"Beat you up, can't you see?"
Bai Shengyi smirked coldly. If Qing Buli hadn't been constantly following Bai Murong, she would have acted long ago!
Since Bai Murong dared to stir up trouble with her, she should have been prepared to be beaten.
"What right do you have to beat me? I haven't wronged you!" Bai Murong said flusteredly. She wished she hadn't let Qing Buli leave.
"Oh really? Did you not reveal my whereabouts to the Princess and her consort for them to assassinate me? Did you not help them set up that illusion?"
With each sentence Bai Shengyi spoke, she took a step forward, and Bai Murong flinched back a step, terrified.
"Don't you dare spout nonsense! Bai Shengyi, if you have the guts, show me the evidence!" Bai Murong's voice lacked conviction. She turned to run.
"Ah!"
A vine suddenly shot out from nearby and whipped around her ankle.
Bai Murong yelped in fright, "Bai Shengyi! That's enough! Don't you fear Grandpa's reprisal for causing such a scene in the capital? Besides, we are sisters. Can't we talk things out properly..."
Bai Shengyi looked at her hypocritical demeanor and sneered coldly.
She had wondered why she and Chu Tianle had entered Sun Lixing's illusion without feeling anything amiss. It was only when she recalled the pervasive dense fog and Bai Murong's sudden disappearance that it clicked.
Initially, she had only intended to trick Bai Murong, but seeing Bai Murong's guilty and cowardly reaction, Bai Shengyi understood everything.
She gently twirled the Samsara Brush, a pleasant curve on her lips, but her words were chillingly cold.
"I'm afraid not."
"Slap!"
A vine whipped across Bai Murong's thigh. Immediately after, several more vines lashed out at her. These vines seemed sentient, specifically targeting her softer spots, causing Bai Murong's face to contort in pain.
She glared hatefully at the composed Bai Shengyi, gritting her teeth, "Bai Shengyi! If you dare to harm me, Grandpa and Father will not let you off!"
"Oh, I'll be waiting," Bai Shengyi said dismissively.
Seeing that Bai Shengyi paid no heed to her threats, Bai Murong truly panicked, especially realizing that she was no match for Bai Shengyi at all...
After a moment of thought, Bai Murong made up her mind. She pulled out a Demolition Talisman, which she had bought from Sun Yun at a great price, and threw it at the vines blocking her. She immediately channeled all her spiritual energy, intending to escape.
However, after running for what felt like a long time, she discovered she was still in the same spot.
Bai Murong looked down at her feet and let out an enraged scream. She brandished her sword, frantically hacking at the seemingly inexhaustible, ghastly things.
"Damn it! Get lost!"
The rotten vines had tightly ensnared her feet, and her Demolition Talisman was now in Bai Shengyi's hand.
"Oh! I was just in need of this. I didn't expect you to be so considerate and deliver it to me."
Bai Murong's anger intensified at Bai Shengyi's words!
What was even more infuriating was yet to come. Bai Murong watched in disbelief as the vines, which were so malicious towards her, tenderly transformed into a single vine and offered themselves to Bai Shengyi's hand.
"You wretched things! Vile creatures! What's the use of flattering her? She's blind, surely she can't... Ah!"
Before Bai Murong could finish her sentence, a vine whipped across her mouth.
Qingmeng Vine was furious, "Master, Boss, can I keep whipping her? She's so annoying, calling cute little vine leaves names. Little vine leaves are clearly sensible and well-behaved."
"Whip!" Bai Shengyi said coldly, "Whip wherever it hurts. I think she just needs a good thrashing!"
She didn't take the vine, as whipping was tiring. She simply stood aside, quietly observing Qingmeng Vine unleash its viney wrath.
Whenever Bai Murong attempted to break free from Qingmeng Vine's encirclement using talismans or spiritual artifacts, Bai Shengyi would step in to block her. Bai Murong, being merely in the Qi Refining stage, was no match for either Bai Shengyi or Qingmeng Vine. In a short while, she was reduced to wailing on the ground from the pain.
"Apologize to me, and I'll let you go."
Bai Shengyi knew that for someone as proud as Bai Murong, an apology would be more excruciating than death.
Bai Murong gritted her teeth, refusing to speak, and Qingmeng Vine delivered several more lashes.
Bai Shengyi chuckled, "You don't know this yet, but after the Mingyu County Princess was whipped by me, she was bedridden for over half a month and her cultivation was affected. If you want to try it, I don't mind..."
"I'm sorry." Bai Murong glared intently at Bai Shengyi, her eyes practically spitting daggers.
Bai Shengyi remained unfazed. She even crouched down, grabbed Bai Murong's chin, and squeezed it tightly. "I suggest you be more sincere."
A vine appeared in her hand.
Bai Murong trembled all over. She could endure humiliation from Bai Shengyi, but she couldn't afford to fall behind in her cultivation. Her cultivation had already been matched by Bai Shengyi. If she were to fall further behind, she would truly have no standing in the Bai family.
Moreover, revenge is a dish best served cold. Bai Shengyi would eventually face retribution!
With this thought, Bai Murong gritted her teeth and shouted, "I! AM! SORRY!"
"Oh, so obedient. That's loud enough."
Bai Murong felt utterly humiliated. Bai Shengyi was definitely doing this on purpose!
But she was outmatched. "I've already apologized. Aren't you going to let me go?"
"Fine, I'm tired too. I'll let you off this time."
Bai Shengyi grinned, stood up briskly, and before leaving, she tossed out one last remark.
"Bai Murong, you are merely an adopted daughter of the Bai family, yet you constantly covet what does not belong to you. Do you truly believe you are worthy of it?"
"Bai Shengyi!"
Bai Murong was so enraged she coughed up blood!
Bai Shengyi was delighted.
She put away the Samsara Brush, stroked the Qingmeng Vine on her wrist, and said with a smile, "I've wanted to beat her up for a long time."
"Master did a great job!" Qingmeng Vine praised softly. "She's truly terrible! She deserves to be killed!"
"That won't do, we share the same surname for now."
The Samsara Brush was disbelieving. "You care about that?" In its memory, Bai Shengyi was not someone who would refrain from acting simply because she shared a surname with Bai Murong. Frankly, it had thought Bai Shengyi was about to kill someone when she twirled the brush today.
"Guess?"
Bai Shengyi replied with a playful smile, offering no answer.
She strolled around the city, intending to buy something. However, she found herself still penniless and could only afford a candied hawthorn. She slowly made her way back to the Rongguo Duke's mansion, only to find that the guards at the gate had been replaced.
However, the two newcomers were clearly well-behaved. Seeing Bai Shengyi, they immediately said, "Third Miss is back! We'll inform the Duke and the Eldest Young Master right away!"
With that, one of them ran inside.
Bai Shengyi hadn't taken many steps before Bai Sicheng came looking for her. The gentle and refined young man was clearly running too fast, his flowing ribbons disheveled.
"Ayi! How was the assessment? Are you hurt?"
During this time, he had figured out why Bai Shengyi had gone to the Dongyue Jungle alone and why her temperament had changed so drastically. Now, he could only dote on and feel guilty towards this sister, believing he hadn't taken good care of her after their parents' departure.
Bai Shengyi noticed the peculiar look in Bai Sicheng's eyes and replied somewhat confusedly, "I passed. I'm not hurt. Eldest Brother, is there something you wanted me to come back for?"