The White Moonlight Subdues Everyone with a Suona - Chapter 38
Chapter 38: Na Na
This was a one-sided slaughter.
The disciples led by Xie Wenrui were hardly Dao cultivators proficient in cultivation arts to begin with; at most, they possessed a few life-saving items bestowed by their families.
But how could the treasures of the Changqing Sect be limited to just one or two? What’s more, Ji Bingyu and her companions were all inner sect disciples, and the treasures left to them by their respective Peak Masters were even more abundant.
On top of that, an endless stream of latecomers joined the battle.
All in all, once a single Xie Wenrui fell, he could never stand back up again—facing the fury of the entire disciple body, these fops were utterly powerless to resist.
Xie Wenrui: Happiness belongs to all of you; I have nothing at all.jpg
However, although all the disciples present were very careful in their words and actions and didn’t cause too great a riot, the commotion here was ultimately far greater than usual. It caught the attention of an instructor in Hall of Enlightenment, who was so alarmed that he quickly separated the parties and notified the elders of each peak.
Master Leshui and Perfected Lord Yunxiao were the first to arrive, followed later by Master Changqing, who arrived leisurely with Xun Yanchi and several instructors.
Taking in the scene before them, everyone fell into silence in unison.
After a long moment, Sect Leader Master Changqing snapped back to reality, his eyes full of complex emotions.
At this moment, Xie Wenrui didn’t matter at all, nor did the injured fops behind him—in any case, they were all flesh wounds that wouldn’t prove fatal, so Master Changqing didn’t care in the slightest.
Right now, he only wanted to know one question—
“Who told you that sound cultivation is cultivated like this?!”
The mountains and rivers are vast, forever Changqing.
As a sect renowned specifically for producing sound cultivators, the Changqing Sect had always been world-famous for its gentle, refined, upright, cool, and detached disciples.
Whenever they took to the field with ethereal immortal melodies floating about, even if they lost a match, their exit would draw a round of applause from the crowd.
And now?!
Even with Master Changqing’s years of easygoing Buddhist mindset, at this moment he couldn’t help wanting to blurt out profanities.
There were disciples swinging pipas like sledgehammers; disciples wielding long flutes like dog-beating staffs; as for other guqins, zithers, and xiao flutes, they were held tightly in palm and swung directly at that group—hitting wherever they looked!
Upon hearing Master Changqing’s question, in an instant, everyone who could still move turned their heads together in unison to look toward the very same direction—
At this second, under the burning gazes of everyone, Ji Bingyu felt as though she were experiencing the terror of being stared at by zombies in a horror film.
She raised her head to meet Master Changqing’s pained, reproachful gaze, feeling a rare pang of guilt.
“Uh… Sect Leader, actually, this is also a path I had never envisioned…”
Before Ji Bingyu could finish her words, almost simultaneously, a clear, pleasant male voice carrying a hint of a smile resounded from behind the crowd.
“What happened? You even specifically called me over?”
Falling alongside this voice was a light green figure.
A green outer robe was as gentle and moist as spring rain, while a dark blue inner garment highlighted a bit of his lively, untamed wildness.
His raven-black hair was loosely pinned with a wooden hairpin, a few loose strands fluttering beside his cheek.
Like dry wood meeting fierce fire, or a barren wasteland encountering fine rain, his entire person exuded an otherworldly, exquisitely stunning elegance.
Virtually without needing to look closely, merely from this one-of-a-kind demeanor, Ji Bingyu knew her master had made his entrance.
After all, not everyone could bring a whole-venue-silencing, flex-effect aura like a final villain boss the moment they appeared.
Master Changqing stroked his chin, feeling that Rong Qingyuan had been particularly showy lately, just like that old peacock to the east that liked to spread its tail feathers from time to time.
Though Rong Qingyuan said this, his gaze looked straight toward Ji Bingyu with a smile.
It was strange to say: clearly there were so many disciples mixed with so many instructors, and Ji Bingyu in her water-blue dress today wasn’t wearing anything particularly eye-catching, yet Rong Qingyuan was somehow able to be the first to capture her in his eyes amidst the vast crowd.
Ji Bingyu rubbed her nose, stepped forward, and said, “Reporting to Master, your disciple has caused trouble again.”
The moment these words were spoken, the corners of the mouths of all the elders—including Master Changqing—twitched in unison.
Yet right after, Rong Qingyuan asked, “What matter?”
Ji Bingyu answered truthfully: “Your disciple could not stand Xie Wenrui bullying our fellow sect members, so a dispute arose and we came to blows.”
Between the lines, she directly took the blame upon herself.
Ji Bingyu truly thought this way.
How should one put it? Perhaps “those who are favored have nothing to fear”? She was certain that given Rong Qingyuan’s personality, he would never fall out with her over this matter.
At most, he would confine her to the mountain for a few days, and that would be that.
And by making a big scene out of this, perhaps she could prompt the Sect Leader to begin reflecting on the rationality of the presence of “guest disciples,” which was also a fine thing.
To put it plainly…
Ji Bingyu glanced behind her, looking at Feng Feishuang, who was supporting Hu Jiaojiao and had draped her own outer robe over her, and let out a relaxed smile.
Today, she hadn’t arrived a step too late; being able to successfully save Hu Jiaojiao was already the best harvest.
However, right after Ji Bingyu’s voice fell, some of the disciples standing behind her already showed indignant expressions.
Especially Zhong Ziqi, who had always possessed a fiery temper—and after cultivating drum music, his temperament had grown even more straightforward.
Now, the injustice in his heart even outweighed his fear of Qingxu.
Stepping forward, he said, “Reporting to Master Qingxu, this matter is by no means Junior Sister Ji’s fault! It is truly this Xie Wenrui who bullied others too far! If Master wishes to punish anyone, this disciple is willing to bear it together with Ji Bingyu.”
Pei Leye was stunned for a moment, then likewise offered a salute and said, “This disciple is also willing!”
Feng Feishuang and Xie Yu’an—one supporting a person, the other controlled by Xie Wenrui via a command medallion—were physically extremely uncomfortable and thus two steps late, feeling exceedingly displeased at this moment.
Feng Feishuang & Xie Yu’an: Damn it, whether it’s saving someone or talking back, clearly I came first! Good on you, Zhong Ziqi, actually stealing the spotlight on purpose!
Zhong Ziqi, being glared at innocently: ???
Without giving Feng Feishuang and Xie Yu’an a chance to show off, the second after Pei Leye’s voice fell, Rong Qingyuan gently raised his hand, his green robe fluttering like willow branches, stopping their words.
He and Master Changqing exchanged a glance, then looked toward Ji Bingyu with a faint smile.
“Not bad. How many did you kill?”
Ji Bingyu: ?
The disciples who participated in the fight: ??
The group of elders and instructors who arrived: ???
Xie Wenrui and the others lying on the ground looking like they were dead but actually weren’t: ?????
Leaving aside the contradiction between the former and latter parts of that statement—Rong Qingyuan, what on earth does “causing trouble” mean in your mind?!
“Ah, so they aren’t dead.”
Rong Qingyuan let out a sigh and looked around at his surroundings, seeming somewhat regretful.
“Forget it, it seems your luck isn’t great today, A-Yu. Very well, come back to the peak with me.”
“Once we return, look at the auspicious beast patterns in Wutong courtyard more often. Perhaps next time your luck will be better.”
Seeing Rong Qingyuan casually attempting to take his disciple away with a few light words, a certain instructor named Hu among the instructors could no longer hold it in.
He had old ties with the Xie family and had accepted their money, promising to take care of the eldest young master.
Now that the young master had been beaten right before his eyes, Instructor Hu felt he had completely lost face.
“Is Master Qingxu just taking her away like this?” Instructor Hu demanded.
“She gathered a crowd to beat people up—does Master Qingxu not intend to discipline her at all?”
Rong Qingyuan flicked a glance at him and lightly dropped a single sentence.
“Are they dead?”
Instructor Hu was stunned by the question before realizing Rong Qingyuan’s meaning, subconsciously glancing at the people on the ground.
“Not dead…?”
“Mm.”
Rong Qingyuan turned his face away, smiling slightly under Master Changqing’s warning glare.
“If you say one more word, he will be dead.”
Accompanying those words was a overwhelming, sky-covering pressure of a superior cultivator, crushing Instructor Hu straight onto the ground.
With terrified eyes, he panted heavily in huge gasps.
Yet unexpectedly, regarding Instructor Hu’s miserable state, even the most gentle and soft-tempered Perfected Lord Yunxiao turned a blind eye, showing not a shred of pity.
Master Leshui let out a cold snort.
“Heaven sees what man does! Instructor Hu had better act with caution in the future!”
Who didn’t know this Instructor Hu had deep origins with the Xie family? If Xie Wenrui and his group hadn’t had his backing, perhaps today’s incident wouldn’t have broken out at all!
Failing to restrain himself time after time, this Instructor Hu likely wouldn’t be able to stay here much longer either.
“Alright.”
Master Changqing assumed his stance as Sect Leader, instructing his senior disciple Xun Yanchi to take good care of those junior disciples.
“Today’s matter had its causes. Although the physical confrontation was a bit heavy, it was ultimately an act of righteousness. The merits and faults offset each other—no rewards, no punishments. Everyone return to your places and write a reflection essay.”
This was a textbook example of picking something up high and putting it down lightly.
Especially after Ji Bingyu learned that Master Changqing had confined Xie Wenrui and his group to a pavilion on Piaomiao Peak under the pretext of “needing recuperation,” an even bolder idea popped into her head—
Perhaps Sect Leader Master Changqing had also been sick of these fops for a long time?
Holding such a thought, Ji Bingyu boldly hypothesized, carefully sought proof, and inquired from multiple sources before today’s deliberate provocation in Hall of Enlightenment came to be.
…..
Of course, as for Master Qianming’s sudden stroke of genius earlier, that was purely Ji Bingyu adding unscripted drama on the spot.
According to the plan jointly made by Ji Bingyu, Shen Hege, Pei Leye, and the others, Ji Bingyu was supposed to take the lead to provoke Xie Wenrui’s anger and drag the matter before the Sect Leader again, while incidentally letting him speak some improper words to leave a deep impression on the Sect Leader.
If handled properly, it would be best if they could get him expelled from the Changqing Sect; if they had misunderstood the Sect Leader’s intentions, then at worst, Ji Bingyu would fight him directly—taking back Xie Yu’an’s ‘command medallion’ would be a good outcome regardless.
In short, keeping innocent disciples out of this matter was paramount. Their cultivation was already difficult enough; if they got entangled with these prominent noble families because of this, it would only be more troublesome.
But Hu Jiaojiao clearly didn’t think so.
Her gaze just now was telling Ji Bingyu one thing.
Do not fear; since you stood up for us, we will also be your sturdiest shield.
“Sect Leader above! This disciple, Hu Jiaojiao, is willing to swear upon her Dao heart that every word in Senior Brother Shen’s document is true, with absolutely no falsehood. My family members are all ruthless; back then, in order to get my silly younger brother a wife, they wanted to sell me off to a fifty-year-old widower. This disciple… this disciple…”
Hu Jiaojiao choked up slightly. She raised her hand to wipe away a tear, but when she met Ji Bingyu’s gaze, she stubbornly wiped the tears away and flashed a gentle smile at her.
“This disciple ran away—ran far, far away, and was fortunate enough to enter this Changqing Sect.”
Fortunate enough to meet all of you.
Hu Jiaojiao kowtowed heavily onto the ground, speaking to Master Changqing.
“From the moment this disciple stepped into the Changqing Sect, I severed all ties with my family, having nothing to do with them in life, aging, illness, or death from then on. But that hateful Xie Wenrui! He actually forcibly bribed my family and colluded with them, attempting… attempting to make this disciple repeat the same mistake!”
Hu Jiaojiao’s words were a bit chaotic, even jumbled and out of order, but not a single person in the hall interrupted her.
—Xie Wenrui wanted to interrupt, but he couldn’t speak a word no matter what.
Rong Qingyuan moved his fingertips lightly, lowering his eyes.
“…This disciple swears upon her Dao heart that there is absolutely not a single word of falsehood! I earnestly implore the Sect Leader to expel Xie Wenrui and the others from the Changqing Sect in accordance with the sect rules!”
Before Hu Jiaojiao’s voice could even fall, a charmingly crisp voice resounded within the hall once again—
“Sect Leader above! This disciple, Feng Feishuang, seconds this request!”
Clad in a bright yellow dress, Feng Feishuang sprinted into the hall, gasping for breath as if she had rushed over in a great hurry.
Feng Feishuang—who usually loved tinkering with cosmetics and prided herself on her appearance—now had loose hair at her temples.
A gold feather tassel hairpin was stuck crookedly in her locks, dangling as if about to fall, yet she seemed completely oblivious to it, kneeling straight onto the ground.
She knelt tightly right beside Hu Jiaojiao.
In a trance, Ji Bingyu faintly recalled that when she first met Feng Feishuang, the girl had seemed just like a standard brainless, vicious secondary female lead in old-school novels—mocking and ridiculing others with every bit of her ability, tilting her pointed chin high to display all the pride and nobility of a direct daughter of the Feng family.
Now, in less than a year, Feng Feishuang was willing to kneel in this hall to seek a fraction of fairness for an outer sect female disciple who was “of humble origin” and “utterly ordinary.”
Ji Bingyu thought to herself: She really has grown up…
“The Sect Leader must severely punish that dog of a thing, Xie Wenrui!”
Recalling what that guy had intended to do, Feng Feishuang was so enraged her face twisted. She glared fiercely at Xie Wenrui, who for some reason was opening his mouth without being able to utter a word, and let out a cold snort.
“In any case, you can’t punish Jiaojiao or Senior Brother Shen! Nor… nor can you punish Ji Bingyu!”
…Grown up my foot.
Not only was Ji Bingyu internally complaining, but Master Changqing and Perfected Lord Yunxiao, who had just stepped through the hall doors, were similarly caught between tears and laughter as they looked at Feng Feishuang.
They had thought she had grown up, only to realize she still possessed such a childish temper.
Perfected Lord Yunxiao shook her head at Master Changqing and took a seat to the left of Master Qianming.
Ah well, I am still around; even if I am not, Ah Ruo is still here. We can always shelter them to some degree.
Almost right on each other’s heels, before Perfected Lord Yunxiao could even speak, another disciple who shouldn’t have appeared here also surfaced at the entrance of the hall.
“Sect Leader above, this disciple, Xie Yu’an, likewise guarantees upon my Dao heart, and earnestly implores the Sect Leader to expel Xie Wenrui, so as to serve as a warning to others!”
Master Changqing slowly turned his head to look at Master Qianming, who had been quiet for a long time.
Master Qianming, however, wasn’t looking at him.
Or rather, ever since Xie Yu’an appeared, Master Qianming had been staring continuously at this junior disciple of his.
“Of all my disciples, you are the most intelligent and calculating. Xie Yu’an, do you know what you will face if you step forward today?”
Xie Yu’an pulled back his robes, knelt on the ground, lowered his head, and cupped his fists.
“This disciple knows.”
“You know?” Master Qianming let out a cold snort.
“I see that you don’t know!”
“You will be retaliated against by the Xie family; you will be coerced by Xie Wenrui using the ‘command medallion’; you will be jointly expelled by those noble families; from now on, you will suffer the cold glares of others, like a stray dog—”
“This disciple knows.”
Xie Yu’an knelt on the ground and repeated in a low voice.
“This disciple knows.”
“What stray dog?” Ji Bingyu said in dissatisfaction.
“Doesn’t Senior Brother Xie still have you? As long as you live a long, long life, a scourge lasting a thousand years—ptui! I mean ascending to become an immortal—could it be that anyone would dare slander our Senior Brother Xie right in front of your old face?”
Master Qianming was choked up by her words.
Turning to Ji Bingyu—the chief culprit—he immediately redirected his firepower.
“This old master almost forgot, there’s still you, an unrestful one here.”
“I say, why don’t you properly act like a refined inner sect disciple? Instead, you cause trouble all day long, coming to blows with people at the drop of a hat!”
The more Master Qianming spoke, the angrier he became.
“If you continue being so arrogant, aren’t you afraid that one day you’ll truly provoke a disaster? When that time comes—”
Master Qianming had originally wanted to say, when that time comes, not even your master will be able to protect you.
However, on second thought, he felt these words absolutely must not leave his mouth.
That fellow Rong Qingyuan never gave him face; who knew if he might directly drop a line like “the person who could make it so I can’t protect my disciple hasn’t been born yet.”
If that happened, things would get far too absurd.
Thus, Master Qianming shifted his tone, speaking with earnest, heartfelt solemnity.
“This worldly realm is full of turmoil, and the red dust is noisy. If you can’t stand this and can’t stand that, insisting on sticking your head out for every single thing, even if given another thousand years or ten thousand years, you won’t be able to manage it all. It will do nothing but add to your troubles for no reason!”
“A practitioner of the Dao should have no random thoughts in their heart, look upon the world without dust, not be delighted by material things nor saddened by self, and focus whole-heartedly on one path.”
Master Qianming spoke with great devotion, completely failing to notice Li Fuqing’s look—which was as if he had seen a ghost.
Did the sun rise from the west today, or has the Western Demon Realm started upholding male virtues? This conservative, stick-in-the-mud old fellow Master Qianming actually has such a tender, gentle, and patient side?
Good lord, could he really be treating this junior sister as his own daughter?!
Li Fuqing couldn’t help but steal a glance at Rong Qingyuan.
Seeing that the latter’s expression remained unchanged, he barely suppressed the urge to unleash a full tirade of complaints in his heart.
Sensing the sincerity in Master Qianming’s words, Ji Bingyu also shed her improper expression.
She likewise knelt on the ground, raised her face, and said earnestly, “Martial Uncle Qianming, a thousand years or ten thousand years are far too long; this disciple only fights for the present moment.”
“How could a practitioner of the Dao merely spend ten years sharpening a sword? After expending so much effort, if one does not test the frost-sharp blade against the injustices of this mundane red dust, this disciple’s heart will feel thoroughly unsettled.”
Ji Bingyu scratched her face.
Unable to describe her feelings fully, she could only say, “If this disciple truly turns a blind eye, or selfishly shuts her eyes and plugs her ears, then these matters will surely become inner demons in the future, haunting me for a lifetime.”
If she truly turned a blind eye, and if she truly only cared about cultivating her own Dao…
Then in this brief life, how could there be any real joy?
Master Qianming said: “When one’s temperament is unstable, it is easy to be disturbed by external things and lose one’s Dao heart.”
Ji Bingyu was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “One should keep one’s body far from the red dust, yet keep one’s heart bound to all living beings.”
Master Qianming put his hands behind his back and walked up to Ji Bingyu: “Do you truly think so? Even if in the future you are criticized by those people, blamed by the common folk, or—”
“That won’t happen.”
Rong Qingyuan lowered his hand, using spiritual energy to pull Ji Bingyu off the ground.
Those handsome, picture-like brows and eyes held a faint, subtle chill, his tone serious yet nonchalant: “This master is still alive.”
He raised his eyes, and within those eyes—which seemed to hold frozen dark ink—a single line was written with absolute clarity:
—It is only a matter of my disciple not being able to tolerate them; there is no such thing as them not being able to tolerate my disciple.
The moment Rong Qingyuan opened his mouth, the previously tense atmosphere vanished without a trace.
The corner of Master Qianming’s mouth twitched.
Before he could speak, Master Leshui, who had been standing in a corner of the hall at some unknown point, called out: “Alright.”
“I say, are you people done or what? Are we going to manage those disciples outside the hall or not? This old master’s disciple is still standing outside the hall! Hurry up and finish handling this group of people; this old master is still waiting to take my disciple back!”
For a second, Master Qianming thought he had misheard: “What outside the door?”
Even Master Changqing and Perfected Lord Yunxiao were startled simultaneously.
Getting up from their seats or stepping down from the high platform, they walked briskly one after another toward the entrance of the hall.
Ji Bingyu, who had been standing in the center of the hall, couldn’t help turning around as well.
Earlier, under the suggestions of Second Senior Brother Shen Hege and Zhong Ziqi, she had also made a second plan: to find some disciples and have them testify together to increase the credibility of her words.
She just didn’t know how many would be willing to come forward to testify today.
Even if no one came, it would be normal; after all, this matter had nothing to do with many of them.
Ji Bingyu comforted herself, thinking that since Martial Uncle Leshui said Zhong Ziqi was also there, things must have gone fairly smoothly for him, right? There should be quite a few people—
As Master Changqing waved away the barrier outside the hall doors, even Li Fuqing—who previously still had the mood to complain in his heart—couldn’t help standing up.
The expression on his face was a daze unlike anything seen before.
—At the entrance of the main hall of Taiyue Peak, at this very moment, disciples were standing in neat rows, filling the area entirely!
Taiyue was the primary peak of Changqing, and its two thousand white jade steps stretched down the mountain range like a coiled dragon. At this moment, there was not a single gap left!
From the inner sect to the outer sect, from the peak of Golden Core down to mere Qi Refining, whether from noble families, farm fields, or merchant households… regardless of whether their origins were high or low in the past, at this moment they were standing here together.
Leading them were none other than Pei Leye, Zhong Ziqi, and the others, as well as Shaoyang Yu, who had stood there at some unknown point.
Seeing the Sect Leader and elders emerge, everyone knelt on the ground in unison.
Eldest Senior Sister Yu Yun, standing at the head of the crowd, stepped forward and flicked her sleeves in a formal salute:
“Returning yesterday from an errand, I suddenly heard that outsiders had humiliated Changqing Sect disciples over such trivial matters, even involving Junior Sister into making a move and being punished. My heart could not settle, and I wished to ask the Sect Leader to consider and decide. Fortunately, I met like-minded companions along the way, and thus we gathered here.”
Beside Yu Yun, Shaoyang Yu raised her face, her iron mask reflecting an exceedingly warm cold light under the sunlight.
She cupped her fists and said, “We disciples of Changqing are refined, upright, harmonizing music and discussing the Dao—how joyful and free! How could we allow petty scoundrels to humiliate us! We earnestly implore the Sect Leader to expel the seven disciples led by Xie Wenrui from Changqing—!”
“We earnestly implore the Sect Leader to expel the seven disciples led by Xie Wenrui from Changqing—!”
“We earnestly implore the Sect Leader to expel the seven disciples led by Xie Wenrui from Changqing—!”
Along the two thousand white jade steps of Changqing, all were now like-minded companions.
Even though Master Changqing already had his own plans in mind, at this moment he still felt profoundly shaken.
Previously, he hadn’t issued punishments simply because he wanted to see just how far this generation of disciples could go over this matter, while incidentally polishing their character.
Master Changqing had even made a bet with Master Qianming on whether Xie Yu’an would step forward.
From Master Changqing’s perspective, almost every disciple in this generation was aloof, proud, and possessed exceptional talent, making them quite full of pride.
Let alone jointly signing a petition, even getting them to gather together was a difficult task.
Master Changqing had only intended to treat this as a tiny trial.
He had never expected these disciples to actually accomplish it, so he had long planned out how to clean up their mess for them.
Yet now, regarding every single detail, he had been mistaken.
And mistaken by a mile—disastrously wrong, Master Changqing thought.
Master Changqing was already at the early stage of Deity Transformation.
When he traveled outside in his earlier years before devoting his mind to cultivating the Dao, he had been fortunate enough to witness the vastness of the starry sky, admire the brilliance of the sun and moon, and read through the prosperity of the floating world, before ultimately traversing the noisy red dust all alone.
Yet Master Changqing felt that the scene before his eyes was far more magnificent than all the rare and precious views he had ever seen.
This was youth.
They possessed the purest and cleanest dreams; they shared a bond that transcended worldly prejudices; they came holding true hearts, using a chest full of hot blood to dispel the winter cold for one another.
They possessed the very things that these old fellows had thought they themselves had long forgotten.
Master Changqing found it a little hard to see the scene before him clearly, yet he felt he saw it with supreme clarity.
He saw Ji Bingyu, Xie Yu’an, Feng Feishuang, and the others, who at some point had also knelt before him.
Looking past these disciples, Master Changqing gazed out toward even farther places.
He thought to himself: These disciples should be able to reach far, far greater horizons.
