Chapter 5: Adding Bricks and Mortar to My Expulsion

At the foot of the mountain, Shen Zimo had been waiting all night and only now saw Ling Xi return. The bitter sharpness in his heart was beyond words.

Ling Xi ignored him, walking leisurely, deliberately stoking the flames of his anger, even slapping him on the buttocks as she strode away.

Seething with rage, Shen Zimo snapped shut the folding fan in his hand with a sharp clap and blocked her path.

Lately, Ling Xi had become increasingly unruly—not only bullying the junior disciple but now even crossing him.

When the master came to reprimand her, he would never speak a word in her defense.

“The master is waiting for you in the Bamboo Hall. Today you’re really in for it...” Shen Zimo began, but his words faltered as a flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes. Swallowing the harsh words he wanted to say, he instead gave her a warning.

“Junior sister, when you meet the master, don’t talk back—show some humility, sincerely apologize to the little junior sister, and this matter will be over.”

Ling Xi, who used to be all gray and drab, always bustling around them, had surprisingly become lively and playful with just a little grooming—no less charming than the junior sister.

She paid no heed to his words, skirted around his fan, and kept her eyes fixed ahead.

“Ling Xi, you really take my words as wind, huh? The master is furious today—he might just kick you off the mountain. Let’s see how long you can keep crossing him.”

Ling Xi’s steps faltered for a moment; her fingers clenched tightly into fists, her lips bitten hard. “The master can’t drive me away. I still have to stay by his side to repay my gratitude.”

Shen Zimo smiled wryly, “Then don’t push the master’s patience any further. When you enter, kowtow and apologize first—win the junior sister’s forgiveness. The master might not expel you, and you can continue repaying your debt.”

Though it was they who had abandoned her first, and she ought to be angry, whenever the master was mentioned, she grew terribly anxious.

Shen Zimo chuckled silently inside but outwardly wore a concerned expression, advising Ling Xi on what to say and do.

Ling Xi nodded repeatedly, but inside her mind a stampede of wild horses thundered.

They wanted her to shoulder all the blame, claim that Sui An had forced her to trip the junior sister, and even accuse him of extorting spiritual stones.

Impossible.

Sui An was a naive fool; the spiritual stones he obtained, she could have her share.

What benefit would helping them bring her?

Waking earlier than the roosters, sleeping later than the dogs, and constantly taking the blame for them everywhere?

She would never play the role of the original, suffering martyr to repay kindness foolishly.

The original owner had missed the chance to awaken her spiritual contract because of a group around Gu Jiuyuan, had taken countless blows, and narrowly escaped death multiple times.

She had already repaid her debts long ago.

—

Inside the Bamboo Hall.

Gu Jiuyuan sat at the head of the hall, his face stern, his gaze chilling the air by more than ten degrees.

Several disciples lowered their heads, trembling as they stood before him, not daring to move an inch.

Glancing toward the door, impatience deepened between his brows. “Has Shen Zimo still not brought her?”

Since Lin Rou fell asleep, he had been waiting here for that wayward disciple.

Truly exemplary!

Conspiring with Danbo Peak, framing his own junior sister.

So young, yet so cruel-hearted, not even half as good as Lin Rou.

He had never believed a child he’d watched grow up could harm others, but now that Lin Rou was in trouble, it had to be linked to her.

He should never have fought with Luo Chen for her and brought Ling Xi back to Tranquil Peak.

Today, he would teach her a lesson so she would remember and not become a calamity to the sect, ruining his reputation.

Chu Xinghe, the senior brother, straightened his back and replied, “Master, I will go look for her at once. Perhaps Ling Xi has encountered some trouble.”

Most likely, Ling Xi had stirred up more trouble.

Ever since the junior sister arrived, she had become more unruly, perhaps deliberately causing incidents to attract their attention.

The master’s anger today was probably because she had hurt the junior sister.

If Ling Xi kowtows a few more times, she probably won’t be driven off the mountain.

“Ah! Are you looking for me? Looks like I arrived just in time!”

A lazy, carefree voice came from outside the door, footsteps light and steady, as if no one could block her path.

The butterfly hairpin atop the girl’s head danced with her movements, and the bow at her hair’s end fluttered in the breeze.

She toyed with a grasshopper woven from bamboo leaves in her hand, her bright eyes sweeping the room, seemingly oblivious to Gu Jiuyuan’s fury, her smile never fading.

Just as Gu Jiuyuan was about to explode, she finally bowed, “Disciple pays respects to Mountain Master Gu.”

Gu Jiuyuan’s icy expression darkened further.

She had done wrong, yet still had the audacity to anger him so—did she think he was so magnanimous he wouldn’t exile her?

Only direct disciples were allowed to call the Mountain Master “Master,” but Ling Xi was an exception. To spite Luo Chen, Gu Jiuyuan had permitted her to address him thus.

Gu Jiuyuan pressed his fingers together and slanted them, releasing a powerful surge of spiritual force that tilted down onto Ling Xi’s shoulders.

The bones in her shoulders trembled, as if a thousand-pound boulder pressed down upon them. Ling Xi clenched her fingers tightly, forcing herself not to kneel.

Indeed, she was deliberately provoking him.

Gu Jiuyuan’s cold, frost-like pupils flickered in surprise, a hint of admiration shining through. Even using only ten percent of his strength, no mortal could resist kneeling.

Could it be that Ling Xi had already begun cultivating and was concealing it?

Impossible. A person only had one chance to awaken their spiritual contract in a lifetime, like a seed has only one chance to sprout—missed, and it was gone.

He raised his fingers slightly, curling them more, adding another ten percent of his power.

If she truly created a miracle, forgiving her once more wouldn’t be out of the question.

Ling Xi gritted her teeth, hesitating whether to resist with spiritual power.

Noticing the change in Gu Jiuyuan’s expression, she guessed his thoughts.

If she resisted, she would expose herself and likely be condemned to servitude on Tranquil Peak.

Better to kneel now and think of ways to vex Gu Jiuyuan later.

As Ling Xi’s knees bent slightly, the butterfly atop her head burst with silver light, flooding the room with sunlight as if under a blazing sun.

The aura of Luo Chen surged like a towering wave, attacking everyone present equally—except Ling Xi.

Gu Jiuyuan reacted swiftly, dispelling the spiritual attack.

The others were less fortunate, all collapsing to the ground, coughing up blood.

“Ling Xi, why aren’t you kneeling yet? Don’t you know remorse? Do you want to injure your fellow disciples again?”

Gu Jiuyuan’s icy gaze bore down on Ling Xi, his cold face emitting frost, scrutinizing her from above.

Ling Xi exhaled in relief. It seemed Gu Jiuyuan couldn’t move her now.

So she would give a full performance.

Biting her lip, she stood motionless like a wooden statue, stubbornly meeting Gu Jiuyuan’s eyes.

“Ling Xi!!!” Gu Jiuyuan raised his voice, his cold shout shaking the Bamboo Hall.

Ling Xi’s expression remained resolutely stubborn. “Disciple did nothing wrong, why should I kneel?”

Her tone was calm and unyielding, not arguing but stating a fact.

Gu Jiuyuan raised his hand to strike her, but his eyes caught the butterfly on her head. The fingers curled tightly into a fist.

“Ling Xi, do you truly think you are so special that I dare not expel you from the sect?”

Ling Xi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly; her body trembled as she stared at Gu Jiuyuan in disbelief.