Jade Maiden Sect canteen—it's lunchtime, and the whole place is bustling and packed.
Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out:
"Damn it, there's actually a fly in my rice!"
The screamer was a round-faced, ordinary-looking young woman about twenty years old—Ling Xin. She'd been with the Jade Maiden Sect for eight years, and her cultivation had reached the eighth layer of Qi-Refining.
Hearing Ling Xin's scream, everyone instinctively looked at her bowl. As cultivators, their eyesight was excellent, and sure enough, they saw a boiled fly in Ling Xin's bowl of rice.
"Ugh! Ugh!"
A wave of dry heaving swept through the room—some of the female disciples felt sick just knowing they'd eaten rice with a fly in it.
"Oh my god, there's a fly in the rice—so gross!"
"Boohoo, I've already eaten two bowls—what do I do now?"
"Damn it, it's all Second Fool's fault—he made me eat rice with a fly in it!"
"Yeah, just because the food tastes good doesn't mean you can ignore hygiene!"
"He needs to be punished!"
"That's right, punish him hard!"
The group of female disciples got more and more fired up, and many were already looking at Ian Song with hostility.
Bang!
Ling Xin slapped the table and shouted, "Second Fool, get over here!"
Ian Song walked over calmly, glanced at the obvious fly in the rice bowl, and asked evenly, "Fairy Ling Xin, what can I do for you?"
Ling Xin stared at him coldly and sneered, "Second Fool, don't play dumb with me. Tell me—why did you put a fly in the rice on purpose?"
"Fairy Ling Xin, you must be joking. I didn't put that fly in there." Ian Song replied calmly.
"Hmph, still trying to argue!" Ling Xin snorted.
The third-generation disciples sitting with Ling Xin glared at Ian Song with disgust. "Yeah, you're just stubborn! Senior Sister Ling Xin, we need to show him who's boss. Just because the Redfeather Crane likes his cooking doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants!"
"Teach him a lesson, Senior Sister Ling Xin—we're with you!" another disciple shouted.
"Alright, since everyone says so, I'll discipline Second Fool on behalf of us all!" Ling Xin grinned smugly, then beckoned to Ian Song. "Second Fool, come over here."
"Not coming," Ian Song shook his head.
"Get over here!"
Ling Xin's face turned cold. She reached out, and Ian Song's body was suddenly pulled toward her against his will.
Next, Ling Xin grabbed Ian Song by the neck and swung her other hand hard toward his cheek.
A mere eighth-layer Qi-Refining disciple dares to hit me?
A flash of killing intent flickered in Ian Song's eyes.
Just then, a flash of red light—before Ling Xin's palm could touch Ian Song's face, she screamed and was sent flying. The one who knocked her away was none other than the suddenly arrived Redfeather Crane.
"Redfeather Crane, sir!"
Seeing the Redfeather Crane suddenly appear, all the third-generation disciples were startled and instinctively stepped back. After all, the Redfeather Crane was a peak Foundation Establishment spirit beast—they hadn't even reached Foundation Establishment themselves, so it was best to keep their distance.
Ling Xin had already stood up from the ground. She bowed respectfully to the Redfeather Crane and said, "Redfeather Crane, sir, please judge fairly. I was only disciplining Second Fool because he made a mistake!"
"Yoo yoo!"
With two sharp cries, Ling Xin was sent flying again and crashed hard into the canteen wall.
"Wah!"
This time, Ling Xin had barely gotten up before she spat out a mouthful of blood. She shot Ian Song a look full of hatred, but when she glanced at the Redfeather Crane, her eyes were filled with fear.
She knew the Redfeather Crane was protecting Second Fool, so she kept quiet.
The next moment, in a flash of red light, the Redfeather Crane vanished from the canteen.
Seeing the Redfeather Crane leave, Ling Xin let out a sigh of relief. Then, struggling, she walked over to Ian Song and hissed, "Second Fool, just you wait. The day you leave the Jade Maiden Sect, I'll make your life worse than death!"
Ian Song smiled at her, then turned and walked away.
"Courting death!"
Watching Ian Song walk away with a sneer, Ling Xin's eyes grew cold. She reached out to grab his back, but halfway there, she pulled her arm back and instinctively glanced toward the canteen entrance.
There, she saw the Redfeather Crane already at the entrance, its crimson eyes staring coldly at her. Instantly, Ling Xin felt a chill run from her feet to the top of her head.
Bang!
The next moment, Ling Xin was sent flying once more, crashing to the ground and losing consciousness.
The entire canteen went dead silent at the sight. Everyone was stunned—none of them expected the Redfeather Crane to protect a mere servant boy so fiercely.
Only after the Redfeather Crane left did the canteen slowly come back to life. Ling Xin was carried away by her tablemate.
Not long after, everyone had left the canteen—no one stayed behind.
Ian Song didn't care. Ever since Ling Yan mentioned his Spirit-Link Body, he'd known that as long as he revealed it, he'd have a ninety percent chance of staying in the Jade Maiden Sect.
That's why, even though he knew Ling Xin had put the fly in the rice on purpose, Ian Song didn't expose her—he had no intention of cooking for the Jade Maiden Sect disciples forever.
This incident was actually helpful—it meant fewer people would come to the canteen.
As Ian Song was cleaning the canteen, Matron Yara Snow, the Punishments Elder, arrived.
She stared at Ian Song with icy eyes, a hint of killing intent in her gaze. "Second Fool, come here."
"Greetings, Matron Yara."
Ian Song bowed.
"Do you know what mistake you've made?" Matron Yara asked.
"I don't," Ian Song replied calmly. He suspected Matron Yara was here to accuse him, and wondered if Ling Xin was acting on her orders.
"Still trying to argue? Believe it or not, I'll kill you right now!" As she spoke, Matron Yara's aura surged, pressing down on Ian Song.
"Yoo yoo!"