บท 20: Punishment

Ying Yue was soundly sleeping when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. "Hey wake up!" said a voice. Ying Yue hugged the pillow tightly and put over the blanket over her. Sui Wenyen huffed and then pulled the blanket from Ying Yue. "Wake up as you are sleeping at my place," muttered Sui Wenyen.

Ying Yue slightly opened her eyes and saw Sui Wenyen in front of her. "What are you doing here? Huh?" asked Ying Yue in anger. There were two more girls standing behind Sui Wenyen. "Get up now, Miss Yue," said Sui Wenyen politely.

Ying Yue looked at her and then snatched the blanket from her hand and covered herself from that when Sui Wenyen huffed and pulled away the blanket from her, thus throwing it on the floor. Ying Yue sat up on the bed, running her hand through her long hairs and then shot glare at Sui Wenyen.

"So, you are my one of the roommates," muttered Ying Yue with a glare. "Your name is not written on this bed so I took the bed. You can take the other one. One more thing I want to tell you is that do not disturb me while I am sleeping. Understood," saying this Ying Yue, got down the bed when Sui Wenyen grabbed her arm, thus stopping her.

"Miss Yue, you should respect the disciples around you- the first rule of learning cultivation," asserted Sui Wenyen.

"I do respect disciples but not the way you people do. I know how good you are buttering in people," muttered Ying Yue and jerked off her hand from her arm. She looked at the two other girls who were her roommates.

"Miss Yue, you cannot take that bed as it is for Miss Wenyen. She has been here before you... You can take the other bed," said Ah Hua Shin.

"But now I am here so I will sleep there. I do not think that there should be any problem regarding this," asserted Ying Yue. "Why does it seem like you three are trying picking on me? I am not like those girls who will be bullied easily by the bunch of idiots," muttered Ying Yue. They three looked at her in disbelief.

"Miss Yue, do not pick fight with us. We were just telling you that this is not the right way. You should respect your roommates and the disciples here," said the other girl, Wang Fang softly. Ying Yue looked at her and then slightly laughed. They looked at her confusedly.

"When did I pick fight? This girl snatched my blanket first when I was soundly sleeping. Now, I understand you want me to get humiliated again and start acting like your yes- man," said Ying Yue, glaring at Sui Wenyen.

"Miss Yue, you are still behind that thing. A disciple should not hold grudges- the second rule of cultivation. I just told the truth there. You should accept that you lack in many things," stated Sui Wenyen. Ying Yue pointed her finger at her and then put it just below her shoulder.

"Listen carefully, I am not going to get defeated against you. I know you want me to go away from here but sorry, I will stay here and keep getting on your nerves by excelling in every single thing," muttered Ying Yue and then pushed her.

Sui Wenyen grabbed the finger of Ying Yue when they both glared at each other. Ying Yue tried pulling it back from Sui Wenyen's grip but she felt as if there was no strength in her. "Leave my finger," murmured Ying Yue.

"Miss Yue, I do not think you can excel in every single thing related to cultivation with almost zero Qi," asserted Sui Wenyen when Ying Yue pulled the hairs of Sui Wenyen which let her pass out a scream. Sui Wenyen released her finger and then held her hand. "Miss Yue, you are doing wrong. Please leave my hairs. It is hurting," said Sui Wenyen. Wang Fang and Ah Hua Shin stepped forward to stop her but Ying Yue did not left Sui Wenyen's hairs.

She kept screaming while the disciples from the other rooms came there. A few among them stepped forward to stop Ying Yue but she was not listening to anyone. Wang Fang walked away from there to call Lady Qiu Si.

"How dare you say that I cannot excel in anything?" shouted Ying Yue and tightened her grip on Sui Wenyen's hairs. The disciples there tried hard to stop Ying Yue but she was not listening to them. Qiu Si came there and told Ying Yue to release Sui Wenyen. "She was the one who started this," muttered Ying Yue when Qiu Si announced, "you will be expelled from the academy at this instant if you will not release her." Hearing that, Ying Yue loosened her grip from Wenyen's hair and turned to look at Qiu Si.

Sui Wenyen sat on the bed while the other disciples helped her. "Wenyen, are you okay?" Qiu Si asked.

"I am fine, lady Qiu," answered Sui Wenyen while caressing her head. "Thank you for the help. My head is aching because of the pull," Sui Wenyen added further. Ying Yue looked at Sui Wenyen and thought, "she is an actress. I did not even pull that much."

"Miss Yue, you will be punished for the behaviour you have shown today," stated Qiu Si. Ying Yue turned to look at Qiu Si. "But why?" Ying Yue asked.

"You have shown a disrespect towards a disciple not only you tried harming her. Your punishment is to clean the 100 quarters in this academy," announced Qiu Si. The other disciples started whispering when Ying Yue said, "this is wrong. This girl was the one who started fight with me. She-" Before Ying Yue could complete her words Qiu Si loudly said, "Miss Yue, tomorrow morning you will clean all the 500 Quarters in the academy. No one will help Miss Yue. Whoever tried doing then that disciple will be punished." Saying this Qiu Si told the disciples to go to their respective rooms.

"But-" murmured Ying Yue. Ah Hua and Wang Fang walked out of the room to take water jar when Sui Wenyen spoke to Ying Yue, "Miss Yue, I hope you will not do any such thing in the future as it can lead to more severe punishments." Ying Yue glared at her but did not say anything and walked out of the room in anger.

She was walking in anger, not knowing where she was going. "They all are bad. She was the one started the fight. Should I run away from here? But if I will run away then how will I go back? I am stuck. I am missing you mom- dad," murmured Ying Yue and rubbed off her eyes. She put down her hands and went towards the pavilion there. She sat on the wooden stool there, gazing the night sky.

Fu Shui Jin was sitting on the roof top and noticed Ying Yue sad face. He had Qin in front of him. He started playing it. Plucking the strings on the Qin, the sound waves echoed in that small region. Ying Yue who was on the pavilion heard the sound. "Whoa! The sound is soothing and calming me down. Fufu once told me that in cultivation musical instruments are also learnt. I do not think I will ever be able to learn any kind of instrument," murmured Ying Yue.

She had a gentle smile on her lips. Shui Jin kept playing the Qin until he saw Ying Yue got up from the stool. "I think Miss Yue has calmed down," thought Shui Jin and stopped playing the Qin. He saw Ying Yue was moving at her place when the next thing shocked him.