Back to Ji Wuye, who was now descending from the Elder Qiao Cliff alongside Lian Rougang and Li Rong. An uneasy silence hung between the three young people ever since Ji Wuye's battle against Yuan Xu.

As they made their way down the precarious cliffside, the wind whipped stronger, tossing Ji Wuye's long white hair wildly across his face. He brushed the strands away, glancing sidelong at his Senior Sister Lian Rougang from the corner of his eye. Before the fight, Ji Wuye had noticed her brow furrowed with worry, lips pursed as she seemed to silently cheer him on.

But now, she refused to meet his gaze, her expression troubled and pensive as her mind churned.

The tense quiet stretched on, punctuated only by the soft footsteps of their white shoes, until they finally reached the Lower Level grounds near the sect's entrance.

Li Rong and Lian Rougang had received instructions from Elder Qiao to accompany Ji Wuye to the dungeons - where captured impostors were held.

The dungeons were housed in a dank cave off to the left of the sect entrance, the path marked by a dizzying stone staircase descending into darkness.

Yet as they approached, just when Ji Wuye thought the silence might stretch into eternity, Lian Rougang's head turned, her eyes finally meeting his. He started slightly, having watched her furtive movements from his peripheral vision.

"Since when?" Her voice trembled, though she fought to keep it steady. The abrupt question brought their footsteps to a halt. Li Rong, ever the picture of aloof indifference, flicked her cold gaze between her two Juniors, sensing the roiling tension.

Ji Wuye was silent, studying his Senior Sister's face. Though she struggled to maintain her usual serene mask, he could see the maelstrom of hurt and confusion swirling in the depths of her eyes.

"Junior," His Senior Sister's voice was barely above a conspiratorial whisper now, "Please, I must know. How long have you hidden this from me?"

Rather than answer immediately, Ji Wuye turned to face her fully. Her expression had changed little, and yet... He saw it in the way she bit the corner of her lip, the subtle tensing of her shoulders, the unevenness of her breaths.

'She's angry,' he realized with a start, 'Truly angry beneath that placid surface.'

"Senior Sister," Ji Wuye began, his normally steady voice now soft and apologetic. "I..."

"No," Lian Rougang cut him off, her melodic voice cracking with restrained emotion. "Don't call me 'Senior Sister' right now. I thought...I thought you trusted me."

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Even as Ji Wuye took the initiative, gently enfolding both of her slender hands in his, looking into her pained eyes, he could still feel the faint tremors of anger rippling beneath her outwardly indifferent countenance.

"I'm sorry, Senior Sister," he murmured, lips twitching into a small, tight smile as his gaze dropped momentarily. "It's...complicated to explain."

Though he couldn't see her expression clearly with his head bowed, Ji Wuye could sense the roiling storm of emotions surrounding Lian Rougang. Her hands occasionally twitched in his grasp, as if wanting to pull away, yet they remained joined.

"Do you...not trust me, Junior?" Her voice was just above a whisper now, laced with poorly-masked hurt and disappointment.

Ji Wuye raised his eyes to meet hers once more. Lian Rougang's brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a strained smile as a glistening trace of unshed tears shone at the corners of her beautiful eyes.

"It's not that, Senior Sister," he responded, equally soft. "I trust you more than anyone."

"Then why?" She demanded, her voice breaking as the tears began spilling over. "Why did everyone else know before me? Am I...not important enough to you?"

Her words struck Ji Wuye like a physical blow, and understanding blossomed across his features. He realized now why his Senior Sister was reacting with such uncharacteristic rawness and vulnerability. 'She probably heard from Song Jia or the other female disciples...' he thought inwardly.

The fact that he - the person she cared - had not confided in her directly, while others were privy to his secrets...it cut her deeply.

"You're always like this...Junior," Lian Rougang whispered, suddenly letting his hands slip from her grasp. Before Ji Wuye could react, she stepped forward and pulled him into a fierce, overwhelming embrace.

Her long raven hair fluttered around them as Ji Wuye was enveloped in the faint, sweet, floral scent of her body. The warmth of her arms holding him tightly, the steady thrum of her heartbeat against his own - it was all so viscerally, beautifully.

"When you told everyone to be careful at that trial... also when you warned me and all of them to stay alert at this gathering..." Lian Rougang's voice softened as she slowly caressed Ji Wuye's shoulder, the hurt still evident in her eyes. "For some reason...I felt so...left out. Like you didn't think I was capable of handling the truth."

For a long moment, Ji Wuye could feel the profound depth of her pain resonating between them.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, as if she were struggling for breath against the weight of her emotions. Yet outwardly, she maintained her usual serene composure - the unflappable strength expected of a Senior Sister.

After what felt like an eternity, she gently released the embrace and looked deeply into his crimson eyes, her own now shimmering with a film of unshed tears.

"So next time, even though you've grown stronger than me, I'm still your Senior Sister. You can tell me everything."

She offered him a warm, beautiful smile, though the upper half of her face was cloaked in shadows cast by the towering cliffs surrounding them.

"Promise me, Junior. Promise you won't keep such important things from me again."

...

A few moments later, the deep shadows from the cliffs gave way to a dense bamboo forest, the thick green stalks enveloping the path ahead. The steady crunch of stone stairs that had led them down was now replaced by the tranquil trickle of flowing water.

By this time, only Ji Wuye and Li Rong remained. Lian Rougang had gone on ahead, needing space to process everything.

"I'm not trying to meddle," Li Rong said at last in her usual indifferent tone, cold eyes fixed on Ji Wuye. "But if you still want to keep her trust, you should be honest from the start."

Ji Wuye flicked his gaze towards her for a moment, expression unreadable, before replying with casual nonchalance, "Thanks for the advice, but this is fine for me."

As they finally arrived before the looming maw of the massive cave entrance, Ji Wuye reflected inwardly:

'In the first place, I never intended to reveal this... but too much has changed now... and the plan needs to be adjusted too.'

It's not like he's hurting his Senior Sister. It's just that people's blind opinions regarding his strength made them think they knew him. In the first place, he never told or admitted that his physique was equal to a 7th realm martial artist, nor did he ever say his realm was at the 4th level.

He also never intended to reveal it, but wanted to take it slow. However, things changed drastically...

Meanwhile…

Two stern-faced Inner Disciples stood vigil at the cavernous entrance, their eyes narrowing slightly as they inspected Ji Wuye and Li Rong's robes and appearances. After a moment's scrutiny, they raised their hands in a respectful cupped gesture.

"Greetings, Junior Brother and Fellow Martial Sister," they intoned formally.

Ji Wuye and Li Rong returned the salutation with identical fluid motions of their hands.

"May I have permission to enter, Senior Brothers?" Li Rong spoke up, her usually aloof demeanor now carrying an undercurrent of solemn purpose. "We've been tasked by Elder Qiao himself to conduct interrogations."