Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Elder meeting was the highest-ranking management and strategizing meeting of Zongzhi Mountain. Usually, Direct Disciples were only qualified to listen from the side. Unless the Sect Leader or Elders asked you a question, you could not simply interrupt.
Xiao Ran could see that the Commandment Elder had no scruples about him. The one he had an opinion about was his master.
Right now, Xiao Ran was seeing his usual straightforward and uncaring master act like a clueless girl in class who was unable to answer a question. She was propping her hands on her hips and palming her face, looking quiet and lost, just to protect him.
Xiao Ran rarely saw this adorable side of his master.
How would he answer to his conscience and devotion if he did not protect such a cute master to reap DP off her?
With that thought in mind, even though everyone in the hall was stronger, older, and more honorable than him, even though he was risking the biggest faux pas in this world, even though he could possibly embarrass and humiliate himself as a result, Xiao Ran nonetheless interrupted.
“The Wraith had nothing to do with Master. It came for this disciple.”
The spiritual patterns on the sword fence glowed and blinked.
Meanwhile, faint mist wafted in from the gaps on the wall.
There was pin-drop silence in the hall.
The atmosphere felt exceptionally grim.
All the eyes moved from Lingzhou Yue to Xiao Ran.
Then, Lingzhou Yue took a sip of wine without a sound, wondering why her disciple was so blunt and honest.
Bo Yunzi, Yinyue Zhenren, Moxia Zhenren, even Chunwa and Qiuchan, Gao Shi, who was wearing iron rings, and fatty Luo Sheng… all had different thoughts as they bore their gazes into Xiao Ran.
No one said anything.
Huangfu Qun was the only one who did not look at him and kept his eyes on the window.
After a long moment, he spoke up slowly. “What’s your name?”
“Disciple Xiao Ran.”
Xiao Ran calmed down and put up an indifferent front, hatching a plan in his mind.
As he turned his head around, Huangfu Qun’s deep wrinkled eyes drilled into him.
“Did no one tell you about the rules before the Elder meeting?”
Upset, Lingzhou Yue was about to stand up but contemplated it after she saw Xiao Ran’s unfazed manner and sat down again. She remained in a guarded sitting position, looking as intimidating as though she was going to pull out her sword and slice someone at any time.
Huangfu Qun sounded like he was criticizing Xiao Ran but was secretly taunting Lingzhou Yue. He was not her worthy opponent but he was not scared of her.
He had a grand opinion about Lingzhou Yue’s background as a Cultivation Alliance elite and her unrestrained, unruly attitude. He had always thought that she was making the sect feel too free. This was perhaps not an issue in peaceful times, but it was not a good sign in the Dao-Ending Period.
If it were not for his disability to fight her, he would have chased her away from the sect a long time ago…
This was not a personal grudge. It was just a fight between ideologies about countering the Dao-Ending Period.
Huangfu Qun was all set to take the position of Acting Sect Leader three years later and pass down the beliefs of his master, Qian Junzi. He would take over the big and small affairs of the sect and rise up to the growing challenges of the Dao-Ending Period with a stern and efficient sect morale.
Within the sect, Moxia Zhenren was authoritative and held a high status. However, he was devoted to sword tempering and did not intend to seek power, so he posed no threat to Huangfu Qun.
The only uncertainty in his plan to run the sect was Lingzhou Yue.
Now, he could make a few jabs at her by leveraging Xiao Ran, her obviously unqualified Direct Disciple.
He intentionally turned his face away and said in an incredibly flat tone, “Go out. You’ll be informed of the conclusion after the meeting.”
Huangfu Qun, you old rat!
The corner of Lingzhou Yue’s eye twitched. Just as she was about to erupt… an old voice came from diagonally opposite her.
“Junior Brother Huangfu, let him speak.”
The voice resounded like a clang of metal!
Huangfu Qun snapped his head in surprise, not believing his own ears.
“Senior Brother Moxia, you…”
Moxia Zhenren squinted his eyes slightly, his dark, dim orbs flickering with a spark.
“I’m very interested in Junior Nephew Xiao’s words.”
There was no explanation or reason, just the weight of his words.
Huangfu Qun was speechless.
During the recent decades of Elder meetings, Moxia Zhenren had never expressed any personal opinions.
Nevertheless, everyone knew that his words held a lot of significance.
If there was no Sect Leader, Zongzhi Mountain would easily become prey of others, such as the Great Vehicle cultivators of the Cultivation Alliance.
If there was no Moxia Zhenren, however, Zongzhi Mountain would have no best-selling sword-tempering business in the Zhenling Continent. The sect would lose its economic foundation and would collapse on its own without an outsider’s help.
This was the significance of Moxia Zhenren!
Why, though, was Senior Brother Moxia, who had not spoken a word in decades during a meeting, helping a junior all of a sudden?
Huangfu Qun found it mind-boggling but had to show respect to Senior Brother Moxia.
Xiao Ran smiled, nodding and bowing in gratitude at Moxia Zhenren.
He had initially thought of giving the old man hints about tea-tasting, but before he could give him a heads-up, the old man had helped him tactfully!
It was obvious that Moxia Zhenren did not only have amazing sword-tempering skills. He had to also be ridiculously proficient in construction and building.
If that was not the case, he would not have regarded Xiao Ran so highly!
After thanking Moxia Zhenren, Xiao Ran looked at Huangfu Qun and covered his fist with his palm.
“Can this disciple speak now?”
His question was polite, his pace controlled, and his tone quietly confident. There was no intention to take revenge or face-slap anyone, but it seemed like his words carried that sound effect.
Huangfu Qun glowered like the darkest blade sculpture in the wintry night. He could only take the offered way out of this now and say with a stony expression, “Be brief.”
Xiao Ran had prepared a speech, however.
“Firstly, this disciple wants to say that it’s not a coincidence that Master found me among a sea of people. She’s wise enough to recognize talent and she saw something others couldn’t.”
Those who knew who the word “others” referred to would understand.
Huangfu Qun kept a steely expression on his face, holding himself back from lashing out.
Lingzhou Yue, who was a little bashful to hear someone sing her praises, was sitting with docility beside Xiao Ran.
Moxia Zhenren mulled this over before asking curiously, “What are you referring to, Junior Nephew Xiao?”
He was sure that Xiao Ran had something others could not see, but it was not like he could see it given his near-sightedness.
Xiao Ran elaborated.
“It’s something that’s incredibly crucial. I can’t state it explicitly yet, but it’s attracted the attention of powerful beings like the humanoid Wraith. This shows how important it is, and it may be relevant to the future trends of the Dao-Ending Period.”
With the system to rely on and his master to back him up, Xiao Ran was encouraged to work on his bluffs.
Moxia Zhenren fell silent, while Yinyue Zhenren’s gaze was tender. Huangfu Qun nearly guffawed as he used this chance to mock him. “So we have to send someone to protect you now?”
Xiao Ran cupped a fist.
“This disciple doesn’t need Senior Uncle’s protection. The Sect Leader’s in closed-door meditation. No one’s more capable of protecting this disciple on Zongzhi Mountain than Master.”
Ouch. These words stung, but there was no room for retaliation. Xiao Ran had easily countered Huangfu Qun’s specific jab at Lingzhou Yue.
“You—”
Huangfu Qun was rendered speechless as he scowled.
Lingzhou Yue nodded slightly, thinking that Xiao Ran was a sensible student. It delighted her so much that she took three consecutive sips of wine and savored them before swallowing.
Everyone else was deep in thought.
Theoretically, there was nothing wrong with what Xiao Ran had said, but everything he had mentioned was empty words. He needed proof. He had to prove his significance!
Huangfu Qun was not going to let the Sword-Wielding Mountain go just like that. Calming himself down and forgetting the disadvantage he had been in just now, he retrieved his prepared trump card—a small stack of yellow jade slips.
“Since Junior Nephew Xiao joined the sect, I’ve received dozens of protests within a short amount of time. People are protesting that Junior Sister Lingzhou unfairly took in a disciple, some say that she’s intentionally taking in a useless disciple to escape the obligation of teaching, some say that she lusts after his beauty, and some even suspect that you’re her biological younger brother or illegitimate son…”
“Huh?” Lingzhou Yue gaped.