468. Cutting Flesh

Hearing Xiao Wu’s teary voice, Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes.
What a green tea act!

She’s really overdoing it now!

Tang San, suppressing the panic in his heart, tried his best to sound calm and soothing.
“Xiao Wu, don’t come over.”

“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be fine.”

Xiao Wu’s eyes were filled with distress, her small hands discreetly rubbing her sore leg. She nodded lightly toward Tang San.

“…”

Zhu Zhuqing’s Purple Demon Eye naturally caught Xiao Wu’s subtle actions.

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, inwardly impressed.

Xiao Wu’s acting almost disrupted my own performance.

Seeing Xiao Wu stop in her tracks, Tang San breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew better than anyone how insidious Tang Sect methods could be, and he absolutely couldn’t let them implicate Xiao Wu.

Kneeling on the ground, his breathing was heavy as he lifted his head to look at Zhu Zhuqing, whose purple-gold eyes shone with a mysterious light.

His expression was filled with shock.
“It’s actually the Subtle Realm of the Purple Demon Eye!”

In his past life, even within the Tang Sect, few could achieve the Subtle Realm with the Purple Demon Eye.

He himself had no way to break through at present.

But now, standing before him, this young woman had successfully cultivated it!

Tang San’s heart grew heavy.

If this was true, her cultivation in her past life must have far surpassed his own.

Could she really have been an inner court elder of the sect?

“Do you recognize your crime, Tang San?”

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her purple-gold eyes, looking down at the kneeling Tang San. Her crisp voice turned low, carrying immense pressure.

Tang San’s expression fluctuated, his hands clenched tightly before he finally bent down further, lowering his head to the ground in submission.

His pride was built on his identity with the Tang Sect, but in the face of the sect itself, it held no value.

“D-disciple Tang San acknowledges his crime!”

“Heh.”

Zhu Zhuqing let out a cold laugh, her tone filled with mockery.
“For a moment, I almost thought you were trying to impersonate the true lineage of the Tang Sect with your eternal thievery.”

“Disciple wouldn’t dare!”

Tang San’s eyes flashed with panic as he hurriedly denied it.

Has the theft of the “Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record” really left such a lasting stain on my name?

Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her eyes, her expression indifferent.

Recalling the humiliating task assigned to her by Qian Renxue, she casually lifted her foot and pressed it against the back of Tang San’s head.

“Are you really not daring, Tang San?”

“Zhuqing!”

Xiao Wu stared in shock at the scene before her.

Dai Mubai furrowed his brows, feeling a desire to intervene but unable to find a valid reason.

Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, was resolutely warning himself to stay out of trouble.

Ning Rongrong moved closer to Xiao Wu, her gaze sharp and cold.
Could this Tang San be an enemy of my Holy Son Brother?

“…”

Sensing the tension around him, Tang San gritted his teeth and kept his head low, humiliation surging in his heart.

“Speak!”

Zhu Zhuqing frowned as she pressed her foot down harder.

“Zhuqing!” Xiao Wu called out again.

Without even looking at her, Zhu Zhuqing responded coldly,
“Xiao Wu, this matter doesn’t concern you!”

Tang San caught a glimpse of the teary-eyed Xiao Wu from the corner of his eye. Warmth filled his heart, but he could only lower his head and reply in a subdued voice:
“Tang San truly wouldn’t dare!”

“‘Wouldn’t dare,’ huh?”

Zhu Zhuqing laughed as she withdrew her foot. Crossing her arms, she stood tall and imposing.

“Since you admit your guilt, considering we are both strangers in a foreign land, I can choose to be lenient with you.”

“Th-thank you, Elder!”

Tang San was overwhelmed with relief, repeatedly expressing his gratitude.

He understood that his current circumstances were entirely different from those in his past life, and escape was impossible.

If only, in his previous life, someone had said the words “be lenient,” he wouldn’t have had to leap from Hell’s Abyss.

Even though he had wielded Buddha Fury Tang Lotus at the time, the Tang Sect’s numbers had overwhelmed him.

Just as Tang San felt a glimmer of hope, Zhu Zhuqing’s next words made his heart seize in terror.

“Do you remember Tang Sect Rule Seventeen? Let me think about how it goes…”

“…”

Tang San’s face turned deathly pale.



This sect rule was one he could never forget! He had even used it on himself before.

At this moment, Tang San no longer doubted Zhu Zhuqing’s identity.


---

“I remember now,” Zhu Zhuqing said, nodding slightly, suppressing her discomfort as she continued in a calm tone:
“Outer disciples who recklessly attempt to learn inner sect techniques shall be punished by having two and a half pounds of flesh cut from their bodies!”

“Tang San, five pounds of flesh doesn’t seem excessive for you, does it?”

Upon hearing this, a wry smile appeared on Tang San’s face. He shook his head mockingly, his voice dry.
“Not excessive, not at all.”

“Then will you do it yourself, or shall I do it for you?” Zhu Zhuqing asked, her heart filled with unease.

She didn’t want to act herself, but her teacher had entrusted her with this responsibility. She couldn’t let him down!

“No need to trouble the Elder; I’ll do it myself,” Tang San said through gritted teeth, his hands trembling as they reached for the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at his waist.

It’s just cutting flesh.

I’ve done it before.

Compared to his life, and compared to the hidden weapons and techniques he had stolen, the flesh on his body seemed utterly insignificant.

This punishment wasn’t even severe—it was lenient!

“W-what’s he doing?” Ma Hongjun asked, bewildered, as he watched Tang San stuff his clothes into his mouth.

“Wait, what? He’s actually using a knife?”

Dai Mubai and Ning Rongrong shared the same shocked and confused expressions.

Clang!

The Bone Scraping Knife in Tang San’s hand gleamed coldly under the sunlight.

Xiao Wu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Tang San, what are you doing?”

Tang San turned his gaze toward Xiao Wu. The sight of her seemed to ease his pain.

Suddenly, the blood vessels in Tang San’s reddened eyes bulged, his pupils dilating.

Without hesitation, he pressed the blade to his thigh.

Slash!
Blood sprayed everywhere.

“Ahhhh—!”

This time, Xiao Wu was truly frightened.

Ning Rongrong’s face paled, her hands flying to cover her gaping mouth.

“Oh my heavens!”

Ma Hongjun let out a pig-like scream, as if it were his own flesh being cut.

Dai Mubai’s complexion turned ghostly white as he watched large chunks of flesh fall from Tang San’s thigh, staining the ground red with blood.

Tang San’s body trembled violently. Without so much as a glance at the fallen flesh, he quickly used acupressure and circulated his energy to stop the bleeding.

Then, gritting his teeth, he placed the knife on his left leg, closed his eyes, and prepared to act again.

“Zhu Zhuqing!” Dai Mubai shouted, his voice tinged with fear, as he stepped forward.

Clink—swish!

Sixteen arrows landed in front of Dai Mubai’s feet, making him break out in a cold sweat.

“This has nothing to do with you!” Zhu Zhuqing turned her cold gaze toward Dai Mubai, her tone icy.

“You—” Dai Mubai clenched his fists in frustration but, fearing the consequences, didn’t dare take another step.

“Mm!”

Tang San’s eyes were bloodshot as he swung the knife once more, scraping away another chunk of flesh.

Even the cloth stuffed in his mouth could barely muffle his cries of pain.

Slash!

“Ow, my god!” Ma Hongjun yelled again, covering his eyes in horror.

What kind of monsters are these students? Each one is more ruthless than the last!

Zhu Zhuqing stared at the blood pooling beneath her feet, her expression momentarily dazed.

A faint discomfort rose in her heart, but at the same time, she felt a strange sense of danger, as though someone was watching her.

Frowning slightly, Zhu Zhuqing remained unfazed.
Teacher will protect me!

“Tang Xiao San!” Xiao Wu screamed, her hands covering her face, her voice trembling with fear.

Ning Rongrong had already hidden behind Xiao Wu, her face pale with fright.

Where in the world did Holy Son Brother find someone this ruthless?