Medicinal Hall.
Elder Han sat at his desk, mortar and pestle in hand, grinding herbs with deft, practiced movements. The pestle rose and fell in a steady rhythm, crushing and combining the mixture.
Nearby Elder Shen was looking at a jade slip of the medical records, his routine being to inspect the medical provisions of the sect at regular intervals and ensure their proper upkeep.
"The winter stores are adequate though we should acquire more Frost Ginseng before the season changes."
"Mm." Elder Han added powder to a clay jar, sealed it and set it aside — "I'll submit a request to the resource hall."
They worked in comfortable silence for a moment then Elder Han frowned…
"Strange."
"What?" Elder Shen looked up.
"That brat hasn't come for treatment not even today."
"Which brat are you talking about? Haha, you treat dozens of them."
"Haaaah, the one with the damaged meridian." Elder Han's frown deepened — "he was progressing well but he missed his last three scheduled treatments."
"Perhaps he's busy or the medicines are working well enough that he doesn't need constant supervision."
"No." Elder Han shook his head firmly. "The treatment protocol requires visits every other day, and missing even one session could set back his recovery significantly. That boy was diligent and never missed a session before."
Elder Shen set down the jade slip. "Didn't you ask about him?"
"I sent a servant to the outer disciple quarters yesterday, and asked them to remind Fu Yang about his appointment." Elder Han's expression soured — "you know what the disciples said?"
"What?"
"He doesn't want to come anymore."
Elder Shen raised an eyebrow. "He said that directly?"
"No. And that's what makes it strange. They claim he told them he was feeling better and didn't need treatment anymore. Yet he knows better than that. I explained very clearly how important consistent treatment is. He's not stupid enough to simply stop showing up."
"Mm." Elder Shen picked up the jade slip again. But his mind was elsewhere now.
He remembered Fu Yang, the young man who had helped expose a traitor and nearly died facing Sect Master Shen's projection.
He hadn't thought much about Fu Yang recently, the boy had been given premium treatment access and that should have been enough, let him recover, let him prove himself worthy of inner disciple status eventually.
But now…
Missing his treatment and with other disciples claiming he didn't want to come? That didn't match what Elder Shen knew of Fu Yang's character.
His brows tightened as something felt wrong.
And then it hit him.
(That night after the confrontation with the Crimson Sword Sect Master's projection, didn't that massive translucent figure had threatened?)
"You, boy. I will remember your face. This debt will be paid."
The threat had been direct. Aimed at Fu Yang for exposing Zhang Kun.
Elder Shen's eyes widened.
(What if—)
He stood up abruptly, so fast his chair scraped against stone.
"Elder Shen?" Elder Han looked at him with confusion.
But Elder Shen did not answer.
His cultivation flared with Core Formation peak stage. Spiritual energy surged through his meridians and he moved.
One moment he was in the Medical Hall and the next he was outside, crossing the distance in bursts of speed that left afterimages, his personal servant,an older man immediately followed, running to keep up despite being much slower.
"Master! What's wrong?!"
Elder Shen didn't respond, just kept moving toward the outer disciple quarters.
Behind him, Elder Han stood in the now-empty Medical Hall, confused. Still, he recognized that expression on Elder Shen's face, that urgency…
Elder Han sent his own servant running. "Go to the Sect Head immediately. Tell him Elder Shen has discovered something urgent."
The servant bowed and sprinted toward the Sect Master's residence.
Elder Han grabbed his medicine pouch and followed after Elder Shen, his own cultivation base activating as he pushed his Golden Core stage speed to its limit
Elder Shen reached the outer disciple dormitory area within just seconds.
His sudden arrival drew immediate attention. Disciples training nearby stopped and stared as an elder rushed past at full speed. Those near the dormitory buildings saw him approaching, their eyes widening before they quickly gathered and bowed respectfully.
"Elder Shen!"
"Greetings, Elder!"
Elder Shen ignored them, his eyes sweeping across the buildings until he found the one he was looking for—the dormitory where Fu Yang should be staying. He moved toward it with quick, purposeful strides as the disciples stepped aside.
Reaching the door, he pushed it open.
Empty….
Elder Shen turned to the gathered disciples outside. "Where is the disciple who lives here?"
The nervous disciples exchanged uncertain glances but none of them spoke.
"I asked a question." Elder Shen's voice remained calm, yet something in his tone made the air feel heavier.
One disciple - a young man around twenty - stepped forward reluctantly. "Elder, I... we don't know exactly—"
"You don't know where a fellow disciple is?"
"He... he hasn't been here for several days."
"Where did he go?"
The disciple's eyes darted to the others looking for support, but no one met his gaze.
"I... I'm not sure if I should..."
Elder Shen's cultivation pressure released — not violently, just present, a Core Formation cultivator's full spiritual energy pressing down on the area.
The young disciple immediately dropped to his knees, his hands grabbing his head as his face contorted with fear and pain.
"Where… Is… He?"
"Prison!" The disciple gasped out. "He's in the detention cells! Please, Elder! I'll tell you everything!"
The pressure eased slightly, just enough for the disciple to breathe properly.
"Explain."
"A female disciple reported that Fu Yang had... had harassed her, made unwanted advances. Because of that, the patrol disciples arrested him that night. He has been in the cells since then."
Elder Shen's expression didn't change, though his mind was racing.
Harassment charges against Fu Yang. The same Fu Yang who'd brought Yue Lian home safely when he could have ignored her.
And—
The same Fu Yang who Sect Master Shen of Crimson Sword Sect had personally threatened.
(Was this a coincidence.)
Elder Shen released his pressure completely. The disciple collapsed forward, gasping.
"Which female disciple made the accusation?"
"I... I don't know her name, Elder. Just heard, it was someone from the inner area."
Elder Shen turned and strode toward the detention center without another word. His servant hurried behind him, nearly running to keep up.
Behind him, disciples were gathering as word spread quickly. An elder investigating and has been moving with urgency, something big was happening.
At last Elder Han caught up to Elder Shen halfway to the detention center.
"What's going on?" Elder Han demanded, "why did you run off like that?"
"Fu Yang is in prison."
"For what?!"
"Harassment charges."
Elder Han's face twisted with anger — "what?! And no one informed the Medical Hall?! That boy is in the middle of crucial treatment, missing it—"
"I know."
"This is unacceptable! Major decisions about disciples should be reported to us immediately!"
Elder Shen's face was set and hard.
They reached the detention center, a small building on the sect's eastern edge, rarely used, most disciples were well-behaved and serious crimes were handled by elder councils, not with simple imprisonment.
Three disciples stood guard outside and upon seeing the two elders approaching immediately stood straighter.
"Elder Shen! Elder Han! We—"
One of them turned and tried to run inside, probably to warn someone but Elder Han's cultivation pressure crashed down like a hammer, the disciple collapsing mid-step, hitting the ground hard and not moving — the other two guards froze with terror written across their faces.
"Open the door," Elder Shen said quietly,
they practically fell over themselves complying, hands shaking as they unlocked the entrance.
Elder Shen and Elder Han walked past them without another word. The interior was dim, lit by a few spiritual lamps, rows of cells lining both walls, most empty, yet one wasn't.
Inside sitting on the bed was Fu Yang. He looked terribly thinner than he'd been six days ago, his face gaunt and clothes dirty with hair disheveled, dark circles under his eyes.
Furthermore they hadn't been feeding him properly, maybe not at all.
But his eyes were alert and sharp, fixed not on the iron bars of his cell now.....
But rather on them as they approached.
Elder Shen stopped in front of the cell. For a long moment, no one spoke. Fu Yang's gaze moved between the two elders, quietly reading their expressions
Finally, Elder Han broke the long silence.
"What the hell is this?"