with utmost care. This journey down the mountain was only meant to temper her.
Who would have thought she'd fall into such cruel hands, enduring this kind of torment?
Having her hand-picked successor defiled by this brat—this was a devastating blow to the Heavenly Dao Lord.
She had no children of her own, so she'd always treated Ye Xueyi like a daughter.
And now?
She'd been defiled like a pig in the mud!
Even knowing Su Qing was provoking her on purpose, she couldn't contain her emotions.
After so many years, she had long grown used to her disciple's presence.