Chapter 127: Shameless Scoundrels

Fen Dudu had already plunged into the crowd, and I had no idea how he was faring. The sound of the lash striking continued incessantly, echoing toward me. Deep down, I suspected that Landoer’s cruel treatment of Fengshi Liuying was likely because of me, so I quickened my pace, hurrying toward the scene. As I drew closer and pushed through the crowd, what met my eyes was Fengshi Liuying, covered in blood, and Fen Dudu, whose face was a map of bruises.

I furrowed my brow, unable to fathom what had possessed Landoer to be so vicious toward someone as fragile as Fengshi Liuying.

Fen Dudu’s tearful pleas rang out again, "I beg you, Fairy Landoer, please don't hurt my Junior Aunt anymore! Please, stop! She is already covered in wounds, and you’ve scarred her face like this. Dudu begs you, Fairy Landoer, please have mercy."

He knelt on the ground, wailing and begging loudly, pleading for Landoer to show mercy and spare him and Fengshi Liuying. But Landoer, holding her Exquisite Whip high, was not someone to be swayed by a few words. The lash continued to fall, striking them both again and again with brutal force.

Rain began to fall, like tears from the sky, growing heavier by the moment. The air grew thick with the cloying, metallic scent of blood, a stench so intense it stung the lungs, making one want to stop breathing, to flee this place, to escape far away.

Blood seeped continuously from beneath her white robes, pooling on the ground like a spilled crimson blossom—a sight so jarring that one dared not look directly at it.

Her plain white gown was soaked through by the rain, clinging to her battered body. Her hair, which once reached her ankles, had been ruthlessly severed by someone’s blade; it now lay discarded and tangled in a chaotic mess.

"No, no, no..."

Fengshi Liuying seemed to have lost her mind. She pushed Fen Dudu aside, her slender body collapsing onto the ground. Her fingers, gaunt and skeletal, clawed into the earth, their blood-stained nails digging deep as she struggled to crawl forward toward the heap of severed, messy hair, as if desperate to clutch it tightly in her grasp.

Seeing this, a cold sneer appeared on Landoer’s face. She stepped forward and brought her foot down hard onto Fengshi Liuying’s thin arm, grinding it with such force that the sickening sound of bones crunching echoed through the air. The onlookers stood by with cold, indifferent expressions; no one stepped forward to dissuade Landoer, and no one dared to.

"You slut. Three thousand years ago, you failed to seduce your own master, and now you’ve come to seduce your fellow disciple. Have you truly no shame?" She crouched down, gripping Fengshi Liuying’s chin tightly, and sneered, "What gives you the right? Is it just because you once had a face that could bewitch the world?"

Landoer’s grip was brutal. She forced Fengshi Liuying’s chin high, pushing aside the rain-drenched hair that clung to her cheeks to reveal a face crisscrossed with knife wounds.

I stood to the side, watching, unable to intervene because of what Zilian had told me before I left.

*My disciple, I know you sympathize with Fengshi Liuying’s plight, but no matter how much you pity her, remember not to get into disputes with other disciples on her account.*

*When she is being bullied, it is enough for you to help her from the shadows; you do not need to confront those people yourself to seek justice for her.*

...I watched helplessly, feeling utterly powerless. I could not help her.

*Crack.*

The long whip lashed across Fengshi Liuying’s back once more. Her body, which had been slowly crawling forward, instantly collapsed, unable to bear the agony, and she lost consciousness on the ground.

"Stop!"

I stopped caring about what Zilian might think. I did not want to spend the rest of my life regretting my inaction today. I lunged forward, shielding Fengshi Liuying with my own body. The sound of the whip biting into flesh followed. I could feel the skin and muscle on my back tearing, but I bit my lip hard, refusing to let a single cry escape.

A persistent ringing filled my ears, drowning out all sound. It took a long while for my senses to return.

"Good, very good. A pair of star-crossed lovers, truly—so touching that one can hardly bear to hurt you!" For some reason, Landoer let out a cold, bitter laugh, pointing her whip at us. "A pair of shameless dogs."

The rage in her eyes burned brighter as she glared at me and Fengshi Liuying. Just as I braced myself for another blow, she abruptly dropped the Exquisite Whip and turned to leave the Luofu Palace.