Free Web NovelChapter 98: Punishment! Humiliation!
Huo Ling’er’s face was flushed crimson. Her body trembled, and she could not help but squeeze her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable impact.
It arrived only a moment later.
Smack!
A palm struck her backside, leaving behind a vivid red handprint across her buttocks.
The fingers lingered for an instant, kneading the flesh harshly and deepening the mark into a bruised purple before another strike followed.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Waves of pain coursed through Huo Ling’er’s body, making her shudder uncontrollably.
However, the physical discomfort was far from what troubled her the most.
Instead, it was the mental damage. Or rather, the humiliation.
Forcing herself to keep her eyes open, she glanced around.
The sight immediately reminded her of her predicament.
She was currently lying with her belly across Chen Xuan’s knee.
Her dress was lifted, exposing everything bare for him to see.
Yet Chen Xuan paid no attention to the beautiful scenery before him.
He kept smacking her buttocks with a stern expression, not showing the slightest sign of mercy despite her repeated yelps.
They were not the only ones in the area.
Not far away stood a towering tree, and hanging upside down from one of its branches was another figure.
It was Chi Yao.
Her ankles were bound to the branch, forcing her to witness the entire spectacle while blood rushed toward her head.
Perhaps because of this or simply because of the humiliation she was enduring, her face was just as red as Huo Ling’er’s.
For a moment, these two women, who had always been opposed to each other, wore nearly identical expressions.
Shame, anger, humiliation...
And something else.
Their eyes met through the air.
For a brief moment, they felt an odd sense of solidarity despite all their hostility toward one another.
Unfortunately, that feeling was not enough to bring the punishment to an end.
It continued for quite some time.
At least, Huo Ling’er had long since lost track of it.
The only thing she remembered was one yelp after another, until eventually she was released.
By the time she rose to her feet, both of her buttocks were bruised and purple.
"Hiss!"
The moment she tried to sit down, she sucked in a sharp breath and nearly jumped back to her feet, a shiver running down her spine.
Chen Xuan paid little attention to her reaction.
Having finished disciplining Huo Ling’er, he shifted his attention to Chi Yao.
Looking at her flushed face and the teeth she had nearly ground flat from frustration, he nodded in satisfaction.
He knew that for the Demon Empress, there was no need to personally administer punishment.
Being tied upside down and forced to watch her rival suffer such humiliation was already enough to push her over the edge.
As such, Chen Xuan spared her from experiencing the "Hand of Redemption" firsthand.
With a flick of his sleeve, the rope binding her ankles snapped apart.
Chi Yao immediately tumbled from the branch and crashed into the dirt below.
When she finally climbed back to her feet, covered in dust and looking thoroughly disheveled, Chen Xuan gestured for her to get closer.
Before long, both women stood in front of him, their faces a mixture of several emotions.
They shifted uneasily where they stood and seemed eager to say something. Yet every time their eyes met Chen Xuan’s, the words died in their throats.
Neither of them wished to go through the previous experience again.
Their reaction did not make him angry. Rather, he grew quite satisfied.
His goal was to teach them that actions had consequences.
Judging by their current behavior, the lesson had been learned.
At the very least, Chen Xuan found it difficult to believe that they would mess around again. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Alright. Stop standing around."
He waved a hand dismissively.
He mentioned nothing of the previous incident, moving to the matter at hand.
"We previously split up to gather information. Unfortunately, both of you are exceptionally talented when it comes to causing trouble," he sneered.
"In only a few hours, you managed to attract an entire group of pursuers. Even Core Formation experts were involved."
"I’m afraid that the entire Star Archipelago would descend into chaos if I left you alone for a few more days."
Neither woman dared to respond.
Though Chi Yao felt wronged since she had nothing to do with it, she wisely kept her mouth shut.
Seeing their silence, Chen Xuan didn’t pursue the matter any further.
His expression grew serious.
"Enough. Tell me what you’ve learned."
His gaze settled on Chi Yao.
Between the two disciples, she was the one he had higher expectations for.
As for the reason...
His eyes drifted toward Huo Ling’er.
Seeing the somewhat vacant look on her face as if she were lost, a trace of pity appeared in his eyes.
Huo Ling’er sensed his gaze immediately.
Unfortunately, she completely misunderstood it.
As though the earlier punishment had never happened, she flashed him a bright smile.
The pity in Chen Xuan’s eyes deepened.
This disciple... was too stupid.
"Cough, cough."
Chi Yao cleared her throat, interrupting the strange exchange before it could continue.
Returning to the discussion, she began to present her findings.
"Master, I’ve gathered information regarding Starlink Island’s major factions, as well as the forces in the surrounding region."
"Among them, the one we must pay the most attention to is the Seven Stars Temple..."
Chen Xuan listened attentively.
Although he had already managed to get some information out of Daoist Qingyun, he believed that Chi Yao’s findings would not disappoint him.
His expectations proved correct.
The information she gathered was extremely comprehensive, going as far as mentioning the approximate strength of each faction on the Island.
Even when discussing the Seven Stars Temple, she showed a deep understanding.
Chen Xuan had no idea how much of this knowledge had been gathered today and how much came from her previous life.
Either way, he was satisfied.
Half an hour later, after she finally concluded her report, Chen Xuan smiled faintly.
"Very good. Chi Yao, you truly are worthy of being my disciple."
"I originally prepared several things for you, intending to hand them over after your breakthrough. Since you’ve contributed ahead of time, I’ll reward you accordingly."
Saying this, Chen Xuan reached toward his storage ring, preparing to take out several of the System’s rewards.
Yet before he could do so, a hesitant, somewhat embarrassed voice interrupted him.
"Um... Master..." Huo Ling’er raised her hand.
"I also found some valuable information. It’s about the space-related treasures we need to gather."
