39: Chapter 39 Each Should Be Punished Fifty-Five

Nangong Yi was vividly describing the situation before Deacon Wang.

Cai Ke hung his head, hands tucked behind his waist, looking utterly pitiful.

The four of them had just been beaten by Xia Shaoxin until their limbs felt weak; they had indeed suffered a loss and felt very aggrieved.

Xia Shaoxin had made up his mind: if there was nowhere to reason, as long as he wasn't kicked out, he would endure any punishment to get a jade bamboo spirit leaf.

"You went to Tengyun Peak Market to buy medicinal ingredients, which is only twenty-something li away; why did it take two days?" Wang Xinhao began his stern interrogation.

As expected of a Deacon, he was well-versed in the ins and outs of the Sect's affairs and could pinpoint the flaw in Xia Shaoxin's story with a single sentence.

Even Nangong Yi, who had made so many petty reports, hadn't thought of this point and couldn't help but look at Xia Shaoxin with excitement.

"Because one of the medicines wasn't in stock, I went to the town to buy it, which delayed some time," Xia Shaoxin could only answer this way.

Who could have guessed that he wasn't doing private work for Senior Brother Liang Ruoran, but for himself?

"Have you worked in a pharmacy before?" Wang Xinhao asked again.

"Yes."

Even knowing it was a lie, he had to stick to it.

Wang Xinhao muttered to himself in confusion, "Why didn't Senior Brother Liang Ruoran go himself? Alchemy is such a big deal, yet he entrusted it to a Utility Disciple he just met!"

"Because he happened to be very busy. The medicinal ingredients I bought were all very common, used even by Mortals."

Deacon Wang clearly didn't quite understand.

"Since you finished your errand, you should have returned to the Utility Disciple courtyard immediately. Why did you come here to slack off?"

Xia Shaoxin forced a defense, "The Chiyan Sect is a cultivation Sect. Even as a Utility Disciple, Cultivation is very important; it cannot be called slacking off. Besides, that was during the afternoon break time."

Wang Xinhao did not approve and shook his head coldly.

"You are a newcomer; being cautious and following the rules is what you should be doing. Controlling your emotions and not fighting with fellow disciples is a Sect rule. With your behavior, it is difficult for me to let you stay in the Chiyan Sect."

Nangong Yi and Cai Ke's eyes lit up almost simultaneously.

The other two roommates stood straight, hands hanging down, unable to hide the snickers at the corners of their mouths.

Having just taken a few punches from Xia Shaoxin, they were very unconvinced.

"Senior Brother Wang, there's no need to go that far."

A voice sounded from behind Xia Shaoxin.

Xia Shaoxin felt a shock in his heart; it was actually Senior Brother Liang Ruoran.

He saw Senior Brother Liang Ruoran walking slowly up the mountain path, saying to Wang Xinhao with a grin, "Senior Brother, he was running an errand for me. If he gets punished for this, how will I dare to order Utility Disciples to do things for me in the future?"

Nangong Yi's Face turned pale instantly.

"Ah, what you say is also true." Wang Xinhao stroked his beard and nodded.

Once it involved the Face of an Inner Sect Disciple, it became difficult to handle.

Most Utility Disciples would eventually leave, but Inner Sect Disciples had to interact for a lifetime.

"Doing a little task for an Inner Sect Disciple and taking the opportunity to rest for a few hours, this is hardly an issue." Senior Brother Liang Ruoran specifically pointed out the privileges of Inner Sect Disciples.

"Hehe, that is true, I also often send people to do other things."

Nangong Yi's heart sank; all that talk earlier had been in vain.

Deacons had to handle so many things every day and still find time to Cultivate their Cultivation Technique; they preferred things to go by the book and hated trouble the most.

With an Inner Sect Disciple stepping in, it would surely turn a big matter into a small one and a small matter into nothing.

But there was no help for it; how could a Utility Disciple influence the decision of an Inner Sect Disciple?

Unexpectedly, Cai Ke had a lapse in judgment and shouted, "But he fought with us; this can't be let go so easily, right?"

Wang Xinhao's Face darkened; that was also true.

"Ahem, they were involved in a mutual brawl. There was nothing to it originally, but they started fighting. What's most infuriating is that the four of them fought one person and still didn't win." Senior Brother Liang Ruoran teased.

This remark woke Wang Xinhao up, and he nodded repeatedly, "Junior Brother Liang is right..."

His Face darkened instantly. He ordered Xia Shaoxin and Nangong Yi to stand before him and reprimanded them, "No matter what, you engaged in a brawl in front of the main hall. What kind of behavior is this!"

"Neither of you should blame the other. I punish you to go to Cuiwei Pond immediately to carry water and thoroughly water all the spiritual fields on Xueyan Cliff."

Fifty strokes of the cane for everyone.

Xia Shaoxin didn't feel much, but the Faces of Nangong Yi and the other three turned green.

Not only had they been beaten, but they were also punished together.

Deacon Wang Xinhao did not distinguish right from wrong; he despised them for causing trouble. Regardless of who was the plaintiff or defendant, he banished them all.

Xia Shaoxin looked at Senior Brother Liang Ruoran and nodded slightly to express his gratitude.

Senior Brother Liang Ruoran acted as if he hadn't seen it, took Deacon Wang Xinhao's hand, chatted for a few sentences, and then they went their separate ways.

The five of them hurriedly went to fetch buckets and worked overtime.

Nangong Yi was incredibly depressed, but he didn't dare to continue making trouble.

He could only bury this hatred in his heart.

The four of them were together, while Xia Shaoxin kept a certain distance from them.

Looking at each other with disdain yet having to work together, Nangong Yi and the others felt like they had eaten a pound of excrement; they would rather have been beaten again.

There were many spiritual fields on Xueyan Cliff.

Spiritual fields were not like farmers' fields; as long as it was flat land, you could water it and Cultivate it into farmland.

There had to be a Spiritual Vein passing underground, emitting Spiritual Qi to nourish the soil, before it could be opened into a spiritual field.

The best spiritual fields grew Immortal Plants, while the worst grew spiritual rice.

When Xia Shaoxin watered the spiritual rice for the first time, he had secretly pulled one up and silently recited the Sacrificial Incantation.

The stolen spiritual rice did not belong to him, so it could not be sacrificed.

From this, it was clear that if one day he passed by the Chiyan Sect's spiritual fields and saw those precious medicinal ingredients, he shouldn't even think about such things.

He was not in a rush; as long as he stayed here, he would have a chance to sacrifice every medicine, and he wouldn't have to think about this in the future.

The Chiyan Sect primarily focused on Cultivating the Dao of non-action and tranquility, and at the same time, had many Alchemists who were skilled in refining Medicinal Pills.

To get involved in Alchemy, one had to achieve a Breakthrough in Qi Refining.

The five of them, not united and not cooperating, struggled until nightfall and finally finished watering all the spiritual fields belonging to Xueyan Cliff.

Returning to the dormitory, they were exhausted.

After resting for a while, before going to sleep, everyone hurriedly circulated their Cultivation Technique.

Utility Disciples did not have separate rooms and could only Cultivate on their own beds.

Going outside was also possible, but there were more distractions.

"We are going to Cultivate; you had better go outside and wander around," Nangong Yi said with a gloomy Face, trying to drive Xia Shaoxin out.

In the past, without him even saying it, Xia Shaoxin would have tactfully gone outside.

Today, however, he was just like them, sitting cross-legged on his own bunk, closing his eyes in meditation.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Do you insist on going against us?"

"You brat, remember this. You escaped a disaster today, but don't let me catch you in a trap."

Xia Shaoxin turned a deaf ear and quickly entered a state of meditation.

Then, he began to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

Nangong Yi widened his eyes in shock.

Cai Ke didn't believe it at all and said angrily, "He's just putting on an act, right?"

Everyone stared fixedly at Xia Shaoxin, watching his every movement.

Cai Ke fell silent.

Not wanting to accept reality was one thing, but he was no fool; he knew he couldn't deceive himself.

The roommates couldn't stop whispering:

"He hadn't learned it the day before yesterday, right? How did he learn it just by running to Tengyun Peak Market?"

"It couldn't be that he has some special method, right?"

Cai Ke said with a dark Face, "He only learned the Introductory Cultivation Method; what's so great about that!"

The crowd seemed to have grasped a straw, and they spoke up one after another:

"That's right, he should still be in the stage of sensing Spiritual Qi; he can't even circulate it."

"So what if he luckily learned the Introductory Cultivation Method? Does he think Qi Refining is easy?"

Xia Shaoxin opened his eyes slightly and snorted, "Aren't you going to circulate your Qi? Making such a racket, what kind of Cultivation method is this?"

The crowd fell silent instantly.

Everyone also seized the time to Cultivate their Cultivation Technique, striving to go to sleep earlier.

But everyone's expression was as if they had eaten a fly.