Daoxuan remained silent, his eyes thoughtful.
He remembered clearly....three years ago, Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan had stood in this very hall, two orphaned boys taken in out of pity.
Back then, all the elders saw Jingyu as the talented one.
He was smart, quick to learn, and full of potential.
Zhang Xiaofan, on the other hand, had been quiet and unremarkable.
Almost every master had tried to take Lin Jingyu as a disciple.
Only Shuiyue, who only accepted female students, had remained silent.
But now…
Three years later, Zhang Xiaofan had defeated Lin Jingyu, who had already reached the fifth level of Jade Purity.
Even more shocking, he had injured Qi Hao, who was already at the eighth level.
Though it had been a sneak attack, it meant Zhang Xiaofan had to be at least seventh level...in just three years!
That was unheard of.
He wasn't just talented. He was extraordinary.
Ruthless. Determined. Exactly the kind of person Qingyun Sect needed.
If Daoxuan had known this earlier, he might have accepted Zhang Xiaofan as his own last disciple....and groomed him as the next head of the sect.
Still deep in thought, Daoxuan's gaze finally shifted to Lin Jingyu.
"Jingyu, is what Cangsong said true?" he asked calmly.
Cangsong suddenly frowned, sensing something wasn't right.
He knew that Jingyu and Xiaofan had a deep bond. To prevent trouble, he lightly patted Jingyu's shoulder and urged,
"Tell the truth."
"Yes, Master." Lin Jingyu bowed and then looked up, speaking clearly,
"What Senior Brother Qi Hao said is only half true. There's been a misunderstanding."
Cangsong: "..."
Qi Hao: "???"
Lin Jingyu continued firmly,
"Zhang Xiaofan and I grew up together. He's always been kind and never the type to attack anyone without reason."
"Earlier, when Senior Brother Qi Hao rushed toward Tian Ling'er, Xiaofan thought she was in danger.
Out of panic, he attacked to protect her. He never meant to seriously injure Senior Brother Qi Hao."
He then knelt to the ground and said sincerely,
"If Xiaofan must be punished, then please punish me instead.
I'm willing to take full responsibility."
Cangsong was stunned speechless. His expression turned angry as he shouted,
"You ungrateful brat! Have you forgotten who taught you everything you know? Are you so blinded by emotion that you'd betray your own master for someone like him?!"
After scolding Lin Jingyu, Cangsong turned back to face Daoist Master Daoxuan and bowed deeply.
"Senior Brother," he said respectfully, "Even if what Jingyu said is true.....that Zhang Xiaofan injured Qi Hao in order to protect Senior Sister Tian Ling'er....it doesn't change the fact that he seriously hurt a fellow disciple.
That alone warrants punishment. I ask you, as the sect leader, to make a fair ruling."
But Daoxuan didn't respond right away.
His expression remained calm and unreadable. He stared at Cangsong and said slowly:
"Cangsong, matters between the younger generation should be resolved by themselves. As elders, we shouldn't interfere too quickly."
He paused, his voice sharpening slightly.
"Besides, it's perfectly normal for disciples to injure one another in sparring.
Why are you, a respected elder, demanding punishment for something so common?"
Then Daoxuan's tone grew serious.
"Cangsong, while your cultivation has advanced greatly over the years… I fear your sense of fairness has regressed."
Cangsong's fists clenched at his sides.
He was furious, but he kept his face neutral. Inside, however, his heart boiled with rage.
Daoxuan!
He remembered clearly....three hundred years ago, Daoxuan had turned his back on his own senior brother, Wan Jianyi, and allowed the elders to sentence him.
Now, he's protecting this Zhang Xiaofan just because he's a prodigy?
Hmph! One day, I'll see to it that you pay the price!
Of course, Cangsong was too cunning to say such things aloud.
He knew he was no match for Daoxuan, whose cultivation had reached the ninth level of the Upper Purity Realm....far beyond his own.
So instead, he bowed again and said politely, "Yes, Sect Leader. I understand."
Daoxuan gave him a sharp look, then said firmly,
"Whether it's Lin Jingyu, Qi Hao, or Zhang Xiaofan....they are all disciples of Qingyun Sect.
There should be no favoritism. Whoever shows the most promise should be nurtured, not suppressed."
Cangsong stayed silent, clearly unwilling to accept these words.
When it was clear he wouldn't get his way, he bowed one last time.
"Sect Leader, I'll take my leave."
"Go," Daoxuan said, his eyes lingering thoughtfully on Lin Jingyu.
There had always been something about Jingyu that made Daoxuan uncomfortable.
His presence reminded him too much of someone from the past.
Perhaps that was why, despite Jingyu's incredible talent, Daoxuan had refused to take him as a disciple.
As Cangsong and the two youths walked out of the hall, Daoxuan stood silently for a long time, deep in thought.
Finally, he turned and left the main hall, making his way toward the Ancestral Temple.
.....
The Ancestral Temple
Inside the ancient, quiet temple, an old man was slowly sweeping the floor.
His robes were simple, and one of his sleeves hung loose.....he had only one arm.
"Tap... tap..."
Footsteps echoed outside.
The old man didn't look up. He continued sweeping, his voice hoarse and quiet.
"You haven't come here in a hundred years. Why now?"
Daoxuan stepped through the doorway and gazed at the old man.
Though he had once been a proud, powerful figure, Wan Jianyi now looked frail and aged beyond his years. Time had not been kind.
"You've grown old," Daoxuan said quietly.
Wan Jianyi chuckled without turning around.
"Everyone gets old. No one in history has ever escaped aging....or death."
Daoxuan sighed. "Yes. No one has achieved true immortality."
For a moment, the weight of centuries seemed to hang in the air between them.
Daoxuan finally spoke again, his voice steady.