"Swish!"
A flash of sword light streaked past, the long sword grazing Luo Chengli's face before flying away!
"Shut up!" Bai Shengyi's gaze was as sharp and cold as ice.
Luo Chengli instantly recalled the painful lesson from Bai Shengyi, and he shut his mouth sheepishly. He suddenly realized that Bai Shengyi was back, and his staying here was no longer a wise choice.
Luo Chengli turned to leave.
"Ah!"
Something fiercely tripped him, sending Luo Chengli sprawling!
"Bai Shengyi! What are you doing? Don't think you're so great now that you can harm your fellow disciples!" Seeing the vine around his ankle, Luo Chengli knew it was Bai Shengyi's doing.
Bai Shengyi ignored him for the moment, letting the Qingsui Vine restrain him.
In this short time, Bai Shengyi had learned the whole story from Luo Feihua.
"Ergou hasn't woken up yet, I'm afraid it's really..." Luo Feihua was filled with guilt. "It's all my fault. If I had brought Ergou with me, this wouldn't have happened."
"You can't say that. If someone wants to harm you, they'll always find an opportunity. Feihua, don't blame yourself for others' mistakes."
Bai Shengyi picked up the Crescent Cat from the ground and carefully examined it. Her tightly furrowed brow relaxed.
"Ergou is fine. Your contracted beast was very timely. It didn't suffer internal injuries. It's been unconscious because it inhaled too much rosemary powder earlier and fell asleep."
"Ah! That's great! I'm glad it's okay." Upon hearing that the Crescent Cat was fine, Luo Feihua's guilt lessened considerably, and she happily wiped her eyes.
Damn Luo Chengli, she had almost cried from being so scared.
"Feihua, hold Ergou for me."
Bai Shengyi's cultivation and senses were now more acute than Luo Feihua's. She had already sensed someone approaching.
She placed the Crescent Cat into Luo Feihua's arms and walked to Luo Chengli's side.
"Trying to kill my cat? Luo Chengli, you've gotten quite bold. Have you forgotten my methods, my dear?"
Bai Shengyi sneered, and the Qingsui Vine immediately understood.
The vine shot upwards, and Luo Chengli was instantly suspended upside down.
"Ah!"
Luo Chengli yelped in surprise.
"Throw him!" Bai Shengyi commanded coldly.
The Qingsui Vine immediately flung Luo Chengli away!
"Ah!"
A strong sense of weightlessness washed over him. Luo Chengli felt like a rag doll being tossed around, shrieking in terror.
"Bai Shengyi! Are you crazy! Do you know I'm Elder Yun Kai's disciple? If you treat me like this, and offend Fairy Youyue, the Artifact Refining Peak won't let you off!"
"Oh, I'm so scared," Bai Shengyi said expressionlessly.
She waved her hand, and the Qingsui Vine stopped abruptly.
The violent shaking made Luo Chengli scream again.
He desperately tried to cut the vine with his spiritual energy, to burn it with fire, but the vine still clung tightly to his ankle.
Luo Chengli was truly panicking now.
He remembered the last time he fought Bai Shengyi; not only had his fire quality declined, but he had been in pain all over and needed more than half a month to recover!
Luo Chengli decided to soften his stance: "Auntie, I know..."
"Luo Feihua! As a disciple of the academy, you knowingly violated the rules and engaged in a fight within the academy. Do you know your mistake!"
A stern shout echoed, and two people entered with imposing strides.
The woman in front had her hair in a high bun and held a whisk. She had narrow, squinting eyes and a sharp, prominent nose, giving her a generally sour and mean appearance. The man behind her wore blue and had small eyes that darted around.
"Elder Qing, I wasn't fighting. It was Luo Chengli who tried to kill my friend's cat, and I was just stopping him," Luo Feihua explained.
According to the academy's past rules, if someone provoked a conflict, the counter-attacker was the one at fault.
After speaking, she quietly introduced Bai Shengyi, "The one in front is Elder Qing from our Beast Taming Peak, from the Qing family. The one behind is Elder Zhang from the Disciplinary Hall."
"But you shouldn't have acted! Moreover, the academy's rules have changed. Anyone who acts privately within the academy will be dealt with as an intra-sect fight!"
Elder Qing was determined to pin the mistake of violating the rules on Luo Feihua.
If Luo Feihua was suppressed, her disciple would be the top talent of the Beast Taming Peak for this generation, and no one would be able to threaten her disciple's position.
Elder Qing's calculations were meticulous, and Elder Zhang was no less astute. Seeing that the other person was actually Bai Shengyi, he was instantly delighted.
Elder Zhang said sternly, "Elder Qing is right. Luo Feihua, Bai Shengyi, you two have made mistakes and compounded them. Come with me to the Disciplinary Hall to receive your punishment!"
"Exactly, exactly, elders, you've finally arrived. I've been bullied badly by these two working together,"
Luo Chengli saw hope, his conciliatory words swallowed back. He rushed to the two elders, crying and complaining.
"I was just playing a joke on them, and they, for a beast, wanted my life. Elders, you must uphold justice for me!"
"You two are too much! Elder Zhang, you must deal with this severely!" Elder Qing immediately said.
Elder Zhang nodded in agreement.
Bai Shengyi was amused to the point of anger.
She had known for a long time that the academy had many rules, but at least the Disciplinary Hall handled matters with some logic. Now, they were simply disregarding the reasons and trying to condemn her and Luo Feihua?
Did they think she and Luo Feihua were so easy to bully?
"Luo Chengli also made the first move. Luo Chengli bears most of the blame. How will the two elders punish Luo Chengli?" Bai Shengyi asked coldly.
"Didn't he say he was just playing a joke on you two? It's you two girls who overreacted," Elder Zhang waved his hand dismissively.
The Artifact Refining Peak was currently flourishing, and Yun Kai's daughter was known as a seventh-tier artifact refiner, with successors. He was quite willing to give Yun Kai face.
Bai Shengyi: "He trespassed into Feihua's room and tried to kill my spiritual beast as an elder. Does he not bear any fault?"
Before Elder Zhang could speak, Bai Shengyi continued, "If that's the case, and the Disciplinary Hall acts unjustly, how can it command respect in the future?"
"Bai Shengyi! Do you know what you're saying?"
"Of course, I know." Bai Shengyi yielded no ground. "After all, I'm not as old as you two elders, and prone to forgetfulness."
"Presumptuous!" Elder Qing shrieked, "Junior, do you know how to behave!"
"It's not certain who is the junior. My master is Venerable Qinglan. If I call you senior, would you dare to accept?" Bai Shengyi retorted.
Thanks to Qin Si's actions back then, her seniority was enough to overwhelm most people.
"I and Elder Qing are indeed your peers, but Bai Shengyi, since you are a person of my academy, you must abide by the academy's rules."
Elder Zhang's gaze turned cold, his face taut with displeasure. "Do you understand my Disciplinary Hall's rules better than I do? If I say you are wrong, then you are wrong."
"Bai Shengyi is not wrong! I have proof! It was clearly Luo Chengli's fault!" Li Xiaoxiao ran over, urging those behind her, "Elder Ling, can you hurry up?"