Chapter 28: Consolidating Power

Shui Jingxuan had long been recognized as the sect leader’s first disciple by his fellow disciples. Everyone obeyed him without question.

When they learned he had been accepted as a disciple of the Sect Master and appointed Left Protector, a position even above Wolf Girl, they became even more determined to follow him.

With this new blood as support, Shui Jingxuan’s prestige in the sect grew daily. In time, neither too long nor too short, he secured his position as Left Protector beyond any doubt. With the full support of Elder Mu and Ji Wushuang, even the other nine elders had to avoid crossing him and respectfully call him “Left Protector.”

Being suppressed by a greenhorn naturally caused resentment among the nine elders, and some opposed him at every turn. Yet Shui Jingxuan remained as high-profile as ever, because he knew the plot was about to begin and the demonic sect would soon fall into chaos.

If he didn’t establish his authority now, how could he overpower the masses and take control?

Under Ji Wushuang’s tutelage, Shui Jingxuan studied the Poison Demon Art for five years. Due to his special constitution, he cultivated several times faster than ordinary people, and his exceptional comprehension was beyond reach. Although Wolf Girl had started nearly a decade earlier, he far surpassed her in the Poison Demon Art. The two entered the sect at different times but graduated together, which made Ji Wushuang even more satisfied with his beloved disciple.

In Shui Jingxuan’s memory, Wolf Girl met Zhuo Yihang on the day of their graduation expedition. They fell in love at first sight, their passion quickly igniting. Within half a month, they pledged themselves to each other and agreed to retire from the martial world, throwing the demonic sect into chaos.

Shui Jingxuan calculated the time and realized he had little left. He tightened his arrangements within the sect, gradually infiltrating the power center of the demonic sect.

One day, he was practicing swordsmanship in the training ground, completely focused, when Black Tiger ran over sweating profusely. Without even stopping, he blurted out, “Senior Brother, something’s wrong! Azhuang led a team out for training, and on the way back, they were raided by Tartars. The losses are severe. The Sect Master blames him for dereliction of duty and is about to punish him. You must save him.”

Ji Wushuang was moody and strict in his governance. Ordinary members could be killed for a small mistake. Azhuang had taken several dozen people out for training, and only seven returned. Moreover, the money earned from precious herbs grown in the valley was all looted. This was a grave mistake. Falling into Ji Wushuang’s hands, he would certainly face near-certain death.

Azhuang had been utterly loyal to Shui Jingxuan from the start. Shui Jingxuan had noticed and planned to let Azhuang take over his position as Left Protector once he became Sect Master. The Left and Right Protectors were closest to the Sect Master. To avoid repeating past mistakes, Shui Jingxuan had to be selective. If Ji Wushuang killed Azhuang, all of Shui Jingxuan’s personnel arrangements would be disrupted. He had long lost confidence in people, and having finally found someone trustworthy, he could not give up easily.

So he sheathed his sword immediately and hurried toward the council hall.

Inside the council hall, Azhuang was covered in wounds, kneeling on the ground with six other survivors, awaiting the Sect Master’s judgment. Ji Wushuang sat sideways in the main seat, his expression dark. Wolf Girl stood behind him, her eyes downcast, her demeanor respectful. The ten elders sat on both sides, solemn-faced but with different thoughts.

“Sect Master, over thirty people went out, and only seven returned. The money raised from precious herbs was looted. Our sect has never suffered such a heavy loss in recent years. This Azhuang is useless. Why keep him?” Elder Wu, who had always been at odds with Elder Mu, spoke maliciously.

“That’s not fair! My disciple encountered a Tartar troop of over a hundred men, well-armed and well-trained. It’s a miracle they escaped. What crime have they committed?” Elder Mu, extremely protective of his own, immediately retorted.

After Shui Jingxuan became the Sect Master’s disciple, Azhuang had taken his place as the top disciple. If Elder Mu couldn’t even protect his own top disciple, he would have no standing in the demonic sect. Elder Wu saw this and was even more determined to have Azhuang killed.

So Elder Wu sneered at Elder Mu’s rebuttal and said disdainfully, “I heard that Tartar troop was a ragtag bunch of stragglers who failed to besiege Li Chuangwang in the Jiugong Mountains. A ragtag group, how can you call them well-armed? Elder Mu, don’t talk nonsense!”

“Exactly! Our sect has a blood feud with the Tartars. When we see them, we should kill them all. How can we be driven to flee? It’s a disgrace!” Elder Huang, who usually colluded with Elder Wu, chimed in.

“Don’t go too far! If it were your disciples, could they escape unscathed?” Elder Mu’s face flushed red, trembling with anger.

Ji Wushuang was not good at handling such disputes. If not for the heavy loss of property and lives, and the elders quarreling, he wouldn’t have attended. Seeing the heated arguments, he lost his patience. He gathered inner force in his palm and raised his hand to kill the focus of contention, Azhuang.

To him, this endless bickering was a waste of time. Killing this man would bring him peace.

Just as his killing intent was about to burst forth and he was about to strike, a report came from outside the council hall: “Left Protector requests an audience.”

“Let him in quickly,” Ji Wushuang urged, lowering his raised hand. The murderous intent in his eyes completely faded, and a gentle smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. His beloved disciple had come, and his impatience turned to joy.

Seeing the Sect Master instantly suppress his killing intent, Elder Huang and Elder Wu exchanged glances, both sighing in their hearts: Now that this youngster is here, today’s show is over! With him around, the Sect Master becomes as gentle as a living Buddha and easy to talk to.

Elder Mu relaxed his tense mood and smiled with relief. With Axi stepping in, there would be no problem with the Sect Master.

Amidst the gaze of everyone, a tall, graceful red-clad youth walked in slowly. His face was extraordinarily handsome, his skin fair and translucent. His phoenix eyes, dark as ink, seemed to hold both affection and indifference. His pink lips naturally curled upward, very alluring. This was Shui Jingxuan five years later, his refined appearance and unique temperament even more outstanding than in his previous life, making people forget the mundane and feel fond of him.

Ji Wushuang stared fixedly at his increasingly outstanding disciple approaching him. His pupils contracted, and he suddenly felt as if burned by a flame, the scorching heat spreading from his eyes into his heart, making it hard to breathe. In recent years, this child had changed greatly, becoming more outstanding each day. It was as if a supreme piece of jade hidden in a rough stone was being carved bit by bit, dazzling with brilliant light, making him dizzy.

“Little brother, what’s wrong?” Feeling her brother’s wild heartbeat, Ji Wushuang’s twin sister frowned, covering her chest and asking softly.

“Nothing. I’ve hit a bottleneck in my cultivation lately; my mind is unsettled,” Ji Wushuang lied, hiding his strange feelings from his twin sister.

“Mm, that’s good. Rest well,” his twin sister advised softly, then looked at Shui Jingxuan with a warm smile.

“Why have you come?” she asked gently.

“I heard something happened in the sect, so I came to see,” Shui Jingxuan said with a faint smile. As Ji Wushuang beckoned him, he naturally sat down beside him.

“Master, the Tartars Azhuang and his men encountered this time were no ordinary group. I heard they are former troops of the Manchu general Dodo, highly valiant and skilled in battle. Moreover, there were over a hundred Tartars, while Azhuang led only thirty men. Escaping alive from them is already no small feat. Please forgive him this once.”

As he spoke, he extended a fair, slender hand and gently held Ji Wushuang’s large palm, which still contained condensed inner force that he had forgotten to withdraw.

Afraid of hurting his disciple, Ji Wushuang immediately withdrew the inner force. Reluctantly, he rubbed his thumb against the smooth back of his disciple’s hand and said warmly, “Mm, outnumbered, you are right. This time, I will spare you.”

Ji Wushuang’s twin sister also nodded. “Since Little Tong has pleaded for you, I’ll give him face.” Although Axi had grown up, the nickname “Little Tong” was still used affectionately.

Azhuang and the others showed joy in their eyes. They were about to kowtow and thank the Sect Master for sparing them when Elder Wu, still unwilling, spoke again, “Sect Master, this time we lost tens of thousands of silver taels. Without this money, how can we perform the shamanic god festival ceremony? Are we not afraid of angering the shamanic god and bringing disaster upon our people?”

“Ten thousand taels of silver?” Shui Jingxuan mused, a smile touching his lips. “Then let us reclaim it from the Tartars. I heard that a massive merchant convoy arrived outside the valley a few days ago, escorted by the Shuntian Escort Agency—the largest in Yanjing. They must be carrying vast wealth. We can secretly leak this news to the Tartars. With their greed, how could they pass up such a fat sheep? We will simply wait for the Tartars to strike, and when both sides have fought to mutual exhaustion, we will launch our attack. At that time, the merchant goods, wealth, and the Tartars’ looted spoils will all belong to our tribe.”

“Haha! That’s a great idea!” Ji Wushuang’s twin sister laughed heartily after hearing Little Tong’s sinister plan, thinking that Little Tong’s actions suited her taste perfectly.

“Mm, good idea,” Ji Wushuang also laughed. He patted his disciple’s hand in approval, then looked at the ten elders and asked sternly, “What do you think? Is this enough to compensate for our sect’s loss?”

“More than enough! More than enough! The Left Protector’s brilliant idea! We have no objections.” The elders exchanged glances and then echoed in unison, thinking to themselves, ‘This Left Protector is truly a master of scheming.’

“Master, this is a rare opportunity. My senior sister and I are about to graduate. Why not let us handle these Tartars?” Shui Jingxuan turned to Ji Wushuang, his clear eyes showing a hint of pleading.

According to the plot, Wolf Girl met Zhuo Yihang for the first time after killing a group of Tartars. Since the Tartars appeared on schedule, Shui Jingxuan could see the plot unfolding. Seeing that Ji Wushuang had not yet decided on the graduation task, he took the initiative to suggest it to push the plot forward.

Having spent five years together day and night, their feelings had grown close. Ji Wushuang was protective and indulgent toward his beloved disciple. How could he bear to refuse? A single glance from Shui Jingxuan’s phoenix eyes made his heart skip a beat, and he nodded without thinking.

“Master, let Azhuang and these six junior brothers go too. Let them redeem themselves,” Shui Jingxuan said, noticing the killing intent in Azhuang and the others’ eyes after hearing his plan. He made another request. This was a perfect opportunity to win their loyalty.

As expected, Azhuang and the others showed fervent and eager gazes upon hearing his suggestion, feeling deeply grateful to their senior brother.

“Mm, you decide everything. Since the matter is resolved, let’s disperse,” Ji Wushuang made the final decision, then put his arm around his disciple’s shoulder and strode away.

Azhuang, having been spared, thanked his master and, supported by his fellow disciples, left the council hall. Seeing Black Tiger waiting at the door, he grinned.

Black Tiger patted his shoulder and said confidently, “I knew you wouldn’t die! With Senior Brother pleading for you, how could the Sect Master go against his wishes?”

Azhuang nodded in agreement.

Elder Mu, who hadn’t gone far, heard Black Tiger’s words. He shook his head, thinking, ‘The Sect Master ‘go against’ Axi? Does this child Black Tiger know how to phrase things? But… it seems kind of right.’ Elder Mu was amused by his own thought.

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