With very little warning, the elders had adopted battle stances. The other disciples had retreated far away while Kenja was still standing behind the Fourth Elder stunned.
"Senior sister."
Kenja turned his attention away from the impending war to see Aracha had approached him seemingly unaffected by the current situation.
"…Sister Aracha, it's good to see you again," he greeted with a smile.
Aracha was momentarily taken aback that Kenja had remembered her name.
Even though she was the Second Elder's assistant, the entire sect knew she was just a glorified tea girl.
She was not an elder's disciple.
She was not an inner sect disciple.
In fact, it was the First Elder who promoted her to the outer sect because she was an eyesore. A tea servant did not have the qualifications to accompany an elder for an extended period of time.
Because of her special status, she was often ignored by the inner sect and despised by the outer sect and servants.
Although her first interaction with Kenja several days ago was a pleasant one, Kenja had been a newcomer seeking information from her, unfamiliar with everything in the sect. She did not expect the same treatment once he had become more accustomed to the social intricacies of the sect, especially from such a high profile sister.
With a hopeful smile, she gestured to the side, "Second Elder invites senior sister to join him for a cup of tea."
Kenja saw a bald man sitting at a smaller table much further away than the previous table situated in front of his cave.
Without the water barrier distorting his vision, he could see the man was riddled with scars and burns all over his face. His large build seated next to the table with two cups and a teapot on its surface resembled an adult waiting patiently for a kid's tea party to begin.
"I understand. Just let me retrieve my sword first," he spoke in a soft voice, hoping his volume did not interfere with the three elders' standoff.
When he turned his head back to Sakura who had been abandoned on the ground during Elder Kondo's defensive retreat from the Sixth Elder's attack, Kenja was surprised by what he saw.
A green vine had wrapped itself around the blade and grew all the way to Kenja, placing Sakura gently into his hand before retreating into the Sixth Elder's sleeve.
"Don't forget your sword, little niece, che che che," he chuckled while pretending he had not heard Kenja whispering a moment ago. Earlier, he felt the Fourth Elder had pulled ahead of him, so he was eager for the opportunity to shine in front of this potential disciple.
Kenja bowed while holding Sakura horizontally with both hands. "Disciple has seen Sixth Elder. Many thanks to Sixth Elder."
The other two elders grumbled, the Fourth Elder because he did not react quickly enough to retrieve the sword, the Third Elder because his previous efforts had been undone.
"Little niece's grace and conduct is ex-che-eded only by her beauty." His sly smile, wily eyes and thin moustache gave the other two elders an impression of a weasel trying its best to appeal to a little girl as a lovable pet.
Kenja's face blackened from the compliment. His eyes squinted eerily, and his jaws clenched forming a near-indiscernible frown. His aura instantly became frosty.
The three elders were taken aback by this sudden change in aura around Kenja, especially the Sixth Elder who had no idea what he had said to cause this extreme transformation.
While resheathing Sakura, Kenja responded calmly, "Sixth Elder praises excessively. Disciple will now take her leave to report to Second Elder."
He bowed to the three elders and motioned for Aracha to lead the way.
She sensed a change in Kenja's temperament but could not grasp what it was or what had caused the change.
Since Kenja was still polite, even with his chilling departure, the three elders did not dwell too long on the matter.
If their many years had taught them anything concerning women, it was the futility in trying to understand them completely.
Thus, they returned their attention to one another.
…
"Hahahahaha, you're beautiful, disciple! Did ya hear that? Beautiful!! Hahahahahahaha…"
Snail's laughter continued echoing in Kenja's ear all the way to the Second Elder's table.
Kenja secretly plotted the many ways he could torture Snail once they were alone, but for now, he required Snail's assistance to maintain his disguise and female voice.
Sprinkle salt on him.
Or maybe bury him alive.
"I really must thank that weasel elder. If it weren't for him, I would never have known you could pull off the ice queen look, disciple. I almost thought you were someone else."
Bury him alive in a mountain of salt!
Cook him in boiling salt water!!
Aracha and Kenja reached the table where Second Elder Inazuma was seated.
Approaching the Second Elder, Kenja saw many more burns covering the elder's face and hands than he examined earlier, including a burn patch completely covering one of his eyes.
"Disciple Hirai Hikaru has seen Second Elder," Kenja greeted another elder for the fourth time today.
He did not expect to meet so many members of the sect's leadership in such a short time span.
From what he learned about the sect and cultivators in general, the higher one's status and cultivation, the more detached and distant they would be from the young and inexperienced disciples.
It seemed those stories were a bit exaggerated.
The Second Elder returned an amiable smile and waved him off, "Forget all that. Come, sit. Aracha, tea."
With little warning, the makeshift chair moved on its own and picked up Kenja before scooting him to the table.
Aracha walked to the table and poured tea into the two cups, placing them in front of Kenja and Elder Inazuma.
Kenja was a bit unsettled by the elder's abrupt treatment, but he did not ask any questions.
Staring at the cup of hot tea, the pleasant aroma from several days ago wafted across his nose. His recently strenuous cultivation experience worked together with the memory of the tea's heavenly taste to stir his appetite.
Watching the three elders face-off against one another in the distance, he picked up the cup and took a sip…
…except as the hot tea neared his lips, it vanished just out of reach.
Snail!!!