I knew she'd been more involved than just passive observation. I was certain of it.
"I talked to her a few times... about Brother Fu, but…." her voice died.
SILENCE.
Around the hall, gazes began to shift toward her, one after another, all waiting for her to continue.
Elder Yun frowned slightly. "Speak."
No response!
His tone hardened. "If you do not answer, we will treat this as a confirmation that what Fu Yang said is true."
Mei glanced around with her watery eyes, as if searching for something but also avoiding every gaze.
But what could she say now? Her body language, her expression, her SILENCE had already spilled everything.
I turned to Chen Wu who looked almost lost after what he had just witnessed but I knew this was still not enough.
Leaning closer, I spoke in a low voice. Also activating..
___
[Skills in use: Mask of sincerity × Silver Tongue]
___
"Brother... What now? I believe you hate me too—like them, heh." I forced a weak laugh to appear on my face."Sorry, maybe this really was all because of me, maybe I should have just..rotted in that prison and you wouldn't have had to see any of this today…"
...
"But after this, I will just leave the sect, away.."
"No!" Chen Wu interrupted and his head snapped desperately towards me.
"No," he repeated. "I won't hate you.. You're my brother and for me it means everything."
He said it but there was no expression on his face.
And at once a notification popped on my system screen.
_______
[WARNING: Supporting Character Backlash Reaching Critical Levels]
_______
Keeping my expression neutral, my eyes lifted slightly as I looked at Mei, who was still silent at the oath stone, yet her face was burning red and even veins bulged on her forehead, ready to burst.
Then at Su Ling, who stood next to other detained disciples. Her face was unexplainable, a mixture of rage, despair, confusion, and hatred, all twisting together into something inhuman.
Both of them were affected by the backlash and losing control, here in front of everyone.
But…..could they even try to harm me now?
Heh.
Shortly afterwards—on the system screen..
______
[CORRUPTION PROGRESS: Chen Wu - 88%]
( Wait, eighty eight percent?!) My mind went still. But it didn't just stop here….
[MILESTONE ACHIEVED: Supporting Character Trust Collapsed]
[Analysis: Chosen One "Chen Wu" has ceased trusting supporting characters. Dependency on the villain increased.]
Another notification appeared.
[SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Perfect Immobilization.] × [The Villain has achieved 88% corruption while simultaneously rendering all hostile supporting characters unable to act against him through social and political constraints.]
[Calculating rewards...…]
Then a long list of rewards appeared, even I froze at that.
[Spirit Stones: +3,000]
[Breakthrough Token - Permanent Stage Advancement]
[Description: One-time use. Immediately advances cultivation by one full stage. ]
[Advanced Martial Arts Manual] 1×
[Basic Weapon Mastery Manual]1×
[Advanced Weapon Mastery Manual]1×
[HIDDEN REWARD: Demonic Assassin Skill× Spectral Thread Technique — EPIC GRADE]
[Description: Channel spiritual energy into threads that can be used for binding, cutting, or killing from a distance. Threads are nearly undetectable.]
[Warning : Assassination-grade techniques are forbidden in orthodox sects.]
I stared at the list while Elder Tian was still talking and then looked at me. "Fu Yang has chosen to drop the charges against Su Ling and the others," he said clearly. "However..." His expression hardened. "The sect will NOT."
Hearing this, every disciples face darkened….
Elder Tian turned back to Su Ling. "The charges against you are severe. But before that I still have some questions for you."
Although she was pale and exhausted, Su Ling still shifted her position slightly on the oath stone and rested her hands on it.
...…
"Are you an infiltrator?" Elder Tian asked directly. "Working for Crimson Sword Sect or any other enemy faction?"
"What? No!" Su Ling's answer was immediate. "I am loyal to the Clouded Peak Sect. I would never betray—"
Elder Tian made a note. " Now, did you deliberately cause Yang Kai's injury? Did you sabotage the mission intentionally?"
"No. I fought, and tried to save everyone. The Alpha was just too strong, and Lin Mei died fighting it. Yang Kai was injured when the Alpha broke through our formation. I didn't... I didn't want anyone to die."
The stone didn't glow. She was telling the truth, and it was just a misunderstanding.
But when one looks around the world of nature, the most cruel in all ways are the humans who never forget those thoughts, those feelings, which refuse to accept the truth….
Elder Ming slammed the chair backwards and stood up, yet he said nothing and just walked toward the exit, his footsteps heavy and controlled.
No one stopped him or called out, for they all understood.
The door closed behind him with a soft thud, and Elder Tian waited a moment before he continued.
"Su Ling. Wu Lian. Mei and all disciples who conspired against Fu Yang," his voice grew colder, "if Fu Yang hadn't dropped the charges, your punishment would have been severe."
He paused. "Your meridians would have been thoroughly shattered, and then you would have been expelled from the Clouded Peak Sect."
Every face in the detained group went pale, white as paper, for meridians being destroyed was worse than death for a cultivator.
It meant becoming a cripple forever.
Su Ling's hands trembled, Wu Lian started crying again, and even Shen Yu's confident expression cracked.
"However," Elder Tian's tone didn't soften, "Fu Yang showed mercy, and therefore." He consulted his manual and read from it directly.
"Su Ling, along with all inner disciples involved in this conspiracy, your positions as inner disciples are hereby revoked, and you are demoted to outer disciple status, where you will lose all privileges, all resources, all authority, and you will start from the bottom again. Also you cannot leave the sect thinking you can join another, you will…. face serious consequences."
All stood there with their heads down as Elder Tian continued. "Now, the outer disciples involved will receive five months confinement, a reduction in resource allocation, and probationary status for one year, and any further violations will result in expulsion."
Elder Tian closed the manual and turned to me. His expression softened.
"Fu Yang, I must say... I am truly surprised and not just me." He gestured to the other elders. "I believe all of us feel the same."
The other elders nodded. Even Elder Yun, despite his earlier defense of Su Ling.
"These people were against you, imprisoned you, spread vicious rumors as trying to destroy your reputation. And yet... you chose to forgive them like the smiling Buddha and showed mercy."
{ Smiling Buddha : Here means using a smile to transform suffering into joy. }
He paused and shook his head slightly.
"For all the years I have served as an elder, never have I seen such compassion, such patience as you have all now shown me."
I kept a humble and thankful face as I received the praise.
"Therefore, I am pleased to announce that Fu Yang is hereby promoted to inner disciple status."
Murmurs rippled.
"Also, the sect will try its best to assist you in your cultivation. Any resources you need, any assistance. You will have priority access."
He smiled slightly. "Lastly, just like any inner disciple has his own elder master, I am even more astonished that Elder Han has personally selected you as his second direct disciple."
Hah?
Everyone in the hall looked surprised, their eyes wide and mouths agape, and even I got confused by their reactions.
Elder Tian noticed my confusion, his smile widened.
"You might not know this, but Elder Han has never accepted disciples, and in his entire life at this sect he has only ever chosen one student, one person he deemed worthy of his direct teaching."
He paused for effect.
"That person is currently our Sect Head."
Oh..Oh..
Elder Han himself spoke up. His gruff voice cutting through the whispers.
"Don't be too happy, brat. You think this is a reward? Hah! You'll never get time to rest. I'll make you work harder than anyone in this sect. And I don't accept lazy students."
Some of the other elders laughed warmly, and the tension in the hall eased slightly.
I just stood there, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly. "Thank you, Elder Han. I won't disappoint you."
"You better not."
Elder Tian nodded. "This session is concluded, and everyone is dismissed."
The hall began to empty as the elders stood and disciples filed out. I stood up slowly while surprisingly Chen Wu immediately moved to support me, his hand under my arm, steadying me.
We walked toward the exit together, and he didn't look back or glance at Su Ling or Mei as they were led away in the opposite direction, but just focused on helping me and on being there.
The elders looked at us leaving. I could feel them following us with their eyes as we were supporting each other up as the sun lowered.
We stepped outside, and the fresh air hit me.
Chen Wu spoke quietly. "I'm sorry, I wasn't here…I was on that mission and I didn't know—"
"Chen Wu."
I interrupted him. "It's fine, really, it's in the past now, and what matters is that everything is good and nothing bad happened in the end."
He nodded with a smile, and then in my vision again a notification appeared.
[MILESTONE ACHIEVED: Emotional Dependency Established]
[Chosen One "Chen Wu" now views villain "Fu Yang" as the primary emotional anchor.]
[Special Reward Unlocked: Title Granted]
A new screen appeared. Different from the others.
[TITLE ACQUIRED: THE SMILING ASURA]
[Description: One who wears kindness as a mask while plotting destruction. One who forgives openly while planning revenge. One who appears as a saint but acts as a devil. This title reflects the perfect duality of your nature.]
[Effect : +5% effectiveness to all deception-based actions. Supporting characters: 7% more likely to trust your false persona.]
I looked at the title, reading the description below it.
(Smiling Asura…hehe, fitting.) And continued walking while the words in my mind played…..
For I smile, yet it is not for them.
Yes I forgive, letting mercy rot in silence.
All warmth is a LIE, all kindness a trap. Nothing will remain, even their faiths will snap.
________________