His eyes flash around the training fields, watches people dueling on the arena. With every second he can feel his understanding of martial arts improving. If he incorporates all their strong points into his palm technique, he feels as though he can take it to another level while reducing its overall cost.

“Why did you stop moving! let's go!” one of the disciplinary disciples screams back.

Milly lightly squeezes his hand, waking him from his stupor.

“I’m ok don't worry, I was just fascinated watching them all practice.” He didn't dare tell her that his own fighting capabilities just improved another level, she might get so jealous she would bite him to death! She might be tame right now but who in this world of martial arts can truly say they're not jealous of someone who can improve just by watching other people practice?

“Chrim!” Ezra pats his cheek, thinking that he needs to be comforted.

Squeezing her hand back he continues to follow the four disciples. After walking for a few minutes he finally sees his destination.

A large structure that looks like a mausoleum, it has grand staircases leading down into the mountain visible from the outside. The building is engraved with all kinds of carvings giving off a faint glow, obvious that this building has its own formations attached to it.

Seeing him look at the building Milly opens her mouth. “This is the disciplinary hall, it's also a jail. Any criminals captured out on missions are brought here.”

“Oh, is it really safe to bring them inside of the sect? what if they break out?” Marco looks at her with a questioning look.

“Its ok because the criminals that outer court disciples can catch are no match for Elder Janice, whos in charge of this place, if hundreds somehow manage to break free, hundreds will die.”

“Elder Janice huh, let's hope she's not unreasonable.”

The group of seven arrive outside the stairs and begins to descend.

Seeing them walk down Marco shrugs his shoulders and continues to follow, his hand never leaving Milly’s in case they had to make a quick escape. as they walk down the stairs the light from the outside disappears, replaced by the glowing stones on the wall. soon they stop descending and arrive in a hallway made of stone. As they walk down the hallway they begin to hear screaming.

“I smell a girl!!”

“There's a girl in here! come here baby play with me!!!”

“Fuck! let me play with you for a bit I haven't touched a girl in years!”

Hearing all their shouts Ezra become frightened, she flies into Marco’s robes and hides.

The walls of the hallway are filled with doors made of bars. Prisoners are reaching out their arms and yelling towards Milly.

Hearing their calls and perverted faces Marco furrows his brow, how dare they want what’s his? if he wasn't already in some sort of trouble he’d kill them all.

Seeing Marco’s upset look Milly feels a bit proud, at least she didn't give herself to someone who doesn't care how she's treated. She squeezes his hand a little harder causing him to look at her.

“I’m not that weak Demon, just because you were able to take me down doesn't mean I’m that fragile.”

“Right, how can you carry out my justice if their calls break you.” A smile returns to his face as they continue to walk down the hall. Just because Milly is with him now, their relationship is still fragile. He took advantage of her time of desperation and took everything from her when she wasn't thinking straight. He still needs time to become the most important thing to her.

At the end of the hallway, there are giant stone double doors. The doors are currently open revealing a grand hall. The hall is filled with rows and rows of pews, and at the front of the hall is a large stone slab.

A woman in her 30s sits cross legged in the center of the stone slab, waves of visible Qi radiate from her body. She has pale white skin, a stark contrast from her fiery red hair. Small freckles cover her cheeks and spread over her small nose. Her face is further amplified by her small peach colored lips.

The four disciplinary disciples lead them halfway through the hall before signaling for them to stop. They travel closer to the stone slab before dropping down to a knee.

The droopy eyed disciple is the first to speak “Elder Janice we have gone to the scene of the report, and have returned with the criminal.”

Janice opens her eyes, as she does it’s like sunflowers are in bloom. The vibrant yellow color gives life to her natural looking face, like adding the final stroke to a master painting.

“What are their crimes?” a voice as sweet as honey leaves her lips, if one would listen too long they would naturally be lulled to sleep.

“Twenty-four counts of murder, twenty-four counts of looting, resisting arrest, disrespecting a member of the disciplinary hall.”

Hearing all the charges Marco is a little stunned, he only killed 23 people. They didn't even properly investigate the fact Milly killed one of the people, how shameless can they be?

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Janice's eyes wander over to Marco and Milly. Her eyes linger on Marcos EMS before turning to Milly.

“Milly, what are you doing here?”

Marco steps forward “She’s with me”

Janice slowly raises her hand, her middle finger curls down and rest in her thumb. Suddenly she flicks her finger and a bolt of colorless Qi is shots out of her finger.

Marco watched the whole thing happen When he saw a bit of Qi gather in her finger and the muscles ready to move, he was already in the process of dodging, as he could see where she was aiming.

His shoulder tilts to the side allowing him to narrowly avoid the attack. The bolt zoomed passed his shoulder punching a hole in the ground.

“That's not very nice!” Marco points his finger at her face. Even though she is stronger than him, how can he let her bully him?

She wanted to teach him a lesson for speaking out of turn, but never in her life would she expect at 7th gate Qi gathering cultivator to dodge her attack, even if she wasn't serious.

Her eyebrows raise a little as she looks Marco up and down, her gaze lingering on his eyes again.

“Kid, what clan are you from? what does your eyes do?”

Marco thinks for a moment on how to answer the question.

Milly is stunned, just when she was prepared to answer the question Marco stepped out, why did he do that? Seeing him dodge that bolt she becomes even more impressed, how talented is he really?

Thinking for a second Marco opens his mouth “I have no clan! But I will build one of my own in the future. As for my eyes? They let me see the truth of the world clearly!” the corners of his lips curl as he answers her question.

“Oh, you actually have a bloodline ability, which is rare, and an ocular one at that, but you have no clan?” A smile forms on her delicate face “How do you plead to the charges brought up against you?”

“Not guilty! I only killed twenty-three people and their loot was rightfully mine!”

“Twenty-four or twenty-three, it makes no difference” she shakes her head “You even admit to killing them, your punishment is a year in jail for every disciple you killed” she looks at the four disciplinary disciples “You four may leave now.”

“Yes Elder Janice” the four stand and bow. They glance at Marco, giving him a smirk before going to a door to the left of the room and exiting.

Janice watches them leave before turning towards Milly once again. “Milly, what are you doing here?”

Milly glances at Marco, seeing that he's not doing anything this time she steps forward. “Elder Janice we...are together.”

A smile forms on Marco’s face.

“Together?” Janice looks confused.

This time Marco proudly declares “She’s my woman!”

A serious look finally appears on her face. She rises to her feet and disappears. When she reappears she's standing next to Marco, with Milly’s wrist in her palm.

Marco actually saw everything, his eyes could follow all her movements. But even though his eyes registered the movements his body couldn't even react. What she just did was very similar to his newly minted body flicker, except she moved so fast she left no trace of her presence. She could kill him without even leaving a trace. He is not upset though, he couldn't copy her finger flick technique because he can't project Qi from his body. As for this movement technique? He saw it all.

“Oh, Milly” she shakes her head “You actually gave yourself to this boy? A woman's virginity is very useful for a lot of techniques and cultivating.”

“It’s ok Elder Janice, I was even able to break through the tenth gate. I’m still pursuing the top of martial arts.”

Marco releases Milly’s hand as he sizes up this Elder “If you're worried about her cultivation you could give us a dual cultivation technique!”

Janice side eyes Marco “Dual cultivation? how can you dual cultivate when you shall spend the next twenty-three years in prison?”

Marco shakes his head “I will not go to prison.”

“Is that so? says who? I’m in charge here, I make the rules. I don't know how you tricked Milly but I’ve known her for her entire life and I won't let you ruin her, she's a good girl.”

Milly bites her lip slightly, her eyes become more resolute “Elder Janice I’m ok, this is something I’m willing to try. Martial arts is what's important to me, and Demon can help me get to the top, I think”

The stone in his heart finally drops, it seems like Milly won't abandon him for no reason. Marco reaches out and grabs her hand again, this time more firmly than ever. He pulls her closer to him, out of the Elder’s grasp.

“Elder there has to be another way, right? those disciples were blaming what happened last night on Milly and wanted to hurt her, if I let them go who knows what they would do. Plus I had to give a warning to anyone else who had bad intentions.”

Janice sizes the two up, seeing the resolution in their eyes she sighs. “Ok, I’ll give you a chance. You have to go on a repentance mission.”

Hearing this Milly’s eyes go wide “Elder why??”

“There's nothing else I can do Milly, there are too many witnesses to cover this up”

Marco looks at the two “What’s a repentance mission?”

Janice looks at him “It’s a mission all disciples in any court can go on to clear their name. A few days travel from here to the north is a forbidden ground, even Golden core formation cultivators can die there if they are not careful, or their luck is bad. The mission requirements is to survive there for a year, your token will activate once you get to the area and if you leave once, the mission will fail.” she pauses for a moment “But not all is bad, If you can survive in the area for the full year you will be admitted as a disciple of the inner court.”

Marco was a little frustrated at first, why not just escape the sect if he had to do some stupid mission. Once he heard he could become a part of the inner court after the mission, he changes his mind. The whole reason he joined this sect was so he could steal all the techniques from the inner court, who knows how long it would take if he just cultivates himself??

“Ok, when can I go” Marco wasn't really nervous, how dangerous could this place actually be?

Janice’s eyebrows raise, she never thought he would agree so easily. “You will leave today, give me your token and I will set it for the mission.”

Marco reaches into his bag and pulls out Milly and his token. “Here” he hands both tokens over.

Taking both tokens she looks at Marco and Milly. “Milly, are you going too? you are already at the 10th gate, so if you cultivate diligently for a year you will be able to enter the inner court.”

“Elder Janice I have to go, I need to see with my own eyes, what his justice is.”

Looking into her eyes for a moment she sends a wave of Qi into their tokens before handing it back to each of them. pointing her finger at Marco and Milly’s forehead a line of Qi shoots inside.

As the Qi hits them a map of how to get to the forbidden grounds appears. The area is called Maju mountain range.

“If there is anything you two need, get it before you leave the sect today. if you don't arrive in the mission area in one month the sect will send enforces to kill you boy, Milly since you took this mission voluntarily you can give up and come back anytime.”

“Don't worry Elder Janice, I won't fail” Milly nods her head.

Marco looks at the elder “Do you not have a dual cultivation technique?”

She shakes her head “Most females keep their virginity in righteous sects, only demonic sects will have something like that”

“Ok then, Milly lets go.” Marco turns around and pulls Milly to leave.

Elder Janice watches Milly’s back as she leaves “Walter, Angela, Your little girl is all grown up. I tried to keep her safe all these years, but I can't protect her forever” she turns around and flashes back onto the stone slab. As she sits down she closes her eyes.

“I hope to see you again in a year, Milly.”