The Myriad-Arm Sect's interior always seemed peaceful, the integration of bountiful nature directly inside the sect's walls and even directly upon buildings meant that one could always hear the birds singing in the morning, smell the blooming flowers when stepping outside, hear the scratching and running around against the walls and in the small attics, one always needed to be careful where they walked as you could absolutely run into a snake by just strolling around.
Hunting and killing anything was greatly regulated as well, only a few areas could be used freely to such an end, but were only available to core disciples and above.
Walking around, an awkward-looking disciple, dressed in the white and light blue robes denoting them as an outer disciple, appeared oddly outside of their comfort zone, not even looking like they were used to wearing the robes.
"Wait a second, I almost didn't recognise you! When was the last time you left your hole?" a female disciple, whose shade of blue was darker, approached the awkward one and slapped them on the back.
With short blonde hair, a tall stature rare amongst the fairer sex and a tomboyish look, the other disciple looked small and helpless next to her.
"Huh… A few months ago, perhaps?" shoulders slouched, the outer disciple responded with a wry smile.
"You really should see the sun more often- Or so I used to say, you look awfully vibrant, you skin…" pinching a cheek to make sure, the inner disciple nodded her head in appreciation "...Is looking so pretty, did something happen, Hui?"
The librarian emitted a suppressed chuckle.
"Oh… Nothing much really, I-I just thought I should go into the city, buy some stuff, you know… I was thinking about trying cultivation seriously again…" the other female disciple rubbed her chin whilst looking at Hui, they had joined the sect at around the same time, but the mousy, bespectacled girl didn't really have the shoulders to take on the efforts required for low-talented people like them to get anywhere, but being more trustworthy than even some core disciples, she had landed herself a post as a librarian, so while technically still an outer disciples, Hui enjoyed some benefits without even having to pursue further cultivation.
"Really? That's weird, no dark bags under your eyes, your hair arranged into a cute ponytail-" the inner disciple took a whiff "-And perfume? I am certain you've been using skin lotion as well, looks like you have a boyfriend to me!"
Hui gasped and paled instantly.
"Ahah! You're so funny, Yin, you've always been hilarious you know? Me? A boyfriend? No… No… It isn't it…"
"You're being even weirder than I remember… Why couldn't you get a boyfriend? You're not repulsive and guys love to hit on the shy ones" as she spoke, she couldn't help but touch the librarian's robes, Hui so rarely put them on that she had done so rather poorly, there were wrinkles everywhere and the collar wasn't properly following her neck.
"Well anyways… Try showing your nape more, I hear that men actually love it-" as she tried to fix the collar against Hui's protestations, her eyes suddenly narrowed.
She was no expert on the matter, but even a blind idiot would be able to tell that someone's neck being all blue and purple was not normal.
"Who did this to you?"
"N-No one, it's just that it's been so long since I cultivated, I did it all wrong and-"
"That's clearly a lie, what sort of cultivation method would do this? Are you hurt elsewhere? Tell me who's the bastard who dared to harm you!" rolling up Hui's sleeve, she saw the same sort of mark on her wrist and forearms.
"I don't care if he's higher ranked than me, just say it, me and the girls will help-"
"I am fine, I swear I am! Oh, and look at the time, I'll be late if I linger on any longer! Bye bye!" the librarian took off running, no, she straight up sprinted away as fast as she possibly could.
The inner disciple wanted to catch up, which shouldn't be too hard, but let it go, clearly, she wouldn't be getting anything out of Hui this way.
Yin's relaxed and outgoing expression was replaced by a rather unsightly scowl instead, looking like the next person to cross her path would get slugged in the face for existing, but soon enough, she breathed out and quickly walked away.
She knew exactly who to ask.
'What sort of animal would do this? Virtuous sect my ass…' in her eyes, Hui was the epitome of a feeble and defenceless girl, and it was fine this way, not everyone, in fact only a few, could be strong, the whole deal with this sect was to be virtuous and protect the weak and deprived, yet, it was much too often that a disciple would turn out to be scum, but the one who had targeted the librarian had to be a special breed of evil.
'When I catch you… When I catch you, I swear!' kicking open a door that was supposed be slid open, she yelled :
"Shu! Come here little rat, I need your help"
No response.
"I know you're here, I won't punch you in the mouth, so just come" she said truthfully, yet sounding like a hunter beckoning a rabbit to come out of its burrow.
"Calm down Yin! Can a man put on some clothes?!" a voice rang out from a nearby room, this place was a living area for multiple inner disciples, but on such a sunny day, only him would still be holed up in there.
"I better not hear you open up a window" she warned, Shu soon coming out of his room with a grumble.
"What did I do this time? On my life, I swear I did not deliver any more powder to your friends!" everyone was familiar with Yin amongst the inner disciple, she was pretty popular on account of having a shot at becoming a core disciple and not breaking the sect's rules like many others.
However, Shu was more closely familiar with her, or rather, he had learned to know her fists rather well when he made the dire mistake of giving some drugs one of her friends, it wasn't that humiliating because everyone knew that he was weak but he still remembered the beating to this day with startling clarity.
"Do you know who Hui is?"
"Hui? Is that an inner disciple?"
"Outer"
"Then no-"
"The librarian of one of the libraries, with glasses"
"Oh! I remember now, she's a buddy of yours, right? Well, I can attest with certainty that I never had any dealings with her" he swiftly claimed with his legs really close to another, just in case.
"Someone harmed her, find out who it is, I fear that is it probably a core disciple or one of the top inner disciples, if so, those lousy elders will just close their eyes and pretend nothing happened" she said with her arms crossed, Shu made himself smaller, he had seen her angry before but not nearly as ominous.
"Aherm… Sure, since you're a good friend, I'll do it for free…" he wiped his forehead "...But, hum, what are you going to do when you find out who it is?"
"Rip his little brother off and stuff it in his mouth until suffocation, to death"
Shu felt phantom pain.
"Alright then… I'll get to work… Soon? No, no right now!"watching as Shu retreated into his room like mice scuttering away after the cabinet it was in was opened, Yin sighed.
She would go see Hui at the library tomorrow.