Bai Xueqing quietly watched everything after she was silenced by Bai Zihan.
She had only wanted to intervene because Shen Liang had helped her before, and also because she felt Bai Zihan was demanding too much for crimes that, in her eyes, weren’t that severe.
She didn’t expect Bai Zihan to react that way to her words, and now, she felt a bit guilty—because truth be told, she had also thought he was in the wrong… until he revealed his evidence.
The Bai Zihan before her felt different from the one she knew.
That same strange feeling had stirred back at the Bai Clan when she confronted him because of Shen Liang.
But back then, it was just because he seemed a bit more gutsy than she remembered.
Now, though? Bai Zihan’s coldness and mercilessness… even the way he seemed to look down on her—it made her uneasy.
Yes, for the first time, she felt a trace of fear toward her younger brother, the one she’d always thought of as a lazy troublemaker.
And that fear only intensified when Bai Zihan mercilessly cut off Shen Liang’s arm and stared him down without even blinking.
Even she couldn’t help but look away at the moment he struck.
She hadn’t thought he’d actually go through with it.
After all, though he was known for making trouble, Bai Zihan had never gone this far with anyone.
Hell, Bai Xueqing used to think he probably couldn’t even kill a chicken—he always seemed that cowardly in her eyes.
He just used his status to stir up drama everywhere. Or at least, that’s what she had believed.
But that perception had now been shattered, and Bai Zihan’s brutal retaliation made that very clear.
Chu Ziyan also watched everything unfold, surprised that Bai Zihan didn’t listen to the Sect Leader—and even more so when he went against Bai Xueqing.
After all, she knew Bai Zihan had always been obedient, even a bit scared of Bai Xueqing. He never argued with her before.
But this time, he didn’t give her even a shred of face—he shut her down immediately with a few cold words.
And even Chu Ziyan couldn’t help but notice Bai Zihan’s gaze as he spoke to Bai Xueqing.
It was condescending, as if he couldn’t be bothered to explain things to someone too dumb to understand.
And like he said… he took Shen Liang’s arm—just like that. To the shock of everyone.
Chu Ziyan didn’t dwell on it too much.
Sure, Bai Zihan had probably gone too far, acting without much thought for the consequences.
But in her mind, he was the victim here. And Shen Liang brought it on himself.
Well… another reason she felt nothing for Shen Liang’s fate was probably because she disliked him to begin with.
Shen Liang was always so pretentious—always trying to play the righteous, noble senior.
Chu Ziyan found it irritating. Even more so because she knew Shen Liang was chasing Bai Xueqing, her best friend by pretending to be just helpful senior.
He was always finding some excuse to approach her. Bai Xueqing never seemed to find it suspicious, but how could Chu Ziyan not see it?
Still, Shen Liang had never crossed any lines, so she just tolerated his behavior and didn’t say much.
But who would’ve thought Shen Liang would end up crushed by the very younger brother of the girl he was chasing?
It must’ve been devastating for him.
Not that he showed it.
“Hehehe… Good! Good! I hope you remember this, because I will never forget. Kakaka…”
Shen Liang started laughing hysterically—like he’d finally lost his mind.
And maybe he had.
After everything that happened, it wouldn’t be surprising.
His laughter echoed madly through the Punishment Hall—high-pitched, cracked, unhinged.
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging like they could barely contain the madness surging through him.
The sheer humiliation—the disgrace of being crippled in front of everyone—had shattered something deep inside him.
Everyone could see it.
This wasn’t the same proud, polished Shen Liang they once respected.
This was someone broken. Beyond repair.
And a broken genius? Was often more dangerous than a sane one.
“Do you think… you’ve won?”
Shen Liang spat, his voice trembling but thick with venom.
“You’ve humiliated me. Crippled me. Turned the entire sect into your stage. But I swear on my life—on the name of the Shen Clan—I’ll make you crawl beneath my feet one day!”
Bai Zihan yawned.
“Are you done?”
He asked, wearing the expression of a man listening to a barking dog.
“If so, can someone take him away? He’s too loud!”
Bai Zihan waved dismissively, clearly done with him.
As far as Bai Zihan was concerned, the matter was settled. There was no point wasting any more time on him.
Elder Shen, still lying crushed on the floor, glared daggers at Bai Zihan.
His chest heaved with fury and helplessness, but he still couldn’t move.
He has to watch as one of the prospect of Shen Clan became cripple without being able to do anything.
Elder Yu, her face tight with restraint, signaled a few disciples to carry Shen Liang away.
As they approached, Shen Liang tried to struggle—but his body was no longer in a state to resist.
All he could do was snarl like a caged beast.
“Bai Zihan… you bastard… I’ll tear you apart—!”
The disciples restraining them tightened their grip, even channeling their Qi to reinforce it.
Shen Liang looked like he wanted to struggle again, just like before—but this time, the disciples were prepared, unlike Elder Yu.
But instead, Shen Liang just… laughed.
“Bai Zihan, you don’t even realize—your days of arrogance are over!”
Bai Zihan didn’t even spare him a glance, as if he couldn’t be bothered with him anymore.
Shen Liang gritted his teeth at Bai Zihan’s attitude.
Always arrogant. Always looking down on him. Always getting away with everything!
That’s the image Shen Liang had of Bai Zihan.
“Hahaha… Bai Zihan, you must think you’ve done a great job bringing an elder from your clan to back you up. But that’s your biggest mistake!”
Shen Liang shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.
Most didn’t understand why he said that.
But there was no need to think too hard about it.
Shen Liang turned toward Grand Elder Bai Ren with a smirk.
“You must be a high-ranking elder in the Bai Clan, right?”
He had come to that conclusion from how effortlessly Bai Ren had suppressed his uncle—someone who was powerful in his own right.
For someone to overpower him without lifting a finger, there was no doubt in Shen Liang’s mind that Bai Zihan had brought someone important.
He just didn’t realize it was the Grand Elder of Bai Clan.
“Do you know what Bai Zihan has done?”
Shen Liang asked coldly.
Grand Elder Bai Ren frowned at Shen Liang’s tone and the question.
He didn’t care for Shen Liang’s attempt to sow discord or use him as a borrowed knife for revenge.
He didn’t even bother asking what Bai Zihan had supposedly done.
Whatever it was, he figured it couldn’t possibly be serious enough to warrant concern—not when Bai Zihan had just performed so brilliantly.
Even if it involved bending a few rules, Bai Ren was prepared to overlook it.
But Shen Liang continued, undeterred by being ignored—because he knew Bai Ren would be interested after hearing what he had to say.
“Bai Zihan taught your precious Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique to an outsider!”
Shen Liang’s lips curled into a cold smile.
Everyone in the sect heard it, unless they were in closed-door cultivation like Bai Xueqing.
And everyone knew why Shen Liang brought it up.
In any sect, leaking a high-grade technique to an outsider—especially an Earth-Grade one—was one of the greatest betrayals possible.
No matter how fond the Bai Clan elders were of Bai Zihan, surely even they couldn’t ignore this.
Grand Elder Bai Ren’s eyes widened in surprise.
From the murmurs in the crowd, it was clear that this wasn’t just a wild claim.
Whispers of this rumor had already been spreading among the disciples of the Heaven Sword Sect.
(Did Bai Zihan really do it?)
He considered it. Bai Zihan was always causing trouble. There were few days when some chaos wasn’t tied to his name.
But even he wouldn’t go so far as to teach an Earth-Grade technique to an outsider… would he?
Bai Ren looked at Bai Zihan, who remained calm—completely unfazed by Shen Liang’s accusation.
He wasn’t panicking, not even trying to defend himself.
He was looking at Shen Liang like he was an idiot.
It didn’t seem like he cared about the accusation at all.
Grand Elder Bai Ren closed his eyes for a brief moment and then replied coldly:
“What our heir does is none of your concern.”
His next words crushed any hope Shen Liang had of seeing Bai Zihan punished, stripped of his position, or thrown out of the clan.
“And why should I believe a liar like you? Don’t take the Bai Clan for granted.”