The news that Li Youxi was punished with four lashes of the Awakening Whip spread through the sect in no time.
That’s right, the sect leader added another lash on top of what Xin Yun had requested, and her senior brothers and sisters didn’t get off easy either—each of them was punished as well.
The reason was that they’d covered up all the outrageous things Li Youxi had done.
They doted on their youngest junior sister, and if their master found out about all this, she’d be in for a much harsher punishment.
But who would’ve thought that by hiding things one after another, they’d end up with such a mess.
Wen Jiayin was probably the last to hear about it.
She didn’t ask Xin Yun about what happened to that brat, and since there were no outsiders on their Lingjian Peak, no one gossiped with her.
It wasn’t until she went to class the next day and heard everyone talking that she picked up on what had happened.
“What’s the Awakening Whip? They make it sound terrifying.
Do you know?” Wen Jiayin asked Zhi Chang’an.
“The Awakening Whip… I heard it’s a punishment the sect’s Discipline Hall uses on disciples who break the rules.
The whip barely leaves a mark, but it feels like your skin and bones are being torn apart.
The pain lingers for a long time.
She got four lashes—she probably won’t be back in class for a few months,” Zhi Chang’an explained.
The group of little followers who used to trail behind Li Youxi were now especially quiet, practically turning themselves invisible.
No one dared get close to Zhi Chang’an anymore.
Now that everyone in class knew this half-demon was under the protection of Lingjian Peak’s little shishu, they all put on smiles when facing her and didn’t dare show any hint of discrimination.
The next time they saw Li Youxi was more than two months later.
She walked into the classroom with a sour face, and the room instantly fell silent.
The first to break the silence was the little princess Chu Mingqi, who’d seen Li Youxi as an enemy from the very start.
“Well, if it isn’t Li Youxi, the one who got four lashes from the sect leader on the execution platform! Oh my, you’re back already? I thought you’d be stuck in bed for a year or two and only show up after we’d all finished our classes, so you wouldn’t embarrass yourself!” Chu Mingqi’s words dripped with sarcasm.
She dared to be so cocky because when the sect leader personally carried out the punishment, he’d said that if Li Youxi bullied any disciples again, he’d add another lash and send her to the Cliff of Reflection.
The Cliff of Reflection is a place where the wind is freezing all year round and not a blade of grass grows.
To give wrongdoers a harsher warning, the sect leader had Xin Yun make the environment even worse.
For disciples used to a comfortable life, it was pure torture.
Those who went in came out half-dead, and for a disciple like Li Youxi, who was only at the Qi Refining stage, it would be even worse.
Chu Mingqi had even gone to watch Li Youxi’s punishment and laughed herself silly afterward.
Recently, she’d managed to draw spiritual energy into her body, so with her newfound strength, she felt even more confident mocking Li Youxi.
But she forgot that Li Youxi was tough enough to take four lashes of the Awakening Whip—something even adults couldn’t endure—without making a sound.
Li Youxi wasn’t about to back down from her provocation.
So Li Youxi didn’t even bother with Wen Jiayin, who she was supposedly “hung up on.” She walked straight to Chu Mingqi’s desk and punched a hole in it, pressing her newly strengthened spiritual power down on Chu Mingqi.
Chu Mingqi’s face went pale, and everyone nearby scattered in fear.
Maybe the psychological trauma from their first meeting was too much, because Chu Mingqi could barely get her words out.
“W-what do you want? The sect leader said you’re not allowed to bully people anymore.
If you’re not careful, I’ll go tell him!”
“Useless trash.” Li Youxi withdrew her spiritual pressure with disdain.
“Of course I won’t touch you now.
But our sect has a big competition every ten years.
If we meet on the stage, I won’t go easy on you like last time.
Of course, if you’re not even qualified to fight me, well, I wouldn’t bother with an ant like you anyway.
It’d be beneath me.”
With Chu Mingqi’s face turning ashen, Li Youxi looked much better as she walked to her seat.
But when she passed by Zhi Chang’an and Wen Jiayin, she stopped.
“I’ll say the same to you.
I lost last time, I admit it.
Next time, at the sect competition, let’s settle it once and for all!”
“…” Wen Jiayin sighed, feeling like this brat was going to be a handful.
“If you lose again, you have to apologize to Zhi Chang’an.”
Zhi Chang’an, who was suddenly dragged into this, waved her hands frantically.
“N-no need…”
“Fine, I’ll apologize if I lose! I, Li Youxi, can take a loss!” With that promise, Li Youxi plopped back into her seat, but her resentful gaze stayed fixed on the two in front.
Zhi Chang’an and Wen Jiayin both felt a chill down their spines.
“Hey, half-demon.”
“She has a name, it’s Zhi Chang’an.
If you keep being rude, I’ll tell shibo and have someone teach you some manners,” Wen Jiayin turned around and met Li Youxi’s resentful stare.
Li Youxi snapped, “You think my master listens to you about everything?”
“Then you can see for yourself whether shibo listens to my master or not,” Wen Jiayin shot back.
Li Youxi choked on her words, nearly suffocating herself.
“Tch, Zhi Chang’an, Zhi Chang’an, happy now? Why do you like tattling so much? Are you a kid or what?” Li Youxi’s back still ached at the thought of her little shishu and those four lashes.
“I am a kid, so of course I’m childish.” Old Wen nodded shamelessly.
Maybe realizing she couldn’t win against Wen Jiayin, Li Youxi gave up and turned to Zhi Chang’an.
“Hey, Zhi Chang’an!” Zhi Chang’an shivered but didn’t turn around.
Li Youxi didn’t care and kept talking.
“I never told them to short you on supplies, and I never told them to hit you.
I… I don’t like you, but I’ve always been upfront about it! Believe it or not.”
She slumped over her desk, covering her head with her open book, looking like she wanted to shut out the world.
Wen Jiayin blinked, then quietly asked Zhi Chang’an, “They’re saying it was all Li Youxi? Even the supply stuff?”
“No idea.” Zhi Chang’an shook her head.
“Maybe Meng Hui shishu just didn’t want to get kicked out of the sect.”
Meng Hui was the one who’d been shorting Zhi Chang’an’s supplies.
Xin Yun had already reported it to the sect leader and the Yuling Peak master, so he was definitely in trouble.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he tried to pin it on Li Youxi in desperation.
But how could the peak masters be so easily fooled? Especially when it involved Li Youxi.
The sect leader might get angry at first, but he’d definitely get to the bottom of it.
If it turned out Meng Hui had slandered Li Youxi, he’d be in for it.
“If they find out, he’s done for.” Wen Jiayin’s offhand comment made someone nearby tremble uncontrollably.
After all this, Zhi Chang’an was back in the good graces of the Yuling Peak master.
Especially after someone “accidentally” revealed she had phoenix blood, she was immediately taken in as a disciple.
Zhi Chang’an, who used to run to Lingjian Peak whenever she had free time, now had her schedule packed by her new master.
She barely had time to see Wen Jiayin, especially after the first part of the class ended and disciples with masters didn’t have to attend anymore.
Zhi Chang’an clung to Wen Jiayin’s sleeve with teary eyes, not saying a word but looking pitiful.
“I’ll come visit you often.
Our peaks aren’t that far apart,” Wen Jiayin promised.
Zhi Chang’an knew Wen Jiayin was always busy—practicing swordsmanship, cultivating, and working on her body because of her weak constitution.
Now that she was a disciple of the Yuling Peak master, she was also being watched closely and rarely had free time.
Even if they said “often,” they might not see each other for months.
If she’d known, she might as well have become a servant disciple on Lingjian Peak, at least then she could live with Wen Jiayin.
Zhi Chang’an didn’t think being a direct disciple was all that great—people looked at her even more strangely now.
Compared to Yuling Sect, she’d rather be with Wen Jiayin.
As her first and only friend, Zhi Chang’an treasured Wen Jiayin deeply, to the point of dependence.
