The middle-aged man also wore a pale-grey robe, but his sleeves were torn, exposing his muscular arms. Still, he had the same wooden tablet as Kyle and Erik near his shoulder, tied with black cloth.
Of course, Liam was unable to inspect those details. He could only look straight into the man's black eyes, unable to divert his gaze, even that part of him frozen under the pressure.
The man's square jaw tensed at the silence that met his question. His displeasure became evident for the audience to see, which reacted in tone.
"We greet the Disciplinary Elder!" Lucy, Erik, and everyone else watching the scene shouted, cupping their fists to perform bows.
The man's stern expression didn't relax, but his jaw did as he spoke again. "Disciple Erik, explain."
"Yes, Disciplinary Elder!" Erik announced, not daring to break his polite bow. "Sister Lucy brought an outsider to the Sect, who caused an altercation with Brother Kyle."
"Disciple Lucy?" The Elder called.
"Yes, Disciplinary Elder!" Lucy responded, also retaining her bow. "Liam, the outsider, climbed the Three Peaks looking to join the Sect, but Brother Kyle felt offended and challenged him."
Erik threw a glare at Lucy, but she feigned ignorance. Standing by fellow disciples was the norm, but Lucy sounded set on taking Liam's side.
"Well, Liam," The middle-aged man called, "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Some of the pressure on Liam waned, allowing some movement. He still felt unable to escape that hand casually placed on his shoulder, but his eyes and head weren't a problem.
Yet, instead of addressing the fearsome man, Liam glanced at Lucy.
"Should I talk now?" Liam asked.
Lucy felt like pulling her hair out. As heartwarming as Liam's trust in her was, she couldn't believe he would stick to such promises even in front of the terrifying Elder.
"Yes, talk!" Lucy urged between her teeth.
"I think Kyle didn't like that I didn't let him touch my hair," Liam explained, looking back at the Elder. "So, he challenged me and set his hands on fire, which was cool, but then he called me a coward, so I beat him up."
The Disciplinary Elder had every intention of putting forth a strong front. Aside from right or wrong, the Sect's reputation was at stake there. He couldn't just ignore outsiders who beat disciples carrying the Pale Moon Sect's name.
However, nothing could have prepared the Elder for that blunt, honest response. He could see that Liam acknowledged his superiority, but that didn't stop him from uttering such genuine words.
Normally, people would opt for pleasantries in those situations. Even if Liam was right, the situation made him wrong. That was the unfair reality of social constructs.
Yet, Liam had opted for something rarely seen in the cultivation world. He had said the truth, and in quite the blinding fashion.
"Disciple Erik, did Disciple Kyle use the Fiery Fists?" The Disciplinary Elder asked, intrigued by the situation. He was still heavily against Liam, but that honesty had earned him a chance.
"Disciple Kyle did," Erik confirmed, "But the outsider must possess movement-oriented martial arts. Disciple Kyle never succeeded in landing a hit."
"Do you think he is a spy from another Sect?" The Elder wondered.
"Disciplinary Elder, may I?" Lucy requested, surprising the very Elder since he diverted his gaze for the first time.
"Speak," The Elder ordered.
Lucy shuddered under that direct gaze, but lowered her head and steeled her resolve so that words could come out of her mouth. "Liam, the outsider, can't use his Qi. He doesn't even know what a circulation technique is. He knows nothing about the cultivation world."
"That's preposterous!" Erik shouted. "Are you implying that a random outsider beat Brother Kyle's Fiery Fists without using any Qi?"
"It might sound unrealistic, Disciplinary Elder," Lucy confirmed, "But Liam truly has no idea. I confirmed it myself."
"You-," Erik began to say, only for pressure to descend on him and interrupt his statement.
"Silence," The Disciplinary Elder ordered, focusing on Liam again. "So, outsider, how did you beat Disciple Kyle's Fiery Fists without using Qi?"
That would have been another opportunity to save Kyle and the Sect's reputation. Liam only had to come up with some excuse and humiliate himself.
Yet, those social constructs escaped Liam's mind.
"He was incredibly slow," Liam explained.
At once, everyone on the scene felt the urge to hide their faces behind their hands. There should be a limit to idiocy, but Liam refused to stick with it.
"Have you come here to insult the Pale Moon Sect?" The Disciplinary Elder questioned, the pressure he radiated intensifying. "Are we so little in your eyes that you feel no fear for your life?"
"It's not that I don't feel fear," Liam said, "But if you wanted to kill me, there would be nothing I could do."
That was the core of Liam's new mindset, which he applied to others, but also himself. Life was brittle, and he was no exception.
In Liam's mind, he had already done multiple unforgivable things. He felt he deserved punishment, and his power was the only thing keeping it at bay. Since he had met someone stronger than him and from whom he couldn't escape, that part of him was forsaken.
It wasn't a matter of right or wrong. It wasn't about fairness. It was simply how the world worked.
"And I don't understand why everyone is getting insulted," Liam added. "I came here to join a Sect and learn about cultivation. Can I?"
The Disciplinary Elder couldn't believe that Liam was still talking about joining the Sect despite how much the situation had degenerated. Yet, his first response had been quite praiseworthy, prompting the Elder to put that determination to the test.
"Very well," The Disciplinary Elder exclaimed, finally letting go of Liam's shoulder. "Then let me check your dantian to see if you are worthy."
The Elder didn't need to say it, but the audience understood his plan, and many peeked past their bows to check the scene. Only Lucy kept her head lowered, knowing that she would let something slip.
Still, Liam acted before everyone could even finish processing the Elder's words.
"The dantian is the warm thing here, right?" Liam asked, pointing at his lower waist. "Sure."
The Disciplinary Elder didn't say anything. His hand even reached for Liam's waist, albeit slowly. He wanted to see whether Liam would pull back or show any fear, but there was nothing but innocence in his expression.
"You truly don't know," The Disciplinary Elder muttered, retracting his hand before it could touch Liam's waist, his stern expression finally making some room for surprise.
"Don't know about what?" Liam wondered.
"The dantian is the most precious and private place for cultivators," The Disciplinary Elder explained. "You should never let anyone check it unless you absolutely trust them, and they might have ill intentions, too."
"Uncle, did you have bad intentions? Sir?" Liam questioned, not sure how he should address the Elder. "And shouldn't I trust you since I want to join your Sect?"
Liam also couldn't understand what the big deal was since his life was already in the man's hands. Still, his last round of honesty made the Elder abandon any pretense of hostility.
"Liam, I've decided to believe you," The Disciplinary Elder announced. "Come with me. Let's see if you are worthy of joining the Pale Moon Sect."