Generally speaking, only people with violent tempers and ruthless natures possessed such baleful energy. The cultivators of Ice Heart Valley practiced ice-attribute techniques that emphasized clarity of mind and detachment from desire—so how could someone like that exist among them?
Not only that, these women all wore icy expressions, devoid of any hint of a smile, and their very presence radiated an aura that screamed "keep your distance."
They walked straight toward the ice peak and soon arrived before a cave dwelling.
The woman at their heads surveyed the surroundings, seemingly asking someone, "Is this the place?"
Someone immediately answered, "Yes, this is it."
The leading woman nodded, then suddenly called out in a clear, ringing voice, "Is Outer Island Disciple Qing Ya here?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried with remarkable clarity and penetration, reaching far into the distance.
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai's brows shot up with delight. This was exactly the kind of stroke of luck he needed—he had been fretting over how to find Qing Ya's dwelling, and now a whole group had shown up looking for her.
However… these women didn't exactly seem friendly. Yang Kai quietly frowned and didn't rush to reveal himself, choosing instead to remain hidden where he was and observe from the shadows.
The moment the woman's call fell, before three breaths had passed, a thin, membrane-like barrier outside the cave dwelling suddenly parted to either side on its own, like a bursting bubble. From within, a woman emerged wearing a pristine white dress, her bearing poised and elegant.
Qing Ya! Yang Kai's brows lifted—then he immediately noticed something was off.
Qing Ya's aura was unsteady, and her face was deathly pale. She appeared to have sustained a serious injury!
She had been perfectly fine when she returned to Ice Heart Island a few days ago. How had she suddenly gotten hurt? And judging by her condition, it didn't look like an error during cultivation. Rather, it seemed as though she had been… beaten!
Yang Kai was filled with bewilderment.
Over there, Qing Ya stepped out of her dwelling and, upon seeing the faces and attire of her visitors, couldn't help but let her expression change.
She seemed to recognize the leading woman.
"So it's Senior Sister Bing Die. Did Senior Sister come here for something?" Qing Ya struggled to keep her composure, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her inner anxiety.
By now, a number of Ice Heart Valley disciples on the ice peak had been roused by Bing Die's earlier call and had come out to see what was happening.
When they saw the scene before them, fear flickered across their faces.
"That's Senior Sister Bing Die from the Law Enforcement Hall! What is she doing here, and looking for Junior Sister Qing Ya, no less?"
"This is bad—has Qing Ya committed some offense? Otherwise, why would they send this plague incarnate?"
"That can't be right. Qing Ya has been on her best behavior ever since she entered the valley. She even accomplished something significant not long ago. How could she have committed any offense?"
"Hard to say. I heard from a senior sister in the Inner Island that a few days ago, Qing Ya apparently did something that enraged the Grand Elder and threw her into a terrible fury."
"I heard about that too. It seems a senior sister named Zhou Yunxuan even attacked and injured her."
"No way—Qing Ya is very close with Su Yan. With Su Yan around, who would dare lay a hand on her?"
…
In no time at all, it seemed like every disciple on the entire ice peak had been alerted. They filed out of their cave dwellings and stood at varying distances, watching.
The whispered chatter of onlookers drifted through the air, but the leading woman called Bing Die remained unmoved. She simply regarded Qing Ya with cold detachment and spoke in a low, clipped tone: "Qing Ya, as a disciple of Ice Heart Valley who has been nurtured by the Sect, not only are you ungrateful—you conspire with outsiders to undermine the very foundation of our valley. By order of the Elder, effective today, your cultivation will be stripped, you will be expelled from Ice Heart Valley, and you will be forbidden from setting foot on Ice Heart Island for the rest of your life!"
Her words struck like a bolt of lightning, sending shockwaves through every disciple on the peak. Gasps erupted all around. Many of the women clapped hands over their mouths, staring at Qing Ya with a mixture of shock and sympathy, their beautiful eyes trembling.
Expulsion from Ice Heart Valley and the destruction of one's cultivation—this was the cruelest punishment the valley could levy. It was a fate more terrifying than death itself.
Death was merely an instant. But to have one's cultivation stripped and then be cast out—such a person would live beneath an unimaginable shadow for the rest of her days. It was an indelible stain that could never be erased.
Qing Ya's delicate body began to tremble. Horror filled her eyes, and her already poor complexion turned even paler. Her voice shook: "Senior Sister Bing Die, what is the meaning of this?"
Conspiring with outsiders and undermining Ice Heart Valley's foundations—these were not accusations to be made lightly. Qing Ya knew that since entering the valley, she had never done anything to harm the Sect. Not long ago, she had even received praise from the Valley Master for locating Yang Kai. How had she suddenly fallen to such a pass?
Bing Die had shown up unannounced and delivered this shocking verdict without a moment's warning—it was utterly impossible for her to accept.
"You know perfectly well what this means!" Bing Die gazed at Qing Ya with cold indifference, showing no intention of explaining. "Will you destroy your own cultivation, or shall Senior Sister do it for you? I'll warn you now—if you do it yourself, it'll be easier. I tend to be… heavy-handed, and you might get hurt!"
"Senior Sister Bing Die!" Qing Ya clenched her teeth and cried out, fierce resistance flashing through her terrified eyes. "Junior Sister has never done anything to harm the Sect, nor have I ever conspired with outsiders to undermine Ice Heart Valley's foundations. I refuse to accept this! I want to see the Elder—I want to see the Valley Master!"
Having such a monstrous charge suddenly slapped onto her, there was no way Qing Ya would ever admit to it. Still, a vague suspicion stirred in her heart.
So-called conspiracy with outsiders—this could only refer to her connection with Yang Kai.
It was because of her that Yang Kai had been able to come to Ice Heart Island.
And undermining Ice Heart Valley's foundations, stated plainly and bluntly, probably meant interfering with Su Yan's cultivation. Ran Yunting had always viewed Su Yan as the future of Ice Heart Valley. Interfering with her cultivation could indeed be framed as undermining the valley's very foundation.
It was just that… the same set of facts, phrased in a different way, carried an entirely different meaning.