Punishment

Looking at Ming Yun, who was standing at the door of the room, Xu Yanmei couldn't help but touch the back of the head.

"Aunt Ming, don't worry, I told little Qing what I wanted to do, I didn't trick her," said Xu Yanmei, causing Ming Yun to nearly spit out a mouthful of blood.

Looking at the scene in front of her, a rather angry expression couldn't help but appear on Xu Yanmei's face.

"Aunt Ming, if that little lass lied to you, you can punish her however you want, I'm sure mother would agree as well," said Xu Yanmei, causing Ming Yun to temporarily fall into thought.

After a few moments, Ming Yun nodded.

"That's a good idea, thank you, Mei'er" mumbled Ming Yun as she touched her chin and looked at Xu Yanmei.

A moment later, under Xu Yanmei's rather surprised eyes, Ming Yun walked out of the room.

As soon as she had made sure that Ming Yun was not spying on her, a dark look appeared on Xu Yanmei's face.

'Aunt Ming can't be so easily tricked, she must have something up her sleeve,' thought Xu Yanmei as she immediately recounted the conversation she just had in her mind.

Although Xu Yanmei did not know what it was, she was sure that there was something wrong with the way Ming Yun was acting.

In only a few moments, Xu Yanmei's mind quickly went through every single possibility, arriving at a single one in under a breath of time.

"She couldn't have just given up on me, right?" mumbled Xu Yanmei as she stared at the door of the room with a confused look on her face.

After analysing the situation, Xu Yanmei realised that the most likely, Ming Yun had given up on trying to educate her, and had just come here to pretend.

Furthermore, this was the reason why Ming Yun immediately accepted punishing Xu Xiaoqing, who she considered teachable.

"Surely that's not right..." mumbled Xu Yanmei as another frown appeared on her face.

Hearing Xu Yanmei's words, the beauty who was sleeping next to her couldn't help but open her eyes.

"Yanmei, did something happen?" asked the beauty as she looked at Xu Yanmei with a confused look on her face.

Hearing this, Yanmei shook her head before returning to her usual self.

"It's nothing," mumbled Xu Yanmei before turning towards the beauty.

...

Ming Yun was unaware of the fact that Xu Yanmei had discovered her plan, but even if she knew that, she would not care much, after all, Xu Yanmei was not someone who would take something like that to heart.

Only a few moments after walking out of the room Xu Yanmei was in, Ming Yun arrived in front of a sleeping little fox.

As soon as Ming Yun appeared next to her, Xu Xiaoqing opened her eyes and stared at her.

The moment Xu Xiaoqing saw the look in Ming Yun's eyes, she immediately froze, as she immediately recognised that look.

"Aunt Ming, did something happen?" sheepishly asked Xu Xiaoqing as she slightly lowered her head.

'That damn Yanmei, she told me that she would keep her mouth shut!!' thought Xu Xiaoqing as she continued staring at the ground, not daring to look straight into Ming Yun's eyes.

Even though Ming Yun had not yet said anything, Xu Xiaoqing who was experienced with this sort of thing, realised that she was about to be punished, after probably being betrayed by Xu Yanmei.

Looking at the little fox who was staring at the ground, a faint smile couldn't help but appear on Ming Yun's face.

"Xiaoqing, where is the treasure that Xu Yanmei had given you to help her?" asked Ming Yun, causing Xu Xiaoqing to once again freeze.

'Old woman, do you have to be so ruthless??' thought Xu Xiaoqing.

Of course, though, Xu Xiaoqing did not dare voice out those thoughts, nor show any sad expression on her face.

A moment later, Xu Xiaoqing obediently spit out a small spatial ring onto the ground.

After taking a look at the spatial ring, as well s at the numerous treasures inside of it, Ming Yun once again frowned before looking at Xu Xiaoqing.

Sensing this gaze, Xu Xiaoqing once again spat out another spatial ring.

"Aunt Ming, that's everything..." said Xu Xiaoqing with an extremely dispirited look on her face, as if she had lost her soul.

Even after looking at the treasures inside the spatial ring, Ming Yun still kept staring straight at Xu Xiaoqing.

After a few more moments of this staring, the fake expression on Xu Xiaoqing's face faded away, being replaced by a real look of sadness, as she then spat out a third spatial ring.

"These are going to your mother, you can ask for them back from her if you want," said Ming Yun before disappearing.

Hearing this, Xu Xiaoqing knew that the treasures that she had just obtained were now impossible to obtain back, but even so, she still did not voice any complaints, lest she get punished again.

After that, Ming Yun left, leaving Xu Xiaoqing alone.

"That's it, I'm not coming out of this place, I'm going to focus on cultivating," mumbled Xu Xiaoqing before closing her eyes.

Immediately after that, Xu Xiaoqing began cultivating for several years straight.

...

Seven years later,

After seven years of serious cultivation, Xu Xiaoqing suddenly sent out her spiritual sense, to check if Ming Yun was gone, causing her to suddenly freeze.

As she opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of Ming Yun, who was standing silently right in front of her, Xu Xiaoqing almost burst into tears.

But even so, Xu Xiaoqing obediently spat out a fourth and final, spatial ring of treasures that Xu Yanmei had given her.

'Guarding me for several years straight for just the off-chance that I have hidden something, aunt Ming, do you not have anything else better to do?' thought Xu Xiaoqing.

"I don't," said Ming Yun as she looked at Xu Xiaoqing, who had just accidentally shown her emotions on her face.

As soon as Xu Xiaoqing realised what had just happened, a bitter expression appeared on her face.

'I messed up...' thought Xu Xiaoqing.