Her Celestial Masters and Handsome Men League - Vol. 1 Chapter 20

Due to its extraordinary speed, no one could see it, but Lin Tingjun could. 

In his eyes, the copper incense burner seemed to slow down, and the copper body heated by the air friction, left a trail of red in its wake.

The air behind it even became distorted due to the intense heat, warping the surroundings. This was not the power of an ordinary person!

Therefore, when the copper incense burner hit the ground, it would certainly create a huge impact, raising dust and debris. This was bad; he had only brought one set of clothes. He immediately tapped his toes, attempting to move out of the way, but he was still slower than the copper incense burner.

With a deafening “thud,” a cloud of dust and debris erupted, shaking the ground, and causing the entire area to vibrate as if it were cracking.

Lian Youyou stood high in the tree, watching as a small mushroom cloud formed below that enveloping almost everyone in the courtyard. She grinned mischievously; she clearly enjoyed a good spectacle.

Within the shockwave, the villagers standing nearby were showered with dirt. The powerful air currents lifted their clothes, and some who didn’t close their mouths had dirt blown right into their faces. A few of the weaker individuals were even lifted off the ground!

Wei Chi Feng quickly raised his hand to shield his face, but he still felt the tremendous force, and the flying dust made it impossible to keep his eyes open.

The flying sand covered the sunlight, and standing in the midst of it felt like the end of the world, sending shivers down everyone’s spines. Although she was a scammer, Li Xiangu could still recognize a true expert when she saw one!

After a while, the wind died down, and the people standing nearby were covered in dirt. Even Liu Qiang’s body, which had been laid out in the courtyard was now covered in soil, effectively buried on the spot.

Although the people at the entrance didn’t experience the intense force, the sight of the mushroom cloud still frightened them. The wind dispersed the mushroom cloud, but the dirt and sand still ended up in their eyes.

Who would have thought that a small copper incense burner could create such a massive mushroom cloud?

Lian Youyou chuckled to herself, jumped down from the tree, and happened to stand next to Lin Tingjun. His movements had been a bit slower, and while his face was saved, his black official robe was now covered in dust which made it stand out.

Lin Tingjun flicked some dust off himself and gave a glance at Lian Youyou.

“How was that? Am I qualified to join your Ninth Gate?” Lian Youyou whispered to Lin Tingjun, standing on her tiptoes.

Lin Tingjun slapped his gray hands and glanced at Lian Youyou. She winked at him and then walked toward the dusty courtyard.

Lin Tingjun’s gaze followed her, but suddenly, he noticed a figure amidst the dusty crowd that stood out. Despite being in the midst of the shockwave, his white clothes were spotless, not a speck of dust on them, and he still appeared pure and otherworldly.

Lin Tingjun squinted his eyes; wasn’t that the idiot who had been following Lian Youyou? The clothes he wore… quite impressive!

Cough, cough, cough.

Sneezes! Sneezes!

The courtyard was filled with coughing and sneezing as everyone tried to clear the dust. Dirt-covered the faces, and the clothes of those near the ground turned them into mud figures.

“Did you all see that? As long as the height is sufficient and the speed is fast enough, even an incense burner can create a massive crater.” Lian Youyou strolled back to the courtyard, standing next to the hole created by the copper incense burner.

The villagers squinted their eyes, and even the elderly couple, He Xiucai and his wife, came closer to have a look.

“Wow!”

Everyone’s eyes were drawn to a small pit and the fragments of the copper incense burner. Even without Lian Youyou’s explanation, the dust cloud from the earlier shockwave was convincing enough. 

Moreover, such a thick copper incense burner had been shattered! That was something even the village’s strongest man couldn’t achieve!

“Phew! Phew!” Guo De and Guo Gang spat out the dirt that had filled their mouths, not caring about Li Xiangu, who was still sitting on the ground. They were too busy wiping their faces clean.

General Wei Chi Feng was also surprised, but upon careful consideration, he realized that this was similar to the principle behind trebuchets used in warfare.

Strangely, trebuchets required complex mechanics to achieve such force, but this village girl had managed to create such power simply by throwing an incense burner from a tree. 

Of course, General Wei Chi Feng didn’t believe in supernatural powers or spirits. He didn’t even believe in exorcists or priests; they were all charlatans in his eyes. So, his initial thought was that Lian Youyou was a highly skilled martial artist.

For everyone present, the sight of an incense burner creating a massive mushroom cloud had transformed their perception of Lian Youyou.

General Wei Chi Feng saw her as a skilled martial artist, while Li Xiangu considered her a legitimate priestess.

As for Lin Tingjun, he didn’t see her as human at all; she was something else entirely. Did she need to be exterminated as a demon or just observed further? 

However, Lian Youyou was unaware of these perceptions. Without her divine power, she couldn’t hear the thoughts of others anymore. 

At this moment, she was only slightly better than Lin Tingjun but still worse than a true celestial being. This awkward position made her vulnerable; if a powerful demon appeared now, they could potentially kill her with a single blow.

Lian Youyou continued to smile at the crowd. How could she not? Everyone looked like pandas with reversed colors, with only their eyes surrounded by white, and the rest covered in dirt.

“Did some of you just have trouble standing a moment ago?” Lian Youyou looked at a few of the weaker villagers who nodded repeatedly, fear still evident on their faces. It seemed they were still shaken by the experience.

Lian Youyou tried to maintain a serious and sincere expression. “So, when celestial fire descends, it can send people flying.” She gestured with her right hand, mimicking the motion of someone flying through the air. 

“And unfortunately, Liu Qiang had bad luck. When he fell, he landed right on a broken tree.” Lian Youyou bent down and pulled out the chopstick that had been supporting the piece of mantou, covered in dust which had fallen from the sky.

“Wow!” There were more surprised gasps and astonished expressions on their muddy faces.

“What about that monster? We all saw it!” someone shouted.

Lian Youyou’s lips curled with confidence. “Did you really see it?”

Several villagers hesitated at Lian Youyou’s seemingly polite yet probing question. Especially under her sharp, and self-assured gaze, they felt somewhat uneasy.

“Did you really see it?!” Suddenly, General Wei Chi Feng bellowed like a tolling bell which caused everyone’s heads to buzz, as if they had just received a powerful slap to the ears.

Several young men hesitated and then shook their heads. “No, we didn’t actually see it. But Dongzi saw it; he said he saw the monster.”

Everyone quickly passed the responsibility to the terrified Liu Dong.

Lian Youyou glanced at Liu Dong, who was cowering in the corner, while hugged by his mother.

Liu Qiang’s father, wielding a hoe, shouted fiercely, “How do you explain my son’s condition?! If it’s not a monster, he would have been scared out of his wits!”

Lian Youyou chuckled softly. “Really scared out of his wits? Then, let me help you.”

Her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she swiftly darted past General Wei Chi Feng. Her movement created a gust of wind that brushed across his face.

General Wei Chi Feng hadn’t even reacted when, “Swish!” Lian Youyou drew his big machete and leaped directly in front of Liu Dong, preparing to strike!