The courtyard of the outer sect bustled with whispers when Lu Mao and his group returned. Their clothes were torn, faint blood still stained Chen Yuan's sleeve, and Bao Fu's robe was half ripped open. Yet their eyes shone with a victorious gleam. The weight of the relic was hidden within Li Xian's possession, and the air around them carried a sharpness that silenced gossiping tongues.
Many outer disciples stared at them with wide eyes. For new initiates to return from their first mission alive was already rare. To return with success written on their faces was almost unheard of. But none dared approach. The cold authority in Li Xian's steps parted the crowd as she led her team deeper into the sect's core halls.
Inside the great pavilion, banners of the Thief Clan's proud black dragon insignia swayed. At the far end of the hall, a man in flowing dark-green robes sat with his eyes closed. His hair was streaked silver, his presence calm yet sharp enough to cut stone. Shen Mu. Elder of the Outer Sect, master of Li Xian.
Li Xian bowed deeply, the others following her lead. "Master. The task you entrusted to me has been completed."
Shen Mu opened his eyes, their sharpness piercing through the hall. "So soon?"
Li Xian stepped forward, producing the ornate box that contained the relic. She presented it with both hands. "We acquired the relic as instructed."
Shen Mu accepted it, his fingers brushing across the ancient seals. A faint glimmer of satisfaction crossed his face, though his expression quickly cooled. "I sense disturbance in your aura. This mission was not without conflict."
Li Xian's eyes flickered. "They encountered mercenary martial artists hired to guard the merchant. Additionally, Zhang Wei and his men appeared midway and… created complications."
At the mention of Zhang Wei, Shen Mu's brows furrowed. "That boy? Trouble follows him like a shadow."
Chen Yuan lowered his head, speaking carefully. "Elder Shen Mu… Zhang Wei turned his blade on us. He sought to win the merchant's favor by striking us down."
Bao Fu scowled, unable to hold back. "The bastard nearly gutted Chen Yuan! If not for Senior Brother Lu Mao's intervention, he'd have cut us all apart."
Shen Mu's gaze settled on Lu Mao, lingering. "And yet you all stand here alive."
Lu Mao clasped his fists, bowing respectfully. "Zhang Wei underestimated us. I could not restrain the force of my Wind Fist, and he was struck down. His men fled, leaving him unconscious in the clearing."
Shen Mu's eyes narrowed. "Unconscious… not dead?"
Lu Mao nodded. "He still breathed when we withdrew. But his state was not light."
Silence hung in the air. Shen Mu tapped the box containing the relic. "This mission is completed. You did well. But killing fellow disciples, even in self-defense, will breed storms you may not be ready to face. Be cautious. You tread a narrow path."
Li Xian bowed. "Yes, Master."
Shen Mu gestured. "Go. Rest. You will receive contribution points for your deed. I shall deliver the relic to the higher halls. Leave its fate to me."
With a final bow, Li Xian ushered her disciples out, though her mind remained heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Far from the sect, in a torch-lit cavern beneath the jungle, the merchant chuckled as he sipped his wine. Zhang Wei lay bound in chains, his mouth gagged, blood staining his robes. His eyes blazed with fury, but the ropes woven with spiritual threads left him helpless. The mercenary captain leaned against the wall, expression cold. "This boy caused quite a mess. Still… his background might fetch a fine price."
The merchant's fat belly shook with laughter. "Indeed. A disciple of the Thief Clan, abandoned by his own men. Once his clan learns he is missing, their desperation will only grow. A bargaining chip worth more than gold."
Zhang Wei roared behind the gag, his hatred boiling. His humiliation burned deeper than the pain in his wounds.
Back at the Inner City, a storm erupted. Zhang Tie, Elder of the Thief Clan, slammed his fist into the jade table, splintering it in two. His sharp eyes burned like a hawk's as disciples cowered around him. "My nephew has vanished on a simple mission, and no word returns! And you dare stand before me with excuses?" His voice thundered.
A trembling inner disciple bowed. "Elder, we… we have confirmed his team returned. But Zhang Wei himself was not among them."
Zhang Tie's aura surged, spiritual energy rattling the chamber. "Those ants… those lowly outer disciples. They dare harm my blood? I will crush them into dust!" He turned, cloak sweeping the floor. "Send word. Mobilize my faction within the Inner Sect. Find Zhang Wei's whereabouts. Whoever stands in our way… I'll rip them apart."
The disciples bowed deeply, scurrying to obey.
Meanwhile, within the outer sect, Li Xian's team gathered once more in the pavilion of records. An elder disciple tallied their mission merits with cold precision. "Successful recovery of relic. Severe resistance encountered. Survival against hostile disciples and mercenaries. Reward: 800 contribution points, divided equally."
The disciples gasped around them. 800 points for one mission was staggering. It was the kind of reward usually reserved for Inner Sect work. Yan Mei's calm face barely shifted, though her eyes glimmered faintly. Chen Yuan's hands shook as he accepted his token, watching the glowing numbers appear. Bao Fu grinned from ear to ear, clutching his reward like a starving man receiving bread.
Whispers spread instantly.
"They actually brought back the relic?"
"Li Xian's group is terrifying… they even survived Zhang Wei?"
"Lu Mao… that name will spread soon."
Faces turned toward them with envy, awe, and hidden malice.
That night, while the sect grounds quieted, Lu Mao sat cross-legged in his quarters. The moonlight streamed through the window, silver threads painting his features. He calmed his breath, sinking deep into meditation. Qi cycled through his meridians, gathering at the golden-black vein at the center of his inner world. With each rotation, the vein thrummed louder, faster, like the beating of a war drum.
His body trembled as the barrier within shattered. A surge of Qi flooded outward, filling every pore, every muscle, until his veins burned with light. Spirit Accession Realm – Spirit Apprentice.
His eyes snapped open. A ripple of energy cracked the stone floor beneath him before fading. He clenched his fists, marveling at the density of his Qi. A cold smile tugged at his lips. With this strength… I could crush three Zhang Wei at once.
The next day, disciples whispered as Lu Mao's team passed. Some gazes held admiration, others envy. But in the distance, figures in Inner Sect robes watched with narrowed eyes. One of them, a tall youth with golden eyes, smirked faintly. "So this is the boy who humiliated Zhang Wei?"
Another scoffed. "Outer sect trash should know their place. If he climbs too high, we'll be forced to remind him of the gap." Their laughter faded into the shadows, but the promise of conflict lingered in the air.
That night, Li Xian stood alone beneath the lanterns of the training yard. The image of Lu Mao's Wind Fist, the unnatural sharpness of his perception, replayed in her mind. He wasn't ordinary. Techniques that should take years of polishing came naturally to him, as if he were reconstructing them from instinct rather than practice.
Her eyes narrowed. Should she report everything to Master Shen Mu? Or keep this secret locked away, nurturing it in silence? After a long pause, she whispered into the night. "For now… I'll protect him. But if he grows too quickly, others will not."