Jian Shuxue trembled as Ji Shiyou walked towards her step by step.
Although Ji Shiyou offered no verbal defense regarding the matter of soul possession, his actions proved it. No one else could have replicated the "Golden Crow Burning Heaven" technique.
She suddenly realized Ji Shiyou's position in the Golden Crow Palace was not merely that of the sect leader's eldest disciple, but also that he was in charge of the palace's punishments, holding the authority to kill her directly.
"Eldest Senior Brother, I was wrong. I made a mistake, thinking you were possessed. I was just worried and wanted to save you. Please, be merciful and spare me this once. My grandfather will surely thank you. You must understand that to ascend to the position of Palace Master, you not only need the recommendation of the current Palace Master but also the elders' opinions are crucial. If he strongly opposes you, inheriting the position of Palace Master will not be so easy. You must think carefully. If you kill me, my grandfather will not let you go!"
The more Jian Shuxue spoke, the more confident she became. From initial panic and confusion, she eventually spoke with an inexplicable confidence, turning into a threat.
Tian Jian, standing nearby, cursed Jian Shuxue inwardly. Was she an idiot, or had her brain flooded? He knew that the Eldest Senior Brother was not someone who could be threatened. It was precisely because of his impartiality that the Palace Master appointed him to manage the Hall of Punishments. Jian Shuxue not only failed to grasp the situation but repeatedly tested Ji Shiyou's limits. What was the difference between this and playing with fire and getting burned?
"Jian Shuxue, a disciple of the Golden Crow Palace. Spreading rumors, instigating fellow disciples, threatening and intimidating, and disrupting the enforcement of the Hall of Punishments. Coupled with the attempt to harm a fellow disciple, all crimes will be punished! I, on behalf of the Golden Crow Palace's Hall of Punishments, enforce the law today!"
While Tian Jian was lost in his thoughts, Ji Shiyou did not hesitate. As his words fell, the Moon-Reflecting Sword was drawn. A flash of sword light appeared, and then it was sheathed.
"Arrange for someone to escort her back to the Golden Crow Palace and hand her over to the Grand Elder. Tell him the truth of what happened. If the Grand Elder blames me, there is no need for explanation; I will bear it all."
Sheathing his sword, Ji Shiyou instructed Tian Jian. Then, he directly walked to Mingyue's side and led her down the mountain.
"Ah, I'm not dead! No, my cultivation! Ji Shiyou, Mingyue, I curse you to die a horrible death!"
Jian Shuxue's screams echoed on the summit of Mount Kongming. When the sword light struck her, she believed she was doomed. But after the light flashed, she found herself still alive. She thought Ji Shiyou was afraid of her grandfather and was merely trying to scare her. She felt smug, then sensed something was wrong. Only then did she realize that although Ji Shiyou hadn't killed her, he had shattered her dantian and inner core, crippling her cultivation. This was more unbearable to her than death, hence her desperate curses.
Tian Jian had underestimated Ji Shiyou. He acted according to his conscience and justice, adhering to his own principles, and nothing could sway his decisions. He was neither threatened nor acted impulsively. Although Jian Shuxue had provoked Mingyue multiple times, secretly attempted to murder Mingyue, and even attacked him directly, none of these attempts succeeded, and her crimes did not warrant death. Crippling her cultivation and making her an ordinary person was likely the best punishment. Jian Shuxue, who usually looked down on ordinary people unable to cultivate, felt superior as a cultivator. Now, turning her into someone she despised the most was more cruel than killing her.
Tian Jian wiped the cold sweat from his face and quickly followed Ji Shiyou's instructions, arranging for two Golden Crow Palace disciples to escort Jian Shuxue back to the sect. He then led the other disciples down the mountain, following Ji Shiyou and Mingyue.
Mingyue was unaware that Ji Shiyou was holding her hand. She was preoccupied with a question: she seemed to have become infatuated. Ji Shiyou's righteous declaration of Jian Shuxue's crimes and his swift execution of justice had stirred her heart. The small flame that she had forcibly extinguished had reignited within her, even spreading like wildfire. She couldn't understand why she used to find so many faults with Ji Shiyou and disliked him intensely, but now, just seeing him made her heart race and her vision fill with pink stars. This made her uncomfortable, so she pondered the matter. When did this change begin? After much thought, she pinpointed the cause. It was after their intimate encounter at the bottom of the Jade Wave Pond that she started having these feelings for Ji Shiyou, finding him wealthy, handsome, full of masculine charm, and pleasing to her eyes in every way.
"Physical intimacy between men and women is a catalyst for emotion." Mingyue suddenly recalled a sentence spoken by Zhu Ji to her. Zhu Ji had many storybooks collected from mortals, which she read incessantly when she had nothing else to do. They were all love stories of talented scholars and beautiful ladies. When engrossed, she would cry or laugh inexplicably, sometimes uttering strange words to Mingyue without reason. At the time, Mingyue thought Zhu Ji was speaking nonsense, but now, those words seemed to hold some truth.
Having found the root cause, Mingyue wanted to forget what had happened with Ji Shiyou at the bottom of the pond. However, the more she tried to forget, the clearer it became. Those embarrassing scenes grew increasingly vivid in her mind, as if she were reliving them, causing her face to flush involuntarily.
"What's wrong, are you uncomfortable?" Ji Shiyou, holding Mingyue's smooth, delicate hand, was feeling pleased. Suddenly, he noticed Mingyue's hand growing warmer, even scalding hot. Seeing Mingyue's originally fair and tender face turn crimson, he asked with concern.
"No, it's nothing? Why are you holding my hand?" Ji Shiyou's deep voice interrupted Mingyue's chaotic thoughts. Mingyue suddenly came to her senses and realized they had already descended Mount Kongming. They were far down the official road, and the disciples escorting Jian Shuxue were no longer visible. They must have parted ways after descending the mountain. Moreover, Mingyue discovered that her hand was still tightly held by Ji Shiyou. Mingyue recoiled as if bitten by a venomous snake, hastily pulling her hand away and distancing herself from Ji Shiyou.
"If I weren't holding you, could you have safely descended the mountain? You would have fallen into a ditch long ago. You ungrateful person." Seeing Mingyue's strong resistance, Ji Shiyou felt unhappy. They had already been intimate; what was wrong with holding hands?
"Thank you!" Mingyue also felt her reaction was a bit excessive, almost like trying to hide something. She took small steps forward, approaching him, and said softly.
"You're welcome, it was just a small gesture." Ji Shiyou thought Mingyue was thanking him for bringing her down the mountain and said magnanimously. He then reached out to hold Mingyue's hand again, but she dodged him.
"I am thanking you for dealing with Jian Shuxue for me, for avenging me. This is your reward, and we are even." Mingyue took out her storage bag and rummaged through it for a long time. She selected a shuttle-shaped artifact from the ones Ji Shiyou had given her and offered it to Ji Shiyou. She didn't want to owe him a favor. Ji Shiyou had dealt with Jian Shuxue because of her issue and might have offended the Grand Elder of the Golden Crow Palace. She felt somewhat guilty. In her understanding, the best way to express gratitude was to offer a reward.
"Keep it. I manage the Hall of Punishments of the Golden Crow Palace. Punishing disciples who break the rules is my duty. If you truly feel indebted and wish to thank me, consider it accepted as a prepayment for the eleventh day's reward." Seeing the pained expression on Mingyue's face, Ji Shiyou smiled, which was rare. Mingyue, holding the artifact, was instantly mesmerized. Ji Shiyou's smile was too beautiful, like a vast sea of stars, deep and mysterious, capable of ensnaring anyone. Observing Mingyue's reaction, Ji Shiyou's confidence soared. It seemed that with his male charm alone, he could make Mingyue fall head over heels for him even before reaching Sifang Mountain. However, Ji Shiyou did not know that Mingyue beside him had pinched herself hard, forcing herself not to indulge in her infatuation and resolving to maintain a distance from Ji Shiyou, fearing she might not be able to control herself and fall in love with him.