The Sect Leader Raised a Fox to His Own Detriment - Chapter 12

“This entire mess is A-Yin’s fault!” Before Ye Bufan, the Hall Master of the Discipline Hall, could even speak, Zhu Yan cut in. He pointed at A-Yin, his face flushed with burning rage. “If he hadn’t jumped into the river and disturbed the Chiru, it wouldn’t have triggered a flood. Thank heavens the Sect Leader’s cultivation is profound; otherwise, the entire city of Yangzhou might have been leveled by that beast!”

The more Zhu Yan spoke, the angrier he became, his mustache trembling with his fury.

“A-Yin…” Ye Bufan maintained a stony expression, questioning him coldly, “Is what Elder Zhu Yan said the truth?”

A-Yin’s hands, bound behind his back by thorny vines, clenched into fists. He gritted his teeth and looked up, glaring at Zhu Yan with a piercing gaze before defending himself in a low voice: “I… I did it to get the Ice Tear Pearl…”

“And where is the pearl now?” Ye Bufan followed up.

“The pearl…” A-Yin took a sharp breath, his eyes downcast with regret. “I was terrified when the Chiru appeared… later, I… I didn’t know where the Ice Tear Pearl went…”

“In other words, you caused such a massive disturbance and didn’t even get the pearl? You are simply… more of a hindrance than a help!” Zhu Yan berated A-Yin mercilessly before turning to Ye Bufan. “Hall Master Ye, this A-Yin disregarded the lives of the people for his own selfish gain and nearly caused a catastrophe—”

“That Ice Tear Pearl should have been mine to begin with!” A-Yin couldn’t help but shout.

“Silence!” Zhu Yan roared. “What do you mean, ‘should be yours’? Lin Fengfei was the one who slew the most merfolk, and it was the Sect Leader who ultimately forced them back… What did you do? What use are you, a mere Qi Refining stage disciple?”

“But…” A-Yin’s gaze shifted to Yue Xichen. From start to finish, Yue Xichen had not uttered a single word.

But if it hadn’t been for A-Yin hearing the voices of the merfolk’s hearts, could the matter have been resolved so quickly?

A-Yin watched Yue Xichen, his eyes filled with hope and longing.

Master knows.

Master even praised me at the time!

However…

A-Yin waited for a long time, but Yue Xichen did not speak up for him. Not a single word.

An unprecedented disappointment caused him to lower his head deeply.

It wasn’t that Yue Xichen didn’t know A-Yin was looking at him as his last saving grace.

In fact, the resolution of the merfolk incident was thanks to A-Yin timely identifying the crux of the problem. The Chiru sleeping at the bottom of the Jing River was the true culprit providing a steady stream of demonic power to those merfolk; after the merfolk attacked the ships, the essence of the deceased would become nourishment for the Chiru.

If A-Yin hadn’t accidentally awakened the Chiru while trying to get the pearl, Yue Xichen wouldn’t have found the source of the merfolk’s sudden power boost.

But even so, it was a fact that A-Yin had committed a grave error.

As the Sect Leader of Lingyun Mountain, being strict with oneself while treating others with leniency was what Yue Xichen had to do. Not only could he not shield his own disciple, but he also had to hold them to a higher standard.

Yue Xichen took a silent, deep breath. His exquisite face was frost-cold, showing no trace of emotion.

The Discipline Hall was silent; the air felt as if it had frozen into ice, making one’s hair stand on end.

Suddenly, a purple light flickered as Ye Bufan took out a discipline whip from his spatial ring, specifically used to punish wayward disciples.

This whip was made from the hide of a Triple-Eyed Demonic Rhino dark, shiny, and incredibly resilient. A single strike would leave a scar that would never heal.

“Since the facts are undisputed, let the execution begin!” Just as Ye Bufan was about to raise the whip, Yue Xichen’s voice rang out ethereal and beautiful, yet icy.

“A-Yin, do you admit your mistake?”

His inner hope fell through once again. A-Yin’s eyes widened as he met Yue Xichen’s gaze; Yue Xichen saw the boy’s eyes growing increasingly red.

“This disciple… is not wrong!” A-Yin ground out the final words through clenched teeth.

Just because he was a half-demon and couldn’t cultivate, Yue Xichen refused to grant him any cultivation resources. Since that was the case, he could only fight for them himself.

The Ice Tear Pearl was his by right.

What was wrong with taking back what he deserved?!

“Since you show no remorse, do not blame your Master for being heartless.” Yue Xichen’s slender, elegant fingers moved slightly, and the discipline whip in Ye Bufan’s hand suddenly flew into his own.

“He is my disciple. If there is to be punishment, it shall be administered by me.”

As soon as he spoke, Yue Xichen swung the whip high.

The black whip moved in A-Yin’s wide eyes like a hideous giant python opening its maw to reveal venomous fangs and a flickering tongue.

Snap!

The whip landed solidly on his body. His thin, frail frame shuddered violently.

A-Yin gritted his teeth, letting out only a muffled groan. His originally delicate features contorted in agony, and beads of sweat began to seep out, covering his smooth forehead.

The smell of blood began to spread, making the air pungent.

Blood surged out, flowing down the mangled wound and staining half of A-Yin’s body red.

Yue Xichen had struck with terrifying force; the bloody wound was a gruesome sight, as if A-Yin had been split in two.

“Do you admit your mistake?”

Yue Xichen asked again, his voice as cold as the eternal snow atop the Twin Peaks of Lingyun Mountain.

A-Yin’s face was deathly pale from the pain, his body trembling. His bloodless lips parted with difficulty, spitting out weak but stubborn words:

“…This disciple… is not wrong…”

“Sect Leader…” Su Muzhi, standing beside Yue Xichen, feared he would continue to whip the boy and was about to plead for mercy. However, Yue Xichen spoke flatly:

“In that case, go and kneel before the Floating Cloud Hall to reflect on your actions! Stay there until you acknowledge your fault.”

The frost-cold voice wounded A-Yin’s eardrums and froze his heart.

Master really does… hate me…

Is it because I am a half-demon that he… hates me this much?

Then why… why did you take me as your disciple…

Master, you…

The moment A-Yin fainted from the pain, his collapsing body was caught by Yue Xichen, who had suddenly flashed to his side.

“I will take him to the Floating Cloud Hall.”

Leaving those words behind, Yue Xichen carried A-Yin and departed.

Back in the Discipline Hall, Zhu Yan rubbed the back of his neck, which felt as if a cold wind were blowing on it. “I didn’t expect the Sect Leader to be so ruthless toward his own disciple!”

Hearing this, Ye Bufan looked down at the discipline whip Yue Xichen had returned to him. He frowned slightly, murmuring to himself: Ruthless? But how do I remember… that for violating the sect rules of Lingyun Mountain, the minimum punishment is twenty lashes?