Chapter 25

Lin SuCi dared not offend his own official keeper. After being pulled off Yan Boshen and stuffed under the blanket, he hugged Yan Boshen’s arm and went to sleep.

It was quite a distance home. Fortunately, after travelling about a dozen days, they met up with Hui Lian and Ruan Linggu.

After seeing Lin SuCi, the two seniors were distressed by what their kitten had experienced. Along the journey, they tried their best to make it up to Lin SuCi, pretty much answering to his every demand.

With Hui Lian around, Lin SuCi’s belly bulged outwards with the amount of food he ate for the past dozen days. The weight that he had lost while breaking through to another level, Hui Lian nurtured it all back for him.

Back at Cardinal Sect, with sympathetic faces, Qing Fou and the others received a plump little kitten.

If not for the fact that he had nearly died after being captured by a savage beast, people would have thought that he had gone back to his grandmother’s place to be well taken care of.

Once Lin SuCi recalled his near death in Li Wen’s territory, he sniffled. Looking at Qing Fou with a tearful heart, he spread his arms out, about to give his master whom he had yet to see, and was nearly permanently separated from a big, long hug. Before he could even cry out to his master emotionally, the expressionless Qing Fou shot him a look.

“Come on, it’s time for your punishment.”

Lin SuCi froze in mid action.

In front of the fence, Yan Boshen had already walked past him. The other disciples were rubbing their hands in glee, laughing darkly, and Zhongli Haiming was the loudest.

“Master…” Lin SuCi’s emotional state vanished into thin air. With a quiver of his lips, he asked, “What does it mean to be punished?”

Xiao Lan and Zhongli Haiming had already went into the house to collect the tool used for punishment. Qing Fou stood in front of Lin SuCi with his arms crossed, studying him from head to toe.

“Do you know how anxious everyone was after you were captured by the ancient savage beast?”

Lin SuCi was aggrieved. “I’m still terrified now.”

Qing Fou looked exceptionally cold and merciless. “And your seniors aren’t terrified? They looked for you until they cried so much, and they nearly fought the people in Southern Shuge to death.”

“And your eldest senior…” Before Qing Fou could finish, Yan Boshen calmly swept his gaze over to them.

Qing Fou smoothly changed the topic.

“If you died out there, I would avenge you no matter what. However, you’re back alive, and so you should be punished properly as compensation for scaring your seniors.”

Lin SuCi turned obedient when listening halfway.

His lips moved, wanting to say something, but he swallowed it all back.

Actually, he had lived in Cardinal Sect for less than a year. Lin SuCi always felt that with regards to the relationships amongst these people, his relationship with them might not be as deep as the rest.

However, at this time, now that the sect leader wanted to punish him with an aloof face, Lin SuCi’s heart was unexpectedly stable.

“Ok.”

He was obedient, admitting to his mistake.

He would just endure it. Was it not just a beating?

Xiao Lan and Zhongli Haiming had already carried out the punishment tool.

The courtyard was empty. The implement was placed on the ground, making a low and heavy sound.

Lin SuCi’s eyes fell on the implement. Looking all over it, he did not know what it was.

“What is this?”

A large wooden frame, and there was enough space within for a person to lie down. Surrounding it were extremely soft and downy feathers.

“Go lie down.”

Lin SuCi did not understand. It seemed like he was about to be beaten, and so was swift, lying down immediately.

Upon lying down, Lin SuCi felt something was wrong.

Why was he surrounded by feathers?

By the edge of the wooden frame was a handle.

Lin SuCi looked up, and saw the up-to-no-good Xiao Lan and Zhongli Haiming giving him meaningful smiles.

“Hold on…”

There was no way Zhongli Haiming was going to wait. He sat cross-legged on the ground, grabbed the handle, and started to shake the frame very quickly.

Lin SuCi immediately felt the surrounding feathers lightly brushing past all his exposed skin.

“Ahhh!!!!”

Lin SuCi twisted about, but was unable to escape. The itchiness of his body caused him to both laugh and shriek.

“No no no! I’m going to die!!”

He was going to die prematurely! They were bullying a little kitty!

Hui Lian too crouched down, happily removing Lin SuCi’s shoes. He pinched a few feathers, brushing them across his soles.

Lin SuCi’s face was full of tears from laughing. He dodged frantically, and shouted till he was gasping for breath.

“How are you guys considered brave men to bully me! If you have the ability, go bully Boshen!”

Lin SuCi struggled intermittently. “It’s the official keeper’s fault for not being strict! Go tickle Boshen!!!”

Qing Fou stroked his chin. “Oh, that sounds…”

Yan Boshen looked up expressionlessly.

Qing Fou smoothly changed his words. “Very unsightly. How could you ask your eldest senior to suffer the punishment for you? This is the punishment you deserve. Xiao Ci, lie there and suffer through it properly.”

Lin SuCi’s eyes were already blurry from tears. He shouted continuously, “Boshen! Boshen… Ahhhhh I can’t take it anymore!!! Hurry up and come help me, quick!”

Standing by the side, Yan Boshen listened to the ongoings. His view fell onto the little kitten twisting about, trembling within the wooden frame. By now, Lin SuCi was exhausted from laughing, and his exposed skin had already turned pink from struggling too hard. Panting for air, his chest was heaving fiercely, and his voice was intermittently trapped in his throat, sounding like a small animal mewling.

Yan Boshen was deep in thought.

Then.

“Hand it over to me.”

Yan Boshen extended his hand to Hui Lian.

With a wicked smile, Hui Lian handed the feather to Yan Boshen, giving way as he guided him. “Senior, you should tickle his soles, he’s very…”

Before he could finish, Yan Boshen turned to look at him.

Reflexively, Hui Lian shut his mouth.

Thinking about why he did not continue, Hui Lian too was at a loss.

Yan Boshen bent over.

“Boshen, don’t…” Lin SuCi had already lost all strength from laughing. His wet and limpid eyes stared at Yan Boshen, unbearably sad. “Even you’re going to bully me too?”

Holding the feather, Yan Boshen murmured, “… It’s rather interesting.”

Lin SuCi whimpered.

In Yan Boshen’s hand, the feather was as though possessed by another soul. Lin SuCi’s instep was teased lightly, and the tingling shot straight from his foot to his heart, and his entire body shuddered.

“Don’t…”

Lin SuCi sensibly pled for mercy. “Boshen Boshen, I was wrong. Let’s put this away. It’s too ticklish!”

Yan Boshen was unmoved.

An idea sparked in Lin SuCi’s head. He sniffled, bargaining, “If you want to play, we’ll go back and play, alright?”

A crash was heard.

The teacup Xiao Lan just carried out had fell to the ground.

He quickly picked up and carried away Zhongli Haiming who was still laughing maniacally and tickling Lin SuCi.

“Don’t play anymore! Be careful of Eldest Senior beating you up!”

Zhongli Haiming was unconvinced. “Why would Eldest Senior…”

Before he finished, Zhongli Haiming recalled the incident two months ago. He shut his mouth decisively.

Yan Boshen too stopped his action. With a headache, he looked at Lin SuCi lying in the wooden frame. His face was clearly full of tears, and his body could not move due to exhaustion. But why was his mouth still able to mention such risky topics that could make one’s heart pound?

Seeing that this good and proper punishment was about to shift in direction, the corner of Qing Fou’s mouth twitched. “… Damnit, there’s never a time when this kitten is behaving properly.”

Lin SuCi was released from the frame, and his entire body was limp.

With bare feet, he refused to step on the ground. Leaning in Yan Boshen’s arms, he stood upon Yan Boshen’s feet, and lifted his hands to wipe away the remnants of tears from his eyes.

“Master, this thing is quite fun. Can you give it to me?”

Just having recovered a little strength, Lin SuCi could not wait to request a favour from Qing Fou.

Qing Fou’s eyelid twitched. “… What do you want it for?”

Lin SuCi was very eloquent. “I think lying in it is pretty comfortable, so I want to let Eldest Senior try it once too.”

Yan Boshen covered Lin SuCi’s mouth with his hand, pain pounding through his head. “No, I don’t want it.”

Lin SuCi tried to speak with his mouth covered.

In the end, this implement was still moved to the cave.

This was originally invented by Zhongli Haiming to bully Lin SuCi after hearing that he was fine. Now, it was in Lin SuCi’s hands.

Lin SuCi really wanted to use it on Yan Boshen. However, the other party was uncooperative, and so he was unable to play with it.

It was night.

On the ice bed were two figures lying down.

Lin SuCi quietly opened his eyes.

There was not much light in the dark night. With the help of his cat vision, he was able to see Yan Boshen next to him.

The youth had his eyes closed, his breathing even. Lying in a straight and proper position, his white inner robe had no wrinkles.

Lin SuCi sneakily sat up and stared at Yan Boshen for a while.

“El~dest~ Se~nior~”

He called out softly.

Yan Boshen did not respond. His chest rose and fell in an even rhythm.

It seemed like he was deeply asleep.

Lin SuCi stroke his chin, smiling evilly.

With the power from breaking through the ninth level, would it be useful when facing Yan Boshen?

Lin SuCi thought about it. He silently prepared a sleeping charm, and cautiously hit Yan Boshen with it.

He held his breath and waited for a long time, only to see that Yan Boshen was still sleeping deeply, with no signs of waking up.

“Boshen Boshen?”

Lin SuCi called out to him at a normal volume.

As expected, there was no response.

Heeheehee.

With a villainous smile, Lin SuCi rubbed his hands together, waving his tail in excitement.

This time, he was a lot bolder, and straight away undid the belt of Yan Boshen’s robe.

The right knot was by his hand, and with a pull, it was undone.

For the left side, he needed to push the robe away, and undo it by Yan Boshen’s arm.

In this position, Lin SuCi could not do any justice. Taking advantage of the sleeping charm, he directly flipped himself over and sat upon Yan Boshen’s waist. Moving his arm away, Lin SuCi undid the other knot.

As soon as the belt was pulled open, Yan Boshen’s bare chest was revealed.

On his firm pectoral muscles, that injury that had yet to recover was still bruised.

Seeing the scar, Lin SuCi’s tail that was extended towards Yan Boshen quietly drooped down.

His playful desire to bully Yan Boshen too abated. Lin SuCi reached out with a heartache, touching that injury that made him hurt as well.

Just as his finger touched Yan Boshen’s skin, the sky suddenly spun around him. His vision blurred, and in the next moment, his back landed firmly on the ice bed.

Lin SuCi gasped. He opened his eyes and froze.

Yan Boshen was directly above him.

Yan Boshen’s eyes were sober. With a bare chest, his hands were on his shoulders, and his gaze was dark.

“… Secretly removing my robe, what are you trying to do?”