129: Chapter 129 One-hit kill

Naran Yanran didn't even have a chance to react before her entire body was sent flying. With a "thud," she slammed into the wall of the BBQ Bar, slowly sliding down until she sat on the ground, her hair disheveled and her face full of bewilderment.

The entire place fell into a dead silence.

The waiter's rag dropped to the floor. The candy in Ximen Hou's mouth fell out, and his jaw followed suit. Xiao Xiao clapped her hands: "Big brother is so amazing!"

Naran Yanran sat on the ground with only one thought in her mind:

Who am I?

Where am I?

What just happened?

Xiao Xie withdrew his hand, brushed the dust off his robes, and looked at her with a smile: "Well? Are you going to call me Daddy?"

"You... what's your cultivation level?" Naran Yanran's voice was trembling.

Xiao Xie extended a hand, spread his five fingers, and said leisurely, "Core Formation Level 5."

"Core Formation Level 5?!" Naran Yanran's pupils shook. "You're only nine years old! How is that possible?"

"Why is it impossible?" Xiao Xie stuffed his hands back into his pockets, looking completely unperturbed. "You wouldn't understand the world of a Prodigy."

He was indeed a Prodigy—Core Formation Level 5 with Golden Core quality. Looking across the entire East Sea Region, the number of nine-year-olds with this cultivation level could be counted on one hand.

This was why, even though he had roasted his Revered Master's pet Little Fragrant Pig, his Revered Master couldn't bring himself to actually beat him.

A nine-year-old at Core Formation Level 5 with Golden Core quality—what Master would have the heart to strike such a precious gem? If he weren't afraid of the boy becoming conceited, Master Wujizi would have wanted to enshrine him.

"If you gamble, you must accept your loss!" Xiao Xie added with a smile.

Naran Yanran's face turned pale, and her lips quivered for a long time. She gritted her teeth, climbed up from the ground, and stiffened her neck: "I admit I lost, but kowtow to you? Impossible!"

"Woman, are you trying to back out? All these people are watching!" Xiao Xie pointed at the dumbfounded Disciples surrounding them.

Naran Yanran's face flushed. As the Holy Lord's Personal Disciple, how could she kowtow to someone else? That would be losing face for the Holy Lord.

She gritted her teeth: "I can give you something as compensation."

"What thing?" Xiao Xie became interested. He also knew that making this Personal Disciple of the Holy Lord kowtow in public wasn't very realistic; after all, people cared about their reputation.

But he still had to extort what he could.

"A few days ago, my Revered Master's mount, the Silver-Winged Heavenly Wolf, had an affair with an Azure Highland Cow and produced a litter of pups."

Naran Yanran lowered her voice, as if conducting some shady deal, "I'll give you one, and we'll call it even."

"Oh? Such a thing happened?" Xiao Xie's eyes lit up, then he held up two fingers. "Two! Give us two, and we'll call it even."

"Impossible! There are only four in total. If two are taken, it'll be noticed!" Naran Yanran stamped her feet in anxiety.

"That's your problem." Xiao Xie stuffed his hands back into his pockets and turned to leave without looking back. "Let's go, Sister, Monkey, let's go eat BBQ."

As he passed by Naran Yanran, his footsteps paused. He tilted his head and added with a smile: "If I don't receive two pups in three days, then I'll have no choice but to spread the word about today's bet. I'd like to see what others think of the dignified Personal Disciple of the Holy Lord being a person who doesn't keep their word—and what the Holy Lord Junior Martial Uncle will think of you."

Naran Yanran's face turned completely dark.

Whistling, Xiao Xie swaggered into the BBQ Bar.

Behind him, Ximen Hou followed with his chubby body. As he passed Naran Yanran, he didn't forget to mutter softly, "Senior Sister, remember to pick two good-looking ones~"

Naran Yanran stood rooted to the spot, her chest aching with anger, yet she couldn't say a single word. She took a deep breath and turned to shout at the Disciples who were staring blankly behind her: "What are you looking at? All of you, get back and Cultivate!"

The crowd dispersed like birds and beasts.

Inside the BBQ Bar, the charcoal fire was burning bright, and the meat skewers were sizzling with oil. Xiao Xie leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and had a wide grin on his face.

"Brother, are you really going to extort two Spirit Beasts from her?" Xiao Xiao asked, blinking her large eyes.

"What do you mean extort?" Xiao Xie said solemnly. "That's her apology gift for losing. Accepting your loss when you gamble is only natural."

Licking a newly unwrapped candy, Ximen Hou said indistinctly, "Boss, do you think she'll actually deliver them?"

"Does she dare not to?" Xiao Xie picked up a piece of roasted pork belly and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing until his mouth was oily. "If she doesn't, I'll turn the story of her losing to me and backing out into a booklet, print ten thousand copies, and give one to everyone in the Tianji Holy Land. I've already thought of the title—'Shocking! The Holy Lord's Personal Disciple Publicly Breaks Her Word; the Reason Behind It Is Heartwarming'."

Ximen Hou gave a thumbs up: "Boss, you're truly wicked."

Xiao Xiao giggled: "Big brother is the best!"

Xiao Xie raised his juice and clinked glasses with his sister, looking very proud of himself.

Outside the window, Naran Yanran's figure had long since disappeared.

Far away on Sky Wolf Peak, several Silver-Winged Heavenly Wolf pups were still sleeping soundly in their den, completely unaware that they had already been designated as "apology gifts."

Meanwhile, Xiao Xie had already made his plans—two pups, one for his sister as a mount and one for himself to ride.

Soon, three days passed in a flash.

As the sky brightened, Ximen Hou ran up to Sky Wolf Peak early in the morning to find the Xiao siblings to play.

He carried a large basket on his back, looking suspicious. He took a step and looked back twice, as if he were covertly on guard against something.

"Monkey, what are you doing? You're acting so weird," Xiao Xie asked curiously, leaning against a tree.

"Boss, I caught something good in Jade Maiden Lake yesterday!" Ximen Hou chuckled, put down the basket, and proudly lifted the lid.

Two golden carp lay quietly inside. Their scales were entirely golden, and long whiskers grew from their mouths; they clearly had lived for many years.

Their eyes were like jade, transparent and pure, giving an extraordinary impression at first glance.

"Golden-Scaled Carp?" Xiao Xie squatted down in surprise and examined them closely. "Are you sure you caught these in Jade Maiden Lake?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Ximen Hou's innocent eyes blinked. "Last night I went to Jade Maiden Lake to ste—cough, to get water. Just as I reached the lakeshore, these two fish swam over. They were so stupid, not afraid of people at all. When I caught them, they didn't even resist."

"To get water?" Xiao Xie looked at him with a half-smile. "Are you sure it wasn't to peek at the Senior Sisters bathing?"

"Of course it was for water! Boss, don't talk nonsense!" Ximen Hou's face turned red, and he waved his hands frantically. "I just... just happened to take a peek."

Xiao Xie didn't press him. After all, the art of peeking at bathers was something his Revered Master had personally taught him. When the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be as well; as a Disciple, he could only say he had surpassed his teacher.

"Besides, hearing you say that, why do I get the feeling these two fish were being raised in the lake by someone?" Xiao Xie rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Who cares? Boss, how should we eat them?" As a veteran foodie, Ximen Hou was already impatient.

Xiao Xie's eyes lit up, and he immediately made the arrangements: "One for braised fish chunks, one for boiled fish slices, and then a bowl of fish head soup. Perfect."

"Boss is wise!" Ximen Hou's mouth was almost watering.