Le Cailing’s tears fell more fiercely as she reluctantly agreed.
Qin Yangling walked to Le Cailing’s side. Seeing her crying yet still maintaining her composure, he couldn’t help but gently pat her shoulder. “Junior Sister Le, don’t get angry over that scoundrel. It’s not worth harming your health. I’ll seek justice for you.”
Le Cailing felt his imposing presence and steady, gentle demeanor, so different from the male disciples who usually pestered her. Combined with his support, she felt deeply grateful and nodded silently.
Qin Yangling asked, “Which one of you is Junior Brother Lei?”
Lei Xiuyuan, who had been silent until now, cupped his hands in greeting: “What guidance does Senior Brother Qin have for me?”
Qin Yangling scrutinized him. This young man was cold and aloof, with a calm demeanor quite different from the other disciples. He frowned slightly: “Junior Brother Lei, this matter needs resolution. After all, you broke Junior Sister Le’s Closed Mouth Celestial Technique that she worked hard on for three years. How can you remain silent?”
Lei Xiuyuan replied coolly, “What kind of explanation does Senior Brother Qin want from me?”
Qin Yangling looked at Hong Shunying, who remained noncommittal, then turned to Le Cailing and asked gently, “Junior Sister Le, what do you want to do?”
Le Cailing said softly, “I want him to apologize.”
Qin Yangling smiled, “Junior Sister Le is indeed magnanimous. Junior Brother Lei, first apologize to Junior Sister Le, then to Elder Qingle. Seek their forgiveness, and this matter can be resolved amicably. How about that?”
Lei Xiuyuan’s voice remained indifferent: “What if I refuse?”
Qin Yangling hadn’t expected such a hard stance from a young disciple: “Junior Brother Lei, you’re under Elder Guangwei. How does your behavior reflect on Elder Guangwei and Elder Qingle?”
Lei Xiuyuan smiled slightly: “I doubt my master would blame me for her sake.”
“You…” Le Cailing flared up in anger again. Qin Yangling patted her shoulder reassuringly and turned back: “Junior Brother Lei, I’ve heard you’re a prodigy, which explains your aloofness. However, you’re still a new disciple who’s only been here for five years. The path of cultivation is long. Maintaining such a high-handed attitude now, aren’t you afraid of stumbling in the future?”
Lei Xiuyuan, without looking at him, suddenly said: “Senior Brother Qin, no need to lecture me with your standards. I’m tired. If you insist on an apology, I’ll have to decline.”
Qin Yangling finally looked a bit flustered. What a sharp-tongued little brat!
Ying Yuankai and the others, who had been sitting behind, saw their unyielding attitudes and found their courage. They stood up and said, “Let’s call the elders to judge! We’re exhausted from the trial and have been held up here for two days! We’re dead tired!”
Seeing the situation deteriorating, Hong Shunying hurriedly said, “I apologize for detaining you all for two days. Fellow disciples, please go back and rest. Another day, I’ll…”
Before she could finish, Elder Qingle’s voice suddenly rang out from the hall entrance: “Shunying, Cailing, what are you doing here?”
Their faces immediately turned pale. The master had arrived! How did she come so suddenly?! They quickly turned and knelt, only to see not just Elder Qingle, but also Elder Dongyang and Elder Baifu at the door. Hong Shunying inwardly cursed her bad luck, regretting that she had listened to Le Cailing and stood up for her.
Suddenly, she felt a tug on her clothes. The shifty-eyed young male disciple from earlier was grinning at her. She felt disgusted and quickly averted her gaze.
Deng Xiguang smiled and whispered, “Senior Sister Hong, Junior Sister Le, how was my Wood Element Celestial Technique?”
As he spoke, two wooden birds appeared in his palm, quickly shrouded in a layer of illusory mist, concealing themselves. The two women suddenly realized he had secretly sent word.
Deng Xiguang winked and grinned: “Junior Brother Lei asked me to do it. I was worried you’d notice! Oh, Senior Sister Hong, Junior Sister Le is too arrogant and domineering. Even I don’t like her! She needs to work on that temper!”
Le Cailing trembled with anger but didn’t dare move with the master present. Thinking about how she had left the trial unfinished and had her three-year Closed Mouth Celestial Technique broken, she feared the punishment awaiting her.
The three elders, having received the wooden bird’s message, had rushed to Wengu Hall. After hearing the account from Ying Yuankai and the others, Elder Qingle’s usually kind face darkened for the first time, filled with disappointment and heartache. She said softly, “Cailing, provoking the Zhuyan beast despite your cultivation level is one mistake; recklessly using the Musical Celestial Technique, disregarding your fellow disciples’ lives, is another mistake; leaving the trial unfinished is yet another mistake; and falsely accusing others is one more! You’ve disappointed me greatly!”
Le Cailing choked, “Disciple spent three years cultivating the third level of the Closed Mouth Celestial Technique. Having it suddenly broken, I truly couldn’t accept it…”
Elder Qingle said flatly, “You need not continue practicing this technique. Your temperament is unsuited for my Celestial Techniques. Elder Baifu, you’re in charge of the trial’s punishment. Don’t show leniency.”
Elder Baifu sighed a few times before finally speaking sternly, “Le Cailing, a disciple of Elder Qingle, for failing to complete the Lilie Valley trial, your food allowance will be halved for three months starting today. Tomorrow at dawn, follow me to Dengyun Platform. Go down to the Hall of Reflection and face the wall for three days of contemplation.”
Before he finished speaking, Le Cailing had already burst into tears, her sobs heart-wrenching.
Elder Qingle steeled herself, turning away without looking at her. As she walked to the hall entrance, she said, “Think carefully down there. It’s my fault for spoiling you too much, causing you to lose your true self!”
The three elders left quickly. Hong Shunying, unwilling to stay any longer, knew that although her master hadn’t reprimanded her publicly, she would surely be scolded harshly upon return. She had no heart to comfort the sobbing Le Cailing and left on a cloud.
Seeing the situation had reached this point, no one had any interest in kicking Le Cailing while she was down, so they simply ignored her.
Ying Yuankai and his group were the most pitiful, having been trapped in Wengu Hall for two days, each exhausted beyond measure. They hurriedly exchanged a few words before returning to sleep. The group of four—Li Fei, Su Wan, Lei Xiuyuan, and Deng Xiguang—had gotten along well during the Lilie Valley trial and were somewhat reluctant to part.
Deng Xiguang punched Lei Xiuyuan lightly and grinned, “Junior Brother Lei, I didn’t like your personality at first! But now I’ve grown fond of it! Come play at my Danmu Peak sometime. We have several beautiful junior and senior sisters there! Although Junior Sister Jiang is a peerless beauty, looking at her all the time can get tiring, right? Senior Brother will take you to try some different flavors…”
What kind of inappropriate talk was this? Li Fei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Su Wan beside her also laughed, “I agree with the first part of what Senior Brother Deng said, but Junior Brother Lei, I still don’t like your personality. A man should be bold and domineering! Don’t always look at everyone like they’re fools. You’ll need those fools to lend a hand someday, right?”
Lei Xiuyuan also smiled, a rare sight that made him look quite innocent and kind: “Thank you for the advice, Senior Brother and Senior Sister. I’ll surely keep it in mind.”
Su Wan held Li Fei’s hand, reluctant to part: “You often come to Yaoguang Peak anyway, don’t just focus on Junior Brother Lei. When I’m free, I’ll visit Zhuiyu Peak too. I’ve never been there and want to see what a snow mountain looks like.”
Li Fei liked this bold and straightforward girl and immediately said, “Su Wan, why don’t you join us for the gathering in Lu Gong Town next year? I’ll introduce you to Gelin and the others. You’ll surely get along well.”
Su Wan laughed, “Sure, are there any domineering men?”
“What’s considered domineering?” Li Fei couldn’t imagine. Was it like Ji Tongzhou? Though Ji Tongzhou might be better described as arrogant and overbearing.
Su Wan thought for a while and chuckled, “I can’t say for sure, but it’s all about feeling. When I meet one, I’ll know. Despite the many male disciples in the cultivation world, few are truly bold and straightforward. They’re either immature boys or pretending to be profound. It’s so annoying!”
Deng Xiguang immediately protested, “Junior Sister Su, what do you mean by immature boys? How am I small? And pretending to be profound is even more wrong. Where can you find a man as open and generous as me?”
His words made everyone burst into laughter again.
Qin Yangling, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly spoke up, “Junior Brother Lei, I have a question for you. Do you know about the Duel Conference held every ten years?”
The four who had been laughing fell silent. What did Senior Brother Qin mean by suddenly bringing up the Duel Conference? Although it was said that all ordinary elite inner disciples had to participate without exception, new disciples like them who hadn’t been in the sect for ten years generally didn’t need to participate. This was an unwritten rule accepted by the entire sect.
Lei Xiuyuan looked at him deeply, “I know. What does Senior Brother Qin want to say?”
Qin Yangling said gently, “The Duel Conference will be held in half a year. Would Junior Brother Lei be interested in participating?”
Su Wan couldn’t hold back, “How can new disciples participate in the Duel Conference?”
Qin Yangling smiled, “Wouldn’t it be a shame for a prodigy like Junior Brother Lei not to participate?”
Lei Xiuyuan curled his lips and said, “How could I refuse Senior Brother Qin’s invitation?”
“At that time, I’m willing to use three-tenths of my cultivation to spar with Junior Brother Lei,” Qin Yangling cupped his hands.
Three-tenths of his cultivation? Li Fei and the other two were shocked. Was he using the power of an inner disciple to pressure Lei Xiuyuan?
Lei Xiuyuan remained unmoved, “There’s still half a year, Senior Brother Qin. Don’t be in a hurry.”
Seeing that Qin Yangling had no intention of leaving, no one wanted to stay with this annoying senior brother. The four quickly left the hall together, and Wengu Hall fell into silence once again, with only Le Cailing’s soft sobs echoing.
With her technique broken and being scolded by her master for the first time, even being sent down to the cloud sea for reflection, her face had long since lost all color. At this moment, she could do nothing but cry.
Suddenly, a warmth spread on her shoulder. Qin Yangling’s large hand gently patted her again. This kind and gentle senior brother smiled at her and said softly, “Junior Sister Le, don’t cry. I believe in you and will help you seek justice from Lei Xiuyuan.”
Le Cailing shook her head, her face ashen, “What… what justice can I seek now… I have to go to the Hall of Reflection below the cloud sea… This shame can never be erased… Everyone will laugh at me from now on…”
Qin Yangling stroked her hair and said in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid. Senior Brother will accompany you to the cloud sea. You’re not alone.”
She trembled, looking at him with extreme gratitude. Seeing his clear, warm gaze like a gentle spring breeze, she involuntarily lowered her head, her face slowly turning red.