Chapter 25 If the wife is at fault, how can the husband…?

Even in public, even surrounded by monks, even in a solemn lecture hall.

But Yao Jin's gaze couldn't help but fall on Xiao Daojun. The young man stood tall and straight, yet remained calm and composed. Even under Elder Mu's pointed remark, he showed no emotional fluctuation.

His spine was as strong as bamboo, and his face as gentle as jade.

The two elements blend together in a strange way, yet there is no sense of disharmony.

Yao Jin thought that if it weren't for that accident, she would never have had any interaction with such a person.

But fate had a way of favoring her...

If they've shown her favor, why treat her like this?

The palm of his hand was almost crushed from shaking the gold.

Sitting next to her, Meng Ji was well aware of his wife's subtle actions. However, in the classroom, he couldn't soothe her as he usually did by patting her head. He could only ask softly, "Madam, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering if you'll be coming home to sleep tonight," Yao Jin blurted out.

If she comes back to sleep, she'll have to hide her unusual behavior tonight.

Little did they know that as soon as these words were spoken, the crowd, who had been led astray by Elder Mu, were suddenly startled. Elder Mu, standing above, let out a violent cough.

He was coughing so hard his lungs felt like they were about to burst. He clenched two fingers together, snarling angrily, "You, you, you, how dare you?"

It wasn't that he was naive or made a fuss over nothing; in all his years of life, he had never heard of a woman inviting her husband to her bedroom for the evening, and judging from this woman's expression, it was as simple as drinking water or eating.

"Shake the Golden Stick!" Elder Mu could no longer tolerate it. He stretched out his hand and conjured a seven-foot-long ruler. "Come out and receive your punishment."

Yao Jin pouted, not wanting to pay any attention, "I don't know what I did wrong to deserve such corporal punishment from the elder."

"You, you, you..." Elder Mu was so angry that his heart ached. He glared at him and said, "Whispering in class, do you want me to teach this class?"

He was too ashamed to repeat what had happened in the bedroom, and hoped that Yaojin would be more self-aware. "You still don't know where you went wrong?"

Yao Jin smiled and said, "Elder, you are right. When I hear something I agree with, I can't help but exclaim in agreement. Is there anything wrong with that?"

This was utter sophistry, and Elder Mu was so angry that he bared his teeth and shouted, "Do you think I'm deaf?!"

Yao Jin blinked and Meng Ji saw her confusion. He explained gently, "Cultivators have sharp eyes and ears. What you just said was no different from whispering in someone's ear."

“This…” Yao Jin always needed to be reminded before she remembered that this was the heaven-defying world of cultivation. She sighed helplessly and stood up. “Yes, please punish me, Master.”

“If the wife is at fault, it is the husband’s fault. As a husband, I have failed to admonish my wife’s words and deeds, and that is my fault.” Meng Ji stood up, his ears still bearing the lingering redness of the bruise, which was quite noticeable. He bowed with this redness, “I hope Master will punish me.”

Yao Jin was a mortal, and a woman at that. Even if Elder Mu wanted to punish her, he couldn't very well do so in front of everyone.

Now that Meng Ji has stepped forward to defend him, it's exactly what Elder Mu wanted. He was still angry about Meng Ji letting Yao Jin stay in the academy, so he said, half-jokingly, "Fine, fine, fine, these two have all rebelled."

"Get out of here first, and I'll punish you for this offense after class."

Yao Jin was immediately displeased and grabbed Meng Ji, who was about to leave, saying, "Xiao Daojun is your teacher too, how can you punish him?"

Elder Mu, however, was overwhelmed by these words and found himself in a state of unprecedented exhilaration. He no longer had to worry about what he might say that would be met with a sophistical rebuttal from this woman. "He is a teacher? How come I don't know that?"

"He's just a student."

"You, you!" Yao Jin was about to ask him if his brain had been flooded with water, that it had washed away all the sulci in his brain, otherwise he would have forgotten his identity as the sect leader just because the little Daoist was wearing disciple's robes.

But before she knew it, someone gently pulled her aside and whispered in her ear, "Madam, don't argue with him."

The situation is beyond our control; if we continue arguing, our previous arguments will become useless.

Yao Jin understood what Xiao Daojun meant. After all, once could be explained as unintentional, but twice would be deliberate provocation.

She had no intention of provoking anyone, but the punishment of Xiao Daojun was even more painful for her than the punishment of herself.

Annoyed, she disregarded the upcoming lesson about the origins of the Frostflower Sword and decided to follow the young Daoist, saying, "I will accompany my husband in being punished."

Elder Mu didn't care about all that. One was fine, two was perfect. He decided to punish them both after class and waved them out.

After leaving, Elder Mu lost interest in continuing his lecture and secretly wondered how many punishments could make Meng Ji suffer.

He must be severely punished to dissuade him from this idea.

The Demon-Slaying Platform won't work. Although the spiritual energy of heaven and earth there is abundant, it is, after all, a place for dealing with demons. It might be an overreaction and cause gossip.

Where else?

Elder Mu fell into deep thought. After much consideration, he concluded that the Discipline Hall was the most proper and reliable place, leaving no room for criticism.

But with Meng Ji's spiritual power being so high, ordinary punishments probably wouldn't be enough to deal with him...

Suddenly, Elder Mu had a flash of inspiration. He stood up and said, "Study on your own. I'll ask you questions during the next class."

Having said that, he transformed into a ray of light and disappeared.

Elder Mu's departure caused an uproar in the school. Qingfeng couldn't sit still any longer and quietly asked Chi Yi, "Chi Yi, what do you think Elder Mu went off to do?"

After a moment's thought, Po Wang figured out what had happened. However, he feigned disbelief, asking, "Did you see what the elder said before he left?"

Qingfeng thought back for a moment, "It seems that besides making us study on our own, there was nothing else."

Po Wang rolled his eyes. "So you think I can read his mind?"

A gentle breeze suddenly made it sparkle.

Elder Mu arrived at the Weak Water Pavilion, yet he was able to even step through its gates.

Elder Mu transmitted his voice secretly, "Senior brother, why is this? Why are you staying indoors and refusing to see anyone? Could it be that you have made progress in your cultivation and are trying to hide it from everyone?"

Xu Jinan started learning early, which gave him an advantage.

Therefore, if Xu Jinan really doesn't show up, Elder Mu really shouldn't force his way in.

However, Elder Mu believed that he had a deep relationship with his senior brother and had not done anything to offend him recently, which is why he asked this question.

Xu Jinan, who was listening inside the room, almost vomited blood.

Everything in the room that could reflect light had been removed, leaving only the copper basin left over from washing up in the morning. However, all the water in the basin had been spilled, leaving only the smooth surface that could reflect a person's face.

What a face it was! Almost all the textures of the skin and flesh were wrinkled together, and the skin was as thin as a piece of brittle paper, making one wonder if it would tear open with the slightest movement.

This was even more lifeless than a dying old man in the mortal world. Xu Jinan reached out and touched the brown spots. Beneath the drooping eyelids were a pair of eyes as murky as sewage—"What on earth is going on!"

Elder Mu felt that his senior brother's voice sounded weak, but he had something on his mind, so he quickly explained his purpose, "Senior brother, I've come to borrow the God-Slaying Whip from you."

The God-Slaying Whip is specifically designed to punish high-level cultivators and is quite powerful. However, in the entire Buzhou Mountain, there is only one person who can make Elder Chi use the God-Slaying Whip.

Upon hearing this, Xu Jinan straightened his trembling body for a moment, "What wrong has my good disciple done?"

It's not a respectable thing to talk about an elder making things difficult for a younger person.

Elder Mu, fearing that his senior brother might be too protective of his disciple and refuse to lend the God-Slaying Whip, revealed the truth: "It's true that Meng Ji is quite unruly. In order to keep his wife in the academy, he was even willing to exchange his position as the sect leader. This young man is too arrogant. If he doesn't learn a lesson, how can we entrust the future of the immortal sect to him?"

Elder Mu was devoted to the Dao and had high hopes for this young man. Now he was extremely disappointed and became angrier as he spoke. "For a woman, he has willingly fallen into such depravity. I must give him a good beating to wake him up."

"Oh, you mean my disciple isn't the sect leader anymore?" Xu Jinan's eyes suddenly lit up, even brightening his cloudy pupils.

From the day the sect leader takes the throne, the Three Pure Ones will descend upon him with protective divine light, signifying both recognition of his identity and protection.

Any god or demon who wants to harm him should carefully consider whether they have the ability to withstand such a thunderous blow.

This is also why, despite his hatred over the years, Xu Jinan has never gone so far as to kill him.

He never expected that this little beast would be willing to give up the position of sect leader for a woman.

Perhaps it was because his spiritual energy had been draining too quickly these days, Xu Jinan didn't have the energy to delve into the contradictions. He simply opened the door from a distance and said, "This rebellious disciple is really too much of a worry. I hope my junior brother can help me persuade him."

The door opened for only a moment, but the God-Slaying Whip had already appeared in Elder Mu's hand.

Elder Mu was overjoyed that the whip came so easily. Holding the God-Slaying Whip, he said, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I will definitely beat this young man back to the right path!"

*

"So we might go to the Discipline Hall later?" Yao Jin had heard of the Discipline Hall before, but had never seen it in person. Now that Xiao Daojun mentioned it, Yao Jin became interested, but still maintained a surprised expression.

“It’s not just possible, it’s certain.” Despite the urgency, Meng Ji couldn’t help but correct his wife’s wording, “Madam, you don’t need to say anything after you arrive at the Discipline Hall.”

He paused, then added, "Don't have any emotions."

The Discipline Hall lit many powerful soul lamps to serve as a warning to disciples and cultivators who had made mistakes.

One's thoughts may be hidden from one's appearance, but the soul cannot. Therefore, it is most appropriate for Buzhou Mountain to use the powerful Soul Lamp to judge whether the other party has truly repented.

These soul lamps can not only sense emotions, but also detect demonic energy.

Meng Ji took out a pair of armlets that he had prepared beforehand, "Wear these."

Upon hearing this, Yao Jin looked up and saw a dozen or so armlets adorned with red jade, set on silver wire bases, engraved with flying birds and beasts, among which a small long-tailed snake was hidden. The snake's eyes were inlaid with something, two small black dots, exquisite yet with a touch of wild beauty.

Even before fully processing Xiao Daojun's meaning, Yao Jin's eyes widened involuntarily, "What is this?"

The woman had a natural talent for jewelry, but the moment she picked it up, Yao Jin knew it was a pair of armlets. She temporarily forgot her doubts, immediately rolled up her sleeves, and put them on her arms.

Two white, bare arms suddenly appeared, like pink lotus roots in a summer pond, crisp and tender.

Meng Ji frowned. "Madam, please don't be anxious."

He withdrew his hand that had stopped his wife, and slowly lowered her sleeves, section by section, until her fair, lotus-like arms could no longer be seen through. Only then did the somber look in his eyes gradually fade.

When he raised his head, Meng Ji's face was calm and composed, exuding an air of humility and harmony.

He knew that his wife loved this face the most, and sure enough, even though Yao Jin was slightly dissatisfied that he could not wear the bracelet immediately, he still patiently and cleverly waited.

Meng Ji lowered his eyes, picked up the armlet from Yao Jin's hand, touched a snap, and heard a soft click. The seemingly perfectly fitting armlet revealed a hidden seam.

He aligned the seam of the armlet with the gold-embroidered arm, fastened it, and said gently, "It looks better this way."

The most important function of these armlets was to make them look good. His wife was spoiled and didn't like to listen to advice, which was also the issue he considered most when making the armlets.

The red jade tassels hanging from the armlet jingled and swayed as they clattered together, producing a sound like jade striking jade in a spring.

The pair of armlets, with their predominantly silver base, do not appear overly luxurious, and when paired with a dress adorned with brocade and gold flowers, they add a touch of charm.

Yao Jin was absolutely thrilled. She no longer thought about wearing the armlet close to her skin; her eyes were shining as she kept touching it. "Little Daoist, what is this?"

Even though I had imagined the scene of the lady receiving the armlets countless times, seeing it in person now, seeing those dark pupils shining, as lively as the little snakes on the armlets.

Meng Ji's hidden, greedy, and shameful thoughts were greatly satisfied. "You liked that bead before, but this armlet is even better."