53 Judgment

Zhong Yilan's master was away from Mount Hua for the month, so Wen Shiyin and a few other disciples accompanied me to the Gatekeeper's hall and explained the matter in detail. Zhong Yilan was disqualified from the tournament and, after making a trip to apologize to Xie Lun, confined to her room for penitence until her master's return. The final judgment would be made then.

I wished I could paint Zhong Yilan's face when she was escorted to Xie Lun's hall. It was probably the first time in her life that she ever had to beg someone for forgiveness, and I gloated slightly at the thought of Qi Lian bombarding her with his spirited beratement. A sense of pride rose in me—it felt good to finally be able to stand up for myself and for those who I cared about.

Though I didn't have much time to overjoy in satisfaction. When everything was settled, the Gatekeeper waved a hand at us and said, "Bai Ye's disciple stays. The rest of you are dismissed."