Chapter 113 Roll and Cry

"Is the ninth stage of the Nirvana Realm that impressive? Realm level isn't everything. I really don't understand how you two can be so arrogant with your level of strength," Lin Qian said calmly as he clapped his hands.

At this moment, the two brothers—one chubby and one thin—were hanging from a large tree, their clothes stripped clean. They were bound by golden ropes that tied their wrists, suspending them from the tree.

Ye Lin, standing nearby, was utterly stunned. Moments ago, Lin Qian had suddenly made a move, and before she could even see what happened, the two brothers were already unconscious on the ground.

Then, with just a wave of his hand, Lin Qian had conjured the golden ropes out of thin air, binding the two men and hoisting them up into the tree. What made Ye Lin blush was that after hanging them up, Lin Qian had stripped off all their clothes.

After finishing his work, Lin Qian pinched their philtrums to wake them up and then said the words that left them hanging—both literally and figuratively.

At this point, the two brothers hanging from the tree were deeply ashamed. This mountain was an area where inner disciples resided, and more and more disciples were gathering around them.

"Aren't those the two troublemakers? Finally getting what they deserve!"

"Look, it's Emperor Lin Qian! He's back!"

"It seems he's the one who did this. Finally, someone to teach them a lesson."

The gathered inner disciples murmured among themselves, clearly pleased with the situation.

Hearing the disciples' remarks, Lin Qian smiled and walked over to the two hanging men. "It seems like you two don't have the best reputation."

"Lin Qian, you're bold! I advise you to let us down immediately, or our boss won't let you off," the chubby-faced brother, the elder of the two, threatened.

Lin Qian glanced at the chubby youth, raised an eyebrow, and slapped him hard across the face.

Slap!

The crisp sound of the slap echoed, and the chubby youth spun like a top, spinning wildly from the force of the blow.

"That's satisfying!" one of the onlookers shouted, clearly enjoying the sight of the chubby youth spinning from the slap.

After slapping the chubby youth, Lin Qian turned his attention to the thin-faced youth. "What are your names? Where are you from, and who is your boss?"

The thin-faced youth looked at his spinning brother, swallowed hard, and hurriedly replied, "My name is Shi Fei, my brother is Shi Hang, and we're from Qinghua Domain. Our boss is Gao Benli."

Slap!

No sooner had Shi Fei finished speaking than Lin Qian slapped him hard across the face, leaving a bright red handprint on Shi Fei's cheek.

Unlike Shi Hang, Shi Fei didn't spin because Lin Qian grabbed him, but the slap still left him dazed.

"I... I told you everything! Why did you still hit me?" Shi Fei asked, feeling wronged.

"You answered too slowly. You made me wait three whole breaths. That made me unhappy," Lin Qian replied nonchalantly before glancing back at Shi Hang, who had finally stopped spinning.

Despite the intense spinning, Shi Hang, being a Nirvana Realm warrior at the ninth stage, wasn't about to faint.

"Our boss won't let you off, Lin Qian! You're finished, you know that?" Shi Hang shouted as soon as he stopped spinning.

"Finished? You wish!" Lin Qian sneered and slapped Shi Hang again.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Blow after blow landed on Shi Hang's face, each one making him spin faster, his cheeks swelling with each strike.

The inner disciples watching cringed at the sight, covering their faces as they watched Shi Hang spin like a top.

After finishing with Shi Hang, Lin Qian turned his gaze back to Shi Fei.

Seeing Lin Qian's gaze, Shi Fei's face twitched as he forced a fawning smile. "Heh, heh... heh heh..."

Slap!

"Why did you hit me again?" Shi Fei asked, nearly in tears, utterly baffled.

"Your smile was ugly," Lin Qian replied nonchalantly, glancing at his hand. "Now, tell me more about your boss, Gao Benli."

"He's the grandson of the previous Wanxiang Sect Master. He left Linhai Prefecture years ago, and we're not from around here. We came back with him from outside the prefecture," Shi Fei explained quickly.

Slap!

Another slap landed on Shi Fei's face.

"Why did you hit me this time?" Shi Fei asked, on the verge of tears.

"Oh, sorry, it was just a reflex. I didn't mean to," Lin Qian said apologetically.

Hearing this, Shi Fei finally broke down and started crying.

Ever since he and his brother had followed Gao Benli to Linhai Prefecture and joined the Wanxiang Sect, they had always been the bullies. Never had they been treated like this—stripped, beaten, and hung up for everyone to see.

Seeing Shi Fei cry, Lin Qian looked at him in surprise, then shook his head. "Pathetic. It's just a few slaps. Is it really worth crying over?"

Afterward, Lin Qian turned to Ye Lin and beckoned her over. "Come on, let's go to Maoqing Mountain. You can tell me more about this Gao Benli on the way."

"Okay!" Ye Lin cheerfully agreed. As she passed Shi Hang, she mimicked Lin Qian's actions and gave him a slap of her own.

Just as Shi Hang was slowing down, Ye Lin's slap sent him spinning again, making him howl in pain.

After Lin Qian and Ye Lin left, the two brothers remained hanging there—one spinning, the other crying.

The surrounding inner disciples felt no sympathy for the pair. Instead, they seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Some even mustered the courage to take a turn slapping the brothers themselves.

Little did Lin Qian know that after he left, Shi Hang would spend another hour spinning, while Shi Fei's face would swell up to the size of a watermelon from all the slaps.

Upon returning to Maoqing Mountain, Lin Qian sat in his courtyard, inviting Ye Lin to sit across from him.

"Lin Qian, I'm so glad you're back! What you did earlier was so satisfying," Ye Lin said with a wave of her hand, her excitement evident. But soon, a hint of sadness clouded her eyes. "But if you had returned sooner, Bai Ren might still be..."

"What happened to Bai Ren?" Lin Qian asked urgently, sensing something was wrong.