WBICDPH Chapter 44

Chapter 44 — An Unexpected Execution

Misty Rain Mountain, Main Peak — Council Hall

Liu Xun sat rigidly in her chair, glaring at the plate of still-steaming, fragrant “roast chicken” before her. Her fingers clenched the wooden armrest so hard that veins bulged across the back of her hand.

Lin Jin and Hua Nanzhi knelt in the middle of the hall. They didn’t dare lift their heads or even breathe too loudly, wishing they could flatten themselves into the floor.

Their masters were sweating just as much. San Zongyu and Moyuzi stood on either side of Liu Xun like guardian statues, seizing every chance to put in a good word for their disciples while trying to calm her down.

“Calm down? Calm down about what?!” Liu Xun snapped. “My little Yun laid one clutch of eggs in a hundred years—just three chicks! That family of four was living peacefully in my courtyard. I step out for two hours—two hours!—and somehow that naughty little one slips out. Somehow, these two brats catch it and bring it back. And somehow they roast it! Who am I supposed to reason with? When I came here, my little Yun was crying beside me. It’s just a Flamecloud Sparrow that can’t speak—who’s going to speak for it?!”

Her voice was already sharp, but when she got angry, it rose high enough to feel like it could pierce the roof.

Lin Jin trembled, half-convinced she might grab him next and roast him in revenge.

Moyu Zi forced a nervous chuckle and tried to explain. “Hey now, no need to shout so loud. The kids didn’t do it on purpose. My courtyard just happened to lose a Red-Ribbon Mountain Chicken today, and they were helping me look for it. They’re inexperienced—mistook your Flamecloud Sparrow for a chicken and brought it back by accident.”

“Don’t you dare make excuses for him!” Liu Xun snapped. “Fine if that martial cultivator girl couldn’t tell—but you Beast Tamers can’t either? This boy’s been learning under you for two months and still can’t tell a Red-Ribbon Chicken from a Flamecloud Sparrow? Boy, let me test you. Tell me—what does a Flamecloud Sparrow look like?!”

Lin Jin felt miserable. He kept his head down and answered obediently. “An adult Flamecloud Sparrow is about three feet long, golden all over, with crimson feathers on its forehead and tail—”

“Did I ask about adults? Did you catch an adult? I said juvenile! What does a juvenile look like?!”

Lin Jin froze. He didn’t remember. What was the difference between the young and adult?!

After a long pause, he pulled out three brick-thick notebooks from his storage ring and flipped frantically through them until he found the answer, his head hanging lower and lower.

“A juvenile Flamecloud Sparrow…”

“Louder! Did you forget how to eat, too?!”

“A juvenile Flamecloud Sparrow is entirely white, with five red feathers on its forehead. It resembles a Red-Ribbon Mountain Chicken until its molting stage, when the white feathers fall away, and golden plumage grows in, marking adulthood.”

“Say that again. How many forehead feathers?”

“Five.”

“And a Red-Ribbon Chicken?”

“…Three.”

“Exactly! You can’t even count?!” she snapped.

“I can count.”

“Then why did you roast my Flamecloud Sparrow?!”

“I… didn’t think much of it. This disciple’s studies were lacking—I forgot the juvenile’s traits and mistook it for a Red-Ribbon Chicken. I’m willing to accept punishment!”

He bowed deeply, forehead nearly touching the floor.

“Hah! I invited you into my formation path and you insisted on Beast Taming. Fine—be bad at it if you want—but why roast my bird?! You did it just to spite me! A Beast Tamer who can’t tell a Flamecloud Sparrow from a chicken—next you’ll see a Taotie cub described as looking like a green-eyed dog and try to raise it as a puppy!”

She fanned herself furiously and pointed at him. “Punish them! And punish them hard! Senior Brother Yu—you’d better give me an answer today!”

At the words “punish them hard,” Hua Nanzhi panicked. The main fault was hers—she had brought the bird back. She couldn’t let Lin Jin take the blame.

“Elder Xun, I’m sorry! This is mostly my fault. I lost Elder Yu’s chicken, and I’m the one who misidentified your Flamecloud Sparrow. Lin Jin should’ve checked more carefully, but the main responsibility is mine. If you’re going to punish someone severely, punish me!”

“Oh? Fighting over who gets punished now? Fine—punish both! Senior Brother Yu, even if your disciple is involved, you can’t show favoritism!”

San Zongyu found himself caught in the middle. The Flamecloud Sparrow wasn’t rare, but Liu Xun’s “Little Yun” had been with her for years—it wasn’t just another beast. Still, the children hadn’t acted maliciously. Juvenile sparrows did resemble chickens. Today’s disaster was nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence.

He always tried to be fair, but this time… any choice would upset someone.

“Enough!” Moyuzi suddenly barked.

Liu Xun shot to her feet. “What are you shouting for? Think you can overpower me?”

“I said, enough!” Moyuzi strode over, helping Lin Jin up and waving to Hua Nanzhi. “You too, get up!”

He planted himself in front of them like a protective hen. “Even if you’re angry, you’re not blameless! You knew that chick was mischievous—why didn’t you secure your courtyard barrier before leaving? Yes, the kids made a mistake, but your precious bird ran all over the mountain because of you. Since the fault isn’t entirely theirs, why should they be heavily punished?”

“Excuse me?” Liu Xun crossed her arms.

Moyu Zi instinctively took a small step back.

“Say that again,” she said, tapping his nose with her fan.

“…Fine,” he muttered, puffing out his chest. “Let’s hear how you plan to punish them.”

“Hmph.” She lifted her chin. “Three days in the Penance Realm.”

Three days—manageable. Moyuzi exhaled in relief—until she added, “Earth Tier. Level Three.”

“WHAT?!” His eyes bulged. “Don’t push it too far! They’re barely fit for the Mystic Tier—you send them into Earth Tier and they won’t come back alive! Lower it—Mystic Tier at most!”

The Penance Realm was a place for harsh training and reflection, its difficulty scaled to cultivation level. Earth Tier was meant for core-forming disciples guilty of serious crimes. These two were only the Foundation Establishment.

She narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Mystic Tier it is—Level Nine.”

“You petty lunatic! That’s personal revenge!” Moyuzi’s beard trembled. “Their entrance trial was Mystic Tier Level One. They’ve been here two months—one level per month. Mystic Tier Level Three, no higher!”

“Call me petty all you want. He’s not my disciple—I don’t have to feel sorry for him.” She relented slightly. “The girl can go to Level Three. But Lin Jin goes to Level Six. A Beast Tamer who can’t tell a Flamecloud Sparrow from a chicken deserves heavier punishment!”

“You—!” Moyuzi began—

—but Lin Jin stepped forward first and bowed. “Mystic Tier Level Six for three days. This disciple accepts the punishment.”

Liu Xun blinked, surprised. She had expected bargaining, not agreement. Still, she couldn’t back down now—

—but Hua Nanzhi stepped up. “The main fault is mine. I won’t accept lighter punishment alone. Wherever Lin Jin goes, I go. I’ll enter Mystic Tier Level Six with him!”

“Ha! First time I’ve seen people fighting for harsher punishment,” Liu Xun scoffed. “Do whatever you want.”

On the way to the Penance Realm with San Zongyu, Lin Jin nudged Hua Nanzhi. “You could still ask for mercy—you only needed Level Three.”

She snorted. “Elder Xun punished you harder out of bias. This isn’t just your fault. I’m not letting you take all the heat—and I refuse to let you steal the spotlight. If you go to Level Six, I go to Level Six!”

Who wants that kind of spotlight?! he thought miserably.

Soon they reached the entrance. San Zongyu handed each of them an eight-sided die.

“You must remain three days and complete the assigned tasks. There are eight small worlds inside, each corresponding to a different profession. Most disciples choose the world matching their specialty—it makes the punishment easier to handle.”

He nodded to them. “Light all eight faces of your die at once if you encounter danger; an elder will come to assist.”

He paused, then smiled gently. “Good luck. I’ll see you both in three days.”