The good thing about reaching the end of the cliff was that you could not fall any further down. The shame that flooded Gu Yuze's body was intense. It made him grit his teeth, stand up, dust off the dirt on his faded blue robes, and raise his head high.
He met their gazes, his eyes burning as he dared them to say a single word.
They did not, and the three of them headed inside the large hall. There was a queue of disciples standing in front of the counter; some had serious countenances, others looked more like Cao Ru, aggrieved.
Gu Yuze bit the inside of his cheeks as he looked at the queue. He was so hungry, he had already started seeing sounds and smelling colors. Who knew how long it would take before it reached his turn?
The moment everyone in the queue saw the three of them, they bowed lightly, "Greetings to Senior Brother."
Gu Yuze rolled his eyes. Did they really need to perform this ceremony every time they saw him?
"Senior Brother, please go first."
Gu Yuze could already tell the response that this senior brother of his would give, something about the rule of queuing and how it is against the sect principles.
"Thank you!"
Gu Yuze's eyes widened slightly in shock as the senior brother bowed in thanks and walked through the queue to the front.
The inner Punishment Hall looked more like a human court than a Taoist Punishment Hall—except this time, there were no seats for the audience.
It was simply built with an elevated dais that an elder in charge of minor punishments was sitting on. There was a distracted look on his face that immediately changed when he saw them.
Elder Zhang Yu smiled lightly as he looked at the senior brother, "Disciple Han Ji, you brought a case under misdemeanors. When did you get back?"
"Greetings to Elder Zhang Yu. I returned today."
"You should have gone in to rest; you must be tired."
"Thank you for your concern. I and Junior Brother Su rested for a night before getting back."
The elder sighed, but there was a faint smile of pride at the corner of his lips. "Okay. What happened?"
Han Ji stepped forward. His voice was cold, and his tone had no particular inflections as he robotically repeated everything that happened as he had witnessed it.
Cao Ru lowered her head even more. In all of her days in the Lingyun Sect, she had never entered the Punishment Hall for any reason, and now there would be a mark on her record. She glanced at Gu Yuze, who looked like none of what was happening in front of him concerned him.
Her eyes darkened.
"Acts of harm towards a fellow disciple are a grave violation of sect principles. You are disciple Cao Ru?"
"Yes, Elder Zhang Yu."
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Cao Ru stepped forward. Her eyes were tinted red, and she looked nothing like the person who had bullied him earlier. "I don't know what came over me. I will think over what I have done. I am sorry for provoking him."
The elder nodded his head. "Acknowledging your fault is the first step towards growth. However, you are remorseful, and you were not the one who raised your hand against your fellow disciple; I would take that into consideration." The elder thought for a while, "For provoking your fellow disciples, you will work in the Refinement Hall for three days."
Cao Ru's eyes glittered even more. She was a woman, and most women did not enjoy going to the Refinement Hall that was hotter than a sauna, not to mention the kind of tasks those burly disciples would ask her to do.
Gu Yuze! One day, one day, she would pay him back in kind. "Thank you, Elder." With that, she bowed and left the hall.
"You are Gu Yuze." He lifted his gaze from his book and landed on Gu Yuze, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
Was it just him, or was this elder's voice colder? Did this elder know him?
"Yes, greetings to Elder Zhang Yu."
"Hmm. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Gu Yuze swallowed the part about her needing a beating and decided to give a mellow answer: "I am sorry. When she tripped me, I didn't know what came over me."
He even bowed meekly. Three days in the Refinement Hall should not be so bad. He wondered what happened to his sword when he died. He should look towards getting a new one.
"Disciple Gu Yuze. Do you perhaps think this is an entertainment hall? Parroting what Disciple Cao Ru had said. No regard for rules or respect for this hallowed hall. No remorse for your actions."
Gu Yuze looked up at the now stern-looking elder. What the…
He scrambled in his mind as he looked for something to resolve this situation when the Elder slammed the hammer in his hand on his desk, "You will reflect in the Shaodi Cave for three days and three nights."
Gu Yuze heard a gasp beside him and turned to look at Senior Brother Han Ji, who stared ahead as if he was not a part of this hearing—his face cold and solemn. Had he heard wrong?
Shaodi Cave. He had heard that before, but where, and what was it? It definitely did not sound like somewhere he would like to be spending his night either way.
"Elder! I am truly sorry."
"My decision is final. I would be taking a break to meditate. Disciple Han Ji relay it to Elder Chen Ling. Escort Gu Yuze to the Shaodi Cave. A bit of reflection would do him some good."
He left. He really left.
"Come along." Han Ji said. When Gu Yuze did not move, he looked back and silently raised his hand up to write something.
Recalling the humiliating way he was brought to the Punishment Hall, Gu Yuze rolled his eyes. "I am coming. No need to get your panties in a bunch."
He walked past the Icy Senior Brother, missing the stunned expression in Han Ji's eyes.
When he reached the door and did not hear any footsteps, he looked back to meet that cold gaze he was soon coming to hate.