After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

Yu Qingtang stared at Pretty Butterfly in shock and lowered his voice. “Is this normal too?”

“Not for demonfolk.” Pretty Butterfly chuckled. “But it’s normal for him.”

She raised her voice.

“Nobody-Likes-Me, can this establishment of yours even stay open? You let just anyone come in here and run wild...”

“Sorry.” Nobody-Likes-Me’s voice temporarily returned to normal. He turned around. “Someone called me away just now. I imagine it was a diversion.”

Pretty Butterfly looked surprised. “You actually figured that out? Since when did you become so clever?”

Nobody-Likes-Me scratched his head. “It wasn’t cleverness...”

He stole a glance at Yu Qingtang.

“I remembered you saying the human coming today was good-tempered and would let me touch him, so I hurried back.”

Yu Qingtang fell silent.

So he rushed back to get his human fix and stumbled into this by accident... No, he hadn’t even made it back in time.

Still, the proprietor’s love for humans clearly ran deep.

Nobody-Likes-Me looked anxiously toward the other three rooms. “Are they all right? I heard Viper-Worm venom was extremely potent...”

“Relax.” Pretty Butterfly waved dismissively. “If they wanted to use those three to threaten me, they had to keep them alive. They wouldn’t dare use anything too dangerous.”

“I already checked. It’s only an ordinary sedative. Even if we left them untreated, they’d wake up after sleeping for two days.”

“But if they want to recover faster—”

She smiled and raised one hand. A small jade-green snake slithered up her arm.

“One bite from my darling will draw out the poison, and they’ll recover immediately. The only question is whether they have the nerve.”

She turned toward Yu Qingtang.

Yu Qingtang widened his eyes. “Why are you looking at me? I wasn’t poisoned!”

“You have the softest, most delicate skin.” Pretty Butterfly grinned and brought the snake toward his face to frighten him. “I bet my darling would most enjoy biting you.”

Yu Qingtang sat down cross-legged.

A golden lotus throne blossomed beneath him, and he smugly extended one finger to tease the little snake.

“Go ahead. Tell it to try.”

“Cheater!” Pretty Butterfly snorted.

She picked up the snake, turned around, and marched into Chi Yantian’s room.

Chi Yantian struggled to lift his head. “Hey, how can you just walk in here—ow! What bit me?”

Furious, he braced himself against the side of the tub and tried to stand. Then his expression changed.

“I have strength again!”

Scholar Xiao cried out in alarm, “Brother Yu, help me pull the door shut! The snake can come in, but she—”

“That won’t do.” Pretty Butterfly cheerfully stuck her head through the doorway. “What do you have that no one else is allowed to see? Let me take a look.”

With a snap, Scholar Xiao opened his folding fan and covered his face.

Pretty Butterfly doubled over laughing. “Why are you only covering your face?”

She raised her hand.

The jade-green snake returned to her, its belly visibly rounder than before.

Yu Qingtang curiously asked Scholar Xiao, “Feeling better? What was it like?”

Scholar Xiao lowered his folding fan, revealing a pair of thoughtful eyes.

“The effect was remarkably fast. It works even better than ordinary antidote pills.”

“No wonder Master said Nanzhou was filled with strange wonders and was well worth visiting...”

A sharp glint entered his eyes. He lowered his voice and gave Yu Qingtang a meaningful look.

“Brother Yu, the little monk gets eaten next, right?”

Yu Qingtang quietly peeked over.

Pretty Butterfly had already closed the door to Baoshan’s room. She arched an eyebrow at him.

“What are you looking at?”

Yu Qingtang was stunned. “It’s over?”

Scholar Xiao struggled to stick his head out as well, looking even more incredulous.

“Already?”

“Hmph.” Pretty Butterfly walked past them, mischief gleaming in her eyes. “Were you hoping to watch a good show? Then I absolutely refuse to let you!”

“Now that all the troublesome people are gone, we can finally enjoy a proper soak.”

“Nobody-Likes-Me, you’d better take good care of us this time!”

“Of course.” Nobody-Likes-Me agreed without hesitation. “You won’t be charged any spirit stones today. Stay as long as you like.”

After speaking, he turned to Yu Qingtang.

He extended a paw and looked at him expectantly.

“Can I touch you again?”

Yu Qingtang cooperatively reached out.

Nobody-Likes-Me clutched his chest and began whimpering again.

“Tell Yellow whatever you want to eat. He should have recovered by now. I-I’ll just...”

Hearing the mention of food, Chi Yantian leaned over the side of his tub and shouted, “Show me that artifact you use to serve the food!”

“Certainly.” Nobody-Likes-Me stopped outside his door.

After hesitating, he cautiously extended a paw toward him.

“Can I touch you too?”

Chi Yantian looked at the paw, then casually bumped his fist against it.

Nobody-Likes-Me’s enormous, muscular body immediately curled into a ball. Clutching his heart, he fled in delight.

“Thank you! Awoof!”

He charged outside excitedly.

“Yellow! Change the guests’ water and bring out the food! Extra-large portions!”

After another round of commotion, the group finally settled into safe, harmless, all-natural sulfur-spring water.

Yu Qingtang leaned over the side of his tub with half of a terrifying-looking poisonous insect dangling from his mouth. With his eyes closed, he savored it carefully.

“Brother Xiao, close your eyes. It tastes just like shrimp or crab. It’s wonderfully fresh!”

Scholar Xiao smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid I lack the fortune to enjoy it...”

“Coward. Afraid of a few little bugs.” Pretty Butterfly laughed at him. “What do you think, big fool?”

Chi Yantian smacked his lips. “It tastes good, but there’s too much shell and too little meat. Eating it is a hassle. I still prefer big chunks of meat.”

“Tch.” Pretty Butterfly complained under her breath. “No taste at all. Little Yu is much better. He’s usually timid as a mouse, but he becomes brave whenever food is involved.”

Yu Qingtang tried to correct her. “How am I timid? I’m cautious!”

Pretty Butterfly laughed.

Then she suddenly called out, “Little monk, why aren’t you saying anything? You didn’t faint, did you? I’m coming to save you!”

“I-I’m fine!” Baoshan immediately replied in fright. “I have also tried the mushroom banquet. It is indeed extraordinarily delicious.”

“Oh—” Pretty Butterfly drew out the word.

Yu Qingtang instinctively sensed that she was about to cause trouble.

Sure enough, an oily scorpion head suddenly flew across his vision. It traced a perfect arc through the air before landing in Baoshan’s bathing compartment.

Yu Qingtang had barely opened his mouth when Baoshan screamed.

Yu Qingtang stared.

“Don’t throw leftover shells into your friend’s bathtub!”

So the screen formation stopped people and prevented peeping, but did absolutely nothing about littering?

Scholar Xiao seized the chance to probe for information.

“Come to think of it, I have never asked why Miss Pretty Butterfly set her sights on Baoshan. Could it have been love at first sight...”

“Of course not,” Pretty Butterfly scoffed.

“Didn’t her father explain it during the Golden Core Competition?” Chi Yantian unexpectedly remembered. “Apparently, her mother told her to abduct the Dharma Academy’s strongest disciple before she would be allowed to leave the mountain.”

He found it strange.

“Why would she give you a trial like that? And why specifically target the Dharma Academy?”

“Naturally, there is some history involved.” Pretty Butterfly made no attempt to hide it. “Before my mother met my father, she planned to abduct a monk from the Dharma Academy.”

“She had already chosen one and even managed to capture him. If my father hadn’t beaten that monk away, they probably would have...”

Baoshan could not help objecting.

“D-disciples of the Dharma Academy possess unwavering hearts! Even if one were abducted, he would never entertain wicked thoughts!”

“Hehe. Little monk, you’re simply too honest. Those old bald donkeys have been lying to you.” Pretty Butterfly lazily stirred the water, deliberately provoking him. “The monks of your Dharma Academy are nowhere near as virtuous as they pretend. The more sheltered they are, the less able they are to resist temptation.”

For once, Baoshan argued his case.

“Impossible!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Pretty Butterfly suddenly addressed Scholar Xiao. “You’re from the Four Books Academy. You must know about that infamous Buddhist affair from years ago.”

“The Dharma Academy’s chief disciple was ordered to visit White Cloud Nunnery to exchange Buddhist teachings. But they kept exchanging and exchanging until they exchanged all the way into the abbess’s bed—”

“Ahem!” Scholar Xiao hurriedly interrupted her. “For the full details, please consult Volume Thirty-Two of Great Experts: The Youthful Years You Didn’t Know About. For now, let us keep the description... slightly more discreet and concise.”

“Oh, concise.” Pretty Butterfly thought for a moment.

“Then—”

“They slept together. Then they did it again.”

“Clear enough?”

The entire establishment fell silent.

Scholar Xiao finally spoke.

“...Your literary brilliance is astonishing. Eight words, and every one thunderous.”

Pretty Butterfly chuckled. “That was also when the Lotus Realm passed from White Cloud Nunnery into the hands of the Dharma Academy.”

“Whether that abbess willingly gave it away, or the wicked monk from the Dharma Academy deceived and coaxed her...”

“No one knows.”

Baoshan stammered, trying to object, but could find nothing to say. All he could do was repeatedly mutter, “Impossible.”

Yu Qingtang was still marveling over the gossip when his storage ring suddenly vibrated.

He turned and pulled out a flashing transmission stone.

It was the one Ye Chenyan had given him.

He motioned for everyone across from him to lower their voices.

“Shh—”

“They’re talking about Dharma Academy gossip. We can secretly—”

Halfway through, he noticed that the formerly noisy Pretty Butterfly and Baoshan had both gone completely silent.

The surrounding area had become unnaturally quiet.

Yu Qingtang cleared his throat sharply.

“What are you doing? You’re all eavesdropping, aren’t you?”

Scholar Xiao was the first to laugh.

“How could that be? Hahaha!”

“We are merely concerned that Brother Ye may have encountered some difficulty!”

“Huh?” Chi Yantian answered honestly. “I was just—”

“Ahem!” Scholar Xiao cut him off violently. “Brother Yu, ask him what happened. Pay us no attention!”

Candle Nine Yin’s emotionless voice came from the transmission stone.

“What gossip?”

Yu Qingtang froze.

“...Senior?”

Pretty Butterfly also found it strange. “Dad? Why do you have someone else’s transmission stone?”

“Something happened,” Candle Nine Yin said calmly. “Can you come back now? Later is fine too. He can hold on a little longer.”

Yu Qingtang paled in alarm.

“What happened? How did it get bad enough that he has to hold on?”

“I’m coming back right now!”

That shouldn’t be possible!

In the original novel, Ye Chenyan’s acquisition of the demon race’s totem inheritances went remarkably smoothly. Because he no longer suppressed his true nature, he became even more uninhibited than before and practically swept through all seventy-two divisions.

How could something have gone wrong?

Yu Qingtang had barely changed and rushed outside before Scholar Xiao and the others followed amid a chorus of shouting.

The whole group charged toward Starwatch Pavilion.

Nobody-Likes-Me reluctantly waved after them.

“Come back next time! Visit whenever you have time!”

Yu Qingtang hurried onward and returned to the Immortal-Bewildering Forest as quickly as possible.

Candle Nine Yin was fishing beside the lake.

Yu Qingtang came to an abrupt stop.

He looked at the group behind him. Even Senior Sister Tianxin of Starwatch Pavilion had followed them.

He gave a dry laugh.

“...If he can still fish, it probably isn’t anything serious, right?”

“Not necessarily.” Pretty Butterfly shook her head. “That’s my father. Even if the house caught fire, he could find somewhere to sit cross-legged and watch it burn.”

She walked over and shook Candle Nine Yin’s head back and forth.

“Dad—what was so urgent?”

Candle Nine Yin let her shake him. He raised his eyes and answered unhurriedly.

“It was not urgent. I already said he could endure it a little longer.”

He handed Yu Qingtang a black iron ring.

“His cultivation advanced too quickly, and he could no longer suppress his breakthrough.”

“But the immortal and demonic energies inside him have not yet reached equilibrium. He cannot break through now, so the advance must be forcibly suppressed.”

“Put this Spirit-Locking Ring on him and seal his cultivation.”

“However, placing the Spirit-Locking Ring requires another person’s cooperation. Someone must guide spiritual energy through his body and seal his acupoints.”

“The people from the seventy-two divisions could not hold him down, so we had to wait for you.”

Yu Qingtang stared at him in shock.

“If all seventy-two of you can’t hold him down, how am I supposed to?”

Candle Nine Yin corrected him.

“The seventy-two divisions are not seventy-two people.”

Pretty Butterfly anxiously grabbed her father by the hair.

“Ugh, you’re so stupid! If you go, no one needs to hold him down!”

“Where is he? Hurry up and send this stupid fish over!”

Author’s Note:

Yu Qingtang: She called me stupid so naturally... (clenches fist)

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