Chapter 3
“What, have you even forgotten how to speak? Did I beat you stupid last time?”
Seeing Shen Zhouxing standing there staring at him without answering, Li Xiang felt his anger flare.
He raised a hand, and a mass of green energy gathered in his palm. In an instant, a branch shot out, heading straight for Shen Zhouxing’s neck!
In the blink of an eye, the branch had wrapped around Shen Zhouxing’s neck and dragged her before the three men.
“Well, well, Shen Zhouxing! So you’ve learned how to run off and complain about me, have you?” Li Xiang glared at Shen Zhouxing viciously. “Don’t think I don’t know! I have connections in the Law Enforcement Hall. Finding out who reported me was a piece of cake!”
A fat man beside him nodded and said, “That Lord Yanqing found some other excuse to confine Brother Li for a month. She probably thought she’d covered her tracks perfectly.”
Shen Zhouxing had thought Ye Lan was simply an inexperienced hothead who had directly punished Li Xiang, which was why he’d come looking for trouble again so quickly.
“Getting pretty bold, aren’t you!” As Li Xiang spoke, he slapped Shen Zhouxing hard across the face.
Restrained by the branch, Shen Zhouxing had no choice but to take the slap. Her cheek immediately burned with pain. A bundle of grass fell to the ground—the spiritual herbs she’d worked so hard to gather today.
“Oh, so you went out gathering grass, did you? What, are you raising horses or something?” Li Xiang lowered his head and glanced at the grass scattered on the ground.
“Those are spiritual herbs.” The fat man also took a look and recognized several of the plants.
“Spiritual herbs? Ha! So you’ve started thinking about earning money? Hand over your spirit stones, and I might consider going easy on you today.” Li Xiang immediately understood what Shen Zhouxing had been doing outside.
When Shen Zhouxing remained silent, Li Xiang extended his foot and slowly began grinding the spiritual herbs into the dirt.
“Stop…” Shen Zhouxing couldn’t bear watching anymore and began struggling. Unfortunately, the more she struggled, the tighter the branch constricted around her neck, making it difficult to breathe.
“Where are your spirit stones?!” Li Xiang raised his hand again, clearly preparing to deliver another slap.
“Stop!” A clear voice interrupted him before his hand could fall. It was Cheng Jin, who lived next door.
“Oh? Someone actually dares to stand up for her?” Li Xiang examined the newcomer and realized she was someone he didn’t recognize.
“Looks like after being away for a month, there are people in the outer sect who no longer know who I, Li Xiang, am.” Li Xiang probed her cultivation level and immediately relaxed. He continued, “I suggest you mind your own business!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a flash of fire streaked through the air, piercing the branch wrapped around Shen Zhouxing. The branch snapped, freeing her.
Shen Zhouxing collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
Seeing that Cheng Jin refused to heed his warning, Li Xiang signaled to the burly man beside him. “Zheng Qujiu, why don’t you have some fun with her?”
Zheng Qujiu obeyed. He brought his fists together and cracked his knuckles, producing a series of sharp popping sounds as though announcing his strength.
“Brother Zheng is a body cultivator. The flames of someone at your Qi Refining stage won’t be able to burn him. Besides…” Li Xiang added, “Getting beaten by a body cultivator hurts the most.”
“This young master happens to be in a good mood today. Leave your spirit stones behind and get back into your room, and I’ll pretend nothing happened.”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Shen Zhouxing finally caught her breath and hurriedly shouted to Cheng Jin, “Go back! Don’t worry about me!”
One Qi Refining cultivator against three Foundation Establishment cultivators. No matter how she looked at it, it was like throwing an egg against a rock.
After finally making a friend in this world, Shen Zhouxing certainly didn’t want Cheng Jin to get dragged into trouble because of her.
Even if nobody died, Cheng Jin was bound to get injured fighting them. The sect competition was just around the corner, and Shen Zhouxing knew how seriously Cheng Jin had been preparing for it and how much she was looking forward to it.
If worse came to worst, she would simply hand over her spirit stones and pay to avoid further trouble.
With that thought, Shen Zhouxing reached into her robes, only to find nothing there! Where was her money pouch?!
Ye Lan was returning from the back mountain when she spotted a money pouch lying on the path.
She picked it up and discovered an exquisitely embroidered white fawn on its surface.
Money pouches weren’t particularly common. She wondered who had dropped it here.
Ye Lan was about to put it away and ask the sect’s disciples to find its owner when she suddenly sensed a trace of her own spiritual energy inside.
Opening it, she discovered a white pearl mixed in among the spirit stones.
Meanwhile, Cheng Jin completely ignored Shen Zhouxing’s warning and assumed a fighting stance, clearly determined to confront them!
Shen Zhouxing hurriedly shouted, “Are you stupid?! All three of them are at the Foundation Establishment stage! If they beat you up, how are you supposed to participate in the competition?! Go! At least find someone to help!”
“Did I give you permission to speak?” As Li Xiang spoke, he raised his leg and kicked straight toward Shen Zhouxing’s chest. At the same time, Zheng Qujiu began approaching Cheng Jin.
Not good! Without thinking, Shen Zhouxing hurriedly rolled aside to avoid the kick, then scrambled up and threw herself at Zheng Qujiu’s leg. She wrapped her arms tightly around it, gritted her teeth, and declared:
“Since you already know that Eldest Senior Sister was the one who handled this matter, that means I’m under her protection! Aren’t you afraid she’ll come after you later?!”
“Heh, Eldest Senior Sister? She’s such a busy person. She probably just helped a nobody like you on a whim! Do you really think she’d go out of her way to stand up for you?”
Li Xiang dismissed her words without a second thought. “Zheng Qujiu!”
Zheng Qujiu had already been preparing to stomp down viciously on her. Hearing Li Xiang’s command, he gathered all his strength, intending to cripple one of Shen Zhouxing’s arms.
“Let’s see whether Eldest Senior Sister will protect you!”
As Li Xiang spoke triumphantly, Zheng Qujiu’s thick, muscular leg, now enveloped in dense spiritual energy, was about to come crashing down on Shen Zhouxing’s arm.
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended. The three men’s faces instantly turned deathly pale, and their legs gave way, forcing them to their knees.
A tall, slender figure dressed in blue and white appeared among the trees outside the courtyard.
“Ye Lan?”
“Eldest Senior Sister!”
Shen Zhouxing and Cheng Jin spoke at the same time.
After recognizing the money pouch as Shen Zhouxing’s, Ye Lan had followed her memory of the way to Shen Zhouxing’s courtyard. As she approached, she happened to witness the scene.
At that critical moment, Ye Lan had released her oppressive aura without hesitation, subduing all three men.
Fortunately, she had arrived in time.
Cold sweat broke out on Li Xiang and his companions’ foreheads under the overwhelming pressure. They stared at Ye Lan in terror.
Li Xiang was desperately trying to think of a way to plead for mercy when he heard a cool voice issue an unquestionable order. “Each of you will report to the Law Enforcement Hall and receive thirty lashes with the disciplinary whip.”
The oppressive pressure disappeared immediately afterward.
Li Xiang raised his head and stared at Ye Lan in disbelief.
Thirty lashes with the disciplinary whip! With the sect competition approaching, wasn’t she practically trying to cripple him?!
Seeing that he still seemed to question her decision, Ye Lan added, “I’ll be waiting at the Law Enforcement Hall tomorrow.”
There was no room for negotiation, and there was no escaping the disciplinary whip. His only option now was to hurry and find his uncle to save him!
Li Xiang cursed inwardly, then exchanged a glance with the other two men. The three slunk away in disgrace, not even daring to look back.
Ye Lan walked over to Shen Zhouxing and helped her to her feet.
“Senior… Sister Ye, why are you here?” Shen Zhouxing was extremely surprised. Why had the female lead appeared here?
“I found your money pouch, Junior Sister Shen.” Ye Lan took out the pouch and handed it to Shen Zhouxing. The white fawn embroidered on it gleamed faintly.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Overjoyed at recovering her lost money pouch, Shen Zhouxing could barely contain her excitement.
Ye Lan found Shen Zhouxing’s reaction a little strange. She hadn’t been nearly this excited when Ye Lan saved her, yet getting her money pouch back made her this happy.
“Eldest Senior Sister! Thank you so much for saving us today!!!” Cheng Jin also came over, displaying the excitement one would normally expect from someone who had just been rescued.
“It’s nothing.” Ye Lan felt somewhat guilty. Calculating the dates, she realized that Li Xiang had resumed his misdeeds on the very day his confinement ended. Her previous intervention hadn’t completely resolved Shen Zhouxing’s troubles.
Cheng Jin immediately recounted everything that had happened that day, spilling the entire story in one breath.
After listening, Ye Lan nodded and examined the injury on Shen Zhouxing’s face. Fortunately, it was only a superficial wound. Nevertheless, slapping someone across the face was an especially cruel act that humiliated and violated their dignity.
“Do you have any other injuries besides your face?” Ye Lan asked, looking at Shen Zhouxing’s swollen cheek. She also checked on Cheng Jin.
“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Cheng Jin answered eagerly. It was rare to see the sect’s chief disciple in person, and Shen Zhouxing could practically see stars forming in Cheng Jin’s eyes as she gazed at her.
“No, just these spiritual herbs…” Shen Zhouxing glanced at the thoroughly crushed spiritual herbs scattered across the ground and sighed.
“You gathered these spiritual herbs… to exchange for spirit stones?” Thinking about the back mountain, the money pouch, and Shen Zhouxing’s reaction, Ye Lan found it easy enough to piece everything together.
“That’s right. Outer sect disciples are always short of spirit stones,” Cheng Jin answered before Shen Zhouxing could. “Her spiritual roots aren’t good, so she needs even more spirit stones for cultivation! Eldest Senior Sister, could you perhaps give her some guidance? That way, she might at least gain the ability to protect her—”
Shen Zhouxing hurriedly covered Cheng Jin’s mouth. Good heavens! What if Ye Lan agreed and started dragging her off to practice cultivation? She was planning to leave the mountain!
Fortunately, Ye Lan didn’t say anything about it. She glanced at the spiritual herbs on the ground and said, “Junior Sisters, rest assured. This time, I’ll make sure you receive justice.”
Ye Lan withdrew her gaze, took out a jar of medicinal ointment, and handed it to Shen Zhouxing.
“This is excellent for treating external injuries. Keep it with you. For now, concentrate on your cultivation. The competition is approaching, so don’t worry about anything else.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister.” Shen Zhouxing’s cheek was still burning with pain, but as she accepted the ointment, warmth spread through her heart. She thanked Ye Lan softly.
Ye Lan then looked at Cheng Jin. “And you are?”
“My name is Cheng Jin! Cheng Jin, as in ‘a splendid future ahead’! I’m a newly admitted outer sect disciple, and I live next door to Shen Zhouxing!” Seeing her idol ask for her name, Cheng Jin hurriedly answered.
Shen Zhouxing had a feeling that if Ye Lan asked another couple of questions, Cheng Jin would probably recite her entire family genealogy.
“You did very well today.” Ye Lan offered Cheng Jin a word of praise before taking her leave.
“Aaaaaaaaaah!” As soon as Ye Lan left, Cheng Jin excitedly grabbed Shen Zhouxing and shook her like crazy. “Eldest Senior Sister just praised me! Did you hear that?!!!”
“I heard, I heard!” Shen Zhouxing helplessly turned her head away and said, “Watch my face!”
“Oh, right, right!” Hearing that, Cheng Jin immediately released her. “Shall I help you apply the medicine?”
“No, no!” Shen Zhouxing hurriedly waved her hands. “I can apply it myself.” Cheng Jin had no choice but to give up.
“But you! You can’t be so impulsive next time! What if you’d gotten seriously hurt?! The competition is only three days away!” Shen Zhouxing was about to return to her room when she suddenly remembered the matter and spoke sternly.
Seeing Cheng Jin remain silent, Shen Zhouxing was about to launch into another earnest lecture when Cheng Jin interrupted her.
“Shen Zhouxing, I’ve made up my mind.” Cheng Jin looked at Shen Zhouxing with an equally serious expression. “I’ll work hard on my cultivation. In the future, even without relying on Eldest Senior Sister, I’ll be able to protect you from that bastard Li Xiang.”
Shen Zhouxing pressed a hand to her forehead. Once she left the mountain, Li Xiang wouldn’t even be able to find her to bully her. “All right.”
Perhaps because Shen Zhouxing had an injury on her face, Cheng Jin surprisingly didn’t come knocking on her door like a relentless alarm the following morning. Shen Zhouxing was more than happy to enjoy a long, lazy sleep.
However, Cheng Jin did come around at noon. The moment Shen Zhouxing opened the door, a bulging bag was thrust into her arms.
“Eldest Senior Sister got you compensation for yesterday’s spiritual herbs!” Cheng Jin walked into the room as she spoke, poured herself a cup of water, and drained it in one gulp.
“Huh?! This much!” A whole thirty spirit stones! She was rich!
“That’s right!” Cheng Jin swallowed another mouthful of water. “You should’ve seen how lively things were today! Eldest Senior Sister was presiding over the Law Enforcement Hall, and just as those three were about to be restrained and whipped, Elder Qingshan arrived.”
“Then I guess they didn’t get whipped after all.” Shen Zhouxing leaned against the door, happily counting her spirit stones.
“They didn’t get whipped today.”
“Today?”
“You have no idea! Eldest Senior Sister refused to back down against Elder Qingshan today, and eventually, even the acting sect master showed up. Wow, you should’ve seen it! The Law Enforcement Hall was absolutely packed with people, and everyone was booing Li Xiang. Hahaha! In the end, Elder Qingshan had no choice but to agree to pay triple compensation in exchange for postponing the punishment until after the competition. Then the acting sect master approved it.”
“Even the acting sect master got involved?!” Shen Zhouxing hadn’t expected that someone as insignificant as herself could attract the attention of the acting sect master.
“The acting sect master was protecting her precious disciple, of course! How could she let Elder Qingshan use his authority to bully her beloved apprentice?”
“Oh, right! After Eldest Senior Sister received the spirit stones, she spotted me and called me over. She even specifically instructed me to put them in a bag before delivering them to you.”
Huh? This Ye Lan was surprisingly… thoughtful. She would have to thank her properly the next time they met.
“Do you think that if I make it into the top ten, I’ll get to face Eldest Senior Sister? I really want her to give me some pointers…” Cheng Jin sighed as she spoke.
“I’ve never seen anyone so eager to volunteer for a beating from the chief disciple.” Shen Zhouxing was helpless. Ever since last night, she’d felt that Cheng Jin’s admiration for Ye Lan had reached unprecedented heights.
“There are quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the outer sect too. You’d better think about how to deal with them first.” Shen Zhouxing wasn’t exaggerating. Three of them had been standing right outside her house yesterday.
“What’s there to be afraid of? If I end up facing Li Xiang, I’ll definitely teach him a proper lesson!” Cheng Jin declared, her fists tightening slightly.
“No matter how awful he is, his Foundation Establishment cultivation is the real deal!” Shen Zhouxing hurriedly interrupted Cheng Jin’s fantasies of thoroughly thrashing Li Xiang.
“So what? He has wood spiritual roots, but I have fire! Fire overcomes wood! It’s not like I don’t stand a chance against him!”
“You fool! With the competition just around the corner, why did you have to go looking for trouble with some insignificant disciple? If I hadn’t stepped in today, how would you have competed after receiving those disciplinary lashes?!” A middle-aged man angrily reprimanded Li Xiang, who was kneeling before him.
“Please calm down, Uncle! Your nephew knows he was wrong. I originally thought she was just some useless outer sect disciple. I never expected Ye Lan to actually protect her!” Kneeling on the ground and sweating profusely, Li Xiang hurriedly admitted his mistake.
“She’s nothing but an ant. Even if you crushed her to death, it wouldn’t matter. I don’t know why that girl Ye Lan insists on making such a fuss. Was she the one who caused trouble for you last time too?” Li Qingshan asked.
“Yes. It was also because of that useless cripple.”
Remembering the threatening look the acting sect master had given him today, Li Qingshan couldn’t help sighing. He then warned Li Xiang:
“You’d better avoid confronting Ye Lan from now on. Although I can protect you, Ye Lan is the acting sect master’s most treasured disciple. If the two of you clash, it’ll be difficult for me to shield you.”
“Your nephew understands. But she’s nothing more than a useless cripple! To be humiliated like this because of her… I can’t accept it!!!” Remembering how everyone at the Law Enforcement Hall had laughed at him today, Li Xiang was overwhelmed with humiliation and resentment.
“There are many ways to make trouble for someone.”
Hearing this, Li Xiang immediately raised his head and met Li Qingshan’s meaningful gaze.
“Why were you so impulsive today, confronting Li Qingshan like that?”
Ji Yun was somewhat puzzled. Her prized disciple had always been steady and respectful toward her elders. Yet today, at the Law Enforcement Hall, Ye Lan had refused to yield despite Li Qingshan’s reprimands and had even ordered the three men to be restrained for their punishment.
“This disciple acknowledges her mistake. However, this disciple believes that wrong is wrong, and those who violate the rules must be punished accordingly. Tolerating minor evils will only allow greater evils to flourish.”
“Are you blaming your Master for agreeing to Li Qingshan’s request to postpone the punishment of those three?”
“This disciple wouldn’t dare.” Ye Lan hurriedly lowered her head.
“Oh, you’re daring enough. Li Qingshan had already made concessions, yet if I hadn’t agreed to restrain you, you would’ve acted like the sect master and overruled your own elder, wouldn’t you?”
Ye Lan lowered her head even further.
Ji Yun dismissed her. “All right, you may leave. Prepare properly for the competition.”
Ji Yun lowered her gaze, but when she noticed the lingering unwillingness in Ye Lan’s eyes, her heart softened.
“Oh, right. Elder Zhang is the one organizing this year’s competition, isn’t he? Have him come see me.”
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