"Time for the punishment!"

With the overseer's loud yell, the five cultivators below began to line up onto the platform. The person in the lead was a medicinal master, and after a quick sweep of his spirit sense to check on Tie Rukuang's physical state, he tugged down Tie Rukuang's lower jaw, shoved a spirit pellet filled with blood essence into his mouth, and then helped the pellet dissolve to ensure he wouldn't die during the process.

Such a cruel punishment. A single day was enough to kill someone, so how could they possibly live through such torment for three months? This was precisely why this medicinal master was necessary, and it was his responsibility to keep his life hanging from a thread from beginning to end.

After being force-fed the pellet, Tie Rukuang was visibly angered and opened his blood-red eyes. "Huangfu clan... I.. I've had no dispute in any worldly matters, how.. how can you so freely do this to me?" he rasped out in a deep voice, using as much volume as he could manage.

The medicinal master sneered when he heard this. "If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for teaching such a good pupil. The only method we have to force him out is to do this to you, but rest assured, once he shows up, I'll give you a quick and painless death!"

Tie Rukuang became furious and started shouting, "He.. he was expelled from our Qing-Yun Sect long ago! What do I have to do with him anymore? You.. you.. you want to use me to force him out, but it will all be for nothing... The Huangfu clan is called the hidden royal family, yet you can't catch even a small child... You have no method but to use such a wicked scheme? Are you not ashamed of yourselves?"

The Huangfu clan medic smiled. "To say he was expelled from the sect is indeed true, but it may not necessarily be true that there's no bond shared between him and his teacher. When the kid bombed and robbed the Qing-Yun Sect's valleys, it is a fact he didn't touch a single hair of your Duanzhen Valley. Besides, you tried to cover for him back then, right? As long as this kid has any conscience to speak of, he won't really watch you go through the entire three months of torture, now would he?" At this, the medic paused before showing a smile and lowering his voice. "Besides, so what if that kid doesn't show up? You're nothing more than some disposable Foundation Stage cultivator; we Huangfu clan won't have any problems killing such a person!"

Tie Rukuang's eyes were filled with blood as though he'd gone completely mad. This medic had spoken the true thoughts of the Huangfu clan: so what if Fang Xing wasn't lured to come out? Tie Rukuang was nothing more than a Foundation Stage cultivator, and whether he lived or died wouldn't make a difference to them. In the eyes of the Huangfu clan, he was nothing more than an insect not worth mentioning. If people like him were killed, they were killed. Luring out Fang Xing would be ideal, but there wouldn't be an issue even if he didn't come...

The medic became rather interested when he saw Tie Rukuang's anger. He waved his hand with a smile and proclaimed, "Punishment!"

BOOM ...

The eight formation flags in the sky above began to rotate, gathering a countless number of dark clouds. After a long time had passed, a lightning bolt as thick as an arm dropped down from the clouds and struck Tie Rukuang secured with iron to the purple and gold pillar. The lightning arced like a silver snake along the copper surface before thrusting into Tie Rukuang's body, causing him to roar out amidst an ear-deafening noise. Tie Rukuang wasn't screaming in pain, however—he was shouting in rage. "Huangfu clan, how can you sleep at night after daring to do this to me!"

BOOM ...

The second lightning bolt struck the purple copper pillar closely behind the first.

Tie Rukuang's voice was even louder than the thunder. "All I did was teach a student! All I did was educate and nurture someone! I—Tie Rukuang—have done nothing wrong! For you to impose such a crime on me and shame me, are you not afraid karma will come for you?"

"Hmph, you still have enough energy to yell; it seems the punishment is still too light!" The medic smirked. "The power of the next strike can be raised slightly. He won't die with me watching over everything!"

BOOM ...

The third bolt was three times thicker than the previous two and smashed against the purple copper pillar like a slurry of lightning.

" Ahhhhh !" Tie Rukuang began to let out mournful howls; no matter how tough he was, it was difficult for him to withstand the pain of having his soul and body split apart. As for the medic of the Huangfu clan, he simply said, "Karma? If karma exists within Jambu, then it also belongs to the Huangfu clan!"

"Wanting to use such a filthy method to force that little bastard out, you really are dreaming. Doing something like this would only anger him..." After the pained cries, Tie Rukuang returned to his endless fury. "He was chosen by Shishu Bai, how can he be so easily captured by all of you? I might not have understood why Shishu Bai chose him before, but I know now. The more cruelty you show to me today, the greater his future potential will become. You have all already committed a huge mistake." His hysterical voice rose up from the platform and spread in all directions. "You think he has angered the Huangfu clan, but the fact is, it is you Huangfu clan that have angered him ! You kill me today, and that kid will assuredly massacre your entire clan once he grows in the future!"

The pain Tie Rukuang was forced to endure was absolutely maddening. He didn't truly believe Fang Xing had the ability to massacre the entire Huangfu clan, but he still had to find some glimmer of hope amidst his desperation, so he put all of his hope on that little brat who'd brought him these problems in the first place. That little brat had been chosen by Shishu Bai—there had to be something special about him! The fact the Huangfu clan hadn't been able to deal with him was enough to prove that little brat's ability, and since the brat had ability, he shouldn't come here. He should hide, hide until that little insect grows up into a man-eating beast that will emerge and avenge him.

"Esteemed Shifu..." The Duanzhen disciples were all crying their eyes out while on their knees in the valley below the platform. Because of their Spirit Stage cultivation level, however, they didn't dare even to cry too loudly, much less try to save Tie Rukuang.

A countless number of cultivators were watching from either side as Tie Rukuang received his torment. When the news spread that Tie Rukuang was going to punished, the Qing-Yun Sect had completely lifted the protective formation covering the mountains so everyone could come and watch. One reason to do this was to leave the cultivators in a state of shock and let them see the consequences of disobeying the Huangfu clan, which would later be spread through word of mouth. Another reason was to intentionally allow that well-hidden little brat a chance to come inside; the Huangfu clan believed that as long as the kid saw Tie Rukuang being tormented, he definitely wouldn't be able to hold back and would willingly expose himself.

The Huangfu clan had an extremely deep background and network, and they'd also nurtured a great number of strategists. They'd been analyzing Fang Xing's actions for quite some time now, and although the strategists were certain Fang Xing was indeed the Snowy Mountain disciple Fang Xiaojiu, the Spirit Mountain Temple's involvement had forced them to accept the story the two were actually different people. Regardless, if Fang Xiaojiu and Fang Xing were truly the same person, they'd still be able to predict the most likely method he'd use. They believed Fang Xiaojiu had purposefully cut off his connections with the Snowy Mountain in order to not cause any trouble for them, and so it could be seen this little demon wasn't completely cold-blooded. This was effectively a weakness, and a weakness could be exploited.

The strategists had determined there was a seventy percent chance that Fang Xiaojiu would reveal himself if he saw Tie Rukuang being punished, so they'd extended the punishment over three months. This was indeed a form of torment for Tie Rukuang, but it was a different kind of torment for that little demon hidden in the shadows as well, and one that was unlikely he'd be able to completely endure.

—

Beneath an ancient pine tree on top of another peak, two people played a game of Weiqi. One wore a red robe—Qin'nyao—and the other donned a hemp robe—a dark-faced Xiao Shanhe. Both of them showed no expressions as they exchanged turns, but the placement of the stones on the game board showed that their minds were not nearly as calm as the two seemed on the surface.

"Shimei Qin'nyao, this stone of yours; you've made another mistake." Xiao Shanhe expressionlessly spoke while blocking off several of Elder Qin'yano's white stones.

Elder Qin'nyao let out a long sigh and simply stopped playing at all. "Will that brat really show up?"

"He will," Xiao Shanhe calmly replied before sweeping his gaze over the cultivators who'd come to watch the punishment. "Perhaps he already has."

Elder Qin'nyao creased her brows before lightly speaking, "Tie Rukuang is still someone from the same sect as us..."

"Is someone from the same sect more important, or are cultivation opportunities more important?" With that, Xiao Shanhe placed another stone before continuing, "Besides, even if this little brat doesn't show up, we still received plenty of rewards by offering them this suggestion. Entering the Golden Core Stage is nearly certain, and what is that little brat to us as long as we form the golden core? Heh, we've won no matter what we do!"

Elder Qin'nyao became quiet when she heard this, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes. 'Well, what's done is done!' she reasoned to herself.

—

"Are we going inside?" the golden crow—disguised as a black crow—asked within a tea shop at the foot of one of the Qing-Yun Sect's mountains. Fang Xing had also used a method from the ordinary realm alongside makeup and clothing to change his appearance to that of a middle-aged man. With this, as long as he continued to hide his aura and nobody came close, not even a Golden Core could pick him out.

The place they were at was just close enough for them to see the dark clouds surrounding the Qing-Yun Sect. The golden crow could feel Fang Xing's body tighten every time a lightning bolt fell, and he could tell that even though Fang Xing wasn't showing much on the surface, he was still clearly angry. They'd been here for three days already, yet Fang Xing had held it all in the entire time.

From the moment he arrived, Fang Xing had been able to tell that even though the surroundings seemed poorly protected, there were hidden formations and cultivators scattered all over. He'd already determined that no matter what method he used, his chances of saving Tie Rukuang were below ten percent, so all he'd done is walk anxiously in circles without leaving at all.

In the golden crow's mind, they should either do something about it or leave it entirely. He was extremely worried about Fang Xing in his current state, but he understood Fang Xing's thoughts and so waited at his side.

Not far from Fang Xing and the golden crow was a grey-robed elderly man who'd been observing them with a calm gaze. The elderly man looked to be extremely ordinary, and his aura could almost not be sensed at all. He'd been watching Fang Xing and the golden crow for a long time now and had been following not too far behind, yet despite Fang Xing and the golden crow's alertness and sensitivity, the pair was completely ignorant of his existence and had no idea they were being followed.