Shi Chun'e spoke a few words to Xu Feiniang and then rose, making an excuse to return home. At the door, she stopped Lei Qilong, "I was just looking for you. Come back with me."

Lei Qilong had no choice but to bid farewell to Fan Zi and leave with Shi Chun'e.

Back in the compound of the Huashan Sect, Shi Chun'e first took Lei Qilong to an empty side room. As soon as she entered, her face changed, and she shouted fiercely, "Lei Qilong, kneel before me now!"

Lei Qilong trembled with fear, swiftly dropping to his knees. Not knowing what Shi Chun'e intended to do, he was on tenterhooks, his complexion deathly pale, and trembling excessively.

Shi Chun'e slammed the table, "You disloyal traitor! What on earth have you done? Confess at once!"

Lei Qilong looked helplessly innocent, "I really haven't done anything!"

"Still dare to talk back!" Shi Chun'e berated him harshly, "Slap your own face! Keep slapping until you're willing to speak!"

With no other option, Lei Qilong could only swing his own palm, slapping his cheeks back and forth.

After a succession of "slap slap slap," twenty-odd times, red welts swelled on his fair cheeks. Shi Chun'e somewhat relented, telling him to stop, "Are you going to talk or not?"

With a face full of misery, Lei Qilong whined, "I really haven't done anything; I don't even know where to start!"

As Shi Chun'e was about to speak again, the door suddenly flew open as someone kicked it from the outside. Her husband, Chi Lu, burst in, "There's important business to attend to tonight, can't you hold back a little?"

Known as Fiery Tai Sui, Chi Lu's temper was even more explosive than Shi Nanxi and others. The female cultivators of the Huashan Sect were quite liberal, often sharing attractive men among each other. Chi Lu was not much interested in other women but had only eyes for Shi Chun'e. He pursued her persistently until he finally won her over, and the two publicly became husband and wife.

Before they had come together, Shi Chun'e had made it clear that even though they would marry, she would continue relations with other men, and while Chi Lu would be her only long-term husband, there would indeed be many other men in her life, an area Chi Lu couldn't interfere as a husband.

At the time, Chi Lu agreed, but later on, he went back on his word, forbidding Shi Chun'e from seeing other men, causing the couple to fight several times, even taking their disputes before the Fiery Fire Ancestor.

All the fellow disciples of the Huashan Sect criticized Chi Lu and supported Shi Chun'e in their separation. Chi Lu had no choice but to step back, consenting that Shi Chun'e could have relations with fellow sect members, but she shouldn't go after men outside the sect. Otherwise, he threatened a murderous rampage.

Later, Shi Chun'e secretly kept a few favored men, which provoked Chi Lu's jealousy. After finding and killing all of her hidden lovers, Shi Chun'e finally began to restrain herself.

Shi Chun'e had openly intended to "devour" Lei Qilong, and Chi Lu, holding resentment but knowing Lei Qilong was a Huashan Sect disciple and the apprentice of his senior brother, Jin Shenzi, could not just kill him. He had to turn a blind eye, pretending not to see.

He had earlier been in the backyard discussing the plan to set fire that night with Shi Nanxi and others. On his way out, he followed the path and saw his wife and Lei Qilong enter a side room, instantly filled with jealousy. He knew it was a foregone conclusion, and if he intervened, he would be criticized by his fellow sect members, especially the group of female immortals led by Zhao Jinzhen who could say particularly sinister things, making him feel like crushing his teeth.

He intended to turn a blind eye, but, cursed with sharp hearing, the continuous "smack smack smack" of flesh being struck drilled into his ears from a distance. Knowing Lei Qilong was adored by all the women of Hua Mountain, he could never have imagined Lei Qilong was being punished by slapping himself.

Unable to contain his fiery temper, Fiery Tai Sui burst in, only to see Lei Qilong kneeling on the ground, his cheeks swollen and red, while his wife, Shi Chun'e, sat with a dark expression.

In surprise, he asked, "What has happened?"

After Shi Chun'e recounted the matter, Chi Lu was skeptical. Lei Qilong was always well-behaved and obedient in his eyes, never known to resist, and the least likely of anyone on Hua Mountain to betray his teacher and defect.

Chi Lu calmed himself and also performed a Gua Xiang divination, which confirmed that Lei Qilong would betray his teacher. He too became furious, "How dare you betray the sect! You deserve to be skinned and have your tendons removed, your soul to suffer eternal burning!"

With personal motives involved, Chi Lu wished to remove Lei Qilong, a too attractive figure that made other men seem like dirt in comparison to the female immortals of Hua Mountain. Now armed with a reason, he could rid Hua Mountain of this nuisance and restore some peace.

Without further ado, he unleashed the Heavenly Secret Demon God Nails, a technique passed to him by the Fiery Fire Ancestor. Casting out a seven-inch long nail, as thick as chopsticks and enshrouded in dark light, it flew towards Lei Qilong's forehead. The nail, wrapped in flames, continuously scorched the wound and sent streams of fire into his brain and Primordial Spirit.

Lei Qilong screamed in agony, clutching his head and rolling on the floor in pain.

"What are you doing!" Shi Chun'e's heart ached for Lei Qilong, "How could you use that thing on him?"

See Chi Lu's evident jealousy, Shi Chun'e extended a hand, and more jets of fire shot out from the tip of the nail, making Lei Qilong scream louder in pain.

His screams attracted the rest of the Huashan Sect disciples, and upon entering the room, they were shocked, questioning Chi Lu's actions.

Although the Huashan Sect was a mess, there was one principle: it was not acceptable to harm fellow disciples lightly. No matter how vile the methods used against outsiders, they couldn't harm their own. Even if Lei Qilong was a junior, Chi Lu's punishment had to have limits and not resort to such cruel torture.

Chi Lu explained the situation, and everyone conducted their divinations. The Gua Xiang results consistently showed that Lei Qilong would betray his master in the future, and they were momentarily speechless.

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