be punished
"Senior Brother Sang was punished for using five Shrinking Earth Talismans in a row."
Zhou Hengyan cleared his throat and continued, "Those who cultivate immortality should not rely excessively on external things. No matter how vast the world is, one still needs to measure it with one's own feet; no matter how wide the world is, one still needs to feel it with one's heart. If a cultivator relies on talismans and incantations to take shortcuts, how can he temper his Dao heart?"
"Senior Brother Sang's talent can only be considered average. He should cultivate more diligently."
Sang Zhao was not considered outstanding among the direct disciples, and even among the inner disciples, he was not considered top-notch.
But the other party just happened to become one of the thirteen personal disciples.
Yun looked directly at him, her clear eyes seemingly able to see into people's hearts, making Zhou Hengyan inexplicably feel less confident.
She had always disliked conflict and believed in avoiding trouble. But this time was different. The person in front of her was her senior brother, the one who had given her tremendous help and companionship during their trip to Shixi Village.
"If one judges a person's attitude towards cultivation based solely on a few talismans, isn't that too arbitrary?" Yun Wang, after holding back for a long time, finally spoke up to refute him.
During her time with Sang Zhao, she clearly knew how serious, even demanding, Sang Zhao was about spiritual practice.
“I’m not saying he’s not diligent,” Zhou Hengyan replied dryly, but he also cleverly steered the conversation away from the main topic.
Lin Yun ignored his rebuttal, his whole mind was focused on whether Sang Zhao would be punished. "Senior Brother Sang used the talisman entirely for my sake, not because he wanted to use external forces or neglect his cultivation."
"I'm going back to see if I can plead for him." Lin Yun turned around resolutely and ran back the way he came.
The footprints the two had left earlier were covered by the new snow, and new footprints were made on the new snow.
Zhou Hengyan caught up with her and blocked her way, saying, "This matter was already settled before you two returned. Where do you place the rules of the Jingyin Sect with your actions? Can you simply let it go as long as 'the circumstances are pitiful'?"
“I had no such intention.” Lin Yun looked at him stubbornly. “I just wanted to explain the reasons to the sect leader. If anyone should be punished, it should be me and him.”
Lin Yun rushed out from under his umbrella once again, leaving only his hand, which had been blocking his way, hanging in vain.
The snow was falling heavily, and it quickly turned her black hair white.
Zhou Hengyan watched her departing figure, then chased after her again, placing the umbrella over Lin Yun's head once more, saying, "I'll go with you."
He realized that his previous words were somewhat inappropriate and inconsistent with his public image as a "gentleman," so he wanted to make amends.
Lin Yun remained silent and ran forward, resentful that he hadn't taken a few Shrinking Earth Talismans with him earlier.
But Zhou Hengyan still advised from the side, "Junior Sister Lin, the sect leader dislikes people pleading for mercy the most, and it may backfire."
The concern in his words seemed genuine, but Lin Yun couldn't listen to it.
The snow reflected the moonlight, like a light veil, or like a cold glint.
Just as she ran back to the council hall, Sang Zhao came out of the hall.
"Senior brother!" She threw herself at Sang Zhao. "I'll explain to the sect leader why you've been using the Shrinking Netherworld so frequently, it's all for—"
The last word was interrupted by an index finger pressed against his lips.
“I did have my own selfish reasons for this,” Sang Zhao said gently, brushing the snowflakes from her sleeves and hair. “She deserves to be punished.”
He wasn't lying; it was true.
When he used the talisman, he saw Lin Yunwang's bright eyes and wondered if he could use this as an opportunity to pique his junior sister Yunwang's interest in cultivating immortality.
Zhou Hengyan broke the warm atmosphere, "Senior Brother Sang, if I remember correctly, the sect leader requires us to enter the secluded cave for a month of reflection starting immediately."
He was very popular in the sect, and even had good relationships with fellow disciples in the Discipline Hall. He knew more about the punishments than Sang Zhao himself.
“Yes, then please ask Junior Brother Zhou to escort Yunwang to his residence.” Sang Zhao smiled at Zhou Hengyan, who was holding an umbrella at the bottom of the stone steps, and then instructed Lin Yunwang, “If you encounter any difficulties while I am away for a month, you can seek help from Senior Sister Bai Xiyan. She is an upright and kind person and will definitely help you.”
"Go."
He gently nudged Lin Yunwang's shoulder, then turned and walked towards the secluded cave.
Sang Zhao did not use an umbrella, and left a trail of footprints in the snow.
Lin Yun wanted to chase after him, but Zhou Hengyan grabbed her wrist. "Junior sister, don't make Senior Brother Sang worry."
Not long after he left, the melted snow water stuck to the hem of her clothes. She wondered if this was also a form of cultivation, personally experiencing the four seasons without using spiritual power to prevent the snow water from sticking to her clothes.
The girl gazed at the end of the snowstorm until the figure completely disappeared into the snow curtain before blinking her sore eyes.
"I've kept Senior Brother Zhou waiting."
As she turned around, she noticed that the paper umbrella had quietly covered half of her body.
The two strolled in the snow again, and Zhou Hengyan's paper umbrella still unconsciously leaned towards Lin Yunwang.
But all that remained of their words were polite formalities.
"I misspoke earlier, please forgive me, junior sister."
"Senior Brother Zhou, you flatter me. It's you who have caught the chill." Lin Yun reached out and caught a few snowflakes, remembering those icy hands.
Her fingertips were slightly red from the cold, and she tucked her hands back into her sleeves.
The two were feigning politeness, but there was a hint of genuine affection mixed in. Zhou Hengyan found Lin Yunwang, a person so different from himself, quite interesting, while Lin Yunwang vaguely sensed that this person was unfathomable and secretly thought that he should be wary of him in the future.
Zhou Hengyan suddenly stopped and introduced her, saying, "This is Senior Sister Bai's Muyun Courtyard."
"That's my residence, Hiroki-in. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
"May I ask where Senior Brother Sang lives..." Sang Zhao was the person she knew best in the Jingyin Sect, so naturally she wanted to know where he lived the most.
He took a few more steps forward and said, "This will be your residence from now on. Would you like to name it?" Perhaps the wind and snow were too heavy, he did not hear Lin Yunwang's words clearly.
When Zhou Hengyan brought up the topic of naming, she had already decided what to name her courtyard.
"Let's call her Qing'ai," she answered in her heart.
"Junior sister, have you decided on a name? I'll go find someone to make a plaque for you tomorrow."
"Qing'ai." The words, hidden in his heart, slipped out, carrying a hint of joy.
Zhou Hengyan pondered for a moment and asked, "Is it taken from the word 'qing'ai' in 'Baiyun huiwang he, qing'ai rukan wu'?"
"Exactly." However, she was somewhat surprised that the two of them had thought of the same line of poetry.
Perhaps because her name contains the character for "cloud," she had a particular fondness for poems describing clouds, and she would copy and memorize them whenever she encountered them. It can be said that she has memorized more than half of the works that describe clouds throughout history.
So, why did Zhou Hengyan think of this line of poetry? Was it because of his erudition?
Noticing Lin Yun's probing gaze, Zhou Hengyan turned his head slightly and smiled gently, "It is thanks to my master's grace that I was able to transcribe his poems yesterday, which is why we are able to understand each other today."
"It's getting late, junior sister, you should get some rest," he said again.
He led the clouds to the door, where the eaves partially shielded the snow.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Senior Brother." Just as Lin Yun was about to close the courtyard gate, he gripped the umbrella handle tightly and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Sang lives in Geqiu Courtyard. It's the second room on the right side of your courtyard."
"Thank you." Lin Yun looked up at him. "Senior Brother Zhou, you should also get some rest."
Zhou Hengyan suddenly couldn't figure out what he was thinking or doing. He was always good at self-analysis, but now he felt lost.
He was always perceptive and knew that what Lin Yun wanted to know most was where Sang Zhao lived. He could have simply said it from the beginning to do Lin Yun a favor, which was his usual practice.
But today he avoided the topic.
Not wanting to see her disappointed, he eventually told her anyway.
Zhou Hengyan stood outside the courtyard gate in a daze for a long time, and only left after a long while.
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