Chapter 6: Reflection Cliff

Xiaochuan Ye knew he would definitely be punished today, but he was rather loyal and did not betray his senior brother, Changshui Zhu, instead taking all the blame himself.

More and more disciples gathered outside, beginning to curse Xiaochuan Ye for being shameless, daring to think of eating swan meat with a toad's appetite!

In the Discipline Hall, a young man stood to one side. This man was the esteemed disciple of Elder Yunhe, named Sun Yao.

When Sun Yao heard Xiaochuan Ye say he had a secret crush on Pan'er Gu, a hint of anger and ridicule flashed in his eyes.

He was highly cultivated, handsome, and the esteemed disciple of Elder Yunhe, the law-enforcing elder of Cangyun Sect. Among the young male disciples of Cangyun Sect, aside from the few like the eldest disciple of the sect, Gu Jianchi, he was the most renowned.

Sun Yao had always been arrogant, looking down on most women, but everyone in Cangyun Sect knew that he was deeply infatuated with Pan'er Gu and was recognized as the strongest and most likely to win the favor of the fairy among her suitors.

Sun Yao thought disdainfully: "What is Xiaochuan Ye? Apart from being Uncle Zui's disciple, he is almost worthless. He has only cultivated the Yin-Yang Qiankun Dao to the fourth level, the Divine Sea realm, and hasn't even reached the stage of flying with a sword. Does he even deserve to have a crush on Pan'er?"

Xiaochuan Ye was widely regarded as a waste in Cangyun Sect.

Pan'er Gu, on the other hand, was one of the top young disciples of this generation, with outstanding talent, having reached the seventh level, the Out-of-Body realm.

The gap between Xiaochuan Ye's cultivation and hers was vast, and he should have taken a good look at himself before daring to think about Pan'er Gu!

A toad thinking of eating swan meat!

Hearing the curses from the disciples outside, Xiaochuan Ye's lips curled into a defiant smile, as if to say: "I like Pan'er, and I am a toad thinking of eating swan meat. What can you do about it?"

"Junior Brother Xiaochuan! You're loyal!"

Outside, Changshui Zhu, seeing Xiaochuan Ye take all the blame, wiped his cold sweat and secretly gave Xiaochuan Ye a thumbs-up.

Elder Yunhe, seeing the commotion outside the hall, shouted again to quiet everyone down.

Then, he waved his sleeve and said, "Where are Pan'er's shoes?"

Xiaochuan Ye replied, "Lost! I ran out in a panic when she found me this morning, and I don't know where I dropped them."

Elder Yunhe glanced at Old Zui and then at Abbess Jingxuan.

After a moment of thought, he said, "While I cannot interfere with the romantic affairs among disciples, this time you have violated the sect rules, causing a very bad influence. You will receive thirty strokes of the cane and spend three months in solitary reflection on Reflection Cliff. Do you have any objections?"

Xiaochuan Ye, kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised his head in shock and said, "What? Three months on Reflection Cliff? Uncle Yunhe, please don't joke. That place hasn't been used for centuries. I just stole a shoe; you don't need to be so harsh, right? Isn't it just solitary reflection? I can do that in my room."

Unexpectedly, Abbess Jingxuan suddenly spoke, "Brother Yunhe has been in charge of Cangyun Sect's laws for over a hundred years and is known for his fairness. Today, I see that it is indeed so. Brother Zui, do you think Brother Yunhe's punishment for Xiaochuan Ye is appropriate?"

Old Zui opened his mouth and smiled bitterly, "I've long wanted to discipline this rogue. This time, it's a good opportunity to teach him a lesson."

Xiaochuan Ye collapsed to the ground, realizing that even his beloved master agreed. It seemed he couldn't escape the three months of solitary reflection on Reflection Cliff.

Seeing that his punishment was accepted by Abbess Jingxuan, Elder Yunhe said to Sun Yao, "Yao, take Xiaochuan Ye away, give him thirty strokes, and then send him to Reflection Cliff. All disciples should take this as a warning and avoid violating the sect rules and moral principles."

Sun Yao was secretly delighted, dragging Xiaochuan Ye out of the Discipline Hall, planning to teach this arrogant toad a lesson by being extra harsh.

Hearing that Xiaochuan Ye was to spend three months on Reflection Cliff, many of the disciples outside secretly rejoiced.

Reflection Cliff was located on the back mountain of Lunhui Peak, facing the Moon-Viewing Terrace across a deep chasm. It was a small cliff platform, and with the harsh winter, the weather was cold. With Xiaochuan Ye's low cultivation, he was sure to suffer greatly over the next three months.

Sun Yao mercilessly beat Xiaochuan Ye with thirty strokes, angry that he had sneaked into his beloved Pan'er Gu's room. He hit with all his might, leaving Xiaochuan Ye's buttocks bloody and bruised, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.

After the beating, Old Zui stepped forward and said, "Xiaochuan, I have been too lenient with you, leading you astray. This three-month solitary reflection on Reflection Cliff is a good opportunity for you to reflect and purify your mind, and to cultivate the Yin-Yang Qiankun Dao. In three months, there will be a major trial for the disciples, and the top ten young disciples will have the chance to participate in the sixty-yearly Duan Tian Cliff Daoist-Magic Duel. I don't expect you to participate in the Duan Tian Cliff Duel and become famous, but I hope you can reach the fifth level, the Air-Riding realm, soon. Otherwise, you will disgrace me!"

Xiaochuan Ye, holding his sore buttocks, groaned, "Master, can we discuss cultivation another day? My buttocks are in shreds, and I'm in excruciating pain. Please give me some golden wound medicine!"

A moment later, Sun Yao summoned his immortal sword, pulled Xiaochuan Ye onto it, and, under the watchful eyes of many, the sword transformed into a beam of light, carrying them both into the sky and speeding towards the back mountain.

The Cangyun Mountains stretched for over a hundred miles, with countless peaks. Reflection Cliff was on the waist of Broken Sword Peak, the back mountain of Lunhui Peak, a small cliff platform facing the Moon-Viewing Terrace.

In mid-air, Sun Yao threw Xiaochuan Ye onto the cliff platform, causing him immense pain, almost breaking his bones.

He angrily shouted, "Sun Yao, what are you doing! Trying to kill me? We have no grudge!"

Sun Yao, hovering in the air on his immortal sword, smiled insincerely and said, "Xiaochuan Ye, I have always ignored your tricks because you are Uncle Zui's disciple. But look at yourself in a mirror. You, a toad, dare to have designs on Pan'er. Humph!"

Xiaochuan Ye finally understood why Sun Yao had been so harsh today. It was because he had mentioned his crush on Pan'er Gu in the Discipline Hall, which had offended Sun Yao.

He was stubborn and, though he had been joking in the Discipline Hall, Sun Yao's unfair treatment now made him furious. He jumped up, holding his buttocks, and shouted, "I know you like Senior Sister Pan'er, but she doesn't even look at you! I advise you not to delude yourself! I will remember this today. One day, I will beat you so badly that even your own mother won't recognize you!"

Sun Yao laughed, "What a presumptuous brat! I'll give you three months. In three months, there will be a major trial for the disciples, and I'll be waiting for you on the duel platform! Oh, I forgot! To participate in the trial, you need at least the fifth level, the Air-Riding realm, and you are still at the fourth level, the Divine Sea realm! Hahaha, I'll give you thirty years, you waste!"

Laughing, Sun Yao rode his immortal sword away from the back mountain.

Xiaochuan Ye angrily shouted, "Wait! I will work hard and surpass you in a few days! I will make you regret saying these words today!"

Reflection Cliff was on the waist of Broken Sword Peak, the back mountain of Lunhui Peak, a small cliff platform, probably only large enough for a few dozen people.

The stone wall was indented, providing shelter from the wind and rain. On one side of the cliff, there was a half-dead, twisted old pine tree, and nothing else.

Xiaochuan Ye had not yet reached the fifth level, the Air-Riding realm, and was trapped on the cliff platform. Without wings, he could not leave the cliff.

"Damn, this is a huge loss. For a few dozen taels of silver, I got thirty strokes and three months of solitary reflection on Reflection Cliff! When I'm released, I will demand compensation from that bastard Zhu Changshui, including lost wages, medical expenses, and mental distress. I won't let him off with less than a hundred taels of silver!"

"Three months, so what! In the mountains, there are no days, and a thousand years pass in the world! Three months is just a blink of an eye for us cultivators."

"So boring, can someone come and talk to me?"

"Help! Let me out..."

Less than half an hour after being on Reflection Cliff, Xiaochuan Ye's desperate cries for help echoed.

He was naturally active and carefree, and being alone in this desolate place for three months, let alone three days, was unbearable. He would rather be killed by Pan'er Gu than endure this.

Finally, as dusk approached, he hoped that the disciple bringing his meal would talk to him and alleviate his boredom.

Unexpectedly, while Xiaochuan Ye was eagerly waiting, a large, colorful strange bird flew over from the front mountain. Its wingspan was nearly seven or eight feet, and its beak was colorful with a hook, like an eagle's, but its claws were bald and not as sharp as an eagle's.

Xiaochuan Ye, upon seeing it, immediately jumped up and cursed, "Gulubird? No need to be so cruel!"

The colorful Gulubird, holding a food box in its claws, circled above Reflection Cliff and landed on the platform, placing the food box down. Then, it flew to the branch of the half-dead old pine tree and began to preen its feathers.

Xiaochuan Ye was so angry that his eyes sparkled with golden light. Being punished to Reflection Cliff was already miserable enough, and Sun Yao, that scoundrel, had even sent a silly Gulubird to torment him further!