Upon seeing the villagers' reaction, the corner of Ji Wuye's mouth slightly raised in a faint, smile. His sharp eyes glinted with a knowing look, as if he had expected this very response. 'That's the true identity of the orthodox path.'

Pleading gazes and desperate glances were directed toward the hesitant Li Rong. Her slender fingers gripped the hilt of her jian tightly, the blade poised to slash across Ji Wuye's chest, but her arm slowly lowered as indecision flickered across her delicate features. She bit her lip, brow furrowed, as the sounds of the villagers' frantic cries echoed around them. Turning her head, Li Rong attempted to explain the situation, her usually calm demeanor fraying at the edges.

But her words seemed to fall on deaf ears, drowned out by the rising chorus of protest. The villagers, eyes wide with fear and confusion, shook their heads vehemently.

'Just as martial artists who walk the path of orthodoxy care so much about the opinions of common people, they also suffer from those opinions.'

Just like how Du Chen failed…

Pondering inwardly, Ji Wuye slowly stepped away from the commotion, his footsteps soft on the packed earth. He came to stand beside Song Jia, whose eyes were downcast, radiating guilt and turmoil. "This is not a betrayal, Sister Song," he said, his deep timbre gentle yet resolute. "It's just some...consideration, or another way to solve a conflict."

At his words, Song Jia raised her head, brown eyes searching Ji Wuye's chiseled side profile. She parted her lips as if to speak, but no words came out. Only silence lingered between them as she stared wordlessly before shifting her troubled gaze back to the unfolding chaos before her.

Li Rong, her Senior Sister, looked utterly conflicted.

Her brow creased with worry as she repeatedly sighed, attempting to explain the rules of Kunlun to the frantic villagers. Some, still insisting on protecting Ji Wuye, even began to cry, their tears glistening in the fading light as they pleaded for an end to this internal conflict.

...

Eventually, as the night grew darker and the commotion subsided, Ji Wuye found himself seated calmly in the guest residence. The soft cushions of his chair embraced him as he sipped his steaming green tea, the fragrant aroma wafting through the tense air.

Across from him sat Li Rong, her posture rigid, distress etched into the lines of her face from the earlier chaos. Her piercing gaze bore into Ji Wuye, a glare that refused to acknowledge or forgive his perceived transgressions. Her jian lay within reach.

"Don't think that because the villagers defended you, you can get away from the punishment," Li Rong said, her voice trembling with barely restrained emotion. "I will still report this matter to the Hall of Insight."

The hot green tea that had been served before Li Rong sat untouched, the liquid now turned cold, mirroring the glacial tension that had gripped the air mere moments ago.

Yet, something had shifted - her wariness and hostility towards Ji Wuye had clearly decreased, her breathing becoming calmer as the knot of anxiety in her chest loosened ever so slightly.

Stolen story; please report.

"Hmm~" Suddenly, a soft humming melody drifted through the air, lilting and soothing. Ji Wuye, having just finished his own cup of green tea, was the source of the gentle tune.

His eyes now held a faint smile as he gazed at Li Rong, his nonchalant attitude seeming to slowly unravel the rigid tension in her body.

"Senior Sister," he whispered, his deep voice a low murmur that caressed the silence of the night. They were alone in the guest residence, just two cushioned chairs and a round table between them. The flickering chandelier cast a warm glow, as if responding to the lull of his words, while the passing wind seemed to harmonize with the fading notes of his humming. "Did you forget what I just said before?"

As if triggered by some unseen force, the previously relaxed and almost sleepy Li Rong instantly became alert once more, her muscles tensing as she recalled how her Junior Brother had effortlessly broken her jian.

Yet, as her gaze settled on the faint, disarming smile that graced his handsome and perfect features, she found herself relaxing again, unable to maintain her guard against his subtle charisma.

With her body at ease, her mind too became less hostile, the hard edges softening as she remained silent, waiting for Ji Wuye to continue speaking.

"I saved this village, the common people, and prevented those creatures from slaughtering everyone," he explained, his tone measured and even. "Not only that, I also solved the root cause, which the sect had been stressing about, right?"

As he spoke, Li Rong listened intently, her brow furrowing ever so slightly. Yet, to her own surprise, she found herself giving a faint nod, as if agreeing with his words despite her earlier convictions.

"Now, here is the problem." Leaning slightly closer, Ji Wuye looked intently at his Senior Sister's face, studying her sharp features - cold and perfect, with skin as pale and unblemished as a peach blossom. Her bold brows knitted together in a slight frown, creasing her forehead, yet her brown eyes remained clear and sober, fixed on him as she listened with rapt attention.

Such a perfect figure, blessed with talent and a face that would make common folk jealous, was in truth, Ji Wuye mused inwardly,' is actually just a musclehead.'

A look of faint disappointment flickered across Ji Wuye's features as he regarded his Senior Sister, as if realizing a pity.

"You said I ignored my task, yet when did I ignore it?" He left the pointed question hanging in the air for Li Rong to ponder, leaning back against the chair.

TAP...TAP...TAP.

His long fingers tapped out a soft rhythm on the round wooden table, the sound punctuating the weighted silence.

In Ji Wuye's eyes, Li Rong was merely a pawn - a hand guided by the Elder Qiao, the true mastermind behind this situation. Rather than waste his efforts explaining every nuance to her, it would be far more valuable to deal with the force pulling the strings.

On the other hand, Li Rong, brow furrowed as she turned the words over in her mind, could not seem to find a ready answer. At length, she met her Junior Brother's inscrutable gaze. "Saving the village and the common people is commendable," she conceded, "but your methods were unorthodox."

Her tone strengthened, rippling with conviction. "You defied orders, and your knowledge about this location and the coincidence of your arrival when the shift started is rather suspicious. Weighing both of your actions, the wrong is still on you." She spoke as if she had finally found the perfect rebuttal, an unassailable truth.

Yet Ji Wuye did not frown or appear troubled by her words.

"Hmm..." Instead, a light hum spilled from his lips, the sound almost mocking. "So the point is, I look suspicious to you because I knew when the village was attacked and when the shift changed?" He confirmed the crux of her accusation, and Li Rong's prolonged silence was answer enough.

Seeing this, Ji Wuye's smile widened, a spark of challenge lighting his eyes. "Then have you considered the fact that I heard from the inn in Baiyun village that strange creatures appeared on the main road and were coming from Tianmu village?"

He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "To prove that, you also 'witnessed' how I dealt with and actually met those creatures on the road while you..." A slender finger pointed squarely at Li Rong. "Stood by, watching us struggle, which may have resulted in our deaths without helping us, even though Elder Qiao commanded you to protect me?"

By now, Ji Wuye had risen to his feet, his imposing frame towering over Li Rong as he looked down at her with intense crimson eyes. Her pupils dilated, blinking rapidly, but he did not allow her a moment's reprieve from his relentless questioning.

"Then, not only that, you came to this village, accusing me and threatening me based on your baseless judgment without actual proof." His deep voice was laced with an undercurrent of steel. "If we bring this to the Hall of Insight, I'm curious, what might your punishment be?"

As he spoke, Ji Wuye slowly reached out and pushed her jian away from her reach, the blade clattering softly on the floor.

He watched, an inscrutable expression on her features, as the calm glare and narrowed eyes that had been Li Rong's hallmark shattered before him.

Shock and disbelief flickered across her face as she wordlessly turned his accusation over in her mind.

"Perhaps expulsion from the sect for not saving your Martial Siblings in danger? And even attacking him?" Ji Wuye pressed on, his words cutting through the weighted silence like a knife. "Or what might Elder Qiao think about you?"

With those last pointed words, his fingers found her chin, tilting her head up so that she was forced to meet his crimson gaze directly.

Li Rong's face paled, all color draining from her features as the gravity of her missteps became unavoidably clear.

"Then, do we have a deal?"