89 Peacocking and Solidifying a Reputation.

Only the sound of the wind whooshing and loose robes swaying could be heard.She could feel the bald man's mood. He looked at her, examining from top to bottom. Zhi Rui felt the bald man's confusion. He couldn't comprehend how a small level two disciple dared to talk that way to a venerable so calmly.

Zhi Rui looked at him from top to bottom, her eyes cold.

"My standing, as the head of the disciplinary Division was attained by my strength and achievements alone. It's an untold truth that it was given to me, not for the sake of rewarding, but for me to build it into a solid asset for the sect."

Zhi Rui descended to the ground. Standing fivemeters away from the tall bald man,She stared deeply in his eyes and spoke loudly

"That's not something an entitled clown like you can give or take at will!"

The five behind the bald man stared with wide eyes.

The disciples present stood frozen, they couldn't process that someone like them just stood up and affronted a Venerable realm monster.

Zhi Rui felt the confusion on the man become anger.

His veins pulsated visibly, he smiled in rage "A pity, This light sect will lose aprodigy today."

Aurelio couldn't stop his grin and faked a cough to cover his mouth. Xunhue watched from the sidelines, she felt hopeful, if Zhi Rui disappeared, It'd be a matter of time until she became the most talented and looked up to disciple in all the light sect.

Zhun Xuying watched from a distance, her hands clenched.

Xun Lee looked at the disciples behind her and with a sudden thought, she screamed towards the bald man "This is the light sect! a place governed by the righteous light! You're a senior of the older generation, how could you possibly think of killing without reason!?"

Her voice resounded amidst the disciples, they hearts pumped.

Xun Lee looked at them "Show your will! do you think he will kill all the disciples here!? Zhi Rui was the one who discovered the demonic cultivators and was also the one who fought and killed two of them! She was a pillar that helped her empire in the time of crisis! And wouldn't hesitate to protect any of you! Yet, when she faces tyranny alone, you all stand silent!?"

Annoyed the bald man waved his hand. "Silence!" He yelled.

A gleam flashed in Zhi Rui's eyes. She bolted in Xun Lee's direction.

Xun Lee's delicate beautiful face froze and blood gushed out from her mouth, she looked at Zhi Rui coming the way, she reached out her hand but Zhi Rui was too far away. Her frail body tumbled down, and she fell unconscious.

A second later Zhi Rui reached her and shoved a healing pill on her mouth. She felt the veins on the girl's neck. silently her cold eyes turned to the bald man. "You have no dignity, If I came slightly later, she'd be crippled for life!"

Her voice echoed in the hearts of the disciples, Zhi Rui's name was in their minds for a few weeks but Xun Lee has talked and got to know the majority of the people, her bright smiles is already known to everybody.

Zhi Rui's low voice reached their ears "If not for me, then do it for her."

the words hit the disciples like thunder. And seeing Xun Lee's pale complexion snapped something inside them.

Zhun Xuying came from afar like lightning, she stood beside Zhi Rui and grabbed the unconscious Xun Lee. Her cold eyes passed by everybody,without a word she carried Xun Lee away.

A second passed, then a minute. A disciple with bloodshot eyes screamed

"You're our senior!But that doe notgive you the right to kill at will!"

"Yes! Xun Lee was just standing up to her friend!"

"Zhi Rui helped this sect since she entered, but the first thing you do is killing people!?"

The bald man was dumbfounded. He merely sent a wave of pressure towards the girl, there's absolutely no way it could've harmed her, not even a mortal would be crippled by it.

His already bulging veins turned more evident. His eyes locked on Zhi Rui. Now he would become a joke to everyone who knows him, he came to this backwater place in a ridiculous mission and was humiliated by the worthless mob. He could feel the five behind him holding back their laughter. And all that because of the green eyes thing in front of him.

'Now she did it.' Elder Huang thought. It was merely a show of authority that would've ended fast, but Zhi Rui escalated it too much and it'll affect their positions as elders too. But he didn't resent her, the one worthy of the grudge is the trembling Aurelio trying to hold his excitement.

Elder Huang breathed in deeply, he did not know how he let someone like Aurelio get the best of him, 'I became too comfortable. Now the game has changed, and I need to adapt.' With his cold eyes, he looked at Zhi Rui standing proud. He knew she wasn't dumb form her previous actions. his eyes trembled at his thoughts.

If he remained the way he is, then he might lose influence as an elder. And the one to gain it would be Aurelio. With new resolve and firm posture Huang stepped forward.

"My lord! Zhi Rui stayed in her cave to stabilize her recent breakthrough, wichs is perfectly reasonable, to say she is lazying aroundit's too much!"

Now with a measly backwater level four elder speaking against him. The bald man paled. His reputation would crumble completely. The short old man behind him couldn't hold it and laughed but he stifled it with a fake cough.

The bald man froze. His wide eyes passed through the protesting disciples, Elder Huang's rigid stance, and finally rested on Zhi Rui's cold mocking eyes.

"SILENCE!" He yelled and ashock wave spread.

The disciples coughed blood, at least half fell unconscious.

Elder Huang who was close flew back and smashed into a thick pillar.

The five people behind him froze.

He stared venomously at Zhi Rui. "I wasn't going to kill you. Merely sent you to another sect branch. BUT NOW, FOR THE CRIME OF OFFENDING THE HIERARCHYI, ZHANG WEI, SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"

He grabbed the heavy sword from his back and swung it vertically at Zhi Rui.

He didn't move from his place, but Zhi Rui felt the air around her stagnate. blood came down her nose and eyes, yet, she did not panicked. Her back remained straight and her expression composed.

As the true attack neared, Zhi Rui heard a resigned sigh and smiled/ to herself.

An image of an old man wearing rags stood floating crosslegged between Zhang Wei and Zhi Rui.

The slash tore the air and made the sect tremble, when it reached the old man it suddenly dispersed.

"The ones form the older generation shouldn't mess with juniors."

"Are you insane you damn animal!? You know full well where I came from. Yet a thing like you dares to oppose me!?"

The old man's eyes turned cold. "I only obey the oath I made, anything besides that is up for me to decide. And this girl is too precious to be lost on your hands. I won't allow you nosing into the juniors affairs. She's the leader of the disciplinary division and will only step out if she's outmatched by her peers. If you want to persist, then we'll have a good fight."

"Y-You're willing to fight me, for this girl!?"

The old mand didn't answer, merely stared at Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei was appalled. He couldn't afford to fight a venerable like him now. He didn't have the confidence to defeat a beast that evolved relying on its own ability. Trembling, Zhang Wei looked at Zhi Rui and everything around, his eyes bloodshot. He was humiliated and will become a joke everywhere, even so, he has to take it like a champ and swallow it all down.

Before he could say anything else, Zhi Rui's imposing voice resounded.

"Since justice has prevailed, I'll make my announcement."

The ones in a daze all turned to Zhi Rui.

Zhi Rui materialized her energy midair and walked up as if there was a stairway. From her high ground, she could see everyone.

"My motive for coming here is to announce; I'll be taking some disciples to temper ourselves outside the sect. I'll trade all my merit points and crystals for resources. We'll be out for at least three months."

Finished Zhi Rui did no waited objection"Xunhue!" She called

Zhi Rui looked at the girl with warm eyes.

"Thank you for taking care of the issues while I was away, and please keep doing so while I'm gone!"

Xunhue looked at Zhi Rui in a daze.

Yet again, she is stealing the scene and etching her image on every disciples and elders mind. It doesn't matter what she achieves while Zhi Rui is away. To surmount the actions of facing off against the legendary venerable realm and remain unpunished, is nearly impossible. And even if she did manage to do something great. Zhi Rui's words etched Xunhue as a subordinate in the minds of the people, now every time she achieves something, She'll be remembered as the subordinate of Zhi Rui.

"Xunhue? are you okay?" Zhi Rui asked.

Xunhue woke up from her daze and smiled wryly.

Aurelio kept his smiling exterior and nodded at Zhi Rui.

Ignoring Him, Zhi Rui nodded at Xunhue and walked away. Her steps light.

They all watched her back leisurely walking away no fast nor slow, with elegance.

Zhi Rui crossed the peak that divided the outer and inner sect.She descended on the ground. Zhun Xuying together with Xun Lee came beside her with smiles.

Zhi Rui saw their mirth and gave a smile of her own.

Zhun Xuyin's face suddenly turned to alarm as Zhi Rui fell forward.

Zhun Xuying held her before Zhi Rui hit the ground when she lied her down, horror came over Xun Lee and Zhun Xuying, the front part of Zhi Rui's robe disintegrated and went away with the wind revealing a horrendous bloody wound across Zhi Rui's chest.