Chapter 25: A Sticky Situation and Swift Retribution

He cast his gaze downwards at Bai Jiaojiao, who was still beneath him, seemingly intent on exhausting every conceivable method of play.

Behind him, Gu Yuhe’s actions grew increasingly bold; initially, she merely massaged his sides, but soon her restless small hands ventured towards the center.

She even pressed her nose against his back, taking several deep breaths, creating such a commotion that Su Qin felt too awkward to reprimand her.

Gu Yuhe’s eyes had grown somewhat unfocused, her small mouth parted as she panted warm breaths, nearly drooling.

Having thoroughly explored him under the guise of a massage, she could now vividly imagine her master’s naked back.

She had been continuously observing Su Qin’s reactions, and finding him seemingly unconcerned, she wondered if this implied… tacit approval?

‘No, how could she know her master wasn’t actually inviting her?’

Su Qin wore a look of serene composure, watching Elder Gao get stabbed yet again and Qi He throw down his helmet and armor; in three more minutes, he would step in to claim his spoils.

It had to be said, both little ones possessed rather impressive techniques; after such a session, his entire being, both mind and body, felt considerably more refreshed and comfortable.

***

‘Such a fun pouch, does he have more of them?’

Bai Jiaojiao lifted her head, her large eyes scanning to confirm the demonic overlord hadn’t noticed, before resuming her exploration.

‘Master… since I’ve already touched the back, surely I can touch the front too?’

Gu Yuhe’s gaze was practically dripping with desire as she stealthily extended her hand forward.

‘Eh?’

Su Qin’s brow furrowed when he realized another Human Seed Pouch was simultaneously grasped by two tender hands.

‘Where did this third hand come from?’

Before he could react, the two hands brushed against each other.

Bai Jiaojiao frowned, thinking to herself, ‘Which fellow professional is also here to steal treasures?’

Gu Yuhe pouted, convinced some imp was coveting her master’s body.

“That’s mine!” ×2

With a simultaneous tug from both hands, Su Qin’s vision went black.

***

It was a close call, almost triggering the Blood Demon Spirit Body’s second resurrection; he grabbed one little loli in each hand, lifting them.

Their fierce gazes crossed paths in mid-air, sparking; both huffed simultaneously and turned their heads away.

This was going to be troublesome…

Some matters, when left unexamined, could be overlooked, but once scrutinized, even a thousand jin (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of weight, approximately 500 grams or 1.1 pounds.) would be too light to measure their true weight.

For the sake of the demonic overlord’s reputation, both of them had to be severely punished.

Yet, one was a good disciple, and the other was a phantom thief he couldn’t afford to antagonize; he had to handle both with extreme caution.

He decided to start with his disciple.

“Cough, cough, Yuhe, do you know your transgression?”

Su Qin feigned a fierce demeanor, instantly exuding the demonic overlord’s authority.

Gu Yuhe trembled in fright, tears welling in the corners of her eyes, and she pouted, speaking with a wronged air:

“Master, Yuhe merely wished to fulfill her filial duty, to give you a relaxing massage, and you agreed…”

“This master never said you could commit such impertinent acts. Do you still hold any respect for hierarchy? Do you intend to become a rebellious disciple who disrespects their master?”

Gu Yuhe lowered her head in apparent shame, though in truth, a smile played on her lips, and her bright eyes gleamed with hidden delight.

“Wuwu~, Master, Yuhe will never dare again. From now on, it will certainly be Master above and I below~. I beg Master for forgiveness.

..Moreover, didn’t Master say that no matter what mistake Yuhe made, you wouldn’t truly blame me?”

Su Qin’s heart sank with a thump; those words, it seemed… weren’t wrong, were they?

Their relationship had just been mended; he couldn’t punish her immediately. At the very least, he had to let their honeymoon period pass first.

He had forgotten the former, forgotten the latter; in short,

You pass!

Su Qin gently set Gu Yuhe down on the ground, and the little girl immediately broke into a smile, tears still clinging to her lashes.

Bai Jiaojiao stared, dumbfounded.

‘Wait, a disciple stealing their master’s storage pouch—are your rules truly that lax?’

‘An apology is all it takes to be forgiven?’

As expected of such a wealthy lord, not even caring about stolen goods. This ready-made answer was simply too good not to copy!

“Cough, cough,”

Su Qin felt a pang of awkwardness, still unsure how to deal with Bai Jiaojiao. He lifted her, only to find the girl sobbing uncontrollably, snot, tears, and saliva streaming down her face, leaving his hands feeling sticky.

“Big Brother, wuwu… I was wrong, I won’t ever dare again, wa wuwu ahhh~”

Su Qin’s face darkened with exasperation. ‘Are our feelings truly that deep for you to just randomly call me Big Brother?’

‘And aren’t you the Phantom Thief of Southern Xinjiang? The one who, upon being imprisoned in the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, emptied it instead? How could you repent so easily?’

“I just don’t get enough to eat, and I’ve been malnourished for so long that I can’t even grow tall, wuwu. So, I just… wanted to get some nutrients from you. I truly deserve to die…”

Su Qin’s expression visibly softened a few shades, after all, Bai Jiaojiao had genuinely suffered from hunger as a child and hadn’t caused any substantial damage.

How pitiful she was; she wasn’t like ordinary thieves.

And it seemed… her attitude towards confession was excellent.

You pass!

Bai Jiaojiao, seeing Su Qin’s noticeably softened expression, knew she wouldn’t be held accountable and stuck her tongue out at Gu Yuhe.

“Hmph!”

Gu Yuhe let out a cold huff and tugged at her master’s sleeve.

“Mas~ter~”

This made goosebumps erupt all over Su Qin’s skin; ‘What kind of strange noise is that?’ he thought, looking at his usually unsentimental disciple with utter astonishment.

“This trashy imp cannot be let go.”

“Why?” Su Qin asked, his face etched with confusion.

“Because she covets your body; she’s depraved.”

Gu Yuhe stated bluntly, which utterly baffled Bai Jiaojiao.

‘She earned her keep with her skills, so how was she depraved? She was certainly better than a saccharine little flirt like you, wasn’t she?’

Bai Jiaojiao was not one to suffer a loss, and immediately retorted:

“You’re full of nonsense!”

Gu Yuhe let out a series of cold sneers, making Su Qin’s hair stand on end. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his disciple had changed, no longer the cute, innocent student she once was.

‘How had she become more and more like a demonic enchantress? Had she been assimilated by him, the demonic overlord?’

“You’re not depraved? Then what exactly were you touching just now?”

Bai Jiaojiao lowered her head, rendered silent.

It wasn’t that she now understood what she had touched; rather, it was because Su Qin had finally agreed to let her go. Bringing up the theft again would be like poking a hornet’s nest.

‘What if this demonic overlord changed his mind and decided not to release her?’

They were both Golden Core cultivators, but for some reason, the mere thought of making an enemy of Su Qin filled her with an intrinsic dread.

“Why are you silent? Do you admit it?”

Gu Yuhe pressed her advantage, about to blurt out even more outrageous words, but Su Qin patted her head, effectively silencing her as well.

“You may leave.”

Spatial magic itself served as an indication of status; possessing it implied the backing of a powerful figure.

Regardless of who it was, he shouldn’t offend them for now.

This had been Su Qin’s good intention, yet who would have thought that upon seeing his accommodating nature, Bai Jiaojiao would lose every last shred of fear in her heart.

‘Ridiculous! Avoid his edge?’

“Demonic overlord! I mock your lack of wisdom and foresight; to let me return to the mountains after I’ve touched your treasures?”

Bai Jiaojiao struck a pose, several formidable magic treasures instantly enveloping her, making her instantly arrogant.

She knew she was a ‘squishy’ target (TL Note: A gaming term referring to a character with low defense or health, making them vulnerable to damage), and could only engage Su Qin from a distance.

“I, Bai Jiaojiao, am the foremost lover of rare treasures in all the world! Anything that catches my eye will eventually fall into my hands! You’d best sleep with one eye open! Heh heh haha.”

Su Qin offered no smile, silently observing her arrogance as one hundred and eight fangs simultaneously sprang into action.

In less than a minute, Bai Jiaojiao was once again in his grasp, her eyes now perfectly clear.

“Big Brother, I think I was possessed just now, wuwu, it was so scary…”