"Old Senior Kaiyun, it's not that I, this Young Lady, am being too heavy-handed. It's that your little granddaughter simply doesn't know how to behave. You, venerable elder, should understand clearly. Ever since I caused that huge mess outside over a decade ago, I've been honest and well-behaved all these years. I've endured many things I could endure, and even for things I couldn't, I've found ways to tolerate them. But your little granddaughter here doesn't know when to stop when given face; instead, she climbs all over you. Time and again, she's gone out of her way to make trouble for me."
One had to admit, Mu Lingyao truly lived up to her reputation as the Little Demoness. Even facing an elder like Liu Kaiyun, she showed not a trace of fear, her words dripping with unyielding arrogance.
"I've already endured her many times. I truly can't take it anymore. If I don't properly teach her a lesson today, to make her remember, who knows? She might just start shitting and pissing on my head in the future!"
"Young Lady Mu, you exaggerate," Liu Kaiyun said with a darkened expression. "Even if you gave this old man's little granddaughter ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare act presumptuously before the Young Lady of the Mu family."
"She doesn't dare act presumptuously to my face, but she spreads malicious rumors about me behind my back."
"This old man guarantees that upon returning, I will discipline her properly." As he spoke, Liu Kaiyun glared at Liu Shuangyan and reprimanded, "Hurry up and apologize to Young Lady Mu!"
"I... I... I'm sorry. I was wrong." Despite having ten million grievances in her heart, Liu Shuangyan had no choice but to apologize to Mu Lingyao at this moment.
"I wonder if Young Lady Mu could forgive her this once, for this old man's sake."
Beside them, Flower Butterfly Immortal also advised, "Yao'er, let her go."
"Since Old Senior Kaiyun has spoken to this extent, how could I, a junior, dare not give face? However, letting her off this time is not impossible, but what if she offends again next time?"
"This old man guarantees you, there will be no next time."
"And if there is?"
Liu Kaiyun stared at Mu Lingyao, his eyes growing increasingly furious. After a moment, he roared, "If Shuangyan dares offend Young Lady Mu again, this old man will personally beat her to death right before your eyes. Would that satisfy Young Lady Mu?"
"Good!" Mu Lingyao nodded, then turned to look at Liu Shuangyan, pointing at her and saying, "Liu Shuangyan, today, for the sake of your Golden Crow Liu Family's reputation, I'll let you off this once. But only this once. There absolutely will not be a next time. If you dare offend me again, even if Old Senior Kaiyun doesn't beat you to death, I will personally beat you to death right before his venerable eyes!"
One had to admit, Mu Lingyao truly deserved to be called the Little Demoness. Her demonic nature was ruthless enough.
Her words were not only meant for Liu Shuangyan's ears but also for Liu Kaiyun and the others of the Golden Crow Liu Family. The implication was simple: if Liu Shuangyan dared offend again, even if the Golden Crow Liu Family intervened, she, Mu Lingyao, would not let it rest.
"As for today's bet, forget it. I won't make you kneel and kowtow either." Changing the subject, Mu Lingyao added, "However, I said I would make you remember this lesson today!"
With that, Mu Lingyao delivered another fierce slap across Liu Shuangyan's face, shouting, "This slap is to make you remember!"
Just moments ago, Mu Lingyao had declared before Liu Kaiyun and the Golden Crow Liu Family that if Liu Shuangyan dared offend again, she would beat her to death before their eyes.
Now, she had slapped Liu Shuangyan right before Liu Kaiyun and the Golden Crow Liu Family. With this slap, she told everyone that she dared to do exactly that.
If Mu Lingyao's earlier words were meant for both Liu Shuangyan and the Golden Crow Liu Family, then this slap not only struck Liu Shuangyan's face but also slapped Liu Kaiyun, and even the entire Golden Crow Liu Family's face!
The members of the Golden Crow Liu Family were all seething with rage. Even Liu Kaiyun, who had been suppressing his anger, instantly erupted in fury. Glaring at Mu Lingyao, he bellowed, "Mu Lingyao! Don't push people too far! Do you truly think our Golden Crow Liu Family is easy to bully?!"
Whoosh!
As Liu Kaiyun and the other Golden Crow Liu Family members circulated their Immortal Spirit, brilliant light erupted wildly around them, and surging Immortal Power burst forth, as if ready to take action.
The Mu family was one of the Council families of the Fengyue Small World. The Golden Crow Liu Family indeed dared not provoke them. Otherwise, with Liu Shuangyan beaten to such a state by Mu Lingyao today, Liu Kaiyun wouldn't have suppressed his anger for so long. But now, Mu Lingyao had slapped Liu Shuangyan right before his eyes, which was no different from slapping his own face. This was beyond endurance! Liu Kaiyun was, after all, a senior of considerable influence in the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain. How could he tolerate such humiliation?
Flower Butterfly Immortal knew Mu Lingyao had been bold and reckless since childhood. She had thought her temperament had mellowed over the years. She never expected Mu Lingyao to slap Liu Shuangyan right before Liu Kaiyun. At this moment, she had no time to ponder further. Seeing Liu Kaiyun and the others circulating their Immortal Spirit, she immediately stepped in front of Mu Lingyao and said,
"Old Senior, Yao'er has always been willful and reckless. I hope you won't stoop to our level as juniors."
Flower Butterfly Immortal was an intelligent person. Her words were skillfully crafted. On the surface, she was pleading for leniency for Mu Lingyao, but in reality, it was a hint: no matter how deep the enmity between them and Liu Shuangyan, no matter how much they fought or quarreled, it was merely a squabble among juniors. That was normal. But if a senior like you intervened, it would no longer be a simple matter of junior disputes.
Sure enough.
Upon hearing Flower Butterfly Immortal's words, the radiant light around Liu Kaiyun gradually dissipated, and he withdrew his erupted Immortal Power.
"Old Senior Kaiyun, I was merely disciplining her on your behalf, lest you have to beat her to death before my eyes next time."
After saying this, Mu Lingyao waved her hand, recalling the Black-Gold Crimson Serpent. Then, without looking back, she grabbed Flower Butterfly Immortal's hand and left directly.
Liu Shuangyan, who had been slapped countless times by Mu Lingyao earlier, now had a face swollen like a pig's head. She lay slumped on the ground, her entire body trembling as if terrified out of her wits. The skirt of her lower garment was wet—clearly, she had been so frightened by the Black-Gold Crimson Serpent that she had lost control of her bladder.
This time, Liu Shuangyan had utterly lost face!
Not only had she lost all dignity, but her Immortal Fate Dao Companion, Lord Qianxing, had suffered the same fate. So had Liu Feng of the Golden Crow Liu Family, and all the later-arriving members of the Golden Crow Liu Family. Especially Liu Kaiyun. He was an elder of the Golden Crow Liu Family, a senior expert of considerable influence in the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain. Though not a major figure, he was still someone of repute, someone whom various secret realms across the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain would show some respect.
But now, this very senior of repute had humbled himself to plead with Mu Lingyao. That alone was a loss of face. Yet, not only did Mu Lingyao not give him any face, she had instead slapped Liu Shuangyan fiercely right before his eyes. This slap not only struck Liu Shuangyan's face but also slapped Liu Kaiyun's face, and even the face of the entire Golden Crow Liu Family.
Most importantly, this was the Tower of Stolen Gold. Countless people had gathered in the vicinity. If the Golden Crow Liu Family simply swallowed this humiliation today, how would its members ever hold their heads high in the Dual-Pole Celestial Domain again?