The warm morning sun cast a golden glow over the marble floor of the Kunlun Sect, its radiant rays seeming to accentuate the confused and unsettled expressions on the faces of the gathered guests and Outer Disciples.
An unnatural stillness hung in the air, amplifying even the faintest sounds of rustling robes and nervous shuffling as they realized with dawning trepidation that they were completely surrounded on all sides by the figures of the sect's Official Disciples.
"Attention, all Outer Disciples and guests..." A stern voice cut through the tense silence like a blade. All eyes turned towards the familiar figure of an Elder striding forward with purposeful steps.
His long hair, more lustrous silver than pure white, framed a clean-shaven face that belied a middle-aged countenance. Despite his deceptively youthful appearance, the bulky frame beneath his crisp white martial robe with dark yellow striped accents spoke of a true martial artist.
"For our esteemed guests, please proceed to the Central Courtyard," the Elder spoke, his gaze solemn yet piercing as he swept it over the guests below, many of them disciples hailing from smaller sects and schools.
Around 2,000 Outer Disciples had congregated in this vast lower expanse of the Kunlun Sect's grounds, dwarfing the fewer than 500 guests in attendance.
"Ah, it's Master Xia. Everything's fine..."
"Greetings, Master Xia..."
Murmurs and hurried whispers rippled through the ranks as the guests recognized the famous Elder Xia. They greeted him while ascending the stairs.
Those who had begun to show the faintest hints of disrespect or defiance swiftly schooled their expressions, not daring to meet his commanding presence with anything less than utmost propriety.
On the other hand, Elder Xia merely offered a curt nod in acknowledgment of their greetings, his stern focus unwavering as he surveyed the flustered Outer Disciples rising uncertainly from the long wooden benches that had previously seated them.
Once the guests had departed, ascending the path towards the Central Courtyard under the watchful gazes of the surrounding Disciples, one of the Inner Sect's elite members stepped forward to address the remaining Outer Disciples.
His eyes were narrowed into stern slits, his gaze razor-sharp as he scanned the sea of apprehensive faces before him.
"We have received information that there are spies among the Outer Disciples," he declared, his voice laced with quiet menace.
A brief cough punctuated the proclamation as he descended the stairs with measured steps, dark eyes boring into each disciple as if searching for any flicker of guilt or deception. "They wear our robes, laugh and eat among us, but today, we will begin an inspection!"
As the final words left his mouth, an invisible pressure seemed to descend upon the gathered Outer Disciples like a suffocating shroud.
The air grew thick and heavy, the weight of the accusation hitting them with physical force as gasps of shock and dismay echoed through the ranks. However, one voice dared to rise above the stunned silence, defiant despite the palpable tension.
"What?! How can that be? I've never tried to betray Kunlun in the first place!" The shout came from one of the Outer Disciples, his face flushed with indignation.
Veins bulged prominently along his tensed jawline and neck as he glared at the stoic Inner Disciple, head raised in a display of bold defiance that seemed to challenge the very accusation leveled against them all.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"Yeah! Me neither! How can you accuse us so casually? Is this the true face of Kunlun?!" Another outraged voice rang out, this time from an Outer Disciple whose fury seemed to boil over.
With an explosive slam of his fist against the long wooden table beside him, leftover food scattered in a chaotic spray, staining the pristine marble floor with splashes of vibrant color.
The impact resonated through the area with a thunderous clap, the ceramic plate clattering to the ground in a discordant shatter of broken porcelain.
While some reacted with fierce indignation, others seemed almost paralyzed with disbelieving shock. "H-how is this possible...? W-why is this happening?" Pale faces glistened with beads of cold sweat, eyes wide and haunted as the grave accusation hung thick in the air like a noxious miasma.
Amidst the rising tide of anger and confusion, one disciple's voice cut through with resolute determination.
"S-senior Brother, if that's true, then h-how did they enter the sect and get the robes? You need a sect token to do that." His gaze was sharp, fists clenched white-knuckled as he scanned the sea of faces around him with open suspicion burning in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the Inner Disciple's steely gaze settled squarely upon the questioner, offering the briefest of nods in acknowledgment even as his expression remained guarded, cautious.
"They killed our Brothers and Sisters, stole their identities and robes to pass through unnoticed!" His voice twisted with disgust as the words left his lips, rage simmering beneath the surface until it finally erupted in a vehement shout. "They are despicable! Today, all of you will come forward, one by one!"
As if summoned by his outburst, a contingent of Official Disciples materialized on the upper level overlooking the Lower Level ground, their movements precise and economical as they swiftly set up tables and laid out neatly organized stacks of parchment.
"You will state your name, answer questions related to your personal information and our Sect's teachings, and demonstrate Kunlun martial arts. We will compare your answers with our records," the Inner Disciple proclaimed, his tone brooking no argument as he gestured towards the stairs leading up to the inspection area with a sweeping arc of his arm.
...
Meanwhile, at Ji Wuye's table, an air of eerie calm seemed to prevail amidst the swirling chaos. Four Official Disciples - Lian Rougang, Qiu Xia, Shen Bi, and Ding Xiuying - stood as silent sentinels, their very presence commanding a subtle aura of protective vigilance around the confused Song Jia.
The young woman's head remained tilted in an expression of pure, wide-eyed bewilderment, her unruly strands of hair framing a visage of innocence utterly at odds with the unfolding turmoil.
Seated beside her, Ji Wuye retained an air of unflappable tranquility, calmly sipping from his water cup as if the tumultuous events swirling around him were but a fleeting distraction.
His crimson eyes betrayed not even the faintest hint of unease or trepidation, instead reflecting an enigmatic depth akin to the stillest mountain lake.
"Stay calm, Junior. We will protect you," Lian Rougang spoke, her solemn gaze narrowed, etching faint wrinkles across her forehead as her hand came to rest upon the jian at her waist in a subtle, reassuring gesture.
For a beat, her fellow Official Disciples remained in taut silence, shoulders tensed as if bracing for an unseen threat.
"It's said that every intruder is at least a 4th realm martial artist." It was Ding Xiuying who finally broke the stillness, her words emerging in a low, chilling murmur clearly meant only for Ji Wuye and Song Jia's ears.
The implication hung heavy in the air, underscored by the shock that flickered across Song Jia's features.
"4th realm..." Finally snapping out of her dazed bewilderment, she frowned deeply, standing to scan the sea of surrounding Outer Disciples with newfound wariness.
Neither she nor Ji Wuye carried weapons, the feast having prohibited both disciples and guests from bearing arms within the grounds.
This was the reason why Elder Xia personally stepped forward to instruct the guests to depart with urgency.
"Thank you, Big Sister, Senior Sisters," Ji Wuye's calm response seemed utterly at odds with the mounting chaos. His crimson eyes tracked the Outer Disciples ascending the white marble stairs one by one to undergo the brief background check.
'This is another shift in the timeline that I've altered,' his inner voice pondered, watching the proceedings. A fleeting glance was spared for Song Jia, now standing with a vigilant wariness as her eyes scanned their surroundings with renewed trepidation.
The first shift had been making Song Jia learn the crucial 'Rising Gale' movement. The second, exposing these vile traitors earlier than the original timeline.
'For this, I won't let you harm my Senior and Big Sisters,' he thought as his crimson gaze subtly shifted towards the corner of his eye, unconsciously drawn by the hints of furtive movement amidst the crowd.
The traitor was making a move.
Men were whispering amongst themselves, their furtive glances and calculating stares assessing the number of Official Disciples present with unsettling intensity.
However...
For some indiscernible reason, their attention seemed to gravitate heavily towards Ji Wuye's small group with alarming frequency, a fact that did not escape his keen perception.
'Is it because my table has four Official Disciples guarding it?' Ji Wuye thought inwardly, but then shook his head. It would be a foolish action for them to attack his group, which had four Official Disciples.
'But... things don't always go smoothly,' he added inwardly, as rows of chopsticks began to be collected by him and gathered around his plate.
Meanwhile, the tension that had been steadily building like a taut wire eventually snapped in an explosive burst of chaos.
Like a spark greedily spreading through dry grass, several Outer Disciples among the gathered crowd of 2,000 began inching closer towards the watchful Official Disciples with studied nonchalance.
When their furtive movements drew suspicious gazes, they merely laughed and posed casual, seemingly trivial questions - flimsy masks attempting to conceal their true, insidious intentions.
"You, up," On the other hand, the Inner Disciple overseeing the proceedings barked out, jabbing his finger towards various Outer Disciples to summon them forward for the impending background checks.
However, his eyes abruptly narrowed to dangerous slits as one disciple in the crowd made the fateful mistake of revealing something concealed within his robes.
"Seize him!" The shout tore from the Inner Disciple's lips without a moment's hesitation, an invisible force of pressure immediately descending like a suffocating shroud upon the now exposed infiltrator.
But in that same breath, all semblance of pretense was violently shattered as several "Outer Disciples" suddenly launched themselves at the guarding Official Disciples in a flurry of furious attacks.