Lu Qing’an had no idea how panicked Ji Zhixing had been the moment she woke up.
Ji Zhixing could not believe that the covered-in-wounds Lu Qing’an had been injured by her own hands.
Yet, every sword strike she had personally delivered in her memory was crystal clear; every sword scar on Lu Qing’an’s body was created by her own hands.
The instant she regained consciousness, an overwhelming taste of blood lingered in her mouth, which Lu Qing’an had personally fed to her.
Ji Zhixing lowered her eyelids, her elegant, slender brows furrowing slightly, not daring to let the person before her see the expression on her face.
She did not dare to ask whether Lu Qing’an blamed her in her heart.
Even though she clearly knew that Lu Qing’an might not even take this matter to heart.
Yet, thinking like this made her feel even more uncomfortable instead.
If possible, she would rather Lu Qing’an scold her a few times or yell at her.
Rather than being like this; if Lu Qing’an truly did not care, then what did Ji Zhixing amount to in her heart?
Would it really be the exact same if it were anyone else?
Would Lu Qing’an truly have no reaction whatsoever after someone else chopped her to pieces as well?
Ji Zhixing wanted to ask, yet she did not know in what capacity she should open her mouth.
She had guessed that Lu Qing’an would be angry after waking up.
However, she had never expected that after Lu Qing’an woke up, her attitude would be one that could be described as cold and indifferent.
Unwilling to accept this, Ji Zhixing raised her head, her eyes brimming with countless questions, making her look mournful and desolate.
Seeing her expression, Lu Qing’an was startled in her heart, and she hurriedly comforted her, “Senior Sister, I am really fine.”
“Back then, you didn’t do it on purpose either. I know that you were being controlled.”
Lu Qing’an thought back to those inanimate, indifferent, light-colored eyes of Ji Zhixing back in the cave.
Her body trembled unconsciously.
In her view, how things were right now was already truly wonderful.
She was alive, and her senior sister was fine as well.
Ji Zhixing’s face still wore an expression full of worry and sorrow.
Lu Qing’an patted Ji Zhixing’s shoulder with her heavily bandaged hand, not daring to exert too much strength.
“Senior Sister, didn’t you just say that you finished making food? I happen to be hungry right now.”
The place where they usually ate was in the small courtyard, so Lu Qing’an naturally prepared to get off the bed.
However, the moment she moved her legs, she noticed something was wrong.
Her legs were completely soft and weak, unable to exert any strength.
She looked at Ji Zhixing in astonishment. “How many days was I asleep?”
“Seven days, a full seven days.”
Lu Qing’an was immensely surprised by this duration.
A full seven days, yet having just woken up, she felt as if she had merely slept for a long time.
Ji Zhixing supported Lu Qing’an’s arm in a timely manner.
Borrowing her strength, Lu Qing’an was finally able to step off the bed.
“During these past few days, I have continuously been using my spiritual energy to nourish you.”
This also explained the confusion in Lu Qing’an’s mind just now.
After eating their meal, Lu Qing’an inquired again about that cave where she had almost lost her life.
However, Ji Zhixing did not know either.
The rear mountain of the Liuyun Sect had existed for an unknown length of time, and many matters had long become impossible to investigate.
Nevertheless, seeing that the array had harmed at least twenty or more people, Ji Zhixing reported this matter to the sect.
Seeing Ji Zhixing shake her head as well, Lu Qing’an did not press further into the matter.
After finishing their meal, Ji Zhixing brought Lu Qing’an back to the open field where they practiced martial arts.
Previously, because she thought “Liuyun” was by Lu Qing’an’s side, Ji Zhixing had no longer dwelt on her slacking off during practice.
However, the event they had just experienced in the mountain cave made Ji Zhixing deeply recognize the sense of danger; Lu Qing’an still needed to practice diligently.
Upon hearing Ji Zhixing tell her to practice, Lu Qing’an was a hundred and a thousand times unwilling in her heart.
Yet this time, Ji Zhixing hardened her heart and strictly enforced the rules, refusing to give Lu Qing’an any opportunity to slack off no matter what.
Lu Qing’an held a horse stance for an entire morning.
In the afternoon, she was forced to adjust and practice basic fist techniques.
By nighttime, Lu Qing’an, drenched in sweat, soaked in the hot spring, letting out a comfortable sigh.
Lying on the bed, Lu Qing’an originally wanted Ji Zhixing to apply medicine to her wounds.
However, she remembered the many tedious steps Ji Zhixing took when applying medicine to her in the cave, so she abandoned that thought.
Yet, unexpectedly, Ji Zhixing stood behind her and took the medicine bottle out from her palm.
She skillfully unfastened Lu Qing’an’s clothes to apply the medicine.
Seeing how skillful her movements were, Lu Qing’an raised an eyebrow.
When she bathed today, she had seen it; the sword scars on her chest, abdomen, and arms were overlapping, crisscrossing, and densely packed.
However, every single mark was not deep, and some were even almost healed.
It must have been her senior sister applying medicine to her every day while she was unconscious.
Every wound was meticulously coated with white ointment.
“You have wounds on your back as well, so it is best to lie on your stomach.”
Lu Qing’an quickly flipped over.
Fingertips carrying cold ointment applied the medicine sequentially from the back of her neck downward.
Passing her waistline and going further down, Lu Qing’an showed a look of great shock and hurriedly got up.
“Senior Sister, are there wounds on my buttocks too?”
She covered both sides of her buttocks with her hands, a rare look of embarrassment appearing on her face.
“I can do this part by myself.”
Ji Zhixing let out a light laugh. “When I applied ointment to you before, I already…”
She did not finish her sentence completely, yet Lu Qing’an knew what she meant.
Snatching the ointment from Ji Zhixing’s hand, her voice was extremely quiet, “That is different.”
When Ji Zhixing applied ointment to her previously, she was already unconscious, so naturally it did not matter.
However, she was awake now.
Ji Zhixing did not force her either. She turned around and walked toward her own bed, instructing softly with her back turned to Lu Qing’an, “Get some sleep early.”
The faint blush on her face was also well concealed because of this.
At least Lu Qing’an did not notice it at this moment.
Afterward, until their confinement ended, Lu Qing’an lived a life like an ascetic monk.
Holding a horse stance in the morning, practicing fist techniques in the afternoon, and exhausting all her strength by night, she would climb into bed completely spent.
However, Lu Qing’an was not serious all the time either.
She gradually discovered that as long as she tugged at Ji Zhixing’s sleeve and acted coquettishly, claiming her wounds hurt, she could trade it for a quarter of an hour of rest.
The only drawback was that she could not use this trick too often, but being able to rest was still far better than continuous hard practice.
On the day their confinement was lifted, Lu Qing’an finally felt as if she had come back to life.
Lu Qing’an was overjoyed all the way, thinking that she finally did not have to live such bitter days of practicing anymore.
She was almost about to vomit from practicing.
“Once we return to Lingluo Peak, I will teach you sword techniques.”
A single sentence felt as though a bolt of lightning had suddenly struck down from the sky, making Lu Qing’an instantly feel as if she had fallen into hell.
She showed pitiful, pathetic eyes as she looked toward Ji Zhixing.
“Furthermore, you should learn how to utilize spiritual energy now. The peak master next door possesses a Lightning spiritual root, so I will go consult her for experience regarding this matter.”
Her gaze did not receive any pity from Ji Zhixing.
Ji Zhixing arranged Lu Qing’an’s future life to be completely packed.
Lu Qing’an could only let out a wail, resigning herself to accept it.
She could also understand why Ji Zhixing was doing this.
Ever since that mountain cave incident, Ji Zhixing had continuously been worried about her safety, deeply afraid that a similar incident would happen again.
Just as they reached the foot of the mountain, Lu Qing’an saw several disciples hurriedly running toward a single direction with excited expressions on their faces.
Lu Qing’an pulled someone to ask what had happened.
“Hey, there are still people who lack eyes nowadays. Yet another master and disciple got together.”
“Aren’t they being punished right now?” the disciple said with a face full of disdain.
Having just arrived, Lu Qing’an did not know what had happened.
With the mindset of watching a scene unfold, Lu Qing’an grabbed Ji Zhixing’s wrist and ran along with the crowd.
In the central square of the Discipline Hall, two people were tied up.
Judging from their attire, the woman’s clothes were simple, and her head ornaments were plain; she appeared to be the disciple.
The other person wore elaborate clothing, appearing in feature like a man in his thirties.
Although both of them had disheveled hair, they had no wounds on their bodies.
“These two were traitorous and outrageous, completely disregarding human morality and ethics. Their spiritual roots shall now be stripped, and they shall be banished from the Liuyun Sect.”
Lu Qing’an stood at the very front of all the disciples.
The Hall Master of the Punishment Hall placed his hand on the woman’s crown, shaping it like an eagle’s claw, as a surge of green energy emerged from the top of the woman’s head.
An agonizing, unbearable expression appeared on the woman’s face, her feature contorting into a ball, yet because her body was bound, she could only let out helpless screams.
The entire process was continuous and drawn out.
The sound of the woman’s pain continuously echoed in Lu Qing’an’s ears; it was truly the most painful sound a human could make.
The green mist gradually dissipated.
The woman’s body slouched to one side, collapsing onto the ground.
She opened her eyes wide, wanting to say something, but could only make raspy guttural sounds.
Seeing this, the man hurriedly shouted out loud in fear, “It was all her who seduced me! I am innocent! I beg you to spare me!”
As he uttered these words, Lu Qing’an noticed that tears silently fell from the corner of the woman’s wide-open eyes.
It was hard to imagine that she had not even cried when her spiritual root was being stripped just now.
The Hall Master let out a cold laugh, “The union of master and disciple is not something one person alone can accomplish.”
He extracted the man’s spiritual root using the exact same method.
On the way back to the peak, Lu Qing’an was still thinking about what had just occurred.
“Senior Sister, just because they were together, do they have to suffer such a punishment?”
Ji Zhixing had actually not expected Lu Qing’an to ask this.
She shook her head, a few hints of disgust appearing on her face, “Apart from the Demon Race, normal people do not fall in love with their own disciples.”
Afraid that Lu Qing’an would not understand, Ji Zhixing pondered the phrasing used in the mortal realm.
“Taking advantage of a young child’s tender age, relying on being a few years older to entice them into falling in love with oneself is despised by all.”
“Furthermore, a young child easily mistakes certain emotions for love.”
“Just like how teachers in your academy would not fall in love with their students.”
Ji Zhixing spoke her own viewpoint, her words revealing her disapproval as well.
Lu Qing’an nodded as if understanding yet not fully understanding.
“Then what if the disciple’s cultivation level is lower than the master’s, but their age is older than the master’s?”
Ji Zhixing let out a cold sneer, “So what? A disciple and a master can never be together.”
“In the cultivation realm, every person’s lifespan easily reaches several hundred years. What does that slight difference in age amount to?”
“Since one is a disciple, one must fulfill filial duty; since one is a master, one must set an example by personal conduct.”
“If every pair of master and disciple became husband and wife, it would be a disaster for the entire world.”
It was rare for Ji Zhixing to speak at such length, and her resistant emotion was unconsciously influencing Lu Qing’an as well.
A look of sudden realization appeared on Lu Qing’an’s face, and she nodded in agreement.
Returning to Lingluo Peak shortly after, Ji Zhixing brought Lu Qing’an to find Qi Manmeng first.
Qi Manmeng’s gaze rested on Lu Qing’an for a moment, and she said casually, “Do not forget the things I asked you to find.”
Lu Qing’an nodded in assent. Due to what had just occurred earlier, her attitude was considerably more respectful as well.