Going Back on One's Word
Perhaps feeling that the water dungeon couldn't hold Sang Ying any longer, this time the disciples of the Discipline Hall locked her in a quiet room.
This place, originally intended for disciples to reflect on their mistakes, has now become Sang Ying's prison.
The Dragon Abyss Sword had already been taken away, but fortunately Sang Ying had hidden her Storage Bag well, thus escaping another search.
Even with the Storage Bag, Sang Ying, whose Spiritual Qi was sealed, couldn't open it at all.
Taking advantage of the absence of others, Sang Ying pondered deeply, trying to understand why she had ended up in this predicament. After much reflection, she finally figured it out.
Aside from Su Fuyun and Gu Huaiwei's shamelessness and malice, it seems the biggest problem lies with her own actions.
Her parents had been gone for so long that she seemed to only remember their kind nature and had forgotten that they could also be ruthless.
She shouldn't have been so naive to think that others would remember the kindness her parents had shown her, she shouldn't have thought that everything would be fine once she had cultivated the Golden Core, and she certainly shouldn't have thought that she could rely on the Flowing Light Sword Sect.
In this world, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.
She once thought the Flowing Light Sword Sect was the most just and righteous place in the world. Now she realizes how narrow-minded she was; what in this world is absolutely good or bad?
Even Gu Huaiwei, the number one figure in the righteous path, would resort to using his power to oppress others; what chance would others have?
She's ended up in this state because she was too foolish. But thankfully, she hasn't lost yet; she still has a chance to turn things around.
Once she escapes, she will correct all her mistakes.
She will slowly collect everything that was owed to her and her parents!
The sword they seized from Sang Ying was no ordinary weapon. The disciples of the Discipline Hall originally intended to send it to the Sword Tomb in the back mountain, but as soon as the sword entered the tomb, it broke more than a dozen precious swords inside.
Upon seeing this, the disciple in charge immediately took it to the sect leader, fearing that if they were any later, the Sword Tomb would suffer even greater damage.
After the disciple put down his sword and left, he was still curious as to why Senior Sister Fuyun wasn't resting so late, but instead spending time with the sect leader.
Unable to come up with a solution, the disciple quickly put the matter out of his mind.
"Is this the treasure that Sang Ying brought back from Gleaming Gold Island?" The sect leader looked at the longsword, which didn't even have a scabbard, and felt that apart from its exquisite appearance, it didn't seem to have anything special about it.
Su Fuyun, however, thought differently. She knew very well that this was the treasure that Young Third Young Master Zhao had been searching for. She just hadn't expected that Sang Ying would actually bring it out.
She reached out to grab the Dragon Abyss Sword, but was violently knocked away by the sword's Sword Qi, which also cut her hand.
The sect leader pretended not to see it and looked away, but he heard Su Fuyun mutter a few curses in his ear.
"Over the years, Sang Ying has been traveling abroad and doesn't seem to have drawn this sword once. It seems she's truly been pushed to the limit today." The sect leader sighed, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Su Fuyun secretly rolled her eyes. "What, are you feeling sorry for her? Don't forget, half of her current predicament is your fault!"
The sect leader's expression changed drastically, but Su Fuyun acted as if she hadn't noticed and continued speaking:
"If you hadn't sent Sang Zheng and his wife to their deaths, Sang Ying wouldn't have been left without anyone to protect her. If you hadn't insisted that Sang Ying colluded with the Devil Race, she wouldn't have been sentenced to have her core shattered!"
If Su Fuyun hadn't been careful and hidden the recording stone that Fan Nanjun had given her in Gu Huaiwei's palace, she wouldn't have heard such a shocking secret.
But now that he knew this secret, how could Su Fuyun not make use of it?
"I have done as you instructed. When will you hand over the recording stone to me?" The sect leader couldn't suppress his anger at the thought of being threatened by a mere female cultivator.
Su Fuyun chuckled upon hearing this, "Don't be angry, Sect Master. This is just a small request, nothing to you. This is far from enough to obtain the Sound Recording Stone!"
The sect leader's sharp gaze shot over. "You want to go back on your word?!"
His palms, which were behind his back, had begun to gather Spiritual Power. If this palm were to land on Su Fuyun, she would have absolutely no chance of survival.
"Sect Master, please don't say that. This disciple just wanted to see your sincerity again." Su Fuyun smiled smugly. "Sect Master, don't even think about killing me to silence me. I've already entrusted that recording stone to a reliable friend. If something happens to me, the contents of that recording stone will spread throughout the entire Cultivation World!"
Gradually, the Spiritual Qi in the sect leader's palm dissipated.
In the end, he couldn't bear to give up his years of hard work and his position as sect leader.
The next morning, the people of the Discipline Hall couldn't wait to take Sang Ying to the execution platform.
They didn't remove the bracelet that suppressed Sang Ying's Spiritual Power, but instead chained her to a pillar on the execution platform. They were just waiting to shatter her Golden Core before throwing her down the mountain.
The area beneath the execution platform was packed with people, many of whom had come to greet Sang Ying when she returned to her clan.
Now, the "Uncle-Master Sang Ying" they speak of has become a "traitor" filled with malice.
Sang Ying closed her eyes, unwilling to look anymore.
"Sang Ying, a disciple of grave sins, colluded with the Devil Race, framed fellow disciples, disrespected her teachers, and was a liar. Today, in the name of the Sect Master of the Flowing Light Sword Sect, I punish you for your numerous crimes, shattering your Golden Core and crippling all your cultivation according to sect rules, and expelling you from the Flowing Light Sword Sect! Do you have any objections?"
The sect leader was standing far away, Sang Ying couldn't see his expression. She simply shouted in his direction, "I'm innocent! I haven't done any of what you're saying! You and Su Fuyun conspired to frame me!"
"My father Sang Zheng, was an elder of the Flowing Light Sword Sect. Over the centuries, he made countless contributions to the Flowing Light Sword Sect. Every one of you on this platform has benefited from his kindness. Now that he is gone, is this how you treat the daughter of your benefactor?!"
"You are ungrateful and treacherous, turning black into white. Aren't you afraid of being possessed by inner demons and losing all hope of ascension?!"
The last sentence seemed to hit a nerve with the elders on the platform. Their previously expressionless faces immediately changed, as if they wished they could kill Sang Ying on the spot.
Even worse, some kept urging the disciples carrying out the executions. "Didn't you hear what the sect leader said? Why haven't you started yet?"
Left with no other choice, the disciple, after receiving the sect leader's approval, immediately directed his flying sword to stab towards Sang Ying's Dantian.
"Gu Shu!"
Before the flying sword could strike, Sang Ying's desperate cry echoed throughout the entire Flowing Light Sword Sect.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, but the next second a long sword appeared out of nowhere, knocking away the executioner's sword and also cutting off the bracelet that suppressed Spiritual Qi on Sang Ying's wrist.
The bracelet fell off, Sang Ying's Spiritual Qi immediately began to circulate.
She shook off the chains binding her, grabbed the Dragon Abyss Sword, and ran against the crowd toward the back mountain.
"Are you going to ask the grandmasters who are in seclusion on the back mountain to make a decision?" Gu Shu asked.
Sang Ying shook her head. "There's no one I can rely on in this sect, and those grandmasters would never give up their seclusion for me. I can't break through the main gate, so I have no choice but to take a risk and try to find a way out of the forbidden area's rift!"