Chapter 46: The Endless Cycle of Retribution

There were two classes in the afternoon.

After class ended, Luo Zijun left the academy along with Su Bie and the others.

"Shall we go to the Celestial Immortal Pavilion?"

As soon as they stepped out of the academy gates, Wang Dafu immediately made the suggestion. He looked as though he had been holding himself in for far too long.

"Are you paying?" Su Bie asked.

Wang Dafu instantly looked displeased. "Brothers don't talk about money; it hurts our friendship. Besides, Young Master Su isn't short of cash."

Su Bie replied, "I'm actually quite broke lately. Lend me some, and I'll pay you back next month."

"Get lost!"

Wang Dafu ignored him, turned around to throw an arm around Luo Zijun's shoulders, and chuckled. "Brother Luo, let the two of us go together?"

Luo Zijun said, "My purse is also a bit tight these days. If Brother Wang is willing to spot me some—the kind you never have to pay back—then I'll go."

"Get lost!"

Wang Dafu immediately let go of him and went over to invite Zhang Yitian instead.

Zhang Yitian hurriedly shook his head. "Didn't we already agree to go on a spring outing outside the city tomorrow? If you go to a pleasure house tonight, will you even be able to walk tomorrow?"

Wang Dafu slapped his forehead. "Almost forgot about that! We still have to climb Cold Mountain Temple; my legs hurt just thinking about it. Guess I really can't go tonight."

Su Bie asked, "Your family bought so many maidservants, haven't you had enough of them?"

Wang Dafu sighed, "Don't bring it up. The old ancestor in my family watches me like a hawk and won't let me touch them, fearing I'll lose my life at such a young age."

"Fair enough. Too much of that stuff can genuinely cost you your life."

"I heard someone from Lingfeng Academy went to the brothel every single day, and a while ago, he literally died right on top of two courtesans. The doctor said both of his kidneys were completely drained..."

Chatting about women, the group gradually parted ways at the street corner.

Luo Zijun made a detour to a sundry shop first.

When he emerged from the shop, he was already carrying two packs of quicklime powder inside his tunic.

He had originally wanted to buy some poison as well, but the shop didn't carry any.

It seemed he would have to ask his master for help.

As the head of the Security Hall and a practitioner of medicine for half his lifetime, his master knew how to concoct all sorts of remedies. Brewing up some poison or toxic powder should be well within his capabilities.

He soon returned to the apothecary.

His master had not yet returned from a house call; only his senior martial sister was standing behind the counter clicking away on an abacus. She paid him no mind when he entered.

Luo Zijun looked at the counter, waited for a moment, and couldn't help saying, "Senior Sister, I'm back."

Su Qingling continued clicking the abacus, ignoring him completely.

Luo Zijun had no choice but to say, "Um... Is something missing from the counter today? I feel like something's absent, and it looks a bit unnatural."

Su Qingling still gave him the cold shoulder.

Luo Zijun shrugged, decided not to tease her further, and went inside to wipe the tables and sweep the floor.

After a while.

His master, Su Dafang, returned with his medicine box on his back. Seeing Luo Zijun sweeping, he asked, "Zijun, are you studying at home today? Ling'er said you went to an academy yesterday. Which academy was it? Are you planning to take the entrance exams for it next month?"

Luo Zijun looked confused upon hearing this. "Master, didn't Senior Sister tell you? I've already been accepted by West Lake Academy. I went to report yesterday and attended classes today."

Su Dafang was stunned. "West Lake Academy? You've already been accepted?"

"Yes." Luo Zijun looked toward the young woman behind the counter.

"Tsk tsk, you really know how to boast, kid!"

Su Dafang looked entirely unconvinced. After putting down his medicine box, he continued, "Are you trying to fool me into thinking I don't know anything about studying? That West Lake Academy is the most prestigious institution in the outer city of Lin'an. You've only been studying for a few days, and you expect me to believe you got straight in? Besides, I heard the academy entrance examinations don't even start until a month from now. Did you climb over their wall to get in today?"

Speechless, Luo Zijun had no choice but to pull the student wooden token of West Lake Academy from his tunic.

"Your disciple was accepted ahead of time through a special exemption by the academy, so I don't need to take next month's exams. Senior Sister knew about this the night before last."

Su Dafang blinked, then snatched the token right out of his hand. After examining it closely front and back for a long time, his eyes widened. "Really? Zijun, you were truly granted an extraordinary early admission by West Lake Academy?"

Luo Zijun nodded.

Su Dafang immediately spun around to glare at the counter and barked, "Ling'er, you girl, why didn't you tell your grandfather?"

Su Qingling continued clicking her abacus and ignored him.

Su Dafang slapped his thigh in excitement. "Zijun must be the Star of Literature descending to the mortal realm! He's going to place as the top imperial scholar in the future!"

At this, Su Qingling finally spoke up. "The Star of Literature descending? Hump, more like the Star of Lust descending."

Ignoring her, Su Dafang hurried over, snatched the broom from Luo Zijun's hands, and beamed. "Zijun, don't do these coarse chores anymore. These hands of yours are meant for reading and writing—they're far too precious!"

Luo Zijun nodded earnestly. "Your disciple thinks so as well. In the future, I'll leave them to Senior Sister."

Su Qingling narrowed her eyes and picked up a rolling pin from beneath the counter.

"Master, Senior Sister is about to resort to violence again!" Luo Zijun quickly yelled.

Su Dafang immediately shouted, "Ling'er! You must not use violence against the Star of Literature!"

Su Qingling walked out from behind the counter holding the rolling pin, staring at him coldly. "Then I'll beat you instead."

Seeing this, Su Dafang immediately turned on his heel and headed for the exit. "My good girl, how can you hit your grandfather? You should hit the Star of Literature instead! Just make sure not to hit him in the face."

The corners of Luo Zijun's mouth twitched. He instantly raised his broom to accept the challenge.

One holding a rolling pin and the other wielding a broom, swords and sabers clashed as they locked eyes in an icy standoff.

A fierce battle was on the verge of erupting!

Standing outside the door, Su Dafang called out, "Well, you two carry on. Grandfather will help shut the door and head back first."

With that, he made a motion to close it.

Luo Zijun hurriedly shouted, "Master, your disciple has a favor to ask!"

Su Dafang immediately replied, "I am definitely not getting in the middle of your fight! You're a grown man, and you can't even beat a young woman? Hit her somewhere else, but no hitting the face!"

"It's not about that!" Luo Zijun quickly lowered his broom and said, "Your disciple has to go to Cold Mountain Temple tomorrow, and it might be dangerous. I'm begging Master for help!"

"Cold Mountain Temple?"

Hearing this, Su Dafang's expression turned grim. He stepped back inside and asked, "What on earth are you going there for? That patient just died a few days ago, and even the monks from Golden Mountain Temple couldn't save him. Didn't you see it yourself?"

Luo Zijun had no choice but to explain about the academy organizing a spring excursion.

"Two days? And you have to spend the night at Cold Mountain Temple?"

With a solemn expression, Su Dafang shook his head. "I'm afraid there really might be danger."

Luo Zijun asked, "Has Master ever seen a demon?"

Su Dafang rolled his eyes. "Everyone who has seen a demon is dead. Do you see your master dead?"

Luo Zijun pressed on, "Then where did Master hear about these demons? And how does Master know so much about that patient's illness?"

Su Dafang sighed. "Naturally, it's passed down by word of mouth from what others say. When I used to travel around practicing medicine in my younger days, I saw quite a few illnesses like that, so of course I know."

Luo Zijun asked again, "Then if we do encounter a demon, how can we save ourselves?"

Su Dafang frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Don't be afraid. As long as there are many of you together, demons and ghosts naturally won't dare to approach. Besides, there are eminent monks inside Cold Mountain Temple. As long as you don't wander outside at night and stay within the temple grounds, you should be fine. Also, as I told you last time, you must guard your mind and heart, keep away from lust, and naturally you won't need to fear anything."

Luo Zijun asked, "Are there no other methods? For instance, medicines, magical items, or something?"

Su Dafang glanced at him. "I'm a doctor, not an immortal."

Luo Zijun felt a wave of disappointment.

"Oh, right, Master—do you know how to brew any poisons? Your disciple wants to carry some for self-defense."

Su Dafang glanced at a certain someone. "Your senior sister does."

Luo Zijun paused, then immediately dropped the broom in his hand. "Senior Sister..."

Su Qingling said coldly, "Turn around and stick your rear end out."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"You two carry on. Old master is a bit tired, so I'll be heading back first."

Su Dafang left directly, thoughtfully closing the door behind him as he went.

The room plunged into dimness.

A streak of the setting sun slanted through the window, landing squarely on Luo Zijun's rear end.

"Senior Sister, when will the cycle of karmic retribution ever end? Why must you be like this?"

"Are you going to stick it out or not?"

"Senior Sister, yours is the one worthy of being called stuck out; I am not sticking mine out."

Su Qingling ignored him further, put down the rolling pin, tidied up things on the counter, and prepared to leave.

"Senior Sister, do you really not care whether your junior brother lives or dies?" Luo Zijun asked.

Su Qingling continued packing up without a glance in his direction.

"Fine! Then don't blame your junior brother for being ruthless!"

Luo Zijun suddenly snatched up the rolling pin, marched right over, and gave her a swift smack on her curvaceous backside. Then, dropping the rolling pin, he bolted toward the door at full speed, intending to make his escape.

Who would have thought the door had already been locked from the outside!

"..."

Luo Zijun tugged hard at the door, but it wouldn't budge. When he spun back around, Su Qingling had already arrived behind him, holding her struck backside with one hand and grasping the thick rolling pin in the other, her face as cold as frost!

"Senior Sister... karmic retribution... Ah!"

"Thud!"

Luo Zijun took a hit, and immediately lunged forward to grab her rolling pin.

Unable to wrench it free, Su Qingling used her free hand to pinch his rear end!

"Ow..."

Unwilling to lose, Luo Zijun immediately pinched her back.

"Ah..."

Crying out, Su Qingling applied even more force.

Luo Zijun squeezed harder as well.

The two of them spun around each other, pinching and retaliating, while the room instantly filled with the uneven, rhythmic, and thoroughly discordant sounds of a man and a woman shouting in agony.

"Click!"

A moment later, the shop door swung open.

Su Dafang said from outside, "I almost forgot you two were still inside. How did the door get locked?"

Light flooded into the room.

Luo Zijun clutched his backside, his legs clamped together, and limped out. "Master, Senior Sister not only pinched my butt just now, she also pinched my..."

"Grandfather, beat him to death."

Slumped over the counter with disheveled hair and wrinkled clothes, Su Qingling clutched her backside, hissing in pain.