CH 5

Content warnings: Gory imagery

The summit of the Cliff of Rebirth was filled with dead silence. The entire Qingling Sect was stunned.

In the past, Shen Liuxiang had fiercely quarrelled with the Sect Master in Lingxiao Hall to protect that lock of hair.

Their fight was so serious that Shen Liuxiang had even threatened to cut all ties and turn his back to the Sect. Only then had the Sect Master let off.

Yet today, Shen Liuxiang had actually cut it off with his own hands, vowing to never entangle with the Sword Venerable again.

Coming from the mouth of the Shen Liuxiang who had been obsessed with Ye Bingran for ten years, these words had an immense impact. It was no less shocking than if the sky had come crashing down right that instant.

Ling Hua’s choice to let Shen Liuxiang enter the Sifang Blood Pool was also to teach him a lesson.

Ling Hua hoped that Shen Liuxiang could open his eyes to the fact that Ye Bingran was a heartless sword cultivator who did not care about him at all as soon as possible.

Didn’t he return the forbidden technique with great fanfare in order to push Shen Liuxiang into the centre of attention and earn public ire?

Ling Hua originally wanted to make his friend suffer a little so that he’d see things a little more clearly. Against all his expectations, Shen Liuxiang, resolute, had directly cut off that lock of hair!

Ling Hua was so excited that his fingers trembled.

Shen Liuxiang was currently standing above them. Fine snow dusted his shoulders and his hair was messed up from the wind. Wiping away the blood at his mouth, Shen Liuxiang slowly headed down.

“Do you need any support?” Ling Yue asked, expressionlessly holding out his hand.

Shen Liuxiang’s face was bloodlessly pale. Only his lips held a trace of colour, stained red with blood. It was exceedingly beautiful. 

As Ling Yue approached, he sensed that Shen Liuxiang’s breath was unsteady and the spiritual energy around his body was in great disorder.

How could anyone leave the Sifang Blood Pool unscathed? Looking at Shen Liuxiang’s state, Ling Yue realized that he was probably just barely holding on.

Shen Liuxiang’s fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword.

“No need.”

His words were half pretence and half-truth. Zhao Yao1His sword’s name had left wounds both large and small on his body that all bled continuously. The pain was so intense that his body was shaking. Shen Liuxiang struggled to stand still.

However, he could not let anyone else touch him—he was still wearing the Soul Protecting Robe.

Shen Liuxiang’s eyes flickered slightly. He raised his hand and pointed his index finger at a teenager across the crowd. 

“Come and help me.”

In an instant, all gazes turned towards the direction he was pointing at.

Zhou Xuanlan cast his gaze down. It was impossible to see what emotion he had hidden in those eyes.

Only his tone gave his feelings away. Stiffly, Zhou Xuanlan answered, “Yes, Shizun.”

Now that the matter of the Yushen technique was done and dusted, Ye Bingran no longer had any reason to stay. In addition, the amount of attention he had on him was second only to Shen Liuxiang. 

There were some who couldn’t wait to see his expression, wanting to know how he reacted to Shen Liuxiang’s previous actions.

What a bunch of boring people. Ye Bingran flung his sleeves and tried to leave with the disciples from his sect.

At this moment, someone called after him.

“Sword Venerable, please wait.”

Half slumped over his disciple, Shen Liuxiang perked up a little and loudly declared, “This immortal has already received his punishment. Now, it’s your turn.”

Ye Bingran frowned. Standing behind him, the disciples from Sword Sect were the first to react—explosively.

“Why would the Sword Venerable require punishment? What crime did he commit?”

“Didn’t you just say that you will no longer entangle with Sword Venerable? Barely any time has passed, and you already can’t control yourself? An Immortal going back on his word—what a joke!”

Shen Liuxiang didn’t explain much. He simply looked at Ling Yue. 

“Open the scroll in your hand.”

Ling Yue frowned, realizing something.

As a forbidden technique, the scroll containing the Yushen technique was naturally protected by a secret spell. Apart from the Sect Master, all who wanted to view its contents would have to forcibly break the spell with the strength of their cultivation.

Yet, at this moment, Ling Yue was able to open the scroll with just a flick of his finger. The implications of this were obvious—someone had broken the spell and read the scroll containing the Yushen technique!

“What’s going on?”

Ling Hua’s expression also changed slightly. Sharp eyes looked over to Ye Bingran.

“Didn’t Sword Venerable say that he hasn’t touched the scroll before?”

Stunned, Ye Bingran replied, “I truly have not opened it.”

When the Sword Sect disciples heard these words, they immediately retorted.

“Qingling Sect, stop trying to frame others! The scroll must’ve been opened by Immortal Shen himself, and now he’s using this to slander our Sword Venerable!”

“What basis do you have to say that it was opened by our Sword Venerable? Stop trying to smear our name!”

Ling Hua’s gaze fell on Shen Liuxiang again. The Yushen technique was a forbidden technique that allowed practitioners to control another’s mind. It was no small matter for it to be read by another.

“I did not touch that scroll. There’s someone who can testify.”

Shen Liuxiang’s wounds caused him great pain—it felt as if they were on fire. Frowning, he held on to Zhou Xuanlan’s fingers tightly, a severe expression on his face.

“Sword Venerable, why don’t you give your input?”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards them.

Ye Bingran closed his eyes slightly and remained silent for a while before speaking.

“When Immortal Shen handed the scroll over to me, he specifically told me about the secret technique. At that time, the scroll was intact and the secret technique was still there.”

The audience was immediately in an uproar.

The scroll had only passed through the hands of Immortal Shen and Sword Venerable Ye. If it hadn’t been opened by Immortal Shen, then that only left…

“That’s impossible, Sword Venerable is not this type of despicable person. Besides, if he really wanted to study the scroll, why would he return it to Qingling Sect? Isn’t this walking right into a trap?”

“Could it be that Sword Venerable is trying to cover up for Immortal Shen?”

“…You might as well convince me that Sword Venerable Ye really took a peek at the forbidden technique.”

Ling Yue walked to Ye Bingran with a serious look on his face. 

“This is no trivial matter. Sword Venerable, please clarify whether you’ve lent the Yushen technique to others.”

Shen Liuxiang narrowed his eyes slightly.

He was curious about how Ye Bingran would answer. In the novel, nobody had exposed this matter. As a result, the fact that Ye Bingran had left the scroll in Su Baiche’s hands for a short period of time was covered up.

“…I have not,” Ye Bingran replied.

Shen Liuxiang smiled.

This was the treatment that Su Baiche, as the protagonist, deserved. For his sake, someone who had never lied had broken their own principles. 

Shen Liuxiang turned to look at his disciple. 

“If someone made a mistake, would you cover up for him?”

Zhou Xuanlan’s posture remained straight and upright despite the fact that Shen Liuxiang’s body was slumped against his. Hearing the words, he replied, “Anyone who makes a mistake should be punished.”

Shen Liuxiang didn’t believe his words. “What if that person is Master Su?”

Zhou Xuanlan looked at him with a confused look. “This disciple doesn’t know how Master Su differs from others.”

Master Su was approachable and treated the disciples in the sect incredibly well. However, the two of them had no personal relationship.

Shen Liuxiang shook his head with an inscrutable expression.

Alas, he was still young.

If Zhou Xuanlan was a little older, he’d see red the moment someone so much as touched Su Baiche!

Ling Yue frowned and looked at Immortal Ling Hua.

Ye Bingran was unable to give another name, so the responsibility fell upon him, regardless of whether he had actually taken a look at the forbidden technique or not.

The problem now was how the punishment should be meted out.

After all, Ye Bingran was the renowned Beilun Sword Venerable. 

They could not punish him too harshly—the Beilun Sword Sect would definitely not let them off. They could not punish him too lightly either—if word spread out, the public might mistakenly assume that their Qingling Sect was afraid of Beilun Sword Sect.

“We can use the Soul-Rousing divine whip. One lash is enough to shake the heavens.2To be more exact, the raws said: “shock the heavens and make ghosts cry”. The latter part is usually used to describe touching events, which isn’t the case here hence the omission. Its name is well-known enough; this will be an appropriate punishment,” Ling Hua said, having suddenly recalled this item.

“The one using the whip can control its power and lighten the blows later to ensure that Ye Bingran isn’t punished too severely.”

Ling Yue nodded. “Alright. Who will hold the whip?”

Ye Bingran was a direct disciple of the Sword Master Daoist and had high renown himself as the Beilun Sword Venerable. The one meting out the punishments could not be randomly chosen—their identity had to be comparable to his.

Ling Hua responded, “I’ll do it.”

Although his Shizun could not be compared to the Sword Master Daoist, Ling Hua occupied the position of a venerated immortal. His status was just barely high enough to qualify.

Ye Bingran voluntarily accepted his punishment.

The disciples in Beilun Sword Sect were helpless and could only glare at the culprit, Shen Liuxiang, with hatred.

This person must’ve laid a trap to frame the Sword Venerable!

“It is rumoured that Nascent Soul cultivators would immediately have their skin and flesh torn apart the moment the Soul-Rousing divine whip falls. I’m afraid that the Sword Venerable will not be able to bear it, even though his cultivation is only one step away from the Soul Formation Realm.”

“Fortunately, the one holding the whip is not elder Ling Yue. I heard that he is a ruthless person.”

“Could you be less ignorant? Immortal Ling Hua is the more terrifying one! Seven times he killed Yao Mengyue, and seven times he saved her. In the end, that demon princess was driven insane. You don’t find this ruthless enough?”

“In that case, isn’t the Sword Venerable…”

The cold wind on the top of the cliff grew stronger. Snow swirled and danced in the air.

Shen Liuxiang was shivering with cold. Realizing that Zhou Xuanlan’s entire body was emitting warmth, he couldn’t help but stick closer to him.

Like an octopus, he stuck on to his disciple.

“Shizun, your actions are unseemly,” Zhou Xuanlan remarked and grabbed onto the hand clinging to his shoulder.

The next moment, he flung that hand away.

Shen Liuxiang was unwilling to give up and grabbed on again. With a trembling voice, he said, “I’m cold and the wounds hurt. I’m not steady on my feet… I’m being serious. I almost can’t take it anymore. Hurry up, let me lean on you. I’ll fall!”

Zhou Xuanlan turned his head sideways and looked at the head resting on his shoulder.

Those delicate eyebrows and eyes that looked as if they came right out of a painting were drooping. Shen Liuxiang’s expression was sluggish and his face was so pale it seemed devoid of blood. His lips were trembling.

“…”

With this appearance, it did seem as if Shen Liuxiang was at the brink of his endurance.

Fine then. His actions aren’t unseemly.

Seeing that his disciple no longer stopped him, Shen Liuxiang was overjoyed. He immediately changed his posture and leaned against Zhou Xuanlan in great comfort.

Shen Liuxiang was just about to ask Zhou Xuanlan how he was running as warm as a small heater when he raised his eyes and saw Ye Bingran following Ling Hua up to the high platform. A dark whip was held in Ling Hua’s hand.

“That whip probably hurts a lot.”

Zhou Xuanlan glanced at him. “Immortal Hua3Ling Hua will not be ruthless. Shizun need not worry about the Sword Venerable’s safety.”

“Why won’t he be ruthless?!” Shen Liuxiang asked, shocked.

He was still eagerly waiting for Ye Bingran to be beaten until he couldn’t stop shouting. He had already entered the Sifang Blood Pool—if not for the Soul Protecting Robe, he would’ve been on his last breath. 

Yet Ye Bingran would only suffer light punishment! How could this be allowed?!

“Since Ling Hua is qualified to hold the whip, does that mean that I too am qualified?”

Zhou Xuanlan nodded.

In terms of status, Shen Liuxiang was the most suitable person to dish out punishment to Ye Bingran.

However…

“Didn’t Shizun say that you’re cold, your wounds hurt and that you can barely take it anymore? Despite all this, you still have the strength to lash people with the Soul-Rousing divine whip?”

Shen Liuxiang let go of his disciple and smiled resentfully. 

“Your Shizun…suddenly seems to feel much better!”

“…”

Shen Liuxiang volunteered to be the one doling out punishment. Ling Hua had no objections and passed the Soul-Rousing divine whip to him—his status was definitely appropriate.

On the contrary, Ling Yue was against it. 

“I will definitely let the Sect Master know after his return if you were to let Ye Bingran off too easily!”

Shen Liuxiang knew what he was thinking.

Ling Yue probably worried that love was obstructing his rationality and that he could not bear to hurt Ye Bingran at all.

In fact, apart from Ling Yue, everyone else present also had the same line of thinking. They all believed that Shen Liuxiang asked for the divine whip in order to protect Ye Bingran and that Shen Liuxiang could not bear to hurt him in the slightest.

Thinking that Immortal Shen was about to embarrass the Sect again, the faces of the disciples from Qingling Sect were ashen.

On the other hand, the disciples from the Sword Sect let out relieved sighs and relaxed.

Though they all loathed Shen Liuxiang to a great extent, they had to admit that his feelings towards the Sword Venerable were sincere. Shen Liuxiang would never willingly hurt a hair on his head!

“It’s you?”

Ye Bingran stood with his hands behind his back, his sword brows slightly furrowed.

“The fault is mine. There is no need to hold back.”

Even the one being punished was persuading him not to hold back.

Shen Liuxiang’s lips curled slightly. Unable to hold back a chuckle, Shen Liuxiang slowly activated the spiritual power in his body.

Since the situation was like this, he would heed Ye Bingran’s wishes.

Shen Liuxiang’s body was seriously injured and had not recovered fully yet. Suddenly activating his spiritual power would only lead to a burden on his heart and cause him to vomit blood.

As a result, Shen Liuxiang was resigned to transferring his spiritual power into the divine whip little by little to activate it.

A dozen minutes passed.

No movements were made on the high platform.

With gritted teeth and a dark look on their face, someone from Qingling Sect shouted, “Are you going to whip him or not? Sword Venerable Ye stole a look at Qingling Sect’s forbidden technique, yet Immortal is still unwilling to lay your hands on him?!”

The disciples from the Sword Sect sneered in contempt.

“I knew it. Immortal Shen’s previous actions were just for the sake of gaining support from the public. If he really had the heart to do what he said, he wouldn’t have kneeled at our Sword Sect’s entrance for days, begging to see the Sword Venerable.”

“Your words are very reasonable. I bet Shen Liuxiang would rather whip himself twice than…”

PA!

The whip fell.

Ye Bingran sank to the ground on one knee. The clothes on his back were torn open, revealing a bruised, bloody gash that started from his neck and ended at his tailbone. The wound was hideous beyond measure.

The whole place abruptly went silent.

TN: Big thank you to Bambootriangle, SuouNono, Sadie Woods, JHauJBGwia, Kari, TheBeltCameBack, CoinIsNotUrs, Ulfr, Dee, Iris and ChimiyaT0T for leaving comments about the novel, as well as all the readers who are following this series! ⊂(・▽・⊂)

That being said, releases will go back to 1-2 chapters per week after this _(:3」∠) This week was a pretty special case… /hides away

Next Up:

His sword’s name

To be more exact, the raws said: “shock the heavens and make ghosts cry”. The latter part is usually used to describe touching events, which isn’t the case here hence the omission.

Ling Hua