Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Feng He Yun’s Panic

Feng He Yun snapped: “I know you always disliked Junior Sister, but I never thought you hated her this much!”

He pointed at her and shouted: “I really misjudged you! Today I, as your Senior Brother, will discipline you on Master’s behalf!”

Before Shen Sang Ruo could react, Feng He Yun struck her with a sudden palm. Among Master Ling Xiao’s Personal Disciples, Feng He Yun was the strongest, already a Late Golden Core Cultivator.

He had used only half his strength, but to Shen Sang Ruo, who was at Qi Refining First Layer, it was no different from a death blow. Staring at Feng He Yun as he attacked without hesitation, Shen Sang Ruo’s pupils shrank. Even though she tried her best to block, she was still blasted more than ten meters away like a kite with a snapped string, crashing hard onto the ground.

She spat a mouthful of bright blood as darkness closed over her vision. [She had already decided to stay away from them; why did they keep hurting her? Was this life going to end like this? She was filled with strong unwillingness.] In the next moment, she lost consciousness.

The Flying Cloud Sect strictly forbade Disciples from fighting in private, let alone two Personal Disciples under Master Ling Xiao. The gathered Cultivators had never seen fellow disciples attack each other like this and were stunned.

Someone gasped: “He won’t have beaten Shen Sang Ruo to death, right?”

Another muttered: “She spat so much blood. How badly is she hurt?”

A third fumed: “Feng He Yun was too ruthless. She’s still his own Junior Sister.”

Someone else scoffed: “You don’t get it. Senior Brother Feng was venting for Junior Sister Bai. Shen Sang Ruo deserves it.”

Feng He Yun’s face had already changed the moment he saw Shen Sang Ruo sent flying. When she coughed blood and fainted, panic broke through his calm.

He roared at the onlookers: “Shut up! All of you, get lost!”

Striding to Shen Sang Ruo, he forced himself to sound stern as he said: “I only used half my strength. Shen Sang Ruo, why are you pretending to be dead?”

He scolded her coldly: “How did I never notice you were so crafty? Get up now, or others will laugh at us!”

The whispers and glares from the Cultivators made his face go green. He had only wanted to teach her a lesson. Death? Don’t curse Shen Sang Ruo. Whatever happened on Thunder-Scale Peak was not for these people to judge.

A voice cut through the crowd: “Senior Brother! What did you do to Fifth Junior Sister?!”

Wen Xuan had spent half a day refining a tonic for Bai Mu Mu. Only then did he remember Shen Sang Ruo was still waiting outside the Warding Seal. He hurried to the seal and didn’t see her, asked other Flying Cloud Sect Disciples, and learned she had gone down the mountain. Rushing over, he found Shen Sang Ruo lying unconscious in a pool of blood while Feng He Yun was still barking at her.

Seeing Wen Xuan, Feng He Yun let out a breath and said: “Second Junior Brother is here. He’s best at medicine. Let’s see how you keep pretending. If you don’t want to be exposed in public, get up.”

He turned to Wen Xuan and explained: “I heard Shen Sang Ruo pushed Junior Sister down a ravine, so I taught her a small lesson. Then she fell and played dead. I don’t know who taught her such dirty tricks. She even smashed several jars of my good wine. Second Junior Brother, you came at the right time. Expose her. By the way, how is Junior Sister now? She’s so weak. How could she survive a fall into a ravine?”

Wen Xuan’s face turned stormy as he listened. Looking at Feng He Yun’s righteous anger, Wen Xuan felt a deep, tired heaviness. This Senior Brother was never dependable. Since he had joined Master Ling Xiao, Wen Xuan had handled all the big and small affairs on Thunder-Scale Peak. From Feng He Yun to Luo Chu and Shen Sang Ruo, none of them were easy. Junior Sister Bai Mu Mu, though sensible, was frail and needed constant care. Only Third Junior Brother Lu Shi Qing caused no trouble.

He ground out: “You struck Fifth Junior Sister?!” He knelt and checked Shen Sang Ruo’s condition.

Feng He Yun shrugged and said in a careless tone: “It was just one palm. I only used half my strength. Why are you so nervous?”

The words exploded in Wen Xuan’s ears. He laughed in anger and said: “Only half your strength? Do you know Little Ruo’s cultivation has been scattered? With half your strength, were you trying to kill Little Ruo?!”

“W-what?” Feng He Yun froze.

Wen Xuan said coldly: “Even with Little Ruo’s past cultivation, half your strength would put her in bed for half a month. Senior Brother, Little Ruo is our Junior Sister. Why would you do this to her?”

His fingers trembled as he pressed them to Shen Sang Ruo’s pulse.

Feng He Yun muttered, dazed: “I only heard she pushed Junior Sister into a ravine and wanted to teach her a lesson. I’m her Senior Brother. How could I want her dead?”

Why had this happened? Why had Shen Sang Ruo suddenly lost her cultivation? Then that palm…

Feng He Yun’s lips went pale.

Wen Xuan snapped: “It was all a misunderstanding. Junior Sister slipped and fell by accident. Why didn’t you ask for the truth before laying hands on Little Ruo? Why did you trust rumors and not ask her a single question?”

Right now he couldn’t care that Feng He Yun was his Senior Brother. His questions came hard and angry. Being unreliable before was one thing, but this time Feng He Yun had endangered Shen Sang Ruo’s life.

Hearing the truth, Feng He Yun finally realized how absurd he had been. He had mixed up right and wrong and made a scene for nothing. He might have killed his own Junior Sister.

Whatever resentment he had felt toward Shen Sang Ruo was washed away by regret and shame. He said in pain: “I didn’t know. I really didn’t know Little Ruo had lost her cultivation.”

He slumped to the ground and stammered: “Junior Brother, how is Little Ruo? I just… I just…” He couldn’t go on and finally choked out: “I didn’t mean to kill her.”

Feeling a faint pulse, Wen Xuan showed a trace of relief. He hurried to pull various high-grade pills from his pouch and fed them to her like they cost nothing.

He said tightly: “Little Ruo is in very bad shape. Right now my pills are barely keeping her breathing. We need to take her back for treatment at once.”

“Really?!” Feng He Yun was close to tears. “Great. Little Ruo is still alive. That’s great!”

Thinking of the little doll he had watched grow into a bright girl, almost killed by his hand, he nearly went mad.

Wen Xuan said coolly: “Thankfully Little Ruo broke through to Qi Refining First Layer in the last few days. She barely grabbed onto life.”

“Get her back now. We can’t waste more time,” he added, and Feng He Yun stepped forward to lift Shen Sang Ruo. Wen Xuan blocked him, eyes wary and firm.

Remembering his own foolishness, Feng He Yun knew he had no right to touch Shen Sang Ruo. He stepped back, face bleak, and watched Wen Xuan pick her up. Drawing his spirit sword, he said: “Senior Brother knows he did wrong, but Little Ruo’s injuries cannot be delayed. Get on first.”