Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Disciplinary Hall

After touring the market, Li Shuang turned all her spirit stones into supplies.

For artifacts, she bought only one defensive item. It could change into clothing, so following her habit, she changed it into a white dress and put it on right away.

Besides that, she kept a few common talismans and several Frost Blossoms for tempering a spiritual root.

She secretly fed all the other resources to the Heaven and Earth Furnace.

After the Heaven and Earth Furnace absorbed the Clearheart Jade Pendant along with the bargains she had picked up, the progress bar jumped to 35%. Li Shuang felt a little regret: [Why can’t chances like that pendant happen more often? One Clearheart Jade Pendant pushed the bar by 20 percent, while all my hard scrounging after that only moved it by 14 percent.]

Still, she was not worried. For now, the Heaven and Earth Furnace worked like a Treasure Appraisal device; as long as she stayed patient, she would fill the bar sooner or later.

Luo Ming Yue and Li Shuang returned to the Sword Sect.

As soon as they stepped inside, a disciple spotted them and stared in surprise, saying: “Senior Sister Luo, Senior Sister Li, why are you two here?”

Luo Ming Yue looked puzzled and said: “Why can’t we be here? Explain clearly!”

The disciple hurried to say: “Senior Sister Luo, you don’t know yet? This morning, Peak Master Lin went to the Sect Master and scolded Immortal Ling Xu for skimming Senior Sister Li’s resources, telling him to return what he took. Immortal Ling Xu said he never did that. They argued a long time in front of the Sect Master but got nowhere.”

He added with bright, nosy eyes: “After that, two Senior Brothers from Ling Xu Peak filed a case with the Disciplinary Hall, saying Emotionless Peak people hurt others on purpose.”

He finished with a shrug: “So the Sect Master told the Disciplinary Hall to judge it. Right now both sides are shouting there.”

Luo Ming Yue’s temper flared as she said: “They dared bring this mess to the Disciplinary Hall? I want to see how they twist black into white!”

Li Shuang said softly: “First Senior Sister, let us go together.”

Luo Ming Yue nodded, and the two sped up.

The disciple’s eyes lit up as he muttered, “Now this will be good,” then he hurried after them.

Inside the Disciplinary Hall, Lin Qing Ling gave a cold laugh and said: “Ling Xu, how do you have the face to say you never skimmed Li Shuang’s resources? In front of the Disciples Hall, so many disciples heard Shen Yue say the Frost Blossom from Li Shuang’s share was ‘by default’ for Ye Zhao Zhao, and the sword stone was ‘by default’ for him.”

She tapped the table and said: “Listen, listen, listen, listen! Li Shuang’s own resources ‘by default’ belong to someone else?”

Fixing the Disciplinary Hall Master with a stare, Lin Qing Ling said: “Pang, this is crystal clear. Why haven’t you given a ruling?”

Disciplinary Hall Master Pang Zhi Xue looked helpless and opened his mouth to speak.

Immortal Ling Xu’s face did not change as he said: “As First Senior Sister, Li Shuang chose to give those resources to her junior brothers and sisters. If she gave them of her own will, how can she go back on it later? This truly is clear. There’s nothing more to say.”

His eyes hardened as he added: “But your Emotionless Peak disciples interfered in a normal match. My poor second disciple was blasted away by Luo Ming Yue, then hit while down by Liu Jun Cheng, and in the end smashed by Jiang Yi until he coughed blood. You ganged up on one, breaking the ban against harming fellow sect members. How should that be punished?”

He turned to Pang Zhi Xue and said: “My poor disciple still lies unconscious. These Emotionless Peak people are all accomplices. Hall Master Pang, should they not be strictly punished?”

Lin Qing Ling snorted and said: “Many disciples saw it with their own eyes. Your second disciple agreed to a sword-only bout, then suddenly used spiritual power and nearly crippled Li Shuang. My disciples taught him a lesson, and that was wrong how? Jiang Rong Yi was there and already said the faults cancel out. Both sides accepted that.”

Pang Zhi Xue looked at Jiang Rong Yi, and Jiang Rong Yi, stiff with nerves, nodded and said: “That is what happened.”

Ling Xu gave him a cold glance and said: “Jiang Rong Yi is just a junior. His words are not law. My disciple’s use of power was instinctive, not on purpose. Your disciples struck deliberately.”

Lin Qing Ling’s eyes turned icy as she said: “Instinctive? So if not for Ming Yue stepping in, my disciple deserved to be seriously hurt?”

Ling Xu replied without expression: “In the end, Li Shuang was not hurt.”

Lin Qing Ling’s lip curled as she said: “You do love to argue, Immortal Ling Xu.”

The two refused to yield, and the Disciplinary Hall grew noisy and hot. Disciples from both peaks stared each other down with cold eyes.

Pang Zhi Xue tried to speak but could not get a word in. Sect Master Meng Yi Fei had listened to them quarrel for half a day already and simply hid, not showing his face.

A shout came from outside as someone cried: “Li Shuang is here!”

The crowd parted, and Luo Ming Yue walked in with Li Shuang.

Immortal Ling Xu looked at Li Shuang with a chill in his eyes. He thought to himself that he must have been blind to choose her as his First Disciple. He had believed she had a pure heart and did not care about resources, yet she had been calculating from the start.

He snapped: “Wretch,” then said coldly: “At Ling Xu Peak, you kept targeting Zhao Zhao, stirring unrest. Now you have grown bolder. You have roused the whole Emotionless Peak to serve you, making the sect unstable. Li Shuang, your tricks are grand indeed. Peak Master Lin, do not fall for her and let her use you.”

Lin Qing Ling frowned and took a step to shield Li Shuang from Immortal Ling Xu’s hateful gaze.

Li Shuang lowered her eyes, and a gentle light passed through them: [I cultivate the supreme Emotionless Path. Negative feelings no longer sway me. Master Lin knows this, yet she still shields me so I will not have to see the disgust in Immortal Ling Xu’s eyes.]

Sheng Yuan, who had been silent, bit his lip when he saw Li Shuang and said with anger in his eyes: “Senior Sister Li, we are still fellow disciples. How could you be so cruel to Second Junior Brother?”

Chang Le An glared at Li Shuang and said: “First Senior Brother, why waste words on a traitor? If you have any guts, stop hiding behind others and fight me openly.”

Luo Ming Yue laughed from anger and said: “Little Shuang just abolished and reforged her cultivation. If you have guts, wait until she condenses a Golden Core and then fight her.”

Chang Le An smirked and said: “Do you really think she is some peerless genius who will never advance another inch after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage? That is ridiculous. I was born with great fortune and am destined for the peak. Even if she reforms her Golden Core, why would I fear her?”

Li Shuang gave him a calm glance. A glimmer passed through her eyes: [He really thinks he was born with destiny’s blessing?]