"No need to worry about things we have no control over," I reassured Cao Wu. "We were just unlucky at the time, and at least my team leader came and saved me."
Cao Wu nodded, her gaze drifting towards my team, her eyes narrowing. She appeared confused before turning back to me. "Song Song saved you?"
What was with that bewildered look? It wasn't like I had told her a flying pig turned into a princess to save me.
"You know Song Song?" I inquired.
"Yeah, you could say that. I was born in the inner sect, though I left due to my..." Cao Wu trailed off, her gaze fixed on Song Song. When she returned to reality, she added, "Overbearing father."
Overbearing father? Was it one of those arranged marriage situations?
Her father probably orchestrated something for her, and she left for the outer sect. Whatever it was, some personal matters were better left undisturbed.
"Well, if you need anything, just give me a holler, and there's no need to fear the ice girl anymore. She's no longer a threat," I reassured her with a smile.
Cao Wu had a peculiar and inscrutable expression in her eyes, leaving me wondering what she was thinking. After exchanging a few more farewells, I left her and rejoined my group.
However, as soon as I returned, my cousins clung to my side, trailing a step behind like subordinates.
These two needed to learn to relax; they did not need to continue acting this way.
Song Song shot a glance toward my cousins. Still, after that initial look, she seemed uninterested and merely shrugged when she noticed I had caught her staring.
Disciples from the sect and applicants littered the beach. Together, they numbered in the hundreds. It was about the same number of people as when Liu Feng had joined, except there had been no deceased inner disciples in that batch.
Once again, a tuft of crimson hair caught my attention, and this time, the guy was staring straight at me like a hawk. Despite his striking hair, he was rather average-looking in other aspects.
"What was that dude's problem?" I muttered, almost letting a frown take hold before reigning in my emotions. There was no need to get worked up just because the Disaster Bringer stared at me.
Then again, maybe there was more reason to worry than I initially thought.
Could he recognize me despite the mask I wore when we met? Who was I kidding? Of course, he could. Perhaps the guy himself couldn't discern my identity despite the mask. Still, the one who could see through such things easily was the overpowered grandpa in the... ring?
He didn't have any rings on his fingers.
I scanned for other jewelry, but he wore no bracelet, necklace, or anything similar. The only suspicious item he had was an earring. Maybe he was concealing the vessel containing his old master's soul. Then again, he might have had another storage method, like a pearl that fused with him or something similar.
"Who's that guy making you look so worried?" Song Song's voice broke through my thoughts.
"I'm not worried."
"I can tell you're bothered by something," she persisted.
I sighed and shook my head. "Regardless of what happens or how skilled that red-haired guy appears, you should never get involved with him. It'll only lead to disaster, bringing pain, misery, and misfortune."
"Wow, that's quite dramatic," Song Song quipped. "I never pegged you as someone who believed in bad omens."
I met her gaze squarely. "I'm dead serious. Even if you never listen to any of my advice again, keep this one in mind."
"Sure," Song Song shrugged. "It's not like I'd waste time talking to some three-star Body Tempering trash with no potential."
She was mistaken about that. However, correcting her assumptions wasn't my aim, and it would be safer for her and all of us if she held onto them.
Suddenly, a dozen figures emerged from the forest, but they weren't disciples; they appeared middle-aged or elderly, at least in appearance. They all wore green robes, indicating they were Outer Elders. At the same time, one among them donned a black robe, signifying he was an Inner Elder and likely the group's leader. Unlike the others, he stood out appearance-wise with his short, spiky hair, small beady eyes, and a large red nose reminiscent of a clown's.
When it came to such peculiar appearances, I always suspected some strange martial technique was at play.
All eyes on the beach turned toward the approaching elders, murmurs rippling through the crowd as they speculated on the reason for their arrival. They momentarily forgot that the elders could likely hear them no matter their distance. As for myself, I glanced at Song Song, who appeared relaxed, so I followed suit.
There was no need to be anxious when she wasn't; she would notice it way before me if there was any danger around.
"We have gathered all the corpses," declared the Inner Elder, his gaze sweeping over the disciples and applicants like a hawk. "We are going to escort you all back."
Despite his calm words and serene voice, his demeanor revealed nothing about his true feelings. A palpable, almost tangible tension around him showed he was far from pleased with the situation.
Well, inner disciples had perished, and he was likely the one overseeing this exam.
I glanced at the bronze rings on their fingers, where they likely stored the corpses, and a chill ran down my spine as I considered how much I had contributed to those deaths. Families would mourn for the rest of their lives because of my actions.
Yet, despite this, my heart remained calm. There was no inner turmoil, and if given the chance to turn back time, I would still defend myself against those who sought to kill me. Perhaps the only thing I would alter was inadvertently involving that guy in the chase between Ye An and me.
"There probably won't be so many inner disciples participating in these exams from now on," Ye An remarked coldly, her sickly appearance momentarily fading to reveal a glimpse of her actual, jade-like beauty.
I agreed with her sentiment, but it was unlikely that outer elders would willingly subject their disciples to a potential slaughterhouse. Unless they either were mentally challenged or allowed their pride to cloud their judgment.
In the realm of xianxia, however, both options were entirely plausible. Intelligence was only sometimes a prerequisite for positions of power; strength often sufficed.
"Perhaps this wasn't as coincidental as some might believe. After all, it was rather surprising I wasn't immediately promoted to the inner sect after the aptitude test," the jade-like girl muttered, her eyes widening in realization.
Was she insinuating that someone high-ranking within the sect, possibly even the sect leader himself, who hailed from humble beginnings, had deliberately allowed someone like her to advance to the final exam to eliminate inner disciples, thereby dissuading interference from the elders? Yes, she most certainly was, and I shared her suspicion.
If not the sect leader, then undoubtedly some core elder. Or perhaps a core elder was manipulated to bear all responsibility.
She hinted at a conspiracy and power struggle lurking in the shadows among the sect's upper echelons. With cultivators hundreds of years old, it was inevitable that many would harbor scheming tendencies.
"So, what's your take on this, our esteemed strategist?" Ye An inquired mockingly, aware that I had heard her every word.
I saw no point in feigning ignorance or whispering discreetly. Instead, I met Ye An's gaze and tilted my head in confusion. "Sorry? Did you say something?"
I was just another bookworm who would rather read than get involved in these kinds of things. Despite my average cultivation talent, I was valuable enough as a mediocre strategist, yet not smart enough to uncover any clandestine schemes. That was all anyone needed to know about me.
She turned away from me, ceasing any further conversation. Hopefully, our paths would diverge, and we would never have cause to speak again. The last thing I needed was someone to overhear us and infer knowledge I had no business possessing.
"Be careful out there, and keep an eye on the sickly one for a while," Song Song advised, her gaze shifting to the outer elder who had attempted to befriend her upon our arrival. The older man paled and avoided meeting her eyes.
"I've already told you my name. I thought you'd stop calling me that," Ye An's left eye twitched in irritation.
However, Song Song ignored the comment and approached her pet Outer Elder. They engaged in conversation, their voices drowned out by the surrounding noise.
As their discussion concluded, Song Song turned back towards me, offering a smile.
What was that about? I hoped she hadn't done something like speak favorably of me to them! The last thing I wanted was for rumors to circulate, attracting the attention of some ancient cultivator from the inner sect.
Song Song returned to my side, and before I could inquire about the conversation, she leaned in and whispered, "Keep an eye on her a little longer. Something's come up."
"I have a name," Ye An interjected, her expression as icy as ever.
"Sure," I responded, deciding it wasn't appropriate to discuss any talks she may have had with the outer elder about me.
With Ye An's cultivation on the verge of breaking, I doubted she would risk using Qi and potentially damaging her cultivation. Moreover, she seemed scared enough of Song Song to refrain from acting recklessly. It would be illogical on her part, and thus far, she had shown she was ruthless but not stupid.
Each outer elder began organizing their respective teams, though there were fewer disciples than when we had arrived. The influx of new applicants was more than sufficient to fill the gaps.
Surprisingly, I found myself on the same ship as Ye An, along with most of the team I had arrived with. My cousins and the other disciples who had been accepted were on a different ship. It was either an extraordinary coincidence or Song Song had pulled some strings to keep Ye An close to me.
Song Song must have been concerned that others might attempt to recruit Ye An if they learned of her talent. Yet she placed a significant amount of trust in me, assuming I would fend off anyone trying to poach the sickly girl.
As we boarded the ships, the island remained as quiet as ever, with barely any signs of wildlife present.
At last, this ordeal was over. But just as such thoughts crossed my mind, I caught sight of the red-haired guy on another ship, and a shiver ran down my spine.
Even the elders mentioned allowing the disciples to rest and indulge in as much food as they desired to celebrate after the strenuous past few days. While some celebrated, others silently consumed their meals, and some offered prayers for their fallen comrades. However, I found myself neither celebrating nor mourning; instead, I was consumed by tension.
If this was not merely an unfortunate coincidence and that guy was indeed a protagonist, things were unlikely to end peacefully.