Chapter 42 A Discarded Son of the Sect, Requests to Leave the Sect
Chu Shu was already a headache for him, but Xiao Mingxin also knelt down, his straight back showing no remorse.
“Since Xu Zangyu joined the sect, I, as his senior brother, have been his mentor. Since he has made mistakes, I am also responsible for his failure. Please allow me to share the blame with him.”
Chu Yang trembled with anger, "You're all doing just fine!"
“I am his master, so it’s not your place to be blamed for dereliction of duty.” The Third Elder knew that Xiao Mingxin’s words were true, but they also brought up the guilt he felt for neglecting his master.
To be fair, he was indeed unfair to Xu Zangyu and was the least attentive of all his disciples. This boy's aptitude and character were not among the best he could have chosen. If it weren't for Xiao Mingxin's plea, he wouldn't have given Xu Zangyu a chance.
Over the years, Xu Zangyu has done quite well, and he thought Xu Zangyu had reformed himself, but in the end, he was wrong.
Chu Yang said, "I said before that this kid is greedy and disregards life. He would dare to kill someone for ten taels of silver. Who knows what trouble he will cause in the future? Since you have no intention of cultivating him, why did you take him into your sect?"
Xu Zangyu felt as if struck by lightning; his blood instantly froze, and a bone-chilling cold seeped into his heart from below his knees, even freezing his heartbeat.
He had never understood why the sect leader and his master had never thought highly of him; it turned out it was because of this matter.
When Xu Zangyu was ten years old, he carried a dozen taels of silver that the people of Yu'an Village had pooled together for him and traveled a long distance to Tianyi Sect to become a disciple.
Others came with him, and some took the opportunity to rob him of his silver, punching and kicking him. Xu Zangyu fought back fiercely. But the man, who was two heads taller than him, was just a useless show-off, and he beat him so badly that he couldn't even get up.
Just then, the sect leader and the elders came over and raised their hands to stop them.
After being told the whole story, Xu Zangyu was also scared, afraid that he would miss this opportunity. He never expected to be chosen in the end.
He thought that his actions, which had their reasons, were forgiven, never imagining that he had never been respected all these years.
After being a marginalized person for so many years, it turns out that I was nothing more than a stain from the beginning.
.
The Third Elder was also thoroughly scolded by Chu Yang, and turned his head away in a huff. He was afraid that saying anything more to Chu Yang would only add fuel to the fire, let alone persuade him.
Chu Yang looked at the two hateful faces in front of him, snatched the whip from the hands of the disciples of the Enforcement Hall, and said, "You two have disobeyed your elders time and time again. Do you really think I dare not punish you?"
A whip struck suddenly, its crisp sound accompanied by the tearing of clothes. The two who had been kneeling upright bent over, their backs ripped as if by a knife, the whip marks deep into their flesh. When the whip was pulled out, it was covered in blood.
This is only the external injury; the real pain lies in the soul.
Judging from the cold sweat on their foreheads and their inability to straighten their bodies for a long time, it was clear that the whip was incredibly powerful.
Lu Ming gasped in shock. If a Nascent Soul cultivator was like this, what about Xu Zangyu, who was at the Golden Core stage?
Ten lashes, how can I withstand that...?
"Sect Leader."
Xu Cangyu knelt on his knees in front of the two men, his back bent over and over, his forehead almost touching the ground. "It's all my fault. Please, Sect Leader, don't blame my two senior brothers."
"This disciple accepts the punishment."
"It's good that you admit it." Chu Yang ordered someone to drag Xiao Mingxin and Chu Shu aside. "After the ten lashes, you will go to the Ascetic Cliff for three years."
The Third Elder looked at him, his gaze filled with unspeakable disappointment. "Back then, Mingxin said that you had traveled a thousand miles alone, which showed your strong will. Moreover, you had no parents and were all alone, which is why I felt pity for you. Now that you have entered the sect, why are you still entangled with people from the past?"
Xu Zangyu felt a tap on his chest, and could only hear the pounding of his heart inside his chest.
He always thought that Xiao Mingxin hated him, that she always treated him coldly whenever they met, and that she always managed to knock him to the ground in a sorry state when they practiced martial arts.
Each time, I had to endure the pain and force a smile to get a few martial arts manuals from him, which I would then cherish and practice diligently.
He had thought that his master neglected him because he was busy, but he dared not think that his master simply did not want to care about him at all.
Because of Xiao Mingxin's mercy, he, the abandoned pawn, was able to stay. The truth is actually like this.
He slowly raised his head and saw the glaring disappointment in the other person's eyes.
“I know that once you enter the sect, you must sever all worldly ties. But none of the books I’ve read say that you should abandon those who have helped you after you’ve served your purpose. What’s wrong with repaying the kindness of those who have raised you by giving you a drop of water in return?”
Chu Yang's expression changed, but Xu Cangyu continued, "I know that in everyone's eyes, ten taels of silver is nothing, not even worth a button on a piece of clothing."
"Ten taels of silver is enough for several families to get through a tough winter, and it can buy life-saving medicine for seriously ill ordinary people."
"These ten taels of silver are a debt I owe, and I have no choice but to repay it."
As expected, Xu Zangyu caught a glimpse of bewilderment on their faces; he didn't expect to gain their understanding.
Mortals are like mayflies, their lives perhaps lasting only a few decades, which is but a fleeting moment in the eyes of cultivators. As for money, whether accumulated over time or acquired through outstanding abilities, it comes far too easily.
Xu Zangyu never felt that he had truly integrated into the sect.
However, he has now come to a realization.
He simply cannot please everyone; his deliberate attempts to please have made him forget what he truly wants.
He may not become the chosen one everyone expects, nor will he be able to become a superior person in the Tianyi Sect as he recklessly declared back then.
He admitted that he was just an ordinary person.
The past few years of Tianyi Sect have been nothing but a fabricated illusion.
Now, it's time to wake up.
Xu Zangyu took out all the things the Third Elder had given him, as well as the pills, talismans, and magical artifacts he had acquired over the years at Tianyi Sect, along with the disciple's robes he had worn when he first entered the sect, and handed them to the Third Elder.
What are you trying to do?
The Third Elder was stunned, feeling an indescribable irritation.
Xu Zangyu: "I know I am unworthy to be a disciple of the Tianyi Sect. After the punishment, I request to leave the sect."
"Do you even know what you're saying! Where will you go after leaving Tianyi Sect? Go back with those people? You can't even sever your ties to the mortal world, how can you go far?"
The Third Elder thought Xu Zangyu was a smart man, but in fact, he was extremely foolish.
"Your punishment today is the bitter fruit of your lingering worldly ties."
“It’s not a bad consequence,” the eyes that looked over were stubborn and defiant. “If it is, it is a necessary trial on my path of cultivation. I have no regrets about being punished today.”
Chu Yang had never seen such a stubborn and ungrateful person before. He was still angry and immediately said, "If you want to leave, then leave. But you are not allowed to say that you are a disciple of Tianyi Sect in the future."
No one took the things from Xu Zangyu's hands, so he put them on the ground and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Sect Leader."
"Some of these magical artifacts were given to my junior brothers, and now only these remain. Elder... please leave them to the disciples who need them in the future."
The Third Elder didn't even look at it. He didn't care what was missing or what was added. He only heard Xu Zangyu change his address so readily, without even leaving the Tianyi Sect's mountain gate, and start calling him the Third Elder.
What a fine Third Elder! Xu Zangyu is truly remarkable.
"Xu Zangyu, are you really leaving?" Chu Shu's voice trembled slightly.
Will Xu Zangyu never return after leaving Tianyi Sect? Now that he has some skills, he might disappear without a trace.
Over the years, Tianyi Sect has not treated him badly, so why does he really have no regrets at all?
His face was too pale, and Xu Cangyu lowered his eyes after looking at him for a short while, but then he saw the light pink scar on Xiao Mingxin's neck that had healed.
He couldn't utter a single word for a long time, finally managing to squeeze out three words, "I'm sorry."
I don't know who I was talking to, but that's no longer important.
The punishment for Xu Zangyu has already begun.
Only Xu Zangyu remained kneeling in the center of the main hall.
The disciples of the Enforcement Hall wiped the blood off the thin whip with a white cloth, waiting for Chu Yang's order.
With the fates of Chu Shu and Xiao Mingxin preceding them, no one dared to plead for mercy, and the hall fell into a deathly silence.
Until Chu Yang's voice fell.
"Ten lashes, not one less."
"Ten lashes, and the person is ruined afterward."
Chen Zhiguang and his disciples stammered, "Besides, Senior Brother Xu isn't the main culprit..."
Chu Yang's cold, sharp gaze pierced them, chilling them to the bone, leaving them almost speechless.
Only Chen Zhiguang, gritting his teeth, blurted out, "How about...we fight it over several days?"
If the situation weren't so dire, Xu Zangyu would have laughed. These cronies hadn't been spoiling him for nothing; they'd at least pleaded for him.
He had imagined himself being drowned in spittle from everyone, but thankfully, it didn't seem that bad.
The sound of whips cracking suddenly arrived.
Chen Zhiguang and the others shuddered in shock. Xue Wenxiang, who was standing next to him, stopped breathing instantly, her eyes turning red. The thin whip was almost pulled out of Xu Cangyu's flesh. His clothes on the back were torn, and bright red blood stained the fabric, making it clear how the bloodstains spread.
His taut back could only be supported by his hands, his fingertips turning white as he gripped the floor. Only those who have been whipped know how painful it is.
Chu Shu knew, and Xiao Mingxin knew too.
Of course it hurts, it hurts like hell, and I still haven't recovered.
That thin whip is a tool specifically designed to torture people.
"Whoosh—"
Two more lashes.
Xu Zangyu's hands were trembling uncontrollably, and he clenched his teeth, his mouth filled with the taste of blood.
The pain was so intense that I was almost numb, but I couldn't faint no matter what I did.
"That's enough, you can't fight anymore."
Zheng Qian suddenly rushed over, "You might as well beat this old man to death! It was all my doing, I did it!"
He looked at Xu Cangyu, who was covered in blood, and said in a hoarse voice, "If I had known you were coming to such an inhumane place, I shouldn't have let you come."
“Xuwa, no one cares about you, but I do. Let’s go back to Yu’an and never come back here again.”
"It's alright, Uncle Zheng." His teeth chattered, and his words were slurred.
“Even if he is not a disciple of the Tianyi Sect, his sins are not yet cleared, and you cannot take him away at will.”
“What kind of inhuman sect is yours? I think you just look down on him, so you might as well kill him to preserve the reputation of your Qingliu sect.”
Zheng Ruo spat, "Brother Xu is a good person, yet you let him do whatever he wants to you. You won't get any money, and you'll end up taking the blame for him."
"Nonsense! What do you know, little girl! He took the blame for you, and you show no remorse. I think those few lashes were too lenient."
The two were dragged away and silenced with a spell.
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