Speak No Ill of the Dead

Jiang Jin and the others had their worldviews violently shattered.

It was one thing for Third Senior Sister to run rampant within the sect, but she actually stole people's clothes and left a trail of broken hearts outside as well...?

Song Yao barely managed to recall this memory.

She did indeed seem to have run into people from Qianxi Sect in a demon realm before.

She had even saved them from some demons.

It was just that she later encountered a minor spirit that had transformed into human form. Lacking any spare clothes, she had conveniently swiped a set from the edge of a pond for the minor spirit to wear, leaving the jade pendant behind as compensation.

But she had clearly left him his undergarments!

This guy was spreading rumors.

Pure, unadulterated slander!

Ruining her reputation!

Attempting to prove her innocence, she chimed in, “Could it be a misunderstanding? Maybe she didn't think that much of of it!”

The youth wailed, “She even held me before! How could it be a misunderstanding? You people from Nine Saints Hall are all as irresponsible as her!”

Song Yao: “...”

To save him from the demons, she had merely grabbed him by the waist. Did that even count as holding him?

Giving up the struggle, she slumped back in her seat.

Ming Ran actually stammered for once. “She... she has already passed away. What... what else do you want?”

Sniffling, the youth bellowed, “I don't want anything! I just wanted to tell her that I won't waste any more feelings on her! I won't love her anymore! And I certainly won't stay widowed for her!”

Song Yao: “...”

Young man.

Could you possibly make this any more awkward?

Even with a completely different face, she felt like curling her toes in embarrassment.

The others had been thoroughly showered in spit, standing dazed in their spots.

Chen He wiped his face and said with a chuckle, “It is fine, it is fine. You will get used to it.”

But clearly, they weren't the only ones looking to settle scores with Song Yao.

With Qianxi Hall paving the way, several other minor sects surged forward, weeping and wailing as they began their accusations.

“It's all Song Yao's fault! That day, she ran to our sect to duel my Eldest Senior Sister. Dueling was one thing, but she just had to hold my Eldest Senior Sister's hand to teach her swordplay, calling it some ‘Sentimental Love Sword.’ Now look what happened! My Eldest Senior Sister has lost her appetite ever since, and she even wants to leave our sect to join Nine Saints Hall! Give us back our Eldest Senior Sister!”

“That's nothing! That scoundrel Song Yao came to visit our sect and insisted on using my master's cauldron to fry... fry some stinky tofu! It smelled like a latrine! Now every pill my master refines has a foul stench to it! How are we going to settle this account?!”

“And, and my senior brother! That day, he was practicing hanging upside down like a golden hook in a cave. Song Yao rushed in and kicked him, telling him not to do anything foolish. My senior brother's face was disfigured from the kick! To shut him up, Song Yao actually said she would take responsibility for him! Now that Song Yao is dead, my senior brother wants to follow her to the grave! He tries to hang himself every other day!!”

...

At first, the disciples of Nine Saints Hall tried to comfort the victims' families, but outnumbered and overwhelmed, they sat down in silence and accepted the baptism of flying spit.

Cheng Yue covered her face and asked Chen He, “Senior Brother Chen, did you all get cornered like this whenever you went out in the past?”

Chen He wiped his face. “It wasn't nearly this gentle.”

Cheng Yue: “...”

Ming Ran whispered, “Why do I feel like they aren't here for revenge, but to collect love debts? Was Third Senior Sister really that promiscuous in the past?”

Song Yao: “Slander!”

It was absolute slander.

She had indeed done many bad things, but she had never trifled with anyone's feelings.

Was it her fault that these people fell for her?

Not daring to yell too loudly, she crossed her arms and turned away.

Ming Ran added, “I don't get it. I feel like they just resent Third Senior Sister for not treating them well enough or caring about them enough. Senior Brother Chen, were you close with Third Senior Sister?”

“Third Senior Sister was a personal disciple, so we didn't have many chances to meet.”

Chen He pursed his lips. At her question, that figure involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

How high-spirited and brilliant she had been in her youth, always walking far ahead at the very front, where no one could ever catch up.

He had only ever had one interaction with her.

Back then, while hunting demons down the mountain, he had been severely injured while protecting the villagers from a demonic siege.

At the critical moment, eating a candied hawthorn, she had lazily appeared behind the demons with crescent-curved, smiling eyes, saying, “Junior Brother, your senior sister is saving your life here. Remember to buy me dinner later.”

The demons he had fought with all his might but failed to defeat were resolved by her in just a few moves, all while the candied hawthorn in her hand remained completely untouched.

And so, he had been waiting ever since to treat her to a meal to repay the favor.

Unfortunately, those words seemed to have been nothing more than a casual tease.

When they met again, she didn't even remember who he was.

Like the bright, clear moon, she was indeed dazzling, indeed attractive, and indeed difficult to approach.

Concealing the loneliness in his eyes, he stood up, cupping his hands to the crowd before them. “Whatever compensation was due, our Nine Saints Hall should have already paid. My junior brothers and sisters are still young, so I ask everyone to please show some mercy with your words.”

It wasn't some deep, blood-deep hatred anyway. Having vented their frustrations, the various disciples finally noticed that the participating Nine Saints Hall disciples this year were exceptionally young.

All of them looked thoroughly dispirited from the scolding, appearing somewhat pitiful.

Their expressions softened back to normal, and they bowed back with slight guilt. “You belong to the same sect as her; you must have suffered even more.”

“I heard your personal senior brothers and sisters were tortured to the point of barely looking human.”

“Fortunately, she is already...”

Chen He was extremely familiar with this routine.

It usually went like this: Song Yao's various enemies would come looking for trouble, and after giving them a harsh tongue-lashing, they would realize that the people of Nine Saints Hall were actually victims as well, leading to apologies and friendly exchanges.

Before leaving, they even left behind some fruits and pastries.

Once everyone had left, Jiang Jin frowned with displeasure. “Third Senior Sister got to die and wash her hands of everything, leaving our Nine Saints Hall to clean up her mess.”

Chen He's expression darkened slightly. “Speak no ill of the dead. Do not talk like that anymore.”

Jiang Jin was unhappy. “Even Master and our senior brothers and sisters were tormented by her. Why can't we talk about it?”

Chen He said, “It was the Hall Master himself who gave the order. No disciple of Nine Saints Hall, regardless of the cause or consequence, is permitted to abuse Third Senior Sister anymore.”

Jiang Jin: “...”

Chen He took a deep breath. “Besides, Third Senior Sister's death in the Earth Realm was unexpected to everyone. Neither the Hall Master nor the elders wanted her to die. How can we use her death to make an issue out of it...?”

Song Yao's hand holding a pastry paused slightly, and she shook her head helplessly.

Though it was unexpected, her death must have allowed Master and the others to breathe a sigh of relief.

Jiang Jin wanted to argue further, but another commotion arose at the entrance.

Through the bustling crowd, several disciples wearing matching white robes walked in.

They wore uniform silver-patterned brocade robes, embroidered with the red lotus unique to Taiqing Pavilion on their chests, and identical swords hanging from their waists.

Each possessed a tall and upright posture, their steps swift and clean. The moment they entered, they brought with them a crisp, cold sword qi, causing the surrounding air to grow slightly heavy.

The leader was particularly eye-catching. He was handsome, with sword-like brows slanting into his temples, a high nose bridge, and ink-black hair tied up high. His upturned eyes gave him a wild, untamed look.

With a careless smirk playing on his lips, just standing there, he exuded an aura of utter, unbridled arrogance.