Chapter 26: Discipline Ning Guang went straight to the main question, scaring the System until it cried itself stupid. How could it dare to conceal any longer, explaining everything in full detail.
[T/N: 一五一十 (yi1 wu3 yi1 shi2), lit. "count by fives and tens", an idiom meaning to narrate systematically and in full detail.]
Fortunately, it still had a bit of brain in the end, and only detailed the parts pertaining to how Di Jiufeng had promised to save all living things, explaining the rest in broad strokes.
"Honorable one, honorable one, everything I said is true, please don"t destroy my awareness!" Like opening a sluice gate, the System poured out the tears, nearly knocking over the whole Pear Peak.
Ning Guang was extremely disgusted. She furrowed her brow and said, "Sparing your life isn"t out of the question, but you must remember, don"t think to drive a wedge between us, don"t think to harm my Shifu. In addition, you must spare no effort to protect her, or else, I"ll let you know what they call h.e.l.l on earth!"
After threatening the System from every direction and many angles until it gloomily collapsed to the ground, Ning Guang said, "Go back, protect my Shifu well. If she loses a single strand of hair, don"t hope to keep your awareness. As for the rest, just do the same as before."
At long last, she let the System go.
As soon as it returned to its own little s.p.a.ce, it flipped out a tortoise sh.e.l.l, collapsed, and played dead.
Di Jiufeng was seriously injured, and Ning Guang couldn"t bear to toss her around any more. She finished applying medicine, then placed her on the bed back-up.
Cultivators were in very good health, and normal small wounds and pains would heal very quickly. But, Di Jiufeng was injured by the righteous lightning of the heavenly stars, and her wounds couldn"t scab over for a whole half a month. Seeing her like this, sickly and lying on the bed every day, face wan, weak and powerless, Ning Guang felt the rancor in her heart was gathering into a taotie, practically about to swallow up the sky.
[T/N: 饕餮 (tao1 tie4), one of the four evil creatures/fiends in ancient Chinese mythology. Google it if you want pictures!]
Carrying the medicine over and helping her Shifu up from the bed, Ning Guang was going to hand the medicine to her, but suddenly thought of something and pulled her hand back. "Shifu, take your medicine." Pouring the medicine in her hand into her mouth, Ning Guang kissed her Shifu"s face as she turned.
She placed the bowl down at the side of the bed, both hands weaving through Di Jiufeng"s hair to hold the back of her head.
Ning Guang"s abrupt movement made Di Jiufeng freeze in a split second. She unconsciously parted her lips, bitter liquid medicine pouring into her mouth right after.
The medicine had been fed, but Ning Guang did not remove her lips, even taking the opportunity while Di Jiufeng was distracted in shock to reach out the tip of her tongue, that warm and wet soft tongue tip experimentally touching twice. Meeting no resistance, Ning Guang wantonly entangled her tongue, the two dancing together. Good medicine tastes bitter, and the taste had shocked every one of her nerves, so this touch of lips and tongue soon after was quite provoking.
Di Jiufeng had never been kissed before. After suddenly encountering this now, she was struck in place, not knowing what to do.
The tongue in her mouth was red-hot, warmer than her own body temperature, wantonly entangling with her lips and teeth, sweeping across her upper jaw, stirring up waves of numbness, making her helplessly give a shiver. She couldn"t stop herself from sighing, thin moans sweeping across her throat, spilling out the corner of her lip.
This wave of numbness really was too strong, making the hands drooping down at Di Jiufeng"s side subconsciously clench into fists, silky embroidered blankets creased into lumps, like her heart, confused until the outlines were unclear.
Ripples surfaced in the lake of her heart, circle after circle undulating out. Her whole body was on fire, a bit helplessly leaning back.
The window was open a crack, but even the mountain wind bashfully filled the room with an alluring air, silently fleeing away. Di Jiufeng didn"t know how long she was lost in a haze, until she suddenly awoke and thought to push away her disciple. However, she had already retreated by herself.
"Shifu, I ate some malt sugar, do you still taste bitter?"
Ning Guang spoke seriously, a deadly earnest expression, making Di Jiufeng unsure how she could speak of what had happened just then. She even felt she herself had overthought, shaking her head with a blurred expression.
Ning Guang saw the waves circulating through her eyes, and her heart couldn"t resist giving a jump. But, she forcibly pressed it down. Her eyes looked at her tender and beautiful glistening red lips from time to time, but her face was all open and level.
"Shifu, I am going out, don"t go anywhere, wait for me to come back."
Though Ning Guang felt this demanding look of hers was quite enticing, the hatred in the bottom of her heart hadn"t lessened a bit. She lightly touched Di Jiufeng"s forehead and walked out, carrying her sword.
Nightfall had just arrived, and the fiery setting sun swept all the threat of destruction along with it, slowly walking down the mountain.
Ning Guang trode over the sun step by step, silently walking to the Hanyuan forbidden area.
The Hanyuan forbidden area was at the bottom of the abyss at the far north end of Zhangjian Sect. It did not see the sun the entire year, and was ravaged daily by the biting cold astral wind.
Qian Sui had been imprisoned within, his cultivation destroyed. In the short s.p.a.ce of five years, he had transformed into a gray old man. He counted the days on his fingers, thinking of what the Sect Leader had told him not long before. Because he did not have cultivation to depend on, those four strikes of punishment by heavenly lightning were received by his disciple. Speaking of it, he did not need this sort of pity. He even more wished he could receive these four strikes of punishment by heavenly lightning and die for good; it was better than struggling in this place day after day.
Qian Sui blankly looked at the tip of the precipice. Where before there was only crushed stone scattered along the cliff, a person dropped straight down.
Could it be someone who had committed a crime and was imprisoned here?
Qian Sui let his thoughts drift away with him, but when that person dropped down before him, he backed up a few steps in fright. "You… how could it be you!" Without cultivation to rely on, Qian Sui had dwindled very much, but within a turn and a flash of his eyes, some hatred still remained.
"What is it, are you here to demand justice on behalf of your Shifu?"
Ning Guang did not answer, only coldly looking at him.
Seeing this appearance of hers, Qian Sui began to hatch a plan. He suddenly laughed nastily, sneering, "That witch Di Jiufeng didn"t die, it really is a pity! That type of person who doesn"t know restraint, that thing who considers everyone else beneath her, serves her right to receive this punishment. She brought all of this on herself, why should you come find me for revenge!"
Qian Sui wanted to push Ning Guang into violence. Like this, not only would he himself be freed, Ning Guang would also suffer punishment from the sect.
His plan was good, but unfortunately Ning Guang did not follow his wishes. She slowly walked up, sleeves carrying the wind, a piercing steel sword making one"s heart shiver. "You don"t need to push me, I will not kill you. But, you will definitely pay the price for every word you said!" A wisp of grey smoke emerging from her fingertip, she tapped the top of Quan Sui"s head.
His whole body shivered, eyes open round like the rims were about to split. “Your demonic cultivation… wasn"t your demonic cultivation destroyed? How is this possible? How is this possible…”
Ning Guang began to smile, a smile like a flash of tanhua, beckoning at Qian Sui like a malicious spirit from h.e.l.l. “My Shifu couldn"t bear to hurt me, and that useless old Sect Leader can"t see through my disguise. If not for your disciple, how could my Shifu have suffered like that! So, you will definitely pay the price…"
[T/N: 昙花一现 (tan2 hua1 yi1 xian3), when something appears briefly then fades like the blossom of the broad-leaved epiphyllum.]
She spoke quietly, as soft as a lover"s whisper, but the hatred in her voice made the astral wind at the base of the cliff retreat around the corner.
"How easy is dying, only living is the most painful. You hurt my Shifu, so I"ll make sure you will live forever, never getting the chance to reincarnate. I am an evil spirit, you should have long prepared your heart." Holding a spell talisman in her hands, that wisp of grey smoke slowly wound around Qian Sui"s soul.
Ning Guang turned and walked away, her clear and cold voice blown by the wind, shattering into a fine flow of sand.
"You stayed at the base of the cliff too long and bred inner demons, you will never be clear-headed again. But, even in dreams, you will still be plagued by nightmares and experience the most frightening things day after day, living forever and never having a chance to be freed…
As for your disciple, he will soon be coming to keep you company…"
Notes
This chapter was translated by Lily.