Chapter 90: What the Hell?

"I... I..." Li Yueniang stammered, her voice trembling as she hesitated. Although she had been bullied and mistreated, she always believed she could endure it. She never wanted to trouble anyone and preferred to silently bear the burden on her own.

She looked up at Li Taixing, her eyes pleading, "Brother Li, why don't we just let it go? No need to disrupt the harmony."

Li Yueniang was worried that by standing up for her, Li Taixing and the others would be dragged into unnecessary trouble. She wanted to avoid creating any more problems for them.

Li Taixing observed her soft-heartedness and sighed, knowing all too well that her kindness was a double-edged sword. "Yueniang, this is a world of immortal cultivation, not some peaceful land. Here, the weak are prey to the strong. If you keep backing down, they'll only push harder. You can't keep giving in."

"Yes, Yueniang," Lu Qingyao chimed in, her face filled with righteous anger. "Those girls are just beasts! They constantly bully you, stealing your food, taking your belongings—they treat you like a servant. You can't let them keep doing this!"

Lu Qingyao's fury boiled over. "Now that Brother Li is here to back you up, you must stand up for yourself. If you let them off again, they'll only look down on you more. And honestly, it'll hurt us too. We can't bear to see you suffer."

Li Yueniang, overwhelmed by their words, looked at them with wide eyes. She could see the fierce determination in their expressions, warning her not to let this opportunity pass.

"Yueniang, don't be afraid. We're standing right behind you," Lu Qingyao reassured her.

Li Yueniang hesitated for a long moment before nodding. "I… How about they just apologize to me?" she asked softly. "I don't want them to do this again in the future."

Li Taixing sighed again but smiled gently at her. "Alright, if that's what you want."

Turning to the two female stewards, Li Taixing's voice turned cold. "You two—apologize to Yueniang."

"Ah?" The two stewards were caught off guard, completely stunned by his demand.

Li Yueniang's eyes widened in surprise. Even Lu Qingyao was left speechless for a moment, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Brother Li, why are you asking them to apologize? It's the other disciples who bullied Yueniang!" Lu Qingyao quickly interjected, still confused by his decision.

Li Taixing glanced at the two stewards and replied, "Listen well. If Qingyao or Yueniang are bullied here in the future, I'll hold you two responsible."

"No, sir, we didn't bully them! It's not our fault if they get harassed!" The two female stewards felt a wave of panic wash over them. This was a normal occurrence within the Sect—disciples bullying each other happened all the time. It wasn't something they normally got involved in.

Yet, Li Taixing was unreasonable, throwing the blame squarely on their shoulders for Lu Qingyao and Li Yueniang's suffering.

"This is beyond unfair," one steward muttered bitterly. "How can you hold us responsible for this?"

"Don't like it? Feel free to take it up with my master," Li Taixing said, his words carrying an undeniable threat.

Upon hearing the mention of Wang Xuanwu, the two stewards quickly fell silent, their faces pale.

With no other choice, they turned angrily to the outer disciples and barked, "You lot, from today on, take turns supervising these troublemakers! And drag them to the firewood room. They're not to rest until all the firewood is chopped!"

The stewards weren't finished. "Also, until the assessment is over, they're responsible for cleaning the entire area outside the women's dormitory. Every last spot! And if Lu Qingyao or Li Yueniang's clothes get damaged or dirty, these bullies will wash them. If they fail, they'll be punished!"

The punishment shocked everyone present, but the stewards didn't care. The guilty disciples were instantly terrified and broke down in tears, kneeling in front of Lu Qingyao and Li Yueniang.

"Please, forgive us! We were wrong!" the lead bully cried out, her voice shaking. "We'll do whatever you want. Just let us off the hook!"

"Yes, we're truly sorry! Please treat us as nothing more than dust beneath your feet!" others pleaded, kowtowing desperately. They knew that if they were stuck with these impossible tasks, their chances of passing the upcoming assessment would be ruined.

Li Yueniang, overwhelmed by the sight, closed her eyes, unable to bear watching their pitiful display.

Seeing Yueniang's reluctance, Lu Qingyao stepped forward, her voice stern. "Hmph! You want us to forgive you? Fine. But only if you prove yourselves. From now on, if we aren't satisfied with anything, you'll pay for it. Do you understand?"

The female stewards quickly backed her up. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes! Yes!" The outer disciples nodded frantically, grateful for even the slimmest chance of forgiveness.

"Take them away!" one steward commanded.

The outer disciples hurriedly dragged the tearful bullies back to the dormitory.

"Hmph, they had it coming! Finally, they get what they deserve!" Lu Qingyao said, hands on her hips, satisfaction clear on her face.

The two stewards, still nervous about Li Taixing's wrath, turned to him with ingratiating smiles. "Master Li, is this arrangement to your satisfaction?"

Li Taixing's eyes narrowed. "That depends on how well you follow through. Empty words mean nothing. If I hear that Qingyao or Yueniang are bullied again, you'll regret it."

The stewards' faces paled even further. "No, no, Master Li, we'll keep a close watch on everything!" one of them assured.

"Good. I'll give you a chance. But if you fail, I'll have my master deal with you personally," Li Taixing warned.

Both stewards trembled, nodding furiously. "No need! We'll handle it, Master Li."

Satisfied for now, Li Taixing raised his hand, signaling them to leave. As they quickly made their exit, somewhere on Chifeng Mountain, Wang Xuanwu sneezed.

"Am I getting sick?" she muttered groggily, her eyes half-lidded as she lay slumped over a table, clutching a jar of wine. "Or is someone thinking about me?" She giggled drunkenly, glancing at the dozen or so empty wine jars scattered around her.

Back by the dormitories, Li Taixing turned back to Li Yueniang, his tone softer. "Yueniang, you need to remember that kind people are often bullied. In the world of cultivation, if you don't stand up for yourself, no one else will. The weak will always be preyed upon by the strong."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You have to grow stronger—not just for yourself, but to protect those you care about, and the people who care about you. Understand?"

Li Yueniang raised her head, looking into Li Taixing's eyes, and nodded firmly.

"Good." Li Taixing smiled. "Here, I brought some food for you. Eat up, and then you'll have the strength to break through the Body Refining Realm."

He could tell that Li Yueniang was working hard and had already reached a bottleneck. Her body was simply too weak to break through on its own. With proper nourishment and the Bone-Forging Pills he had prepared, she'd be able to advance.

Sure enough, after eating and taking the pills, Li Yueniang felt a surge of energy. Not long after, she successfully broke through to the Body Refining Realm.

Grateful, she bowed deeply to Li Taixing. "Thank you, Brother Li."

As she stood back up, Li Taixing's system suddenly pinged, and he saw that Li Yueniang's loyalty had reached 100 points.

"Oh my god!" Li Taixing's face was filled with disbelief.

"What the hell?"