Volume One, Chapter 114: If It Were You, I Would Always Welcome It.

"This is impossible!" Shen Huaizhu's gaze was no longer contemptuous, but turned deeply serious.

Even if her master were here, it would take several breaths of time to resolve this technique of hers. Jiang Chen’s strength could not possibly be that profound, especially considering how young he was!

Without giving Shen Huaizhu a moment to react, Jiang Chen commanded, "Bath of the Deep Swamp, bind!"

Fragmented ice scattered onto the ground, but the earth beneath Shen Huaizhu’s feet sank inward in a strange, unnatural way, turning into a swamp just as Jiang Chen had described.

Yet, this swamp was peculiar.

"Oh no!" Shen Huaizhu leaped up, intending to escape, but she found her ankles ensnared by a bundle of vines that had appeared out of nowhere, binding her firmly in place.

At this moment, Shen Huaizhu’s control abilities seemed like child’s play compared to Jiang Chen's.

Realizing she could not force her way out, Shen Huaizhu manifested ice blades in her hands to sever the vines, but Jiang Chen would not give her a chance to turn the tables.

One must pay the price for their mistakes.

The vines acted like a powerful, thrashing hand. Shen Huaizhu, like a kite with a snapped string, was repeatedly slammed against the ground.

*Bang!*

*Bang—*

The sound was thunderous. Shen Huaizhu was battered until she was dizzy and disheveled, appearing utterly miserable.

"You are indeed the senior sister of the Qingyun Sword Sect, but you must understand that in my eyes, the Qingyun Sword Sect is not enough to challenge me!" Jiang Chen channeled his spiritual energy into the incantation, making the vines grow thicker and increasing the force of the slams!

With a final *bang*, the impact raised a cloud of dust, leaving behind a scorched black mark on the ground caused by the sonic boom.

Shen Huaizhu lay on the ground, blood gushing from her mouth; she looked like a blood-soaked doll.

However, Jiang Chen had not dealt a lethal blow; otherwise, her head would have been severed long ago.

Resistance was impossible. At this moment, Shen Huaizhu felt only a sense of profound helplessness.

She had been famous since her youth, having once defeated a dragon that had not yet attained spirit form, and she had undergone extensive training before returning to the Qingyun Sword Sect. Yet, today, she had lost.

She had lost completely. The control abilities she took such pride in seemed pathetic in front of Jiang Chen.

"I... I am sor..."

Before she could finish the last word, Shen Huaizhu fainted. Liuli, unable to bear the sight, hurried over to embrace her senior sister.

Just as she was about to burst into tears, Jiang Chen said, "She is fine. It was a case of baleful fire invading the heart—a deviation in her cultivation. I just helped her expel the fire. Once she wakes up, her temperament should improve."

Liuli looked at Jiang Chen in surprise. "Baleful... baleful fire? No wonder Senior Sister’s condition has been so off lately; it’s as if she were a completely different person."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang Chen," Liuli said respectfully.

Jiang Chen waved his hand and turned away. "It’s nothing."

As Liuli tended to Shen Huaizhu, Li Changsheng, standing to the side, asked in confusion, "Strange, why didn't I notice she was suffering from baleful fire or cultivation deviation?"

"Er... that's because I made it up. I had to give the Qingyun Sword Sect some kind of excuse. Beating someone up is satisfying, but it's a hassle to deal with the aftermath," Jiang Chen explained.

In truth, there was nothing wrong with Shen Huaizhu; she was perfectly healthy, aside from being a bit hot-tempered. Her bad attitude was a mix of innate nature and upbringing. Jiang Chen beat her simply because he found her annoying, and she bore responsibility for the failure of their plan—getting beaten was a light punishment.

Li Changsheng was defeated by Jiang Chen’s thick skin. After a long pause, he squeezed out, "Awesome!"

To display his masculine charm in front of Liuli, the heavy task of carrying Shen Huaizheng back was left to Li Changsheng, who was eager to show off. Li Changsheng was happy to do it, as it gave him a chance to leave a strong impression on Liuli.

Once they returned to the room, Liuli sighed and said, "My senior sister is just like that. I believe that after this lesson, she will certainly remember it."

Li Changsheng didn't know what to say and could only nod. The atmosphere grew awkward.

Jiang Chen turned to Li Changsheng and Liuli and said, "You two go out for a stroll, enjoy the scenery or something. I’ll help her with her treatment."

Liuli looked at Jiang Chen with some concern, but Li Changsheng laughed. "Let's go. You’ve seen his power; if he wanted to do anything, no one could stop him. Besides, he is the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain; if he were to do something untoward, it would affect the reputation of Longhu Mountain."

Liuli thought about it and realized he was right. If he wanted to do something, she wouldn't be able to stop him anyway.

After the two left, Jiang Chen looked at Shen Huaizhu, whose face was swollen from the beating, and felt a faint sense that he might have been a bit too heavy-handed.

He placed his hand on her face to use his spiritual energy to reduce the swelling. But just after he placed it there, a strange sound emerged.

"Brother, hit me!~"

Jiang Chen: "???"

No, what kind of sound is that?

Jiang Chen nearly fell off his chair.

He tried to pull his hand away, but the next second, Shen Huaizhu grabbed his hand and held on tightly.

"Brother~ don't go~"

*This is a disaster—*

Jiang Chen wanted to pull his hand out, but the woman wouldn't let go.

"Did I accidentally trigger some kind of switch..." Jiang Chen’s mind was buzzing.

He had fought many people and killed many others in his life, but he had never encountered anything like this.

She actually asked me to hit her just now!

Could this Shen Huaizhu be... some kind of masochist?

There was no help for it; Shen Huaizhu was pulling his hand, and Jiang Chen couldn't break free, so he had to remain in this stalemate.

Fine, he thought, I might as well help her reduce the swelling while I'm at it.

Shen Huaizhu was sleeping soundly, and it was unlikely she would wake up for a while, so Jiang Chen took the opportunity to help her recover.

Outside.

Liuli sat on a bench and asked curiously, "Is he really the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain? Why is he so low-profile? And since you are from the 509 Institute, why aren't you traveling with their main force?"

Li Changsheng explained, "He’s not exactly low-profile; he just doesn't provoke others unless they provoke him. As for me, I’m just out to gain some experience."

Liuli nodded in realization. "Then, will you be going to Longhu Mountain this time?"

Li Changsheng looked at Liuli, his palms sweating. He lowered his head and asked, "Do you want me to go?"

After saying this, his face flushed bright red, from his neck to his earlobes; he felt as if he were about to spontaneously combust.

"I... don't know," Liuli replied after a moment of hesitation.

Li Changsheng kept his head low, his face turning pale again.

If a girl says she doesn't know, it’s basically a rejection. That was what Li Changsheng had read on the internet.

"She rejected me..."

At that moment, Li Changsheng felt as if a needle had pierced his heart, which felt like an autumn leaf.

He comforted himself, "That’s right, what kind of relationship do we even have? I’m just a supporting character in her script, *sob*."

Liuli looked at him, feeling embarrassed. "However... if it’s you, I would welcome it anytime!"