CHAPTER 3: CONFINEMENT (1)

At night, Xuanji packed up some clothes, getting ready to move into Mingxia Cave the next morning.

He Danping was crying when she packed up some food for her, and said, "You will have to practice hard in the future......Don't make your father angry anymore. While you're in Mingxia Cave, don't think about unimportant things. Don't be afraid. Mother will definitely get you out as soon as I can."

Xuanji nodded, unbothered.

Linglong swiftly twisted her loose hair into a bun, and said childishly, "Xuanji, don't be afraid. I will also go into the cave to stay with you later! Wait for me! I will definitely take good care of you!

He Danping was wiping her tears, but laughed softly at Linglong's words, and said gently, "Silly girl, Mingxia Cave is so dangerous! Xuanji, please don't blame your daddy for being so ruthless. Mingxia Cave was first used by our ancestors way back to practice cultivation, and is used mostly by disciples who have a little trouble with their practices. Your daddy is doing this for your good. As the sect leader's daughter, you don't need to accomplish anything big, but you shouldn't humiliate him. What happened at the martial arts grounds today can't happen again, do you understand?"

Without waiting for Xuanji to reply, Linglong rushed to say, "Daddy only cares that he won't be humiliated! Sister is obviously in poor health and can't practice, but he doesn't seem to care!"

He Danping frowned and said, "Linglong, could you not say so much! Don't interfere with your daddy's affairs!"

Linglong was not satisfied, and went to the side, pouting and mumbling.

He Danping took Xuanji's hand, and said, "It is dark and cold in the cave, so remember to wear more clothing. Your Sixth Senior Brother will bring you food everyday, and if you get sick, remember to tell him, and we can get you out." She was a great mother, and then had continued to babble on many trivial things.

She only stopped when a few disciples told her that it was time for dinner, then sighed and rubbed Xuanji's head.

"Madam, Master said that he will eat at Xiaoyang Peak, and will discuss next month's Flower Hairpin Conference with He Yang Uncle, so he will not come back tonight. Madam and two junior sisters, please suit yourself."

A disciple was speaking outside, and judging from the voice, it was Sixth Disciple, Zhong Minyan.

Hearing his voice, Linglong smiled brightly while opening the curtains, and ran out, saying, "Then Little Six can eat with us today."

Zhong Minyan quietly made a face at her, but didn't say anything. Holding Xuanji's hand, He Danping walked out, and said while laughing, "You little girl, Zhong Senior Brother is three years older than you! How could you call him little! Minyan, your Master and First Senior Brother are not in your living quarters today, so go call your other senior and junior brothers, and everyone will eat together. Dinner will be more lively this way."

Zhong Minyan smiled and answered yes, then stood up straight. He was the smallest out of the generation of disciples with the name "Min", and Linglong and Xuanji were ranked right behind him. He was quite handsome and intelligent, and also had a sweet mouth, so Master and Madam liked him very much, and Linglong would never stop pestering him.

Seeing Xuanji standing right next to Madam with a pale face, he showed no expression on his transparent little face, and detested him even more at that moment.

He didn't like Xuanji because she seemed to be expressionless, and she also never smiled, as if she was a piece of wood. If one approached her, they couldn't help but feel a little depressed, and the air solidified and was full of laziness. He was naturally good at speaking, was eloquent and could even persuade Master, but he simply just couldn't reason with Xuanji. She was very detestable. She would nod the whole time you were speaking, as if she was a modest person, but the moment she turned and walked away, she would be doing her own thing again.

Zhong Minyan had decided that she was very unpredictable, and had two different faces, so from then on, he never spoke to her again. It's still Linglong who's better. A little girl should be sassy and naive, otherwise, she would be just like a puppet. He was about to go get his senior brothers, when he suddenly remembered something. He looked back, then said softly, "By the way, Master has a few words to tell Xuanji Junior Sister. He said: Don't even think about being lazy, and practice hard in the cave. If you still can't do the Xuan Ming Fists the next time I check on you, don't even think about leaving the cave."

Xuanji said "oh", but had no reaction. Zhong Minyan wanted to see her cry, but to his disappointment she didn't, and he left.

The words from Master that came from Zhong Minyan's mouth made the atmosphere during the dinner very heavy. Madam's eyes were red, probably from secretly crying, and Linglong didn't say anything, the expression on her face bitter. Zhong Minyan felt bad, and he secretly kicked his Second Senior Brother Chen Minjue, asking him to tell some jokes to liven up the atmosphere.

Before Second Disciple was accepted as a disciple by the sect leader, he served as an assistant to a storyteller. He knew a variety of jokes, and knew just how to make people laugh. Seeing that everyone was silent and knowing that he was the second eldest in the group, he cleared his throat and said mysteriously, "Hey, something big has happened in our sect, do you guys know about it?"

Linglong was cleverest, and hurriedly said, "I know! The Flower Hairpin Conference will be held next month!"

Chen Minjue smiled, and touched his beardless chin. He shook his head and said, "Yes, it will be the Flower Hairpin Conference soon, but do you know what the highlight of it will be?"

Linglong frowned and thought or a while, then said, "The highlight? Isn't it the five sects sending out their most talented disciples to show off their martial arts and cultivation skills? You and my other senior brothers with the name "Min" are too young to compete. Was First Senior Brother chosen?"

Chen Minjue said nothing and only shook his head, a slightly evil and mysterious smile on his face. The impatient Linglong really wanted to grab him by the collar and force him to speak.

He Danping smiled and said, "Your First Senior Brother is certainly very talented, but he is not old enough to participate in the Flower Hairpin Conference yet. You must be at least eighteen years of age. Minjue, don't keep us all waiting, tell us now."

Chen Minjue said unhurriedly, "Then do you guys know why it is called 'Flower Hairpin?'"

Zhong Minyan smiled and said, "I know this. The winner of the competition will be given a peony hairpin by the sect leader of Dianjing Valley, Rong Sect Leader, so that's why the Conference is called "Flower Hairpin."

Chen Minjue laughed, then said, "That's wrong! Winning first place does not mean that you will get the flower hairpin! If you don't believe me, then think about the Flower Hairpin Conference before the last one, and you'll discover that Rong Sect Leader didn't give the hairpin to the winner, who was from Fu Yu Island. It should be known that this flower does not only refer to the peony, but also the last challenge the winner must face."

This was the first time that everyone had heard about this so-called "last challenge", so everyone started to ask each other about it, and even Xuanji's eyes widened. Danping naturally knew, but she just smiled and said nothing, giving the children an opportunity to socialize and have fun.

Seeing that he had captured everyone's attention, Chen Minjue then said, "This so-called last challenge is to have the winner fight a big demon! Of course, this demon was carefully selected by the seniors and most of its evil energy was already taken away, otherwise how could even the most talented disciples beat the demon? But you also must not underestimate the injured demon, even if most of its evil energy is gone and has only twenty of thirty percent of its original power left, because there are still very few disciples who can defeat it independently. Otherwise, if it was just showing off martial arts and cultivation skills, how could the Flower Hairpin Conference be so grand? Since the very start of this Conference, only about ten people have actually obtained the peony hairpin. So, obtaining it is not as easy as you guys think!"

Everyone sighed, only realizing now that the Flower Hairpin Conference had such exciting content. Linglong listened with utmost interest, and asked again and again, "Then Second Senior Brother, do you know what the demon for this Flower Hairpin Conference is?"

Chen Minjue said, "I don't know as of now, but I heard that there is a Sky Dog making trouble on Lutai Mountain, and the people there can't live a normal life now. I'm pretty sure the demon will be this one."

Linglong was very interested, and pestered Chen Minjue to say more, and he said with a bitter face and a sigh, "Junior sister, I really don't know anything else! You should go ask Madam, because she probably knows more about the Flower Hairpin Conference."

He Danping nodded her head and said, "Second disciple is right. If you can't beat the demon, then you will not be able to obtain the flower hairpin. When your Master had participated in the Flower Hairpin Conference, he was the youngest, but had beat everyone. But he also suffered a loss at the last challenge. He still has a long scar on his body from the demon!"

"What demon did Daddy fight? Did he obtain the peony?"

"That was a very famous demon, and it was called Fei Yi. It had lived in the Northwest for a solid three years, and had stopped all the rain. In the end, your grandfather and some other elders of other sects had used all of their power to subdue it, and made it the finale of the Flower Hairpin Conference. It had taken your daddy two whole days and nights to finally win, and when he came out, his entire body was dry and cracked, and he almost died. Then I......"

She suddenly stopped talking, her face turning slightly red. How could she tell the younger generation that she had sprinted over, forgetting about everything else, and had hugged him, while crying. He held the peony hairpin, and put it into her hair, his hand trembling. He smiled and said, "I have wanted to say this for so long......a good smelling flower suits a beauty. Now......I have finally found a flower that is worthy of you."

Sigh, those sweet moments of the past, had slowly lost their color over time. These precious memories were only so bright in the very bottom of her heart, as if they had happened yesterday."

After dinner, everyone chatted for a bit, comforted Xuanji and then went back to their living quarters to rest.

It is unknown how many heartbreaking tears He Danping shed on this very night, while saying many words of worry as she hugged her daughter tightly, and hated that the night seemed to be so short, and that it would be dawn soon.

Carrying a small package, Xuanji opened the door to see half of the people of Zhen Xia Hall and a few of He Yang Uncle's disciples at the doorway. They were all neatly dressed in long white robes with red borders. Seeing He Danping, they all saluted respectfully, and said, "Greetings to Madam. We will send Junior Sister Xuanji into Minxia Cave on the order of the sect leader."

Zhen Xia Hall was in charge of punishing disciples who broke the rules, and they were sent by Chu Lei to escort Xuanji, which shows that even if he is a piece of iron, his face wasn't.

He Danping couldn't help but cry as she ordered a few disciples. She then dragged Linglong, who was creating a puddle of tears, to the side, and watched them tie Xuanji up with a golden rope and support her onto a black jade sedan, one person holding one of the four sides. After the sedan chair was lifted up, it slowly floated into the air.

"Xuanji, don't be afraid! Mother will pick you up very soon!" He Danping was waving her hand furiously from the air.

Xuanji scooted to the edge of the sedan, her face pale, but there fortunately was no apparent sadness or fear on her face. Seeing her mother and sister crying so hard, she was a little puzzled, but also felt a little miserable, so she said loudly, "I will be fine! Mother, older sister! You guys don't need to worry about me!"

As soon as she finished talking, the black jade sedan floated even higher into the air, becoming a black dot in an instant, and disappeared.

Xuanji had only heard some legends about Mingxia Cave, and had never actually been there, so she was not scared at all about this punishment. She actually felt very lucky. In any case, it was much better to be confined than beaten. She did not want to be slapped by her father. That would be horrifying.

Her mother had given her two packages, one for her clothes and the other full of dry food. Her sleeves and chest were also stuffed with things, toys that Linglong had given her to feel better. But unfortunately, she was tied up, and couldn't take a closer look at the items.

Mingxia Cave was above Tai Yang Peak. Tai Yang Peak was the lowest mountain in Shou Yang Mountain, and weirdly, there were very few trees, but was inhabited by many wild demons and had many naturally formed caves. Mingxia Cave was the largest and deepest cave there.

The black jade sedan carried her to the entrance of Mingxia Cave in an instant. Xuanji poked her head out of the sedan, but all she saw was flat ground, surrounded by pines and cypresses. What was particularly strange was that no grass grew three feet in front of the entrance of Mingxia Cave, and the color was crimson, like dried blood.

The four disciples of Zhen Xia Hall lowered the sedan. One person loosened her rope, another took her two packages, got off the sedan, and then said, "Xuanji Junior Sister, we will need to escort you into the cave."

She nodded her head obediently, but didn't ask why she needed to be escorted. Did they think that she would try to run away? She only learned after she entered the cave, that there was a ten foot high iron door inside, and the lock on the door was even thicker than her large thigh. No matter if you wanted to go inside or outside, you could only stare without the key. It was like a dungeon, and the name Mingxia suited the cave perfectly.

The light had dimmed just a moment after they had walked into the cave, and you could barely see someone else's face five steps away. Xuanji looked around, and saw that the walls and ceiling of the cave were covered in lichen. But thankfully, there were no bats, as they were probably gotten rid of regularly.

They walked for a while, and suddenly heard the sound of trickling water ahead, thinking that there was an underground spring there.

Xuanji didn't expect that there were so many walkways in Mingxia Cave. Not only was there a locked iron door, but they also had to take a boat to the destination. Now, she couldn't see anything, not even her hand that was waving furiously in front of her face.

The four people polished the flint and lit a torch, only to see that a simple stone house was built there. The stone bed, table and chairs inside were all primitive bedstone rocks.The so-called bed was just a flat slab of rock, covered with a layer of damp straw, and there wasn't even a quilt.

The four people left a flintstone, and a few candlestrips, and said, Ok, Xuanji Junior Sister can stay here and cultivate peacefully. We will leave now."

Xuanji nodded her head indiscriminately. The four people put her two packages down, and seeing her at a loss, they couldn't help but give the torch to her, and say, "Take care, Xuanji Junior Sister! We hope you will come out soon."

After they left, the cave was restored to its original quiet state, or actually, was dead-still.

Xuanji had never stayed in a quiet and scary place like this before, and after seeming to stay there for some time, the sound of her heartbeat turned into thunder, and she could even hear the blood in her veins flowing.

She was stunned for a long time, then turned around and walked into the stone house, and first touched the straw on the "bed". As expected, the straw was wet, and it was unknown how long it had been there. She could only take a few clothes from her package and spread them on top, and experimented with lying down. It was very hard, and extremely uncomfortable.

She had never suffered since she was very small, and seeing a big difference in the environment, finally started to feel upset. She wanted to cry, but then she thought for a moment. She was the only person here, and even if she cried until she tore her throat, it wouldn't matter, so she just sniffed her nose, and continued to stay in a daze. She didn't know when her mother would come to pick her up, and she really didn't want to stay in this place, she didn't at all.

A long time passed, and she fell asleep on the bed, immersed in her world of weird dreams. Her father wanted to hit her, her mother was protecting her. Then, Zhong Minyan appeared out of thin air, looked at her hatefully, and said, "You deserve it! You were so lazy!" After he finished speaking, he suddenly turned into First Senior Brother Du Minxing, who rubbed her head and promised that he would say some good for her.

She was about to beg her father to let her out of the cave, when Linglong suddenly poured a bucket of water on her, and yelled, "You're daydreaming again, wake up quickly!"

She couldn't help but shudder, and suddenly woke up, to find herself surrounded by darkness. It took her a very long time to realize that the torch had burned out. After finally getting up, she only felt frozen, the coldness seeping into her bones, and her clothes were damp from the wet grass. Her tiny body couldn't help but shudder furiously, and she quickly draped a few clothes over her body.

There was no sound, no sound at all. This scary quiet and darkness was even worse than dying. She wrapped herself into a ball on the stone bed, but just couldn't control the shuddering of her body, and couldn't even figure out if she was shuddering because of the freezing cold, or because of the terrifying endless darkness.

After a long time passed again, she finally remembered that the disciples of Zhen Xia Hall had left her a few candlestrips and a flintstone. She randomly tried to grab something on the bed, and finally found the flintstone. She slapped it a few times, and lit a candle. With light, she felt a little better, and huddled on the bed, staring at the little red-orange flame in a daze.

There were only four candles, and they couldn't be lit at all times, so she spent most of the day in darkness. She could actually ask Zhong Minyan for some, but that person had never liked her, and would definitely not promise, and it would be better to say nothing at all if it would be humiliating.

The cave was concretionary, and didn't move at all, so she didn't know how much time had passed.

Normally, with nothing to do, she would only stay in a daze, but if you really wanted her to stay like this, she wouldn't be in a daze at all. She could only take out the toys Linglong had given her, and there was a slingshot, a bird made of mud and a small red rattle. (6)

What was the use of these toys? She really couldn't understand.

Having absolutely nothing to do, she could only continue to sleep. But the stone bed was cold to the bone, and she just couldn't fall asleep after rolling around for a long time, and a strange feeling of loneliness made her shiver.

The small red rattle in her chest fell onto the bed, making a crisp sound. She grasped it in the darkness and held it in her hand. After a while, she lightly turned it.

Dong dong dong, dong dong dong.

The small red rattle made a loud sound.

In this dead and gloomy place, there was only this sound accompanying her.

She continued to turn it.

Dong dong dong, dong dong dong.

She seemed to see the lively atmosphere of the New Year.

First Senior Brother beats the Kuipi drum with a drumstrip wrapped in a red silk bow, and Linglong is behind him, hopping around and beating her small waist drum. The scent of Mother's red bean cake wafted in the air, and Father instructed the disciples to take out the good wine that had been hidden in the cellar for a year.

She actually also liked a lively scene. She liked being a small background color in a lively scene, instead of being ruthlessly left out, where everyone forgets about her and ignores her.

Xuanji thought about many random things, and finally sleeps soundly again, and doesn't think about these annoying and helpless things anymore.