Evil Deeds Come Due

The next morning, the diligent new disciples woke up early, ready to water their corn. When they arrived at the fields, they all started cursing. Which heartless bastards had stomped a path through their neatly planted corn seedlings, killing quite a few?

A meticulous one followed the path of destruction all the way, discovering it led directly towards Qin Haoxuan's and his two companions' Spirit Spring land.

Could it be that Gu Xiaoyun had actually made good on his threat and destroyed Qin Haoxuan's corn seedlings? Thinking this, the sharper ones immediately ran over. Indeed, the sight that greeted them was a mess. Green corn stalks lay everywhere, broken in half.

Not long after, Qin Haoxuan and his two companions arrived together. Today, after watering the corn seedlings and filling the last water vat, Qin Haoxuan planned to deliberately cause trouble and go to Solitary Confinement Mountain for a few days of quiet cultivation.

From a distance, they saw many people gathered around their field, discussing animatedly. When they saw Qin Haoxuan, their eyes held a mixture of schadenfreude and sympathy.

Why were these people looking at him like that? Qin Haoxuan wondered suspiciously, quickening his pace towards the Spirit Field. This was...

The corn seedlings that had been neat and tidy in the field yesterday were now just scattered debris!

Qin Haoxuan's vision went black. All his efforts over the past few days were in vain! Gu Xiaoyun? It must have been Gu Xiaoyun! He had threatened to destroy my Spirit Field that day, and I thought he was just speaking in anger, but I never expected him to actually do it.

Qin Haoxuan's face turned ashen. Without a word, he strode away, heading straight for Gu Xiaoyun's dormitory.

The disciples who felt like they were about to witness a good show became excited. They had been anticipating this moment since Gu Xiaoyun and Qin Haoxuan exchanged threats last night. They never expected happiness to come so quickly. Zhang Yang, in particular, who had been terrified by Qin Haoxuan's glare yesterday, was especially thrilled. Gu Xiaoyun was a strong cultivator at the Immortal Seedling Realm Seventh Leaf, much stronger than Yuan Shanxiang, who was at the Immortal Seedling Realm Fifth Leaf. Moreover, he was Gu Yunzi's nephew. If Qin Haoxuan made a move, he wouldn't gain anything, whether he won or lost.

"Gu Xiaoyun, come out, let's talk."

After doing his dirty deed last night and venting his anger, Gu Xiaoyun had slept soundly. In his dream, Qin Haoxuan was kneeling at his feet, begging for mercy in a low voice. Xu Yu and Murong Chao were also speaking kindly to him, begging him to take over Qin Haoxuan's Spirit Spring land. The self-satisfied Gu Xiaoyun, seeing their pitiful state, was about to agree to their request, reluctantly accepting Qin Haoxuan's Spirit Spring land, when a thunderous roar suddenly pulled him back from his beautiful dream.

Gu Xiaoyun rubbed his eyes and saw Qin Haoxuan, who was furious. Still lost in his pleasant dream, he yawned and said, "Did you encounter some natural disaster, and all the corn seedlings are gone, so now you're begging me to swap land with you?"

Hearing Gu Xiaoyun's words, Qin Haoxuan, who had initially intended to question him to avoid wrongly accusing an innocent person, abandoned his intention to question. Gu Xiaoyun's tone clearly revealed that he was responsible for what happened last night. Otherwise, how could someone still in bed dreaming know that all his corn seedlings were destroyed?

"Good, good, good!" Qin Haoxuan said "good" three times, without another word. He suddenly lunged forward, grabbed Gu Xiaoyun by the neck, and punched him in the dantian.

Poor Gu Xiaoyun, still groggy from sleep, had no idea that a new disciple without power or background would dare to attack him. With his neck held, he was hit several times in the dantian by Qin Haoxuan, followed by a punch to the chest.

Completely unprepared, Gu Xiaoyun was no match for Qin Haoxuan in terms of strength. Just as he was about to gather his spiritual power, he was repeatedly struck in vital spots by Qin Haoxuan. The intense pain scattered the spiritual power he hadn't fully gathered, and he didn't have time to cast even a single Spirit Technique.

"I warned you! If anything happened to the corn seedlings in my Spirit Field, I wouldn't let you off! But you insisted on being defiant and destroyed my cornfield!" Qin Haoxuan roared, raising his iron fist again and striking the area between Gu Xiaoyun's cheeks and earlobes.

Hit in the vital spot on his neck, Gu Xiaoyun let out a scream and fainted!

Gu Xiaoyun's lackeys, terrified, shrank back to the side, not daring to come to his aid. They shouted, "I've already reported it to the Enforcement Hall! If you keep hitting him... you'll be put in confinement!"

Upon hearing the mention of confinement, Qin Haoxuan sneered, "I've been wanting to be confined for a long time. I was just wondering how to get in!"

Saying this, he continued to rain blows on Gu Xiaoyun's chest and abdomen, specifically targeting his internal organs.

Although Gu Xiaoyun was a cultivator at the Immortal Seedling Realm Seventh Leaf, he was ambushed by Qin Haoxuan while still groggy. Gu Xiaoyun had always been the one to beat others; no one had ever dared to hit him, so his actual combat experience was zero. Compared to him, Qin Haoxuan had been famous for fighting since he was a child, always targeting weak and vital points. Even a cultivator at the Immortal Seedling Realm Seventh Leaf couldn't withstand such a reckless fighting style.

If they had fought at a different time, Qin Haoxuan would have been the one getting beaten. But now... in his rage and with the element of surprise, Gu Xiaoyun had suffered a humiliating defeat.

Xu Yu and Murong Chao tried to restrain Qin Haoxuan, but he flung his arm, sending them stumbling back four or five steps. They were anxious, realizing that if this continued, someone would die.

The others, including Zhang Yang, also didn't expect Gu Xiaoyun to be so easily defeated. He didn't even have the chance to retaliate against Qin Haoxuan's brutal beating. However, no one dared to step forward and pull Qin Haoxuan away.

"Stop, stop!"

Just then, several enforcement disciples rushed over. Seeing Qin Haoxuan in the act of assault, one of the enforcement captains formed a spiritual seal. After a few breaths of preparation, his spiritual power transformed into several stone blocks the size of human heads, knocking Qin Haoxuan, who was like a wild bull, away.

Gu Xiaoyun, lying on the ground, was in a deep coma. His face was swollen like a pig's head, bruised and purple, with blood bubbles constantly forming at the corners of his mouth. His whole body was covered in bruises, especially his internal organs, which had likely been damaged by Qin Haoxuan's barrage of punches. He was on the verge of death, not exactly hanging by a thread, but certainly not in good condition.

As enforcement disciples, they always carried some Spirit Medicine. Gu Xiaoyun was the nephew of Hall Master Gu Yunzi. The enforcement team captain who examined Gu Xiaoyun unhesitatingly took out the most precious pill from his collection and put it into Gu Xiaoyun's mouth.

The Spirit Medicine turned into a liquid upon entering his mouth and was swallowed by Gu Xiaoyun. The medicinal effect took hold quickly. Gu Xiaoyun, who had been on the verge of death and could have stopped breathing at any moment, finally caught his breath, his breathing stabilizing slightly.

After briefly examining Gu Xiaoyun's injuries, the enforcement captain said, "The injured person has a total of twenty-seven fractures, and his internal organs may be damaged. Quickly go and invite the elders from Spirit Field Valley to treat him! Escort the perpetrator back to the Enforcement Hall for trial!"

Two enforcement disciples moved to apprehend Qin Haoxuan. Qin Haoxuan did not resist, his face devoid of fear. "No need for a trial. He destroyed the corn seedlings in my field, and I injured him. I admit my guilt. Lock me up!"

The enforcement captain glanced coldly at Qin Haoxuan, this legendary figure who had joined the sect less than a month ago, had fought his way from the Immortal Seedling Realm Third Leaf to the Seventh Leaf, set a record for the fastest rooting for a Weak Seed, and was about to be confined for a second time. "Do you have anything to refute?"

"I was the one who hit him. I have nothing else to say. Just confine me." Qin Haoxuan responded calmly.

At this moment, Zhang Yang, who had been hiding in the crowd, suddenly incited, "A villain like Qin Haoxuan deserves to be confined for at least half a year!"

"Yes, if he's going to be confined, let it be for a year!"

Most of these onlookers were eager for trouble. Some were from Zhang Kuang's or Li Jing's factions, or Zhang Yang's subordinates. After Zhang Yang's shout, they all chimed in, denouncing Qin Haoxuan's various wrongdoings.

The enforcement captain swept his gaze across Qin Haoxuan and Zhang Yang, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Gu Xiaoyun had been causing trouble lately, constantly trying to scheme for Qin Haoxuan's land. Who in Spirit Field Valley didn't know about this? Now that Qin Haoxuan's field had been destroyed, if they investigated thoroughly, Gu Yunzi would definitely be implicated. Since Qin Haoxuan had a reason for his actions, according to Taichu's rules, although he had also broken the rules, another rule would allow him to avoid some of the punishment.

That's right! The enforcement captain's face showed a triumphant expression. "Confine Qin Haoxuan to the Nine Yin Ice Cave... for twenty days!"

"No, that's too lenient! He almost beat the man to death, and you're only confining him for twenty days?" Zhang Yang, from within the crowd, was unwilling and started shouting, drawing a clamor of noise.

The enforcement captain's expression turned cold. His gaze, like an ice blade, swept across the crowd. "Unsatisfied? Go find the Enforcement Elder to appeal!"

Everyone who met his gaze felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. They dared not speak further. Besides, if they went to appeal to the Enforcement Elder, Qin Haoxuan's Spirit Field had been destroyed, and with Xu Yu and Murong Chao backing him, the sentence probably wouldn't be too severe. If it were truly investigated... Zhang Yang also knew that Gu Xiaoyun might end up exposing him.

"Hoo..." Escorted by two enforcement disciples, Qin Haoxuan let out a heavy sigh of relief. After a brief farewell to Xu Yu and Murong Chao, he happily headed towards Solitary Confinement Mountain.

The enforcement captain watched Qin Haoxuan's relaxed retreating figure, then looked at Gu Xiaoyun, who would likely be bedridden for at least a month. He muttered to himself, "Did I really sentence him too lightly? Forget it! No need to consider these things! Since the person wasn't beaten to death, there's no need to offend a Purple Seed!"

Gu Xiaoyun, at this moment, desperately wanted to speak, because he could shift all the blame onto Zhang Yang. That way, Qin Haoxuan's punishment wouldn't be too light, possibly even months of confinement. Zhang Yang's words... would likely also implicate him, while he himself wouldn't suffer much. Now... he had become the most unfortunate one.

Qin Haoxuan walked quickly. Besides being happy about beating up Gu Xiaoyun, he was even more thrilled that by coming to this place, he could stop suffering from the effects of the medicine, and his cultivation would grow rapidly.

As soon as he stepped through the small door, waves of cold air hit him. The deeper he went, the colder it became. Even before reaching the Nine Yin Ice Cave, the rock walls on both sides were covered in thick layers of ice.

When they reached the entrance of the Nine Yin Ice Cave, the iron lock on the door was frozen shut. An enforcement disciple formed a spiritual seal and cast Blazing Flames. After a while, the ice on the lock finally melted.

To the surprise of the enforcement disciples, Qin Haoxuan walked into the Nine Yin Ice Cave, a place where even they had to circulate spiritual power to resist the cold, with a composed expression. He didn't seem to be circulating any spiritual power to ward off the cold.

Qin Haoxuan's performance in the Lava Cellar had already spread among these enforcement disciples. Now, he was like a fish in water in the Nine Yin Ice Cave. Could it be that he had an extraordinary talent that made him immune to cold and heat? For ordinary people to reach a state of being immune to cold and heat, they would typically need to reach an extremely high realm, like the Immortal Seedling Realm Twenty or Thirty Leaves.

From the moment he entered Solitary Confinement Mountain, Qin Haoxuan had been prepared for a fight. However, when he entered the Nine Yin Ice Cave, not only did no one try to cover him with a blanket and beat him, but the older disciples who were already there didn't even bother to look at him, all of them meditating and circulating their Qi to resist the cold.

ps: I only discovered yesterday that on the QQ Reading client, many friends had initiated author questions... I didn't have time to answer them before they expired. Starting today, I will carefully read the author questions. I will provide detailed and serious answers to any questions from friends there.

Finally, please give me your recommendation votes. If you like it, remember to favorite it. Also! I update twice a day now, so please don't say I only update once a day, thank you. Someone asked about a burst of updates. All I can say is, after some time, I will definitely have a burst of updates! I promise!