Chapter 47: Someone Else?! How Foolish!

On the high platform, Tianji Zi’s sharp gaze once again swept over the crowd below, eyes piercing as if they could see through people’s hearts.

Disciples with weaker nerves didn’t even dare lift their heads to look at him, their hearts tormented with unease.

Everyone: If something happened, just say it! Did someone cheat or not? Staring at us like this is downright creepy!

After a moment of silence, Tianji Zi’s imposing voice rang out once again.

“In this trial assessment, the fifteen victorious disciples performed quite well overall. However, after verification, one of them was confirmed to have cheated during the trial.”

“According to sect rules, this disciple’s trial results are void. They will be punished with fifty lashes, sent to the Hall of Reflection for penance, required to copy the sect rules one hundred times, and barred from participating in outer sect trials for a year. If there is a repeat offense—expulsion from the sect!”

The words struck like thunder on flat ground!

The disciples below erupted in shock. Though suspicions had existed, this was Penglai Sect, and someone really had cheated?

“Fifty lashes?! A whole year without taking part in trials, and copying the sect rules? Isn’t that a bit too harsh?!”

“I heard the Head of the Disciplinary Hall, Elder Ling, is the Grand Elder’s only disciple. He’s known to be just, but also vicious with the whip!”

“If unlucky and Elder Ling himself handles it, fifty lashes could take half a person’s life!”

“And being stuck in the Hall of Reflection for a year without access to trials… Imagine how far behind that disciple will fall compared to those who enter the inner sect!”

“No matter how talented, it won’t be easy to catch up. Inner sect resources can’t be compared to the outer sect’s. And after such a scandal, their reputation will be completely ruined!”

“Serves them right! Trials are supposed to be fair—cheating to win? What a joke! I knew someone with a defective heart meridian couldn’t possibly come out on top, even if she somehow reached Foundation Establishment!”

“Exactly! No one ever said she was cured, and even if she was, a new disciple winning first place on her first trial? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that! This is what they call ‘reaping what you sow’!”

“Right, cheaters deserve punishment! Saying the penalty’s too harsh? I say it’s too light! If it were up to me, I’d kick her out immediately—no second chances!”

…

Lin Yue’er and Yun Mengyao had just been seething with rage, their faces green, but now with this unexpected twist, their moods shot sky high.

As expected! How could that dying leaf from the Ye family suddenly come in first? Turns out she cheated!

Pah! That fake young miss really couldn’t hold herself together!

Bai Wei was fuming. Whether or not Ning-shimei cheated, she knew very well! How could these people slander her like this?

“You all better shut your mouths! The elder hasn’t even said who the cheater is yet—how can you all just assume it’s Ning-shimei? Can’t you wait and let him finish speaking?!”

Ye Qingning frowned slightly. She hadn’t expected that someone really did cheat.

But… it couldn’t be her, right?

She had gained a trial identity within the secret realm and handed the vial to one of her servants. How was that cheating?

If that was considered cheating, then Jiang Shaoling wouldn’t have accepted the vial at the time. And he had even said—if anyone suspected him, he’d immediately hand over the vial.

But no one suspected him, and no one tested him either. So how was she cheating? She had simply seen through the hidden mechanics of the assessment and exploited a loophole.

If it wasn’t her, then it had to be one of the other fourteen trial disciples. But who would have the guts to cheat?

While everyone was whispering and sure Ye Qingning was the cheater, Tianji Zi’s sharp gaze locked on someone other than her.

His expression cold and solemn, he spoke:

“Su Ruoxi, do you still dare to deny your cheating?”

The crowd was stunned. Those waiting to laugh at Ye Qingning were frozen in shock.

Su Ruoxi?!

The elder had named Su Ruoxi, not Ye Qingning?!

“What? Su Ruoxi? Wasn’t she ranked seventh? The cheater wasn’t Ye Qingning?!”

“Isn’t Su Ruoxi the eldest daughter of the Su family? I heard she’s a natural talent, highly valued by her clan. Why would she cheat? Could there be a mistake?”

“Yeah, if I were her, I wouldn’t cheat. Even if I didn’t win this time, there’d still be another chance. What was the point? Maybe this is a mistake?”

Bai Wei sneered. “Oh? Now that it’s not Ning-shimei, suddenly you all dare question the elder’s judgment?”

Everyone quickly shut up. None of them dared to question the elder’s authority. They were just stunned, that’s all.

And no one dared talk back to Bai Wei either—she had passed the assessment and was now an inner sect disciple, even if she was still temporarily in the outer sect.

Tianji Zi’s face grew colder. With a light cough, the hall fell into absolute silence—you could hear a pin drop.

Pei Yin raised a hand and waved it. A water mirror slowly appeared in midair.

Within it played the image of Su Ruoxi bribing a female disciple from the assessment hall, ensuring she would receive a specific trial identity.

Su Ruoxi, who had been panicking and searching for excuses, trembled the moment she saw the image. Her face turned pale as death, and her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood. In despair, she stepped forward and dropped to her knees with a thud.

“Sect Master, Elders! This disciple admits her mistake. I shouldn’t have sought out the trial details beforehand. Please, I beg you, spare me this once! I promise—I’ll never do it again!”

She knelt and cried for mercy.

She was the proud daughter of the Su family—she had never been beaten in her life! And now they wanted to give her fifty lashes?!

She couldn’t bear it—nor the humiliation of being barred from trials for a year!

She had merely learned in advance that the trial would have four roles, and only the Demon role granted the highest points.

So, she had given her best magic artifact, the Illusory Cloud Silk, to that Senior Sister Fu from the assessment hall. As a result, she got the Demon role, just as she wanted.

Senior Sister Fu had clearly told her she wouldn’t be caught. And besides, she only drew the role she wanted—she didn’t steal someone else’s identity. Wasn’t that still her own strength?

Even if that initial draw was cheating, did she really deserve such a heavy punishment?

But her parents weren’t here. No one could speak up for her. All she could do was admit her guilt and beg for leniency.

Tianji Zi’s expression was laced with disgust. He hated nothing more than disciples who tried to cheat their way into the inner sect. His voice was cold and dignified:

“Since you admit your fault, you’ll be punished according to sect rules.”

“Take her away!”

With a sweep of his sleeve, two disciples stepped forward and dragged Su Ruoxi away.

No matter how she cried and pleaded, Pei Yin and the three elders remained unmoved.

Rules were rules. Break them, and you’d be punished. It didn’t matter what your background was. This was Penglai Sect—not your personal playground.

Only after Su Ruoxi was dragged away did Lin Yue’er and Yun Mengyao snap out of it.

It wasn’t Ye Qingning who cheated—it was that idiot Su Ruoxi!

No wonder that idiot ranked seventh! Turns out she cheated! What an idiot—truly brainless!

This also proved Ye Qingning didn’t cheat. If she had, the elder would’ve exposed her too.

The others no longer suspected Ye Qingning either. After all, even the Su family’s eldest daughter got punished—if the Ye family’s fake young miss had cheated, why would the sect cover for her?

Bai Wei was overjoyed. She knew Ning-shimei would never cheat! All those who ran their mouths without evidence—now they were finally silenced!

Suddenly, a male disciple raised his hand high, looking like a student desperate to use the bathroom in class.

With a loud voice, he said:

“E-Elder Tianji, this disciple—this disciple has a question to ask!”