Chapter 149

Li Wenying also stood up, cast a long look at Pan Yun, then turned and left.

After changing rooms, Pan Yun pulled Miao He to stay with her; once everyone had left, Miao He hurriedly asked, "Little Auntie, where are Miao Zhen and Pan Xiaohei?"

Pan Yun: "Pan Xiaohei told me you two were splitting up and you were going down the mountain, so I knew trouble was coming—I sent Pan Xiaohei to find Miao Zhen."

Pan Xiaohei can't stray too far from her, or she'd just order Pan Xiaohei to go find Miao He instead.

So she could only send Pan Xiaohei to find Miao Zhen, and have Miao Zhen bring Miao He back—before she herself was even free, she couldn't let Miao He get dragged in too.

Miao He stood up, "Then I'll go find Miao Zhen."

"No need—I told Pan Xiaohei to bring her back; they're still together."

It's just a thought away—she and Pan Xiaohei are linked by a spiritual connection.

Pan Xiaohei, sprinting toward Da Shangqing Palace, paused slightly, then sped up to catch up with Miao Zhen ahead, swiped at her with a paw, and meowed loudly.

Miao Zhen skidded to a stop, asking, "What's wrong? Is there an enemy ahead?"

"Meow—" Pan Xiaohei shook its head, used a paw to point toward Taisu Courtyard, meowed twice, didn't care if Miao Zhen understood, jumped from her arms, and sprinted toward Taisu Courtyard.

Miao Zhen glanced toward the mountain gate, then stamped her foot and turned back to chase Pan Xiaohei.

Could Little Auntie be in trouble at Taisu Courtyard?

But didn't Big Brother say Little Auntie wouldn't get hurt, and told her not to worry?

Miao Zhen sprinted into Taisu Courtyard.

Ge Jingyi, on night watch downstairs in the clinic, was already used to the commotion tonight; hearing the noise, she lifted her eyelids, saw a little girl, and asked, "Are you another niece of Pan Yun's?"

"Yes, Sister, where's my Little Auntie?"

"First room on the left at the top of the stairs."

Miao Zhen thanked her and immediately ran upstairs.

The three nieces met, their eyes instantly reddened; they embraced and burst into tears.

Pan Yun had no intention of crying at all—she thought herself strong, what was there to cry about? She hadn't been wronged.

But when Miao Zhen and Miao He cried, her own eyes involuntarily welled up, her heart turned sour and aching, and she joined them in wailing.

Below, Ge Jingyi looked up at the second floor and sighed softly; Zhang Yuyu muttered, "They're still children—they must be scared."

Ge Jingyi said, "Stop talking nonsense—who's on night watch tonight, you or me?"

Zhang Yuyu: "I'll take it—you go rest."

Ge Jingyi put down her things and left.

Lou Tong, living nearby, also heard the three children crying; after a moment of silence, she rose and slipped silently back into the ward, checked the injuries of Cui Huagong and the other two, and changed their acupuncture regimen.

Of the three, only Nong Zhiyi was awake.

Though his Upper Dantian no longer hurt, he still couldn't sleep, staring blankly at the ceiling with a look of utter despair.

When Lou Tong came to change his needles, hope flickered in his eyes—he looked at her with eager anticipation.

Though Lou Tong despised him for bullying others and lacking righteousness, she couldn't help sighing at his gaze: "I can only stop it from worsening and collapsing—but healing it? I can't."

"Auntie Lou, then who in this world can save me?"

Lou Tong said, "I don't know. If I were you, I'd give up."

"No, I won't give up, I won't give up—I've studied the Dao for twelve years, I'm about to graduate and receive my talisman—how can I give up?"

Lou Tong: "If you don't cultivate your heart, what's the point of cultivating techniques?"

She scolded him bitterly: "Since childhood, you've studied the Dao—your master, your old temple, your current academy—who ever taught you to bully the weak? We Daoists are meant to exterminate demons, defend the Dao, crush the strong and aid the weak, to uphold the prestige of our sect."

"What prestige do you have now? Every wrong deed you commit is a slap in the face of our Daoist tradition—so cruel, so bullying the weak—what's the point of studying the Dao?"

Lou Tong pulled out the needles, packed them away, and stood: "Without cultivating your Dao-heart, no matter how gifted or powerful you become, it's useless—I advise you to give up, don't get trapped in obsession."

Nong Zhiyi clenched his fists, tears filling his eyes.

Lou Tong reached the door, paused, then turned her head: "You should be grateful you're still alive—and conscious. Like Dai Yong—he may never wake up again."

Nong Zhiyi was startled: "Wasn't his life saved?"

"His life was saved—but his Baiyuan Palace was severely struck; he may now become a living corpse. If his spirit-soul is lost, what meaning is there in living?"

Nong Zhiyi couldn't speak.

Lou Tong left.

At this moment, whether Nong Zhiyi regretted it, Pan Yun certainly didn't—after crying, she immediately wiped her tears and told Miao Zhen and Miao He: "Cui Huagong is our friend; besides Sister Xuan Li, he's the only one who dared befriend us, so we can't stand by while he's bullied."

"Besides, he was bullied because of us—though it's not our fault; it's entirely the fault of Zhang Weiliang, Nong Zhiyi, and the others. When faced with such injustice, we must strike back hard."

Miao He: "If Dai Yong dies, will they make Little Auntie pay with her life?"

Pan Yun: "Wait—I'll study the Great Ming Code. I vaguely remember reading a similar case before: if someone saw their brother being beaten by a mob and killed accidentally while defending him, it was only a fine, a beating, and compensation to the family—no execution."

Miao Zhen: "Little Auntie, Cui Huagong isn't your brother."

Pan Yun: "How isn't he? We're neighbors, we're fellow disciples—this is more than brotherhood."

Miao Zhen: "But this is a Dao sect matter—will the magistrate's office get involved?"

"If they want to execute me or impose some other excessive punishment, I'll certainly request the magistrate's office to intervene—sect rules can't override imperial law." Pan Yun naturally chose whichever side favored her.

Miao Zhen still felt she wasn't reliable—such a serious matter should be left to my lord; after all, "Little Auntie, have you finished reading the Great Ming Code?"

"How could I finish so fast? I've only read half… well, maybe a third. But don't worry—I've read the Great Gao, and I've read all the penal codes in the Great Ming Code; I just have fuzzy memories—I'll flip through it."

Miao Zhen sighed: "I wonder if Big Master and the others received our message yet?"

Pan Yun pinched her fingers to calculate the time, then said: "They probably received it—depends on whether my master is napping."

On Mount Sanqing, Wang Feiyin finished his meditation, rubbed his soles, and planned to warm his feet before lying down to sleep.

Suddenly, he felt a stir in his heart; the next moment, he stood barefoot in the main hall.

Beside the incense burner beneath the Three Pure Ones, a talisman appeared out of thin air, faintly visible—but enough for Wang Feiyin to read the four large characters on it.

He'd barely glanced at it when the talisman vanished into ash under the candlelight.

Wang Feiyin frowned deeply, patted his chest, and muttered, "A great disaster? Why don't I feel anything at all? Logically speaking, if something happened to Little Junior Sister, I should be able to sense it…"

Even as he said this, Wang Feiyin thought it over, then ran barefoot back to the rear courtyard, banged loudly on Tao Ji's door to wake him up, and shouted toward the neighboring courtyard, "Junior Sister, stop sleeping, get up—something big has happened at Mount Sanqing." The quiet Mount Sanqing instantly erupted with roosters crowing and birds singing, bursting into liveliness.

Tao Ji and Master Xuanmiao came out with a lamp lit, Tao Yanbai also came out rubbing his eyes—only Wang Cong, the future examinee who always stayed up late, came out already fully dressed and looking very alert.

Since Pan Yun and the other two had left the mountain, this was the first time Mount Sanqing had been this lively.

Wang Feiyin said with a solemn face: "Little Junior Sister has caused a great disaster at the Academy."

Everyone had no extra expression, quietly waiting for his next words.

Wang Cong, unable to bear his father leaving them hanging, played along and asked: "What disaster has Little Xiao Shishu caused?"

"I don't know, but it must be a big one—otherwise she wouldn't have borrowed a transmission talisman to send word home."

Wang Cong also frowned upon hearing this. "How about I make another trip to Long Hushan?"

Tao Ji: "No. You'll be taking your exam in another month. Right now you should focus on the exam—let me go instead."

Master Xuanmiao: "I'll go with you."

Tao Ji hesitated, then said softly after a moment: "I'll go on my own. Junior Sister, you should stay home and cultivate."

! 。Read

Master Xuanmiao shook her head. "I entrusted Liuzhen to look after them. If Little Junior Sister had to send for help all the way home, it means Liuzhen has run into trouble too. I'll go back and check."

Tao Ji immediately stopped objecting.

Wang Feiyin, however, was still frowning, his face full of conflict. "If you two are going, should I go too?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Senior Martial Brother, what would you go do?"

Tao Ji thought for a moment, then asked, "Senior Martial Brother, are you bored and wanting to go out for a stroll?"

Wang Feiyin shot him an annoyed sideways glance and said, "Am I that kind of person? I'm afraid the disaster she's caused is too big for the two of you to handle."

Tao Ji: "I might not be able to handle it alone, but there's still Fourth Junior Sister. That is the Long Hushan Academy—many people are afraid of Junior Sister, so Senior Martial Brother, just rest easy."

Master Xuanmiao glanced at him, then said to Wang Feiyin: "If Martial Brother wants to go, how about I cast a divination for you and ask about fortune and misfortune?"

Wang Feiyin immediately said: "Good, good—cast it now."

Wang Cong was now certain: his father was simply bored and wanted to go out, and this was a rare perfectly legitimate excuse.

Master Xuanmiao went straight to the main hall to cast the divination. After a long while she calculated the hexagram and said: "A mid-auspicious hexagram. It says…"

"That's enough, that's plenty," Wang Feiyin cut her off, beaming. "As long as it's not the worst hexagram, I'm going."

His requirements were really this simple.

Master Xuanmiao swallowed her words back. Fine—it's probably better not knowing. As long as Senior Martial Brother is happy right now.

She said: "We should bring more money."

Wang Feiyin: "Why bring so much money? With me following you two, what if it gets lost? Better to bring less."

Master Xuanmiao: "Bring more. Hand the money pouch to Third Martial Brother to hold—it won't get lost."

Wang Feiyin immediately frowned deeply. "Does this trip mean I'm going to lose money?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Losing money is averting disaster. Being able to dispel a calamity isn't a bad thing."

The three decided to descend the mountain first thing the next morning, leaving Tao Yanbai behind to look after Wang Cong.

"You two martial brothers will be on the mountain alone. Remember to add oil to the Patriarchs' lamps every day, and every day you must go down the mountain to keep watch at the Mountain God Temple for half a day. Understood?"

Tao Yanbai and Wang Cong agreed, watching them leave.

Once the adults' backs disappeared, the two martial brothers exchanged a glance, immediately burst out laughing happily, and hugged each other.

Tao Yanbai asked Wang Cong, "Senior Martial Brother, what do you want for lunch? I'll cook."

Wang Cong: "I don't want to eat anything. I want to fast."

Tao Yanbai said: "I want to fast too."

So the two decided to fast.

The day after the adults left, the two went down the mountain together, didn't cook, and ate a bowl of noodles at Wang Xiaojing's stall, then fasted that night…

On the third day, they ate a bowl of rice and some stir-fried dishes at Wang Xiaojing's stall, then fasted that night…

By this time, Wang Feiyin and the others had already rushed to the Academy, and Zhang Ziwang personally came to the mountain gate to receive the three.

Wang Feiyin was stunned. He asked Zhang Ziwang, "Zhang Ziwang, how has your Academy bullied my three children? You're so apologetic you've come all the way to the mountain gate to greet me."

The smile vanished from Zhang Ziwang's face. He said expressionlessly: "Martial Brother Wang is joking—who in the Academy could bully Pan Yun? It's because I haven't seen Brother Feiyin in a long time, so I knew you…"

"Enough, enough—why exchange pleasantries between us? If you haven't committed some great wrong against my children, then you must want something from me. Is it that True Person Zhang's health has declined? Or has Zhang Liuzhen's condition worsened?"

Zhang Ziwang fell silent.

Wang Feiyin: "Oh, so you really do want something from me. Is it Zhang Liuzhen's condition that has worsened? Come, come, take me to see my three children first, then I'll go with you to look in on Zhang Liuzhen."

Zhang Ziwang turned and led the way for them, heading straight for the Hall of Punishment. "They just went to the Hall of Punishment."

The moment Wang Feiyin's group of three heard this, they knew Pan Yun must have caused trouble. When they neared the Hall of Punishment and saw the people in the little plaza in front of it, packed shoulder to shoulder and craning their necks to watch the show, the three knew the trouble she had caused was no small matter—otherwise she wouldn't be on trial in the little plaza.

It must be a great disaster, and a bad one at that.

Wang Feiyin looked at Master Xuanmiao.

Master Xuanmiao also glanced at Wang Feiyin, then pressed her lips together and walked quickly forward.

The students parted a path for Zhang Ziwang. Before they reached the front, they heard the sound of wailing sobs.

Dai Yong's family had arrived. Their home wasn't far from here, in a small village over sixty li away. They didn't know who had notified them, but they had come so quickly.

It was said that Dai Yong only contacted home four or five times a year, and every time he did, he had to hand over all the money he had saved to his family—so he disliked contacting them very much.

Cui Huai Gong had also woken up, but he was Very heavy injured. Right now he was lying on a wooden board together with Nong Zhiyi. Miaohe, seeing that he wanted to watch the excitement, thoughtfully propped his pillow up higher so he could watch along with everyone else.

The Hall of Punishment was quiet. The only sounds in the whole hall were the loud weeping of Dai Yong's parents and his elder brother and sister-in-law. Lin Jingle's expression grew uglier and uglier. Just as he was about to order them to stop, he saw Wang Feiyin and Master Xuanmiao coming up behind Zhang Ziwang.

Lin Jingle was silent for a moment before he found his voice. "Silence. Today the Hall of Punishment tries the case of the Class of Five-Three group beating."

"Cui Huai Gong, you are the first victim. You speak."

Dai Mu wailed, "Why should he speak first? It's clearly my family's Ergouzi who is hurt the worst."

(End of this chapter)