"Elder Pan Shang, why are you here?" San Gu asked, his face contorting more. This guy was bad news. Very bad news.

San Gu scanned the newcomer: a short man with thick, snake-like lips poorly concealed by a neatly trimmed mustache. No amount of facial hair could hide those pig-lips.

Why was he here?

Elder San sighed deeply. This guy was in trouble. He was a relative of the Pan faction's leader, high elder Pan, and he always found some or other faults with neutral faction. Suppressing Wun Xia Ja was easy, but suppressing this guy would be difficult.

"Wun Xia Ja told me there is cheating going on in this exam, and I'm here to check on that." Pan Shang stared at San Gu, his gaze stabbing at elder San's mind.

"What cheating?" Elder San asked.

"Elder San, you said I'm not an elder so I couldn't judge the exam, but see I brought elder Pan with me. You can't stop him from judging the competition now."

San Gu's frown deepened. Why the hell were these bastards trying to ruin the exam? Was it really the quota, or there was some other motives behind this move?

Li An stepped forward. "Elder Pan, is that really you?" Li An's eyes widened in feigned awe, his voice dripping with exaggerated reverence. "Righteous Pan, the legendary elder. I can't believe my eyes that I got to meet you. You look so great. Thank heaven you came here to save us from this unjust situation."

Pan Shang's face twitched as if he wanted to say something.

"Stop your nonsense. He is not Rightous Pan," Wun Xia Ja said out loud.

"What nonsense." Li An snapped back. "The moment I saw him, I knew I was looking at the righteous man. Do you want to say elder Pan is not a righteous person, but a despicable, dark realm bastard?"

San Gu almost laughed out loud. This Li An acted unbridled. These youths. It was so good to live carefree.

"Bastard, you are disqualified for talking back to me." Wun Xia Ja pointed a finger at Li An, his eyes filled with rage.

"Wun Xia Ja, I have already warned you not to make judgements when I'm here. Why are you trying to go against this junior from the start? He is just calling the elder Pan Shang a righteous man. What's wrong with that? " San Gu asked innocently, suppressing the laughter inside his heart. There was a righteous Pan in the sect, but that wasn't this bastard.

"You … elder Pan, please see how unscrupulous these people are acting." Wun Xia Ja's shoulders dropped like a defeated soldier.

"Shut up, Wun Xia Ja. We are here to judge exam, and I don't want to listen to your petty fights," Pan Shang shouted back at Wun Xia Ja.

San Gu smiled at Li An. This young man had a heavenly tongue. He was going to keep an eye on him once he entered the Alchemy Hall. However, he could only enter if he actually passed the exams. With elder Pan Shang, it was going to be difficult.

*** Aiden chuckled inwardly when Pan Shang snapped back at Wun Xia Ja. This was fun. When the examination started, he just wanted to pass it easily, but when Wun Xia Ja entered, things took a different turn, and now with the shorty Pan Shang entering, things took another turn.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

This shorty was a bad guy. He took care of some alchemy stores of the sect in the city, and he swindled the sect through it. He was through and through bad guy, but he had a weakness. He hated when someone called him a bad guy. Old man Li had known about his deeds for long, but he never cared about the worldly affairs and only focused on the alchemy, and in the end he got killed because of his love for alchemy.

Old man Li couldn't take advantage of this weakness, but Aiden could take it. He had already offended Wun Xia Ja, then why would he worry about Pan Shang when he had elder San as his backup? Although elder San hadn't said it out openly, Aiden could read it in his warm gaze.

"Elder Pan, I believe this room is warded by some illusion skill, and we should do this examination outside." Wun Xia Ja ignored everything else and pleaded to the shorty.

"Did I ask you for anything?" Pan Shang snapped back again. "I will decide what to do here."

"Righteous elder Pan is the best." Aiden bowed in front of the Pan Shang.

Pan Shang scanned everyone, his gaze stopping at Aiden for longer than needed.

"Wun Xia Ja, show me their cheating method."

"Now, everyone raise your arms and show me your puny fire control," Wun Xia Ja shouted, his face full of arrogance after getting support of an elder.

The group filed out into the sun-drenched courtyard, the stone tiles radiating heat beneath their feet. A gentle breeze carried the scent of nearby herb gardens, a stark contrast to the stuffy exam room they'd left behind. The midday sun blazed overhead, its warmth a welcome change from the chilly interior.

Wun Xia Ja moved through the ninety disciples, asking each one to conjure their Qi Fire and inspecting their spirit animal. With each test, his face became dark and by the end of the ninety disciples, he looked like a poisoned corpse.

"Righteous, elder Pan, are you satisfied?" Elder San asked, his tone on the border of mocking.

"No. I'm not done yet," Wun Xia Ja roared. "These dog-shit people can't pass this test. They are cheating."

"Then you prove that, which I don't see happening. Righteous elder Pan, what do you think? Did you see anyone cheating?"

Pan Shang snorted coldly.

"I think there is an illusion array spread in this place. I must inspect it carefully." Pan Shang spread his gaze around.

"Why do you think there is an illusion array?" Elder San frowned. "I've checked it myself and there is no illusion array around this place."

"Then can you explain why I couldn't generate Fire Giving Birth?" Wun Xia Ja asked, his tone full of threat.

"Maybe you lost your mojo in the pussy you visited last night," Aiden whispered from behind a few people and everyone chuckled.

"Who is that? Come out fast. I want to slay you." Wun Xia Ja shouted, his face turning pale. He was famous for his womanizing nature.

"Elder Pan, this guy can't even control his own temper and you expect him to control Fire Giving Birth?" Elder San snorted. "If you insist, then I shall call hall master to judge this competition."

Pan Shang's face contorted. He must not have liked the idea of calling a high elder in this mess.

"We shouldn't trouble hall master or high elders in this matter," Pan Shang said in a subdued tone.

"Then what do you suggest?" Elder San asked.

"Elder, may I suggest something?" Aiden stepped forward with a humble expression on his face.

"A mere junior dare to open his mouth in front of two elders? Are you courting death, Li An?" Wun Xia Ja growled, his face turning red.

"Wun Xia Ja, what's wrong in taking a suggestion from a disciple?" Aiden asked, his jaw tensed. "Aren't you a disciple as well? Did anyone suppress you in this sect? We are righteous, holy realm people, and we give a chance to everyone to express their thoughts without a judgement. This was the first vow you took when you entered the sect. Are you going to abdicate it and step on the path of demons?" His voice raised on each word.

Pan Shang stared at Aiden with a nonchalant gaze. This guy wasn't a simple elder, but had some scheming power within him.

"What do you suggest, junior Li An?" Pan Shang asked. "If you try to insult anyone, including a core disciple, then I'll expel you from the sect with my own authority." His voice was full of threat.

"Righteous elder Pan, I believe in your words, but I don't believe in senior Wun Xia Ja's words. He previously failed to even produce a speck of fire, so I want him to show his abilities."

"Fair enough. We should have a match between him and you. Are you satisfied now?" Pan Shang asked.

"I'm a lowly disciple and I don't have trust in myself, but I trust in this sister Chen's potential." Aiden pointed at the girl whom elder San had enquired previously. He would be a fool if he showed his talent in front of these people, but he didn't care about others.

He was just going to sit on the mountain and watch the show.