Wu Bei squatted under the bed, listening to Fu Lingyi cry for a long time. Only when Yun Lingyue burst in did she quickly turn her back and wipe away her tears.
“Senior Sister, something’s wrong… you, why are you crying?”
Yun Lingyue rushed in without knocking, suddenly seeing this scene. It was the first time she had ever seen her Senior Sister cry, and she didn’t know how to react.
Fu Lingyi adjusted her emotions, turned sideways, and her expression returned to calm: “What is it?”
Yun Lingyue finally remembered what she had come to say: “Right, Senior Sister, something’s wrong. You know about the extra edition of the cultivation tabloid down the mountain? It’s gone too far! That Yaoguang Pavilion is truly treacherous; they actually used such a headline to smear our sect!”
After saying that, she threw the cultivation tabloid onto the table, her face full of indignation. The headline on the paper, “Chongxiang Sword Sect ‘s Senior Sister Betrays the Cultivation World,” was stark and incredibly eye-catching.
Fu Lingyi glanced at it. Although her expression showed no ripple, her hand beneath the table clenched into a fist, nails digging into her palm, as if she were enduring something.
“It also says here that Yue Jin is part of the demonic path. Although she does resemble that demonic fiend, that fiend is already dead. Isn’t making such a conclusion too groundless? And this picture, what’s that knife she’s holding? Surely it’s not the murder weapon from the Xuanzhuo Sect massacre. That’s too ridiculous…”
“Yes,” Fu Lingyi raised her voice slightly, speaking faintly. “That knife is the murder weapon. Yaoguang Pavilion hid it during the alliance meeting. How Yue Jin got it, I don’t know; she refuses to say.”
Yun Lingyue froze. She pondered for a moment, then thought of a counter-argument: “But, but Senior Sister, since Yaoguang Pavilion hid it, how could she have gotten it? And it just happened to be captured by a tracking artifact? This must be a frame-up.”
A frame-up?
Fu Lingyi recalled what Ye Yushuang had said to her at the time, speaking with absolute certainty, eager to take her to capture Yue Jin.
Something is a bit strange.
But…
“If it’s a frame-up, then why won’t Yue Jin say?”
“Naturally, there’s a hidden reason,” Yun Lingyue’s opinion of Yue Jin had changed quite a bit. Instead of opposing her at every turn like before, she was now tirelessly defending her. “If she could just say it, would it still be called a frame-up? Maybe some Evil Envoy threatened her. I think she’s actually just a bit mouthy, but the person herself is quite good. After all, last time you were punished, Senior Sister, she even followed along and felt very sad and guilty about your injuries. Even when Yu Xia spoke about her like that, she didn’t retaliate. I don don’t believe someone like that would kill innocents randomly.”
Fu Lingyi listened to these words, bit her lower lip, and recalled various past details. She found there were indeed places that were hard to explain. She loosened her clenched fist and asked, “Do you truly think so?”
“Mhm! And Senior Sister, she’s someone who naturally doesn’t listen to advice. If you punish her like this, she’ll be unhappy and won’t say anything even more. You should ask her slowly, gently, just be as gentle as you normally are.”
In Yun Lingyue’s eyes, Fu Lingyi was an extremely gentle Senior Sister. She didn’t think her Senior Sister would have any problems communicating with others.
Fu Lingyi was moved by her words. Ignoring the cultivation tabloid’s baseless fabrications, she stood up, deciding to go find Yue Jin. She decided to properly question her about the matter and get a clear understanding.
Be a bit gentle, can’t scare her.
Only after both of them had left did Wu Bei crawl out from under the bed. She stretched her limbs and let out a long breath.
They finally left. If I had stayed here any longer, my legs would have gone numb.
As expected of my good Sister Yun, she even saved me unintentionally.
She now needed to quickly go down the mountain to find Wu Ju.
Before going to her Master’s spirit beast area, Fu Lingyi first passed by the medicinal herbs room. Seeing that Yue Jin had eaten all the food she made, her heart softened.
Yue Jin wouldn’t do something like this. It must all be a misunderstanding.
Sunlight filtered through the forest, layering down and enveloping the area. Patches of light flickered across people’s faces, sometimes hiding the eyes, sometimes blocking half a cheek.
Not far away, Yue Jin stood still, holding a knife. Her outer robe was dirty and stained with blood, and beside her lay a dead Reverse Scale Owl, her Master’s favorite.
Broken chains were wrapped around the spirit beast. Without extreme blade energy, it wouldn’t have been injured in the slightest.
Fu Lingyi watched her quietly.
Yue Jin’s expression was flustered. The last time she was wrongly accused but didn’t speak up was because she also had something to hide, but this time had absolutely nothing to do with her!
“I… I didn’t do it. This knife was thrown on the ground, I picked it up…”
Fu Lingyi walked forward. She took the knife, felt the flow of spiritual energy, and checked the Reverse Scale Owl’s injuries, confirming that this knife had caused them.
Yue Jin stared at her movements, with so many things she wanted to explain.
But with this series of events happening one after another, would Fu Lingyi believe her?
“I really…”
“I believe you.”
The corners of Fu Lingyi’s eyes curved upwards. Without any hidden agenda, she smiled genuinely: “You don’t need to say anything. I believe you. After all, you have no cultivation base and no spiritual energy. How could you possibly tie down the Reverse Scale Owl and then kill it?”
Yue Jin thought to herself, she didn’t kill it, but she did tie it up.
“You really believe me?”
“Of course I do.”
Fu Lingyi threw the knife away, took her hand, and walked back, asking softly: “Let’s not talk about that. Was today’s porridge good? I went down the mountain early to buy fragrant rice, and I didn’t know what kind of dishes you like, so I made a few extra plates. It was my first time making the dishes though, so they might not be very tasty. I’ll improve next time.”
The two chatted, just like usual, as if what had just happened wasn’t important at all.
She chased me out like that this morning, and now she’s not angry anymore?
Yue Jin asked tentatively: “Will there be a next time? Will there still be this many dishes next time?”
Fu Lingyi widened her eyes slightly, letting out a chuckle: “Okay, and even more! I’ll make them for you tonight.”
Just as Yue Jin was happy, she suddenly remembered the harsh words she had said that morning.
I was also wrong. Apologizing is only right.
“This morning…”
She hesitated, her wrist held in Fu Lingyi’s hand, feeling very awkward: “This morning, I shouldn’t have…”
“Lingyi.”
Before Fu Lingyi could hear what Yue Jin was about to say, she heard a call.
That voice was clearly clear and pleasant, like the sound of flowing pearls, yet it made her involuntarily feel a chill down her spine.
“Lingyi, come over.”
Following the second call, faint footsteps sounded from behind.
Yue Jin saw Fu Lingyi freeze in place, felt a little confused, and tilted her head to look behind her.
She saw someone she had never expected to meet again in this lifetime.
That person stood tall in white robes, with a tear mole beneath each eye. She extended a hand and crooked a finger.
By the street where she had bought candied figures all those years ago, it was this woman in white robes who had climbed onto her shoulder and crippled all her meridians.
Yue Jin was too shocked to speak. She wanted to warn Fu Lingyi, wanted her to quickly leave and not look back. This person before them was the murderer who had destroyed the Xuanzhuo Sect, who had killed the Yaoguang Pavilion Elder, who had killed Wu Xi, that person in blue robes.
But Fu Lingyi turned around, shielded her behind her, and replied, trembling slightly.
“Greetings, Sect Leader.”
Sect Leader? She’s actually the Sect Leader of Chongxiang Sword Sect ?
Yue Jin couldn’t move at all; it was as if she had been fixed in place by a body-fixing spell. She was completely blocked by Fu Lingyi, and her heart was pounding very fast.
So the earlier trick with the paper kite, making me take the blame, was because she recognized me?
Recognized me as the survivor she failed to kill over a decade ago?
“I told you to come over.” Baili Xianrong crooked her finger slightly. On the surface, she still had that graceful appearance, with a slight smile on her lips.
Fu Lingyi walked forward uncontrollably. She glanced back, signaling Yue Jin to leave quickly.
Yue Jin didn’t understand what she meant. She stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve: “Wait, don’t go over there.”
“Why can’t you come over?” Baili Xianrong turned her wrist, spiritual energy flared out, and she pulled back as if yanking on a thread.
Fu Lingyi was yanked forward, dropping straight onto one knee before her.
“Your disciple did not know Sect Leader had emerged from seclusion and failed to greet you. This is a failure in my duty. I ask Sect Leader for punishment.”
Baili Xianrong lowered her gaze to look at her, then raised her eyes to gaze at Yue Jin: “I have never liked seclusion emergence ceremonies; there is no need to say more about that. Who is this person? A new disciple of Venerable Yi Qing?”
Yue Jin was startled.
She clearly has a chance to kill me right now, so why isn’t she?
Could it be that she didn’t recognize me as the child from back then at all?
No wonder she dared to appear before me openly wearing white.
“That is…” Fu Lingyi quickly interjected, very nervous. “To Sect Leader, that is my dao companion.”
“Oh?” Baili Xianrong looked Yue Jin over. “I remember you cultivate the path of ruthlessness. Never mind, I won’t ask too much about your cultivation ideas. It’s just…”
“The rumors down the mountain, have you heard of them?”
Fu Lingyi’s face instantly turned pale.
Yue Jin was still curious about what rumors she was talking about, when she saw Baili Xianrong raise her hand. A sword sliced through the sky, flew over, and landed in her hand.
Wind and clouds surged. She gripped the sword hilt and pointed the tip at Fu Lingyi’s brow.
Drops of blood flowed from her forehead, dripping onto the grass. The green grass was stained crimson, a truly shocking sight.
“What are you doing!”
Yue Jin was surprised and wanted to step forward to stop it, but Fu Lingyi blocked her: “Don’t come over!”
“According to the sect rules, what punishment should be given for damaging the sect’s image? Tell me, Lingyi?”
“If one’s personal reputation is damaged, they receive one hundred and thirteen whip lashes,” Fu Lingyi’s forehead pressed against the sword tip, not daring to move. “If the entire Chongxiang Sword Sect is implicated and doubted, then, then one must be confined in the Disciplinary Hall for three days and three nights.”
Her voice trembled; she was afraid.
“Good that you know,” Baili Xianrong lowered her sword, used it to push away the bothersome hair near her shoulder, and gently tapped her face with the smooth side of the blade. “Go on your own. Don’t forget about the talk down the mountain either. If Yun Lingyue alone can’t resolve it, she won’t need to assist in managing the sect anymore. I will choose someone more capable from among the disciples to help you.”
“…Yes. I will respectfully obey Sect Leader’s instructions.”
Baili Xianrong withdrew her sword. She looked at Yue Jin nearby and smiled: “What is your name? Don’t worry, the Chongxiang Sword Sect ‘s punishments only deal with disciples; they have nothing to do with you. Just stay here peacefully and don’t worry. This is just Lingyi’s own matter.”
“What is the Disciplinary Hall? What are those messy rumors down the mountain? And why is only Fu Lingyi punished every time?” Yue Jin was sure this person didn’t want to reveal her identity as the murderer, so she boldly asked.
Fu Lingyi looked up at her in surprise, a hint of joy flashing in her heart.
Baili Xianrong smiled widely, not planning to answer any of her questions. Her sword spun a few times in the air and flew away on it with its master.
Without even casting a single glance back.
Baili Xianrong went home, changed clothes, and came back.
Nice chapter