Thanks to the commotion they were a part of, word of Reinhart, Kate, and Shui's return reached Storm Sky Manor before the three had actually arrived. The results of a surface-level background check on Shui had already made their way around the elders, so they weren't very surprised to hear that he was with the other two, but this wasn't the case for most disciples. Shui didn't fall behind them in terms of talent or appearance; however, hearing the three of them together was news that seemed to come out of nowhere since Shui had only entered the core section on a single occasion while Kate was in seclusion and Reinhart was away from the manor at the time.
Similar to the people in the city, many disciples gathered near the entrance of the manor, awaiting the trio's arrival. The only difference between them and the city people was that they shared the same uniform, albeit with some variations due to status. Fatty and Serina were also among the crowd, but they weren't able to make their way to the front because of how big the crowd was. There were likely more disciples than during monthly gatherings, so Fatty was starting to think that their reunion with Shui would have to wait a little longer. However, there were some who treated the crowd as nothing but a nuisance.
Three core disciples appeared on the scene, with one of them bringing along five maids who were also female inner section disciples. Without a need for them to make the command, the disciples crowding the entrance obediently stepped aside. They would behave similarly for any core disciple, but these three were especially important as they were also direct disciples of powerful elders in the Sky Realm.
Among them was Flower Queen Cassandra of the Hailing family, who was seen as close with Kate. There was also Berserk Lightning, Luke of the Rai clan, a tall and muscular man who was the closest friend Reinhart had in the manor. However, the remaining core disciple was someone no one expected to be on good terms with either Kate or Reinhart, Tark of the Pitter clan. Although they had no direct conflict, he was part of the faction that Kate had made enemies with. If it were the leader of his faction, the lower-ranking disciples would have wondered if a battle was imminent, but Tark was confirmed to be weaker than Cassandra, Luke, and Reinhart, so they didn't believe he could stir up much trouble.
Cassandra and Luke were also curious about why Tark appeared, so they shared a glance, and Cassandra gave Luke the initiative to probe.
"Oi, Tark. I didn't think you would be so eager to see little Kate and my brother Reinhart return."
"I can understand why you would think that, but even if we may compete at times, we're all disciples of the manor. Isn't it natural that I would be glad to see our members returning safely from a journey outside?"
Tark was well-built with a slender build, but his narrowed eyes and thin smile gave him the look of a fox, and his attitude certainly matched that description. As a man who valued honesty and valour, Luke didn't get along well with Tark, who seemed to seep his every word with hidden intentions, but he wouldn't lose his temper easily.
"Yes, I agree. I assume that guy believes the same as well."
"Naturally. The young lord was too busy with official matters to be present, but he gave me a sincere message to pass on to the two."
While they took each word with a grain of salt, both Cassandra and Luke believed that Tark was telling the truth about having a message from the one he called 'young lord'. Although the one who held the position of manor lord usually came from the same set of clans, according to manor law, any member of the core section was allowed to compete for the seat. The young lord mentioned by Tark was the direct disciple of the current manor lord and held the top position on the Storm Ranking, which listed the core disciples in order of strength and accomplishments. He had the highest prospects, but no one had officially been proclaimed the manor lord's successor.
As for how Kate managed to get into a conflict with such a figure before she had even reached the Earth Realm, that was something only those of the core section were aware of. Others had made speculations that were very close to the truth, but they were never acknowledged.
"Ho, a sincere message from the Eldest Brother. I must say you've caught my interest," Cassandra commented.
"In that case, I'm sure you'll be satisfied once I relay it to the concerned party."
Even though he wasn't forceful in his speech, Cassandra and Luke could tell that he wouldn't reveal the message before Kate and Reinhart arrived, so they didn't prod him any further.
While the citizens didn't follow the three, the commotion did, so once they got close to the manor's main entrance, the disciples waiting could hear a clamour drawing near. Kate had found it bothersome to walk while holding Shui's arm, but she ensured that their hands remained joined. Shui didn't put up much resistance, as he had already resigned himself to her whims. He was a bit interested as to why Cassandra and two other direct disciples were waiting for them, but this didn't seem related to him, so he planned on observing as a spectator.
When the direct disciples first noticed them, their gazes were first attracted to Kate and Reinhart, but as his hand was linked to Kate's, Shui wasn't able to escape their notice. She had an inkling about how deep their relationship was and the reason for Kate leaving the manor, so Cassandra wasn't surprised by them holding hands. Kate's new cultivation was far more alarming than that.
"My junior sister sure has done well. For her to break through and reach the second level of the Earth Realm in one go, it seems I'll have to work harder to rightfully call myself her senior sister."
"Indeed! I wonder if she would agree to spar with me."
Despite noticing Shui, Cassandra and Luke focused on praising Kate's cultivation, but Tark couldn't do the same.
"It is impressive, but I hope that she didn't neglect her foundation in favour of swift progress. It also seems our junior sister has gotten rather, close to an inner section disciple. Do either of you recognise him?"
Even if he was aware of Shui's identity, Luke likely would have stayed silent, but with a hint of amusement in her expression, Cassandra playfully answered.
"Oh, haven't you heard of the latest genius to enter the inner section? Apparently the elders have already granted him a seeded spot in the core disciple selection happening in a couple months."
If it was one of the arrogant core disciples, they might not pay attention to the goings-ons of the inner section, but Cassandra knew that Tark always kept himself informed of everything that occurred in the manor.
"So that's him. Shui, I believe. He shouldn't have had the chance to meet Kate since entering the manor."
"Yes, but the two are from the same clan, so I imagine they managed to reunite outside the city and decided to return together."
Luke shook his head as he thought of the trouble that Shui had gotten into, but he didn't try to stop Cassandra since it was inevitable from the moment he was spotted holding hands with Kate.
Shui sensed faint malice from Tark, but he ignored it as his group finally reached the manor.
"What's the matter? I'm surprised to see you all waiting here." Reinhart asked.
"We were just excited to welcome little Kate back after hearing about her breakthrough," said Luke as he approached Reinhart and patted his shoulder with a bright smile.
"That's right. I'm very proud to have you as my little sister."
Cassandra also approached Kate, but her smile didn't seem as sincere as Luke's in Shui's eyes. This didn't mean she had any negative feelings towards Kate, just that she had hidden motives for greeting her. Still, he was grateful to her, as to greet Cassandra, Kate finally released Shui's hand.
"Thank you, Sister Cassandra."
However, Shui's gratefulness soon vanished because after accepting Kate's greeting, Cassandra turned to him.
"You as well, Shui. It seems you've made much progress since the last time we met."
Even without him making any particular effort, it was hard to get an accurate reading on Shui's cultivation, but he wasn't surprised that she could see this much given her soul cultivation. Still, he wouldn't believe she called him out for no reason.