An indifferent face.
Coupled with that cruel, bloodthirsty smile at the corner of his mouth.
Sweeping through the eight wildernesses! Looking down upon all beneath heaven!
He was even more domineering and confident than before.
As though everything lay within his grasp.
Even though he could vaguely sense that the demon's aura had weakened considerably.
Even the greatest fool could tell that this was a trap, another test from his master.
Unfortunately...
His master's acting was far too clumsy.
Even an idiot could see that this was a trap.
How much more obvious was it to him, with his glazed sword heart, after falling for such tricks so many times?
Against this powerful demon, continuing the assassination attempt was pointless. He might even implicate his four junior sisters.
At that thought, Ye Qinghong took a deep breath, and his icy eyes dimmed once more.
His glazed sword heart began circulating on its own.
His eyes were like frigid pools.
He said coldly.
"Your disciple has offended you, Master. Please punish me."
Those words jolted Fang Yang awake, finally bringing him back to his senses.
Looking at Ye Qinghong, as sharp and cold as a sword, he could not help feeling apprehensive.
Still, he sneered.
"Punish you? Such outrageous insubordination, striking at your superior. How do you think I should punish you?"
"..."
Not a ripple crossed Ye Qinghong's expression.
He dropped to one knee!
"Please deal with me as you see fit, Master!"
His voice rang out like pearls and jade, like bleak autumn rain.
Silence filled the Blood Rain Hall.
Fang Yang looked coldly at this wayward disciple, able to see only half his face in profile.
[Deal with you as I see fit? Seeing your eldest disciple kneeling on the floor in such an alluring pose, your heart stirs. You immediately realize that the height is just right. With no one else in the great hall, you move forward to press down on the back of his head...]
"What the hell is all this nonsense..."
Fang Yang's face darkened with exasperation. He blocked out the voice and silently returned to his throne.
Looking at the woman kneeling on the floor, he tapped his fingers against the armrest.
What should I do?
How exactly should I deal with him?
He had to think this through carefully. He absolutely could not reveal any flaws.
First, personally punishing him was out of the question.
That would only expose the fact that he had lost all his cultivation.
Second, it had to suit the demon's habits. He could not do anything too out of character.
He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, the thick diary surfacing in his mind.
He recalled the diary's accounts of the demon...
"No, absolutely not!"
"I'm an upright gentleman. How could I entertain such filthy thoughts? Besides, he's my beloved disciple!"
Fang Yang shook his head.
He looked coldly at Ye Qinghong kneeling on the floor.
"As expected, I'll still be submerged in the Rear Mountain Water Prison. For at least a month."
Ye Qinghong murmured, neither sorrowful nor happy. He had anticipated all of this!
Over all these years!
The demon's cruelest punishment had been to lock them in the Rear Mountain Water Prison.
There, no daylight ever penetrated, and sinister winds chilled them to the bone.
An ordinary person probably could not survive even a single day there.
This time would surely be no different.
So be it!
There's no need to make the demon say it.
I should head to Back Mountain myself.
He bit his lip and was about to rise and leave.
The next moment...
"Considering that you returned from a thousand miles away and have shown some filial devotion, I'll give you only a minor punishment."
"You. Lie face down over the chair."
The cold, steady voice echoed through the great hall.
Ye Qinghong abruptly raised his head, bewilderment lingering in his icy eyes.
Devoted entirely to the sword, he did not quite understand what Fang Yang meant.
Lie face down over the chair?
What did that mean?
I just committed a grave offense!
Shouldn't I remain kneeling, or even be imprisoned in the Rear Mountain Water Prison to reflect on my wrongdoing?
Why should I lie over there?
Had this demon devised some new, inhuman method of punishment?
But he could not recall any forbidden technique this bizarre.
Bewildered and suspicious, Ye Qinghong rose.
He walked over to the chair.
His slender fingers gripped its armrests.
He lay face down over the chair.
His gathered black hair fell downward.
The blue-green fabric could not conceal those graceful curves.
"Lower your waist!"
That indifferent voice rang out again.
Ye Qinghong knitted his mist-soft brows, feeling increasingly awkward, but obeyed nonetheless.
He truly was puzzled. Just what was this demon trying to do?
Rustle...
Rustle...
Inside the icy great hall, Fang Yang rose impassively.
He walked toward Ye Qinghong without expression, soon arriving behind him.
[You can't hold back anymore, you can't hold back! This is the perfect opportunity! Who could refuse to teach a swordsman how to use a sword...]
The wicked narrator continued babbling incessantly.
Looking at the God-Shocking Sword obediently draped over the chair, Fang Yang sighed inwardly.
"The tree longs for stillness, yet the wind will not cease. Why must you force my hand?"
He raised his palm.
With a smack.
He brought it straight down!
Chapter 5: A Marriage Bound by the Red Thread
According to the diary, the punishment best suited to the demon's style was actually to raise his rod and engage in single combat.
Unfortunately, his cultivation was inadequate, and he could not get past his own scruples.
He could only settle for the next best thing.
"Ultimately, it's because I'm too much of an upright gentleman."
He sighed ruefully to himself.
Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!
A succession of vibrations rang out, and sword light filled the air!
The sword on Ye Qinghong's back trembled, and his glazed sword heart nearly shattered.
A bone-deep chill radiated from his body.
Before you continue