NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33 – Punishment
The sword energy, as large as a crescent moon, carved a bottomless trench into the ground, swiftly slashing towards Lin Hao like lightning.
The gap in strength was too vast, leaving no room to evade. Lin Hao tapped his sword case, triggering a mechanism, and a blue blade emerged.
Even knowing he was outmatched, he refused to surrender without a fight.
"Overestimating yourself."
The Discipline Elder held his sword in his arms, his face full of mockery.
Boom, a fiery red sword energy directly extinguished the blue sword energy.
"Who dares to interfere with my enforcement!"
"I do!"
An exceptionally beautiful woman stepped onto a crimson lotus platform, her unparalleled grace leaving all who saw her in awe.
"Master Feng, what is the meaning of this?" The Discipline Elder's aura softened somewhat.
"I'm here to take my disciple away."
"This... this might not be appropriate." Feeling the woman's palpable killing intent, the Discipline Elder spoke with a forced calm.
"Master Feng, Lin Hao is guilty of treason against the sect, and according to the sect rules, he must be executed."
Feng Cangyue raised her delicate eyebrows and coldly snorted, "You claim Lin Hao committed treason, do you have evidence?
If this is a deliberate slander, according to the sect rules, your cultivation should be abolished."
"Master Feng, according to the elder guarding the Demon Suppression Tower, someone used Lin Hao's identity token to enter the tower, opened its restrictions, and released over a thousand demons. This crime deserves death!"
"Can you confirm that it was Lin Hao himself who used the token to release the demons?"
"This..." The Discipline Elder was at a loss for words.
He indeed couldn't prove that Lin Hao personally used the token to open the Demon Suppression Tower's restrictions. According to the tower elder, it was a female disciple who held the identity token...
"You're not sure, are you? Then the sword energy you just unleashed should be considered a malicious attack on a fellow disciple. According to the sect rules, your cultivation should be sealed, and you should receive a hundred strokes of the cane!"
The onlookers, intimidated by Feng Cangyue's formidable presence, dared not speak up, but their hearts were full of complaints.
[Master Feng is too protective, going so far as to confront the Discipline Elder for Lin Hao!]
[Actually, Master Feng has a point; it doesn't necessarily mean he released the demons.]
[Fellow Daoist, you're really naive. Even if Lin Hao didn't personally go to the Demon Suppression Tower, whoever got his identity token must be someone he trusts. Can you guarantee he wasn't orchestrating this from behind the scenes?
So the Discipline Elder's judgment isn't wrong. Even if Lin Hao didn't directly betray the sect, he's still one of the main culprits for the demons' escape!]
[It's just that if Master Feng is determined to protect Lin Hao, the Discipline Elder really can't keep him.]
"Lin Hao, come with me." Feng Cangyue's words carried no emotion as she prepared to leave with her wayward disciple.
"Master Feng, this might not be appropriate."
"You old dog, you're so noisy!" Feng Cangyue's words were filled with disdain as she coldly said, "Remember this, the sword of your main peak can't cut down people from my Great Bamboo Peak!"
In her anger, the air around Feng Cangyue became scorching, almost suffocating.
The hilt of the sword in the Discipline Elder's arms was charred, forcing him to drop it from his grasp.
"Next time you dare to touch someone from my Great Bamboo Peak, it won't be the sword that's roasted, but your claws."
The woman conjured a large hand of spiritual energy, lifting Lin Hao onto the fiery lotus platform, and swiftly departed.
In the blink of an eye, they reached the summit of Great Bamboo Peak.
"Master..."
"Heh, you still remember you have a master, huh."
Feng Cangyue lightly scolded, her smooth instep arching involuntarily, her pink toes pressing against the fur of a demon fox.
Her two beautifully shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly as she raised her voice, "Tell me, why was the token I gave you in the hands of that traitorous woman!"
"Uh..." Lin Hao hesitated for a long time, unsure of how to explain, unable to say that he and the other party were as close as brothers, so he didn't guard against her!
"Hmph, you don't have to say it; I know why!"
Feng Cangyue's phoenix eyes were like carving knives, scraping over Lin Hao as she scolded him for being hopeless.
"Lust isn't scary; what's scary is being consumed by it. You must remember, as a cultivator, spending all your time with women will ultimately affect your pursuit of immortality.
Lin Hao, you must remember, we cultivators strive for the great path, for immortality, for eternal life. No matter how beautiful a woman is, she's just a skeleton in makeup.
It's natural to seek pleasure, but you can't devote all your energy to it, understand?"
"Lastly, let me remind you, the prettier the woman, the more deceitful she can be. Have you heard that the most poisonous thing is a woman's heart?"
Lin Hao could hear the concern in his master's words, but he couldn't help but think to himself, "Aren't you the most beautiful woman in the Xuan Yin Sect? By your logic, wouldn't that make you the most deceitful?"
"Disciple understands, Master."
Whoosh!
A pill was flicked into Lin Hao's mouth, and the terrifying wound on his chest immediately began to heal.
"Thank you, Master."
Feng Cangyue was about to say more when her beautiful eyes suddenly turned to the sky.
In the span of two breaths, a beautiful Taoist nun and a withered old man arrived together.
"Senior Sister Sect Leader, what brings you to my Great Bamboo Peak, and with a... loyal dog."
"Oh, no, no, it's the Discipline Elder."
"Recently, I've been neglecting my cultivation, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, don't take it to heart."
Hiding behind the Sect Leader, the Discipline Elder dared not take offense at this notorious female killer, only lowering his head in silence.
"Cangyue, do you know you've made a mistake?"
"Yes, Senior Sister Sect Leader, I know my mistake; I was wrong to not consider the owner when hitting the dog."
Hearing Feng Cangyue's words, the Discipline Elder's face twitched continuously. He was furious at her deliberate humiliation, but he dared not show any dissatisfaction.
Although their positions were similar, their cultivation levels were worlds apart.
In the Xuan Yin Sect, aside from those ancient beings, only the Sect Leader could firmly suppress this Great Bamboo Peak Master.
The Sect Leader's eyes sparkled as she slightly furrowed her brows, "You know I'm not talking about that. The one behind you is the main issue."
Lin Hao didn't move, but his body was involuntarily pushed to the forefront.
"Lin Hao, your token was obtained by a traitor, leading to the release of demons from the Demon Suppression Tower."
"You should know that identity tokens cannot be lent out. No matter how you argue, this is indeed your fault."
"According to the sect rules..."
Before the Sect Leader could finish, Feng Cangyue raised her eyebrows and said, "If an identity token is carelessly lost, leading to unfortunate consequences, what is the punishment?"
The Discipline Elder was furious but dared not speak. He had already investigated and found that the woman who used the token to release the demons was extremely close to Lin Hao, practically his Dao Companion.
He didn't believe Lin Hao was unaware of her actions.
According to the sect's rules, Lin Hao's situation warranted sealing his cultivation, five hundred strokes of the cane, and being sent to the mortal world for fifty years of heart refinement.
This punishment was quite severe, especially the latter, as fifty years in the mortal world without cultivation would effectively end the punished person's path to immortality.
This fiery girl was too protective, but since she had already compromised, if he insisted on strict punishment according to the rules, it might harm their camaraderie.
The Sect Leader sighed softly, her red lips parting, "Cangyue, you failed to teach your disciple properly, leading to his indirect grave mistake. You are fined one year's worth of cultivation resources.
Lin Hao, you were unfortunate in your choice of companions, allowing your identity token to be misused. You are sentenced to guard the Demon Lock Tower to temper your Dao heart."
The Discipline Elder thought the punishment was too light, but since the Sect Leader had even punished Master Feng, he dared not speak out, fearing he might be slapped away!
"Lin Hao accepts the punishment."
The Sect Leader's voice was clear, "Reflect well."
After the Sect Leader and the Discipline Elder left.
Lin Hao said solemnly, "Master, I've caused you trouble."
The resources a peak master could claim each year were vast; losing a year's worth was a significant loss.
Causing his master such a heavy loss made Lin Hao feel deeply guilty.
"Go, and in the Demon Lock Tower, temper your Dao heart."
Feng Cangyue raised her delicate hand and waved, sending Lin Hao flying away.