I Accidentally Triggered the Restricted Punishment Protocol - Chapter 28

Qin Wuzhou!

Of all people, he was the one she currently wanted to see least!

Yi Hanxing grew frantic immediately and jumped down from the steps. “No! Can we please not let my Master come?”

Setting aside the fact that Qin Wuzhou was strictly impartial, the primary reason was that she had only just realized how awkward it was to face a Master with whom she had slept twice.

The black-faced guard thought for a moment and unexpectedly agreed quite readily. “The Sect Master is occupied with a myriad of affairs and likely won’t have time to come. I will ask Senior Brother Nanxun to take you back instead.”

Yi Hanxing breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the guard communicate with Nanxun via secret transmission.

“So? When will my Senior Brother arrive to pick me up?” Yi Hanxing asked impatiently.

Before the guard could respond, another voice rang out. “Eh? Hanxing, you’re back?”

Yi Hanxing turned her head. Before seeing the person, she heard the tinkling of jewelry. She was instantly surprised and delighted. “Martial Aunt Su!”

Su Meinian was dressed as extravagantly and brilliantly as ever. “What are you doing here?”

Yi Hanxing smiled. “I wanted to borrow a book. What about you, Martial Aunt?”

Su Meinian replied, “Ha, what a silly question. What else does one do in the Pavilion of a Thousand Scrolls besides read? It’s not like I’m here being punished for breaking sect rules.”

Yi Hanxing replied, “Martial Aunt, you manage countless affairs yet still find time to read extensively. This disciple is impressed.”

Su Meinian nodded. “Indeed. You should also find time to read more poetry and lyrics, niece. They can be very useful at critical moments!”

Yi Hanxing wondered if there was a cultural college entrance exam in the immortal sects, but Su Meinian continued, “Reading is very useful. For instance, my current target for dual cultivation is a poor scholar who keeps complaining that I have the air of a nouveau riche and refuses to submit to me. Heh, once I finish memorizing this collection of poems and recite it in front of him, let’s see what he has to say then.”

Yi Hanxing’s gaze fell upon the book in her hand. The title on the cover was clearly written: The Eighteen Touches.

Useless knowledge increased. Yi Hanxing remarked, “Forgive me for being blunt, but it might be better if some poems aren’t used at all.”

Su Meinian waved her hand. She was more concerned about her junior’s situation than her own affairs. “You want to borrow a book, so why are your hands empty?”

Yi Hanxing honestly explained her attempt to go upstairs to borrow a book and the resulting punishment. After listening, Su Meinian gave a disdainful smile. “That’s nothing. It’s simple. Leave it to me.”

She turned toward the black-faced guard. “Release my niece immediately.”

The guard remained motionless as if he hadn’t heard a word.

Su Meinian snorted coldly and tossed out a spirit stone. “A top-grade spirit stone. Is that enough?”

No one caught it. The spirit stone traced a smooth parabola through the air before hitting the ground and bouncing a few times.

Su Meinian’s eyes widened. “Do you not know who I am?!”

The guard glanced at her. “I know. You are the daughter of the former Sect Master and the current Moon Elder.”

He placed a heavy emphasis on the word “former.” Su Meinian was instantly so angry her eyebrows shot up. “This is open rebellion! How long has it been since my father passed away, yet you people already dare to disregard this Elder?!”

The guard looked straight ahead and said calmly, “I only know that the current Sect Master of Qingtang Valley is surnamed Qin.”

“Presumptuous!” Su Meinian shouted. Her fiery temper could not be contained, and she immediately drew her sword, “Three Thousand Taels.” The guard was not to be outdone and met her with his staff.

For a moment, white light flashed everywhere, and book pages fluttered like snow.

Yi Hanxing held her head and moved away from the battlefield. Several disciples had already gathered to watch the commotion. At the sight of the drama, those studying threw down their books, and those memorizing forgot their next lines.

“Alas, Elder Su still has such a fierce temperament. The old Sect Master Su was such a gentle and charitable man; father and daughter are truly nothing alike.”

“She was likely pushed to it. I heard the sect passed an internal resolution recently. Now, every Elder is forbidden from leaving the valley without permission. If there is urgent business, they must report it and obtain approval from the Valley Master before they can depart.”

Another person stuck out their tongue and whispered, “First, the four Elders were forced to attend daily sect meetings, and now their travel is restricted. There’s no freedom in being an Elder. If something goes wrong, they even have to take the blame for their subordinates. If I were Elder Su, I’d be angry too.”

In The Overbearing Immortal Lord’s Forced Daily Love, the Hehuan Sect was located in Qingtang Valley; thus, people often used the valley’s name to refer to the sect. Aside from the Sect Master who held the most power, there were the four Elders: “Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon,” who managed various sect affairs. Below them were the inner and outer disciples.

Su Meinian was the Moon Elder. The title sounded imposing, but unfortunately, she was the lowest-ranked among the four. Furthermore, she only held the position because of her late father, which led to some dissatisfaction. Since Qin Wuzhou took over, he had—whether intentionally or not—gradually hollowed out the power of the four Elders, consolidating all authority in himself. Consequently, people in Qingtang Valley only recognized Sect Master Qin and ignored the four Elders.

Having suppressed her frustration for so long, Su Meinian fought the guard until sunset before finally sheathing her sword.

Despite the long battle, neither side was injured. Su Meinian’s cultivation wasn’t high enough to win, and the guard was wary of harming an Elder.

Su Meinian glared at the guard before returning to Yi Hanxing. “Those lackeys of Qin Wuzhou refuse to budge. They won’t let me take you away.”

It wasn’t entirely unexpected. Yi Hanxing said gratefully, “Thank you for stepping in, Martial Aunt. I appreciate the sentiment.”

Su Meinian was about to say more when her jade slip suddenly rang. She checked it, and her already sour expression turned to pure resentment. “Another meeting!”

Yi Hanxing read the room and said, “Do you have work to do, Martial Aunt? It’s fine. Please go ahead. I’ll wait here for my Senior Brother to pick me up.”

“Nanxun? Alright, that boy is fairly honest and dependable. The Elders’ meeting starts in fifteen minutes; I must hurry, or I won’t make it.” Su Meinian rushed off but suddenly turned back to stuff a coin pouch into Yi Hanxing’s hand. “Pocket money from your Martial Aunt. Buy yourself something nice to eat or play with. Your Master has no idea how to take care of people; look how much weight you’ve lost after one trip.”

She patted Yi Hanxing’s head and left. When the latter opened the pouch, she was nearly blinded by the shimmer of the spirit stones.

Honestly… maybe I should find a way to switch to a richer Master?

The guard walked back to her side, dutifully playing the role of a jailer. Bored of waiting, Yi Hanxing couldn’t help but urge, “Is my Senior Brother almost here?”

Before the guard could speak, his gaze bypassed her shoulder to look toward the door.

He bowed respectfully. “Sect Master.”

Yi Hanxing’s body stiffened as she heard Qin Wuzhou’s voice from behind. “Mhm. I have come to take my disciple back.”

Yi Hanxing followed her Master dejectedly.

They left the Pavilion of a Thousand Scrolls, walking one after the other—one striding forward with his head held high, the other scurrying along timidly.

Noticing the path he was taking was unfamiliar, Yi Hanxing finally couldn’t help but murmur, “Master, where are we going?”

Qin Wuzhou answered with a question. “Why did you break into the Pavilion of a Thousand Scrolls?”

Yi Hanxing repeated with an honest face, “I wanted to improve myself too much. I feel uneasy if I don’t study or practice for a day. The books on the first floor could no longer satisfy me, so I wanted to see if I could take a peek upstairs.”

Qin Wuzhou was silent for a moment before asking, “To learn the Hehuan Sect’s techniques?”

Yi Hanxing froze as she realized what he meant. Studying in the Hehuan Sect’s library naturally meant learning the sect’s techniques—in other words, the arts of dual cultivation.

And as everyone knew, those arts were mostly… [Censored].

How was this any different from admitting to his face that she wanted to read adult books?

Yi Hanxing also fell silent.

Fortunately, Qin Wuzhou seemed reluctant to pursue the topic. He answered her previous question instead. “I have a meeting to attend and no time to deal with you right now. You had better behave yourself.”

This time, Yi Hanxing spoke with some sincerity. “I have caused Master trouble.”

Qin Wuzhou gave a cold chuckle. “It’s good that you know. If Nanxun hadn’t gone out on business, I wouldn’t bother with you.”

Yi Hanxing gave a forced smile. “Since you’re so busy, Master, I won’t trouble you further. I’ll go back and accept my punishment on my own so you can focus on your meeting.”

She turned to slip away, but before she could take a single step, she was hoisted up by the back of her collar.

The original body’s height was similar to her own—nearly 170cm—but Qin Wuzhou was simply too tall. Even with him lifting her by the arm, her toes barely touched the floor, and her line of sight was only just level with his.

This man is at least 190cm and very solidly built, Yi Hanxing noted mentally.

Alas, the arm truly couldn’t out-wrestle the thigh.

“Don’t even think about running. Stay put,” Qin Wuzhou scolded softly before setting her down.

While talking, the two arrived at Zichen Hall, the sect’s assembly hall.

“The Sect Master has returned. The meeting can resume.” As soon as Qin Wuzhou entered, an Elder came forward to greet him, pausing slightly when he saw Yi Hanxing following behind.

Yi Hanxing was nearly dazzled by the opulent decor. Composing herself, she realized that except for Su Meinian, everyone present was a stranger.

So, this was the high-level internal meeting she had heard about?

And Qin Wuzhou brought her here because…?

Qin Wuzhou walked straight to the head seat and addressed a nearby Elder bluntly, “Make room.”

The Elder was bewildered as he was told to move, while Qin Wuzhou gestured to an equally bewildered Yi Hanxing. “You, sit here.”

Someone couldn’t help but protest. “This is an internal meeting of Qingtang Valley. The participants are all at the Elder level or above. Sect Master Qin, it is likely against the rules to bring your disciple in here.”

Qin Wuzhou raised an eyebrow. “This is my sect. My word is the rule.”

He glanced at Yi Hanxing and noticed she was still standing there. He frowned slightly and urged, “Come here.”

Once Yi Hanxing sat down, Qin Wuzhou swept his cold, mocking gaze over the gathered Elders.

It was strange; many of them were more experienced or older than him, but none surpassed him in cultivation. Consequently, no one dared to speak up, tacitly accepting the illogical presence of Yi Hanxing.

The Elder whose seat had been taken swallowed his anger and sat in an empty chair next to Su Meinian.

Qin Wuzhou tapped the table with his finger, signaling the start.

One person continued the previous topic. “There are four main items on today’s agenda. The final item concerns the Ascent Ceremony, a joint exchange assembly to be held at Yuxu Mountain in five days. As per tradition, our sect should nominate five disciples to participate.”

This reminder brought back Yi Hanxing’s memory of the Ascent Ceremony from the original book. It was held once a century to promote mutual aid and solidarity among the sects—a grand event even larger than the Olympics.

In the original plot, the host body was imprisoned in the Thorn Cave for injuring a fellow disciple and didn’t appear. However, Qin Wuzhou, as the troublemaking villain, turned this grand immortal event into a bloody massacre. Heh, it perfectly fit the law of xianxia novels where something must go wrong during a disciple assembly.

The exchange assembly was hosted by different sects in rotation. If she remembered correctly, it was Yuxu Mountain’s turn this year.

Sure enough, another Elder remarked, “Hmph, those stubborn mules at Yuxu Mountain are really pulling out all the stops to show off this time. They even cancelled their new disciple recruitment just to focus on hosting the assembly!”

What?! Yuxu Mountain isn’t recruiting new disciples?

Yi Hanxing nearly jumped out of her chair. Catching Qin Wuzhou’s gaze from the corner of her eye, she quickly sat back down.

She was crying inwardly. Truly, man proposes but God disposes. She had been determined to betray her Master and sect, but she hadn’t expected this obstacle. How was she going to find a reason to enter Yuxu Mountain now?

One Elder stroked his beard and said, “Our relationship with Yuxu Mountain has always been lukewarm. For this assembly, I think we should just send a few people to make up the numbers.”

So perfunctory? Yi Hanxing thought to herself. She knew the reason for the animosity: every year, some Sword Sect disciples ended up being used as “graduation materials” by Hehuan disciples. Sword cultivators tended to be stubborn; what should have been a casual encounter often ended in a mess.

The Sword Sect refused to back down, leading to a state of hyper-vigilance where they would curse any Hehuan member as an “evil cultivator” and strike them down on sight. Over time, the relationship naturally deteriorated.

Another person added, “But if we just pick anyone and they end up at the bottom during the Ascent Ceremony, it would be a disgrace to the entire Qingtang Valley! I, for one, cannot afford to lose face like that!”

The room soon dissolved into an argument. Yi Hanxing glanced at the man beside her. Seeing no sign of him speaking, she whispered, “Master?”

Qin Wuzhou didn’t react. Perhaps her voice was too soft, drowned out by the noise. She hid her hand under the table and tugged at his sleeve.

Only then did Qin Wuzhou look at her.

Yi Hanxing offered a smile she hoped looked innocent. “I want to go to the Ascent Ceremony.”

“Oh?” Qin Wuzhou’s lips curled. “Why?”

Yi Hanxing didn’t dare say she wanted to defect. She spoke vaguely instead. “Since the assembly is at Yuxu Mountain, Immortal Lin will surely be there, right?”

Qin Wuzhou looked at her again and pulled his sleeve away from her fingers. “You want to go see him?”

“Yes! I haven’t completed the task Master gave me!” Her words were so dedicated she almost moved herself. Anticipating her boss’s needs—doing what he hadn’t even asked for yet—this was the corporate survival skill she had learned during her brief summer internship!

Qin Wuzhou sounded uninterested. “The deadline I gave you was five days. You are already overdue.”

Yi Hanxing blinked. “But Master didn’t kill me.”

Qin Wuzhou, who had been idly spinning a brush on the table, stopped and turned his face toward her.

A playful smile slowly spread across his face. “Not kill you? But you indeed failed the task. Master told you before, didn’t he? There are punishments for failing a task.”

By now, Yi Hanxing wasn’t as afraid of him. “Master, please listen to my defense—I mean, explanation! I am more valuable to you alive than dead! Think about it: if I’m alive, there’s still a chance to make Lin Wujiu fall in love with me. But if I’m dead, there’s absolutely no possibility of moving him!”

Qin Wuzhou’s lips curled. “Glib-tongued.”

There was hope! Yi Hanxing immediately pressed on. “Besides, matters of the heart must be approached gradually. Falling in love in just five days is simply unrealistic.”

Qin Wuzhou smiled. “So, are you saying the goal Master set was unrealistic?”

Yi Hanxing wouldn’t dream of defying him; she only offered flattery. “A great leader doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Master has more important things to do. You don’t need to understand these petty matters of love, and they aren’t worthy of your understanding!”

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but after she said that, Qin Wuzhou’s gaze seemed to deepen.

He suddenly turned away and tapped the table. The sound wasn’t loud, but everyone in the room suddenly went quiet as if they had grown extra ears.

“When the last exchange assembly was held, Sect Master Su was the host. Did you all say the same thing then?” His gaze slowly swept across the room, his voice heavy. “‘Just find a few people to go’—are you all merely humoring me?”

There was a dead silence. After a long moment, someone spoke up nervously, “The Sect Master is wise; we have no such intention.”

“Then we shall follow tradition.” Qin Wuzhou casually flipped through a stack of documents. “In the past, the top five were selected through an internal sect competition to be sent as representatives. We shall do the same this time. The scale of the competition must not be inferior to when the old Sect Master was alive.”

The person who spoke first quickly agreed, while the others remained silent.

It wasn’t her imagination; after Qin Wuzhou mentioned the old Sect Master Su, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

The Elder presiding over the meeting secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead. Fortunately, the meeting was coming to an end. He shouted “Adjourned!” with a sigh of relief and hurried away.

The internal power struggle between the new and old factions of the Hehuan Sect—something only briefly mentioned in the original book—was now playing out clearly before her eyes. Yi Hanxing was so engrossed in the drama she almost didn’t hear Qin Wuzhou telling her to follow him.

“Oh! Coming, Master!” She hurried to his side.

Suddenly, someone blocked her path. It was Su Meinian coming to say hello. “Niece Yi, you were here too!”

A short distance away, Qin Wuzhou saw them talking. He didn’t interrupt but leaned against the wall to wait.

Seeing that he didn’t look impatient, Yi Hanxing felt comfortable enough to talk to Su Meinian. It was awkward to explain that Qin Wuzhou had brought her, so she said, “Yes, I heard Yuxu Mountain is hosting the Ascent Ceremony, so I came to listen.”

Su Meinian was surprised. “You’re interested in that? You don’t intend to participate, do you?”

When Yi Hanxing nodded, Su Meinian frowned. “But only the top five from the internal competition are sent. Niece, for you to get into the top five…”

Everyone in Qingtang Valley knew that Sect Master Qin’s two disciples were either oblivious to romance or timid and shy. Standing among the flirtatious disciples of the Hehuan Sect, they were like cranes among chickens—pure and untainted. Forget about getting into the top five; if she hadn’t taken a risk and ended up sleeping with her Master recently, the girl probably wouldn’t have even graduated from the basic Dual Cultivation Path by now.

There was truly no other way…

Thinking of this, Su Meinian sighed and glanced at Qin Wuzhou. He was still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking away as if he wasn’t paying attention. She whispered, “Although I hate to admit it, regarding cultivation and techniques, that fellow Qin Wuzhou is actually… well, he’s actually quite good. Since you want to compete, why not ask your Master for some guidance?”

Yi Hanxing was surprised that she would suggest asking Qin Wuzhou for help. Then, she was moved by the concern hidden in Su Meinian’s words. She replied honestly, “My Master probably won’t help me.”

Was she kidding? She had already forced herself on him twice. If she asked him to teach her dual cultivation arts now, she’d start wondering if she had ulterior motives!

Su Meinian persisted, “Then who else can you find? Do you know the content of the internal competition? The dual cultivation technique is a mandatory subject!”

Yi Hanxing’s scalp felt numb, but she remained stubborn. “There’s always a way. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere—”

Before she could finish, she felt a chill on her back as if a cold gaze had locked onto her. She turned around abruptly, but no one was there except Qin Wuzhou, who was still leaning against the wall, staring at the candlelight.

“I don’t know if I should say this, but I must.” Su Meinian looked where Yi Hanxing was staring and couldn’t help but say, “Sect Master Qin, do you still consider Hanxing your disciple?”

Qin Wuzhou finally looked back and smiled. “What now?”

Before Yi Hanxing could cover Su Meinian’s mouth, the latter poured everything out. Finally, she complained, “Hanxing has been your disciple for so long, yet her cultivation has barely improved. It’s clear you aren’t paying attention as a Master. Had I known, she should have joined my lineage instead!”

Qin Wuzhou’s gaze shifted between the two of them before he muttered, “Men or women, she doesn’t discriminate. Quite the skill.”

Yi Hanxing: ?

Su Meinian snapped, “Give me a straight answer. Your disciple needs to learn dual cultivation techniques; will you teach her or not?”

Qin Wuzhou flicked his dangling earring nonchalantly. “What about my disciple?”

Recognizing that he was asking for her opinion, Yi Hanxing waved her hands frantically. “I wouldn’t dare trouble Master with such small things! I’ll find a way myself, hahahaha…”

She ignored Su Meinian’s look of disappointment. She had a grievance she couldn’t voice. Seeing Qin Wuzhou’s vague attitude, he clearly didn’t want anything to do with her. It was understandable; if she were a thousand-year-old virgin whose purity was suddenly taken by a useless disciple she looked down on…

In short, Yi Hanxing was satisfied as long as her head remained on her shoulders.

“You’re unwilling, then?” Qin Wuzhou listened without expression, then stood up and walked toward her.

“Fine,” he said, turning to Su Meinian. “I will teach her.”

Yi Hanxing: “Huh?”