The Punishment Hall was located within the inner sect of the Gushan Sword Sect, and even in the original body's memories, it was a place she had never seen before.
To think that less than twenty-four hours after transmigrating, she had already won a special honor the original body had never experienced. Chang Le wore a bitter expression, while Xiaobai in her arms seemed somewhat worried as it licked her cheek.
"Are you worried about me too?"
Deeply touched, Chang Le stroked Xiaobai's fur. Xiaobai squinted its eyes from the petting, pressing its head affectionately against Chang Le's shoulder.
"I wouldn't have thought that besides attracting swords, you also attract animals."
A voice came from behind. Chang Le wanted to turn her head, but her waist was suddenly gripped tightly. "Don't turn around. You're only at the Qi Refining stage and don't know how to fly on a sword yet. Be careful not to slip off my sword."
Even so, Chang Le felt her waist being firmly held by a stranger, and she squirmed with a trace of awkwardness.
Still, the scent on Senior Sister Xu was quite pleasant—clean and crisp, like pristine snow in the dead of winter.
"What's wrong with your waist?"
The voice behind her was deadpan.
Recalling Xu Yingqi's expressionless face, Chang Le figured she might be overthinking things. Senior Sister Xu looked like the rigidly serious type; perhaps holding someone by the waist was... nothing to her?
Normally speaking, it really was nothing, but unfortunately, as a little lesbian, Chang Le still felt it might possibly be something.
Her face flushed bright red, and she whispered, "Um, Senior Sister Xu..."
"Hmm?"
The sword used for flying was not all that wide, and standing on it required gathering Spiritual Power beneath one's feet to adhere to the blade. There was always a slight sense of insecurity high up in the air. Fortunately, Xu Yingqi had thoughtfully cast a wind shield, preventing the fierce gale from blowing directly into her face.
This also gave Chang Le the feeling that flying on a sword wasn't such a big deal after all.
"Could Senior Sister Xu... let go of your hands?" Chang Le asked softly.
Xu Yingqi's voice was calm. "Oh... letting go."
Chang Le nodded hurriedly.
So Xu Yingqi let go, and Chang Le had just breathed a sigh of relief when the long sword suddenly wobbled and then surged forward. With a shriek, Chang Le threw caution to the wind, turning around to wrap one arm around Xiaobai and the other around Xu Yingqi's shoulders, hooking both legs tightly around Xu Yingqi's waist.
This movement was exceedingly fast; Chang Le even felt as though she had surpassed the Qi Refining stage.
Only when she came to her senses did she realize that nothing but silence remained in the air.
Xu Yingqi didn't speak.
Chang Le... not only did Chang Le not dare to speak, but her legs were still locked around Xu Yingqi's waist in a thoroughly compromising posture.
As expected of a cultivator, Xu Yingqi stood straight as an arrow. Even with Chang Le hanging off her body, dog and all, Xu Yingqi's waist hadn't bent an inch, standing as straight as a young white poplar.
She was nothing like her own tangled, curving self!
"I apologize. When flying at top speed, one occasionally encounters turbulence," Xu Yingqi finally spoke.
"N-no worries, just an... a-accident... haha..." Chang Le felt her arms starting to give out, and her body began to slide downward.
At that moment, Xu Yingqi's hand reached out, cupped Chang Le's bottom, and hoisted her upward.
Chang Le: "!!!"
"S-Senior Sister!!" Suppressing the urge to shriek, Chang Le cried out as gracefully as possible.
Xu Yingqi's voice remained utterly calm, as if this action of hers had not the slightest impropriety, and Chang Le's position was completely unproblematic. She asked with unruffled serenity, "What is it?"
"C-could you please put me down first."
That's right, she wanted to get off this ride! No, off this sword!!
"Hmm? Put you down? Your cultivation is insufficient; turning around on the blade will make you easily slip off," said Xu Yingqi.
Tears welled up in Chang Le's eyes. True, her cultivation was lacking, but there was no need to keep rubbing it in. She whispered a reminder, "I don't mean getting off you—I mean, I want to get off the sword."
After a long silence, Xu Yingqi asked, "...You want to get off the sword?"
Chang Le: "Right, right, right—no, no, no, no."
She shook her head vigorously, her hair brushing against Xu Yingqi's chin with the movement.
Lifting her eyes to the distance, Xu Yingqi said, "The Punishment Hall is almost here."
"What?"
So fast? Chang Le whipped her head around.
The long sword seemed to pierce through a thin membrane, and the scenery of the inner sect came into Chang Le's view. Floating spiritual peaks drifted in the air amidst hazy spiritual mists, with pavilions and towers appearing and disappearing in the vapor, making it impossible to tell which were in the sky and which were on the ground.
"Those are..."
Chang Le raised her head to see countless stars studded across the sky, shining brilliantly even in broad daylight.
"They are swords," Xu Yingqi's voice fell beside Chang Le's ear.
"The Gushan Sword Sect was founded on the sword. Those are the swords used by our predecessors that still retain their Sword Spirits. If one should find someone fated..."
As they spoke, a vibration seemed to ripple through the air. Raising her head, Xu Yingqi's gaze was like lightning as she looked toward the horizon. The stars on the horizon trembled instantly, then slowly flew upward.
Chang Le gasped in astonishment, "Were those stars just falling down a moment ago?"
"You saw wrong."
Xu Yingqi's voice was as cold and aloof as ever, but Chang Le inexplicably sensed a hint that Xu Yingqi was somewhat unhappy. Feeling slightly puzzled, her attention was quickly drawn by a series of crane cries. Turning her head, she saw rows of white cranes soaring with wings outspread, emitting crisp, clear calls. Amidst the sea of clouds, massive creatures resembling whales occasionally breached the surface, their entire bodies glowing with a blue light while starlight twinkled within them as if they contained swirling nebulas.
They moved in schools, swallowing and exhaling mist before vanishing back into it.
Looking closely, one could spot figures sitting atop those giant beasts.
"Those are Void Whales, spiritual creatures that only survive in places rich in spiritual energy," said Xu Yingqi. "The ones sitting on them are disciples heading to class."
As they spoke, the sword light shifted, and the two of them drew close to one of the Void Whales.
Xu Yingqi heard the lingering whale song and the chatter of the disciples.
"Did the Sword Spirit just drop lower? Was it taking a fancy to me?!"
"Ahhh, we're going to be late! Brother Whale, can you pick up the pace?"
"I'll give you an extra Spirit Stone if you overtake the Void Whale ahead!"
"We have an exam today, and I haven't finished reading my book yet..."
...
Thanks a lot; the mystical allure of the cultivation world had just vanished in an instant. Chang Le was rendered speechless—everywhere she went, people were fiercely competing.
Some people noticed Xu Yingqi standing on her sword and looked over at the two of them in surprise.
"Senior Sisters!! Embracing like this in broad daylight will get you hauled in by the Punishment Hall's Discipline Division!"
"Whoa, is this really something I can watch without paying Spirit Stones? That posture... is that the legendary lotus position?"
With a flash of sword light, Xu Yingqi left the Void Whales far behind.
"Those fellows are a bit noisy. Pay them no mind," said Xu Yingqi.
Chang Le shook her head hurriedly, her face flushed crimson. "Not at all, not at all. Our posture really is a bit inappropriate. Perhaps we should stop and switch—switch places."
"Posture? You mean what they said about the lotus position?" Xu Yingqi's voice was filled with puzzlement. "Do you even know what that means?"
Chang Le stiffened, guiltily burying her face in Xu Yingqi's embrace. "I'm a pure baby; I don't understand anything."
That's right. Although her face was burning red, the things on the internet back then had merely polluted her eyes; her body and soul remained those of a pure baby.
As they spoke, the sword flashed like lightning, carrying them forward all the way. Chang Le watched mountains blur past her face until, with a single word—"Arrived"—they stopped right on the floorboards.
The young man in black from earlier turned around to greet them, but seeing their posture, he instantly began to stammer, "Um, um..."
Xu Yingqi hopped off the sword, which instantly shrank to normal size and flew back onto her back. Xu Yingqi let go, and Chang Le scrambled down in a panic, burying her face behind Xiaobai. Xiaobai poked out its tongue, tilted its head at the boy, and let out a bark.
"What? Stuttering?" Xu Yingqi glanced at the boy.
"No, no." The boy shook his head frantically, hastily making way at the door. "Senior Sister Xu, and this..."
Chang Le: "My name is Chang Le."
The boy fawned, "Senior Sister Chang, please come this way. Elder Tang is already inside."
The boy made frantic facial expressions at Chang Le. Chang Le inexplicably read the subtext on his face: "What kind of relationship do you have with Senior Sister Xu?"
Chang Le fell silent for a moment and shook her head quietly. "No relationship."
The boy's face twisted even further. "No relationship? You were hugging each other!"
Chang Le bared her teeth and turned her head. "No relationship. Believe it or not."
Xu Yingqi let out a soft "Mn." She took a few steps forward, then suddenly paused and turned back. "Why aren't you following... What's wrong with your face?"
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Chang Le and then across the boy. Though her expression remained unchanged, the surrounding pressure suddenly plummeted.
The boy immediately straightened his expression, lowering his head to stand at attention with a resolute look. Chang Le let out a dry laugh, walked over to Xu Yingqi's side, and asked—half out of worry and half to change the subject—"Am I going to be in trouble?"
"Rest assured, as long as you abide by the sect rules, naturally you won't be," said Xu Yingqi. She glanced at the boy beside them, then turned back to look earnestly at Chang Le. "Is your face truly alright? Do you need me to find a medical cultivator for you?"
Chang Le: "Huh?"
Xu Yingqi frowned. "Your expression just now... it was disordered, much like Zhou He's."
The boy hastily raised his head. "Senior Sister Xu, I told you long ago, I'm not sick."
"Shut your mouth. You've already started making others act just like you," Xu Yingqi said sternly, without looking back.
The boy silently clamped his mouth shut.
Chang Le couldn't help finding the scene before her rather amusing. The anxiety she had felt was loosened by this bit of banter, and she actually chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Xu Yingqi stared intently at Chang Le, as if judging her condition. Chang Le let her look; she had already figured out that this person Xu Yingqi, while perhaps a bit overly serious and lacking in common sense, was truly a good person—just as she had felt upon first meeting her.
"Very well, let's go then." Xu Yingqi withdrew her gaze, and the two walked side by side.
Noticing that Xu Yingqi's long sword was strapped to her back without a scabbard, Chang Le found it a bit strange and couldn't help stealing a few extra glances.
Xu Yingqi seemed exceptionally sensitive and immediately looked over at Chang Le. "What is it?"
"Your sword... seems to have no scabbard." Chang Le pointed at her weapon.
Xu Yingqi's long sword was slender, glowing with a faint blue light along both edges while concealing a hint of dark red in the middle, making it exceedingly striking.
Her finger brushed against the blade. Just like when they had first laid eyes on this sword, it gave a slight tremor and strained to press closer to the spot where Chang Le's finger pointed. Chang Le looked at the sword, then lowered her gaze to look at Xiaobai in her arms.
It was a sword as cute as Xiaobai.
"Well... because..."
Xu Yingqi fell silent for a moment. Looking at Chang Le, she said, "This is a sword without a scabbard."
"Really? Such a gorgeous sword, and it doesn't even have a matching scabbard?" Chang Le asked in surprise.
They had already walked into the room. The lighting here was poor, and there were no windows; only inlaid red luminous pearls emitted a fire-like glow to light the path beneath their feet.
If Chang Le had come here alone, she might have been terrified. But the Punishment Hall members she had met—whether Zhou He or Xu Yingqi—were not terrifying people, which dispelled her inner worries and fears, leaving her with the leisure to discuss this with Xu Yingqi.
Xu Yingqi's gaze shifted slightly. "Really? You think it looks good..."
Her voice was soft, and as she turned her face away, the tips of her ears were tinged with a faint red. If Chang Le weren't a cultivator now with eyesight far exceeding ordinary people, she truly wouldn't have been able to spot it. Chang Le couldn't help smiling inwardly; Xu Yingqi looked expressionless and very stern, but in truth, her mind was pure—simply praising her sword as good-looking was enough to make her ears turn red.
"Perhaps one day..." Xu Yingqi glanced at Chang Le, then pursed her lips. "Perhaps one day, there will be an exceptionally fine scabbard, who knows."
Chang Le nodded. "There definitely will. If I see a suitable one, I'll bring it to you."
Hearing this, Xu Yingqi looked at her again, then turned and resumed leading the way. She said no more, and Chang Le had a vague feeling the other girl was somewhat unhappy again, though she couldn't figure out why. After all, she and Xu Yingqi were strangers with very shallow ties; asking directly probably wouldn't be appropriate.
Thinking this, Chang Le kept quiet as well, and the two walked forward all the way.
Since the Punishment Hall was called the Punishment Hall, it naturally carried an air of solemnity mingled with a trace of oppression. The main hall was dominated by dark tones, with a line of cultivators in black standing on either side. Seated upon the dais was a young-looking female cultivator, though she wore no black; instead, she was clad in bright red robes, looking utterly listless as she listened to Gou Ren and the others speaking below the platform.
"Hall Master! We were merely greeting Senior Sister Chang, but it was Senior Sister Chang who suddenly attacked us!"
"That's right, that's right! Look at my hand and my face—they were injured by Senior Sister Chang's talismans."
"She even wanted to silence us by killing us!"
"As someone about to enter the inner sect and become a disciple of Elder Xue, would I stoop to bullying a disciple who has lingered in the outer sect for ages and could never hope to enter the inner sect, and all at such a crucial moment?! I beg Elder Tang to discern the truth!"
Chang Le raised an eyebrow. To think that the moment she walked in, she would hear such a complete distortion of the truth.
Gou Ren's voice was extremely loud, carrying a sob as it echoed through the empty Punishment Hall.
The beautiful sword cultivator frowned and dug at her ear. "Your voice is too loud."
Gou Ren's voice stopped abruptly, and he threw himself back to the floor. "I am truly wronged!"
At that moment, the beautiful sword cultivator raised her head to look at Chang Le, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I think this Gou Ren makes some sense. Elder Xue... though his taste isn't much to speak of, I have already verified that he indeed sent word to this person. He has no reason to throw away a bright future to bully you. So, what about you? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Chang Le fell silent.
Xu Yingqi glanced at her. Then, Chang Le raised her head and said, "If a dog bites me, do I still need to ask the dog for its reasons?"