"Opportunity grows on trees," Su Xiang said lightly, refusing to allow a vague promise of opportunity to consume her attention. Both Elder Guang and Warden Niu had made it clear that they were opposed to her association with Wu Ling. Against the very real possibility that the sect would bar her from visiting her sworn brother, cryptic promises of opportunity were irrelevant.
"If there is an opportunity that isn't to my taste, I need only seek out another. If the opportunity isn't yet ripe, I need only wait. If the opportunity requires me to abandon my sworn brother, it can rot on the tree till it falls to the ground where lesser jackals can fight over it," she declared, her voice sharpening at the end. "I have no need for such opportunities."
"Is that the truth your eyes reveal to you?" Elder Guang asked. "That your road is full of opportunity and you need only stretch out your hand to take the one you like?"
"I never said opportunity was easily obtained," Su Xiang said firmly. Every time one of these elders misrepresented her words, her stomach churned and her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened ever so slightly. "I only said that there are many opportunities available and I need not concern myself with ones that are not suited to me. Since it seems I do not suit the opportunity Elder Guang has in mind for me, I will take my leave," she said, bowing deeply to both the Elder and the Warden.
"Junior Sister Su," Warden Niu said, moving to block the door before she could leave. "You leave when the Elder dismisses you, not before."
"Disciple Su, you are close to leaving the world of Brawlers behind," Guang De said firmly. "The time for flitting about and discovering yourself is coming to an end. You should be selecting your path forward so you can become an honorable Soldier in the sect."
"I understand Elder Guang," Su Xiang said cautiously. There was something the Elder was driving after but he seemed to want to lead her to it rather than coming out and saying it. For a moment, she wished her brother was here with her. Wu Ling was better at this kind of verbal sparring, and he always seemed to come out on top. Su Xiang always found it to be a waste of time to fence with words that skirted the core of the issue. If a thing needed saying, say it. If it didn't need saying, then why waste the words? "Elder Guang believes he knows which path forward I should take and wishes to present me an opportunity to follow that path," she said in a tone that made it clear she wasn't asking a question.
"At least my judgment was not wrong about how clearly your eyes could see through things," he said with a sigh. "You're young and talented. You're close to becoming a Soldier. While you can flounder through your breakthrough to Soldier, without setting yourself on the correct path now, you will struggle to become a Warrior. It is better to set your path now so you may have a smoother breakthrough and move more rapidly on the path ahead," he explained.
Hearing his words, Su Xiang hesitated to interrupt. It was clear where he was going. As a person progressed on the Martial path, their vision had to broaden. A Brawler was someone who could fight while a Soldier was someone who could fight for others. Soldiers were called such because they had made combat more than their lifestyle, they had made it a profession. A Soldier could be trusted to stand shoulder to shoulder with others, united against a common foe. Su Xiang had no doubt that she could surpass the hurdle of becoming a Soldier. She'd drawn closer and closer to Wu Ling as an ally since he awakened and she'd learned what it meant to fight for his sake, or the sake of the people they'd been protecting. While she hadn't become a Soldier yet, she was clear on what she needed to do to reach that point.
What Elder Guang was talking about, however, was the path to becoming a Warrior. Much like Soldiers needed to be able to fight for someone else, a Warrior needed to dedicate themselves to fighting for something greater than themselves. Some Warriors fought for their cities or their countries. Some warriors fought for their ideals or a mission. In the Shining Blade Hall, each Warrior was expected to dedicate themselves to a Virtue. Truth, Justice, Salvation, and Purity were the pillar virtues of the Shining Blade Hall. Others were recognized but the sect actively promoted those four above all others and the orders within the sect dedicated to them held significant power within the sect.
"You want me to select a Virtue now?" Su Xiang asked. "You're interested in my sight," she realized. "I apologize, I didn't realize that Elder Guang represented the Light of Inquisition."
"It's good that you understand Disciple Su," Elder Guang said, warmth returning to his eyes. "Your eyes that see truth have always been prized by the sect. Your upright conduct and your unflinching integrity has impressed the other Elders for many years. If you will make your declaration now, the Light of Inquisition will assist you in overcoming the final hurdle to becoming a Soldier. With the ability you've demonstrated, you'll be able to make progress rapidly enough to enter the Inner Sect as a Junior Inquisitor. The missions you'll be able to undertake there will do much to protect the sect and your fellow disciples. It's a noble calling and a good opportunity if you have the integrity to take it," he said, clearly expecting that she would accept.
"I thank Elder Guang for the opportunity," Su Xiang said, bowing deeply with cupped hands and holding her bow as she spoke further. "However, this opportunity is not a good fit for me. Truth is a Virtue but it is not the one I wish to dedicate my life to. I would not thrive in the Light of Inquisition and the sacrifice would not be worth it."
"That's a very selfish attitude, Junior Sister Su," Warden Niu said from behind her. "The sect has nurtured you all your life. Your talents are well known. Now that the sect has need of them, you'd turn your back on the sect? You're clearly being led astray," he said disdainfully.
"I thank the sect for nurturing me but as Elder Guang has observed, my eyes see clearly," Su Xiang replied, her resolve firm. "I will not dedicate myself to the Light of Inquisition."