"Oh..."
Liuyun nodded half - understanding. Obediently, she crouched beside Shen Linyi and quietly helped her observe the goings - on in the kitchen.
After waiting for a while, several older nuns walked in. They all looked fierce, their eyes fixed directly on Qinghe, who was still standing there in a daze.
Seeing Qinghe looking so absent - minded, the leading nun got angry: "Qinghe, it didn't matter much how you led those nuns to make a ruckus in the past, but you should never have made such a big deal out of it. Now that those noble ladies know about it, it will surely affect us. How will you atone for your sin?"
Qinghe's legs went weak, and she directly knelt on the ground, no longer the domineering self from before.
But instead of defending herself in a hurry, she looked at a nun on the side, pleading for her to speak up for her: "Mother..."
"Shut up!" The nun quickly stopped Qinghe and then apologized to the leading nun, "Qinghe is still young. It's all my fault that she is so ignorant. Please, the supervisor, show mercy."
The supervisor gave the nun a sarcastic look, then glanced at Qinghe. Then she handed the ruler in her hand to the pleading nun. "Nun Mingzhike, since Qinghe is your... disciple, it's only right that you discipline her. The abbot said that she should receive forty strokes of the ruler and be locked in the dark room for a day. You will carry out the punishment."
Qinghe slumped to the ground and immediately welled up with tears, her eyes full of fear: "Supervisor!! Qinghe is willing to receive double the strokes of the ruler, but I don't want to be locked in the dark room. Please, supervisor, spare Qinghe!"
The supervisor took two steps forward. There was a gentle smile on her lips, but her eyes were full of threats. She bent down, lifted Qinghe's chin with her finger, and said, "Qinghe, you're not a child anymore. Although you act crazy all day long, you're good - looking. If you cause trouble again, you don't have to show your face in public anymore."
After saying that, the supervisor turned around and left. Before leaving, she left two nuns to watch Nun Mingzhike carry out the punishment.
Qinghe crawled on her knees to Nun Mingzhike's feet and grabbed tightly onto the corner of her robe: "I don't want to go into the dark room, I don't want to go into the dark room!!"
Nun Mingzhike gritted her teeth, shook off Qinghe's hand, and said to the two nuns behind her, "Hold her down."
Immediately afterwards, there were sharp sounds of the ruler breaking through the air, along with Qinghe's cries and pleas for mercy.
Half an hour later, the nuns left one after another. Nun Mingzhike stood there, looking at Qinghe, who was curled up on the ground, with a complicated look in her eyes.
"Mother..."
Qinghe murmured, stretching out her hand helplessly, trying to touch Nun Mingzhike.
But Nun Mingzhike took a step back and said coldly, "I've said before that from now on, in public or in private, you should only call me Master or Nun Mingzhike."
Qinghe was in so much pain that cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her face was covered with tears: "Master? Nun Mingzhike? You're my mother. Why don't you dare to admit it!"
Nun Mingzhike was silent for a moment and didn't answer.
After waiting for a long time and hearing no more sound, Shen Linyi straightened her back and peeked inside. She found that Nun Mingzhike had left, and only Qinghe was left in the kitchen.
After waiting for a while, several nuns came back one after another. They found Qinghe lying on the ground, quickly stepped forward to help her up, and comforted her continuously.
Qinghe's eyes were originally blank, but with the comfort of those nuns, she gradually regained her senses.
She hated Nun Mingzhike's coldness and everyone here, but she didn't dare to do anything to others. So she blamed all that had happened to her today on Shen Linyi.
"It's all that bitch's fault. If it weren't for her making such a big deal out of it, I wouldn't have been punished like this and have to go into that... dark room!"
The nuns looked at each other. When Qinghe mentioned the dark room, there was a flash of fear and resistance on their faces.
"Qinghe... That woman doesn't seem easy to deal with. Why don't we just give up? We can't fulfill Lord Wen's request."
"Yes. If we get tricked by that woman again, you'll be punished again. Let's just keep a low profile for a while..."
Hearing this, Qinghe glared angrily at the two nuns, angrily stood up from the stool, and pointed at them with her red, swollen, and bleeding fingers: "What are you afraid of! Those people will come tonight. As long as we cooperate with them and steal the personal clothes of those noble ladies, we'll be valued by those above!"
"Over the years, isn't it by such means that the supervisor climbed to a high position? Once I reach that position, I won't let go of anyone who has ever bullied me!"
Qinghe's voice carried a harshness beyond her age, which sent chills down one's spine.
A moment later, a nun asked timidly, "So... do you want to use those people to deal with Lord Wen's mistress?"
Qinghe snorted and said, "Doesn't she not want to enter the mansion as a concubine? Then I'll make her understand that losing her virginity and becoming a slut slept with by thousands of men is a hundred times more painful than being Lord Wen's concubine!"
Liuyun's eyes widened, and she almost let out a cry, but Shen Linyi quickly covered her mouth.
Shen Linyi pulled Liuyun and left through a small path.
It wasn't until they returned to the small courtyard that Shen Linyi let go of Liuyun. Seeing that no one was chasing them, Liuyun closed the doors and windows tightly, then pulled Shen Linyi and whispered.
"Miss, did you hear that? This Jingxin Nunnery is not simple. These nuns are so evil! Let's leave here quickly!"
After saying that, Liuyun was about to get up to pack their things.
But Shen Linyi grabbed Liuyun and gently shook her head.
Liuyun's heart was pounding. She wasn't unfamiliar with such dirty tricks. Having been with Shen Linyi since childhood, she was used to seeing dead people.
But this was Shangjing, where the powerful and the noble were intertwined. This was a muddy water they couldn't wade into.
Moreover, the noble ladies and wives who came to Jingxin Nunnery for self - cultivation were all from official families or had great backgrounds. The fact that these people dared to target these noble ladies meant that the people behind Jingxin Nunnery were even more noble.
For the sake of their own lives, they had to escape this disaster first.
"Miss, what are you thinking? Aren't we leaving?"
Shen Linyi lowered her head. After a moment, she said, "Are you scared?"
Liuyun pursed her lips. "Miss, I can't let you take risks."
Shen Linyi smiled and pulled Liuyun to sit on the stool beside her: "Our identities and experiences have already put us in a very dangerous situation. But as women, how can we just stand by and watch when we know that danger is coming tonight?"
"Miss..."
Liuyun frowned, looking extremely conflicted.
But in the end, Liuyun gave in. "Okay, miss, I'll listen to you. But Liuyun will put your safety first. If something goes wrong, Liuyun will fight her way out for you even if it means sacrificing her life."
Liuyun patted her chest and promised solemnly.
Shen Linyi was touched. She reached out and tapped Liuyun's forehead: "Little Liuyun, I don't want you to sacrifice yourself. Don't you believe that your miss can turn bad luck into good fortune?"
Seeing that Shen Linyi seemed to have a plan, Liuyun immediately felt at ease.
"Miss! What should we do now!"