As the dust settled, the executioner elder stood firm, barely showing any sign of injury.
He muttered, "Fortunately, I had the armor given by the sect master, or I might be injured," before turning his furious gaze towards Hun Yu.
With anger blazing in his eyes, he drew a sword from his storage device.
In a blur too fast for the onlookers to follow, he rushed at Hun Yu, intending to kill him on the spot. Attempting to murder a disciple was a grave offense, and the humiliation only fueled his rage.
Hun Yu was bewildered, with no time to call for help from the system. Just as the executioner's sword was about to sever his head, a sword flew from the sky, piercing the ground next to him.
The elder halted and stepped back, shouting angrily, "Who dares to intervene in the judgment of this elder?"
"I dare," came a voice. Yun Xiu appeared in front of Hun Yu with a swift movement, her hand gripping the sword that had just saved him.
She had arrived quickly, sensing that the Qi she left inside Hun Yu had been triggered, indicating he was in a life-threatening situation.
The executioner elder's face paled at the sight of Yun Xiu. "Sect Master, I..." he stammered, at a loss for words.
The crowd, having heard the word "Sect Master," grew serious. What had been mere entertainment moments ago turned into a tense silence.
Just then, Su Yan rushed forward. "Sect Master, punish me. This all happened because of my negligence," she admitted. "If I had stopped him, none of this would have occurred."
Yun Xiu remained silent, not knowing the full story. She turned her gaze to the executioner elder. "Meet me in the hall and give an explanation," she commanded before vanishing with Hun Yu and Su Yan.
Once they were alone, Yun Xiu looked at Hun Yu and Su Yan. "What happened? Explain," she demanded.
Hun Yu, looking like a monk lost in thought, said nothing. Sensing his reluctance, Yun Xiu turned to Su Yan.
Feeling Yun Xiu's gaze, Su Yan started recounting the events. She explained how a random disciple had challenged Hun Yu and how the battle had ended. The disciple had admitted defeat but still wanted to kill him.
Then, the executioner elder appeared, attempting to cripple Hun Yu's cultivation, only to be blocked by a powerful green energy.
Yun Xiu, listening intently, turned her attention to Hun Yu. "Why did you try to kill him when he admitted defeat?" she asked.
Hun Yu, who had been silent, felt compelled to justify himself. "I... I didn't know what was happening at that time. I was so focused that all I knew was if I had to win, I had to kill," he said, guilt evident on his face.
Yun Xiu, taking in his explanation, She felt it might be because of his harsh past.
But still according to rules attempting to kill an opponent who has admitted defeat was wrong, there was more to consider. "Okay, I understand. You are not allowed to leave until I settle this."
"The elder's now has a reason to drive you out of the sect," she warned before disappearing, leaving only Hun Yu and Su Yan.
A hint of jealousy flickered on Su Yan's face. Why was the sect master treating Hun Yu so gently? He was neither strong nor handsome, as she recalled from their last meeting.
Yun Xiu, already in the hall, saw the extra people present: the 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd elders.
The sect had six elders in total, with the 1st elder, also called the Great Elder, being Su Yan's grandfather. The 6th elder, responsible for the treasure pavilion, rarely involved himself in sect affairs.
She slowly sat on her throne. "Begin," she commanded.
Though the executioner elder was not an official elder, he held significant power in the sect, responsible for maintaining order and overseeing disciples. He recounted exactly what Su Yan had told.
"Sect Master, justice should be served rightly; otherwise, it will be extremely unfair," he argued.
The other elders nodded in agreement. "That boy, who is not even a disciple of the sect, tried to kill a sect disciple. He should be severely punished," one elder insisted.
"Yes, Sect Master should deliver justice," another added.
Yun Xiu, sitting silently, felt a headache coming on. These old men saw an opportunity to act against Hun Yu and didn't miss it.
She could easily suppress the matter if it were only the executioner elder, but with these elders involved, it complicated things.
"I will personally punish him. You don't have to worry about the rules," she said, signaling them to leave.
"No, Sect Master. He should be punished in front of everyone to set an example," the 5th elder interjected, suspecting the sect master might not punish Hun Yu as harshly.
Yun Xiu, already irritated, shot the 5th elder a dangerous look. He gulped, feeling the weight of her gaze.
"I was just kidding; it's in the sect master's hands how to handle the matter," the 5th elder stammered before fleeing the scene.
Yun Xiu snorted and headed back home. Upon entering, she saw Hun Yu lying on a bed and Su Yan asleep on another. Hun Yu noticed her and quickly stood up.
"You've caused so much trouble in just one day," she said sternly. "Don't go out for the next one to two weeks until the matter cools down."
As she was about to head to her bed, Yun Xiu turned back. "And don't call me 'Miss Yun.' It doesn't sound right.
Just call me by my name Yun Yun. After all, you are my assistant; you should have this much privilege."she said there was a little hint of read on her face
Hun Yu was surprised but nodded in agreement.
Over the next week, Hun Yu did nothing but train with Su Yan. He looked at the 1500 energy points awarded by the system.
{Congratulations, Host, for defeating a cultivator ranked higher than you for the first time. Rewarded with 600 energy points.}
He remembered the notification. The rest were earned through minor tasks assigned by the system, like making food for Yun Xiu and, surprisingly, for Su Yan.
Yun Xiu studied Hun Yu with a serious expression. "You need a better weapon. You can't use this one for now," she said, glancing at his sword.
"Here, take this and go with Su Yan to the treasury pavilion to pick out a suitable weapon," she instructed, handing him a permit.
She wished she could accompany them, but she imagined the rumors that would spread if she did.
"News! News! The Sect Master of Sky Wind is in love! The proud sect master is personally escorting a man into the treasure pavilion," she thought with a sigh, deciding it was better to let Su Yan handle it.
Turning to Su Yan, she handed her a token for access to the second floor of the pavilion, where the weapons were stored. Within minutes, Su Yan led Hun Yu to the entrance.
An old man sat casually at the gate. Su Yan approached him. "Greetings, 6th Elder. We're here to get a weapon for him," she said, gesturing to Hun Yu and presenting the token.
The old man scrutinized Hun Yu for a moment before silently gesturing them inside.
Once on the second floor, they were surrounded by a vast array of weapons—swords, staffs, spears, and more.
"Choose quickly; I don't have much time," Su Yan urged, her impatience clear.
Hun Yu was taken aback. Why did she act like a queen? Shaking off the thought, he focused on the task at hand.
His eyes landed on a flexible, whip-like blade made of high-carbon steel. "This looks good," he said. "I want this one."
"Alright," Su Yan replied, taking the unusual sword from him and showing it to the old man as they exited.
"We're taking this sword," she declared confidently.
The old man glanced at the weapon and nodded in agreement.
As they walked back to the sect master's house, Hun Yu admired the sword's craftsmanship. It was genuinely impressive.
After a moment of silence, Su Yan finally spoke. "What do you see in this sword? It looks ordinary to me."
"Yeah, it's normal. I just picked it because it looked nice," he shrugged, leaving Su Yan momentarily speechless.
It is a flexible blade that I can swing around easily, he thought.
"What…" she began, then hesitated. "How does sect master's trust you so much?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Hun Yu, lost in thought, turned to her, eyebrows raised. "What?"
"Trust you so much?" he repeated, astonished.
From the shadows, Yun Xiu watched, equally surprised by the exchange.
"Hmph! Can't you see how much the sect master values you and trusts you, even though your talent isn't that impressive?" Su Yan pressed.
"Most of the elders wanted you dead after you broke sect rules, but the sect master stood up for you, promising to handle it personally."
Hun Yu fell silent, grappling with the realization. Am I the biggest idiot in the universe? The sect master truly values me?
"You must be joking, Sister Su," he said, shaking his head and walking ahead.
Su Yan was left speechless, while Yun Xiu, hidden nearby, let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey, stop!" a voice suddenly called out.
Both Su Yan and Hun Yu turned to see a boy their age approaching. Su Yan recognized him instantly. "You? You're Grandpa's disciple! What are you doing here, and why did you stop us?"