Jie Honchen, anger lacing his voice, spat out, "Trial disciple, 6th stage of the Initial Foundation Realm! How is he not trash? What right does he have to be with you, sister?"
Su Yan retorted, her tone sharp, "Mind your own business, Jie Honchen. It's our problem."
I offered a smile, a hint of mockery playing on my lips. "Brother, have you ever heard of something called 'love at first sight'?"
Jie Honchen's face contorted with rage. "You! Shut up! Trash like you isn't allowed to speak while I am talking with Sister Su. Trash will always be trash! When I was your age, I had already reached the Flowing Qi Realm, and now I am at the peak of the Qi Fusion Realm. That's a difference of two major realms and three minor realms. What can you possibly do against me?"
I simply stated with a confident air, "You don't have to worry about what I can do, brother."
Su Yan stepped forward, placing herself between us. "Out of the way, Jie Honchen. Thanks to your disciplinary hall thugs, he's injured. I have to treat his injuries immediately."
Jie Honchen's face darkened. "Don't think for a moment that anyone will be allowed to leave today." He then barked an order at the surrounding disciples, "Disciplinary hall disciples, kill anyone who tries to break out! This is an order!"
The disciplinary hall disciples tightened their encirclement, effectively blocking our exit. The air crackled with tension, a fight imminent.
Meanwhile, within the solemn walls of the Elder's Hall, a tense meeting was underway. Every elder present cast scrutinizing glances at the two young men at the heart of the current turmoil.
Su Mu, addressing the assembled elders, stated firmly, "Esteemed elders, the cause and progression of today's situation are exactly as I have reported. It is the complete truth."
Wei Zhuang, a picture of false grievance with crocodile tears glistening on his eyelids, countered, "No, that's not true! It's because that Yang Kai somehow obtained a nefarious artifact that was able to slice open my Embroidered Cloud Locking Mail! He then attempted to murder me!"
Su Mu's composure shattered, his voice rising in furious denial. "Bullshit!"
...(A/N It's getting boring to write all the conversations)
The meeting devolved into a heated debate, the central point being the determination of who was in the right and who was in the wrong. The Grand Elder remained unyielding in his stance, adamantly pushing for Yang Kai's expulsion from the sect.
Amidst the escalating tension, a disciple burst into the hall, his breath ragged. "I have urgent news to report!"
The Fourth Elder, who also held the responsibility of overseeing the disciplinary hall, inquired sharply, "What is it?"
The disciple, his eyes wide with disbelief, stammered, "Sect Elders! Someone has forcibly entered the disciplinary hall's forest jail and rescued the prisoners Yang Kai, Li Yuntian, and the others! Right now, she's confronting Senior Brother Jie Honchen at the jail entrance!"
Su Yan's grandfather, the Fifth Elder, his brow furrowed in confusion, asked, "Who would have the audacity to barge into the disciplinary hall's forest jail?"
The disciple cast a hesitant, almost accusatory glance towards the Fifth Elder, who remained oblivious to its meaning. However, the Grand Elder's eyes narrowed, a flicker of understanding dawning within them.
The Second Elder, a question mark etched on his face, pressed the disciple, "Tell us! Who is it?"
The disciple, his voice barely above a whisper, finally revealed, "It's... Sister Su, Su Yan."
The Second Elder exploded in fury. "This girl! Can't she assess the situation at all?"
The Grand Elder, a subtle hint of triumph in his voice, pressed, "So, what about this incident with Yang Kai?"
The Second Elder, frustration evident in his clenched jaw, conceded, "Do as you like, elder brother."
Hearing his grandfather's sudden shift in stance, abandoning any support for Yang Kai, Su Mu rounded on him, his voice laced with disbelief and anger. "Old bat! You can't do this, Grandpa!" He continued vehemently, "Brother Yang saved my life! If we ignore him now, it would be utter ingratitude!"
The Second Elder snapped, his voice sharp with reprimand, "Shut up, Su Mu!"
The Grand Elder, seizing the opportunity, declared with finality, "It is decided then. Yang Kai has repeatedly disregarded the sect's rules. The disciplinary hall will detain him in the forest jail. As for Su Yan... considering her ignorance and the fact that this is her first offense, we will let her off with a warning."
Just as they were about to dispatch their decision, a figure seemingly materialized within the hall. Meng Wuya, the sect's usually aloof treasurer, stood at the entrance, a wry smile on his face. "The elders are as imposing as always," he remarked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
A wave of surprise rippled through the assembled elders. Treasurer Meng rarely, if ever, involved himself in sect affairs.
The Grand Elder, recovering quickly, inquired with a hint of suspicion, "Might I know why Treasurer Meng has decided to grace the Elder's Hall with his presence today?"
Meng Wuya ignored the question, his gaze sweeping across the room. "I will get straight to the point. I request a pardon for Yang Kai."
The Grand Elder, a formidable obstacle even for Meng Wuya, retorted without directly addressing the request, "Treasurer Meng, no one is permitted to enter the Elder's Hall without the express permission of one of the elders. I suggest you take your leave."
Hearing the Grand Elder's dismissal, Meng Wuya offered no further argument. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot, only to reappear the next instant, casually seated in the Sect Master's imposing chair at the head of the table.
A collective gasp of outrage filled the hall. The sight of Meng Wuya occupying the Sect Master's seat was an unprecedented act of defiance.
However, Meng Wuya merely waved a dismissive hand, a playful smirk on his lips. "Hoho, calm down, calm down. I bring a message from the Sect Master himself."
With a flourish, Meng Wuya produced the Sect Master's personal token, its intricate carvings gleaming in the hall's light, silencing the brewing protests.
Then, in a clear voice, Meng Wuya relayed the Sect Master's words, "As your Sect Master has instructed: begin with the goal of resolving everything peacefully and simplify the situation as much as you can. Do not complicate it! You twisted old men should stop sticking your noses into the issues of the younger generation. Know some shame."
The Grand Elder stared, aghast. "The Sect Master... he actually said that?"
Meng Wuya rose from the Sect Master's chair, the token disappearing back into his robes. As he turned to leave, he offered a final, enigmatic remark, "I have delivered the message. Now, you decide what to do."
Back at the forest jail entrance, a breathless disciple stumbled towards a fuming Jie Honchen. "Bad news, Brother Jie! The board of elders has ordered us to release them!"
Jie Honchen's jaw dropped, his shock palpable. "What?!"
The disciple reiterated, his voice firm, "Brother Jie, the elders have discussed and reached an agreement. No one is to pursue this matter any further."
A look of reluctant resignation washed over Jie Honchen's face. Though clearly unwilling to let Yang Kai go, he had no authority to defy the elders' decree.
Su Yan, supporting a clearly weakened Yang Kai, led the small group away from the disciplinary hall. They returned to Su Yan's residence, where they settled Yang Kai into a guest room to recover from his injuries. Midway through their walk, exhaustion had finally claimed him, and he had fainted into Su Yan's arms.
The following morning, I awoke to find Su Mu standing sheepishly at the foot of my bed, laden with gifts. There were spirit herbs I didn't recognize, fine silks, and even a jade pendant that pulsed with a faint warmth. While I didn't particularly need any of these items, Su Mu's earnestness was disarming, and I accepted them with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Later that night, a subtle shift in the energy of the adjacent room alerted me to Su Yan's presence. I sensed her movements, the rustling of fabric suggesting she was changing. A fleeting temptation arose, a primal urge to peek. However, I quickly quashed it. My attraction to Su Yan, however strong, did not grant me the right to such a violation of her privacy. I might not be a paragon of virtue, but I held my moral compass dear.
The next day, feeling much recovered, I informed Su Mu of my impending departure. After bidding him farewell and exiting the Su residence, I made my way towards Treasurer Meng's pavilion. I had a strong suspicion of his motivations for intervening in my imprisonment and decided to address the matter directly.
Upon entering the serene pavilion, I found Treasurer Meng standing by the window, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the sect grounds. I approached him and stated plainly, "Treasurer Meng, I heard that you helped secure my release from the disciplinary hall. I'll get straight to the point: what do you want from me?"
Treasurer Meng turned, a knowing glint in his eyes. "What do you think I want from you?" he countered, his voice calm and measured.
"I have no idea," I replied, feigning ignorance despite my strong suspicions.
Treasurer Meng's expression turned serious. "I will ask you a question first."
"What?" I responded, a hint of confusion playing on my features.
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You're still a virgin, right?"
The conversation then proceeded much as I had anticipated, following a familiar path. Soon after, we set off to meet the enigmatic Xia Ning Chan, the true purpose behind Treasurer Meng's unusual intervention finally becoming clear.