Yue Jin stood outside the courtyard gate, hesitating and not daring to enter.
Inside the bamboo house, only Yun Lingyue was taking care of Fu Lingyi, treating the overflowing spiritual energy leakage, and sounds of painful gasps occasionally came from within.
This kind of injury was clearly not just a small punishment.
Was Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect really so harsh? Had Fu Lingyi suffered like this before?
She would walk a few steps inward, then quickly retreat, hiding under the weeping willow outside and peering in.
If she went in, Fu Lingyi would probably get angry, wouldn’t she? She was already injured because of her. If she saw her again and remembered everything that had happened, wouldn’t it be enough to trigger a heart attack from sheer rage and make her faint?
But if she didn’t go in…
Besides feeling anxious and restless, a tiny bit of guilt had surprisingly appeared in Yue Jin’s heart.
She had only said a couple of extra words down the mountain; Fu Lingyi wasn’t the one who said them. Why did she have to be punished for this?
Yue Yuanqiu had never done anything like this to her, yet the righteous path sects treated this as a common occurrence.
It was just their reputation being slightly damaged. Her Qingyuan Palace was already called a demon sect, and she didn’t whip her subordinates.
And they even hung her up and whipped her until her flesh and blood were a mess…
Yue Jin felt a wave of revulsion.
No wonder when she used to come down to Disciplinary Hall Mountain and provoke them fiercely, Fu Lingyi’s eyes were always filled with hatred.
So that was why – she would get beaten upon returning.
Nobody told her. If they had said so earlier, she wouldn’t have said harsh words or come to Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect looking for trouble with Fu Lingyi.
The door was pushed open with a ‘creak’. Yue Jin quickly hid. Yun Lingyue appeared from inside and inadvertently caught sight of a hastily retreating corner of a garment.
She walked straight over and, looking down, caught the person squatting on the ground.
“Is sneaking around every day your hobby?”
Yue Jin sighed softly, lowering her head and remaining silent. She really didn’t have the inclination to argue.
“Actually, I don’t think this is your fault,” Yun Lingyue’s tone became gentle, unlike her usual raised voice. “I always jumped to conclusions, seeing you as the person who is very similar to you. But in reality, you are different from her. You care a lot about Senior Sister. Even though Yu Xia said those things about you, you didn’t defend yourself at all.”
Yue Jin raised her head, not understanding the meaning behind her words.
“I came up the mountain when I was very young. Back then, I was just an outer disciple of Venerable Yi Qing, learning some basic cultivation techniques. I was a slow learner and was always bullied by the other senior sisters. If it weren’t for the previous sect leader’s demise, and the current sect leader bringing Senior Sister Lingyi up the mountain, I would have continued to be bullied.”
As she spoke, she quietly clenched her sleeves. “Senior Sister helped and cared for us in every way, but there’s no one in the sect who truly understands her. Most disciples think what the sect leader and Master did was not wrong. Senior Sister’s suffering and punishment alone can preserve everyone’s reputation and the status of Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect in the cultivation world.”
“Status? Is status something very important?”
The person squatting on the ground spoke up, their eyes free of any impurities or calculation, like an innocent and mischievous child.
“Can you eat it? Can you wear it? Can it create any shortcuts for the path of immortal cultivation?”
Yun Lingyue shook her head. “No, but many people flock to it like ducks, becoming crazy and obsessed.”
“Achieved with other people’s blood?” Yue Jin chuckled softly. Leaning against the wall, she stood up. “I am but a mere mortal, I don’t understand such things. However, if this is also called cultivating immortality, then being an immortal is not worth it. It’s not as carefree as I am all day.”
Yun Lingyue stared at her for a moment, looking thoughtful. “Sometimes I really can’t tell if you’re like her or not…”
As she spoke, she raised a hand, slapped Yue Jin’s shoulder, and forcefully pushed her into the house.
“Since you want to see Senior Sister, just be straightforward. Don’t be shy.”
Before Yue Jin could react, she was pushed into a stumble, falling face-first onto the floor of the bamboo house as if performing a grand bow.
I wasn’t being shy!
I was agonizing over whether or not to go, not being shy!
“Lingyue, weren’t you supposed to go out? Why are you back?”
Yue Jin remained in that position on the floor, making no sound.
“Lingyue?”
The bed shifted slightly. The room was dim. A voice like a faint wisp of silk drifted from where she moved, reaching Yue Jin’s ears, and she felt a hint of delicate charm and annoyance.
“Since you’re back, why aren’t you coming over?”
Yue Jin scrambled up from the floor. She lightened her steps and walked toward the bed inside.
Fu Lingyi’s injuries must have been severe. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have failed to notice the difference in Yue Jin’s footsteps compared to a normal person’s.
She slowly moved to the bedside and sat down directly on the edge of the bed.
She pressed down on the bed quite a bit, making it sink.
Fu Lingyi didn’t scold her. She was lying on the bed, her dark hair fanned out on either side, her upper body half-naked. The bleeding at the wound had stopped, and spiritual medicine had been applied. At least it didn’t look as shocking as before.
“Don’t go saying too much to her.”
Yue Jin’s heart skipped a beat, and she made no sound.
“She doesn’t know the details of this matter. Besides, before Master came out of seclusion, I already expected she would be furious. After all, the cultivation tabloid spread like wildfire this time, even dragging in Junior Sister Ye Yushuang from Yaoguang Pavilion and writing about her. They titled it something like ‘Epoch-Making Love Triangle, Disciplinary Hall Senior Sister for Her Beloved’ – it’s completely outrageous.”
Fu Lingyi put her hands under her head to make herself more comfortable. “As long as the Sect Leader and Master didn’t hear about it, it’s a blessing. Otherwise, her punishment would probably be more than I could bear. In a few days, I’ll go to Yaoguang Pavilion to apologize to Ye Yushuang and have them retract the gossip from the cultivation tabloid. If it’s done before the Sect Leader comes out of seclusion, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
“Lingyue? Why are you so quiet? You were just crying non-stop. Did you cry until you fainted…”
Fu Lingyi spoke for a while, but didn’t hear Yun Lingyue’s response. She laboriously propped herself up halfway and turned her head, only to see Yue Jin.
Her eyes widened, full of surprise.
Yue Jin pursed her lips. She avoided her gaze, lowered her eyelashes, not knowing where to look or how to explain.
She also didn’t know what to say.
Both sides were waiting for the other to speak.
Finally, Fu Lingyi couldn’t help but break the silence. “Why is it you?”
“Yun Lingyue she…” Yue Jin felt awkward and started to stammer her explanation. “She left. I wanted to go back to my own room, and it’s getting dark, I…”
She spoke for a while, didn’t even understand herself, and decided to give up.
“I, I actually wanted to ask how your injuries are?”
“You saw it,” Fu Lingyi was quite calm. She lay back down, hugging a pillow. “It’s nothing. You’ll find out sooner or later. Occasionally, when I make a mistake, Master gives me physical punishment like this.”
Occasionally?
Yue Jin was speechless. It’s every time, isn’t it?
Just like Fu Lingyi, always acting tough.
“Over a hundred lashes? What kind of mistake deserves such a whipping?” Her tone was sharp, full of accusation. “Is it my fault? It is my fault, isn’t it? Those words I said down the mountain, they ruined Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect’s reputation, right?”
“It is your fault.”
Fu Lingyi smiled faintly, maintaining her usual calm demeanor. “It is your fault. Is that what you want to hear me say?”
“What?”
“You want to hear me say that. If I say it, will you feel a lot better? Will your guilt lessen?”
Yue Jin stared at her, looking at the wisps of hair falling by her ear, feeling indignant. “Do you think I asked this because I feel guilty? Do you think I want to hear you say something like that to lighten my inner burden?”
“Isn’t it?” Fu Lingyi smiled. She turned her head halfway, propping her head up with her elbow, and met the gaze of the person by the bed. “But I feel there’s nothing wrong with what I’m saying. My misery like this is all because you were spouting nonsense outside. Your arrival brought me misfortune. It was you who made me suffer this punishment, causing me to be unable to turn over or get out of bed for days, only able to rest quietly.”
“This has nothing to do with me!”
A surge of stubbornness came over Yue Jin. She abruptly stood up, placing her hands on either side of the headboard, pulling herself closer to Fu Lingyi. “It’s your sect’s bizarre rules, your damn Master and your sect leader who’s idle all day long! What does it have to do with me? I wasn’t even aware! If I had known, I wouldn’t have come down the mountain. You absolutely cannot blame this on me!”
Fu Lingyi watched her quietly.
Unlike the last time the two of them were by the bed, this time there was clearly not a hint of ambiguous atmosphere. The air was thick with tension, like fireworks ready to ignite at any moment.
“That’s right.”
She turned her head away from that scorching gaze and quietly responded.
“It’s the Sect Leader and Master’s fault, it’s this sect’s fault, not your fault.”
“I have always believed that.”
Whether it was because the Demon Lord was humiliated, or because she was punished for hiding a fellow junior sister’s mistake, Fu Lingyi had always felt it was the sect system’s error, not her fault.
Because when her mother was alive, Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect wasn’t like this.
And she hated the Demon Lord, but only hated the demon sect’s style, which constantly stirred up unbearable memories for her.
“Hmph, I’m right, it’s not you who’s right.” Yue Jin let go, looking slightly smug, completely forgetting that she had been swayed and changed her mind.
“It’s just that this matter isn’t your fault. In a few days, when I go to Yaoguang Pavilion, you will come with me. I won’t let Yun Lingyue go.”
“I’m not going,” she said with a look of resistance. She hadn’t forgotten that pink-clothed cultivator from Yaoguang Pavilion. “I don’t get along with Yaoguang Pavilion.”
“Why do you think I have to go apologize? Isn’t it because you said strange things to the Sect Leader’s daughter? I heard she went back that day and cried all night. She’s still locked in her room and won’t see anyone.”
Good, let her cry.
Yue Jin felt smug. It seemed her words were quite effective at hitting people’s sore spots.
Seeing her expression, Fu Lingyi changed the subject. “Lingyue’s family owns quite a few restaurants in Lin’an City. Disciplinary Hall Sword Sect’s mess hall mainly serves vegetarian food; meat and fish are rarely seen. If we go down the mountain this time, for the food along the way, maybe we can try some fresh dishes at her family’s restaurants.”
Yue Jin: “…”
“How fresh?”
“Lin’an City is by the sea, so there’s plenty of seafood. Even if it’s farmed, it’s some of the best in Nanyang Prefecture. The freshness level is probably that it’s caught in the morning and served by noon.”
Yue Jin agreed, but not because of the food.
It was because by going down the mountain, she could find a chance to escape, and maybe even successfully shake off Fu Lingyi.
She was definitely not doing it for the food.
“…Do they have crab roe buns?”
Nice work 👏