Chapter 8: A Bunch of People Protecting a Worthless Nobody!

The Ten Sects Assembly, held once every five years, took place in Lorton. Cultivator clans and sects from within three thousand li all rushed in. The streets overflowed with people, loud with excitement. At the very top tier of the venue, a Python-Robed Young Man sat in a place of honor with a Purple-Robed Crone beside him. Off to one side, City Lord Shadboult stood with six stunning maids in attendance. That Python-Robed Young Man had come from the Vast Royal City. He refused to reveal his true identity, but City Lord Shadboult could tell he was no ordinary figure. The man carried a Vast Marquis Token. Anyone who held a Vast Marquis Token was, without exception, nobility of the Vast Dynasty. Lorton was one of the eighteen cities under the Vast Dynasty's rule. City Lord Shadboult did not dare offend him. Yet the Python-Robed Young Man's attention never lingered on the city lord. His eyes stayed on the six maids, and he teased them whenever the mood struck. "City Lord Shadboult," he asked, pulling one maid into his arms, "is there a side hall in the back?" "There is a side hall for resting," City Lord Shadboult replied at once, understanding perfectly. "Good. I'll go rest for a bit. I'll come out when I've had enough." Before the city lord could say another word, the Python-Robed Young Man carried the maid into the side hall. The Purple-Robed Crone glanced after him, her face unreadable. A flicker of disgust crossed her eyes, but she said nothing. Then she turned to the city lord. "City Lord Shadboult, if I recall correctly, we met once seventeen years ago." "Oh?" City Lord Shadboult looked genuinely surprised. "You've met me before?" "Back then, this Old Hag served in the Vast Ministry of Justice," the Purple-Robed Crone said. "I went to Cloud City to investigate the destruction of the Blood Fiend Sect. You were the one who received us. You were still serving as Cloud City's chief steward at the time." Realization struck City Lord Shadboult. He hurried to apologize. "So it was you. I failed to recognize you earlier. Please forgive me." "Seventeen years is a long time," the Purple-Robed Crone said with a thin smile. "People change. It's only natural you wouldn't recognize me." City Lord Shadboult hesitated, then asked, "If you were with the Vast Ministry of Justice back then, how did you end up as this young master's Path Guardian…?" Those from the Vast Ministry of Justice had once been handpicked as the Peer Prince's men. Even if one's fortunes soured, after seventeen years they should have at least secured a minor post. Path Guardian sounded respectable, but in truth, it was thankless work. "I made mistakes," the Purple-Robed Crone said with a sigh. "I was punished for them." "I see." City Lord Shadboult quickly changed the subject. "Then about the Blood Fiend Sect's destruction in Cloud City… was there ever a conclusion?" "No." The Purple-Robed Crone shook her head. "It became a cold case. There's been no progress to this day." "Not even a little?" City Lord Shadboult studied her. "It wasn't that we found nothing," she said quietly. "We uncovered some leads, but the higher-ups didn't believe them. They sealed the case files and forbade us from continuing." "Why wouldn't they believe it?" City Lord Shadboult asked, startled. The Purple-Robed Crone lowered her voice. "Because the Blood Fiend Sect was most likely wiped out by a mysterious expert with a single palm strike…" She cut herself off the moment the words left her mouth. "A single… palm strike?" City Lord Shadboult's face stiffened with shock. He had gone to see the ruins back then, but the Blood Fiend Sect had already been reduced to chaos, the surrounding terrain torn apart as if by a violent storm. He had assumed a group of mysterious attackers had done it, or perhaps it had been a sect war. He had never considered that it could have been one person. And not just one person. One palm. How vast was the Blood Fiend Sect? Its sect grounds spanned a hundred li. That meant the force of that palm strike had covered a hundred li of land… What kind of cultivator could project power across a hundred li? If such a monster truly existed, destroying the Blood Fiend Sect would have been nothing. Even erasing the entire Vast Dynasty would have taken only moments. No wonder the Vast Ministry of Justice had sealed the files. If he had been the minister in charge, he would not have believed it either. The Purple-Robed Crone caught the doubt in his expression and let the matter die. City Lord Shadboult did not believe her. But she did. She had gone to the Blood Fiend Sect in person and investigated there for six full years. She and her subordinates had painstakingly reconstructed the scene piece by piece, until that conclusion became unavoidable. Just then, the Python-Robed Young Man strolled back out, looking thoroughly satisfied. Even so, his gaze kept roaming, hunting through the arriving sects for female disciples. A group of young disciples in uniform silver robes, each bearing a Crescent Moon Mark, entered under the guidance of three elderly men. They drew attention immediately. "Silver Moon Sect is here." "This year's disciples are stronger than last time. I heard three of them are in the Lorton Earth Ranking's top ten." Disciples from every sect watched the Silver Moon Sect closely. Anyone with hopes of placing high treated them as the fiercest competition. Then another group arrived: young men and women in crimson robes, dressed with unmistakable refinement, their expressions proud and haughty. The moment they appeared, every eye turned. They were disciples of the Beast Taming Sect. The Beast Taming Sect had taken first place for five consecutive assemblies. "This year's lineup is terrifying," someone murmured. "They have Borden Munger, who's ranked first on the Lorton Earth Ranking, and they've got third and fourth as well." "More than that," another added. "The Lorton Earth Ranking changed yesterday. Beast Taming Sect gained someone at tenth." "Tenth? Who?" "Who else?" came the reply. "Luna Lyson, the one Venerable Beastmaster just accepted as his final disciple." "The Young Master of the Profound Heaven Sect Cloud Quinny's fiancée?" "She's already tenth on the Lorton Earth Ranking?" The crowd rippled with disbelief. Luna Lyson had been ranked thirty-eighth. In just a few days, she had climbed to tenth. The speed was outrageous. "Looks like leaving Profound Heaven Sect and joining Beast Taming Sect was the right choice. If she'd stayed in Profound Heaven Sect, how could she have reached this level?" "That's not fair," someone argued. "If Cloud Quinny hadn't looked after her these past two years and given her plenty of spiritual medicine, she might not have awakened Bloodline Power at all." "And without Bloodline Power, would Beast Taming Sect even spare her a glance?" "Beast Taming Sect sent her to the Ten Sects Assembly for a reason. They want to announce to every sect that disciples other sects can't raise, they can. Not only that, they can make them grow fast." "They're slapping Profound Heaven Sect in the face in public. She spent all those years there without making a name for herself, then the moment she joined Beast Taming Sect she jumped to tenth on the Lorton Earth Ranking." "They did it on purpose. And it's not the first time either. They've openly poached top disciples from other sects before." "And that Luna Lyson isn't exactly a good woman," someone said with a sneer. "After everything Cloud Quinny did for her, the moment her bloodline awakened she kicked him aside and ran straight into Beast Taming Sect's arms. No loyalty, no gratitude. Cold-blooded." Luna Lyson had been basking in the attention. The instant she heard those words, her smile vanished. "What did you just say?" she snapped, glaring at the speaker. "We didn't say anything." "Did we say something?" "No." Everyone denied it at once. "You clearly said it, and you still won't admit it…" Luna Lyson stepped forward, ready to settle the score, but Borden Munger caught her wrist. "Junior Lyson," he said calmly, "why waste words on trash? When the Ten Sects Assembly begins, when it's time for Flag Capture, if you run into them, cut them down with one sword." Biting back her fury, Luna Lyson nodded. "Senior Brother is right. For trash like that, killing them is enough." She followed the leading Elder and sat with Borden Munger and the others in the Beast Taming Sect's section, waiting for the remaining sects to arrive. Then an uproar rose from the southern entrance. Profound Heaven Sect entered. At the very front walked the Grand Elder. The Second Elder and Third Elder held the flanks, while Cloud Quinny stood in the center, with eight Elders behind him. Only at the very back came a large mass of Profound Heaven Sect disciples. "Profound Heaven Sect has sixteen Elders, and they brought eleven?" "The way they're arranged… it looks like a Defensive Formation." "Not 'looks like.' It is a Defensive Formation. They're protecting Cloud Quinny, the Young Master of the Profound Heaven Sect." "Sending eleven Elders to protect him? Isn't that a little ridiculous?" "You didn't see the last two assemblies," someone scoffed. "They sent all sixteen. I heard five Elders were injured this time and couldn't come, so they only brought eleven." "Was that really necessary?" another voice muttered. "A bunch of Elders protecting a worthless nobody."