Chapter 15: How Can Right and Wrong Be So Inverted?

Watching from a distance, Zhang Kuang knew that if he didn’t step in now, Yuan Shanhu would not just be punished; he would likely have his cultivation crippled, his mind wiped, and be cast out of the sect.

The Taichu Sect had strict rules. One could not leave the sect without a pass. But if the rules were broken, the punishment was not merely the loss of one’s cultivation. They would use a technique to turn the offender into an imbecile before letting them go, to protect all of the Taichu Sect’s secrets.

“Senior Sister, could you please investigate the cause of this before passing judgment?” Zhang Kuang did not dare to be overly arrogant in front of the Discipline Squad. He squeezed forward, clasped his hands, and said, “Senior Brother Yuan Shanhu is my friend. I saw what just happened. May I say a word or two?”

Huang Li knew Zhang Kuang was an Unsurpassed Purple Seed, and she knew that an old-timer like Yuan Shanhu was surely just trying to curry favor with him. Nevertheless, she had to give face to a Purple Seed, even if he was just a new disciple who hadn’t even been assigned a master yet.

“Junior Brother Zhang, please speak.” Huang Li had already made up her mind. No matter what Zhang Kuang said, even if she couldn’t have Yuan Shanhu’s cultivation crippled, she would still have to punish him. Because… this was the Taichu Sect, and she was from the Discipline Hall!

“My townsman Qin Haoxuan bumped into Senior Brother Yuan Shanhu and refused to apologize. After a few words were exchanged, Qin Haoxuan injured Senior Brother Yuan Shanhu and his two companions, Zhang San and Li Si. That is the whole story!” After speaking, Zhang Kuang’s gaze shifted from Huang Li to the elder beside her, Xu Yunzi.

Compared to Huang Li, Zhang Kuang knew the elders held the real power. He could also sense her dedication to the rules, whereas an elder would look at the bigger picture—namely, which party was more valuable.

A Purple Seed versus an Uncolored Seed? It was a no-brainer. Even with his knees, he knew who was more valuable. A confident smile spread across Zhang Kuang’s face.

Huang Li wanted to laugh. Although she had seen Yuan Shanhu and his two friends lying on the ground heavily injured while Qin Haoxuan stood by unharmed, only a fool of a new disciple would actively provoke a senior who had been in the sect for over 20 years.

Elder Xu Yunzi saw the expression on Huang Li’s face and spoke before she could. “If that is the case, then seize Qin Haoxuan.”

Huang Li was shocked and was about to speak up for Qin Haoxuan, but then she felt Elder Xu Yunzi’s warning gaze and understood… value. In the elder’s eyes, this was just a bit of youthful recklessness from Zhang Kuang. A private reprimand later would suffice; there was no need to offend a Purple Seed disciple over a weak one.

“Who dares!” Just as a few white-robed enforcers were about to move forward, Xu Yu could no longer contain herself. She dashed out and stood between Qin Haoxuan and the disciples, her eyes blazing. Gone was her usual timidity. She stared directly at Elder Xu Yunzi without a trace of fear and said, “Elder Xu Yunzi, I am also a Purple Seed!”

This simple sentence made Elder Xu Yunzi’s face flush with embarrassment. He had just sided with one Purple Seed, and in the blink of an eye, another had jumped out to defend this weakling.

“If you do not get to the bottom of this today, no one will touch a single hair on Senior Brother Qin’s head! Not unless I’m dead!”

Xu Yu’s gaze swept across the crowd, her tone firm and resolute. At the outburst of an Unsurpassed Purple Seed, the entire scene fell silent. Elder Xu Yunzi’s heart sank. Even as an elder, he couldn’t afford to offend either of these two.

Although Xu Yu was usually quiet and introverted, whenever Qin Haoxuan was involved, she would flare up like a cornered rabbit. The onlookers couldn’t help but look at Qin Haoxuan with a mixture of envy and jealousy. How come they didn’t have such a beautiful, devoted Unsurpassed Purple Seed willing to risk her life for them?

In the crowd, Li Jing, who had watched the whole spectacle, felt a pang of regret. He cursed his earlier snobbery for ignoring the most unassuming of the newcomers, Xu Yu. If he had made a good impression on her and won her over instead of letting her stand with Qin Haoxuan, wouldn’t defeating Zhang Kuang and ascending to the position of Sect Master be as easy as turning over his hand?

Elder Xu Yunzi looked at Xu Yu, feeling utterly helpless. You’ll die? If you killed yourself over Qin Haoxuan, not only would the Sect Master make my entire family accompany you in death, he would probably dig up my ancestral graves!

“I implore the elder to seek justice for Senior Brother Yuan Shanhu,” Zhang Kuang said, seeing Xu Yu’s stance. He knew that if he backed down now, Yuan Shanhu and his friends would likely face a fate worse than expulsion; they might not even keep their lives. If someone died for helping him, who would work for him in the future? He had no choice but to press on.

Elder Xu Yunzi looked from Xu Yu to Zhang Kuang and back again, cursing his luck. Why did he have to get involved in the conflicts of these Purple Seeds? If he had known, he would have just let Huang Li offend someone.

“This matter, I think, requires further investigation,” Elder Xu Yunzi said, forcing a strained smile. In an almost pleading tone, he said, “Before the matter is cleared up, I will take all four of them into custody. What do you two think?”

Seeing the Discipline Squad take away Qin Haoxuan and Yuan Shanhu’s group, Li Jing became thoughtful. With each side backed by a Purple Seed, whichever side he chose to support now would gain a definite advantage, and he would also form an alliance with that Purple Seed. So… which side should he support?

A few miles from the lecture hall was a large expanse of spiritual fields. Passing through them, one could see a building with red bricks and green tiles. This was the branch of the Discipline Hall in the Spirit Field Valley, which governed the menial disciples of the area. In their hearts, it was the Court of Living Hell.

Private duels between disciples were not unheard of. Usually, it resulted in a few days of confinement and a light punishment. For more stubborn cases, the “Ice Rakshasa,” Huang Li, would handle it. Anyone she dealt with would obediently admit their faults. It was rare for an elder to be involved, but today was an exception.

In the main hall of the Spirit Field Valley Discipline Hall, under a plaque that read “Grand and Just,” sat the four law enforcement elders: Xu Yunzi, Jing Yunzi, Yuan Yunzi, and Chu Yunzi.

In the hall, over 20 Discipline Squad disciples stood like grim reapers, holding red and white enforcement rods, their faces expressionless. They lined the hall from the entrance to the dais. Qin Haoxuan, Xu Yu, and Zhang Kuang stood in the center, while the heavily injured Yuan Shanhu and his friends lay on the floor. Physically and mentally battered, they were still in shock, their faces pale. In this dimly lit and somber “Court of Living Hell,” they were so terrified they barely dared to breathe.

After a thorough investigation by Huang Li, which included witness statements and a review of Yuan Shanhu’s prior offenses, a classic case of a bully picking on a newcomer and getting taught a lesson emerged.

Normally, with right and wrong so clear, the Discipline Hall could punish the perpetrators and release Qin Haoxuan according to the sect’s laws. But this straightforward case had the several elders frowning, tensely discussing how to handle it.

If it were just Yuan Shanhu bullying Qin Haoxuan, it would be simple. A disciple who breaks the rules like that could just be killed; the Discipline Hall was no stranger to that.

But… two Purple Seeds were now involved. Although they were still very new, they were Purple Seeds nonetheless. The masters of the various halls were looking at them with green-eyed envy.

The sect’s rules may be rigid, but the elders were not. No matter how they ruled, they were bound to offend one Purple Seed disciple. No one wanted to offend an Unsurpassed Purple Seed with limitless potential. If they had to, they would rather not offend the one with the greater future prospects.

After some discussion, the elders concluded that between Xu Yu and Zhang Kuang, Xu Yu’s introverted and quiet nature would likely limit her future development compared to Zhang Kuang. Therefore, they decided to give Zhang Kuang face, punishing Yuan Shanhu’s group while also giving Qin Haoxuan a heavy punishment.

Just as they had reached a consensus and were about to announce the verdict, a disciple ran in with a strange expression and reported, “The new disciple, Li Jing, has come to pay his respects to the four elders and requests permission to observe the proceedings!”

To maintain the fairness of the law, the Discipline Hall in principle allowed observers. But other disciples feared the hall like a venomous snake and wouldn’t come even if invited. For a new disciple to boldly request to observe was a first since the branch hall was established. No wonder the reporting disciple looked so odd.

Elder Xu Yunzi was about to tell him to go away, but then he remembered: wasn’t there a Li Jing among this year’s three Unsurpassed Purple Seeds? Could it be him?

“Let him in,” Xu Yunzi said with a wave of his hand. To the reporting disciple’s surprise, Li Jing was brought in.

During the initial three-month training, the new disciples had not yet been issued sect robes and still wore their own clothes. Li Jing was still in his eye-catching golden-yellow robe embroidered with two dragons fighting over a pearl.

The thirty-step walk from the entrance to the center of the hall was an intimidating one for many, who would be frozen in place by the gazes of the iron-faced enforcers. But Li Jing strode in with a smile, his eyes fixed forward. His golden dragon robe highlighted his kingly aura, making him look remarkably handsome and impressive.

It was indeed the Unsurpassed Purple Seed, Li Jing. As he approached, three of the elders stood up to show their respect. Only Elder Chu Yunzi remained seated, his face dark, his eyes flickering with a hateful light as he stared at Li Jing.

“Disciple Li Jing pays his respects to the elders. I have long heard of the strictness of our Taichu Sect’s rules and have always admired them. Today, I happened to witness the entire incident and was curious as to how it would be judged, so I have taken the liberty to request to observe.”

“Of course, of course. Please, have a seat,” Xu Yunzi said with a smile, though his mind was racing. As the saying goes, one doesn’t visit a temple without a reason. Li Jing was definitely not here just because he admired the sect’s rules. He must have an ulterior motive. His eyes flickered between Xu Yu and Zhang Kuang, and when he saw Zhang Kuang’s displeased expression, he understood.

Xu Yunzi probed, “Since you saw the whole incident, why don’t you recount it for us?”

“It’s quite simple, really. Yuan Shanhu and his friends were bullying and provoking Junior Brother Haoxuan. They didn’t expect to hit an iron plate and got a sound thrashing for their trouble. It was a great relief for all the other disciples who have been bullied by them in the past. Truly satisfying!”

Hearing this, the elders cursed in their hearts. Satisfying, my ass! What does this have to do with you? Why are you sticking your nose in this? We just came to a decision, and now you’ve thrown a wrench in the works. How are we supposed to pass judgment now?

Xu Yunzi nodded. Li Jing’s words had made his stance perfectly clear. He was standing in direct opposition to Zhang Kuang. On the surface, he was speaking for Qin Haoxuan, but in reality, he was targeting Zhang Kuang. It seemed these two Purple Seed disciples had already begun to suppress each other in the battle for the future position of Sect Master.

With Li Jing testifying for Qin Haoxuan, his side now had the backing of two Purple Seeds, a significant weight. It seemed their previous decision had to be changed. Just as Xu Yunzi was about to consult with the other three elders, Chu Yunzi, who had been sitting silently, suddenly leaped to his feet and roared, “Nonsense!”

Chu Yunzi’s explosive reaction startled everyone, including Li Jing. From the moment he had entered, he had noticed Chu Yunzi’s hostile gaze and wondered how he had offended him. Since he had been tested as a Purple Seed, everyone in the sect had been nothing but kind and fawning towards him. This was the first time he had been inexplicably yelled at.