Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Humiliation And Acceptance
Both Zhao Feng and Liu Mei stood before Li Wei, bowing their heads deeply. Their thoughts were in disarray, unable to comprehend how they had ended up in such a situation. They cursed their ill fortune for meeting this madman today.
Zhao Feng inwardly felt like crying. He had worked incredibly hard to become the personal servant of one of the ladies of the Liu Clan, which came with many benefits, including the right to be arrogant in front of those below his mistress. So far, he had had no problems doing that. Unfortunately, today he met Li Wei.
Liu Mei was equally distressed. Being a young prodigy from a middle-rank clan in Crescent Moon City, she had experienced very little trouble growing up. Even those from higher-rank clans did not find trouble with her easily. She could confidently say that she had only ever bowed to her parents, elders, and perhaps powerhouses who occasionally visited their home. To be asked to not only get naked but also kowtow and confess her wrongdoings was simply asking too much. A part of her felt it would have been better to die.
But recognizing the situation, Liu Mei tried to salvage it. "Great sir, please forgive me for not recognizing you sooner. It is my own fault and negligence that led to this, and I am deeply sorry. If sir is willing, my Liu Clan would be more than glad to host you if you're passing through Crescent Moon City."
Seeing the direction her mistress was going, Zhao Feng quickly nodded along and added, "Yes, yes, great sir. The Liu Clan is one of the greatest and oldest clans in Crescent Moon City. If you accept my lady's offer, I guarantee you will not regret."
Li Wei, who had been listening, maintained his composure, trying to look as striking and intimidating as possible. After they spoke, he placed his hands behind his back, tilted his head slightly, and looked at them both before fixing his eyes on Zhao Feng and frowning as if disgusted by something.
"Who are you to say what this venerable one will or will not regret? Presumptuous! Even the death of your entire lineage could not cover such an insult. But I am a magnanimous man, so I'll let you off if you just cripple your cultivation and roll away from here."
Not only Zhao Feng and Liu Mei, but even Leng Yue was stunned by Li Wei's words. Although she rarely saw Li Wei after she became a serious cultivator, Leng Yue had heard many stories of his escapades, and none matched the character he was displaying now. 'He must be angry that Master sent us here, so he's taking it out on these two. I pity them,' Leng Yue thought, assuming this was his way of throwing a tantrum.
Seeing how unreasonable Li Wei was, Liu Mei wasn't going to take any chances. She quickly frowned, turned her head to Zhao Feng, and commanded, "Do what the great sir said. Cripple your cultivation now and roll away from here."
Zhao Feng felt his heart sink. After many years of tireless devotion to his mistress, she had thrown him into the fire to save her own skin. Although he was more than willing to put his life on the line for his mistress, he couldn't help but feel used. 'Aren't you being a little too cruel, my lady? After the many years of service I gave you,' he inwardly cried, unable to voice his words, knowing it would likely make the situation worse.
To lose his cultivation was to lose his identity and the many benefits it brought. Having been a mortal before becoming a cultivator of the Liu Clan, Zhao Feng knew that mortal life and cultivator life were incomparable. He definitely didn't want to go back. But what could he do?
Li Wei smiled at Liu Mei's cruelty. 'Wow, she's especially cruel. Maybe she also has a system,' he jokingly thought. On the surface, he reminded her, "Good, good. Even your mistress knows not to anger me. Now quickly cripple yourself and roll away so that she can get naked and kowtow before my divine self."
Hearing that she still had to kowtow naked, Liu Mei felt incredibly helpless. Unluckily for her, Li Wei's system gave him a quest, and he was determined to carry it out. If not for that system, someone with his mentality, who had never been in the cruel cultivation world before, would have perhaps chosen to lay low and learn more about where he was.
But here, he didn't really have that option because of the absurd quests his system was giving him. Thankfully, he chose to carry these out in moderation and indeed learn more. He had read far too many cultivation novels to know that clans often had so-called ancient old monsters or allies who would seek trouble whenever their precious descendants were killed. Thankfully, the system hadn't asked this of him yet.
Feeling the immense pressure from all sides, Zhao Feng had no choice. In the next moment, he brought his fist out before striking himself in the chest and abdomen. He then proceeded to violently cough out blood as he felt incredibly weak all over. Without missing a beat though, he laid flat on the ground and actually began to roll away from the scene. Even Li Wei was surprised by this.
'Wow, I thought he would at least try to run away, but no, he actually rolled away,' Li Wei thought, though he didn't make his surprise at the situation obvious on the surface. Instead, he simply turned his head back to Liu Mei, who had been watching Zhao Feng roll away, his cultivation now crippled. It was almost unbelievable.
Now it was her turn to decide what she would do to get out of the situation. She soon raised her head and stood upright, though she looked incredibly stiff, with her face hiding immense anger due to the humiliation Li Wei was demanding.
In a last attempt to try and get out of the situation, she put on a pleading look and voice. "Oh magnanimous venerable sir, is there any other way I can show forgiveness to you? You see, I have a fiancé, and it wouldn't be right for me to strip in front of another man. Plus, I fear his clan which is—"
Before she could add more, Li Wei interrupted her. "Don't worry, it is also his honor that this venerable one will look at his fiancée. In fact, after this, you should seek him out and tell him to come thank me personally with gifts."
Liu Mei nearly fainted and coughed blood. In her life, she had never heard such bold words uttered before. Even after hearing them, she couldn't believe it, that someone would actually say this. And looking at Li Wei, it seemed he fully meant it.
'How could anyone under the heavens be this audacious?' she thought, inwardly grinding her teeth. But she knew there was no getting out of this situation, so she closed her eyes and slowly began to undress.
Liu Mei's face barely concealed the discontent she felt as she reached up to untie the sash of her robe. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the sheer humiliation she was being forced to endure.
The fabric of her robe slipped through her fingers, and she caught it before it fell to the ground, taking a moment to compose herself.
Li Wei watched, maintaining a facade of indifference, though internally he was as tense as a coiled spring. 'So this is what being powerful can lead to in this world.' The absurdity of the situation was not lost on him, but he had committed to the path set by his system. Beside him, Leng Yue stood impassively, her expression unreadable.
Liu Mei's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and shame as she slowly peeled away the layers of her robe, revealing the smooth, alabaster skin beneath. Her movement was almost painfully slow, as if she were trying to delay the inevitable. She kept her gaze fixed firmly on the ground, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
Soon though, her robe slid off her shoulders and pooled at her feet, leaving her standing in nothing but a thin undergarment. The light of the setting sun streamed through the trees, casting a soft glow over her exposed skin. Despite her obvious discomfort, Liu Mei's posture remained dignified.
Li Wei could see the conflict raging within her, the struggle to maintain some semblance of dignity in the face of utter humiliation. She hesitated for a moment, then with a deep breath, she let the last piece of clothing fall away, exposing her completely.
Immediately, Liu Mei's hands moved to cover herself, her arms crossing over her chest and her thighs pressing tightly together. Her cheeks burned with a mix of fury and embarrassment, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Despite everything, she forced herself to move, to follow the humiliating command she had been given.
With great reluctance, she lowered herself to the ground, her knees sinking into the soft earth. She bowed forward, pressing her forehead to the ground in a deep kowtow.
Li Wei watched in silence, his expression carefully neutral. Inside, he felt a twinge of guilt mixed with an odd sense of satisfaction. 'Is it wrong that I enjoy this?' He wondered, but the reality of the situation left a bitter taste in his mouth which he just had to accept.
Weekly Power Status
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