Xiao Yi stood pitifully, pinching her ear as she faced Lü Shaoqing.
Little Red was perched on Lü Shaoqing's head, laughing heartily as it pointed at Xiao Yi.
"Chirp chirp!"
Overestimating yourself, thinking you can rebel just because you came out of the Sword Cave? Even I wouldn't dare provoke this big devil. You've got some nerve.
Hearing Little Red's mocking, Xiao Yi glared fiercely at it.
Just wait, Little Red. You're on my list too.
After being hunted down for nearly a month inside the Sword Cave, Xiao Yi finally managed to comprehend the concept of sword intent. The hardship she endured inside was more than all she had faced in her sixteen years of life combined.
But after enduring all that suffering, she emerged victorious.
Having mastered sword intent and advanced a minor realm to the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage, she felt confident and went straight to Lü Shaoqing, seeking revenge.
She planned to give her second senior brother a good lesson and vent her pent-up frustration.
The outcome, however, was predictable.
Her attempt at rebellion was effortlessly suppressed by Lü Shaoqing.
Xiao Yi, still clutching her ear, said pitifully, "Second Senior Brother, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me."
Lü Shaoqing didn't even glance at her. "You're getting arrogant with just this bit of strength?"
"Do you really think I'm made of clay?"
"Even the eldest senior brother can't deal with me. What made you think you could?"
Xiao Yi's eyes welled up with tears.
Isn't it because you're too despicable? Do you have any idea what I went through inside? I almost developed dark circles under my eyes from all the stress.
"Who said I couldn't deal with you?" Ji Yan's voice echoed as he appeared.
"Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother is bullying me," Xiao Yi immediately complained to Ji Yan.
Lü Shaoqing snapped, "Who told you to put your hand down? Get it back up."
Ji Yan looked Xiao Yi up and down.
Her face was marked with fatigue, her clothes tattered, and she looked utterly disheveled.
It was clear how much hardship she had endured inside the Sword Cave.
Recalling Lü Shaoqing's usual methods, Ji Yan's eyes showed a hint of pity.
That Xiao Yi had lasted a whole month in there without losing her mind was impressive.
Ji Yan turned to Lü Shaoqing and asked, "Did you bully her as soon as she came out?"
Lü Shaoqing replied, "Ask her—who's bullying whom?"
"She came out and immediately rushed at me for revenge without even assessing her own abilities."
"This kind of impulsive behavior needs to be corrected, or she'll suffer major consequences in the future."
Ji Yan nodded in agreement. "You're right. She does need to be taught a lesson to remember."
"If you're weak but don't know how to restrain yourself, and you go provoking stronger people, that kind of attitude must not be encouraged."
Xiao Yi's eyes filled with tears.
Of course, the two senior brothers are in cahoots.
She was frustrated.
She thought that with her eldest senior brother there, she would be saved. But he also agreed with her second senior brother's actions.
Deciding to swallow her pride, Xiao Yi bowed her head and apologized.
"Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, I know I was wrong."
"I promise I won't do it again."
Lü Shaoqing turned to Ji Yan. "Wouldn't punishing her by making her stand for one hour be fair?"
Ji Yan responded, "That's not enough. To make it stick, two hours would be better."
"Alright, you're the eldest senior brother. We'll do it your way."
Xiao Yi started to cry.
Of course, these two are up to no good together. I'm just an outsider, getting bullied by them.
Master, please come save me!
"What are you two doing?"
"How can you treat your junior sister like this?"
Shao Cheng had arrived.
Seeing him, Xiao Yi's eyes lit up with hope.
"Master, save me!"
Shao Cheng looked at Xiao Yi, who was standing there, pinching her ear in front of Ji Yan and Lü Shaoqing, and huffed.
"As senior brothers, you're bullying your junior sister. If word of this spreads, how will Tianyu Peak maintain its reputation?"
Ji Yan replied calmly, "Junior Sister overestimated herself and picked a fight with the second senior brother."
"If she can't win, naturally she should face punishment."
Lü Shaoqing added, "Not knowing her limits, blindly charging forward—she's impulsive."
"If she goes out in the world like this, she won't even know how she died."
"She needs to learn a lesson so she'll think things through next time."
Shao Cheng was at a loss for words after being rebutted by his two disciples.
He softened his tone, saying, "But you don't have to treat her like this."
"She just came out of the Sword Cave after almost a month, didn't she?"
"I don't know everything about it, but since it's a place you designed, Shaoqing, I'm sure it wasn't easy."
"This little girl must have suffered a lot inside."
"When she saw you, it's only natural she'd want to vent her frustration."
Xiao Yi felt a rush of emotion, confirming that her master truly understood her.
Master always knows—he understands the hardship I endured in there and why I confronted the second senior brother. It's all because he's so despicable. That place was unbearable. My notebook is almost filled with all my grievances.
Oh, right, I need to add eldest senior brother to the list too. He's just as bad, siding with the second senior brother to bully me.
Lü Shaoqing replied, "I didn't want to do this. I was going to punish her lightly."
"But eldest senior brother insisted on two hours. It's not my fault."
Xiao Yi was stunned. Are you seriously shirking all responsibility?
She immediately turned to Ji Yan. "Eldest Senior Brother, can you stand for this?"
Ji Yan glanced at Lü Shaoqing and said, "Oh, there will be opportunities."
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Lü Shaoqing retorted, "Don't think you're all that just because you've reached the Nascent Soul stage. If I wanted to, I could still make you cry for mercy."
Ji Yan's sword emerged from its sheath, revealing its bright, sharp edge.
"Wanna try?"
"I am at the Nascent Soul stage."
Xiao Yi couldn't help but exclaim internally, Here it is again—that familiar, bragging tone.
Lü Shaoqing shrugged, "So what if you're at the Nascent Soul stage?"
"Master, shouldn't you take this opportunity to teach your eldest disciple a lesson? In a little while, you won't have the chance anymore."
Shao Cheng felt a headache coming on and shouted, "Alright, stop fooling around."
"Let's leave it at that today. Xiao Yi, you can put your hand down."
"You came out of the Sword Cave, and you've comprehended sword intent, haven't you?"
"Show us."
A gentle, soft wave of sword intent radiated outward.