Chapter Forty-Two: Suicide by Drowning

"Bai Ze, kneel," Master commanded.

Bai Ze was caught off guard. "Divine Lord?"

"Kneel!" Master's tone grew heavier.

Bai Ze dropped to his knees, eyes lowered, staring at the ground.

Fifteenth Senior Brother glanced at Master, then at Bai Ze and me.

"Bai Ze, why do you think Yu Fei went out?" The cold light in Master's eyes was like a blade; anyone unfamiliar with his temperament would be frightened by that icy glare.

"Yu Fei was lonely and empty..." Bai Ze replied.

"Gui Bin, strike!"

The family discipline landed on Bai Ze's body, instantly leaving a bloody mark. Bai Ze gritted his teeth and endured in silence.

"I will ask you again: why did Yu Fei go out?" Master’s expression was stern.

"Yu Fei, her conduct was improper! She and..." Bai Ze’s stubbornness reared up like an ox.

"Strike again!" Master ordered.

After ten strokes of the discipline, cold sweat broke out on Bai Ze's face. He still gritted his teeth, saying nothing. Just ten strokes were enough to make Bai Ze, with tens of thousands of years of cultivation, sweat; if three hundred strokes were to fall on me, I would surely be crippled if not dead.

Master was usually tolerant of his disciples; even if mistakes were made, as long as principles weren’t violated, he would not use discipline but would advise and encourage reflection. He had never struck Bai Ze before. Years ago, Bai Ze, to save Lu Xue, had taken a lightning tribulation for her on Wu Mountain Cliff, shortening his own lifespan. Master was grateful for his efforts to protect Lu Xue; even though Bai Ze was rigid and harsh to his junior brothers, cold and solitary, Master never minded.

Seeing Bai Ze being punished, Lu Xue stepped forward to intercede. "Han Qing, Yu Fei set fire to the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Scrolls, not only showing no remorse but also letting the fierce beast escape..."

"Silence! Return to your chamber. Affairs of the Jade Purity Realm are none of your concern," Master cut her off.

Lu Xue was stunned; she hadn’t expected Master to rebuke her so mercilessly before all the disciples in the great hall. Her face turned deeply embarrassed, and she looked utterly aggrieved.

"Out! Return to your chamber! Without my permission, you are not to leave!" Seeing her unresponsive, Master rebuked her again.

Lu Xue was struck as if by thunder; she covered her face and wept, running out of the hall.

Seeing Master so angry, I hastily spoke up, "Master! It was I who broke the rules, feeling bored late at night and descending the mountain without permission. I failed to set the seal properly, letting the beast escape. Please punish me!"

"You need not speak further." Master's face was somber as he rose, flicking his sleeve. "Bai Ze, I just punished you for your negligence. There are urgent military matters at the border; this matter will be set aside for now. If you feel you are at fault, I await your self-admission. Gui Bin, while I am away, you will oversee affairs in the Jade Purity Realm." With that, he gestured to release the Immortal Binding Rope from me.

"Fei’er, come with me." Master left the hall.

My senior brothers winked at me, evidently delighted.

I followed Master to his study.

"Why did you leave the Beast Garden?" Master’s tone was gentle.

Was he no longer angry? Or was he suppressing his rage? I was uncertain whether to speak the truth and hesitated.

Seeing my hesitation, Master continued, "I passed by the medical pavilion on my way back and saw you."

I stared at him in surprise. "Master saw me and Wei Yang just now? Heard our conversation?"

"I finished my duties early and returned ahead of schedule," Master said.

"Master sees everything," I thought to myself. So he knew I had lied.

"Why didn’t you speak the truth?" Master asked.

I pondered how to answer. Should I say I feared affecting his and Lu Xue’s relationship? No, that wouldn’t do...

"I was afraid the Lu Wu beast would be punished and their family reunion affected," I explained.

"Hmm. The border is unstable lately; I must go to the western region and the Earth Deity Province, and will take Bai Ze with me. This matter is over for now. I will investigate thoroughly upon my return. You need not go to the Beast Garden; return to your chamber and sleep. Be cautious in all things," Master instructed.

I hadn’t expected that this matter would lead Master to confine Lu Xue to her chamber, nor that he would strip Bai Ze of his acting authority in the Jade Purity Realm and take him away. I hadn’t wanted things to escalate, but they did.

I whispered, "Master... please don’t be angry. Bai Ze was right; it was my fault, I broke the rules, I made a mistake, and Chunfeng..." I wanted to say Senior Uncle Chunfeng had told me not to cause trouble, and I failed him.

Before I could finish speaking, Fifteenth Senior Brother rushed in from outside the study. "Master! Lu Xue Immortal has hanged herself!"

Master and I were shocked.

Lu Xue, after being confined by Master and feeling aggrieved, had cried alone in her chamber and used the Immortal Binding Rope to hang herself. Bai Ze happened to pass by and found her, cutting her down.

By the time Master and I arrived, Bai Ze and the senior brothers had already revived her. Upon seeing Master, Lu Xue rushed to him, crying bitterly, lamenting that she should have perished forty thousand years ago, should not have returned, should not have disturbed the peace of the Jade Purity Realm, should not have interfered in the lives of Master and his disciples, should not have provoked me...

Master did not comfort Lu Xue, but let her tug at his sleeve, his gaze deep and silent as he watched her.

Seeing the Jade Purity Realm in such disorder, my heart felt uneasy. The border had been turbulent for days, calamities multiplying, external troubles unresolved, and now internal strife. Lu Xue and I truly were mismatched, just as Chunfeng had said. I thought it best to keep my distance. While everyone gathered around Lu Xue, I quietly left her chamber and returned to my own room.

On the way back, my clothes clung to my body, covered in dirt and sweat. After such troubles, I felt both annoyed and overheated. Halfway back, I changed my mind and decided to bathe.

There was a bathhouse in the Jade Purity Realm, but fearing I’d run into my senior brothers, I usually used a basin in my room, claiming it as habit. But at this late hour, it was inconvenient to prepare a bath, so I decided to make do at the Heavenly Pool.

I flew to the Heavenly Pool, found a secluded spot, transformed into my true form, and dove into the water.

No sooner had I swum a little than someone seized me out of the water. Alarmed, I hurriedly returned to human form, pushing back my wet hair. In the moonlight, a stunningly handsome face appeared, fragrant and familiar—it was Chunfeng!

"Little Crow! What are you doing?" Chunfeng exclaimed urgently.

Soaked, caught bathing, I was startled. "Why are you here?"

"The fierce beast escaped from the Jade Purity Realm! How could you not inform me!" Chunfeng’s hand gripped my arm tightly. The spot Bai Ze had injured was still swollen; his divine power made it ache, and I grimaced.

Chunfeng noticed my pain and eased his grip, casting a spell to examine me. "What happened? How did you get hurt like this?"

"It's nothing..."

"What about the wound on your wrist?"

"I scratched it by accident..." That wound was from when I was preparing the antidote for the Severance Poison in the solitary chamber. While Fourteenth Senior Brother wasn’t paying attention, I cut my wrist, mixed my blood into the antidote, and secretly refined it into a pill. I lied, saying the previous proportions were wrong and used honeysuckle vine juice to remake it. Everyone only knew that Fourteenth Senior Brother and I had produced the antidote; no one knew the real story.

"Nonsense! Stop lying to me!" Chunfeng cursed angrily, scooping me up and rushing into the Jade Void Palace. "Yun Xiao! Come out!"

"Put me down," I struggled, unsure what Chunfeng was about to do.

Master and the senior brothers heard Chunfeng’s angry shout and came out of Lu Xue's chamber.

Chunfeng, furious, shouted at Master, "So the fierce beast escaped! What of it? Just catch it again! Is it worth using family discipline? Her arm is so badly injured! Must you push her to slit her wrist and jump into the Heavenly Pool to end her life?"

"No! No!" I was terrified and hurried to explain.

"You needn’t say anything; I’ll stand up for you! Let’s see who dares bully you!" Chunfeng declared.

The senior brothers were in an uproar.

Master frowned deeply at me, worry in his eyes.

I hurried to explain to Master, "Master, I didn’t jump into the Heavenly Pool! I..." The words stuck in my throat; I couldn’t say I was bathing.

"The fierce beast escaping is troublesome, yes, but no matter what, you shouldn’t use family discipline without thoroughly investigating!" Chunfeng said to Master.

"Let me go! I didn’t commit suicide!" I struggled to break free from Chunfeng’s spell.

Eleventh Senior Brother jumped behind Master, winking and mouthing to Chunfeng that it was Bai Ze.

Chunfeng saw him and erupted, "It was Bai Ze? Bai Ze! Get out here! Who gave you the nerve! How dare you strike my Little Crow—you’re out of line! Even if Little Crow did it, so what?"

I was anxious and embarrassed, tears streaming down my face... thinking, "Why can’t I make you understand? I didn’t lose my mind and commit suicide..."

"Senior Uncle, Master has already dealt with Bai Ze," Fifteenth Senior Brother hastily reported.

"Yun Xiao! You must give Little Crow justice! Or I won’t let this go!" Chunfeng whisked me away like a gust of wind.

Back in my room, I wept in frustration, unsure what to say to Chunfeng. He had defended me, but the situation was even messier.

"Little Crow, I know you’re not comfortable with Lu Xue’s arrival. Ding Mao complains to me daily, saying he feels like a child without a mother. But you mustn’t use suicide to attract your Master’s attention; it puts him in a difficult position. Be good!" Chunfeng, rarely so earnest, gently admonished me.

I sighed helplessly, unable to explain.

"Never commit suicide again. Proving innocence by suicide is the worst idea. Your Master has his own life. Give him space. Don’t worry; when I’m done with my work, I’ll spend time with you. Be good," Chunfeng soothed me.

"Alright! No suicide! Please go back. I’ll give Master and Mistress plenty of space," I replied helplessly.

"Really?"

"Really! Swear on it! Enough already!" I vowed.

"Don’t say such things! Then I’ll head back; there’s urgent business on Hundred Flower Island," Chunfeng hurried back, rushing off once more. This matter was surely related to the Netherworld. War between the two realms, yin and yang interacting, disrupts the seasons, causing chaos for the mortal world and disaster for all beings if not handled promptly.

The holy land of the heavens, ancestral court of the warriors, had become almost like the gossip of storytellers, descending into chaos! I lay in bed, hugging my quilt, pondering my entanglement with Lu Xue.

Master never took female disciples, likely for Lu Xue’s sake, to avoid such trouble. My arrival was a mistake. Master was not mine alone; he was also Lu Xue’s husband. I stepped back at every turn, but she pressed forward relentlessly. One harsh word from Master, and she hanged herself. Must it come to a point where only one of us can remain...

After a sleepless night, I finally resolved—leave the Jade Purity Realm!