Loving You is My Greatest Sin

18- A Sacrifice He is Willing to Make

Lust is a violation of fundamental principles, one whom being blinded by lust shall be punished by five thousand burning iron hits in front of the holiness of Tu Gu Sect to be forgiven.

"5000 burning iron hits, I can do that." Jing looks at Tao Ru with sincerity, he knows how important it is for her.

"But Jing, it's-" Tao Ru remembers when she sees someone getting the punishment for the first time, the smell of burning skin and their miserable screams. She is traumatized.

"Like I told you, I won't die, so it's fine."

"Then, we can share." She suggest, even if Jing is very strong, 5000 hits will still drain him.

"You are pregnant. And I don't want to see you get hurt." He pinches her cheeks.

Tao Ru doesn't say anything. Is Jing really willing to do that for her, he doesn't have to. It's just to make Tao Ru feels better about everything. She takes a deep breath.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow."

_

"Shifu! Shifu!" Hu-er knocks the door aggressively.

"Get in." The shifu answers. "What?" The shifu seems to be uninterested.

"Huang Ma Jing is getting married."

The shifu who is writing a letter stops mid word, she gulps down.

"What did you say?" She stands, frowning.

"Huang Ma Jing is getting married."

She nods understand and quickly discards them. Something weird starts creeping inside her. There is uneasiness in her mind that she couldn't comprehend.

"Go there, attend the wedding." She instructs the women.

"I understood."

When Hu-er and the others left, the shifu couldn't stop thinking about the news. Everything, the timeline and incidents are odd.

"I must be thinking too much." She tries to brush it off.

Maybe it is because Tao Ru is not present, she is usually the one who can ease her overthinking.

Or maybe it's because she hates that Huang Ma Jing will grow stronger once he meet his soulmate together with Tao Ru that is missing just makes her feels unsafe.

The shifu peeks outside her room wooden window that faces the court. Skillful martial artist in whites flies across the court practicing their qi. They are good, very good.

But they are nothing compared with Tao Ru. She shakes her head sadly. Where is she?

"How could she left us like this."

Tao Ru is the pillar of the sect, without her, Tu Gu Sect won't be one of the most influential sect.

_

Tao Ru doesn't know what to do, on one hand everything would be perfect if Jing really take the beating and she can left the sect officially, but why does she still thinking about it? That option is supposed to be a no brainer.