Chapter 504 - 496: Punishment Envoy

Chapter 504: Chapter 496: Punishment Envoy

"Oh? Those were your words..."

Mu Chen didn’t say a word, but Chu Aoqing did. As still as a statue one moment, as swift as a fleeing rabbit the next! In Mu Chen’s eyes, there was only a flash of golden light. She held nothing back, just like in the bathroom. Broo’s and Red Dog’s bodies were instantly shredded as if they’d been thrown into a meat grinder, turning the entire room into an ocean of blood!

As for Brom, the smile on his face froze solid as he felt warm chunks of flesh and blood splash across it.

"You... you... How dare you!"

The words seemed to escape his subconscious. A sour stench spread from beneath Brom. Mu Chen’s brow twitched. Though his expression remained unchanged, his admiration for the woman beside him grew. ’So decisive! So unrestrained! Absolutely no hesitation!’

The blades on her Qianye Sword spun rapidly, and Chu Aoqing’s eyes held nothing but killing intent.

Watching Chu Aoqing advance on him step by step like the Death God himself, Brom scrambled backward desperately. This so-called Seven-Ring Peak Martial Emperor felt no shame in tumbling from his velvet chair. He was so terrified he couldn’t even muster his Primordial Power, only howling mindlessly, "Even if you’re a student from the Fourth Level, how dare you! How dare you kill someone just like that!"

When Chu Aoqing reached him, she flicked her wrist and tossed a black token with a golden border to Brom. He caught it subconsciously and stared. On the black token, two words were carved with Primordial Power! The script radiated a grim majesty, as if it existed to punish all evil.

"Punishment Envoy!"

Brom’s pupils dilated. His throat bobbed once, and then his vision turned completely red. The last thing he saw was his own body falling away from him and that inviolably majestic token.

To see the token is to suffer holy punishment!

With that done, Chu Aoqing flicked her Qianye Sword clean, sheathed it in the golden scabbard on her back with a reverse-handed flourish, and turned to leave, as if what had just transpired was nothing more than a puff of smoke.

As Chu Aoqing stepped out of the room, her cool, somewhat complex voice drifted back in.

"Let’s go."

At her call, Mu Chen glanced at the scene of carnage in the dorm room, then followed her out. Chu Aoqing was gazing up at the bright moon, its pale light blanketing her stunning features, making her look both cold and captivating.

Without looking at him, as if she could feel his eyes on her, Chu Aoqing chuckled. "Surprised? Or is it just hard to believe?" she said, as if to herself. "That a girl like me is actually a ruthless killer?"

He took two steps forward to stand beside her, meeting her cool gaze. Mu Chen shook his head. "No, I actually admire you. I admire your decisiveness, your resolution."

"Is that so?" A hint of joy flashed in Chu Aoqing’s eyes before vanishing. She smiled. "I’m surprisingly happy to hear you say that. I’ve done this sort of thing more than a few times in the past. It’s how I earned the name Black Rose."

"To be honest, I just don’t have the power," Mu Chen said, his face cold. "If I were strong enough, I would have finished Brom the day I met him. He brought this on himself. Death was too good for him."

"Hah... Yeah, death was too good for him," Chu Aoqing said, linking her arms behind her head and stretching languidly. "Shouldn’t we be heading back?" In the moonlight, her impressive curves were perfectly displayed before Mu Chen, who couldn’t help but recall the intimate moment from before.

Chu Aoqing seemed to sense his gaze, but she felt no revulsion. A thought surfaced in her mind: ’Well, he’s already seen everything there is to see. Let him look.’ With a leap, she dropped from the second-floor balcony of the dorm.

He gave an awkward smile, rubbed his nose, and called out, "Hey, your token!"

With her back to him, Chu Aoqing waved her hand dismissively. "It’s dirty. I don’t want it."

"..."

Resigned, Mu Chen hurried to catch up. In the moonlight, their shadows stretched out long behind them. From the back, they looked perfectly in sync.

「The next day.」

News of the deaths of Brom, Broo, and Red Dog spread like wildfire. It not only alarmed the First Level’s instructors and Wang Miaoling, but it even drew someone from the Holy Punishment Field. However, when this person saw the token clutched in the hand of Brom’s mangled corpse, they immediately gave their final verdict.

"They broke the rules. They deserved to die!"

With those words, the person from the Holy Punishment Field leaped away. As for the bodies, someone would naturally come to dispose of them.

Mornings on Holy Tomb Mountain were always bright and pleasant, for the sun and moon were created by a Great Power. There were no seasons like summer or winter, only an eternal spring.

Sunlight streamed through the window into Mu Chen’s dorm. In the first-floor hall, the Primordial Power within Mu Chen’s body slowly settled. He opened his eyes, a faint golden flicker of thunder flashing through them.

Through Introspection, Mu Chen was delighted to discover that not only had his Martial Artist Realm not weakened from the side effects of the Broken Ring, but it had actually been enhanced considerably by the strange Medicinal Power in his body!

After a night of consolidation through Cultivation, the fatigue and lack of Primordial Power from the Broken Ring had completely vanished. It was no exaggeration to say that he was now fully capable of fighting all over again.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK..."

Just as Mu Chen was marveling at this, a knock came from the door. A genuine, joyous smile, one he hadn’t worn in a long time, bloomed on his face.

’They’ve... They’re awake!’

"Brother Mu Chen! Brother Mu Chen!!"

As expected, the ever-impatient Little Tiger was yelling at the top of his lungs. Mu Chen rushed to the door and threw it open. He didn’t even mind the glare of the sun; he just wanted to see them, his family, as soon as possible.

"Little Tiger, Mo Qing, Shuangshuang, Xiao Tian... and you!"

"Hmph... Look at you, all comfortable. You’ve probably seen everything the Inner Mountain has to offer while we still don’t know a thing!"

Long Xiaotian leaped forward without a second thought, landing beside Mu Chen and slinging an arm around his shoulders. This infuriated Ye Shuangshuang, who yelled, "Long Xiaotian, get your hands off him! It’s not like you and Brother Mu Chen are that close!"

"What’s this about being close? Don’t be like that, it’s hurtful! Right, Mu Chen?"

Long Xiaotian paid her no mind. In his heart, Mu Chen was eighty percent of the reason they’d made it into the Inner Mountain. If it weren’t for that terrifying Secret Technique he used at the end, they would have all been wiped out back there.

"Well said! We came here from the Outer Realm together, so we’re brothers. We’re family! But..." Mu Chen’s expression suddenly grew serious. "The things that happened to me during the three days you were unconscious... it’ll probably take you half a day just to process it all. The Inner Mountain isn’t like the Outer Mountain. If we don’t stick together, it’ll be hard for us to survive here."

As he spoke, Mu Chen’s gaze flickered to the solitary, black-robed figure standing furthest away. For some reason, Mu Chen could feel the emotions in his aura. ’He really, really wants to be a part of the group, but... he’s afraid of something.’

"Yaaawn~"

Suddenly, a yawn came from behind Mu Chen, followed by a lazy, alluring mumble. "Mu Chen... why is it so noisy this early in the morning..."

Hearing the voice, the group at the door looked past Mu Chen. One glance was all it took for them to be utterly stunned. A peerless woman, every bit as beautiful as Mu Bingling, had appeared behind him!

It was just... the woman’s attire... Oh, boy...

In their eyes, the woman was wearing an adorable set of pink pajamas covered in white polka dots. Her pajama pants matched, and on her feet were a pair of fluffy white bunny slippers. Her long purple hair was a bit of a mess, but that disheveled look added an endearing, cute charm to her otherwise mature aura, making her look exceptionally adorable.

It could be none other than Chu Aoqing who had just walked out of Mu Chen’s room.

"Uh... uh..." Mu Chen turned his head mechanically, his expression frozen. He stammered for a while, unable to form a complete sentence. ’Seeing Little Tiger and the others awake had gotten me so excited that I completely forgot the most important thing! How could I have forgotten Chu Aoqing was here?! And what’s even more shocking... the stone-cold upperclassman who effortlessly dealt with three Martial Emperors last night actually wears pajamas like *these*?! Oh my god! I must be hallucinating!’

Rubbing her sleepy, crimson eyes, Chu Aoqing finally focused on the scene before her. Her impression was... a bunch of kids staring at her with expressions of extreme curiosity and shock.

"POOF..."

Unsurprisingly, Chu Aoqing’s face instantly flushed bright red. In a flash, she turned and vanished from the doorway.

At that, the shocked expressions of everyone at the door instantly turned mischievous. In perfect, synchronized unison, they all turned to lock their gazes on Mu Chen’s face.

"Holy crap! Attaboy, kid! Three days! Damn! It’s only been three days, and you’ve already bagged a top-tier beauty like that?!" Long Xiaotian was the first to snap out of it, slapping Mu Chen hard on the shoulder as he roared dramatically.

"Brother Mu Chen, you’re amazing! That big sister is just as pretty as Sister Bingling and Sister Mo Qing!" Little Tiger exclaimed with an innocent expression, managing to drag Mo Qing into the conversation.

That was the last straw! Hearing Mo Qing’s name, Ye Shuangshuang lunged forward, grabbed Mu Chen by the ear, and yelled, "So it’s you, Mu Chen! Messing around while Sister Bingling and Sister Mo Qing are unconscious! And you work fast, don’t you?! How could you do this to them?!"

As for Mo Qing, she acted as if nothing was wrong. She looked at Mu Chen with a pained expression but said nothing, seemingly waiting for his explanation.

"Here! Allow me to explain!"

Suddenly, an incredibly domineering aura swept over everyone present. The world... fell silent.