Shen Zhuo was caught off guard when the cool surface of the fan pressed against his lips, and his movements froze instantly.
A look of clear bewilderment crossed his eyes, mingled with a hint of annoyance at his failed plan. He thought that, given the atmosphere, he might have succeeded. It was a pity to lose that 1% cultivation reward.
Shen Zhuo abruptly took a step back and began clearing the finished bowls and chopsticks from the table with an expressionless face. However, his movements were exaggeratedly large, and the porcelain bowls let out a series of crisp clatters as they collided.
“The noodles are finished. Please do as you wish, Fellow Daoist Xie,” Shen Zhuo said. Leaving behind those words, he carried the dishes and walked quickly toward the kitchen, leaving Xie Yuan with the view of a stiff, retreating back.
He placed the dishes into the water basin but did not wash them immediately. Instead, he leaned against the stove, ears pricked to catch any movement outside. After a moment, he could not help but peek half a head out, looking through the crack in the door.
He saw that Xie Yuan was still sitting leisurely on the stone bench in the courtyard, unhurriedly swaying his fan. His gaze seemed to drift toward the kitchen every now and then. Shen Zhuo immediately pulled his head back, determined to stay in the kitchen tonight. As long as Xie Yuan remained in the courtyard, he would not go out.
For the entire night, Shen Zhuo went out of his way to avoid Xie Yuan. Xie Yuan chuckled and returned to his guest room in a grand mood, fan in hand. A night of peaceful sleep followed.
The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten, Shen Zhuo opened his eyes. The courtyard was silent, and Xie Yuan’s door was tightly shut; he clearly had not risen yet.
Shen Zhuo changed into a new Xuanyun Sect Daoist robe and, without further delay, headed straight to pay his respects to his Master. There were few people on the road in the early morning. With no one blocking his way to provoke him, Shen Zhuo reached the Sect Leader’s peak without hindrance to complete this belated visit.
Just as he stepped onto the final flight of stone steps leading to the main peak, a man hurried past him. The newcomer was not dressed as a disciple, but was a sharp-eyed, middle-aged man. He exuded an aura of steady coldness, and as he passed Shen Zhuo, he shot him a glance.
Shen Zhuo felt that this gaze was not friendly. Upon seeing the man’s face clearly, he could not help but be taken aback. He recognized this face. During his previous life when he lived at the Xuanyun Sect, this man was often entrusted by Pei Chuan to deliver various medicinal pills and daily necessities to him.
If he remembered correctly, the man was a cultivator in charge of logistics and miscellaneous affairs within the sect. Although his cultivation was not high, he was meticulous and reliable, earning him a great deal of trust. In his previous life, this man’s attitude toward him had always been professional and kind, and he would carefully ask if there were any other needs every time.
In this life, he did not know what had transpired between the original owner of this body and the man, but the look the man gave him now carried an undisguised scrutiny. The man did not linger and headed straight up the steps. Shen Zhuo did not think much of it and continued toward the mountain top.
Stepping onto the final stone step, the morning mountain wind whipped his robes. The Sect Leader, Daoist Yun Qing, was not inside the hall. Instead, as was his custom, he sat quietly on a green stone on the platform outside the hall, facing the sea of clouds as he performed his breathing exercises.
Shen Zhuo was about to step forward to pay his respects when his gaze suddenly halted, landing on a spot slightly behind Daoist Yun Qing. The middle-aged man who had just brushed past him on the mountain steps was now standing there with his hands lowered.
How could a cultivator who managed miscellaneous affairs have a place beside the Sect Leader?
Shen Zhuo suppressed the surprise in his heart and stepped forward steadily. He bowed to the figure on the platform and spoke in a clear voice, “Disciple Shen Zhuo pays respects to Master. Having returned from my assignment, I have come specifically to report back.”
Daoist Yun Qing slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was gentle and calm as he said, “Mmm, it is good that you have returned. Regarding the matter of the Jian Residence, Chuan-er has already sent me a brief message. You all handled it passably and did not bring shame to our Xuanyun Sect’s reputation.”
Shen Zhuo replied, “This disciple is dull-witted and could not achieve perfection; it was all thanks to Senior Brother Pei taking charge of the overall situation.”
“It is good to know humility,” Daoist Yun Qing nodded slightly. He did not ask for further details, and his tone remained as flat as ever, revealing little emotion.
Right at that moment, a set of somewhat hurried footsteps echoed from the direction of the stone steps behind them. Shen Zhuo turned and saw that the newcomer was Huo Qi. He was wearing the same Xuanyun Sect disciple uniform as Shen Zhuo, but his wrist appeared to have some unnatural slight swelling, mostly concealed by his wide sleeves.
First, he respectfully bowed to Daoist Yun Qing, “Disciple Huo Qi pays respects to the Sect Leader.” After standing up, he moved to the side of the middle-aged man, his tone carrying an obvious closeness, “Uncle, you are here as well.”
Shen Zhuo had not expected that the uncle Huo Qi had frequently mentioned was this very man. The middle-aged man nodded slightly to Huo Qi. Huo Qi’s gaze, however, bypassed his own uncle and shot a look of undisguised, triumphant provocation at Shen Zhuo.
With Huo Qi’s arrival and that address of “Uncle,” the atmosphere on the platform instantly became subtle. Daoist Yun Qing seemed unaware of the undercurrents as he said calmly, “Xiao Zhuo.”
Though puzzled, Shen Zhuo still bowed and replied, “Disciple is here.”
He never expected that the response would be a sudden, sharp command from Daoist Yun Qing, “Kneel.”
The voice was like a sudden clap of thunder, instantly shattering the morning peace of the peak. Shen Zhuo looked up abruptly and saw that Daoist Yun Qing’s expression was solemn; he was definitely not joking. A Master’s command could not be disobeyed. From the corner of his eye, Shen Zhuo saw Huo Qi, who could barely suppress the smirk on his face. Understanding most of the situation now, Shen Zhuo followed the command and knelt.
His knees hit the cold stone slabs with a dull thud.
“Master,” Shen Zhuo kept his back perfectly straight, his clear eyes looking toward Daoist Yun Qing seated above. His voice was neither humble nor arrogant as he asked, “This disciple does not know what crime he has committed.”
Daoist Yun Qing gazed at the disciple below who possessed such an open and honest look. After a moment of silence, the invisible pressure around him eased slightly, though the atmosphere remained heavy. He did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to the middle-aged man behind him. “Huo Yinzhi, did you not just say that on the way back to the mountain yesterday, Xiao Zhuo disregarded the bonds of fellowship and heavily injured Huo Qi’s wrist, nearly destroying his foundation?”
The middle-aged man addressed as Huo Yinzhi nodded in confirmation. “Yes.”
As Shen Zhuo was about to speak in his own defense, Daoist Yun Qing did not give him the chance, making an unquestionable judgment, “Huo Qi is also a disciple of my Xuanyun Sect. Even if he were in the wrong, he should be handled by the elders of the Discipline Hall, rather than by you taking heavy-handed private action. Regardless, for fellow disciples to fight and cause injury is your fault.”
With one word from the Sect Leader, the matter was settled, and the blame was placed entirely on Shen Zhuo. Under these circumstances, there was no room for him to argue to his face. Shen Zhuo could only accept it.
“Yes, this disciple admits his mistake.”
Seeing his young disciple obediently admit fault, Daoist Yun Qing’s tone softened by thirty percent. He raised a hand with a slight wave, “Considering this is your first offense, and that you performed a small merit in the Jian Residence matter, you are sentenced to three days of confinement in your courtyard to reflect on your errors. You are not permitted to take a single step out without permission.”
Three days of confinement? As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned. This punishment was truly not heavy; rather than a punishment, it was more like a symbolic warning.
Daoist Yun Qing’s intention was clear: he had no desire to interfere in the friction between juniors, but since Huo Qi had brought out his uncle, he had to give Huo Yinzhi some face. Everyone else understood this, but Huo Qi was not necessarily satisfied.
He had thought that by getting his uncle to step in, Shen Zhuo would at least receive several strikes from the discipline whip. Hearing this feather-light punishment, he immediately grew anxious and could not help but step forward.
“Sect Leader! Yesterday, he was…”
“Hmm?” Daoist Yun Qing simply glanced at him, instantly choking back the words Huo Qi had not finished. Huo Qi did not dare make another sound. He stumbled back two steps and was inconspicuously supported by Huo Yinzhi beside him.
Huo Yinzhi pressed down on his nephew’s shoulder, shaking his head slightly to signal him not to be reckless. Then, he lowered his head and said respectfully, “The Sect Leader’s handling is fair. Huo Yinzhi has no objection.”
“Mmm,” Daoist Yun Qing’s gaze remained on Huo Qi beside him. “There are some things I choose to turn a blind eye to, but as a disciple of the Xuanyun Sect, one should always maintain a sense of propriety.”
Only then did Daoist Yun Qing withdraw his gaze and ask leisurely, “Xiao Zhuo, would you not agree?”
Shen Zhuo naturally knew these words were pointed; the one truly being cautioned was not himself. Kneeling on the stone slabs, he immediately replied, “Yes. This disciple knows his mistake and is willing to accept the punishment.”
“Good, this is my good disciple. The ground is cold; hurry and get up.”
The tension in the air suddenly slackened. Shen Zhuo stood up as told, the cold sensation of the stone slabs still lingering on his knees.
“Alright, you may all disperse.” Daoist Yun Qing waved his hand and closed his eyes again. In an instant, he shut out the previous disturbance and returned to a state of calm.
With the heavy pressure gone, Huo Qi glared fiercely at the rising Shen Zhuo and grumbled dissatisfiedly in a low voice, “A mere three days of confinement is letting him off too easily.”
“Qi-er!” Huo Yinzhi tried to stop him, but he was a step too late; he could not stop the words that had already left Huo Qi’s mouth.
This resentment-filled mutter sounded exceptionally piercing on the peak that had just settled into silence. Shen Zhuo could not help but take a few extra looks at Huo Qi. He had known long ago that this Junior Brother was not very bright, but he had not expected him to be stupid to such an extent. The Sect Leader had already given Huo Yinzhi plenty of face, yet Huo Qi just had to speak up.
Daoist Yun Qing, who had returned to his meditation, frowned slightly. Though he did not open his eyes, his peaceful aura vanished instantly. With his eyes closed, he asked slowly, “Then, according to your view, how should it be handled?”
Seeing the Sect Leader ask for his opinion, Huo Qi suddenly felt emboldened and said excitedly, “Naturally, that trash should be dragged to the Discipline Hall and given several solid lashes of the whip.”
Before he could finish, his uncle firmly covered his mouth. Huo Qi struggled in dissatisfaction, only to find that Huo Yinzhi was using real force this time, throttling him until he could barely breathe.
Facing Daoist Yun Qing’s back, who still had his eyes closed, Huo Yinzhi spoke with an air of seeking forgiveness, “Sect Leader, Qi-er is young and headstrong. His injuries have not yet healed, which led to his reckless speech. I beg the Sect Leader’s forgiveness.”
“Since you know this, you should discipline your young nephew when you have the spare time,” Daoist Yun Qing said, still without opening his eyes. “If he insists on punishing Xiao Zhuo, then when Chuan-er returns and looks into this matter, this old man will not be able to manage the entanglements between you juniors anymore.”
Upon hearing the Sect Leader mention Pei Chuan, Huo Qi instinctively shrank his neck and immediately fell silent. Pei Chuan was not only Daoist Yun Qing’s most valued disciple, but also the designated successor for the Sect Leader position; most sect affairs were managed by him.
If it were not for the fact that Pei Chuan was often away on business, given his protective nature toward Shen Zhuo, how could he allow Huo Qi to rely on his uncle’s influence to stir up trouble and repeatedly frame Shen Zhuo within the sect?
Huo Yinzhi also knew full well how much Pei Chuan shielded Shen Zhuo, so he said repeatedly, “Three days of confinement is fair. Qi-er has absolutely no objection.”
“Fine. I am weary. All of you, withdraw.”