I accept. These three simple and clear Chinese characters instantly shocked everyone. Many people who didn’t know the situation thought the girl must have had some problem with her mind, not leaving despite such harsh treatment. The old servant disciples watching from outside even used vulgar words like “idiot.”
Zhou Zhi was clearly somewhat surprised too. She had done similar things almost every year, and in the past, those people had no choice but to leave the sect in disgrace. This was the first time someone had chosen to stay.
“Have you thought it through?”
“There will be no chance for regret.”
The girl clenched her teeth and nodded slightly with a trembling motion.
The little chubby boy tugged at Li Tan’s sleeve and said pityingly, “With so much water, wouldn’t it be impossible to finish filling it even if one worked to death?” Li Tan stared at the girl expressionlessly. “Why do you insist on staying?
This is completely meaningless. Is it just because you don’t want to worry your parents?”
The girl gave a bitter smile. “When I was very young, my father always said he wanted to make me a cultivator. I understand, actually—it was a dream my father couldn’t achieve throughout his entire life, and he entrusted it to me. How could I possibly disappoint him?
Sorry, I seem to have spoken too much.” The girl struggled to get up from the ground.
Zhou Zhi snorted contemptuously in mockery. “I hope you can last a few more days. Alright, now that everyone is here, I have something to say.”
“Wait!”
At this moment, Li Tan took a step forward and stared at Zhou Zhi expressionlessly.
“What is it?”
Seeing that the speaker was Li Tan, Zhou Zhi’s tone was extremely unfriendly.
Li Tan glanced at the girl beside him who was staring at him in a daze, then coldly questioned, “Zhou Zhi, on what grounds did you punish this young lady with such a task, and on what grounds did you expel her from the sect?”
Zhou Zhi replied, “Because she violated the sect’s rules!”
Li Tan scoffed and retorted, “May I ask which rule states that being late to an assembly warrants expulsion from the sect?”
Zhou Zhi’s eyes flashed with anger, likely because her authority had been challenged. Her expression immediately turned icy. “Kid, when I drive a useless wretch out of the sect, since when has it been your place to question me?”
All the servant disciples around, whether new or old, fearfully lowered their heads.
Zhou Zhi had already begun projecting her aura outward as she spoke.
How could these inexperienced novices withstand the pressure from a cultivator at the Xiantian realm?
But Li Tan showed no fear at all, his expression unchanged as he questioned, “May I also ask which sect rule says I can’t question you?”
Once again challenged, Zhou Zhi’s anger intensified, seemingly about to condense into actual flames. “Which rule?
Hmph, naturally it’s this rule of mine!”
As she spoke, true qi had already gathered in her left hand.
She decided to teach this arrogant young man a lesson! “Today I’ll teach you what it means to respect your seniors and value the path of cultivation!”
All the servant disciples around Li Tan were startled and quickly stepped back, except for the chubby boy, who knelt on the ground in anxiety and pleaded, “Elder Zhou, Li Da Ge was just momentarily confused. Please, great people don’t hold grudges against small fry—forgive him!”
Li Tan was surprised by the chubby boy’s reaction but also felt a bit touched, while Zhou Zhi only felt annoyed, as if she were hearing a fly buzzing nonstop.
Why do these useless wretches deserve to live?
Why must they stay here and watch them day after day?
Not knowing exactly what she was resenting, Zhou Zhi shouted, “Get out of the way!” and extended her right hand, preparing to attack the chubby boy with a burst of true qi.
Li Tan narrowed his eyes. A strand of true qi rapidly gathered in his right hand. Although it was very little, it didn’t even attract anyone’s attention. However, if one were close enough, they would sense the chilling aura.
It seemed that peaceful days were over. A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
However, just at this critical moment, a cold, furious female voice came from not far away.
“Elder Zhou, you’re really showing off your might!”
Everyone was stunned and instinctively turned their gaze toward the source of the voice.
The newly initiated disciples were still confused, but the senior disciples’ faces changed dramatically. They hurriedly bowed and shouted in unison, “Greetings, Senior Sister Zhang!”
The anger on Zhou Zhi’s face vanished instantly, replaced by panic and fear. Her tone softened. “Ah, well, I was just trying to teach this disrespectful young man a lesson.”
Zhang Chenghuan immediately noticed Li Tan standing expressionlessly to one side. Her anger intensified further. She gritted her teeth and questioned, “Did you just say that you yourself are the sect rule?”
Zhou Zhi lowered her head and hurriedly denied it. “No, no!”
“Then are you saying that my hearing is faulty?
Could I possibly have misheard from such a short distance?”
Zhang Chenghuan stepped closer.
Zhou Zhi hurriedly shook her head. “No, no! What I said was just out of anger!”
“In that case, Elder Zhou, you seem quite furious. Why not head to the Punishment Hall to cool down?”
Zhang Chenghuan sneered.
Zhou Zhi’s face immediately turned pale. Just like the girl moments ago, she knelt down, desperately kowtowing and shouting things like “I will never dare again!”
She was terrified now and also puzzled. Although she had spoken and acted wrongly, why was Zhang Chenghuan so furious, as if she wanted to swallow her alive immediately?
Could it be that Li Tan had some connection with her?
But if they were connected, how could he have been assigned to such a place?
The disciples present were also horrified. Any of them who looked at Li Tan couldn’t help but have many thoughts in their minds and would no longer dare to have any disrespectful thoughts.
Naturally, Zhang Chenghuan didn’t give Zhou Zhi a chance to explain. She had just delivered the new outer sect disciples to their quarters and hurried here immediately, intending to instruct Zhou Zhi and others to take care of Li Tan. Who knew she would witness this tense and dangerous scene? If a fight had broken out, Li Tan’s impression of the Tianlang Sect would have plummeted to rock bottom immediately. If such a talented individual were lost, wouldn’t his father be furious beyond measure?
Therefore, Zhou Zhi’s apology was futile. In the end, she had no choice but to obediently walk to the place called the “Prison and Punishment Bureau” herself.
Zhang Chenghuan swept her gaze over the crowd and ordered, “Everyone return to your rooms and study the sect rules carefully. Li Tan, stay behind.”
Perhaps considering Li Tan’s desire for discretion, Zhang Chenghuan did not address him by his honorific title.
Everyone dispersed. The chubby boy excitedly expressed concern briefly before hurrying off. Li Tan softly said, “Follow me,” and led Zhang Chenghuan to his dilapidated wooden hut in the bamboo forest.
“Why is Li Gongzi staying in a place like this?
Did that despicable Zhou Zhi deliberately make things difficult for you?”
Zhang Chenghuan asked with a furrowed brow.
Li Tan shook his head. “I chose to come here myself. It’s too noisy inside, with too many people and too much gossip.”
Thinking about Li Tan’s identity as a second-star pill master, Zhang Chenghuan understood part of his intentions.
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