Chapter 155

How many people hoped Zhang Liuzhen would die right then?

And how many people did not want him to die, exhausting every means to save him?

Master Xuanmiao stepped out of the tall building, leapt down, and went straight to Wang Feiyin.

Since the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Academy were seeking their help, Pan Yun's punishment could be negotiated more easily.

The Dai family had already been persuaded to leave.

After discussion, Dai Yong remained at the Academy; Wang Feiyin revived him, and after he awoke, he stayed on as a menial laborer.

With his Niwan Palace damaged and his intellect reduced to that of a seven- or eight-year-old, he could not advance in cultivation, but he could perform simple tasks at the Academy, which could support him for life.

But since Dai Yong was injured by Pan Yun, the Academy held her partially responsible, so she must bear part of Dai Yong's medical costs.

Wang Feiyin directly cursed them for three hundred rounds, "They struck first!"

"There are no outsiders here, so we need no pretense—Pan Yun's cultivation level was more than enough to stop him without such force, yet she used excessive force; that was intentional. She deliberately shattered Nong Zhiyi's Upper Dantian right before our eyes."

Wang Feiyin: "According to regulations, you were supposed to dismantle his cultivation method anyway."

"Dismantling a cultivation method is not the same as shattering an Upper Dantian—they cannot be equated."

Wang Feiyin: "The High Ancestor Emperor said: if you encounter a violent thug on the road, killing him carries no guilt. What's the difference between them and thugs?"

"This is an Academy, not a street—if a minor dispute leads to lethal force, is this still an Academy? It would become a battlefield."

Wang Feiyin fell silent.

Zhang Ziwang asked again: "Will you pay this money? The Academy is already taking full responsibility for his lifetime care—or we cover all the herbal costs, cure him, and then you take him away to be supported for life by your Mount Sanqing?"

Wang Feiyin immediately changed his tune: "Half the herbal cost isn't out of the question—how much did you actually give the Dai family? I'm handling the treatment, and now you want me to cover half the herbal cost?"

Zhang Ziwang didn't say how much, only: "No matter how much we gave, the Dai family has pledged that once this is settled, they will not file a complaint against Pan Yun with the authorities—the matter will be resolved within the Academy."

Wang Feiyin grew more at ease; after a moment of silence, he nodded: "Fine, we'll cover half. Can Pan Yun's exile to the Contemplation Cliff be waived?"

"No! Two crimes cannot be conflated."

Wang Feiyin: "How about you beat her twenty more strokes instead? She's tough—skip the Contemplation Cliff. That's no place for a child."

Zhang Ziwang: "No."

"Hey, how can you be so stubborn? I'm done talking to you. Where's the True Person? Bring him out—ask him: when did the Academy start sending first-year students to the Contemplation Cliff for solitary confinement? She's only nine, still growing, still laying foundations—you send her there for three months, you're trying to kill her!"

"The punishment has been issued; it cannot be altered."

Wang Feiyin clicked his tongue and rolled up his sleeves to fight—Master Xuanmiao walked in and asked: "Has Zhang Liuzhen recovered?"

Wang Feiyin, halfway up, immediately sat back down, ceding the battlefield to Master Xuanmiao.

Zhang Ziwang pursed his lips: "Li, Liuzhen is your nephew; you've always been close. You didn't ask, but I was going to tell you anyway…"

"For years, Zhang Liuzhen has been taking medicine from our Mount Sanqing without ever paying a single coin—when will you settle the bill?"

Zhang Ziwang: …

He lifted his gaze to her: "If you want money, you should ask Liuzhen—he's the one who took the medicine."

Master Xuanmiao nodded: "Fine. I'll send the bill to the Celestial Master's Mansion for him. He has one month to settle it."

She said to Wang Feiyin: "Big Brother, Cui Huai's injury has been treated again. I left the prescription with Lou Tong. Let's go."

"Alright." Wang Feiyin rose immediately; Tao Ji, following his senior siblings, stood up right after.

Everyone silently watched the three siblings, waiting for them to stop—but they walked out, truly walked out of the building, and even activated lightness arts to depart.

Lin Jingle turned back: "If you don't stop them now, they'll really leave."

Zhang Ziwang gritted his teeth.

Lin Jingle said: "In Zhang Li's heart, Zhang Liuzhen may matter more than Pan Yun—but in Wang Feiyin's heart, his younger sister Pan Yun matters more. How many years has he not left Mount Sanqing? The last time he came out was the last time."

Zhang Ziwang finally yielded, grabbed Lin Jingle, and chased after them.

Pan Yun and the others sat atop the high wall; seeing Wang Feiyin and the two emerge, they immediately raised their hands to wave—but the three didn't even glance their way, activated lightness arts, and flew outward, drifting lightly, carefree, not fast, yet certainly not slow, arriving at the Grand Shangqing Palace in moments.

As Pan Yun's group sat stunned, Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle burst out of the room behind them, moving far faster—whizzing after them.

Pan Yun stared, murmuring: "Oh no, this negotiation's broken—there's going to be a fight?"

Far off, they saw Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle intercept the three; the five stood on the roof of the Grand Shangqing Palace, talking for a long while, then drifted back again.

All four followed their gaze as they returned; the group seemed not to notice the four small figures sitting atop the wall, walking straight past without glancing aside, ascending the stairs again.

Pan Yun's eyes followed them up the stairs, deeply regretful: "Can't hear a thing."

Sister Xuan Li was also disappointed: "If only we had the divine ability of the Clairvoyant Ears..."

Pan Yun's gaze fell on the black cat crouching beside her.

Pan Xiaohei sensed her look, remained expressionless, stood up, stepped over Seeing Miao Zhen, and crouched on her other side, avoiding Pan Yun's gaze.

Hmph, he wouldn't go up there—those people's cultivation levels were no joke, and their wits were sharp; if caught, his cat life would be over.

Pan Yun reluctantly withdrew her gaze: "Forget it. Let's just watch from afar. Even if we can't hear, we can see the scene—consider it a silent play. From what we saw, Mount Sanqing seems to have the upper hand."

"Strange—the Academy is so vast, the Zhang family so powerful—why does Mount Sanqing still have the upper hand?"

"That must be because they need something from Mount Sanqing." Pan Yun had already guessed—it was almost certainly because of Zhang Liuzhen's illness.

But it was strange—if Zhang Liuzhen had been taking medicine from Mount Sanqing all these years, why did he still need Wang Feiyin to treat him? Why did the Celestial Master's Mansion deliberately "misplace" Wang Feiyin's letter, preventing her from receiving the talisman and becoming a temple attendant?

Hehehe, it seems the Zhang family within the Celestial Master's Mansion is truly unstable.

I wonder which side Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle are on—or are they neutral, siding with neither?

Even though she knew her own fate was tied to this matter, she couldn't help feeling gleeful.

As long as those who once harmed her weren't living easy, she was happy.

It seems Zhang Liuzhen is on their side—well, I'll have to watch him closely, make sure he stays alive, and annoy the other side. Upstairs, Zhang Ziwang and Master Xuanmiao fiercely bargained, finally reducing Pan Yun's Contemplation Cliff sentence to one and a half months.

Since the punishment had already been made public, they needed a convincing reason to reduce it, or else the entire Academy would protest.

Mount Sanqing promised to treat Zhang Liuzhen's injury once—yes, per treatment, since his injury cannot be permanently cured.

And it must be Wang Feiyin who performs the treatment.

Tao Ji's alchemy no longer works on Zhang Liuzhen; otherwise, why would they be so anxious and concede so much?

Given Tao Ji's relationship with Xuanmiao and Liuzhen, if he could alleviate Zhang Liuzhen's illness, he would spare no effort.

It is precisely because he cannot, and Lou Tong cannot either, that they must turn to Wang Feiyin.

Wang Feiyin rarely leaves Mount Sanqing; inviting him is harder than summoning a god.

The time sent to Si Guo Cliff has been shortened, so the beatings cannot be reduced—but they agreed to let her rest three days after the beatings before sending her in.

Wang Feiyin knew no further gains could be won, so he turned to Xuanmiao and gave a slight nod.

Xuanmiao agreed, but then shifted tone: "As for Zhang Weiliang's matter, you must give Mount Sanqing an explanation."

!.

Zhang Ziwang: "This matter has not yet been settled..."

"I'm not just talking about this," Xuanmiao sneered. "I'm talking about what happened earlier at Fengqi Courtyard."

"Didn't Pan Yun strike back on the spot?"

"Her striking back is hers; his wrongdoing is still wrongdoing—the punishment must stand—and him." Xuanmiao's gaze sharpened as she fixed it on Zhu Zifang. "All of this began with you."

Zhu Zifang widened his eyes and shouted: "Sister Li, don't slander me! I assigned them to Fengqi Courtyard precisely for their own good!"

"Even I and Zhang Liuzhen didn't move into Fengqi Courtyard the moment we enrolled," Xuanmiao sneered. "When did our academy sink so low that it couldn't find three suitable third- or fourth-year students? Or has the Celestial Master's Mansion become a one-man rule, letting them act as they please, doing as they wish?"

Xue Taiyu sighed, silent until now, and finally spoke: "Remove Zhu Zifang from his post and expel him from the academy. Send him back to the Celestial Master's Mansion."

Zhu Zifang widened his eyes. "Xue Yuanzhu!"

Zhang Ziwang paused, then nodded. "Agreed. Set things right. Have Pan Yun and the others move out of Fengqi Courtyard."

Xuanmiao: "They've already moved in—why move them out again?"

"Didn't you say it was against protocol?"

Xuanmiao: "Before they moved in, it was against protocol. But now they've conquered the world—do you want them to give it up and hand it back? Who's mad here—you or us?"

Zhang Ziwang dared not argue with her. "Fine, fine, fine. Whatever you say. Let them stay."

Xuanmiao snorted, then turned to Xue Taiyu: "Xue Yuanzhu, have your younger generation keep an eye on my two girls. Pan Yun will soon go to Si Guo Cliff and won't be able to look after them."

Xue Taiyu stroked his beard and smiled. "Rest easy. From now on, no one will dare trouble them—even if Pan Yun is gone, they'll fear her returning to settle accounts later. Hahaha..."

Pan Yun's move was too brutal—it effectively crippled two people and dragged Zhang Weiliang, who is training outside, into it. Who would dare bully them again?

These past two days, their return to Fengqi Courtyard has been treated wonderfully. From afar, people greet them; otherwise, they leave each other alone—perfectly peaceful.

Zhu Zifang, seeing everyone talk only about Pan Yun and never about him, felt stifled and said: "Second brother, I..."

Zhang Ziwang cut him off: "Go back to the Celestial Master's Mansion. Leave the academy's affairs to your subordinates—they're not important. Just treat it as a break."

Zhu Zifang's face flushed red. Seeing no one speak up for him, he reluctantly agreed.

After the talks ended, they descended together. The four on the high wall grew excited, staring intently at them.

Both sides pretended not to notice, exchanged formal greetings, and Zhang Ziwang's group departed first.

Lou Tong and Xuanmiao are close, and Cui Huai Gong lives here, so Wang Feiyin and Tao Ji also reside in Tai Su Courtyard—especially Wang Feiyin, who must treat Zhang Liuzhen and prescribe medicine.

The moment Zhang Ziwang's group vanished from sight, Wang Feiyin's smile vanished. He turned solemnly toward the four hiding beneath the tree shade and beckoned them with a finger.

Pan Yun knew they'd been spotted. Together, they leapt down from the wall and flew over, grinning sheepishly at them.

Wang Feiyin felt his hands unusually itchy today—he couldn't help but twitch at the sound of that laugh.

But before so many eyes, in front of outsiders, Wang Feiyin held back. "Tomorrow you'll receive the beatings. After three days' rest, you'll go to Si Guo Cliff for face-wall meditation—eighteen days. This is the shortest time we could secure for you."

Pan Yun: "Big Brother, what's inside Si Guo Cliff?"

Wang Feiyin pointed at Xuanmiao. "Ask her. I've never entered your academy's Si Guo Cliff."

Xuanmiao: "There's nothing inside."

Pan Yun: "Huh? No ghosts? Sister Xuan Li said it's terrifying because there are ghosts."

Xuanmiao glanced down at her, then reiterated: "There is nothing inside."

"Huh?"

The true terror of Si Guo Cliff lies in its utter emptiness—no food, no water, not even Qi—and it is void.

"What does 'void' mean?"

"The environment will void your Yuan power, siphoning energy from your body—subtly, but constantly. You'll feel it," Xuanmiao said. "Entering Si Guo Cliff may or may not bring insight, but it will definitely lower your cultivation. The longer you stay, the more your level drops. If you have Yuan power, you're better off. Some low-level disciples who enter lose their Neili. Without Neili to protect their foundation, they suffer irreversible damage."

"So no one wants to enter Si Guo Cliff. Those who enter and emerge may be permanently stuck at their current level. Pan Yun, you're still young. Even though you've cultivated Yuan power, your absolute limit inside is three months. We've fought to shorten your time because we don't want you to damage your foundation."

Pan Yun frowned. "I understand this is punishment. But if it's called Si Guo Cliff—after contemplating your faults, shouldn't there be a reward? What's the benefit?"

"Legend says six ancestral Zhangs of the former dynasty meditated on Si Guo Cliff, attained the Great Dao, and upon stepping out, their power surged. Each lived over a hundred years. At their transcendence, witnesses saw their divine souls ascend into the heavens—meaning their Yang Shen became immortal, eternally existing in this world."

Pan Yun widened her eyes, excitedly asking: "Is it true?"

Xuanmiao emphasized: "It's a legend. But I and Zhang Liuzhen secretly checked the clan records—the event is indeed recorded."

Pan Yun immediately looked forward to her journey to Si Guo Cliff. She had considerable talent, and with her Ling Jing, perhaps she could replicate their success?

(End of Chapter)