Chapter 271: Chapter 271

After Su Yao and Zuo Yingchun descended, they couldn’t help but feel astonished by the sight around them.

This was the Qingyun Sect—yet how could there be so many beautiful celestial maidens here?

In truth, the spirit boat had returned smoothly to the Five Fingers Peak of Qingyun Sect not because Su Yao and Zuo Yingchun were steering it but because Ye Yu had already pre-set the route beforehand.

As expected, this was Ye Yu’s territory, so it should have been Ye Yu himself leading Su Yao and Zuo Yingchun down from the boat. However, it seemed that Ye Yu was still practicing calligraphy with Ruan Lianyue, making it inconvenient for Su Yao and Zuo Yingchun to disturb him. Left to their own devices, they descended alone, giving Ye Yu and Ruan Lianyue a quieter environment.

What they didn’t expect, though, was that as soon as they stepped off the boat, a woman dressed in imperial dragon robes stepped forward and demanded answers.

Su Yao, despite her curiosity, was about to respond but was promptly stopped by Zuo Yingchun, who raised her hand.

“I don’t like your tone. If you’re asking a question, ask with some respect. Understand?” Zuo Yingchun retorted boldly.@@novelbin@@

That was her nature—respect her, and she’d respect you even more in return. She didn’t care about titles or status! An emperor in the mortal realm? She was a reincarnated celestial, after all!

Li Ruowang, with her fiery temper, was already fuming, and Zuo Yingchun’s attitude only fueled her anger.

She took a step forward, saying, “This is how I talk. You can either listen or not, but you will listen!”

Zuo Yingchun scoffed. "Oh? Are mortal cultivators this bold now? Daring to challenge me face to face?”

“And what if I refuse?” Zuo Yingchun stepped forward, showing no sign of backing down, facing Li Ruowang head-on.

Meanwhile, inside the spirit boat, Ye Yu had just finished his practice. Hearing the commotion below, he walked out of the room and approached the edge of the boat to look down. One glance was enough to make his expression change drastically.

One, two, three, four… What in the world was happening here?

Ye Yu rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked again. It was real. All of it.

How had it come to this? Why were so many of his companions gathered here? And from the looks of it, the tension was high, with a fight potentially breaking out at any moment.

What was he going to do?

Ye Yu’s mind raced as he quickly tried to think of a solution. At that moment, Ruan Lianyue also emerged from the room, her face slightly flushed, adding to her already charming appearance. Though exhausted, she forced herself to look composed, so as not to arouse suspicion in Su Yao and Zuo Yingchun.

Seeing only Ye Yu on the deck with a troubled expression, Ruan Lianyue curiously approached him and asked, “Husband, what’s wrong?”

Ye Yu gave a bitter smile without answering. Following his gaze, Ruan Lianyue noticed the group of women gathered below. Besides Yun Roumu in the corner, she recognized none of the others.

Who were these women? What had caused Ye Yu to make such a face?

After a moment of thought, Ruan Lianyue guessed that the woman in dragon robes was probably one of Ye Yu’s Dao companions as well. Otherwise, why would she be so confrontational with Zuo Yingchun?

Ruan Lianyue understood her current standing—Ye Yu had accepted her, but she still had wrongs to make up for. To secure her position, she knew she had to take action.

Clutching Ye Yu’s arm, she softly suggested, “Why don’t I go down and help you mediate between them?”

Hearing this, Ye Yu shook his head slightly. “Better not.”

There were nine of them down there. Even excluding Lin Miaoxue and Yun Roumu, that still left seven—Li Ruowang, Gan Zhizui, Zuo Yingchun. Each of them had a fierce temper and wasn’t easy to handle. Could Ruan Lianyue alone possibly calm them all?

Ruan Lianyue was about to insist when the fight broke out below!

Li Ruowang, with a mere thought, summoned a phantom of a true dragon that suddenly emerged from behind her, filling the area with a terrifying pressure. Zuo Yingchun, unwilling to be outdone, raised her right hand, causing the skies to churn and thunder to roll, resembling an apocalyptic scene.

Observing this, Bu Lingfei and Yun Ciwu furrowed their brows. Was a fight really inevitable?

Ye Yu, watching from the spirit boat, sighed. It seemed he had no choice but to step in.

In an instant, he transformed into a streak of sword light, slicing through the thunder and swiftly descending. Within moments, he severed the dragon phantom, instantly dispersing Zuo Yingchun and Li Ruowang’s attacks.

Ye Yu appeared before them. Seeing his arrival, Tuoba Qiyue and Gan Zhizui felt a surge of excitement and quickly approached.

Li Ruowang sneered, “Finally decided to come back?”

Zuo Yingchun immediately objected, “Watch your tone with my husband! You must be missing a few screws!”

Ye Yu’s expression turned cold as he slowly raised his right hand, casting the Binding Technique!

In the next instant, a golden light blossomed from his chest, and countless tiny black characters materialized, binding Li Ruowang and Zuo Yingchun.

They struggled, trying to break free, but their efforts were in vain.

Just as Li Ruowang was about to demand an explanation, she suddenly felt a powerful force strike her from behind.

Ye Yu delivered five swift smacks to both Li Ruowang and Zuo Yingchun’s backsides, each smack echoing crisply. Though not physically damaging, the stinging pain was undeniable.

To be spanked in front of so many people—it was utterly humiliating. One was an emperor of the mortal realm, the other a reincarnated celestial. If word got out, how would they ever show their faces again?

Li Ruowang shouted, “Ye Yu, how dare you hit me? You…”

The moment she opened her mouth to protest, Ye Yu responded with another five slaps, even louder than before. Li Ruowang’s body trembled, though whether from the pain or sheer embarrassment was unclear.

The severe punishment made Gan Zhizui’s eyelid twitch. As the renowned Poison Maiden of the Southern Barbarian Continent, she had no intention of being humiliated in front of everyone like this—such disgrace!

Even Tuoba Qiyue and Lin Miaoxue took a discreet step back, reconsidering their involvement. Wait… what did this have to do with them? Why were they retreating?

Lin Miaoxue gave a slight shake of her head but dared not approach any closer.

Ye Yu scanned the group and declared firmly, “From now on, anyone who dares to fight among themselves will face the same consequence. Understood?”

The women nodded in unison. “Understood!”

Left with their heads hanging low, Zuo Yingchun and Li Ruowang felt utterly humiliated, realizing they had become the example for everyone else. Where could they possibly justify this?

Li Ruowang’s anger simmered, but she dared not act out further. She understood clearly—any further protests would only lead to more punishment. Yet, in truth, beneath the shame, there was an inexplicable sense of satisfaction—a feeling she found herself oddly missing.