A Snail's Wisdom

With the tea finished in the span of a few seconds, Kenja set the cup down unsatisfied.

Giving Kenja an approving nod, the Second Elder slammed his tea cup down at the same time.

"Not enough, right?"

Kenja smiled awkwardly while replying, "As if I didn't drink anything…"

"Mm, mm," he nodded twice more in agreement with Kenja's description, "Aracha, more tea."

Aracha sighed with a strange feeling before refilling each of their cups.

The other elders never dwelled on her tea, and disciples who tasted it would often put the flavor down or dismiss it completely out of annoyance due to her special status. While she was not excited by the notion of meeting another possible tea addict like the Second Elder, she was pleased to see a second person relishing her tea.

Kenja did not pick up the refill immediately as he figured Snail would just pilfer it from right under his nose a second time, and he would not give him that satisfaction. Instead, he looked at the three elders staring each other down in the distance.

He was left feeling wronged by the Third Elder's actions towards him. Being coerced into discipleship, and by a revered elder no less, he had not anticipated such a thing could ever happen to him in a million years.

Under normal circ.u.mstances, anyone would be excited from such an event, including Kenja. But when you take everything into account—forced into kneeling, without warning nor consent, the master being Matsushita Hizumi's disciple, Kenja having already accepted another master less than a week ago, and the fact that Kenja did not d.e.s.i.r.e to stay in the sect as Hirai Hikaru for an extended period of time—he was very much against worshipping under Third Elder Kondo.

In fact, he would not worship under any additional elders since he refused to do anything more that would garner attention to his alter ego.

Afterward, Snail had informed him about the sound barrier the Third Elder had erected, but he did not mention it at that time because he had assumed the Third Elder only d.e.s.i.r.ed a private conversation.

Kenja felt a cold sweat when he thought about what the scene might have looked had everything gone according to the Third Elder's plan

Thus, he was grateful when the Fourth Elder and Sixth Elder intervened.

If they had not, would anyone believe him if he were to say the venerable Third Elder had forced him into becoming his disciple? Even he would not believe it!

…

"Mizu, come here che," the Sixth Elder waved Shimizu Mizutani over.

The Fourth Elder questioned him, "What do you think you're doing?"

"We need someone to preside over our match, don't we?"

"Sure, but we didn't agree to using Little Mizu. Right, Brother Kondo?"

Third Elder Kondo nodded along with Fourth Elder Ariyoshi Miji. Those two would constantly squabble over every little thing, so he would stay out of their tiff unless he became involved and strongly agreed with one of them like now.

Sixth Elder feigned outrage, "Che! Are you calling my Little Mizu untrustworthy?"

Shimizu Mizutani who had reached the Sixth Elder's side knew to play along with her master and put on a hurt expression, with watery eyes, "Mizu didn't know uncles thought so little of her."

Elder Kondo grimaced in guilty discomfort while Elder Ariyoshi Miji's eye twitched in annoyance at Gao Diao's ploy.

Of course, it was not fair to have his disciple referee their spar!

"Don't cry. Uncle trusts Little Mizu. Uncle just feels it is wrong to make a disciple announce her own master's defeat."

Unlike his relationship with the Sixth Elder, he got along well with Shimizu Mizutani and had given her gifts as a martial uncle. Using the good relationship between uncle and niece, the Sixth Elder was obviously trying to gain an advantage in the match by accusing him of mistrust.

Such despicable tactics!

The gargantuan Third Elder nodded along more fiercely than before to corroborate the Fourth Elder's words. He also had a good relationship with Shimizu Mizutani as her uncle!

Shimizu Mizutani giggled at their response acting cutely, "Mizu understands."

She valued her relationship with the other elders as well, so while she supported her master in his plots, she could not go too overboard with it.

Gao Diao knew he could not push it further. "Che! Then who do you think should do it? Second Brother?"

Both the Third and Fourth Elder frowned at the suggestion.

That guy was too unreliable.

"How about Junior Brother Bai or Brother Shirou?"

"Aye, I'll go along with either of Third Brother's suggestions."

"Che…Little Mizu, go call over Junior Brother Bai or Brother Shirou for us."

Shimizu Mizutani bowed before darting off on top of her sword.

The three elders did not move from their positions, urging their auras to clash with one another as if trying to win the battle before it began.

Despite being stuck between the Fourth and Sixth Elder, the Third Elder did not waver in the least.

Not even two minutes had passed before Shimizu Mizutani returned with an old and wrinkled man trailing behind her. He held a tired expression on his face that emphasized the downward trend of his vitality.

Vice Elder Bai was in the same generation as the elders, but due to a deviation during his seclusion when fortifying his core, several cracks formed that left him stuck at the peak of the Core Crystallization stage for decades. As a result, there was a high likelihood he would never form his Nascent Soul for the rest of his life.

"Vice Elder Bai has seen his elders," he bowed slightly with respect.

If it weren't for all the spectators, the elders would usually wave off this act of decorum when greeting them to display their appreciation for him and their brotherhood.

"We have troubled junior brother. The three of us wish to spar and request you preside over the mat-che."

"It'll be a serious one, too!" Ariyoshi Miji stretched his short legs.

Kondo slammed the end of his sledgehammer on the ground to emphasize the seriousness of their match.

With a nod, Vice Elder Bai asked just to be sure, "Serious? Do elders d.e.s.i.r.e to use the Founder's rules…?"

The three elders looked at each other with a moment of hesitation before nodding simultaneously.

Shimizu Mizutani was shocked they would go that far.

…

The crowd of disciples that had retreated far away began a storm of whispering as the stronger cultivators spread the news.

"They're using the Founder's rules!"

"Good Heavens, why go so far?"

"Shouldn't someone stop them? They're elders. We can't let them do this!"

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

"What if we call over Vice Elder Shirou? Maybe he can talk them out of it."

"Only an elder can intervene in their fight, but with three elders battling and with Second Elder…being Second Elder, who can stop them?"

"Fifth Elder hasn't returned yet…"

"What about the First Elder? He'll stop them."

"By all means, go call him over then! I'll personally mark your tombstone as the hero who sacrificed himself for the dignity of the sect."

They all shut up without answering for several breaths before one of the more hopeful and younger male disciples spoke up.

"Maybe the fight won't go that far."

Silence reigned supreme.

"...I hope Fifth Elder returns soon."

…

Vice Elder Bai flew into the air on his sword, overlooking the battlefield.

His voice echoed throughout the sect, "Vice Elder Bai will now preside over this spar between Third Elder, Fourth Elder and Sixth Elder and vow to uphold the Founder's rules to the best of my abilities."

He wanted to inform as many people as possible about the match for several reasons.

It was a rare treat and benefit to witness the sparring match between such powerful experts at the level of the Elders, so he wanted to inform all the younger disciples about this rare opportunity. Who knew if they could glean some powerful insight or inspiration from the battle.

Second, he believed more spectators could discourage the elders from going too far in the battle. The sect's dignity was at stake after all.

And third, he had a slight hope that the Fifth Elder had reached the sect and could hear his announcement. She could rush here and stop the match before it was too late.

The First Elder's cave had stronger soundproofing formations to prevent any external distractions, so his voice had no hope in reaching his ears.

The broadcast awoke hundreds of disciples from their meditation as nearly all of them formed a stampede towards the central pillar's fifth face. Most of them, excited by yet another new development occurring within the sect, looked forward to studying the fight between high level experts.

As the three elders and Vice Elder Bai waited, the crowd of disciples numbering several hundred grew to several thousand that formed a large perimeter around them and the Second Elder's table.

Many of those beyond the Qi Flourishing stage took to the sky for a better seat.

Foundation Establishment could overexert themselves for an hour or two to stay afloat on their swords at a short height while the Core Crystallization disciples could use their own core to levitate without a sword.

Vice Elder Bai let out a loud cough, silencing the deafening whispers amongst the disciples.

No one dared speak another word.

Vice Elder Bai nodded in satisfaction.

"Let the match begin!"

The three violent auras that were overlapping before the starting signal instantly vanished from everyone's perception, but the three elders did not make any sudden movements.

They just stood there.