The Elder Hall was quiet save for the scratching of a brush on parchment. Elder Ji sat at the head, serene as still water. To his left, the hawk-eyed elder leaned forward, voice edged with suspicion.
"Lin Xuan gathers disciples to himself. Already, they call it a circle. Dangerous for one so new."
A junior elder frowned. "They are weaklings, not a faction. He gives them training and guidance. That is hardly rebellion."
"Rebellion begins with whispers," the hawk-eyed elder snapped. "Meng Zhao's reports are consistent. The boy shelters them in his courtyard, teaches them secretly. He grows too quickly. And the sect does not tolerate those who grow faster than its leash allows."
The silver-haired elder tapped her staff softly, her eyes calm yet sharp. "Suspicion is not proof. Watch him. But do not clip wings too soon — or you may find you cut a falcon and leave only crows."
Elder Ji's gaze lingered in silence. Then he spoke, voice deep and final. "Observation will continue. If Lin Xuan's circle grows beyond measure… then we will decide."
Far from the hall, Meng Zhao reclined in his pavilion, the report delivered. His smile was thin, refined.
"The elders watch already. Soon, they will choke him for me."
His Core followers chuckled nervously, but Meng Zhao's eyes glittered. Lin Xuan, you need not be destroyed by my hand. The sect itself will grind you down. And when you stumble, I will be waiting.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan's courtyard held none of that heaviness. His small circle gathered beneath the old pine, training weapons in hand.
Wu Ming flailed with his staff, barely avoiding hitting the timid girl, who sidestepped gracefully. She hid a laugh behind her sleeve.
"Careful," she said. "You'll hurt yourself before the enemy."
Wu Ming puffed. "This is advanced technique — Flailing Monkey Staff! Unpredictable, undefeatable!"
The lanky boy deadpanned. "Uncoordinated."
Wu Ming groaned. "Why is everyone in this courtyard so cruel to me?"
Lin Xuan watched quietly, spear across his knees. His gaze softened for a moment. Even in this storm, there is laughter. Good. Let them grow without fear, at least here.
As the sun lowered, Lin Xuan corrected their forms one by one.
"You," he told the timid girl, shifting her grip, "strike with the heart, not just the wrist."
"You," to the lanky boy, "balance your stance. A blade falls if the body wavers."
"And you…" He glanced at Wu Ming, who grinned sheepishly. "…should stand far away when others swing weapons."
The group burst into laughter again. Even Lin Xuan's lips curved faintly.
[System Notice: Ally cultivation progress improved by 5%. Synchronization increasing.]
Lin Xuan stilled briefly at the new message. The System… grows even with them. It does not only record me, but those I guide. Seeds indeed.
That night, as his companions slept in the courtyard, Lin Xuan gazed at the stars.
The laughter lingered in the air. But beneath it, the whispers of the sect coiled tighter each day.
[Warning: Elders' suspicion rising. Visibility risk increasing.]
Lin Xuan closed his eyes. So they watch already. Let them. I will grow within their shadow until their own suspicion blinds them.