Punitive Discipline

"I won't!"

Qian Renxue shook her head resolutely, tears brimming in her eyes. She would protect Bibi Dong with her body even unto death.

So small, yet filled with stubbornness.

She spread her arms and stood in front of Ling Feng.

"If you want to kill my mother, then kill me too!"

Seeing how foolishly Qian Renxue insisted on protecting Bibi Dong, even defying him, her Dao Protector, Ling Feng's brows furrowed with displeasure.

His gaze gradually turned cold as he raised his hand again, his five fingers forming a palm.

"Whoosh~!"

A colorless, transparent longsword formed from air condensed in midair above his head.

"Since that's the case, I'll kill you along with her...!"

Before Ling Feng could finish speaking, a red warning from the system suddenly rang out in his mind.

Ding~! Red warning, red danger warning.

Host, please remain rational!

Host, please remain rational!

As a Dao Protector, the host must not kill their own Guardian.

Otherwise, the Dao Protector mission will fail, and the host will face severe punishment.

Possible system punishments include: the system permanently unbinding, being split in half vertically, having your length reduced by 20 centimeters, having your gender changed to female...!

This...!

Ling Feng: "...!"

Hearing the punishments listed by the system, Ling Feng's hand hesitated slightly.

"Xiao Xue, move aside! Do not defy the Dao Protector!"

Seeing Qian Renxue use her own body to shield Bibi Dong, intending to live and die alongside that ungrateful wretch, thoroughly enraged Ling Feng and stirred up his killing intent.

Qian Daoliu's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted at her.

As he spoke, Qian Daoliu sprang forward.

Before Ling Feng's sword could truly fall, he hurriedly pulled Qian Renxue away.

"Grandfather, Xiao Xue won't! Xiao Xue wants Mother!"

Qian Renxue shook her head desperately, refusing no matter what to let Qian Daoliu take her away.

Again and again, she struggled free from his arms, then spread her arms and stood before Ling Feng to protect her mother.

Tears filled her eyes, and her voice carried a sob.

"Xiao Xue won't... Xiao Xue has already lost her father. Xiao Xue doesn't want to lose her mother too."

"Mother might not like Xiao Xue that much, but Xiao Xue likes Mother. One day, Mother will like Xiao Xue too."

"Xiao Xue will become very outstanding. Xiao Xue will become someone Mother likes."

Qian Renxue's stubborn little face was filled with determination.

Then Qian Renxue smiled brilliantly. "Besides, Mother just told Xiao Xue that as long as Xiao Xue completes the undercover plan and helps Mother, Xiao Xue will be Mother's good child."

Qian Renxue's big eyes were so pure that they contained not a trace of impurity, while her little face was etched with innocence and childishness.

Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue like this and opened his mouth.

In truth, he wanted to tell his foolish granddaughter that it was all Bibi Dong's false facade.

Yet when he saw Qian Renxue's innocent smile and her eyes full of hope for the future,

he could not bear to say it.

In the end, it became a silent sigh. He looked pleadingly at Ling Feng, hoping that he would show mercy.

Qian Renxue was still young, merely a nine-year-old child—a flower nurtured in a greenhouse, protected too well by them to understand anything.

Seeing Qian Renxue remain so utterly beyond saving, even daring to openly oppose him, Ling Feng instantly lost all patience and irritably asked the system directly.

"System, can I replace my Guardian?!"

No. Once a Guardian is bound, the binding cannot be removed unless the Guardian dies and disappears.

But if the Guardian dies and disappears, it also means the system mission has failed.

The Dao Protector System decisively rejected Ling Feng's question.

It clearly informed him that once a Guardian was bound, the binding could not be removed.

Unless Qian Renxue died and disappeared.

But if Qian Renxue died and disappeared, his Dao Protector mission would fail as well.

Bibi Dong stared blankly at Qian Renxue, who stood firmly in front of her and used her frail body to protect her.

Her heart, cold as ice, was unexpectedly stirred.

Looking at her, Bibi Dong was lost in a daze for two full seconds.

But in the next instant, her cold heart turned cold once more.

The stirring in her heart completely vanished, and not the slightest hint of remorse remained in her eyes.

This was what Qian Renxue owed her. She was the one who had brought Qian Renxue into this world.

It was only natural for Qian Renxue to do these things for her.

Bibi Dong's gaze toward Ling Feng was as venomous as if it had been dipped in poison.

Her five fingers dug deeply into the flesh of her palm.

If she survived today, Bibi Dong would remember the grudge of these five swords.

Once she broke through to become a Hundred-Level God in the future, she would make him regret what he had done today.

Bibi Dong swore a venomous oath in her heart, her eyes seemingly steeped in poison and full of hatred.

"No regrets?!"

In his confrontation with Qian Renxue, Ling Feng ultimately chose to withdraw his sword.

He could not truly kill Qian Renxue.

He dispelled the Sword Dao Domain and asked Qian Renxue, "Knowing it cannot be done, yet insisting on doing it anyway—do you understand the consequences?"

Qian Renxue's gaze was firm, her tone blazing. "No regrets!"

"Xiao Xue will die beneath your sword, becoming the first Guardian in history to die by the sword of her own Dao Protector!"

Seeing Ling Feng withdraw the Sword Dao Domain, Qian Renxue let out a breath of relief.

Her body was no longer so tense.

Then determination flared within her again.

"But even so, Xiao Xue has no regrets!"

"Xiao Xue knows she has no bargaining chip that can make you spare Mother.

But if you truly kill Xiao Xue's mother, then you will no longer be Xiao Xue's Dao Protector. You will be Xiao Xue's enemy!"

Hearing this, Ling Feng silently glanced at the little Qian Renxue who stood in direct opposition to him.

"Then I'll grant your wish."

After saying that, under Qian Renxue's puzzled gaze, Ling Feng lightly raised one hand, his five fingers suddenly clenching into a fist.

"Whoosh~!"

As Ling Feng clenched his fist, a sharp Sword Qi formed in the air.

As though it had eyes, the Sword Qi curved around Qian Renxue before him and slashed toward Bibi Dong behind her.

Sensing a fierce Sword Qi pass by her and attack her mother behind her, Qian Renxue's expression abruptly changed.

She hurriedly turned around, wanting to throw herself forward.

"No, don't hurt Xiao Xue's mother! If you want to do anything, do it to Xiao Xue!"

"Whoosh~!"

The Sword Qi did not respond to Qian Renxue. After curving around her, it shot straight toward Bibi Dong.

Just as the Sword Qi was about to strike Bibi Dong, it suddenly split into four and shot toward her limbs.

The Sword Qi came without warning. By the time Bibi Dong reacted, it had already reached her face.

At such close range, she could no longer evade it. Besides, she was already severely injured.

The Sword Qi plunged directly into Bibi Dong's limbs, entering her body and severing the meridians within.

"Ah~!"

Bibi Dong let out a pained scream. Her body went limp, collapsing like a heap of flesh as she lay paralyzed on the ground.

"Though the death penalty may be spared, punishment cannot be avoided."

"Today, I cripple your limbs and sever your meridians as punishment!"

Ling Feng withdrew his hand with a faint scoff and clasped it behind his back, his expression cold as he spoke indifferently.