Chapter 15 | Transmigrated Into a Female-Oriented Novel, My Junior Sister Is the Villain

Zhao Qian was caught off guard by Su Yi’s sudden interrogation. Lifting her chin, she said with a touch of arrogance, “Senior Brother Su, you came at just the right time! This Tantai Yunzhi, she—”

“I’m asking you,” Su Yi bluntly interrupted, repeating himself, “did you, or did you not, fight a fellow disciple?”

He gave Zhao Qian no chance to explain or embellish upon Tantai Yunzhi’s “sinister spiritual energy.” Instead, he latched firmly onto the key point of whether she had engaged in combat, pressing her relentlessly.

Intimidated by Su Yi’s imposing aura and seeing him completely ignore her accusations while fixating solely on whether she had struck, Zhao Qian grew exasperated. “So what if I attacked first?! That sinister—”

“Good, so you admit it.” Su Yi interrupted her once more, his voice ringing out so that every onlooker could hear clearly. “Article seven of the Divine Might Manor regulations: Fellow disciples are strictly forbidden from private combat, and brawling in public gatherings is an even graver offense! Offenders face confinement and reflection at best, and expulsion from the inner sect at worst! Zhao Qian, as an Elder’s own granddaughter, you knowingly broke the rules. What punishment do you think you deserve?!”

“I... I...” Pressed by Su Yi’s relentless barrage, Zhao Qian was left speechless, her face alternating between green and pale.

Violating manor regulations through private combat was an indisputable fact; under the watchful eyes of the crowd, there was no way to deny it.

“Go to the Law Enforcement Hall and receive your punishment yourself. Do you understand?!” Su Yi snapped, causing Zhao Qian to flinch violently.

Whether in status or moral righteousness, Su Yi held the absolute high ground. Under his overwhelmingly confident pressure, she could only turn around and flee in dejection.

‘Thank goodness this world’s setting isn’t brain-dead enough to have underlings relentlessly barking at their superiors.’ Su Yi breathed an internal sigh of relief. Fortunately, Zhao Qian’s status was beneath his; otherwise, she wouldn’t have backed down so easily.

Even with the instigator driven away, the atmosphere in the courtyard did not lighten.

The onlookers’ gazes remained laden with suspicion and apprehension, darting between Su Yi and Tantai Yunzhi. The looming specter of that “sinister spiritual energy” weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts like a tangible mass.

Su Yi knew full well that blindly shielding Tantai Yunzhi now would only brand him as an accomplice covering up for her, provoking even greater backlash and suspicion. He had to handle this from a neutral stance aligned with the sect’s best interests.

“Junior brothers and sisters.”

“You have all witnessed today’s events. Private duels among fellow disciples violate manor rules; such conduct can never be encouraged! Regardless of the reason, Junior Sister Zhao Qian struck first and broke the prohibition.”

“This matter will not be tolerated, and I hope no one repeats it.”

Only then did he pivot the subject toward Tantai Yunzhi, though his tone remained objective and even held a note of caution: “As for the anomaly displayed in Junior Sister Tantai’s spiritual energy just now...”

“This concerns both the safety of our fellow disciples and our sect’s reputation. It cannot be overlooked, nor should it be the subject of wild speculation.”

“Divine Might Manor’s very foundation rests upon its rules. Opening a clinic requires strict verification to ensure the practitioner’s character is sound and their skills meet standard before approval is granted. Since Junior Sister Tantai was granted permission to practice medicine here, her qualifications were naturally vetted.”

He did not claim outright that the aura was “harmless,” but rather emphasized the rigor of the vetting process, guiding everyone to trust the sect’s judgment.

“However,” he pivoted, sounding all the more prudent, “abnormal fluctuations in spiritual energy do warrant scrutiny. To dispel everyone’s doubts and ensure absolute safety, prudence is paramount before the truth comes to light.”

He looked toward Tantai Yunzhi, who had kept her head lowered, his tone stern yet fair. “Junior Sister Tantai, your spiritual energy was severely depleted today, and your aura is unstable.”

“In my view, your clinic should close its doors for a few days. First, for you to properly rest and recuperate your vitality; second, to allow the Hall of Affairs to send examiners for a re-evaluation to put everyone’s minds at ease. Until a definitive conclusion is reached, suspend receiving fellow disciples. What do you say?”

These words not only demonstrated that the anomaly was being addressed with gravity, but also offered a reasonable solution—not expulsion, but a temporary closure pending investigation.

Hearing this, Tantai Yunzhi understood that this was the best outcome Su Yi could secure for her under the current circumstances.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her head. Though still pale, her eyes had regained a measure of composure. She bowed slightly toward Su Yi and the crowd. “Yunzhi will abide by Senior Brother’s arrangement. During the closure, I will fully cooperate with the inspection.”

Su Yi nodded, then addressed the onlookers one last time: “The sect is the sanctuary where we establish our lives and cultivate; only with order and boundaries can it endure. I hope everyone takes today’s lesson to heart. If trouble arises, report it according to protocol instead of engaging in private squabbles that stir up needless conflict. Disperse now, and return to your cultivation.”

Once the onlookers had completely dispersed, the alley returned to silence, leaving only the rustle of the evening breeze blowing through the herb patch.

Only then did Su Yi turn around to face Tantai Yunzhi, who remained standing where she was, her face pale. Knitting his brows slightly, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Let’s talk inside.”

The two entered the clinic’s inner quarters. Tantai Yunzhi quietly poured Su Yi a cup of plain water, then stood to the side with her arms folded, looking just like a child who had done something wrong.

Su Yi did not sit down. Looking at her, he asked directly, “What caused the conflict?”

Pursing her lips, Tantai Yunzhi knew she couldn’t hide the truth. She recounted the events in a low voice: “Before this... Senior Sister Zhao often came to the clinic to find fault and sneer at me. I treated her courteously and paid it no mind.”

Pausing, her voice grew even softer. “A week ago, she came again, claiming my clinic was nothing more than a bid for undeserved fame. She challenged me to make a wager and compete in medical skill... or settle it with martial might.”

“I... I accepted the wager in medical skill.”

Su Yi’s gaze sharpened. “You won?”

“Yes.” Tantai Yunzhi nodded. “I don’t know where she obtained such a devious test, but I identified the properties of the various mixed poisonous herbs she brought and provided the antidote.”

“Having lost the wager, she flew into a rage from humiliation and suddenly launched a sneak attack. Though I was on guard and blocked the first strike, she is at Foundation Establishment after all and attacked in fury. I had no choice but to push my spiritual energy to the limit to barely fend her off, which caused the aura within me to spiral out of control...”

There was a hint of grievance in her voice. She felt she had done nothing wrong; had she not been pushed to the brink, she would never have willingly exposed that ashen aura before others.

Listening to her explanation, Su Yi’s expression darkened. He recalled when he previously asked Tantai Yunzhi how things were going, and she had blithely replied, “Everyone is very kind.”

‘I should’ve known better than to think the female lead could ever have good popularity early on.’

This was clearly that cliché storyline where a minor villain pulls out a supposedly unsolvable formula to make things difficult for the protagonist, only for the protagonist to reveal their cheats; unable to save face, the villain uses status and strength to bully them.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have skipped all the dialogue and cutscenes back then.’

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Tantai Yunzhi and asked helplessly, “Didn’t I ask you earlier if everything had been going smoothly this past month? If you had run into any trouble? What was your answer back then?”

Tantai Yunzhi shuddered at his question, hanging her head even lower. Her fingers twisted tightly around the corner of her robes as she spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz: “I’ve... already troubled Senior Brother so many times. From the Ascendance Gathering to entering the sect, and then at the Council Hall... every time, Senior Brother came to my rescue. I... I can’t always rely on you.”

She looked up, stubbornness glinting in her eyes. “Besides, Yunzhi believed she wouldn’t lose to Zhao Qian.”

At this point, Tantai Yunzhi still felt a little proud inside, but realizing that Su Yi had to step in and help her in the end anyway, she bowed her head once more.

“I thought... I could handle it myself, so I didn’t want to trouble Senior Brother again.”

“Sigh, then I have no choice but to help you once more. First, we’ll find a few junior sisters who have received treatment here and have them step forward to testify that the aura from your body doesn’t affect them.”

“Then we’ll have the law enforcer who approved your clinic do another inspection. With this double layer of assurance, and with me stepping in to uphold justice, that should dispel their worries.”

Su Yi picked up his teacup. This was the best solution he could devise. However, a sudden doubt struck him: who was the one that signed off on Tantai Yunzhi’s initial permit to open the clinic?

This wasn’t a game where a permit could be acquired through a simple quest.

“By the way, which senior figure signed off on your permit as guarantor?” After turning it over in his mind, Su Yi decided to ask, worried she might have been duped again.

Hearing this, Tantai Yunzhi pondered for a moment before answering, “That senior didn’t seem to be from the Law Enforcement Hall. She only said her name was Gongsun Rou.”