The long stairway to the Sect's Judgment Hall stretched before Kai, stone steps worn smooth by centuries of disciples dragged to their fates. Each step echoed with whispers carried on the wind—his name spoken in awe, in fear, in malice.
"Kai… the one who killed Han Yueming…"
"They say he fought five at once and lived. Impossible."
"Dead man walking. Iron Vein Hall will break him."
The crowd grew denser the higher he climbed. Outer disciples had abandoned their training to gather along the steps and courtyard, eyes glittering with morbid curiosity. Some spat as he passed, others shrank back, but none dared to block his path.
Kai's gait was steady, though his ribs still burned and his muscles screamed. His mind, sharpened by days of relentless training, cut through the noise like a blade. Each whisper, each sneer, each glance of awe fueled the storm inside him.
Fear, respect, suspicion… let them stack as they will. In the end, only strength decides truth.
The System stirred.
---
[Reputation Update]
Fear: +12
Respect: +9
Suspicion: +15
Hostility: Iron Vein Hall → Declared Vendetta (Heightened)
---
At the top of the stairway, the grand gates of the Judgment Hall loomed—two colossal slabs of dark wood inlaid with golden dragons, their eyes seeming to flicker with life.
Disciples in silver-edged robes stood at attention. When Kai approached, one barked: "By order of the elders, Kai, outer disciple of the Seventh Courtyard, you stand accused of reckless slaughter of a fellow disciple. Enter and face judgment."
The doors groaned open.
Inside, the hall was vast, lined with towering pillars carved into coiling beasts. At the far end, elevated upon a dais, sat the council of elders—nine figures cloaked in authority, their auras heavy enough to smother air.
The central seat was occupied by Elder Huang, a gaunt man with sunken eyes and long silver hair. His gaze was cold, sharp as a blade honed on countless verdicts.
On his left sat Elder Rong of Iron Vein Hall, his robes embroidered with veins of crimson, his face twisted with fury. On his right, Elder Xuan of Cloud Serpent Peak, lips curved faintly in amusement. Others watched with unreadable expressions.
Below the dais, the hall was packed with disciples, inner and outer alike. A sea of eyes pinned Kai as he walked forward.
The storm had arrived.
---
"Bring forth the accused," Elder Huang intoned, voice like stone grinding against stone.
Kai stepped into the circle marked at the hall's center. His shadow stretched long across the marble floor.
Elder Rong rose to his feet, slamming his palm against the arm of his seat. His voice boomed: "This wretch dares slaughter a favored disciple of my Iron Vein Hall! Han Yueming was not only a promising genius, but also one who bore the hopes of his faction. And this—this gutter rat—dared to spill his blood!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Gutter rat?" one whispered.
"He'll be crippled for sure."
Kai's jaw clenched, but his eyes remained steady, fixed upon Elder Rong. He neither bowed nor flinched.
Elder Huang lifted a hand. "Elder Rong, control your temper. The matter will be judged by this council."
Elder Rong sneered but sat, his glare never leaving Kai.
Elder Huang's eyes shifted to Kai. "You are accused of murdering fellow disciples. Speak. Do you deny?"
The hall held its breath.
Kai's voice rang out, steady, sharp. "I deny nothing. Han Yueming and his lackeys ambushed me. They sought my life. I fought, and I lived. He died."
A ripple of shock passed through the hall.
"He admits it openly…"
"Reckless…"
"Bold."
Elder Rong surged again to his feet. "Audacity! He admits his crime and yet shows no remorse. Elders, this is a cancer within our sect. If left unchecked, he will fester into a plague. Strip him of his cultivation and cast him out!"
Shouts of agreement rose from Iron Vein disciples clustered in the crowd.
But not all voices joined. A few inner disciples exchanged glances, whispers of grudging respect passing between them.
Elder Xuan of Cloud Serpent Peak chuckled softly, voice carrying across the hall. "Strip him of his cultivation? For defending his life? Since when did self-preservation become a crime, Elder Rong? Or is Iron Vein Hall's honor so fragile that the death of one disciple shakes its foundation?"
The crowd buzzed.
"You—!" Elder Rong snarled, but Elder Huang cut him off with a single word: "Silence."
The hall quieted. Elder Huang's gaze bored into Kai, as though seeking to peel away his skin and see the truth beneath.
"You claim self-defense," Elder Huang said slowly. "Yet the result was death. Why not restrain? Why kill?"
Kai's chest rose and fell. For a heartbeat, silence pressed upon him. Then he spoke, each word honed to steel.
"Because hesitation in battle is death. If I had held back, I would be the one in the ground. Yueming struck with killing intent—I answered with my own. That is the truth of combat."
Murmurs spread. Some scoffed, others nodded reluctantly.
The System chimed:
---
[Reputation Update]
Fear: +15
Respect: +11
Suspicion: +10
---
Elder Rong slammed the table. "Lies! Han Yueming was destined for greatness, yet you cut him down. This beast should not be allowed to live!"
From the shadows at the hall's edge, a faint ripple of aura brushed Kai's senses. Subtle, but there—a whisper of suppressed spiritual intent, like a hand nudging events unseen. His eyes flicked, but the source was veiled. The shadowy elder was here.
The System whispered coldly:
[Shadow Influence Detected: Trial Manipulation In Progress.]
Kai's eyes narrowed. So it wasn't just Iron Vein Hall. Someone else wants me crushed.
Elder Huang raised a hand, silencing the clamor. His expression was unreadable, though his eyes glimmered faintly. "The matter is clear. Kai acted in defense, yet the severity of outcome cannot be ignored. To kill a fellow disciple is grave. The sect must respond."
The hall grew still.
Punishment hung in the air, ready to descend.
"Therefore," Elder Huang declared, "Kai will not be crippled… but neither will he go unpunished. His survival has stirred chaos, and chaos must be tempered by fire. He will be sent to the Blood Abyss Gorge to undergo the Trial of Red Cliffs. If he survives, his merit will outweigh his crime. If he dies… then justice has been served."
The hall erupted.
"The Blood Abyss Gorge?!"
"That's a death sentence!"
"Not even inner disciples return from that trial."
Kai's heart thudded once. Blood Abyss Gorge—the name alone carried dread. A place of beasts, poison, and endless peril. Few entered, fewer returned.
But his face remained calm.
So that is the storm's form… not a cage, but a crucible. Very well. If fire is the path, I will burn until only steel remains.
The System chimed, almost like a heartbeat:
---
[New Quest Assigned: Trial of Red Cliffs]
Objective: Survive the Blood Abyss Gorge for 10 days.
Reward: ???
Failure: Death.
---
Elder Rong smirked, satisfied. "He will not last a day."
Elder Xuan chuckled, eyes glinting. "Perhaps. Or perhaps we will see a cub turn tiger."
The disciples roared, voices crashing like thunder. Some jeered, some whispered prayers, some watched with wide-eyed hunger for spectacle.
Kai stood unmoving at the center of it all, his figure small before the towering elders, yet unbowed. His eyes burned with silent defiance.
The storm of punishment had broken, and he stood at its heart.
---
Far above, in the rafters where shadows pooled, a pair of eyes gleamed faintly. A hidden elder watched, lips curling in the darkness.
"So," the voice whispered, unheard by all. "The cub bares fangs again. Let us see if the abyss devours him… or if he claws his way free."