Summoning the Parents

Ning Zhou yelped and slapped her hand away. “Didn't that evil cultivator dig you up from a grave? If you're not a dead person, what are you?”

Speaking of which, Song Yao herself was also quite puzzled.

But she figured this was probably the system's doing.

Storing her actual body in a tomb and then having her dug up after she completed the task.

Quite a grand way to make an entrance.

But the label itself was really unpleasant.

She nudged Cheng Yue. “He called me a dead person. Dock his points.”

Cheng Yue was too well-behaved and progressed quickly in her cultivation. She had previously been selected by the Teaching Elder to be the first inspection disciple of the new generation, specifically tasked with managing the conduct of the new disciples.

Disciples who had too many points docked would be punished with hard labor, copying books, or even having their monthly allowance cut.

Cheng Yue was listening to the lecture attentively. She still had a relatively good temper. “Be quiet.”

Ning Zhou leaned in as well. “Why dock my points? Calling you a dead person wasn't meant as an insult.”

Song Yao said lazily, “Who cares? To me, it's an insult.”

“Hey, why are you being so unreasonable, girl?” Ning Zhou said.

Song Yao nudged Cheng Yue again. “He called me unreasonable too. Dock him a few more points.”

Cheng Yue: “...”

They were so noisy.

They weren't like this before. Why were they acting up in waves?

If she had known, she wouldn't have sat next to them.

She endured it for a moment and managed to hold back.

But someone up front couldn't hold back.

The Teaching Elder slammed his desk, his face red with anger. “Still arguing?! Since the two of you have so much to say, get the hell out and talk outside!!”

Forced to get out and squat in the corner of the classroom wall, Song Yao continued eating her leftover meat bun. “Why is he so angry?”

She hadn't burned his books, snatched his toupee, or set fire to blow up the classroom.

She had only chatted a bit with Ning Zhou.

Compared to her past life, she was already as well-behaved as could be. She should easily qualify as one of the best disciples in the sect.

Ning Zhou said with a long face, “I'm not sitting next to you in the next class.”

Although he had been absent-minded in past classes, he had never been kicked out like this.

When he was with Lin Mu, why did he feel like he had lost his mind, completely unable to control his own behavior?

Song Yao finished her meat bun, wiped her hands on his clothes, and comforted him again in a gentle voice. “It's fine. Your life ought to have an experience of being kicked out of class. It's very precious.”

Ning Zhou: “...If you can't recite the text from memory later, the Teaching Elder might call your master to come pick you up.”

Summoning the parents?

Song Yao didn't care at all.

Her master's life and death were currently unknown in the forbidden grounds. If the Teaching Elder could actually call him over, she'd consider him highly capable.

If he called Seventh Elder, there was even less to worry about.

Seventh Elder was gentle and lenient; he would definitely not have the heart to scold her.

She waved her hand and said with a grin, “It's fine. Having your master summoned is also a precious experience.”

A quarter of an hour later, Song Yao stared silently at Zhu Zhao in front of her, unable to smile.

Wait.

How was she awake?

Was Ji Duchuan's elixir a bit too effective?!

She thought that even if Zhu Zhao didn't suffer a poison flare-up for now, she would still have to remain bedridden and unconscious.

But now, Zhu Zhao was standing steadily not far away. Aside from her slightly pale complexion, she didn't look out of place at all.

Her bangs fell over her forehead, beneath which was a pair of habitually cold and weary eyes.

The Teaching Elder stood opposite Zhu Zhao and Fifth Elder's husband, his shoulders shaking with rage. “I have taught disciples for so many years, yet I have never seen a pair as unruly as these two! It is one thing to not pay attention, but they actually dared to eat during class! They even went and disrupted the other disciples!”

Fifth Elder's husband rubbed his hands and offered an apologetic smile. “How could you say you've never seen it? Wasn't there a Song Yao before them?”

The Teaching Elder grew even more furious. “That one? That one never even showed up to my classes!!”

Fifth Elder's husband laughed twice. “Then these two kids are still considered well-behaved. At least they didn't skip class.”

The Teaching Elder was too angry to speak. After fuming for a long while, he finally said, “Take Ning Zhou back first. I'll speak to Fifth Elder later!”

Fifth Elder's husband smiled good-naturedly again. Before leading Ning Zhou away, he didn't forget to whisper to Song Yao, “I'm making stewed pork ribs with hawthorn and fried fish tonight. Remember to come over and eat. You've gotten thin.”

Song Yao nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. “I'll be there later.”

The Teaching Elder glared in that direction with annoyance, then said to Zhu Zhao with earnest concern, “I know she just came back after winning first place, and I know she has great talent, but she can't just stop her studies because of that, can she??”

“So many things have happened in the sect lately, and I know everyone has too much on their plates to handle. You on the main peak are busier than anyone. And you, you ran out before your body has even fully recovered. But no matter what, you can't neglect the child's education.”

“Song Yao turned out that way precisely because the Hall Master spoiled her too much. We absolutely cannot let Lin Mu follow in Song Yao's footsteps. How about this...”

The Teaching Elder slammed his ruler, making up his mind. “Have her move to Qingming Platform to live. I will personally watch over her to study moral principles.”

Song Yao: “...”

Having her live at Qingming Platform—how was that any different from feeding her sleeping pills every day?

That place was specifically for compiling doctrines. The cultivators and disciples inside spent all day debating the Dao, and every single one of them was as rigid as could be.

As she was thinking of how to refuse, Zhu Zhao spoke up from the other side. “No need. I will be staying on the main peak for the next few days. I will take her back and discipline her myself. There is no need to trouble you.”

The Teaching Elder looked at her, the anger on his face instantly dissipating by half, leaving only helplessness.

He had absolute confidence in Zhu Zhao.

This child had been incredibly reliable since she was young. Despite her youth, she commanded authority. No matter how unruly a disciple was, once they went through her hands, they would become completely obedient.

Not to mention that after the Hall Master met with mishap, most of the sect's affairs had been handed over to her.

He sighed and ultimately nodded. “Alright. However, your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Don't force yourself in anything, and prioritize your own health.”

Zhu Zhao nodded and said nothing more, turning her gaze onto Song Yao.

The young girl was standing without any proper posture, leaning her back against a pillar in the corridor with her head hanging in a lazy, listless manner. Her lips were pouted high, clearly not very pleased.

Then again.

In the past, setting fire to the main hall only earned her a couple of scoldings and some light punishment.

Now, getting lectured just for not paying attention in class, how could she be pleased?

But... seeing her suffer a setback like this was truly a rare sight.

The coldness in Zhu Zhao's habitually expressionless eyes faded slightly, and the corners of her lips curved up in an almost imperceptible arc.

Yet when she spoke, her voice remained as icy as ever. “Follow me.”

While Song Yao was contemplating whether going to Qingming Platform would be more miserable or falling into Zhu Zhao's hands would be worse, Black Bird had already flapped its wings and landed in the courtyard.

Compared to its previous bald state, its feathers had grown back quite a bit, making it look fluffy. Though it hadn't fully returned to its original beautiful appearance, it looked like a giant-sized chick.

Its two pitch-black, round eyes looked at her with obvious schadenfreude.

Song Yao: “...”

Wait.

This ugly bird had definitely recognized her, hadn't it?