Chapter 32: Loquat Fruit (Part 6)

After a short while of busying about, mother-in-law brought some news: the elder Taishang had entered closed-door cultivation.

Xu Qianyu leapt out of bed. “Really?”
mother-in-law chased after Xu Qianyu into the courtyard and saw her pushing against the barrier, her face revealing disappointment
The barrier had yet to be lifted.

Though her contemptuous mother-in-law didn’t know the relationship between this courtyard’s barrier and the Elder Taishang, seeing Xu Qianyu’s anxious expression led her to guess that the Sect Leader might have promised her something:

“Don’t rush. The Sect Leader is busy with countless matters; there will be times when they can’t manage everything. Since they promised you, perhaps something has delayed them.

Why not wait a few more days? Come on, let’s go play spinning tops in the yard.”
Xu Qianyu followed her.

However, three days passed, and the barrier was still not opened. The fourth day came, and still nothing. The fifth day passed, and there was still no change.
Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but strike the barrier with her sword, hoping to get a response from Xu Binglai, but there was no echo from that side. Xu Binglai didn’t even reinforce the barrier anymore.

Today was the sixth day, and Xu Qianyu was so distracted while playing with the spinning top that she hardly focused. Just then, mother-in-law cried out in pain, dropping her whip; her face contorted as she pressed her shoulder.

“What happened?” Xu Qianyu rushed to support the mother-in-law, noticing she was sweating profusely.

She helped her inside and seated her on her bed.

Mother-in-law pressed her left hand against her right shoulder, curling up her body, unable to stop crying out in pain. “My shoulder—it might be ruined again.”

Mother-in-law had wielded the whip in the mortal realm for thirty years, accruing numerous injuries. When she was fifty, during her last swing, the tendons that had borne her burdens throughout her life completely snapped. She fell from her horse in agony, losing consciousness.

This was also the reason she had come to the immortal sect to work as a laborer.
The sect offered elixirs for healing and spiritual energy for nourishment, which, despite being laborious, could restore her body. If she were still in the mortal realm, she would have been disabled from that moment onward.

She had spent several years here, initially relying on elixirs to heal her old injuries, but her stubbornness led her to forget the pain whenever she saw Xu Qianyu. This month, she had swung the whip more times than in the past ten years combined, further straining her shoulder.
She needed to stop immediately to avoid permanent damage.

Xu Qianyu, hearing her intermittently explain, began to sweat in worry. “What elixir? Are you going to ask for another one?”

“Elixirs aren’t that easy to obtain,” the contemptuous mother-in-law replied through gritted teeth, smiling at her. “I’m just a laborer; it takes three or four years of hard work to earn one elixir. Even after taking it, it’s not immediately effective. I still need to recuperate for several days. Alas, I won’t be able to whip anymore with you.”

“Why would you still whip at a time like this?” Xu Qianyu was no longer interested in the whip lately, and seeing mother-in-law in so much pain, she had no desire to play. She pulled back the quilt. “Just stay here and recuperate.”

Mother-in-law lay back on the bed, groaning. After a while, she sat up again, pretending to get out of bed, but Xu Qianyu, guarding by the side, stopped her.

“What are you doing?” Xu Qianyu said. “Why not lie back down?”
mother-in-law insisted that she still had work to do.
“That’s unreasonable!” Xu Qianyu exclaimed. “Can’t you find someone to fill in for you?”
“Fill in? I’m the one filling in for others,” the mother-in-law said with a bitter smile, pulling out a token from her pocket to show Xu Qianyu. “This isn’t just some trivial task; it can’t be neglected. I can hold on for one more day; I must leave.”

Seeing the shimmering golden token was the discipline hall’s token, Xu Qianyu recalled that aside from being a laborer, mother-in-law also had another identity as a substitute whipper for the discipline hall.
But isn’t that exactly the work of whipping? With her injury, how could she swing the whip again?
“Can’t you… just not fill in?” Xu Qianyu urged. “Just tell the original person to come back and do their own work.”
Mother-in-law couldn’t help but laugh heartily, finding Xu Qianyu’s unreasonable attitude somewhat childish. She affectionately stroked her cheek. “If he could do it himself, why would he need someone to fill in?”

As she said this, she tried to get out of bed again but was once again stopped by Xu Qianyu.
Xu Qianyu’s face was serious, not smiling at all. “I’ll fill in for you.”

Mother-in-law was taken aback, turning to see Xu Qianyu’s dark, focused eyes staring at her. Having lived her life without children, she suddenly felt a warm attachment, at a loss for words, and felt a bit ashamed: if she weren’t still so playful at her age, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a predicament. Now, the younger one was looking after her—how embarrassing.

Seeing mother-in-law silent for a while, Xu Qianyu asked uncertainly, “Can I do it?”
“Of course you can,” my mother-in-law replied. “I’ve been in the Penglai sect for over ten years and have never met anyone smarter or better at whipping than you. Besides, the discipline hall’s whip has only nineteen sections, and you can already wield twenty-three sections now.”

Xu Qianyu was overjoyed to hear this, but her mother-in-law added, “But you can’t go.”

“Why not?”

“You’re under the Sect Leader’s barrier; how can you go out? If you go out, and the Sect Leader holds you accountable…”

Xu Qianyu noticed a hint of hesitation in her voice and, instead of hastily defending herself, calmly asked, “Madam, why does the barrier block only me yet allow those who deliver food to come and go freely?”

Mother-in-law sighed, “Given our relationship, I won’t hide it from you. I just ask that you don’t tell anyone I revealed this to you.”

Then, she pulled back her sleeve to reveal a complex, precisely drawn symbol on her arm in gold ink. “Those who bear this symbol can pass through the barrier. But they mustn’t speak of the age, appearance, or other details of those within the barrier, or there will be backlash, and I’d lose this arm. The two junior sisters of Dream Crossing copied the symbol onto my arm that day, so now I can bring you food.”
Xu Qianyu nodded. Speaking directly to her didn’t count as disclosing it.

She glanced at the Contemptuous mother-in-law, noticing a brush and ink nearby. Xu Qianyu picked them up, directed Mother-in-law to stretch out her arm, and carefully copied the symbol onto her own arm.
Contemptuous mother-in-law grew uneasy. “Will this really work?”

“Why wouldn’t it?” Xu Qianyu added, “Are you sure the Elder Taishang is in seclusion?”

“Yes, definitely. He went on a long voyage, even taking along several young disciples and enough clothes and incense for about six months.”

Xu Qianyu said that the Sect Master had already promised to release her once the Elder Taishang departed; he must have simply forgotten to issue the order. Her release was perfectly justified.

She was only going to take a secluded path to the disciplinary hall, a place scarcely visited and closed off. If she went quietly, no one would notice her coming and going, and the Sect Master could still issue his order later, preserving his honor.

Contemptuous mother-in-law was at a loss for words, watching as Xu Qianyu changed clothes and took the command token from her hand

“Stay here and rest. When you’re better, I’ll switch back with you.”

Shen Suwei’s sword reflected the cold frost, glimmering faintly in the falling snow.
As he lowered the blade, he sensed a small point of light moving beyond the barrier.

Unlike Xu Binglai, he wasn’t immediately stirred by this. He could calmly observe Xu Qianyu’s actions while gracefully wielding his sword in the icy cold. His sword technique flowed seamlessly, with no trace of hesitation.

Xu Qianqian could now walk around, and the Elder Taishang was in seclusion, so technically, Xu Qianyu was safe. But the Sect Master had yet to order the barrier’s removal. He hadn’t reminded him, either.
He understood that Xu Binglai had his own concerns.

Xu Binglai had imposed the barrier to protect Qianyu, but also to safeguard his own interests: if Qianyu were sacrificed to save Qianqian, and if she recovered or even developed spiritual roots, Qianqian, innocent and filial, would inevitably be controlled by the Elder Taishang and become his pawn.
Currently, all three inner disciples supported the sect master, and the elder Taishang needed someone to command. If that person were Qianqian, the Sect Master would certainly disapprove.

With a turn of his sword, the north wind swept through, flattening the white grass and killing everything in its path.
Shen Suwei’s dark hair fluttered in the wind.
From a purely practical perspective, it would be simplest to let Xu Qianyu quietly disappear. Without her, it would be challenging for the Elder Taishang to find a suitable spirit body like hers.

But neither he nor Xu Binglai believed in doing such a thing.
He struck horizontally with his sword, the fierce wind parting the clouds, revealing the sun. The snow sparkled in the light, but where there was light, there was also shadow, rolling like silver waves, light and shadow intertwined.

Perhaps Xu Binglai was contemplating keeping Xu Qianyu in the barrier indefinitely, thereby safeguarding his own moral integrity while preventing the Elder Taishang from exploiting her. Allowing her to cultivate and mingle freely would only lead to endless trouble unless she could immediately become powerful enough to fully protect herself.

People in power dread complications.

But…

He had sensed Xu Qianyu’s repeated attempts to break the barrier over the past two days; each strike was an act of defiance.

He and his master saw things differently. Xu Qianyu had no reason to stay put.
She had to make some noise—because silence would mean sacrifice. Only by doing so could she leave the courtyard; only by doing so could she survive. This was something he himself had learned through experience.

In the snowy field, new green shoots suddenly sprouted, only to be swiftly buried under the heavy snow.
But as one waned, another emerged. The grass shot up, inch by inch, matching the height of the snow. After a moment, the wind ceased, the snow settled, and Shen Suwei retracted his gentle sword intent, quietly gazing at the signs of spring amidst the snow—a hint of green in March.

A dawning realization, yet not fully comprehended.
He hadn’t yet chosen his path, but he continued practicing this harsh sword technique rooted in ruthless Dao. Even if sword practice brought nightmares at night, he still pressed forward to the final stage. Why wouldn’t he do whatever made him stronger?

However, the final move of the “Lihue Ruthless Sword,” unexpectedly, was called “All Things Grow.

Sensing the light entering the disciplinary hall, sheathed his sword and followed.

That morning, Xu Qianyu flogged five people.
The whip hung on the wall in the disciplinary hall, just nineteen sections—neither too long nor too short—quite handy.

Following Mother-in-law’s advice, she dressed in white disciple robes to avoid attention, even dusting off her vermillion mark with powder. She looked just like an ordinary female disciple from the Penglai Sect.
The disciples receiving punishment, like she had once done, laid themselves silently on the punishment platform without a word, uninterested in acknowledging her. Once whipped, they used a cleansing technique to tidy up for the next disciple and left without a sound.

Xu Qianyu spoke little and simply started with the whip; no one noticed anything unusual.
Except for the sixth one.
This disciple was a young man with a casual smile, clearly accustomed to such punishment, and entirely unashamed.
With a smirk, he looked her over, a bit flirtatious. “Isn’t it usually the old women? Why is it a pretty girl today?”

Xu Qianyu saw he was the last one on the token and couldn’t be bothered to respond. She rolled up the whip and pointed to the platform, signaling him to lie down.

The disciple, however, didn’t seem afraid. “Are you an outer disciple? I don’t recall seeing you before. Are you filling in today? Let’s make a deal—see how dashing I am? Could you go easy on me?”
Xu Qianyu didn’t look at him. “Lie down.”

Seeing her cold as ice, the disciple grew uninterested, and a hint of hostility flashed across his face. Suddenly, he snapped, “Hey, did you sneak in here? Show me your token.”
Xu Qianyu felt a flicker of guilt but didn’t flinch. She took out her token and waved it in front of him.
He reached out to snatch it, but she withdrew her hand faster, leaving him empty-handed. “I said you could look, not touch.”

The disciple, never having encountered such arrogance from a female cultivator, was immediately angered. Sensing her low cultivation level, malicious intent stirred within him. Rolling up his sleeves, he sneered, “So young, and this is how you speak to your senior? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your master.”
But before he could even take a step closer, he frozen.

He sensed an immense aura of pressure filling the room and turned to see Shen Suwei, who had entered soundlessly through the wall.
“…Senior Brother Shen?”
Xu Qianyu’s heart raced as she suddenly saw her senior brother. Having only snuck out for half a day, she’d already been caught. Shen Suwei walked up to her without a word of reproach, merely extending his hand. “Give me the whip.”
Not knowing his intention, Xu Qianyu handed it to him.

Shen Suwei told her to step aside.
The disciple’s face darkened as he saw the whip in Shen Suwei’s hand.
Shen Suwei looked at him and said calmly, “According to sect rules, I am allowed to whip you.”

Penglai indeed had regulations allowing elders to discipline younger disciples. Inner disciples were ranked above outer disciples, and Shen Suwei’s rank was senior to his, so punishing him today was well within reason.

But what bad luck! When it came to punishment, most received a casual whipping from a servant, but he was about to get it from a cultivator instead?

The disciple wanted to plead, but Shen Suwei had already turned to look at the token hanging on the wall. It displayed the name of the punished and the number of lashes. “Chen Duo, is it?”

“Yes… it’s me.”

“Thirty lashes. Proceed.”

Chen Duo dared not argue and lay flat on the punishment table.
Xu Qianyu watched as Shen Suwei raised the whip and brought it down. He only moved his wrist with minimal effort, as if barely exerting any strength.
It seemed her senior brother wasn’t very skilled with the whip.

The whip came down with a crack, slicing through the air and avoiding vital veins, yet it seemed to burrow deep into both flesh and spirit before pulling away.

Chen Duo’s eyes widened in terror, feeling an indescribable agony. Realizing that if each lash continued with this intensity, he wouldn’t survive halfway through, he began to beg. “Senior Brother Shen, please spare me! Senior Br—”

The second lash cut off his plea, leaving him staring wide-eyed, losing consciousness.
The following lashes became gentler, passing by quickly during his brief stupor. When he regained awareness, feeling the searing pain across his entire body, just as he believed he’d endure till the end, Shen Suwei’s wrist suddenly tightened. The whip cracked down, making Chen Duo’s veins bulge as he screamed.

Xu Qianyu glanced between the disciple and her senior brother’s minimal movements, puzzled.
She couldn’t tell if this disciple was genuinely suffering or faking it. If he was pretending, his grimaces and exaggerated reactions likely came from frequent punishment, which had stripped him of his pride and left him indulging in such displays.

Another lash fell, even harder, and sweat poured down Chen Duo’s forehead as he gasped. After several lashes, he could no longer speak, entirely consumed by fear. He felt his very soul hanging by a thread, knowing one more blow might snap it, ending his life.

But amid his heavy breathing, the next blow never came. After a moment, Shen Suwei’s calm voice sounded from above: “Thirty lashes, complete.”
Barely alive, Chen Duo struggled to rise, only to collapse as his feet touched the ground. Yet Shen Suwei caught him, preventing him from falling.

The support from Senior Brother Shen was firm yet gentle, with a faint, cool fragrance lingering on his pristine robes.
Chen Duo quickly pulled away, looked at him, unable to speak, and only managed a trembling bow before hurriedly leaving.

In his daze, he forgot to clean the punishment table. Shen Suwei, silent, cast a cleansing spell, clearing both the table and the whip.

Xu Qianyu knew there were no others around now, and he was likely about to reprimand her. She walked over to him, intending first to thank him for helping her and then explain the matter to her mother-in-law.
Before she could speak, Shen Suwei turned to her and said, “How did you wield the whip just now?”
He handed it to her, indicating for her to demonstrate.

Xu Qianyu heard a note of instruction in his words and questioned, “But aren’t you a sword-user…”
Before she could finish, Shen Suwei suddenly swung the whip toward her. Startled, she closed her eyes and instinctively shrank back, but the whip didn’t strike her; it merely created a whistling sound in the air.
Opening her eyes, she found the whip wrapped tightly around her waist.

With a tug, Shen Suwei drew her toward him.
In the dimly lit punishment chamber, with only a high window open, Shen Suwei looked down at her.

In the half-light, the beams filtered through his raven-like lashes, illuminating his eyes like colors refracted through butterfly wings.
Xu Qianyu touched the whip coiled around her waist, feeling its tautness, intrigued.

mother-in-law, a whip expert her whole life, could only make the whip curl to pluck a loquat, and even that was momentary. But to make it coil so many times and stay firm—how was that possible?
Shen Suwei looked at her and asked, “Well?”

Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but nod. “Yes, very well.”

He said nothing more, passing her the whip handle. Xu Qianyu held it, and the whip instantly loosened, its tip falling at her feet.