The three chief seniors' cordial reciprocation cemented Lin Xiao's faith in resurrecting the Taixuan Sect. Hence, he came up with a proposal, "Esteemed seniors, what do you say we have a discussion in the Congress Hall?"
Compared to the supreme cultivation methods in the Forsaken Cemetery, the Fiendish Blockade Method was nothing but a third-rater. However, even such an awful method made the Taixuan Sect lose its bearings. Being established by Dizun, it shouldn't have regressed to such an embarrassing amount. On thinking of that, Lin Xiao's heart ached.
"Good, good," The three chief seniors unanimously accepted Lin Xiao's proposal, standing aside in line to let Lin Xiao precede. And the tertiary chief senior held the unconscious Zou Qiang and followed up.
Nevertheless, none of Wu Gui, Wang Di, or Wang Manyun were unqualified for a place in the Congress Hall.
Seeing Lin Xiao leave along with the three chief seniors, Wang Manyun asked Wu Gui in agitation, "Martial Brother, are the chief seniors going to dissect Brother Lin Xiao?"
The seniors went slack-jawed on knowing that Lin Xiao remained impervious to the impact of fiendish spiral force. Right then they appeared as if they had been attempting to swallow him alive. The sight of it intensely scared Wang Manyun.
As powerful martial gurus, the three chief seniors caught what Wang Manyun said, though she raised that question under her breath. They even tumbled on hearing it while walking on the fairly level ground.
"Dissecting the Junior Martial Uncle? No kidding! We would have dared to engage that even if we would have got absolved from it," the three seniors shook their sweaty heads, following Lin Xiao's figure with their eyes.
In the meantime, Wu Gui shook his head fervently, perspirations cascading down his forehead.
"Then I'm relieved," Wang Manyun nodded, feeling well at ease again.
However, after staring the seniors and Lin Xiao's figures for a second, Wang Manyun bit her lip and rushed forth, with all courage up. She asked, "Esteemed seniors, may I have a word?"
A sect is a paramount institution on the Fire Metereolite Continent, with a rigid hierarchy and the corresponding sophisticated ranking systems. Hence, it was conceivable that it would take loads of courage for a newly-enrolled disciple to request the seniors to wait for her.
On hearing that, the three chief seniors and Lin Xiao stopped and looked back at Wang Manyun.
"Esteemed seniors, please don't make Brother Lin Xiao do anything against his will. He did all this just for the sake of the future of our sect," Wang Manyun interceded with the seniors in a trembling voice.
It stood to reason that Wang Manyun misunderstood the whole story. In her eyes, the three chief seniors were way superior to Lin Xiao. Compounded with the insane look that had when staring at him, she felt terribly anxious in spite of herself.
One had to note that the chief seniors were literally deified as gods in the sect. To venture to express one's opinion to them? That was not different than asking for the moon. Wang Manyun could have been scolded by them. In the worst scenario, it would have been possible that she ended up in exile.
However, what happened next went beyond Wang Manyun's imagination.
The seniors' faces turned pale forthwith on hearing that. Then they hastened to shake his head and denied, "We dare not. We dare not."
Perspirations ran down their foreheads.
"We dare not," Wang Manyun repeated their lines to herself in her mind, "Isn't it supposed to be they won't?" One word made the two versions poles apart.
Something remained unknown to her — the three chief seniors' response was actually made to Lin Xiao. Their reaction could have caused his misunderstanding as well. Who knows? It was at least the case with Wang Manyun. One could say that even the thought of coercing Lin Xiao had never crossed them.
Right then, Lin Xiao echoed to put Wang Manyun at ease, "Don't worry. The seniors take very good care of me. Do you remember? The patriarch already accepted me as his official disciple." Beaming radiantly, Lin Xiao waved to Wang Manyun. Then he walked on.
The three chief seniors soon kept up.
It took a while for Wang Manyun to come back to herself. At that moment, Lin Xiao already disappeared with the three chief seniors. She stamped her foot with anxiety, "Brother Lin! Don't you find being the patriarch's disciple insufficient to bring you an exemption? They gave such a grim dressing down to Brother Wu Gui when we arrived!"
Perspirations reappeared on Wu Gui's head with vengeance. He felt rather awkward, "I'm by no means his equal, okay?"
Wang Di remained silent aside. He kept his mouth shut through the whole thing. However, something struck a sparkle in his eyes just now. Staring at where Lin Xiao disappeared, he seemed immersed in contemplation.
Wang Manyun soon vented her anger on his own brother, "Brother, why the hell did you say nothing? You find yourself a hero? You are only when you tell me off!"
Then Wang Di came back to himself. His fingers kept rubbing his scalp clumsily. He smiled at Wang Manyun in the way you could do to your own darling sister.