"Outer Disciple Ji Wuye, the—" The Inner Disciple's words were abruptly cut off as Mu Lan Rou whipped her head towards him, her narrowed crimson eyes blazing with a fierce glare that demanded silence.
A tense hush fell over them, the only sound being the soft rustle of Mu Lan Rou's white martial robe as she straightened her posture.
Her gaze then shifted past Ji Wuye, piercing through the medicinal herb shop's entrance. Inside, her crimson pupils locked onto the blurred figures of women she utterly despised, seated around low floor tables amid the pungent aroma of drying herbs.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from her parted lips as her eyes narrowed further, lips curling in a sneer of disdain.
Yet when her focus returned to Ji Wuye, her expression softened almost imperceptibly. Her eyes flickered over the tattered edges of his robe, and her lips trembled faintly, as if longing to speak tender words.
Slowly, hesitantly, she raised her hand, fingers outstretched as if to caress his face—but the movement halted abruptly, her hand falling limply to her side. "Are you—"
"Please, get straight to the point, Young Lady," Ji Wuye interrupted, his flat tone as indifferent as his impassive features.
He met her gaze unflinchingly, utterly unmoved by the palpable tension and waves of indignation rolling off the Inner Disciples behind Mu Lan Rou.
The crimson in her eyes seemed to blaze darker at his words. Her head dipped, raven tresses sliding forward to veil her face as her shoulders trembled with barely restrained emotion.
"The Elder has summoned you," she murmured, her normally commanding voice subdued to a whisper. "Please come with us." Turning swiftly, she clutched at the front of her robe, slender fingers twisting in the pristine fabric as if drawing strength from its familiar texture.
Ji Wuye observed all of her reactions with his usual calm demeanor, his expression unreadable. His thoughts, however, were elsewhere, focused on what lay ahead: ‘It’s finally here.’
His actions, of course, brought consequences. Yet, he showed no signs of panic or fear as he met the hard stares of the Inner Disciples. "Please wait a moment, I need to prepare," he said calmly, his deep voice steady and unhurried.
A few of the disciples bristled, lips curling in wordless protest, but they were swiftly silenced by a simple, imperious gesture from Mu Lan Rou.
With her back still turned to Ji Wuye, she raised one slender hand, pale fingers unfurling in a commanding motion that stopped the objections before they could fully form. "Please hurry up," she murmured, the words nearly inaudible except for the weight of strain behind them.
...
The moments that followed felt interminable as they awaited Ji Wuye's return, the air thick with tension.
At last, he emerged once more into the bustling street, supporting his heavily-bandaged Senior Sister Qiu Xia with one arm looped gently around her slender frame while the rest of his Senior Sister following along.
Qiu Xia leaned against him, her face pale and drawn with bone-deep exhaustion, dark eyes shadowed from the unbearable pain they had endured.
Still, she refused to show weakness, each halting step fueled by sheer force of will as they slowly made their way toward the ascending stairs that would lead them up the sacred slopes of Kunlun.
Hushed whispers and furtive stares followed their progress from vendors and passersby along the crowded path. "Look, it's the White Demon..." an elderly shopkeeper murmured, clutching his basket of fragrant potpourri close, as if to shield himself.
"Shh! Not so loud," a young woman chastised in a hushed, sympathetic tone, her brow furrowing as her gaze fell on the injured pair. "Can't you see those people are hurt?"
"But still..." another voice cut in, the speaker's words trembling with barely-concealed unease, "they say he's dangerous—"
"Yet he's helping that injured woman so gently," a mother interrupted, pulling her wide-eyed child closer with a protective arm as they observed Ji Wuye's careful movements. "Perhaps the stories we've heard are exaggerated..."
A gruff, skeptical scoff met her words. "He'll receive his punishment soon enough, mark my words." But even the skeptic's gray eyes flickered with fleeting uncertainty.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Such a shame," an old grandmother sighed, her weathered face creasing with concern as she watched them pass. "he's young, yet already carrying such heavy burdens..."
The murmured voices swelled and ebbed like the tide as Ji Wuye led his injured companion onward, steadfast and unbowed in the face of public scrutiny.
Without harming any innocents, the emotions in their curious gazes leaned more toward pity and morbid fascination rather than outright hatred or condemnation.
After ascending for what felt like an eternity along the paths, the group finally crested the last rise and passed through the Lower Level sect grounds before arriving at the vast Central Courtyard - the very site where Ji Wuye's previous earthshaking battle had unfolded.
Surprisingly, much of the catastrophic damage from that fight had already been diligently repaired.
The immense wooden sparring platform that commanded the center of the marble-floored courtyard had been utterly shattered into countless fragments during their cataclysmic clash.
Now, a flurry of activity surrounded its reconstruction, as several Official Disciples garbed in crisp white robes with dark blue stripes worked tirelessly laying new supports and planks.
Even the deep, shocking gouge slash-marked into the very marble itself was being meticulously patched with fresh stone.
The ring of chisels against rock mingled with the rhythmic pounding of hammers as the courtyard was rapidly restored.
As Ji Wuye's solemn procession entered the courtyard, all activity around the platform came to an abrupt halt.
Tools stilled, voices hushed, and dozens of widened eyes turned in their direction as the disciples' attention became utterly transfixed.
"That's him...can you believe it? The same Flower Boy who was about to be expelled not long ago," a young male disciple whispered, his voice barely audible as his practice sword trembled faintly in his white-knuckled grip.
"Don't look at him directly!" Another hissed urgently, reaching out to tug at his friend's sleeve as if that flimsy barrier could shield them from Ji Wuye's presence. "Who would've thought that handsome face could hide such terrifying power?"
"To think he defeated Elder Xia in battle..." A nearby disciple muttered, unconsciously taking a half-step backwards as Ji Wuye drew nearer, eyes wide with stunned disbelief. "The same guy we all used to tease for having just pretty looks but no real talent..."
A lone female disciple stepped forward boldly, lifting her chin as her clear voice rang out in quiet defiance. "He did what any of us should have done! Did you not see how badly those bitches from Emei hurt our Sisters? How could anyone with a shred of decency stand by after such a heinous act?"
Her impassioned words seemed to steady some of her peers, though many still could not conceal the flickers of trepidation in their expressions now that they were truly aware of the overwhelming power Ji Wuye had evidently commanded to defeat an Elder.
Even the leading Inner Disciples had taken unconscious defensive stances, their fingers tapping restlessly against the ornate hilts of their jians as if preparing to draw them at any moment.
'What an amazing feeling,' Ji Wuye mused, a faint, satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips as his crimson eyes slowly scanned the bustling disciples repairing the Central Courtyard.
It was the first time he had been the subject of such rapt attention, and he found himself both amazed and intrigued by the weight of their scrutinizing stares.
One by one, those who inadvertently met his unflinching gaze quickly cast their eyes downward or averted their faces as if burned.
"Such a terrible waste of talent," a nearby disciple sighed heavily, shaking his head in dismay as he watched Ji Wuye pass. "We all dismissed him as just another pretty face with no real power. If only he hadn't gone so drastically overboard, he might have been called our honored brother one day..."
"Overboard?" A young female disciple's voice cut through sharply, her delicate brows drawing together in an indignant frown. "He was protecting their dignity when the rest of us could only stand by uselessly!"
"The Emei Sect really went too far with this!" Another disciple chimed in, his voice rising with genuine outrage. "This was supposed to be a friendly cultural exchange visit between our sects!"
Despite the murmured words of support and sympathy from the surrounding disciples, Ji Wuye noted that none of his injured Senior Sisters seemed appreciative or flattered by the sentiments.
Instead, behind their exhausted, pained expressions smoldered the wariness of narrowed eyes regarding him with guarded calculation.
'Then why don't you prove your words with actions?' Ji Wuye challenged inwardly as he flicked his piercing gaze toward those disciples claiming so vehemently to be on his sisters' side.
Like all the others, they flinched and looked hurriedly away, unable to withstand the weight of his stare.
Indeed, back then the sight of his injured Senior Sisters lying on the ground filled Ji Wuye with simmering rage.
Not at the battle itself - a fair fight was expected during such exhibitions. But the fact that so many had simply stood by, silently watching as his sisters were brutalized and humiliated, stirred his fury.
"At least HE did something about it," a fierce whisper carried from a cluster of young female disciples watching the procession with admiring eyes. "Better to have a protective demon than to be surrounded by cowardly bystanders."
This prompted Ji Wuye to briefly glance toward the cluster of admiring female disciples. Despite the grave circumstances, the majority continued to regard him with unmistakable defense and approval in their expressions.
He even detected genuine concern flickering in their eyes as they took in the battered state of his injured Senior Sisters.
Interestingly, the wary, guarded looks on those Sisters' own faces seemed to soften almost imperceptibly upon hearing the young women's fierce whispers of support.
On the other hand, the male disciples...
Ji Wuye shook his head inwardly, disappointment creasing his brow. It was painfully, insultingly obvious where the priorities of those male disciples truly lay - able only to think with their basest instincts even in the face of such injustice.
Hypocrites, every last one. The exact kind of self-professed "righteous" fools that those on the unorthodox path scorned.
...
After a ascent from the Central Courtyard, their solemn procession finally arrived at the Inner Courtyard that housed the Hall of Insight.
The grand structure resembled an ornate pagoda of the Shaolin Temple style, yet consisted of only a single imposing level capped with a magnificent upturned eave roof.
The entrance was comprised of monumental wooden doors, their polished cedar panels intricately carved with auspicious cloud motifs.
Beyond the building's entrance laid an unparalleled panoramic view of the vast Xinjiang region, framed by towering cliffs and drifting white clouds.
The roof itself was a breathtaking vision, adorned with elegantly upturned eaves and resplendent in rich shades of vermilion and gold. The pagoda's walls were solid, polished darkwood inlaid with subtle engravings of mystical symbols and legendary figures.
Ringing the exterior were massive, ornately carved pillars, each wrapped with the sinuous, scaly forms of entwined dragons and edged in gleaming gold trim that made the entire structure seem to softly glow with an aura of sacred grandeur.
By the time Ji Wuye's party reached the Hall's entrance, disciples had gathered around the perimeter, their expressions shifting from curiosity to hard scrutiny as gazes fell upon Ji Wuye himself.
Wordlessly, in eerie unison, hands strayed to the hilts of jians as narrowed eyes watched his every move with wariness bordering on outright hostility.
As the group climbed the final steps to the towering wooden doors, the guards flanking the entrance stepped forward, cupping hands respectfully before Mu Lan Rou.
Then, their focus turned toward Ji Wuye and his injured companions.
"Only Outer Disciple Ji Wuye may enter," one of the eagle-eyed guards stated firmly, his tone brooking no argument as his narrowed gaze shifted disapprovingly to Lian Rougang, Shen Bi, and the still heavily-bandaged Qiu Xia, who now leaned on Lian Rougang for support.