46 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

Returning to the Main Page of Rampaging Dragon Lady Main Page 》 Information Page of Rampaging Dragon Lady 》 Latest Chapter of Rampaging Dragon Lady 》 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Previous Chapter Bookmark Bookshelf Management Return to Contents Next Chapter His elbow was exactly where the disciplinary whip had struck him. Bai Fan was a little better off, having been whipped across the back, which, although causing a tingling pain, at least didn’t hinder her movements. “With skills like yours, you still dare to come looking for trouble?” Bai Fan gazed at the three people in front of her, who were now sporting bruised and swollen faces from her beating. She didn’t really feel much disdain for them; rather, she found the situation amusing. Just as they were about to argue with Bai Fan, two disciples came in from outside, bringing in four bowls of white rice and a stack of scriptures. “This is from Uncle Sun Xi. Each of you must copy these scriptures a thousand times. If you don’t finish, you’ll keep copying. You each get one bowl of rice per day.” After delivering the message, they placed the items down, locked the door, and left, leaving the four of them alone in the Punishment Hall. After a moment of silence, the three started yelling. “Why do we have to copy these scriptures? A thousand times? Do they want us to die? I couldn’t finish even if I copied for a year.” “One bowl of white rice? Are we beggars? I came here to cultivate, not to starve.” The tall guy stood up and kicked over the bowls of white rice. Bai Fan almost rolled her eyes, thinking that even if he didn’t want to eat, he shouldn’t kick over her food. Bai Fan had come to Xuanming with the intention of cultivating seriously. She hadn’t expected to get into such trouble on her first day. To avoid being thrown out, she now had to obey the rules. She got up, picked up a scripture, took some ink and a brush, and started copying. Though she didn’t know when she’d be done, she figured if she kept at it, she’d eventually finish. While grinding the ink, she glanced at the other three. The tall one had a delicate appearance and narrow eyes that gave him a scheming look. The other two were shorter—one was chubby and sturdy, the other skinny and timid. She had no idea how these three had come together. After the bowls were kicked over, the only sound left in the room was Bai Fan grinding ink. She leisurely spread out a piece of paper and began copying the scriptures. As she copied, she occasionally pondered their meaning. Bai Fan’s handwriting was crooked, and she only managed to copy two pages after half a day. The other three just sat there without even touching the scriptures. As she turned to the next page, the tall guy’s taunting voice broke the silence: “Some people just love playing the goodie-goodie, copying scriptures like they’re studying.” “If you have the energy to mock me, you’d better conserve your strength to lie down. By nightfall, you might find it unbearable when you’re starving.” “You…” The tall guy choked on his words, wanting to start a fight but sitting back down angrily because of the pain in his elbow. As night fell, Bai Fan lit a lamp and continued copying. The seals on her cultivation were finally completely lifted. She wasn’t afraid of these three brats anymore. Most disciples entering Xuanming were in the early stages of cultivation, nowhere near the fasting period. So, throwing away the food didn’t bother Bai Fan; it only meant the three of them would starve. Soon enough, their stomachs growled loudly in the empty hall, sounding like croaking frogs. The three young men clutched their stomachs in regret, whispering, “What do we do? I’m so hungry.” “Who told you to eat so much usually? Now you’re starving after just one day without food. Your stomach is the loudest.” Bai Fan had been in this world for decades, and it seemed like this was her first all-nighter. Normally, she would take a break during meditation. Now, copying the scriptures seemed to energize her. After copying ten or so pages, Bai Fan realized the benefits of these scriptures. In the past, her cultivation had relied on the basic methods given to her by Liansheng from Qingxu Sect. She didn’t really understand the importance of refining her mind. She accidentally reached the Foundation Establishment stage by sheer luck. Copying the scriptures now, she understood the importance of mental cultivation. She glanced at the cover of the scriptures and read the words “Calming Heart Mantra,” which made her suddenly understand. Liansheng had been punished to copy something similar back then. The next day, someone brought them food again. The three young men, who had been starving the night before, pounced on it, devouring the food greedily. Bai Fan, however, continued copying the scriptures with her head down. The tall guy looked back at her after finishing his meal, frowning. The chubby disciple didn’t care if Bai Fan was going to eat. As long as the food was untouched, he took it for himself. This routine repeated for two or three days. Eventually, even the chubby disciple became curious, whispering, “Doesn’t he ever get hungry?” The tall guy shot him a glare, crossing his arms as his frown deepened. It wasn’t possible for someone to go without food for three days unless they had reached the fasting stage or taken fasting pills. The more Bai Fan copied, the more her mind settled. It felt like she was entering a new world; even if she didn’t understand the underlying principles, simply copying and memorizing them made her mental state more serene. Her exceptional memory allowed her to memorize the scriptures after copying them once, although she intentionally slowed down, writing neatly so that others could read her work. She didn’t want to be forced to rewrite the scriptures because they were illegible. To the others, it seemed like she was enjoying copying the scriptures. In contrast, they were growing hungrier each day. The white rice wasn’t enough to fill their stomachs, only making them hungrier. Seeing Bai Fan diligently copying pages, the tall guy finally couldn’t hold back. He approached her. Bai Fan was about to dip her brush in ink when she noticed the tall guy standing in front of her. She looked up, seeing that he seemed to be looking for trouble, and then continued copying, ignoring him. “Why don’t you eat?” The tall guy asked, puzzled. “Because I don’t need to.” “Did you take fasting pills?” Bai Fan glanced at him, thinking to herself that she was already at the Foundation Establishment stage and had no need for fasting pills. She kept her head down, continuing to copy, not wanting to waste words on him. The three others assumed Bai Fan’s silence meant she had used fasting pills. “Hmph, even if you took fasting pills, they only last a month. I don’t believe you can copy all these scriptures in a month.” He walked away, returning to his spot to sit in a daze. The three of them refused to copy the scriptures, probably thinking the sect wouldn’t really make them complete them; they figured they hadn’t committed a major offense and would be released after a month. Half a month flew by. Bai Fan was still diligently copying, barely resting, earning the grudging respect of the other three. They thought this disciple from the Sun family had some perseverance and wasn’t just a pretty face. However, to their disappointment, no one came to release them after a month. Hunger was their constant companion; they had stopped trying to peep outside and now lay on the ground from exhaustion. Bai Fan remained steady at her task, halfway through her first copy of the scriptures. She estimated she’d complete the first round in another month. However, one round was just the beginning. Wondering how long it would take to finish a thousand rounds, the three disciples realized the sect might really make them complete the task. They had underestimated the sect’s seriousness. These scriptures were the “Calming Heart Mantra,” a foundational text every major sect disciple had to learn. Watching Bai Fan, who remained unaffected by hunger, the tall guy couldn’t understand. Even if fasting pill effects had worn off, she seemed unaffected. He began to suspect there was a secret within the scriptures. Driven by this thought, he started copying them as well. The two behind him were shocked. “Wang Li, what are you doing?” “Copying scriptures.” “Are you crazy?” “Don’t you realize we’ve been here almost two months, and the sect has no intention of letting us out? If we keep wasting time, we might never get out.” “But a thousand times… it’ll take forever.” “Well, we have to start somewhere.” With a determined look, he ground the ink and picked up the brush, fully intent on copying until he was done. Watching Bai Fan and the tall guy Wang Li’s backs as they immersed themselves in their task, the other two hesitated. Finally, the chubby disciple gritted his teeth and stomped his foot. “I, Chen Mang, won’t believe I can’t finish this. Even if it takes a lifetime, starving every day and doing nothing is no different from being a beggar.” The skinny, timid disciple looked at the backs of the three before timidly beginning to grind his ink as well. Chen Mang, taking a deep breath while holding his brush, turned to him and encouraged, “Chen Yan, keep it up. We are the Chen family’s hope.” “Okay.” Bai Fan paused her writing for a moment, watching in silence as the three began their fervent copying. Time flew by as they became engrossed in copying the scriptures. Outside the Punishment Hall, an entire year had passed, and the temperaments of all four had gradually settled. One day, Sun Xi arrived outside the hall and asked a disciple accompanying him, “How are they doing?” “Reporting to Uncle, the first few months they waited for their meals every day, but later on, they really started copying the scriptures. One of them started copying from the very beginning and hasn’t eaten a meal since.” “Oh, really?” Sun Xi quietly stood outside, observing the inside of the hall. Bai Fan’s stack of copied scriptures was the thickest, showing she had copied around two hundred times. He knew this child, sent from the family, and wasn’t surprised she had reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Her determination was commendable. “Let’s go.” After they left, Bai Fan glanced towards the door with some confusion, feeling like someone had been watching her. But seeing nothing, she figured it was just her imagination. By this time, Bai Fan had copied the “Calming Heart Mantra” two hundred and seventy times. She hadn’t expected to spend over a year here and still had more than seven hundred times left to copy. Initially, she had thought she could cultivate well at Xuanming. Instead, she was spending years in the Punishment Hall, unaware of what had happened in the world outside over the past year. Reflecting on it, Bai Fan realized that copying the “Calming Heart Mantra” was beneficial. As a demon with chaotic thoughts and prominent greed and malice, this year of copying scriptures had calmed her considerably. The human qualities from her previous life were becoming more evident, almost as if Liansheng would mistake her for a different person if he saw her now. Copying the “Calming Heart Mantra” had not only improved her mental state but also her cultivation. Bai Fan broke through from the second to the third layer of Foundation Establishment, having previously been stuck, relying solely on spirit wine to purify her spiritual power. Here, she broke through naturally without any deliberate meditation or pills. Similarly, the other three had also made progress in their cultivation over the year, explaining their diligence in copying the scriptures. While the four of them quietly went about their copying in the hall, a significant event occurred in the outside world. Pure Yang Palace and Ephemeral Palace had finally broken their alliance, and this conflict spread throughout the cultivation world. Though major sects remained inactive, smaller sects were dragged into the conflict. Unable to withstand Pure Yang’s assault, Ephemeral Palace was eventually overtaken, turning a once-thriving sect into ruins within a night. However, Pure Yang did not wipe them out completely. But like squirrels fleeing a falling tree, many seized the opportunity to loot Ephemeral Palace, leaving it a desolate place with nothing but a dying vine of hermitage flowers. Once a proud beacon atop the mountain, Ephemeral Palace was now in ruins. The fate of its once-promising disciple, He Yiman, was unknown, while her young novice Bai Zhi was hunted everywhere. Rogue cultivators faced even harsher times, with human ferocity laid bare in the aftermath of the battle. Formerly noble cultivators were now seen committing acts as vile as demons. The once-peaceful cultivation world was now fraught with danger. Starving and with no alternatives, many low-level rogue cultivators emerged from their hermitages. They no longer wanted to risk their caves being raided by thieves. They flocked to immortal cities protected by the Heavenly Dao Alliance, where rogue cultivators still dared not extend their reach. Five years flew by in a blink. Bai Fan finally completed copying the “Calming Heart Mantra” one thousand times, her cultivation reaching the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment. Stretching her limbs for the first time in half a day, Bai Fan felt fortunate that she had reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Otherwise, sitting in one place for five years might have left her with paralyzed muscles and bones. As she stood up and brushed off the dust, Wang Li asked, “Finished copying your thousand times?” “Finished.” “What? You actually finished? I’ve only done about seven hundred times.” Chen Mang had slimmed down noticeably. They had all grown taller over the years. Bai Fan, in particular, looked significantly taller due to her increased cultivation, almost as tall as the other three. However, as the other three entered puberty and started to develop Adam’s apples, Bai Fan’s neck remained smooth and fair, her face pale and clear like flour, often leading them to question her gender. But her waist tag dispelled their doubts as it bore the character for ‘male.’ Just as Bai Fan stood up, a disciple entered the hall and, under the watchful gazes of the trio, led Bai Fan out of the Punishment Hall that had confined her for five years. After Bai Fan left, Chen Mang sighed, “Looks like it’ll take us another year or two to get out.” “Stop complaining. Let’s keep copying,” Wang Li urged. Outside, Bai Fan felt disoriented, staring at the sky she hadn’t seen in a long time. The outside world appeared unchanged since her confinement. “Follow me, Uncle wants to see you.” “Uncle?” The name didn’t register immediately with Bai Fan, who had been confined to the Punishment Hall shortly after arriving at Xuanming. She knew no one except Wang Li and the others. Dressed in men’s clothing, with a tall and slender figure and a gentle, refined face, she exuded a gender-ambiguous charm reminiscent of He Yiman. Some say if you obsess over someone, you slowly turn into them. Over these five years, Bai Fan had let go of many attachments, almost forgetting much of her past life. However, He Yiman’s promise stuck with her, a commitment she couldn’t forget. Following the guiding disciple, Bai Fan occasionally caught the amazed stares of other disciples. While she might have looked like a girl in earlier years, she had grown into a striking beauty, her demon lineage giving her an alluring visage. Yet, Wang Li and the others, having lived with her for five years, were accustomed to her appearance and felt nothing unusual. Nevertheless, to newcomers, her beauty was eye-catching. No other man in Xuanming possessed such androgynous appeal, making it hard for people not to stare. Bai Fan frowned as she felt the strange gazes, wondering if her female identity had been discovered. Over the years, she’d suppressed any signs of femininity, particularly flattening her chest, using her height to conceal it. Her slim chest looked no different from a man’s. Lost in thought, she touched her smooth chin, considering if her lack of facial hair was causing the confusion. Finally, they arrived. The disciple instructed Bai Fan to enter alone. Pushing open the door without further thought, she stepped in. The place was simple and unadorned, with a pond of clear water in front and not a fish in sight. Under the eaves at the entrance, sat a person Bai Fan recognized. It was he who had brought her to the Punishment Hall and whipped her with that unforgettable fiery pain. Sun Xi watched as Bai Fan entered. In five years, this child’s cultivation had progressed remarkably, though her face had grown equally distracting. Fortunately, she wore a man’s attire; as a girl, she’d be destined to draw trouble. “So, how do you feel after five years of copying scriptures?” Bai Fan was taken aback by the abrupt question, almost feeling choked. What thoughts could she have after copying for five years? All she had left was a calm and desireless state. "Disciple will never dare again," Bai Fan sincerely promised, swearing off private fights with no complaints or resentment. "You were young and full of energy, which is normal. I was the same back then. I had to copy the 'Calming Heart Mantra' for ten years before I was released." Hearing this, Bai Fan was stunned. So, he had been a repeat offender too! He had suffered and then passed the ordeal onto them younger disciples. “What, thinking I’m getting back at you?” “No.” Bai Fan broke into a cold sweat, amazed at how he seemed to read her mind. Was this a skill high-level cultivators possessed? Sun Xi smiled faintly, then asked, “Would you be willing to take me as your master?” “Huh?” “Our Sun family typically doesn’t take familial disciples, but your case is unique. Even though you came out from our Sun family, you’re not a direct member. Therefore, there’s no rule-breaking in making you my disciple.” Bai Fan was still processing the sudden development. After spending five years in the Punishment Hall, she had expected to muddle through her cultivation alone. She hadn't anticipated this opportunity to become someone’s disciple. “You’re unwilling?” Seeing Bai Fan’s prolonged silence, Sun Xi presumed she held resentment against him for making her copy the scriptures for five years. While others had been advancing, she had seemingly been left behind. “No, no, it’s not that. I’m willing, very willing,” Bai Fan hastily explained. Having a master’s guidance was infinitely better than being without one. Her previous half-hearted mentor at Wan Feng Tai had set her a difficult task and left her to fend for herself. This master was genuine and truly wanted to teach her. Sun Xi, seeing her eager response, smiled with satisfaction and waved his sleeves. “Then kneel and acknowledge me as your master.” “Yes.” Bai Fan took a deep breath, recalling the formalities of disciple induction from the Grand Hall ceremony. Previously, she’d revered the Sun family’s patriarch; now, she was honoring a master-teacher. She folded her hands and raised them above her head, kneeling before Sun Xi and bowing deeply. This gesture signified accepting him as her lifelong master. After three kowtows, Sun Xi extended a hand to lift her up, a force raising her effortlessly, marking her acceptance as his disciple. “Disciple Bai Fan greets Master.” “You have a steady mind but average aptitude. Still, given your fortunate chances and now stepping onto the cultivation path, I expect you to be diligent. I bestow upon you the name Xuan Yu.” “Bai Fan thanks Master.” ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you to the little angels who cast [landmines] or irrigated [nutrient solution] for me~ Thank you to the little angel who cast [landmine]: 迟迟 1; Thank you to the little angels who irrigated [nutrient solution]: Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard! Previous Chapter Contents Next Chapter Homepage Desktop Version Bookshelf Novel List Popular Novels