Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 212 - 211: Chastising the Disobedient Eldest Disciple Under the Moon

Qing Yueqiu stood silently behind her Master. She watched the thin clouds drift by and the night wind lift the hem of his white robes. The oppressive atmosphere finally became unbearable.

She would rather have her Master scold her harshly than have him say nothing to her at all.

It made her feel as if she were being abandoned. Qing Yueqiu absolutely could not bear being abandoned by her Master; the feeling was like falling into a frozen sea—every breath filled her mouth with shards of ice, suffocating and hopeless.

After a moment's hesitation, Qing Yueqiu finally dared to reach out and tug on Pei Yuhang's collar, whispering:

"Master, I really didn't mean to cause you trouble. I just saw that awful woman harassing you, and I couldn't control my emotions…"

"Yueqiu, do you know why I am angry?"

Pei Yuhang finally spoke, interrupting Qing Yueqiu.

"You still don't understand. I am not angry about the citation or the fine. Those are trivial matters.

I am simply disappointed. As my head disciple, you cultivate the Supreme Forgetfulness Sword Dao. You should be the calmest of Sword Cultivators, the most able to restrain your emotions. Yet you completely lost your composure.

Your agitated Dao Heart is what disappoints me the most."

"Master, I was just so worried about you. The moment I see a wicked woman get close to you, I get so scared…"

Qing Yueqiu clutched the hem of Pei Yuhang's robes, a sense of being wronged welling up in her heart.

"What are you worried about? That she would harm me? You should understand that very few Cultivators at my same realm can put me at a disadvantage.

Worried that I'd actually be seduced by her? That is an even more absurd idea. I would never do anything to betray your mistress."

Pei Yuhang turned back, his gaze stern yet tinged with tenderness.

"Yueqiu, can you tell me what you are truly worried about?"

"I… I don't know…"

How could she not understand what Pei Yuhang was saying?

'Master is so powerful and so loyal to his mistress. If he's unwilling, no wicked woman could ever succeed…'

But whenever Qing Yueqiu saw a woman with ill intentions toward her Master approach him, her chest would tighten, and she found it impossible to suppress the flames rising in her heart.

'I want to be the only one by Master's side.'

'I understand now. This must be extreme jealousy. To think that I, who appear so pure and passionless, am actually such a jealous woman.'

'But I can never tell Master something like this.'

Therefore, she could only use "I don't know" to hide her true thoughts.

Pei Yuhang looked at his silent disciple, her head lowered. With a flip of his hand, a Ruler appeared. "Since you don't know, then accept your punishment first. You haven't forgotten the rules of our lineage, have you?"

"This disciple understands. I am willing to accept punishment."

Hearing this, Qing Yueqiu's voice trembled slightly. It was hard to tell if it was from nervousness or… anticipation.

She slowly turned around, her back to Pei Yuhang.

"Bend over. Otherwise, if I hit your back, it will affect your cultivation tomorrow."

"Mm…"

Qing Yueqiu nodded and responded. She never refused her Master's requests.

Like a docile kitten, she obediently bent over. The bright moonlight cast itself upon the breathtaking curve of her waist, like a hazy white veil draped over her, tempting one to lift it and see what lay beneath.

The young woman's current posture was not exactly graceful. Fortunately, night had fallen, and the airspace around the Flying Ship was deserted. No one would see this shameful scene.

"Master, I am ready to receive my punishment… Please, Master, don't show me any mercy. Punish me harshly!"

Pei Yuhang tightened his grip on the old Ruler he had used for decades and said faintly, "Yueqiu, now is the time to reflect on your mistakes."

"The first strike is for not trusting your Master and acting on my behalf without permission! Your mistake was blind arrogance!"

As the White-clothed Sword Immortal finished speaking, the Ruler fell like a horsewhip, striking Qing Yueqiu on her upturned rear.

Pei Yuhang showed no mercy. The sound of the wooden Ruler colliding with the young woman's soft, elastic flesh echoed in the night. Perhaps because of the stillness, the sound of the spanking seemed even louder.

Whether from the pain or the shame of her Master watching her from behind, a blush crept onto the young woman's face. She clenched her jaw, refusing to let out a single moan.

"The second strike is for acting on your own and then trying to make excuses, failing to clearly recognize your mistake!"

The Ruler in Pei Yuhang's hand swung down again. The punishing SMACK was like a clap of thunder. Tears welled in the pained young woman's eyes, but she kept her waist bent and her legs straight, accepting the punishment.

When a man makes a mistake, he must stand tall and take his beating. When a woman makes a mistake, she naturally must bend over and be spanked.

Qing Yueqiu would not beg her Master for mercy or a lighter punishment just because she was a Female Cultivator.

"The third strike is for your unstable Dao Heart and for giving rise to distracting thoughts!"

SMACK—

Pei Yuhang did not give Qing Yueqiu a moment to catch her breath and recover after the last strike before bringing the Ruler down again.

Moreover, the "despicable" Sword Immortal said it was one strike, but in reality, every time the Ruler fell, it would strike once as it fell and again with a flick on the return…

After several consecutive punishments from the Ruler, Qing Yueqiu, who could not use Spiritual Qi to defend herself and could only endure it with her physical body, finally lost her footing. Her legs trembled as she began to fall backward.

Pei Yuhang caught her soft, jade-like body. Seeing the beads of sweat covering his disciple's flushed, swan-like neck, he knew the girl had truly suffered.

To endure such painful punishment without a single moan, accepting it all in silence, showed that the young woman's willpower was indeed strong—much stronger than Ji Xichan, who would start wailing after just two hits.

'Unfortunately… she doesn't apply this same willpower to the cultivation of her Dao Heart.'

Pei Yuhang never doubted the strength of Yueqiu's ability to execute tasks, but he had always been worried about her inner flaws.

'Perhaps… it's because she relies on me too much.'

'I might have truly become a stumbling block on Yueqiu's path to growth…'

"Master, Master? Why aren't you saying anything? Have I disappointed you again?"

"I can still go on! Master, please continue punishing me!"

Seeing Pei Yuhang's silence, Qing Yueqiu thought he was disappointed because her legs had suddenly given out and she had fallen, cutting his punishment short before he was satisfied.

She quickly grabbed the railing of the Flying Ship, preparing to stand up and present her red, aching… for her Master to continue the punishment.

"That's enough, Yueqiu."

"It's over. I know you've realized your mistake."

Pei Yuhang took Qing Yueqiu's hand, signaling for her not to force herself to stand.

After a moment's hesitation, he placed his hand on the spot where the Ruler had just landed, infusing it with Pure Yang True Qi, rich with Life Force, to help his disciple's injuries recover.

"Thank you, Master…"

Feeling the warm Spiritual Qi flowing into her body and her Master's large, reassuring hand pressed against her, a shy blush, unique to a young woman, crept onto Qing Yueqiu's face. For a moment, she even felt that perhaps this punishment wasn't such a bad thing after all.

'If every punishment ended with the reward of Master's hand comforting me, then I could probably grit my teeth and endure one in the morning, noon, and night.'

Just as Qing Yueqiu was doing her utmost to suppress a soft moan, trying to feel the warmth of her Master's palm as calmly as possible, Pei Yuhang suddenly spoke:

"Yueqiu, when will your Immortal Skirt be ready?"

"The people at Xianyu Tower said that with all the materials ready, it will take fifteen days to make. It should be ready in time for the opening of the Secret Realm."

"That's good."

Pei Yuhang nodded, saying no more.

During his earlier reflection, he had already made a decision. In order for Yueqiu to break free from his influence and find her own path in life, Pei Yuhang planned to have her move out of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.

'However, to avoid disturbing her state of mind, I should probably tell her this after she finishes exploring the Secret Realm.'