Chapter 25.2

As always, thank you all so much for the support. You are the best!

Here are 4 chapters for you today.

---

If she was Su Lingyu’s direct disciple, then he was done for. It wouldn’t be as simple as being expelled from the sect; there might even be other consequences for causing embarrassment to Su Lingyu…

Yue Xiaomeng could tell from Zhong Ming’s expression that he didn’t know. She angrily said, “How could a dishwashing girl live alone in a room? Didn’t you ever think about it?!”

​Zhong Ming swallowed nervously, pondered for a moment, and then looked at ​Yue Xiaomeng with a vacant expression. Then his expression suddenly changed and he threw himself at her feet, wailing and pleading, “It’s her fault! She seduced me! Senior sister Yue, you must see the truth! It’s really has nothing to do with me!”

Just a moment ago, he was claiming he would treat Qu Panyan well, and now he’s crying and saying she seduced him?

How could someone be so disgusting!

Yue Xiaomeng’s anger flared up, and she kicked him away, “You… You despicable man! Don’t touch me!”

Her gaze shifted towards the bed curtain. After all the commotion outside, why hadn’t Qu Panyan made a sound? Was she too ashamed to face her, or was she able to control her anger?

Regardless, there had to be an explanation. You may escape for a moment, but not for a lifetime.

Yue Xiaomeng forced herself to stay calm, struggling internally, and then she walked towards the bed, one step at a time.

What if it really was Qu Panyan inside?

Would the sect master kill Qu Panyan?

Is Qu Panyan an idiot?!

Why did she have to get involved in such a mess?!

Just then, a hand reached out from behind Yue Xiaomeng and grabbed her arm, and a voice sounded softly in her ear, “Good niece, don’t disturb Lady Zhong’s rest.”

Yue Xiaomeng: !!!

She suddenly turned around and saw a perfectly unharmed Qu Panyan standing right in front of her, with the imposing Su Lingyu standing behind her, exuding a calm yet imposing presence.

Yue Xiaomeng widened her eyes and rubbed them to make sure she was seeing correctly. Then, she smiled happily, “Qu—Martial Aunt, you’re not in bed!”

Qu Panyan found Yue Xiaomeng’s slightly silly expression adorable and couldn’t help but pinch her cheek while smiling, “Of course, I’m not in bed. I’m not Lady Zhong.” After speaking, she cast a cold glance at Zhong Ming.

The heavy stone in Yue Xiaomeng’s heart was instantly lifted; Qu Panyan was indeed not that kind of person! She felt much more at ease. However, as soon as she looked at Zhong Ming’s face, her anger flared up again, and she pointed at him, pouting, and said to Su Lingyu, “Sect Master! He—”

Su Lingyu interrupted her, raising her hand to indicate that she understood. Her cold eyes glanced at Zhong Ming, seeing him shirtless, and her eyebrows frowned slightly, exuding an aura of authority, “Put on your clothes and explain yourself to this Sect Master.”

Zhong Ming hurriedly scrambled to pick up his clothes and put them on at his fastest speed, while memories from last night rushed through his mind.

Last night, he was clearly embracing a fragrant and soft figure, indulging in a night of passion that words couldn’t describe. But today, she woke up shyly hiding under the blanket, unwilling to speak, and now she stood here in front of him?!

What on earth… went wrong?

Zhong Ming stared at the two bed curtains, suddenly striding over and roughly pulling them down. But when he fixed his gaze on what was there, he froze in place, unable to utter a word.

On the large bed lay a wrinkled quilt that was tied into three sections.

Qu Panyan stood not far away and enchantingly smiled, “From today onwards, it will be your Lady Zhong. You must treat it well.”

“First, I wish both of you a hundred years of happiness.”

Zhong Ming stared at the pile of bedding, and his mind exploded.

He had… spent a passionate night with this thing?!

Qu Panyan’s eyes curved with satisfaction at his reaction. After chatting with Kang Congshuang yesterday, she hastily studied illusion techniques. Although she couldn’t reach a profound level in just one night, it was more than enough to deal with Zhong Ming, who lacked foresight.

At least from his tearful assurances just now, one could tell that he was quite happy with the quilt last night.

Zhong scumbag Ming, the happiest person in the cultivation world when it comes to quilts!

Thinking about it made Qu Panyan burst into laughter. She secretly turned around and covered her mouth, laughing, only to meet Su Lingyu’s gaze.

An indescribable and somewhat helpless look.

Su Lingyu didn’t know why there was such a large pile of quilt lying on the bed, but seeing Qu Panyan’s expression and the smugness in her eyes, she understood everything.

Su Lingyu felt both angry and amused. Angry at the improper behavior of the sect disciple, his lack of dedication to cultivation, and his disregard for his own self-respect, which resulted in defaming an innocent girl. She was equally amused by Qu Panyan’s intelligence and resourcefulness in her ability to protect herself and…

…her cuteness.

Su Lingyu affectionately tapped her forehead and gently said, “No laughing allowed.”

Qu Panyan immediately stopped laughing and pointed at Zhong Ming with a serious expression, “Sister Lingyu, look, the dirty thing!”

Zhong Ming turned to look at Qu Panyan and then at the wrinkled bundle of quilt. His face turned pale, “It’s impossible. I clearly heard your voice yesterday—illusion! You used an illusion on me!”

Zhong Ming suddenly realized, taking a few steps forward and kneeling in front of Su Lingyu, his voice choked with tears, “Sect Master, disciple is innocent! It was her! She used an illusion to enchant me, bewitching and clouding my mind. Disciple is innocent!”

Illusion enchantment, bewitching the mind.

This was an advanced spell of illusion techniques. How could Qu Panyan, someone who specialized in fire spells, know how to use them?

Su Lingyu’s gaze fell on Qu Panyan, who understood and immediately said, “Yesterday, I read some books on illusion techniques and barely grasped the basics. But as for high-level spells like bewitching minds, I’m not capable of that.”

The implied meaning was not to overestimate her abilities.

Su Lingyu’s gaze shifted back to Zhong Ming, “Hmm?”

Zhong Ming dared not meet Su Lingyu’s eyes, his head sweated profusely, as he pondered repeatedly.

Su Lingyu seemed to trust this dishwashing beauty more. The more he, as a guilty person, said, the more mistakes he would make. It was all A Yiduo’s fault… She had deceived and tricked him to this extent!

A fierce light flashed in Zhong Ming’s eyes but quickly extinguished. His whole demeanor collapsed.

He didn’t dare to accuse A Yiduo.

He didn’t have the influential family background like Yue Xiaomeng’s. He was just a child from an ordinary cultivator family, and they were all practitioners of fire techniques. He couldn’t compare with A Yiduo.

If he exposed A Yiduo today, once she became the Saintess, his entire family would suffer!

When conspiring with a tiger, one must always be prepared to be bitten by the tiger.

“It’s the disciple’s fault…”

Zhong Ming knelt on the ground, tightly gripping his white trousers, a look of remorse evident on his face.

“Everything is this disciple’s fault. I was seduced by beauty, my Dao-heart wasn’t firm, and that’s why I committed such a grave mistake!”

Zhong Ming closed his eyes in pain. He shouldn’t have listened to A Yiduo! He shouldn’t have encountered this dishwashing beauty!!

“I know I’m unworthy, so I’m willing to leave Xianmeng Sect and never return!”

Qu Panyan glanced at A Yiduo, seeing her looking at Zhong Ming with a hint of disgust and an extremely annoyed expression, as if she could explode at any moment.

If Su Lingyu weren’t present, Qu Panyan believed that A Yiduo would definitely reduce Zhong Ming to ashes and scatter his remains on the spot.

A Yiduo just never expected that this scumbag Zhong Ming could actually resist exposing her. Was he worried about her seeking revenge later?

A Yiduo suddenly turned her head and looked at Qu Panyan with a chilling gaze, resembling an evil spirit.

A Yiduo felt angry at Zhong Ming’s incompetence. She had planned to use this opportunity to drive a wedge between Qu Panyan and Su Lingyu, and to get rid of Qu Panyan from Xianmeng Sect completely, so as not to let her share the affection of Changxing and Su Lingyu.

Just the cold and indifferent attitude of Kang Congshuang was enough to anger her, and now fate had to throw in a stinky dishwashing girl! Su Lingyu was even protecting her!

That calm and unparalleled Su Lingyu, the one who resisted her advances, the one she deeply admired from the bottom of her heart—she was actually protecting that dishwashing girl!

A Yiduo had been raised in the love and affection of many people since she was young. How could she bear such treatment? It was simply too unfair.

And now this useless man couldn’t even handle the simple task of smearing Qu Panyan’s innocence. He had no reason to continue living.

“A Yiduo.”

Su Lingyu’s calm voice reached her ears, and she was momentarily stunned, looking at Su Lingyu.

Su Lingyu said, “Go back with your junior sister for the morning class.”

A Yiduo widened her eyes, “Why?!”

Su Lingyu said calmly, “Because I am the Sect Master of Xianmeng Sect.”

“Then what about her?” A Yiduo unwillingly pointed at Qu Panyan.

Su Lingyu silenced Zhong Ming with a mute spell, and then stood calmly in front of Qu Panyan, looking back at A Yiduo and announcing indifferently, “Naturally, she’ll be coming with me.”

Qu Panyan’s eyes reflected the figure of Su Lingyu, and she couldn’t help but be moved by the subtle gesture Su Lingyu had just made. It was the protection from her beloved.

A Yiduo refused to comply, “I don’t want to! I finally get to see the Sect Master, I want to follow the Sect Master!”

Su Lingyu ignored her and said to Yue Xiaomeng, “Take your senior sister back.”

Yue Xiaomeng nodded, “Okay, okay,” and quickly walked to A Yiduo’s side, holding her arm and persuading her in a low voice, “Senior sister, let’s go quickly, don’t make the Sect Master angry. If our Master finds out we skipped morning class, he’ll be angry too!” After saying that, she took advantage of A Yiduo’s weakened arrogance and hurriedly led her away.

Once the two of them left, Su Lingyu released the mute spell on Zhong Ming. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority, “Lack of determination in your Dao heart, lack of sincerity, disrupting the sect’s rules, and slandering others, you are indeed unworthy to stay in my Xianmeng Sect.”

Zhong Ming pleaded fearfully, “Sect Master, Sect Master, I know I was wrong, please don’t kill me! I will repent and swear to change in the future!”

Su Lingyu frowned slightly and gently avoided his attempt to throw himself at her, coldly saying, “This Sect Master won’t kill you.”

Zhong Ming couldn’t help but feel relieved. As long as he stayed alive, it didn’t matter whether he remained in Xianmeng Sect or not. It was best to leave this place and get away from A Yiduo as soon as possible!

Su Lingyu said, “Apologize.”

Zhong Ming didn’t dare to delay for a second and immediately kowtowed to Qu Panyan, repeatedly saying, “I’m sorry.”

Qu Panyan looked at him expressionlessly. Every time she thought about how Kang Congshuang had informed her that this man conspired with A Yiduo to tarnish her innocence, she couldn’t muster the slightest bit of pity for him.

In the eyes of these scumbag men, a woman’s innocence was truly worthless, something easily to be destroyed at will. If he had a shred of sympathy from the beginning and put himself in her shoes to think for a moment, how could he end up in such a pathetic state?

Even if he was threatened by A Yiduo, there were a thousand ways to resolve it, rather than gleefully embracing “Madame Zhong” and enjoying himself, only to be caught the next day and start spouting theories about a woman’s innocence and shifting the blame onto others.

Qu Panyan crossed her arms and looked at him. “Let’s not rush with the kowtowing. Tell me the truth, was someone instigating you?”

Zhong Ming’s movements stiffened, but he insisted, “No one was!”

Leaning forward, Qu Panyan said, “Think carefully. With that person’s temperament, they won’t keep you around for sure.”

Seeing Qu Panyan acting like she knew everything, Zhong Ming became nervous and avoided eye contact.

He didn’t know if A Yiduo would spare him or not, but he knew that once he implicated A Yiduo, she would definitely not spare his family’s lives!

But could he say that? Was there anyone who could protect his family? He couldn’t climb the ladder of a powerful clan, and Su Lingyu had decided to expel him from the sect, so it was impossible that she would protect him.

After careful consideration, he could only keep A Yiduo in check to buy time for his family to escape.

Zhong Ming kowtowed again heavily and said. “There’s no one else, it’s just me. I’m sorry!”

Qu Panyan took a step closer. “What are you worried about? Your family?”

Zhong Ming firmly replied, “No, I’m not worried about anyone!”

“Tsk,” Qu Panyan sighed in exasperation.

Not admitting A Yiduo’s involvement was the most troublesome part.

Rubbing her slightly throbbing forehead, Qu Panyan said, “Kowtow, continue kowtowing.”

Her face was ice-cold. “If you don’t kowtow until this floor breaks today, you’re just a useless waste.”

Su Lingyu raised an eyebrow, recognizing the familiar hot-tempered Qu Panyan

Su Lingyu spoke up, “Are you truly telling the truth?”

Zhong Ming’s forehead was bruised, but he remained steadfast in his denial, and Su Lingyu didn’t press further.

Zhong Ming continued to kowtow, but this time he never got back up.

He suddenly clutched his stomach in agony, rolling on the ground, his face as pale as paper. Within a minute, he coughed up black blood, his eyes rolled back, and he ceased to breathe.

In the distance far away, A Yiduo avoided Yue Xiaomeng’s gaze, a cold smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she opened her palm, revealing a crushed yellow pill.

—Useless people don’t deserve to live.

The air in the room became heavy as the two of them frowned at Zhong Ming’s lifeless body.

Su Lingyu had originally intended to hand him over to the Qu family to give them an explanation, but she never anticipated his death…

She looked at Qu Panyan, who stood by silently, her brow tightly furrowed.

Through this incident, Su Lingyu was certain of one thing—the men who fell for Qu Panyan were definitely not good people.

Whether it was this disciple whose name she didn’t even know, An Cheng, or Duan Yang, all of them claimed to “like” Qu Panyan and forcibly imposed their delusional fantasies onto her.

Duan Yang and this disciple even resorted to despicable means to win Qu Panyan’s favor.

Thinking of this, Su Lingyu couldn’t help but recall the pitiful appearance of Qu Panyan crying in her arms that day, and her heart ached.

“Don’t be afraid,” Su Lingyu said, “Lingyu will protect you well.”

Qu Panyan looked at her somewhat in a loss, then feeling another warmth emanated in her palm, her ears echoing Su Lingyu’s comforting words, “I promise you.” It was resolute and convincing.

Qu Panyan gazed at those porcelain-white jade-like hands, and her troubled heart found some solace, gradually calming down. She held onto those hands and smiled with trust while saying, “Of course, I believe in you, Sister Lingyu.”

Su Lingyu returned the smile and changed the topic, “Was it A Yiduo?”

From Qu Panyan’s words just now, Su Lingyu vaguely guessed that there was another party involved, and since Qu Panyan had arrived less than two days ago, most disciples in the sect didn’t even know who she was. Only A Yiduo’s obvious aversion towards her made Su Lingyu think about A Yiduo’s involvement in this incident.

The response to her question was silence.

Qu Panyan hesitated. With ​Zhong Ming not directly accusing A Yiduo and now deceased leaving no evidence behind, even if they brought in ​Kang Congshuang as a witness, A Yiduo could easily turn the tables and claim it was a false accusation driven by personal vengeance.

After all, they had conflicts with A Yiduo, and many people witnessed it.

Her silence; however, gave Su Lingyu the answer she needed, so she gently touched Qu Panyan’s black hair without pressing further.

Su Lingyu led her out of the stuffy room and summoned an attendant, her expression cold, “Tidy up the corpse in the room and send it back to his family. Also, order Elder Changxing to meet me at the Inner Hall without delay.”

Prev / ToC / Next

---

We’re currently looking for editors, so if you’re interested at all, then please contact @Glariosa or @sinensis on discord.

Come join the Discord, where all the cool kids hang out!

Please support us on Ko-Fi. You can now read extra chapters by supporting.

Translator: Glariosa
Editor: iToon

---