Chapter 23

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Chapter 23: Title

"What occurred?"

The stern voice arrived before its owner – a white-clad man descending sword-first onto the plaza. Sect Leader Ye Xiao’s piercing gaze swept the crowd before settling on Xia Shi.

Disciples saluted in unison. Xia Shi dipped her head solemnly.

Ye Xiao landed wind-borne before her. "Explain."

Xia Shi merely shook her head.

Ye Xiao approached, clearly aware that among the new disciples was a cultivator with the rare Heavenly Spirit Body. Such a physique was uncommon even across the Nine Realms, and gaining another Heavenly Spirit Body disciple was fortunate for the Sanqing Realm.

Over the past half-month, she had pondered much. The person from the illusion remained suspicious, especially since she lacked clear memories of that time. With only fragments to go by, she couldn’t conclusively claim Suiyin was that person.

Yet despite knowing this, seeing Suiyin approach again stirred unease within her.

The junior disciple nearby noticed the sect leader’s grim expression and Elder Wuwei’s silent distraction, making the scene tense.

The disciple opened her mouth to speak but faltered under the weight of addressing the sect leader and elder.

Ye Xiao glimpsed the movement and pointed directly. “You. Explain what happened.”

The junior disciple startled, her head snapping up before she hastily lowered it. “Th-this girl offended the elder, so the elder reprimanded her.”

Lu Ciyou’s brow furrowed, then she laughed sharply. “What a spectacle the Sanqing Realm provides today!”

Ye Xiao turned at her voice, immediately recognizing the blood-red robes, golden crane embroidery, and spear. This was the young master of Liujin Pavilion.

“My friend merely tugged the elder’s sleeve to confirm her identity—no insults spoken!” Lu Ciyou’s anger flared as she glared at the two senior figures. “Are all Sanqing Realm members such untouchable treasures?”

“One sleeve-tug earns a strike?” Lu Ciyou’s voice rose. “Had my friend not crossed the barrier between life and death, that elder’s strike would’ve sent her rolling down the steps! Is this how you treat disciples? If even a Heavenly Spirit Body faces disrespect, what hope do others have?”

Her chin lifted defiantly toward the platform.

Remaining cultivators in the square exchanged uneasy glances.

Xia Shi’s junior disciple flushed crimson. “Lies! The elder used no spiritual power!”

Ye Xiao raised his hand, silencing her. The disciple turned away, fuming.

Xia Shi murmured, “Stay calm.”

Suyin’s approach had been a stone tossed into still waters—ripples of agitation lingered long after.

Ye Xiao regarded the sharp-tongued girl below. “Choose your words carefully, young master.”

“Where is your invitation? Trespassing in the Sanqing Realm carries consequences.”

Lu Ciyou stiffened. She’d come early to scout Sword Pavilion before the Immortal Sect competition, only to get lost and stumble here. Now this trespassing accusation—

Too stubborn to back down yet dreading her father’s reprimand, she bluffed, “I came to study. Would the sect leader refuse a willing student?”

Ye Xiao smiled thinly. “The Sanqing Realm welcomes all scholars.” He gestured to his disciples.

“Wait!” Lu Ciyou stepped protectively before Suiyin. “Let her stay near me.”

Ye Xiao nodded. “Granted.”

A Heavenly Spirit Root was too precious to lose.

"Oh right, I also brought a personal maid," Lu Ciyou said, turning to pull over A Li who’d been standing with bowed head and averted gaze.

Ye Xiao glanced over casually, then the corner of his eye twitched violently.

"……"

Yan Li kept her head lowered but still felt her Master’s needle-sharp stare piercing through her.

"Do as you please, young master."

The Sanqing Realm sect leader coldly tossed these words before departing with Xia Shi.

Suiyin stared into the distance until the fading streak of light completely vanished.

Noticing Suiyin’s distracted state, Lu Ciyou teased, "Why the daze? Think she’s pretty? Love at first sight?"

"Don’t be ridiculous." Suiyin withdrew her gaze with a light sigh, then suddenly asked, "Doesn’t that elder remind you of Xia Shi?"

Lu Ciyou: "……"

"Cat got your tongue?" Suiyin pressed when the other girl kept staring wordlessly.

Lu Ciyou shoved a medicinal vial into her hands.

"What’s this?"

"Eye-clearing elixir. Get your vision checked before it worsens."

"……"

————

Main Peak, Yuxing Hall.

Ye Xiao sat rigidly in the master’s seat, fingertips rhythmically tapping the table.

The hall stood silent enough to hear dropped needles, save for occasional parchment rustling.

Xia Shi slowly closed her eyes below the dais.

"Who is she?" Ye Xiao abruptly demanded.

Xia Shi lifted her sleep-dazed face with bleary eyes. "Hmm?"

"That Heavenly Spirit Body disciple." Ye Xiao rested his chin on interlaced fingers, unusual amusement in his eyes. "Her gaze could practically melt iron when watching you. Been collecting admirers during your travels?"

Xia Shi shuddered awake, goosebumps rising. "Nonsense! Just state your business clearly, senior sister."

Ye Xiao’s expression sobered. "Keep her at Sanqing Realm. We can’t let other sects claim a Heavenly Spirit Body appearing in our territory."

"How?"

Xia Shi instantly regretted asking under the sect leader’s piercing stare.

She forced a hollow laugh, dread coiling in her gut. "…You want me to…retain her?"

Ye Xiao nodded.

Xia Shi: "……"

"Just…be present. Wander through her vicinity regularly."

Wasn’t this essentially baiting a hook?

"Master, don’t you think this method is a bit…" Xia Shi carefully chose her words, not wanting to sound too critical. As the leading sect, they needed to maintain some dignity.

"Enough. Leave now. I have official matters."

The sect leader dismissed her. Xia Shi’s unfinished words stuck in her throat as she vanished from her seat.

When half the incense had burned, another figure entered the hall.

"Greetings, Master."

Ye Xiao gave a low hum, setting aside the document in his hand. "Master Fan mentioned your injury in the secret realm. Your soul lamp showed no abnormalities, so I didn’t pursue it. Now I hear you’ve become Young Master Lu’s personal maid? Do you no longer wish to be a Sanqing Realm disciple?"

Yan Li bowed deeper, still kneeling. "I wouldn’t dare. Young Master Lu saved my life. I still owe her a debt."

"Debt?" Ye Xiao frowned. "Inner disciples receive eight thousand monthly. Our evil-purging missions pay well. You’re diligent – how could you owe money?"

Yan Li’s silence stretched painfully long.

"Everything’s gone," she finally whispered.

Her entire savings had disappeared with her spatial pouch when leaving the secret realm.

Ye Xiao stared.

"…At least you’re safe." He descended to check Yan Li’s cultivation realm, then brightened. "You’ve broken through the life and death barrier! What opportunity did you find?"

Yan Li summoned Broken Stream. Though its tip remained chipped, the sword body shimmered with flowing light like endless ripples.

Ye Xiao coughed into his sleeve, struggling to maintain composure. "Fine blade. Since it chose you, honor this bond."

After storing the sword, Yan Li bowed again. "Master, I beg your permission…"

"Hm?" Ye Xiao’s stern expression softened slightly – this obedient disciple had never asked for anything in twenty years.

"I must stay with Lu Ciyou fourteen years to repay my debt before returning."

Ye Xiao froze.

His disciple wanted to spend fourteen years away after only two decades at Sanqing Realm?

"New breakthroughs require stability. Fourteen years will delay your cultivation," he reasoned.

"Master taught us to repay kindness tenfold, especially life debts." Yan Li grasped her hem and knelt fully, forehead touching floor. "Forgive this unfilial act."

"Enough!" Ye Xiao hauled her up. "You’ve clearly considered this. I won’t stop you."

Yan Li’s voice brightened. "Thank you, Master!"

"Send voice transmissions if needed. Sanqing Realm remains your home." Ye Xiao sighed. "Did you ascend here with Young Master Lu and Suiyin?"

Yan Li concisely recounted her journey, hiding nothing from her master.

"The Heavenly Spirit Body can actually be a rogue cultivator and still reach the barrier between life and death. This is truly unusual," Ye Xiao stood with his hands behind his back.

Most people with Heavenly Spirit Bodies get taken by leading sects once their talent manifests, receiving careful nurturing with endless resources and elixirs. Rogue cultivators usually have lower talent because they lack such advantages – anyone with decent aptitude would’ve joined a sect.

"Keep close watch around Lu Ciyou. If she remains stable, stay by her side. If she acts suspicious… eliminate her."

Yan Li bowed. "Understood."

With the Thirteen Ghost Domains growing bolder, a rogue cultivator possessing Heavenly Spirit Body reaching such heights was indeed questionable.

————

When Yan Li returned to the courtyard Sanqing Realm disciples had prepared, she found Lu Ciyou raging.

"You want to join Sanqing Realm!? I thought we were queuing for Sword Pavilion trials, not recruitment!" The young lady grabbed a teapot and gulped angrily, then spat out the bitter Sanqing tea. "Disgusting! Even their tea tastes like medicine!"

"Liujin Pavilion specializes in spears but has sword cultivators too! Join us and I’ll get you the finest swordsmanship! We offer everything Sanqing Realm can!" Lu Ciyou added with a smug tilt of her chin, "Plus we’re richer! You’ll get top-tier resources and elixirs!"

Yan Li: "……"

So she’s poaching talents.

She entered the courtyard, deftly replaced the bitter tea with Lu Ciyou’s favorite blend, and warmed it using spiritual power.

"A Li, where were you earlier?" The young lady drained her cup, throat parched from yelling.

Yan Li kept her gaze lowered. "The scenery caught my eye. I got lost returning."

"These winding paths are maddening." Lu Ciyou emptied her refilled cup.

Noticing Yan Li’s distant expression, she rapped the table. "Were you even listening?"

Suiyin shook her head. "No."

Lu Ciyou: "……"

Wasted breath.

She angrily chugged more tea.

"Sanqing Realm’s sword techniques surpass other sects. Girl Suiyin could…"

"Hmm?" Lu Ciyou’s glare silenced her.

Neighboring disciples burst in, voices carrying:

"Wasn’t the inner sect selection trial supposed to happen every decade? Why’s it early?"

"The sect leader’s orders must be true!"

"Rumor says the grand competition’s winner can choose any elder or sect leader as master!"

"Seriously? This is our chance!"

"Fetch my books! I’ll study till they disintegrate!"

Their competing recitations soon echoed through the courtyard.

"Ugh, the noise." Lu Ciyou snapped her fingers, erecting a sound barrier.

"A Li." She studied the composed woman. "Would you choose Sanqing Realm or Liujin Pavilion?"

Yan Li: "……"

If she answered "Sanqing Realm," the young lady would have scolded her; if she didn’t, how could she face her sect’s teachings and her Master’s guidance?

Under the young lady’s increasingly hostile glare, Yan Li gulped nervously.

Lu Ciyou: "You—"

A loud slam interrupted them. Lu Ciyou whirled to see Suiyin standing abruptly. Taking a deep breath, Lu Ciyou snapped, "What madness has taken you now?"

Not only had Suiyin ignored her, but she’d also startled everyone.

Suiyin announced, "I’ll enter the inner sect! I’ll win the grand competition!"

Lu Ciyou’s face darkened. "You truly wish to join Sanqing Realm?"

Suiyin’s mind raced with memories of the elder she’d seen earlier and the disciples’ whispers. If she won first place, perhaps she could choose that elder as her Master. Daily interactions might finally explain this strange, overwhelming sense of familiarity. Distracted, she missed the ice in Lu Ciyou’s tone.

"Since you’re Sanqing Realm’s disciple, get out!"

Before Suiyin could blink, a powerful force hurled her through the barrier. The courtyard gates boomed shut.

Cold wind whipped through her tangled hair.

She’d been kicked out?

She pounded the gates. "Ciyou—"

"Leave!"

Inside, Yan Li opened her mouth to protest, but Lu Ciyou’s glare silenced her.

"Sleep. Now. One more word and you’ll join her."

Silence reclaimed the courtyard.

Suiyin lingered at the gates until hope faded. She wandered aimlessly through the night, avoiding patrols.

Though this was her first visit, the plants and paths felt hauntingly familiar. Visions of Sanqing Realm’s four seasons flashed unbidden in her mind.

"Roaming at this hour?"

A woman’s voice startled her. Moonlight draped the figure standing higher on the steps, deepening her mystique.

They faced each other across the staircase, just like earlier that day.

That inexplicable familiarity surged again. Suiyin pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat accelerate.

Her eyes pricked with heat. Words caught in her throat.

This woman…

Xia Shi frowned at the frozen girl. When she descended two steps, Suiyin scrambled backward as if fleeing a ghost.

Xia Shi: "……"

This proved why midnight strolls were foolish. She turned to leave—only to find the girl shadowing her movements, mimicking each step and pause.

Xia Shi turned around and asked her, "What are you doing, girl?"

Suiyin’s palms grew sweaty as she stammered, "I-I’m Suiyin!"

The girl had answered with her name instead of explaining her actions.

Though Xia Shi’s lips twitched with faint amusement, her face remained cold and detached – every inch the aloof elder of the Esteemed Elders Sect.

"Noted."

She continued up the path, listening to the rustling footsteps still trailing behind.

"Why aren’t you sleeping?"

"Had a disagreement with a friend." Suiyin didn’t mention being driven out.

In the night’s stillness broken only by wind through leaves, Suiyin finally said, "I acted rudely earlier. I apologize."

"It’s nothing."

"Do elders dislike being approached?" Suiyin wondered if this trait matched the Xia Shi she knew.

A soft "Hmm" answered her. "Grabbing people like you did today annoys most cultivators."

Physical contact was avoided among their kind except between sworn partners.

Countless techniques existed to kill through mere touch.

Suiyin’s face fell. "Then Xia Shi must’ve fled because I bothered her."

At her own name, Xia Shi’s fingers twitched imperceptibly.

Reaching the main peak’s guest quarters, Xia Shi instructed, "Rest here tonight. Disciples will find you proper lodgings tomorrow."

Suiyin peered at the elegant room fit for honored guests.

Mimicking Sanqing Realm disciples’ bows, she clasped her hands. "Thank you, Elder."

Xia Shi nodded. Spiritual power shimmered from her palm, nudging Suiyin inside before the door shut.

"Stay put tonight."

The elder walked toward her mountain residence, only to meet the wakeful sect leader en route.

"……"

Ye Xiao arched an eyebrow, glancing between her and the distant guest house.

"I suggested appearing before her, not midnight trysts."

"……"

When Xia Shi kept pace with him, he quipped, "Has our elder nowhere to go?"

Ye Xiao shot her a look.

Xia Shi’s quiet laughter tinkled like windchimes.

"I’ll see you back." Ye Xiao strode ahead. "Discover anything?"

Xia Shi hesitated before answering. "Celestial energy flows within her."

"Immortal energy?" Ye Xiao turned to look at her. "She’s only at the barrier between life and death. How could she possess immortal energy? Unless…"

The two exchanged glances and spoke in unison: "A descendant of an immortal."

That explained everything – how a rogue cultivator with a Heavenly Spirit Body had reached the barrier between life and death so young.

"If she’s an immortal’s descendant, we must keep her within the Sanqing Realm." Ye Xiao patted Xia Shi’s shoulder with a weighty, meaningful look.

Xia Shi: "……"

"It’s late. I won’t escort you further – find your own way back." Ye Xiao turned and strode away without hesitation.

Xia Shi’s eye twitched. Glancing down, she realized they hadn’t even left the main peak’s boundaries.

————

At dawn the next day, Suiyin opened her door to find a disciple waiting outside. The youth handed her a jade token.

"All disciples registered in the past three days must undergo fifteen days of training. After the final exam, successful candidates will join the outer sect. Channel spiritual power into the token to view daily schedules. It also allows communication within the Sanqing Realm."

After announcing this, the disciple directed Suiyin to her new quarters before departing.

Suiyin channeled spiritual power into the token. The jade piece glowed, projecting faint text into the air.

Only the morning schedule appeared: training ground.

She followed the directions to find the training ground where a crowd had gathered.

"No lessons today," declared a goateed elder stroking his beard. "You must find your own path. Choose sword cultivation to become sword cultivators, spirit herbs for medical cultivation…"

He waved his hand. Wooden weapons, alchemy furnaces, and talismans materialized in one corner.

"Decide your path today. Submit your choice through the token for further instructions."

Without hesitation, Suiyin etched "sword cultivator" into her token.

Spotting Lu Ciyou and A Li nearby, her face lit up. But when she approached, they turned away sharply.

Clearly still angry.

As Suiyin pondered how to apologize, she missed the new arrival beside the elder.

"Little Wuwei! Come inspect the newcomers."

Xia Shi nodded. "Master Fan, how are this year’s disciples?"

Fan Wen’s gaze settled on Suiyin. "That girl shows promise."

"Considering new apprentices?" Xia Shi smiled.

"Tch! Last time we had two decent sprouts – you and Ye Xiao – and your Master hogged both! Not one for me!" Fan Wen glared before softening as he watched Suiyin. "Miserly old man…"

"Girl!"

Suiyin turned to see the elegant elder. If she’d had a tail, it would’ve wagged as she bounded over. "You called me?"

Xia Shi: "……"

The ignored Fan Wen bristled. "You’re trying to snatch her from me?"

"Master Fan, I didn’t mean it that way." Xia Shi quickly gave Suiyin a look, reminding her that there were still people nearby.

Fan Wen stroked his beard and huffed, his eyes glancing down at Suiyin.

Suiyin politely bowed. "Greetings, Elder."

The old man beamed and said, "So, little girl, have you chosen the sword as your path and will become a sword cultivator?"

"Yes." Suiyin nodded obediently.

"I am also a sword cultivator. While I may not be the best in the Sanqing Realm, I have some skill. Would you like to join my sect after the selection trial in half a month?"

Xia Shi coughed a couple of times and sent a voice transmission, "Master Fan, it’s not appropriate to say such things openly. She hasn’t even entered yet, and what will the other disciples think if they hear?"

The training ground was crowded with disciples, many of whom were sharp listeners.

"True." Fan Wen clicked his tongue, looking irritated.

It was hard enough to find a disciple, and now he had to do it secretly.

Suddenly, he waved his sleeve and stormed off, "I’m going to find the sect leader!"

Xia Shi: "……"

Suiyin quickly approached, wanting to talk to the beautiful elder, but then remembered she didn’t like people getting close, so she stopped and fixed her sparkling eyes on her.

"What do you want?"

"Does the elder have any disciples?"

Xia Shi paused for a moment, pondering the meaning behind her words.

Suiyin was straightforward, her thoughts clear on her face. She had lost her composure upon first seeing Xia Shi, and now was probably thinking about how to get first in the selection trial to join her sect.

Given her current situation, Xia Shi felt it was not right to take on disciples, especially not Suiyin, who had such talent that shouldn’t be wasted under her guidance.

Xia Shi shot her a cold look. "I do not take disciples."

With that, she headed toward the practice hall, leaving behind a parting remark: "I’m going to teach; don’t follow me."

Suiyin stood there, feeling a little wronged.

She hadn’t gotten too close or said anything wrong this time.

"See? Everyone in the Sanqing Realm isn’t a good person. From the elders to the disciples, they all have such cold faces. What could I possibly learn? It’s better to go back with me to the Liujin Pavilion."

Lu Ciyou spoke softly, her footsteps silent.

"Won’t you reconsider?"

Suiyin, feeling downcast, sat on the steps, pulling her legs up to her chest.

She still wore her red dress, standing out among the many disciples, but now she curled up, completely losing the fiery enthusiasm she had before.

Noticing this, Lu Ciyou sat down beside her.

"Why does everyone dislike me? Xia Shi is like this, and so is the elder." Suiyin’s voice was muffled.

When she left, Aunt Yan had warned her not to get too close to others, instructing her to return swiftly to find the sword after entering the Sanqing Realm.

She always kept this in mind, but… she couldn’t help herself around Xia Shi and the elder.

"I don’t dislike you! If you join the Liujin Pavilion, the disciples there will also like you!" Lu Ciyou said earnestly.

Suiyin chuckled, her gloom dissolving as her eyes brightened with a smile. "Why have you been trying so hard to recruit me into Liujin Pavilion?"

Lu Ciyou leaned forward earnestly. "If you join us, I’ll secure the finest resources and elixirs for you, along with a top-tier Master. But in Sanqing Realm? No guarantees. As your friend, I want to see you spread your wings and reach greatness."

*Friend…*

The word lingered in Suiyin’s mind, stirring memories of Xia Shi. They’d been friends too—she wondered how Xia Shi fared now.

"With Suiyin’s talent and skill, Sanqing Realm won’t treat her poorly," Yan Li muttered under her breath. Her Master’s urgent voice transmission about keeping Suiyin here still echoed in her ears. She couldn’t let this Liujin Pavilion poacher succeed.

The young lady whirled around, eyes narrowing. "A Li. Explain yourself."

Yan Li ducked her head, swallowing her words.

"Thank you, Ciyou." Suiyin released a light sigh. "But my choice remains Sanqing Realm."

Lu Ciyou stared blankly. All that persuasion wasted—it’d be funny if it weren’t so frustrating.

As she turned to leave, Suiyin added, "Aunt Yan said coming here to find my sword might restore my lost memories. If I recover it, everything will return."

Lu Ciyou’s irritation evaporated. "What sword? Let me help trace it."

"Not here."

They retreated to a bamboo thicket. Suiyin channeled spiritual power, a fractured blade materializing above her palm. Though spiritual energy could forge objects, this sword resembled shattered glass—countless cracks spiderwebbing across its body, barely held together.

"You…" Lu Ciyou bit her tongue. The blade wasn’t just damaged; it was unusable. Even repaired, it’d be a relic, not a warrior’s companion.

"Well?" Suiyin’s hopeful gaze pierced her.

"My sect will investigate." Lu Ciyou captured the sword’s image on a Shadow Stone, sending it to Liujin Pavilion via voice transmission. "Updates as soon as we find anything."

"Thank you."

Suiyin dissolved the spectral weapon with a wistful smile. "I know it’s probably gone forever. But those forgotten memories… they feel vital. More than life itself."

"You value unknown memories over survival?" Recognition flashed in Lu Ciyou’s eyes. "Does this connect to that elder?"

Suiyin nodded. "She feels familiar, like Xia Shi did. If I win the grand competition and become her disciple… maybe proximity will jog my memory."

"So that’s why!" Lu Ciyou’s annoyance melted into laughter. "Friends help each other. Your quest is mine now!"

"Friends!" Suiyin’s heart warmed. Another true companion had entered her life.

Following the bamboo grove upwards, Suiyin could faintly hear the voices of disciples engaged in question-and-answer exchanges.

A lecture must be happening over there.

Suiyin’s thoughts drifted to the elder who’d mentioned attending to teaching duties.

She felt curious enough to consider observing.

Yet she hesitated, fearing her uninvited presence might displease others.

As she wavered, a group approached wearing outer sect robes of the Sanqing Realm, swords at their waists.

Suiyin moved aside to let them pass.

The leader, a youth, locked eyes with her immediately, his gaze dripping with undisguised scorn.

"Halt!"

Lu Ciyou’s spear shaft blocked their path as she demanded coldly, "What’s that look supposed to mean?"

Behind her mask, Yan Li’s brow furrowed. She recognized these disciples admitted last year – notorious for forming cliques. Their leader Lin Feng had received disciplinary marks two months prior.

Her hands hidden behind her back, she secretly dispatched a message to the Discipline Hall.

Lin Feng sneered, pressing his chest against the spear tip. "The Liujin Pavilion’s young master, eh? This is Sanqing Realm territory. Go ahead – try attacking me."

His followers guffawed, jeering about Liujin Pavilion’s irrelevance within these borders.

Lu Ciyou’s knuckles whitened around her weapon. Initiating violence here would breach protocols, but the insult burned in her throat.

"Well? Daring enough?" Lin Feng stepped closer, forcing the spear point to veer sideways.

"You!" Lu Ciyou’s voice shook with fury.

Lin Feng straightened his outer garment, glancing meaningfully at Suiyin. "Some shouldn’t cheat their way up. Heavenly Spirit Body? Barrier between life and death? Bold claims! Let’s see if you keep those pretty teeth during the selection trial."

"Who. Are. You. Insulting?" Each word fell like hammered iron from Lu Ciyou’s lips.

The young lady strained against her temper. First clashing with sect leadership yesterday, now itching to strike outer disciples today – Sanqing Realm tested her limits.

Yan Li tugged her sleeve, murmuring, "Patience."

Violence now would complicate disciplinary measures.

Lin Feng continued unabated, voice rising. "Elder Fan choosing you already? What tricks did you use? Suddenly moving the decade-cycle inner sect trials forward? ‘Grand competition winner picks their master’ – more like predestined outcomes!"

Nodding sycophants glared at Suiyin with venomous eyes. Outer sect members already clawed their way up through thousands – how dare this newcomer bypass their struggles?

"I arrived yesterday," Suiyin stated calmly, lowering Lu Ciyou’s spear. "Never met sect leaders before. Take your conspiracy theories to them directly."

"Empty denials!" Lin Feng spat. "Sanqing Realm values integrity! Crawl back where you came from, schemer!"

A crackle of spiritual power erupted. Before Lin Feng could blink, an energy whip smashed him groundward. Blood flecked his lips as he stared upward, internal organs throbbing.

A graceful and elegant woman rode the wind, her eyes cold as she landed and lashed her whip toward him.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth and dodged, but the whip still struck his leg. Blood exploded from the wound, the pain nearly knocking him unconscious.

"What did you say earlier?" Xia Shi stared at him icily, raising her whip again.

"Do you know Articles Nine and Thirteen of the sect rules?"

"Article Nine: Any Sanqing Realm disciple who speaks without knowing the full truth shall receive ten strikes."

"Article Thirteen: Any disciple who insults or slanders shall receive twenty strikes."

Lu Ciyou poked Suiyin’s arm. "Not all Sanqing Realm people are unreasonable."

Though there’d been friction before, this elder seemed decent now—at least the situation felt less tense.

"I object!" Lin Feng staggered upright, his injured leg shaking. Rage burned in his eyes.

"Only Discipline Hall elders can punish disciples! What gives you the right?"

Xia Shi’s voice turned frosty. "My position as elder grants that right."

Blinded by fury, Lin Feng forgot Xia Shi’s appointment came directly from the sect leader. "You’re not even a Nascent Soul cultivator! Other elders are respected seniors. With your weak cultivation and shady background, I don’t accept your authority!"

Ye Xiao hadn’t explained Xia Shi’s identity when announcing her promotion, never anticipating such distrust from disciples.

Xia Shi’s lips pressed into a thin line, her body trembling faintly.

Her fallen cultivation realm—something she’d tried ignoring—now laid bare. The accusation stung because it held truth.

"Shady background?"

Shen Huaiwen arrived just in time to hear this, her smile widening.

She’d been delivering herbs to the Discipline Hall when Yan Li reported disturbances here. Who knew she’d witness this drama?

"Who exactly has a ‘shady background’?" Though smiling, her gaze chilled the air.

Lin Feng spat blood, stubbornly repeating, "Elder Wuwei! Her origins are suspicious!"

Shen Huaiwen laughed softly. "You know her title yet remain ignorant? In all Sanqing Realm, who dares bear the name Wuwei?"

Lin Feng’s eyes bulged. Impossible! How could this woman be Xia Wuwei?

Everyone knew Half-step Sword Immortal Xia Wuwei! She couldn’t possibly lack Nascent Soul cultivation!

"Lin Feng." Shen Huaiwen’s voice carried finality. "Multiple offenses: reckless speech, disrespect, slander. Expelled from Sanqing Realm—lifetime ban. Others: one month solitary reflection, three months stipend deduction."

Spiritual power surged from her, forcing Lin Feng to meet her eyes. "Well? Can I punish you?"

His meridians screamed. Lin Feng’s mouth opened in silent agony as he felt them shredding internally.

The woman’s smiling face filled his vision, now framing only terror. Expulsion and shattered meridians meant certain death.

Discipline Hall disciples dragged away the broken man.

Shen Huaiwen returned to Xia Shi, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Don’t dwell on this. These outer sect disciples lack discipline. I’ll tell Ye Xiao you’re done teaching them."

After finally convincing her junior sister to leave the peak, Xia Shi hoped these words wouldn’t drive her back inside.

Xia Shi murmured an "mm" in response, stealing a glance at Suiyin from the corner of her eye.

Suiyin smiled back at her, mouthing a silent thank you.

When the surrounding disciples dispersed, Suiyin turned to find Lu Ciyou and A Li had vanished without notice.

She’d originally wanted to attend Elder Wuwei’s lecture, but now found herself tongue-tied when facing the elder directly.

She shifted awkwardly on her feet.

After Shen Huaiwen finished chatting with Xia Shi, the latter noticed Suiyin still rooted to the same spot like a fool.

Xia Shi approached her. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you." The answer escaped Suiyin’s lips before she could stop it, making her clap both hands over her mouth.

"For me?" Xia Shi’s lips curved upward without her realizing.

Seeing this smile, Suiyin’s eyes crinkled in response.

"Elder Wuwei."

"Hmm?"

"You resemble a friend of mine." Suiyin stared intently at those familiar eyes.