“Disciple Ning Yin, you are accused of framing a fellow disciple. You are to be confined at Reflection Cliff for reflection. Further punishment will be decided once Shi Yunzhao is found.”
A stern voice echoed from above.
Ning Yin stood at the center of the grand hall, looking around in confusion.
All she saw were several massive vermillion pillars rising from the ground, supporting a domed ceiling that soared impossibly high above her head.
On the floor, dark tiles were inlaid with intricate patterns.
Men and women in matching uniforms stood around the hall, glaring at her as if she were some heinous criminal.
“Sect Master, Ning Yin has repeatedly framed her fellow disciples, her crimes are unforgivable. The evidence is irrefutable. Even if she denies it, it’s useless. I hope Sect Master will punish her severely!”
“Senior Sister Yunzhao’s whereabouts are still unknown, her life or death uncertain. If not for Ning Yin, how could this have happened!”
“That’s right! Sect Master, please punish her heavily!”
The crowd’s anger surged like a tidal wave, and some even gripped their sword hilts.
Ning Yin? Shi Yunzhao? Framing a fellow disciple?
Looking at the strange, old-fashioned world before her, she suddenly recalled a xianxia novel she’d read not long ago.
The Ning Yin that everyone wanted dead was precisely the villainous female supporting character in that novel.
Born as the Emperor’s daughter, Ning Yin’s birth was accompanied by celestial omens.
The National Preceptor declared her the Heaven’s chosen, destined to bring peace to the Cheng Kingdom.
She was later sent to the Soaring Cloud Sect to cultivate.
Because of her status as a Princess, she was arrogant and willful in the sect, respecting no one but the Sect Master and her master, repeatedly provoking the anger of her peers.
Previously, the elders of the sect had turned a blind eye to Ning Yin’s arrogance, letting her off with nothing more than a light scolding.
It was exactly this leniency from the elders that led to growing resentment against Ning Yin among the disciples.
Until three days ago, when Shi Yunzhao, who was always well-liked, went missing during a sect trial.
The disciples sent to search for her found nothing, and to this day, her fate remained unknown.
At the site of her disappearance, someone found Ning Yin’s jade pendant.
The long-standing resentment against Ning Yin finally erupted.
Disciples gathered in the main hall, demanding the Sect Master deliver justice.
Ning Yin, who had always looked down on everyone, became even more arrogant in the face of public outrage.
She openly confronted others in the main hall, even attacking her fellow disciples.
In the end, the Sect Master sentenced her to thirty lashes with the Soaring Cloud Sect’s Whip and confinement at Reflection Cliff for reflection.
This punishment not only disgraced her but also left her with scars that could never be erased.
Her hatred grew so deep that a Heart Demon took root.
When Shi Yunzhao, awakened to the Heavenly Spiritual Root and inheriting a thousand-year legacy, returned to the sect, Ning Yin’s hatred reached its peak and her actions became even more extreme.
But a villainous female supporting character would always remain just that.
No matter how hard she tried, she could never overcome the Female Lead, who was blessed by the Main Plotline.
Facing Shi Yunzhao, the Female Lead with the Heavenly Spiritual Root, Ning Yin showed nothing but malice, targeting her at every turn, repeatedly framing her.
She even tried to dig out the Female Lead’s Heavenly Spiritual Root for herself, and colluded with the Big Boss to kill her and seize her spiritual root.
In the end, she reaped what she sowed, and the Male Lead cut her Soul to pieces in a fit of rage.
The current scene, with everyone shouting for her blood, must be the pivotal moment in the story—when the Female Lead, Shi Yunzhao, was framed by “Ning Yin” and went missing during the sect trial, awakening the Heavenly Spiritual Root by chance and embarking on her Immortal Cultivation journey!
It was also the turning point where the willful Princess of the Cheng Kingdom stepped onto the path of a villain.
Thinking of all the things the original Ning Yin had done—and would soon do—Ning Yin’s vision went black. Her already trembling legs nearly buckled.
Just a moment ago, she was a university student about to graduate, ready to step into society, earn her own money, and plan a bright, free future.
How did she close her eyes and open them again, only to become the villainous female supporting character, Ning Yin, in a cultivation novel?
Looking at the peers attacking her, Ning Yin instinctively opened her mouth to defend herself.
“It wasn’t me, it really wasn’t me! How can you convict me just because of a jade pendant? Besides, my strength is far below Senior Sister’s—how could I possibly harm her?”
“If you didn’t do it, then why was your jade pendant found at the cliff where Yunzhao disappeared?” The man standing at the top of the steps frowned, his voice as cold as frost.
He looked at Ning Yin with icy eyes. His hair was tied with a golden crown, his face handsome as a jade carving.
Even his plain white uniform was embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread.
Every movement exuded natural nobility, setting him apart from the other disciples as if he belonged to another world.
A crane among chickens—no exaggeration.
Ning Yin had no doubt. He was the Male Lead, Si Heyu, born into a Nine Provinces Aristocratic Family, a genius since childhood. The Soaring Cloud Sect’s Sect Master had taken him as a personal disciple. He was deeply respected and admired by all his peers.
Including Ning Yin.
Since time immemorial, villainous female supporting characters have always loved the Male Lead. It was a universal law.
Ning Yin’s hatred of Shi Yunzhao stemmed not only from jealousy over her Heavenly Spiritual Root, but also from Si Heyu’s unwavering devotion to Shi Yunzhao.
“Senior Brother, there’s no need to waste words with her. It was definitely Ning Yin who harmed Senior Sister Yunzhao! The evidence is solid, yet she still tries to argue!”
“You’ve targeted Senior Sister Yunzhao before. Some junior disciples saw you fighting her in the Trial Forbidden Land. You must have held a grudge and took advantage of her injuries to strike!”
“Sect Master, please abolish her spiritual root and expel her from the sect!”
………………Was Ning Yin really so hated?
At this point in the story, Ning Yin hadn’t even committed any truly evil acts—she’d just been a bit arrogant and overbearing. How could they be shouting to abolish her spiritual root and expel her from the sect already?
“What evidence? Just a jade pendant, and you—”
“Insolence! Still pretending to be clueless? When you first joined the sect, Yunzhao looked after you in every way, yet you repay her kindness with betrayal!” The Law Enforcement Elder’s white beard quivered with anger. “Take her to the Disciplinary Platform for thirty lashes, then confine her at Reflection Cliff for reflection!”
Ning Yin sucked in a cold breath.
The Soaring Cloud Sect’s Whip wasn’t just any whip. It was made from a century-old Black Python, flexible as steel, its body covered with scales. Every lash was agony, and the scars it left would never fade—a constant reminder of the wrongs you’d committed.
Just pulling out a hangnail made her shiver in pain—how could she endure thirty lashes across her back?
Looking around, everyone wore a look of satisfaction at her misfortune.
Wasn’t there anyone to speak for her? She was a dignified Princess—didn’t she have a single lackey to run errands for her?
“I object!”
“Forty lashes!”
“I submit!”
The Law Enforcement Elder asked sternly, “So you admit it?”
Ning Yin clenched her fists. The Soaring Cloud Sect in the novel was a famous sect, ridding the world of evil and upholding justice. Yet today, they were punishing her without distinguishing right from wrong!
Was this really the fair and strict Soaring Cloud Sect?
Was this really the Immortal Cultivation holy land everyone admired?!
Was this really the righteous sect that claimed to uphold the Dao and was revered by all cultivators?!
Bullying a future socialist pillar of society in broad daylight—where was justice? Where was morality? Where was her way out?!
Had the world really become so rotten that there was no solution left?
“It is this disciple’s fault. I shouldn’t have targeted Senior Sister before, and I dare not complain. But I still ask Sect Master to send more people to search for Senior Sister in the forbidden land. My conscience is clear, and the truth will one day come to light!”
It wasn’t cowardice.
It was just that the situation was overwhelmingly against her, and she had no chance of winning alone.
A wise person adapts to circumstances.
A great woman knows when to yield.
When under someone else’s roof, one must bow their head.
Without the advantage of home ground, only a surprise offensive could turn the tables—but since she didn’t have one, she chose a strategic retreat.
The Law Enforcement Elder snorted. “Since that’s the case, go to the Disciplinary Platform for thirty lashes, then to Reflection Cliff for reflection.”
“!!!” Ning Yin was stunned!
I’ve already given in—why am I still being punished with thirty lashes?
Does this white-bearded old man just have it out for me?!
Does he just have to punish me with these thirty lashes?!
Seeing the Hall of Discipline disciples coming to seize her, Ning Yin raised her hand. “Wait!”
In moments of life and death, people always find unexpected courage.
She looked up at the Sect Master with determined eyes and spoke with righteous indignation, “This disciple admits to being unruly and reckless in the past, but Heaven and Earth can bear witness—I have never done anything truly evil! Today, you want to convict and punish me based on a single jade pendant, and no matter how I defend myself, it’s useless. Since that’s the case, I won’t stay in Soaring Cloud Sect any longer! I request to be expelled from the sect myself. From this day forth, I, Ning Yin, sever all ties with Soaring Cloud Sect! Thank you, Sect Master and all the elders, for your years of guidance and teaching. Ning Yin, takes her leave!”
Thank goodness I’m a liberal arts student.
Having finished, she rose in anger, heartbroken, and turned to leave.
Originally, she thought if she could escape the thirty lashes, being sent to Reflection Cliff wasn’t such a big deal. When the Female Lead returned in glory, she could clear her name.
From then on, as long as she kept her head down and stayed away from the Male and Female Leads, “reformed herself,” and kept clear of the Main Plotline, maybe she could rewrite the fate of the villainous female supporting character and survive to the end.
But this stubborn Law Enforcement Elder insisted on giving her thirty lashes!
She might as well go back to the Cheng Kingdom, live as a carefree Princess, and enjoy a life of luxury and leisure.
Just as the grand hall doors were within reach, a most untimely voice rang out. “Wait!”
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.
From the excited crowd of disciples stepped a tall, refined young man.
He wore the same uniform as the other disciples, but his waist was adorned with several jade pendants. His eyes were deep as a cold lake, his entire being like an ancient sword, calm and restrained.
He walked straight to the front of the hall, blocking Ning Yin just as she was about to cross the threshold, revealing a slender wrist. His voice was low and steady, “If you haven’t done it, why admit it? Suffering injustice without speaking up for yourself, and even asking to be expelled from the sect—are you really willing?”
The disciples around them began to whisper.
“Why is he here…………”
“He was always bullied by Ning Yin—why is he speaking up for her?”
“Hmph, I knew he’d stand up for her. Birds of a feather flock together!”
Hearing the murmurs around her, Ning Yin’s eyes brightened, looking at the young man beside her with hope.
Could this be a key character from the novel? Or someone of high status and formidable strength?
She vaguely remembered that in the novel, the only one who liked Ning Yin and stood by her unwaveringly was a member of the villain’s camp—a guy with half his face tattooed, a hideous…
In the novel, the ugly guy was surprisingly popular. He fell in love with Ning Yin at first sight and never wavered, no matter how much Ning Yin hated or used him. He didn’t care. For Ning Yin, he went up against the Male and Female Leads, even betraying the Big Boss he’d followed for years. Even when he died for Ning Yin in the end, he never regretted it.
All for love, all for hurting others for the one you love.
The ugly guy had someone who loved him, but Ning Yin was scorned by all.
How tragic.
So, could the person speaking up for her now be the future ugly guy who’d fall for Ning Yin?
“Reporting to Sect Master, elders, and fellow disciples, convicting her of harming a fellow disciple based solely on a jade pendant is unfair.” The young man cupped his hands and stood respectfully, his voice clear and resolute, every word well-reasoned. “I dare to suggest there are still many doubts in this matter. First, no one saw her ambush Shi Yunzhao. Second, the forbidden land is full of demons—Shi Yunzhao might have accidentally fallen while fighting them. I beg the elders to investigate thoroughly and not wrong the innocent.”
Ning Yin nodded vigorously. Yes, exactly!
As soon as he finished, several disciples close to Shi Yunzhao slammed the table and glared angrily.
“Ning Yin has always been at odds with Senior Sister Yunzhao, constantly targeting her. In the forbidden land, someone saw her fight Senior Sister over a spirit herb, and her torn jade pendant was found where Senior Sister fell. When questioned, she was evasive and unclear! The evidence is overwhelming—if she didn’t do it, how else can you explain it?”
“Yes! That’s right! You’re just trying to defend her!”
“You’re both in cahoots, always targeting others. Now you want to escape punishment!”
Seeing the crowd’s anger rising, the Law Enforcement Elder snapped at the young man, “It’s not your place to speak! Since Ning Yin has requested expulsion, throw her out. She is never to set foot in Soaring Cloud Sect again!”
“In all matters of judgment under heaven, both witness and evidence are required. Only when the proof is irrefutable can punishment be decided. This is an eternal principle. Yet you all—” The young man swept his gaze over the crowd, speaking neither quickly nor slowly, “You don’t distinguish right from wrong, don’t judge by evidence, and rashly convict based on personal feelings. So narrow-minded—do you even deserve to call yourselves a righteous sect?!”
His powerful words echoed through the vast, silent hall.
Si Heyu shouted from the high platform, “Insolence! This is not your place to speak. Stand down!”
The young man looked up at the platform, eyes unafraid. “The way of Heaven is clear. When you see injustice, you must draw your sword. If there is unfairness, one must speak out! Today, if I watch you bully a weak girl and do nothing, how could I call myself a man?”
His low, steady voice carried a strange weight, each word falling into Ning Yin’s heart like a heavy stone.
Si Heyu didn’t bother arguing. His sword flashed out, cold light slicing through the air—a fierce sword aura shot straight at the young man’s face!
As Si Heyu attacked, the young man’s pupils shrank. His fingers closed on his sword hilt, ready to defend, but the sword aura was already at his chest. In a blink, he was thrown like a broken kite, crashing into one of the vermillion pillars and rolling to the ground.
The hall fell deathly silent, broken only by the young man’s ragged coughing after the commotion faded.
The Sect Master swept his gaze over the two and stopped the furious Law Enforcement Elder. “Take Ning Yin and Yan Hanzhou to Reflection Cliff. This matter will wait until Yunzhao is found.”
Ning Yin’s smile froze on her face.
Oh, Yan Hanzhou.
The one betrothed to the Princess since childhood—the original Ning Yin’s fiancé.
Son of the Prime Minister of the Cheng Kingdom.
The loyal lackey who followed the Princess in her Immortal Cultivation journey—a useless cultivator who, after five years, hadn’t even formed a foundation or learned to wield a sword.
The errand boy for Ning Yin.
A villainous cannon fodder, cut down by the Male Lead.
Ning Yin sighed.
Big brother, you’re someone who can’t even draw your sword—what exactly are you trying to prove?