There was an old saying that went, 'A general should make judgements accordingly instead of following all of the emperor's orders when he's at the battlefield'. The same logic could be applied to killing a deserter without seeking permission during the critical times of war.
However, everyone was surprised when the old man thrust his sword forward but he ended up as the victim instead of that panicking disciple.
Shock, and horror.
The old man opened his eyes wide and spurted out a lot of blood from his mouth. He looked like he was overwhelmed with extreme disbelief.
That was because he couldn't believe that his sword was slower than the disciple in front of him. After all, in his memories, the few disciples before him had never done anything extraordinary in the sect, especially the one who stabbed and killed him. He had always been quiet and mediocre.
