The return of the disciples to the Warring Crane Sect was a somber trip and the elders did not try to hide their displeasure. Martial tournaments were the most important factor when it came to sect strength. A sect that was unable to protect itself in battle was a sect that did not last long.
The elders noted Fair Xu’s accomplishments but they did not praise her. None of the disciples were able to raise their heads. Even if they won their division, Wang Zi lost the most important battle. Everyone knew the elders would punish all disciples, which caused some to resent Young Master Wang in their hearts.
Most began blaming his constant courting of Fairy Xu as the reason why he lost. He wasted valuable cultivation and training time over someone he was certain to be engaged to anyways. His talent was greater than theirs was, but that made it even more unacceptable.
Everyone worshipped his strength in the sect, the elders called him a once in a lifetime genius, so they wondered what did that make Yang Xi? If he was a once in a lifetime genius and lost then it could only mean that he was not working hard enough. No matter how talented someone was, talent could not carry them alone.
Everyone had mixed feelings on Fairy Xu. It was true that Young Master Wang was courting her but he would have listened to her words if she told him to focus on his training. She could have also reassured him that she would become his cultivation partner so he did not feel the need to spend so much time on her.
He was the future leader and although everyone acknowledged her talent in alchemy, in the end she would become his partner. As his partner it was expected of her to support him. Everyone knew that if a pillar was rooted in sand then no matter how strong it was it would still fall over.
They all believed it was her duty to be his bedrock and take care of the small things, allowing him to stand firm and tower above everyone else. That was the best way to ensure the survival of the sect.
In the end most decided it was still Young Master Wang’s fault but some amount of responsibility lay with her. Everyone feared punishment by the elders or sect master. They would not blame her completely; however, nobody was willing to stand up for her either.
***
Arriving in the grand hall of the sect after a competition was normally a celebratory occasion. However, it was so quiet even a hoarse breath spread across the room. The sect master sat on the stage with the elders behind him, each with a gloomy face.
The looks she was receiving were no longer looks of admiration; instead, she felt their glares as if they were knives stabbing into her. She would be stupid if she did not understand what was happening. They were blaming her for Wang Zi’s failure.
Fairy Xu sneered in the elder’s direction at their display. In her mind, they were nothing more than old men bullying the younger generation. Nobody would herald their names over the passage of time, so she did not understand why they thought so highly of themselves and passed judgment on others.
At most, their names recorded as an elder of the sect, whose power extended for 1,000 Li in all directions was the only proof they lived. It sounded amazing to the disciples but she knew that meant very little in this endless world. Past that 1,000 Li, the sun rose and set on a countless number of sects and clans.
The sect library held ancient tomes and she had studied many of them. Records of battles that sheered the mountain tops flat and great beasts that could turn the sky from day to night. She thought they exaggerated but she knew every legend had some amount of truth to it.
None of the old men in the sect had that kind of power; they held nowhere close to that amount of power. The landmarks in the tomes did not match anything she had ever seen either in all the trips she made between cities and sects. Of course, she understood the world was larger than just this sect was, but the tomes made it clear that it was much larger and there did not appear to be an upper limit to strength.
Looking at the posturing of the elders only made her heart turn colder. From what she could tell, they enjoyed bullying the weak. However, she wondered, what would happen if one of the immortals from the ancient tomes came here?
Would they still posture the same way? She did not think so. She thought they would bow their heads and lick the ground the immortals walked on in hopes of tasting crumbs that fell off their robes. Thinking about them only angered her further so she calmed herself of those thoughts and came back to her current situation.
She did not care if they punished Wang Zi, however, she won her competition handily and their sect won every other division. Wang Zi should be the only one punished. She also did not believe there was a reason to punish him truthfully. She wondered if any of the sect elders or the leader could say with a straight face that they never lost a fight.
She thought the martial competitions were foolish anyways. She would easily win the martial contest but there were specific rules that they had to follow. Her cultivation was high but she was not a weapons expert of any kind. However, she wondered how well her opponents would do against the vast assortment of exploding qi and poison pills she carried.
Competitions were not real fights. These were not life and death battles and meant very little when the guidelines no longer applied. These battles were for bragging rights and inflating egos. The Sun Sect won this round, if they felt confident then let them attack the Warring Crane Sect. Moreover, if Wang Zi was so weak that after one setback he was unable to move forward then he deserved to live in the Sun Sect’s shadow.
After the elders who accompanied them whispered a few words to the sect master, he spent only a few moments before deciding their punishments. “All of you have won your divisions except Wang Zi; because of this he will receive the harshest of punishments. However, each of the martial cultivators will hand over their rewards to the sect and will be forced to sit facing the reflection wall for 10 days.”
She had heard of the reflection wall. It solidified a cultivator’s heart by dragging their consciousness inside of their worst fears. It was common for cultivators to fall into despair and lose their sanity. A severe and unwarranted punishment for the victors but none of them dared complain.
On top of that, the sect elders were taking the rewards the disciples earned and keeping them for themselves. For what purpose she did not understand. These rewards were mostly useful to Foundation and Core formation cultivators. This was a petty punishment meant to break their pride. In her opinion this would have a negative effect, after all, who would work hard for a sect that took you rewards?
“Xu Wei, although you have won the alchemy contest it is of the opinion of many of the elders that you are a major factor in why Wang Zi failed. His unsteady heart led to a lack of concentration and poor performance. I have always remained neutral but I have agreed to the Elders requests.”
“As the future leader of our sect Wang Zi cannot remain with an unwavering heart. You will be engaged to him from today forward and in three month’s you will be wed. Your punishment is the handing over of your rewards to the sect and the tripling of your monthly quota for pill productions. Wang Zi’s punishment will be determined with the elders and will not be announced publicly.”
Looking over towards Wang Zi she noticed a slight smile crept up on his face. It was clear the sect was once again favoring him and if anything, he appeared to benefit from this ordeal. After the elders dismissed the disciples, the martial winners left to the reflection wall and Fairy Xu handed over the formula and technique to the branch leader of the alchemy department.
She was shamed, taking advantage of, and blamed for Wang Zi’s failures in front of the entire sect even though she won. Even worst a group of mediocre men believed they could decide her fate. After entering her cave, she gathered all of her important documents and travel equipment. The sect made their decision and she made hers. She would be leaving tonight and never returning.
