9

Both Yao Yue and Tian Ying fell to their knees as they bowed their heads in embarrassment in front of Tian QiuYan in the main courtyard or Yun Tian Di. Behind them were Shui Yang, Lin Xue and Huo Ping, who got caught for drinking.

"Disciple Yao Yue of the Mo Sect has disobeyed Rule 364 of Yun Tian Di! I deserve to be punished for the offense and I am willing to receive the punishment!"

"Disciple Tian Ying of the Tian Sect has disobeyed both rules 100 and 364 of Yun Tian Di! As one of the top disciples of the Tian Sect, I deserve to be punished severely for these offenses!"

"Sect Leader Tian, it wasn't Childe Tian's fault for offending rule 364. It was all my fault, I was the one who took him to my room." Yao Yue said quickly as she bowed her head deeper. "Please don't punish him for something he couldn't control."

"I was still drunk, which allowed Miss Yao to take me to her room. I am still responsible for this act," he answered. "Please still punish me."

"Enough, that's enough." Tian QiuYan sighed. "It's good that both of you understand that you've broken these rules, but you still have to be punished. Yao Yue, although you were the one who led Tian Ying to your room, Tian Ying was still drunk enough to let you do so. Not to mention, you are also to be punished for being an accomplice in knowing that your peers were going to drink and encouraging them to do so." Tian QiuYan took a deep breath before turning around. "Tian Ying, I am really disappointed in you. You are both one of the top disciples and my son. You should know the rules by heart and you shouldn't be the one disobeying them. For that, Yao Yue and Tian Ying will get two hundred fifty strikes while everyone else gets forty five!"

With that he left, leaving five Tian Sect disciples with wooden boards who began to strike them. Both Huo Ping and Lin Xue let out cries of pain; while Yao Yue, Shui Yang and Tian Ying were both silent in their punishment. Yao Yue was counting in her mind of how many strikes were going on, and as soon as it was about fifty she cast a small spell. She suddenly felt her back bursting with pain as she sent all the strikes and pain that Tian Ying was taking, onto herself.

Tian Ying immediately noticed as he suddenly felt no pain, and glanced around. He saw Yao Yue's pained face and then clenched his fist, digging his nails into his hand. Surprised by the sudden pain on her hand, her concentration broke and the spell she had cast also broke. Yao Yue looked at Tian Ying in surprise, who just glared at her. His eyes told her not to try that again, but she just closed her eyes and cast the spell again. The pain immediately returned, causing her to just hold her breath to hold all the pain.

*****

By the end of the punishment, Yao Yue could barely move. Her back was bloody from receiving all the strikes of both hers and Tian Ying's.

"Yao-jie, how are you doing?" Huo Ping asked, kneeling beside her.

Yao Yue gave him a weak smile. "I'm...i'm fine." she whispered. "What...what about you? Does it...it hurt a lot...?"

"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself! Your back is all covered in blood! Here, let me help you up."

He gently pulled her arm over his shoulder and slowly helped her to her feet. Yao Yue winced as she got up, and they began to head out of the courtyard.

"Huo Ping, what are you doing!"

Both Huo Ping and Yao Yue turned to see Huo Ping's brother glaring at the two of them.

"Come over here, haven't you embarrassed our sect enough? Get over here right now, away from that Yao Niu of the Mo Sect."

Huo Ping glanced over at Yao Yue with worry, but she just nodded. "Just let me lean against the wall, okay?" she said, forcing a smile onto her face.

He nodded and set her against the wall before heading over to this brother. Huo Han grabbed him away, before storming off and scolding Huo Ping. Yao Yue closed her eyes, using her right shoulder to lean against the wall so she wouldn't get blood on the wall.

"Why."

She opened her eyes to see Tian Ying glaring at her. "Childe Tian..." she smiled. "What do you...you mean by...by why?"

"Why did you bring the strikes I was receiving onto yourself."

"I felt guilty...guilty for dragging you...you into this."

His eyes narrowed, before he silently pulled her left arm over his shoulder.

Yao Yue stared at him in confusion. "What...what are you doing..?"

"I hate owing people things."

She immediately tried to pull away from him, causing pain to shock throughout her body. "Don't...don't, you're still...still injured...!"

"Not as bad as you are. I only ended up receiving to the effect of eighty strikes, you got four hundred twenty. I can handle this."

Realizing that resistance was futile, Yao Yue accepted her position and allowed Tian Ying to pick her up on his back.

"Thanks, Childe Tian." she whispered, carrying her towards her room.

He hummed in response as he gently carried her to her room. Their journey was quiet, until they reached Yao Yue's room. Much to both of their surprise, it looked as if it had been searched and was a total mess. Her furniture was thrown everywhere, her blanket onto the ground and all of her chests had been dumped out.

Both Yao Yue and Tian Ying stared at the sight in shock until Yao Yue just let out a dejected sigh.

"I should have known that someone was going to take advantage of the situation."

She closed her eyes and weakly waved her hand as her items slowly began to move back to their respective places. But it wasn't long until Yao Yue's hand began to shake and the floating items moved weakly to their areas. The pain from the strikes on her back were taking a toll on her magic abilities.

"Let me do it."

Tian Ying finally walked into the room and carefully laid Yao Yue on her stomach onto her bed, before setting some of the remaining chairs up. Yao Yue slowly turned her head and watched him before he headed towards her still broken down doors. Tian Ying picked them up from the ground and fixed them back onto the door frame, casting a small spell so they wouldn't fall back down.

"I'll send someone to take care of your back." He said, walking out the room and closing the doors.

Yao Yue stared at her doors as a small smile appeared onto her face. She then glanced at her hand in front of there, which now held the box that contained Tian Ying's bloody needle and let out a small laugh.

"Thanks a lot, Childe Tian Ying of the Tian Mo Sect."