Chapter 3: Three Thousand Great Daos, Forty-Nine Derived by Heaven

As the words fell, the two disciples from the Sword-Wielding Peak prepared to lay hands on him.

Lin Xiao, however, would never allow such a humiliating ordeal to befall him. With a flick of his sleeve, he shoved them aside, still muttering, "What crime have I, this venerable one, committed?"

Bai Lianyi, startled into reality, scrambled on her hands and knees to the feet of Xia Huanjiao. She reached out with slender, fair hands, desperate to clutch at Xu Yingying’s hem, crying out, "Please, stay your whip, Sect Master! Elder Lin only took the disciple in out of compassion, seeing that she was orphaned and utterly alone. I beg you, please do not humiliate Elder Lin in this manner!"

Indeed. It was not mere punishment; it was humiliation.

The Sword Sect had stood for ten thousand years in the cultivation world; how could anyone who attained the position of Elder be anything but formidable? The lash would not inflict lasting physical injury, but it would ruin his reputation. To Lin Xiao, that was far worse than death. Bai Lianyi realized instantly that if this flogging took place, every time Lin Xiao looked at her, he would be reminded of today’s disgrace. His feelings for her would surely never be the same again.

Bai Lianyi was truly terrified. She had never imagined that the little Sect Master—a mere mascot and background character in the story—would punish someone so indiscriminately! No wonder everyone whispered that she was erratic, willful, short-tempered, and vengeful. Was a mere girl of the Chu family worth such protection?

At that moment, Xu Yingying stepped back. Her cold, detached voice was even more heartless than Lin Xiao’s "Heartless Dao."

"Cease your wailing."

Bai Lianyi looked up, stunned by the androgynous, icy face of Xu Yingying, and forgot everything she had intended to say.

"Did you not hear the Sect Master’s words? Those who do not climb the Ten Thousand Steps are not of the Sword Sect. You are but a lowly servant now; how dare you look the Sect Master in the eye?"

With a heavy thud, Bai Lianyi collapsed, splayed out on the ground like a corpse, unable to move. Hovering just above her head was a snow-white blade—Xu Yingying’s "Condensing Snow." The pressure of the sword’s aura left the surrounding disciples gasping for air, and even Lin Xiao’s expression lost its former ease.

Yet Xia Huanjiao remained completely oblivious, squirming in Xu Yingying’s arms and murmuring, "Yingying, don't be angry. When you're angry, your muscles get all tense. It's too hard; it's uncomfortable to sit on."

Her voice was so soft and milky it would melt any heart.

But to Bai Lianyi, it induced a cold sweat. Who was this Xu Yingying? She was never in the novel! Was she some powerful, insignificant extra?

Xia Huanjiao had no patience for the display of "master-disciple devotion" between Lin Xiao and Bai Lianyi. She delivered her verdict in a few short sentences.

"Elder Lin Xiao knowingly broke the law. After receiving the lashes, he is to be confined to the Cliff of Reflection for one month. Reflect deeply on what an Elder should be, rather than wasting your time on such sentimental entanglements! There are three thousand Great Daos, and the Heavens derive forty-nine—one escapes the path. Is your Heartless Dao truly meant to serve only one person?"

Xia Huanjiao stopped there. They were all centuries old; if they couldn't grasp such a simple truth, they were beyond saving.

"Chu Shiyue," the little girl’s voice lacked its former edge, returning to her usual languid tone as she let out a large yawn.

"Present!"

"From today on, you shall join the Sword-Wielding Peak for your cultivation."

Chu Shiyue’s eyes widened. She had not expected the little Sect Master to go this far. Though the girl was only four, she was incredibly thorough. She had already burned bridges with Elder Lin today; if she stayed on Cloud Peak, she would inevitably be suppressed. But the Sword-Wielding Peak was different. Its Elder always deferred to the little Sect Master and doted on her. More importantly, it was a place where strength was the only currency, so she would not need to fear unfair treatment. Furthermore, Elder Xiao of the Sword-Wielding Peak and Elder Lin were long-standing rivals and would never bully her for Lin Xiao’s sake.

In a flash, Chu Shiyue understood. She bowed respectfully to the little Sect Master, her voice filled with unprecedented reverence. "Many thanks, Sect Master."

"Beyond that," Xia Huanjiao’s gaze fell upon the trembling, prostrate Bai Lianyi, "Search her. Retrieve Shiyue’s black iron. Since you were brought here by Elder Lin, you shall watch him receive his lashes, and then accompany him in seclusion at the Cliff of Reflection. No one else is to interfere with their lives. For this month, let Elder Lin experience just how difficult it is to live as a mortal without his status."

*Hah!* What a blow to the heart! The disciples present realized in an instant that a month on the Cliff of Reflection was far worse than a hundred lashes. When he was an Elder, he had disciples running his every errand; on the Cliff, there was none of that. And Bai Lianyi was a mortal—she had not reached Inedia. She had to eat.

People only cultivate romantic sentiments when their material needs are fully met. Once those vanish, dissatisfaction inevitably follows. They didn't need anyone to tear them apart; the slightest wind would cause this fragile bond to scatter like sand. The more one obstructs such love, the stronger it grows, but if you strip away their status and dignity, everything will simply dissolve.

Xia Huanjiao didn't care what they were thinking. She patted Xu Yingying’s arm, ready to leave. Her braised pork knuckle wasn't finished yet, and she needed to get back and have Yingying reheat it.

Just as she was thinking this, a voice came from the horizon. A disciple in the black, tight-fitting uniform of the Sword-Wielding Peak arrived, bowing to Xia Huanjiao with a panicked expression.

"Sect Master, please stay!"

Xia Huanjiao sighed, sensing her pork knuckle would have to wait. "What is it?" she asked, with a touch of melancholy.

The disciples of the Sword-Wielding Peak were usually calm and concise. "Reporting to the Sect Master, Senior Brother Jiang’s cultivation foundation was damaged during the mission; he has fallen from the Golden Core stage to the Qi Refining stage."

"I see. Tell the Pill Peak to provide some healing medicine for little Jiang."

"Well..." The disciple hesitated, struggling to find the words.

Xia Huanjiao, eager to return for her meal, spoke with a hint of urgency in her milky voice, "Speak up! Don't dawdle."

The disciple rushed out the words in a single breath. "Senior Brother Jiang’s fiancée has come to break off their engagement! She is causing quite a scene, calling him a cripple and saying he is no longer worthy of her!"

What?! Who dared to insult our little Jiang, who cooked so well! Was this the same shy little Jiang who blushed if you spoke to him and loved tending to his flowers?! Damn it, didn't they know that besides Yingying, little Jiang was the best cook in the entire Sword Sect? How could she say such things to him?

Xia Huanjiao’s face darkened. She gave her "human vehicle" a firm pat. "Let’s go! Follow me to see this!"

[Plot Introduction: "Dragon-Proud Heaven of Cultivation"]