Reprimand
Master Chen was furious, and not one of the disciples dared so much as breathe loudly.
"Why aren't you saying anything now?"
They looked at one another, grumbling inwardly, Didn't you start hitting us the moment you came in? You never even gave us a chance to speak.
Everyone looked to Da Zhu, who could only bite the bullet and say, "Master, this isn't our fault."
"If it's not your fault, whose fault is it? Mine? Was I the one who started this fight?"
"They were the ones who bullied people first!" Da Zhu said quietly.
"That's right, Master. They went too far!" the disciples echoed.
Master Chen sneered. "Oh, they went too far, so you did nothing wrong? Even if they were in the wrong, did you have to beat them into this state? If the Dao Court Office detained you, would I have to shamelessly go begging them to let you go? And if someone was badly hurt, would I have to compensate them with Spirit Stones?"
The more Master Chen spoke, the angrier he became. "Never mind anything else—do you think Spirit Stones are so easy to earn? How did I end up teaching a bunch of spendthrifts like you? You haven't learned much about refining yet, but you've already caused me nothing but trouble!"
"We only made a move because Mo Hua was being bullied!"
"So what if Mo Hua was being bullied? Who hasn't been bullied before? If everyone fought back whenever they were bullied, how many more cultivators would die or be injured in this world? I think if you don't get a beating today, you won't remember—"
Master Chen raised his stick as if to strike, then abruptly stopped and frowned. "Who was being bullied?"
"Mo Hua..." Da Zhu shrank back as