Though inwardly thrilled, Ye Danxia put on a hesitant expression.
"Senior Brother, Yun Jin isn't that bad. She was just a mortal who finally got a chance to cultivate. Wouldn't expelling her be too cruel?"
Ruan Jun's heart ached at her kindness.
"Junior Sister, you're too soft-hearted! After everything she's done to you, you still defend her? What am I going to do with you?"
"Senior Brother, she may be ruthless, but I won't stoop to her level." She played the noble martyr perfectly.
Ruan Jun sighed fondly. "I'd indulge you in anything else, but not this. Yun Jin is unfit to stay. Leave this to me."
Ye Danxia "reluctantly" agreed.
"I'll head to Tianjian Peak now. Wait here, Junior Sister."
"Please… go easy on her," she called after him—but inwardly, she was ecstatic.
Yun Jin!
She had humiliated her time and again, even made her the laughingstock of the sect.
And for what?
Just some cheap trick with hidden treasures!
The thought made her seethe.
During their journey to the sect, Yun Jin had preached about "sisters sticking together."
Yet she'd hoarded those treasures for herself!
Just like back in the Yun family—always pretending to be righteous!
Her desire for that ring burned even hotter.
This time…
She would get it.
~
Yun Jin had barely taken a sip of tea when the horizon cracked with thunder—no, not thunder. A voice, harsh and imperious.
"Yue Zhao! Call out that junior sister of yours!"
She blinked. Still holding a small pouch of dried meat, Yun Jin tilted her head, curiosity piqued.
Outside, Senior Brother Yue Zhao frowned and stepped out. Striding toward Tianjian Peak was Ruan Jun, face like stone. Behind him, Ye Danxia followed in mock concern.
"Senior Brother, things may not be as they seem," she said gently, her tone syrupy sweet. "Don't be too harsh."
Ruan Jun didn't reply. He glanced at Yue Zhao with a flicker of smugness in his eyes. "Your junior sister Yun Jin's been rather pleased with herself lately, hasn't she? What now, not even daring to come out?"
As the top disciple of the sect leader's lineage, Ruan Jun had always been praised for his talent. But in Tianxing Sect, one person cast a long shadow over him—Yue Zhao.
Yue Zhao's master had long become a joke among cultivators, powerless to offer support or resources. And yet Yue Zhao's reputation within the sect never waned. The junior disciples admired him, supported him. Even without resources, his cultivation stayed steady, inching past Ruan Jun's in every comparison.
Ruan Jun never said a word about it, but he had been grinding his teeth in resentment for years.
Now, finally, he had found a crack. Yun Jin. Tianjian Peak's disciple. If she fell, the entire peak—and Yue Zhao along with it—would fall with her.
This time, he would make Yue Zhao beg.
But before he could continue, Yun Jin appeared in the courtyard with a smile, her dried meat still in hand.
"Senior Brother Ruan, want some jerky?" Her tone was light, her eyes full of amusement.
Ruan Jun's face darkened. "Don't try to curry favor. It's too late for that! Yun Jin, you haven't officially joined the sect, yet you dared to steal secret sword arts. Do you realize how grave that is? Tianjian Peak secretly imparting such techniques is a major offense. All of you must be punished!"
Yun Jin blinked innocently. "But I read the sect rules. They say we can't secretly teach sword arts. They don't say anything about figuring them out on our own."
Ruan Jun gave a laugh full of scorn. "You mean to tell me you learned those techniques without anyone teaching you?"
Yun Jin nodded solemnly. "That's right. It's not that hard. I just watched the senior brothers and sisters a few times and picked it up."
Ruan Jun's lips curled in mockery.
"Yun Jin, we know you gorged on rare treasures to boost your cultivation. But at your core, you're still Five Spiritual Roots trash. What, you actually think you're some prodigy? 'Watch and learn'—next you'll claim you're a Sword Physique!"
Ye Danxia stepped forward with a sigh. "Xiao Jin, I just found out myself. So you've been advancing so fast because you secretly consumed rare treasures? Those things can't be eaten carelessly. They may give you quick gains at first, but they'll damage your foundation in the long run. You're being far too reckless."
She spoke with the tone of an elder correcting a foolish child. This was the first time in days Ye Danxia had felt superior in front of Yun Jin, and she couldn't help but act a little smug.
Yun Jin turned her gaze to her, still smiling. "Danxia, that was quick. Already patched up your bald spot?"
Ye Danxia froze, her smile stiffening.
The patch on her scalp, which she had carefully covered by cutting hair from the back of her head, was nearly invisible now. But Yun Jin's words made her scalp prickle with anger all over again.
"What bald spot?" Ruan Jun frowned and turned to her.
Before Ye Danxia could answer, Yu Songnian gave a subtle flick of his fingers.
A bird swooped down from the sky.
SWOOSH!
In one swift motion, it snatched the fake hair off her head.
Under the bright daylight, a glaring bald patch was now clearly visible.
Ruan Jun's jaw dropped in shock.
Ye Danxia, unaware at first, continued sweetly, "Senior Brother, I'll explain it to you later."
Then she felt it.
Her hands flew to her scalp.
BARE.
She shrieked, scrambling to cover herself.
Ruan Jun recoiled—her coquettish act was horrifying with that bald patch. He looked away with effort, gritting his teeth
"Y-You—!" He pointed accusingly at Tianjian Peak. "Bullying my junior sister?! All of you—to the Enforcement Hall, NOW!"
Yun Jin grinned.
Perfect.
This was the "loophole" she'd left for them.
"And if I did learn those sword arts myself?" she challenged.
Ruan Jun sneered. "Then I'll chop my head off and give it to you!"
Yun Jin sighed. "I wonder if you can survive without it."
Ruan Jun: "???"
What kind of lunatic was she?
As if she could've self-taught those arts!
Pathetic bluff.
---
[+700 Emotional Value from Ye Danxia.]
[+500 Emotional Value from Ruan Jun.]
[+300 Emotional Value from Bystanders.]