Chapter 54

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Lu Chi really shouldn't trust himself too much.

Ning Chen started to feel confused as soon as he came out of his cave. He started to feel dizzy after walking a few miles. Not to mention looking for Xie Tingyun, he could hardly even find his own cave.

There's nothing in that cave anyway, so there's no need to go back.

Fortunately, Ning Chen could still see the sign of the Punishment Hall from a distance, so he groped his way in that direction. On the way, Ning Chen gradually came to a crowded place, so he grabbed a disciple and asked, "Where is your senior brother?"

The disciples who were caught always felt that his question was a bit strange. After all, the man in front of them was dressed in plain disciple clothes. Although he was tall, with a rebellious look, and looked like someone who was not easy to mess with, his cultivation was only at the Golden Core Stage. Logically, he should call Xie Tingyun "Senior Brother".

However, the disciple did not think too deeply about it and just replied: "My eldest senior brother has been punished by the sect leader to go to the punishment hall. Just walk to the end of the hall, turn right and then right again, and walk in."

Ning Chen's face darkened, and his voice unconsciously lowered: "Being punished to the execution hall? Why?"

The disciple shook his head and whispered, "I'm not sure. But I heard it seems to be related to the Demon Lord."

“…”

Ning Chen thanked him and walked towards the execution hall, thinking expressionlessly, "That old bastard Dao Ling will be dead sooner or later!"

Ning Chen rushed to the punishment hall in anger, but just as he was about to force his way in, he remembered that his Ma Jia was only a young disciple in the Jindan stage, not the Demon Lord Tian Xiao. If he forced his way in, not only would he not be able to capture Xie Tingyun, he would probably be caught by the elders and locked up together with them.

Ning Chen decisively cut off the stool, and his body suddenly stood up from the pool of blood. The bright red water dripped along the smooth and graceful muscles.

However, Ning Chen just stood up and suddenly stopped.

He thought: Xie Tingyun was imprisoned in the torture hall by the old man because he had an unclear relationship with him.

Even if Ning Chen's original body rushed over and captured Xie Tingyun and kept him under his nose, Xie Tingyun would still have to go back in the end.

This time, Xie Tingyun got away with it by using double-faced words, but he was still punished by the old man.

What about the next time? If Xie Tingyun came back safe and sound from his hands again, wouldn't that arouse even more suspicion?

Xie Tingyun has already risked his life once to clear his suspicion, so he can't do the same thing again next time.

Ning Chen suddenly realized that he and Xie Tingyun were getting too close under the eyes of the cultivation world, which was actually a hindrance to Xie Tingyun.

At this moment, Ning Chen understood Xie Tingyun's considerations without any instruction.

Xie Tingyun is the eldest senior brother of Liuyun Sect and the face of the entire sect. Xie Tingyun can be involved with the demons, but he has to keep up appearances because his sect cannot be accused of colluding with the demons.

It's a terrible feeling to be so restricted.

Ning Chen stepped out of the blood pool with an expressionless face. The demonic aura emanating from his body swept away the moisture on his body. He put on his coat, tied it around his body, and hurried outside.

Although he couldn't kidnap Xie Tingyun, Ning Chen could first use his original form to beat the old man up to relieve his hatred.

However, at this moment, there was a disturbance from the vest side.

The original body's puppetry was so superb that the vest looked like a normal person and could even use a completely opposite power system. The corresponding disadvantage was also very obvious, that is, only under the control of the original body could the vest make new movements and reactions, otherwise it could only wait. Otherwise, this vest would not have stayed in the cave until now under the pretext of seclusion and cultivation.

Although the vest can only be on standby after Ning Chen leaves, the vest can still give the main body a sense of changes in the surrounding situation, just like now.

Ning Chen switched back to his vest and found that he had been surrounded by disciples who were patrolling outside the Punishment Hall. They had probably seen Ning Chen standing outside the Punishment Hall for a long time and thought he was going to do something bad, so they stepped forward and sternly asked him to leave.

Ning Chen responded perfunctorily. He glanced at the lightless window in the torture hall and said in a low voice, "Can I ask you a question? Thank you... How long will Senior Brother be punished?"

The disciples who were patrolling shook their heads and said, "The sect rules do not allow this. Sorry."

Xie Tingyun knelt straight and upright in the execution hall, his thin back looking like a growing bamboo.

There was a sudden noise outside. Xie Tingyun lowered his eyes and stared at the floor in front of him, thinking about Tian Xiao's request for him to be safe and free.

Now Xie Tingyun obviously has not met any of the requirements.

However, he was punished to kneel for seven days this time. As long as Tianxiao came a little later, he should be able to get away with it.

The fellow apprentices around Xie Tingyun were kneeling in the torture hall until their backs and knees ached and they almost turned into drooping mushrooms. At this moment, even the slightest disturbance could attract their attention, not to mention that there seemed to be some dispute outside at this time.

At this glance, he saw Ning Chen standing outside the door of the punishment hall with an expressionless face, surrounded by a group of patrol disciples who were admonishing him.

A disciple groaned a few times, quietly walked over and poked Xie Tingyun, saying, "Brother, look! It's a new face! Such a strange face, but very good-looking. I have never seen him in the sect. I guess he is new here?"

"It's possible, otherwise he wouldn't be unaware of the rule that you can't join in the fun outside the punishment hall, and now he has to be chased away by the patrol disciples."

"He must be new. I've been in the sect for three years. If I had seen him before, I would definitely remember him clearly."

The young disciple beside Xie Tingyun believed that good things should be shared with others, and kept urging Xie Tingyun, saying, "Big Brother, do you want to take a look? It's very pleasing to the eyes. Can the patrol brothers please not chase him away? If he stands here and doesn't leave, I feel like I can continue to kneel down."

Xie Tingyun responded helplessly. He suspected that if he didn't join in the fun, these fellow apprentices would chatter in his ears for a whole year.

For the sake of keeping his ears clean, Xie Tingyun glanced outside very perfunctorily.

However, it was this one glance that made Xie Tingyun suddenly stop in his tracks.

He saw the tall man standing under the skylight, his sharp and unruly eyebrows slightly lowered, his eyes seemed to hide stars, and when he raised his eyes, he could see an extremely bright sharp light in the darkness.

That is a face that Xie Tingyun will never forget no matter where he goes.

The man was free of wounds and blood, and finally stood safe and sound under the daylight. That was the scene that would occur when Xie Tingyun Wusui woke up from a dream in the middle of the night.

Every time Xie Tingyun saw him in his dreams, he would stand there quietly and watch.

He didn't dare to reach out and touch it, because if he did, his dream would be shattered.

The man was so stingy that he wouldn't let him get close to him even in his dreams.

The disciples around him saw Xie Tingyun maintaining this posture without moving, and they understood: "Hahahaha, I told you! Looks good, doesn't it, Senior Brother?"

Xie Tingyun could not hear any sound. At this point, he even wondered if this was an illusion caused by him kneeling in the torture hall for too long and falling asleep unknowingly.

Ning Chen raised his eyes unconsciously and looked over. Through a blurry and dark window, his unblinking gaze passed by Xie Tingyun, and then he looked away.

There was a hidden irritation between his serene brows, as if he had encountered something that made him in a bad mood, but when he spoke to others he still did not show any emotion, instead he was politely indifferent.

Even though Xie Tingyun had already forgotten how long it had been since he last saw Ning Chen, he suddenly realized the next moment:

Normally, if Ning Chen makes this expression, it probably means "Okay, I get it, the world is destroyed."

This expression was so vivid and lively that Xie Tingyun even wanted to laugh, but he pulled up the corners of his lips and couldn't smile at all.

Seeing Ning Chen being surrounded for a while and then turning away in boredom, the disciples in the Punishment Hall were reluctant to let him go. Just as they were about to disperse and kneel back to their respective seats, they saw their eldest senior brother, who was as elegant and upright as pine and bamboo even when kneeling, suddenly stood up. Because he had been kneeling on the cold floor for too long, his knees were sore and cold that he had to stagger a few times.

If they had sharper eyes, they would have seen that Xie Tingyun's fingertips were trembling.

However, they only saw Xie Tingyun stand up with a slightly shaky figure, and then rush out of the restriction and door of the punishment hall without hesitation, as if it would be too late if he was a moment later.

The fellow apprentices were left staring in amazement at Xie Tingyun's departing back, and the torture hall restriction that their eldest senior brother had easily broken with a single move.

Xie Tingyun has always been self-disciplined and polite. From the moment he entered the sect, he became an example that the elders in the sect often boasted about. He strictly abided by the sect rules, was a gentleman, and was always patient and polite to others.

These disciples had never imagined that one day they would actually see their senior brother being sent to the punishment hall and forced to kneel, or even walk away without caring during the punishment.

The junior brother who had just urged Xie Tingyun rubbed his eyes to make sure it was not an illusion, and then murmured: "...Our senior brother really likes this."

Xie Tingyun staggered a few steps, his knees had slowed down, and he walked out with big strides. The patrol disciples who had just rushed out of the quiet place were also startled to see Xie Tingyun leave without permission, and said in embarrassment: "Senior Brother..."

Xie Tingyun's eyes did not leave Ning Shen's back. He said in a hoarse voice, "Sorry, just this once, just report it truthfully."

If Xie Tingyun wanted to leave, even these patrol disciples would not be able to stop him.

Ning Chen heard the noise and seemed to want to turn around.

At that moment, Xie Tingyun even selfishly wanted Ning Chen not to turn around and see him, so that Xie Tingyun could have more time to think about what kind of expression and attitude he should have when facing Ning Chen.

Ning Chen turned around and saw Xie Tingyun rushing out of the torture hall. He was quite surprised.

Can you enter and exit the torture hall at will? If you can enter and exit at will, why did this group of people chase you away just now?

Ning Chen didn't figure it out.

However, the distance between the two of them was quite close now, so close that Ning Shen could hear Xie Tingyun's slightly disordered breathing, and when he lowered his head he could see Xie Tingyun's slightly trembling pupils.

Xie Tingyun looked a little strange.

This was the judgment Ning Chen made in an instant.

However, seeing the fellow disciple who once saved him, this reaction... seems reasonable?

That's not right. Whenever Ma Jia appears in front of Xie Tingyun, he is wearing a mask. How could Xie Tingyun recognize him?

Ning Chen met Xie Tingyun's gaze, and for a moment his heart was moved for some reason.

However, the next moment, he heard Xie Tingyun say awkwardly, "Are you...?"

Xie Tingyun seemed to stop talking halfway, and said stiffly: "Are you the one who came forward to save me when I was bullied by my fellow disciples?"

ah?

Ning Chen was shocked: "How did you know?"

Xie Tingyun managed to stay rational and whispered, "...There is a very shallow scar on the back of your hand, left by you blocking the stone for me."

Ning Chen looked down suddenly and saw that there was indeed a very faint white mark on the back of his hand, so he understood.

"..." Ning Chen said, "Okay."

Xie Tingyun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pinched his trembling fingertips with the back of his hands behind his back.

Can’t say…can’t say now.

Ning Chen didn't know who he was, who he came for, or what he wanted in his heart.

I didn’t know that he used the last name Xie and named himself Tingyun, and I didn’t even know this face that he had molded bit by bit in order to sever his past karma.

He broke off all ties with the silent and gloomy child from the past, but Ning Shen only knew the silent child who liked to stick around him, not Xie Tingyun.

What did he say?

He can't say.

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The author has something to say:

Disciples who don’t have the courage to follow Senior Brother to escape punishment: Family members, our Senior Brother really likes this!

Ningmi was busy marveling at Xiao Xie's excellent memory, while Xiao Xie was busy racking his brains to find a way to lure Ningmi back home, who was still in the dark.