Chapter 123 - He Junli Meets The Grand Elder
Li Huang looked at Cai ZhenKang, maybe if he looked long enough, he would say that he was joking but his wish didn't come true as Cai ZhenKang kept looking at him with a proud look on his face.
"…Are you serious?" Li Huang asked him as he couldn't believe that Cai ZhenKang could be this blockheaded.
Cai ZhenKang nodded sagely.
"Of course, how else would we interact when our sects are not in good relations?" Cai ZhenKang said with his bigger brother expression.
"…And you think someone at the level of your master can't hear you just because you are talking quietly?" Li Huang said and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Cai ZhenKang. He couldn't understand how this was going to fool someone that has one of the seven holy lands in the palm of his hand.
Hearing this Cai ZhenKang's face lost color and he stiffly turned to look at his master who also came here after Cai ZhenKang used a few treasures that signaled him. Most of Cai ZhenKang's treasures would signal his master because in the blue bulls sect they rather not use any sort of outside power so if a disciple is too reliant on them he or she would be punished. In fact, his master came here to punish him at first but soon came to know the gravity of the situation that they were in so he didn't mind this minor thing.
When Cai ZhenKang looked at his master's back he heard a snort from his master.
'He heard me.' Cai ZhenKang thought as he was now as white as a sheet. He almost lost his footing and fell but Li Huang helped him.
~'You idiot, of course, he knows about it he would have beaten you already if he had a problem with it.'~ Li Huang sent him a sound transmission as he thought Cai ZhenKang might pass out from fear if he didn't.
Cai ZhenKang who heard him looked at him with a little hope in his eyes. He was ready for a nonstop hellish training because he formed a friendship with Li Huang.
~'A sect's politic is decided by the sect's head and grand elders but it doesn't mean that we are in a war. If our sects were to start fighting each other then you shouldn't have a friendly relation with me but now we are not at that point yet.'~ Li Huang further explained to ease Cai ZhenKang's unease.
Cai ZhenKang thought about it a little and remembered that his master wouldn't care about anything if he wanted to beat him and he would have already beaten him without a care about the situation. Laughing a little Cai ZhenKang collected himself.
"Hahaha, I thought I was going to die, haha…" Cai ZhenKang said. Li Huang thought that at least grandpa Long wouldn't beat him for such a thing.
…
When everyone got close to the White Moon sect's tent and the elders were to step closer they heard a crisp sound.
*slap* *thud*
"And you dare to act as you wish in the trials? Get up." The female voice said. For anyone familiar with the White Moon sect it was easy to detect that this voice belonged to grand elder Su Zhi.
*slap* *thud*
A few seconds later this sound was heard again. And to anyone who had high enough cultivation level to see a little past the defensive formation of the tent, it was clear that grand elder Su Zhi was slapping He Junli who had a look of disobedience on her face that didn't amuse grand elder Su Zhi at all.
When the disciples got back no one said anything about how He Junli handled the situation in the trial so grand elder Su Zhi didn't say much but once she heard about how she lost face for their sect and her actions could have created a war against them and other holy lands she couldn't be more furious.
How she could be so short-sighted to let such a thing happen was beyond her comprehension. If only one person from a holy land were to lose their life because of her there was no salvaging this situation.
"Be happy that I'm not stripping your disciple status right here and right now." Grand elder Su Zhi said and walked toward the tent's exit. She could detect that the other head figures of the other holy lands were looking inside the tent but she didn't stop it as she didn't want them to think this was only a show and there would be no punishment for her. Near the tent's exit, she turned and looked at other disciples.
"The rest of you will also face a punishment." She said and left the other disciples. If they didn't follow He Junli's every word no such thing would happen.
'Nice! I knew I could leave this matter to grand elder Su Zhi.' Li Huang thought like a lovestruck teenager.
Getting out of the tent and seeing that everyone was gathered here she now knew that if she didn't slap He Junli herself, these elders and disciples would want a valid explanation.
Su Zhi cupped her fists and bowed a little.
"Fellow Daoists, the matter about our disciple, He Junli, is a stain in our sect's reputation and we would punish her and others who followed her blindly with utmost care so that this mistake won't happen ever again." She said.
Although some who know her well took these words at face value some didn't look pleased. As someone who was at the highest levels of this world's cultivation, this wasn't surprising to her so she continued.
"Of course, we will invite every holy land to be the witness to these punishments." She said and those who thought this to be a ploy at the beginning didn't have anything else to say.
"Two disciples lost their lives in the trial because of that mistake. Alas, no treasure in the world can bring back the dead but our White Moon sect would do its utmost to alleviate their families' pains as much as we can." She said and finished her words. She handled this matter in the best way and didn't let this matter do any major damage to the White Moon sect as a whole.
Other leaders of each sect got closer to her and they talked about this matter and other things.
'I have to say, she handled the situation expertly.' Li Huang thought.
"So this is what they call the experience that comes with age." Cai ZhenKang said as he was looking at grand elder Su Zhi.
Li Huang who was beside him punched him in the head.
"Don't talk about a woman's age." Li Huang said as he didn't want his stupid friend to destroy his chances, no matter how minuscule they are.
"Oh! I see…" Cai ZhenKang said as he took note.
…
Minutes passed and elders talked with each other and the disciples did so too. Grand elder Su Zhi was now talking with Li Long.
"How have you been these years?" She asked with a warm smile. She had seen him when he was young with her disciple, Shen Yan. As she was his wife's master they had many interactions over the years but after Li Huang was born they haven't seen each other until now.
"I have been good grand elder Su, thank you. How is your health?" Li Long said as politely as he could as grand elder Su was like a mother to his wife and a mother-in-law to him.
"I would have been good if this matter didn't happen. *sigh* The young generation has got too arrogant it seems…" she said as she knew handling this would be a headache as He Junli must have a following in the sect too.
"Enough of this, how is your grandson?" Su Zhi asked as she needed to hear something positive. She heard how Li Huang handled the punishment as they call it and she was amazed by how alert he was.
"He too is good." Li Long said and cupped his fists.
"Good, lead the way to him. Yan'er didn't see this child all these years so at least I can talk with him this way." Su Zhi said as she shook her head.
Li Long didn't need to hear anymore and acted as a guide for Su Zhi. Although he was now a patriarch he wasn't one to get drunk on mere titles.
"Please, this way." He said.
It didn't take long for them to reach where Li Huang was and he too was surrounded by disciples from different sects, from the holy lands and smaller powers. As he was the one who created the fort every disciple felt that they should show their gratitude to him.
When Li Long and Su Zhi came near them the disciples naturally gave way to them.. Seeing this Li Huang also noticed grandpa Long and grand elder Su Zhi who were seemingly coming toward him.