Chapter 166: 166 Chapter 165: Double Standards

"Lock him up in Fire Prison Cliff for a week. Let him reflect on his actions."

Only a week? All things considering, that was actually quite a good deal.

"But…" Tang Qi Hong protested, but her adoptive father silenced her with a raise of his hand.

"Three days, no more."

The Great Elders glanced at each other, and then nodded. They knew there was little point in trying to push the issue. I acted out of self-defense, and Liang Shao Yang had proven to be quite the bastard, almost destroying the sect with his selfishness and tyranny. They would only make themselves look like villains if they insisted.

"That's even better," Luo Zhi Chang agreed. He nodded toward Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng. "Escort him right away."

I raised both my hands in surrender, but neither of the Blood Blades elders made any move to handcuff me. They just gestured for me to follow them, and I obeyed without question. As I did so, Tang Qi Hong stepped forward.

"Are you really going along with this injustice?" she demanded. I cocked an eyebrow at her, wishing she wouldn't push the matter. I was already relieved that the Great Elders weren't sentencing me to six months in Fire Prison Cliff, never mind only a week. Or three days.

"Oi, stop that," Tong Xue grumbled. "You actually mastered Absolute Zero, and you claim that you're not a genius."

"There's a difference between learning something from lots of hard work, and because of one's talent. I belong to the former category. Don't cheapen the amount of effort I put in by claiming I only achieved it because of talent. 'He mastered this whatever ultimate technique! Therefore he must be a genius!' What kind of stupid logic is that? Did it ever occur to you that I mastered this technique because I worked extremely hard, and not because I'm some genius who suddenly comprehends stuff out of nowhere and pull stuff out of my ass? Excuse my language, but this attribution of everything to the person being a genius just annoys me every single time. It makes it sound like I didn't work very hard and I got it just because I have 'talent.' That's kind of aggrieving."

"The problem with so many xianxia stories is that everything the protagonist or characters achieve, they put it down to 'talent'. And then those people who couldn't reach the same heights, they dismiss as 'lack of talent', as if talent decides everything. That's utter bullshit. So if you have no talent, you should just give up and stop working hard? What nonsense is that? Stop being obsessed with talent and do your best. And stop attributing everything to talent. All those stupid xianxia stories you read, they're supposedly filled with 'talented geniuses' or 'unprecedented prodigies' or obscure measurements of one's talent like bone frame or whatever, but what happens? New, even more talented geniuses appear. It begins to cheapen the meaning of talent or the word genius. Everyone is a fucking genius, but some are more of a genius than others. Then what's the whole point of using that term to describe anybody? Main character goes to train in a sect with geniuses, but once he becomes top dog and surpasses all those geniuses, he goes out to another realm where there are geniuses who surpass those geniuses and he has to play catch-up all over again. And then after he beats them all up, he meets new geniuses who make the last batch of geniuses look like plebians. And after he crushes those guys…he means godlike geniuses who basically make the others look like idiots. And the vicious cycle repeats…"

"Okay, okay, okay…stop ranting and just follow me." Elder Zhao sighed and forestalled my raving with a hand. I nodded, fell silent and fell into step. Meanwhile, everyone behind me just gaped in absolute astonishment.

Well, that got me watched by the entire sect (not city, unlike Qin Lie), but not for the same reason that Qin Lie was watched by the entire city. And I doubted people would be praising me as a genius martial artist after that.

"It makes me wonder if we're actually better off with Liang Shao Yang over this guy," the fifth great elder muttered. "This fellow seems a little…unhinged."

Something inside me snapped and I turned toward the great elder. Trying to calm down and not lose my temper over being compared to a psychotic murderer (are you seriously claiming that it was better to keep hold of a fucking murderer who tried to destroy the entire sect out of spite than me, even though I was willing to accept the unfair punishment?), I forced myself to bow respectfully (not there was probably a huge measure of mocking sarcasm in the way I bowed).

"Do you mind if I ask the revered Great Elders a question?"

All of them exchanged glances, but felt there was no harm if they allowed me this little thing, so Luo Zhi Chang nodded.

"Go ahead."

"If our positions were swapped…if Liang Shao Yang was the one who killed me in self-defense, would you have punished him?"

"I would," Sect Leader Zi Shou De automatically said, but the Great Elders hesitated.

"No."

"…yeah, your statuses are too different."

"Shao Yang would have been justified in killing you if that's the case."

"One is the main candidate to be the future sect leader as well as the head inner sect disciple, and the other is a mere Blood Blade…the difference is too overwhelming."

"All because he triggered a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars?" I pressed. The Great Elders glanced at each other, and saw no harm in admitting their biasness.

"That's right."

"It displays extremely rare talent."

"There are only thirty-eight people in the nine hundred years history of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect who were able to comprehend the Spirit Diagrams on the Spirit Engraved Pillars and trigger a response. The Spirit Engraved Pillars don't lie, and the fact is that all thirty-eight people have become the pride of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect in their respective generations. Liang Shao Yang is the thirty-ninth person, and if he didn't die, then he would have become a great master blacksmith and Spirit Engraver as well. There is no denying this."

"Heh…I see." I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath.

So basically, their logic is that, as long as you light up those goddamned Spirit Engraved Pillars, it's all right to go around killing people. What the fuck, man?

I shook my head bitterly. If that was the case…

"Elder Zhao, Elder Cheng, do you mind if I stop by the lake for a moment before my imprisonment?" I asked them. They exchanged a glance, and then nodded.

"Why not?"

"As long as you don't try to run away, we don't care what you do."

"Thank you very much for your kind understanding." I cupped my hands and bowed respectfully. Unlike the Great Elders, the two outer sect elders deserved my sincere respect several times over. That was the problem with "talent" – everyone just judged you unfairly on your potential, and not your character or personal qualities.

"You're kidding, right?" Tong Xue blurted out as he started at me in awe. My friend had caught on to what I was up to. He couldn't help but grin wryly. "You're really full of surprises, aren't you, Fei Wu?"

"What?" Lian Rou sounded confused. Pang Feng shook his head, leaning weakly on his sister, Pang Yun.

"Have you forgotten what's at the lake?"

"Ah!" Zi Xiao Ji cried out when the coin finally dropped. "He wants to…!"

"Sh," Zhao Shi quickly silenced her. "Don't spoil the surprise."

"Now this we've got to see," Da Ge remarked affably.

"Eh? EH?!" Tang Qi Hong was unable to contain her shock. But I didn't spare her a second glance. I was already following Elder Zhao and Elder Cheng up the stony path toward the Flame Volcano. To be more accurate, I was between them. The two Blood Blades elders were on either side of me, to prevent me from escaping.

Yin Jing Jing was staring at me from a distance, bewildered at the sudden turn of events. She clearly recalled seeing me just this morning at the plaza, and she never would have thought I would become the center of a storm of attention a mere few hours later.

Tian Jian Hao, on the other hand, couldn't help but tremble.

"Holy shit…this guy is insane! Good thing I didn't offend him!"

The Dark Asura Sect disciple patted his chest in relief. Well, to be honest, he had all but forgotten about the grudge he held against me over a year ago when he cut queue and got kicked away by me. for a couple of weeks after that, he nursed his grudge and tried to look for an opportunity to take revenge, but he got too busy with training and smithing lessons that the grudge slowly crossed his mind less and less. In a month, he had completely forgotten about that.

I mean, this was reality. Unless you had plenty of time and energy to waste, it was not productive to hold a grudge, especially for a whole bloody year. Some people did, but Tian Jian Hao had better things to do with his time. Especially since Nine-Tailed Fox Sect was pretty demanding, he had to invest all his time and efforts into training, and not think too much about revenge and other stuff. That was basically what happened between me and Liang Shao Yang. Yeah, I was wary of him and treated him with caution, but I honestly had more important things to do with my time at the sect than to scheme and plot revenge.

"I'm really sorry about this," Elder Zhao suddenly spoke up. I turned to him, surprised.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Elder Zhao."

"No, I…" he sighed in frustration. "You are one of us…you're a Blood Blade, one of my precious subordinates, and yet I was so helpless…I almost couldn't protect you. You're justified in your actions, this was legitimate self-defense, and yet you're still being punished for it."

I waved his apology away. "I'm well aware of the double standards and unfair favoritism that the sect practices. To be honest, I think it's the same in every sect."

"Double standards?" Elder Cheng echoed. I nodded, wondering if he was blind to what was happening around him.

"Just because Liang Shao Yang triggered a reaction from the Spirit Engraved Pillars, just because he displayed talent in blacksmithing and Spirit Engraving, and just because he was adept at executing such sinister schemes from the shadows, he could get away with killing people. He attacked me with those Venomous Scarabs right in my face, and the Great Elders still acquitted him. He killed Senior Hao Ying, and you were ordered not to pursue the case. He even sent Gray Shadow and Black Shadow to assassinate Tang Qi Hong at Free Trade Street, but it seems the Great Elders didn't care about that because she's a girl. How is that fair?"

"That's…" Elder Cheng turned pale, unable to refute any of my accusations.

"The Great Elders should be intelligent enough to realize Liang Shao Yang's true character and the atrocities he was responsible for, but they did nothing to punish him. No one touched him. Everyone left him alone to commit yet more atrocities."

I turned to them, but my eyes weren't cold. I wasn't blaming them. I knew their hands were tied by the authorities, the structure of this sect that put stupid, retarded people at the top. It was a miracle how this sect had survived until now. Probably thanks to the competency of Sect Leader Zi Shou De, but he had to work miracles with his hands tied by those idiotic, corrupted Great Elders pulling him down every single time he wanted to do something.

"According to Nine-Tailed Fox Sect's rules, anyone who dares to kill a sect disciple should be executed at Fire Prison Cliff, right? But why was Liang Shao Yang spared? So the rules apply to all the other sect disciples, but they don't apply to Liang Shao Yang? What happens if he kills all of the sect disciples? Is he going to run the sect by himself?"

"There truly is no such thing as fairness in this world." Elder Zhao sighed heavily. He clenched his fists. "But we'll do our best to get justice for you."

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"Um, I already got justice for myself." I scratched my head sheepishly. "To be honest, I didn't intend to kill Liang Shao Yang…"

Actually, I wanted to pull off one magnificent stunt and then rub it into Liang Shao Yang's face, but alas, the bloody fucker attacked me and forced my hand before I could do so. Who would have thought that he would be so easily provoked and reckless attack someone right inside the main grounds of the sect?

"Regardless of what you intended, the fact remains that you killed him," Elder Zhao pointed out wearily. "And that's going to have heavy consequences for our sect."

"So what are we going to do now?" Elder Cheng asked nervously. "There's no way Liang Yang Zu is going to let this pass…"

At that same moment, right at the entrance of the sect, Sect Leader Zi was having an identical discussion with his wife and the Great Elders.

"Sect Leader, what are we going to do with Liang Shao Yang?" the second Great Elder asked.

Sect Leader Zi Shou De shrugged, trying his best not to make his movements look too casual (as if he didn't care about Liang Shao Yang's death – he probably was inwardly happy that I eliminated a threat to his adopted daughter's life without requiring him to meddle and stain his own hands). "I guess there's only one thing to do. Give him a proper burial."

"He is Liang Yang Zu's son. Liang Yang Zu will surely not let this go after he finds out that his son was killed at the entrance of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect like this." The third Great Elder looked very solemn as he vocalized his thoughts.

Sect Leader Zi snorted. "Wait, so his son can go around attacking our other disciples and try to kill them, but our other disciples are not allowed to defend themselves? If he really wants to be unreasonable, then I can't be bothered to be courteous to him."

"Even so, Liang Yang Zu will still be very troublesome to handle." Luo Zhi Chang frowned, not sharing his leader's levity.
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"The main point is that Fei Wu has a very legitimate reason for killing Liang Shao Yang," Sect Lady Zi Da Ji pointed out. "Liang Shao Yang clearly attacked not just him, but also Pang Feng and Tong Xue, and even heavily injured Pang Feng. He also tried to kill Fei Wu. As my husband said, why is Fei Wu not allowed to defend himself? We have plenty of eyewitnesses, and even visual recordings as evidence if he demands it."

"You think Liang Yang Zu will buy that?" the fourth Great Elder grumbled cynically. "He will claim that all the eyewitnesses are from our own sect, and so we're covering it up. And he'll accuse us of doctoring the footage."

Sect Leader Zi's expression darkened. "If he doesn't, so what? We all know what Divine Shadow Sect is after. Even you guys." The six Great Elders flinched when they heard the unspoken reprimand in his tone. Evidently Sect Leader Zi was harboring a grudge against them for siding and covering up for Liang Shao Yang despite knowing his true nature and motives. "They've always been looking for an excuse to attack us. If the Divine Shadow Sect wants to clash with us, then so be it. We will exterminate them with all our might."

And that was that. Nobody could object to that. Instead, Sect Lady Da Ji smiled brilliantly as she stepped to her husband's side.

"The Blood Blades will be at your service."

"I know I can count on you, dear." Sect Leader Zi returned the smile.

While all that was unfolding, in the distance, there was one person who had collapsed far away, unable to believe what she had witnessed.

Hu Mei Er felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the frozen, shattered remains of Liang Shao Yang, slowly melting away under the blazing hot sun. Soon there wouldn't be enough of him left to properly bury.

She knew the truth about her lover, and she was aware of his motives and schemes. She had even thrown her lot with him, believing that she could one day stand at his side as his wife when he took over Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and perhaps merge it with Divine Shadow Sect.

Hu Mei Er never expected him to meet his demise like this…at the hands of…a…a trash!

"I'll never forgive you," she whispered venomously as she clenched her trembling fists. "I swear, you'll pay for this!"

Turning around, unseen by the rest of her fellow disciples, Hu Mei Er disappeared into the shadows.

*

Back on the path of Flame Volcano, Elder Cheng Ping was expressing his same concerns to Elder Zhao.

"A war with Divine Shadow Sect is inevitable now. Surely Liang Yang Zu will not let this go. He will definitely want revenge."

Even though his son was the one who was in the wrong? It figures…typical villains.

Elder Zhao snorted. "Let them come. If those shadowy assassins who only know how to use descipable methods to backstab people think they are a match for our Blood Blades, then we'll be more than happy to demonstrate to them the depths of their delusions."

"Oh, boy…" I muttered. I hadn't thought this far ahead when I was fighting Liang Shao Yang, to be honest. Seriously, how much could you think about irrelevant matters when someone was doing his best to kill you? "I've gotten the sect in trouble, haven't I?"

"Liang Shao Yang had it coming," Elder Zhao assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Even so, this is going to be a bloodblath," Elder Cheng muttered under his breath, not looking forward to that conflict at all.

"Why? Do we Blood Blades have some Blood Pool that we need to soak in while practicing blood techniques?" I asked snidely.

"Huh?" Elder Cheng had no idea what I was talking about. "What the hell is a Blood Pool?"

"Never mind."

"Anyway…" Elder Zhao coughed. "It's not your fault, Fei Wu. The Divine Shadow Sect would have looked for any excuse to attack and invade us. It was inevitable, the moment they set their sights on our armory. Liang Shao Yang infiltrating us from the inside was just one of their underhanded tactics. Even though we knew about it…"

"…because he triggered a response in the Spirit Engraved Pillars, the Great Elders went mad with joy and decided to forget that he was sent by the enemy," I finished for him. Elder Zhao smiled wryly and nodded.

"So what do you intend to do here?" he asked. I realized that we were finally within sight of the plaza surrounded by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.

Once again, I felt the presence of the dark entity. It also noticed me, and greedily lashed out with its qi trendrils, trying to ensnare me. My Snow Aegis glowed hot, the Spirit Engravings that Tang Qi Hong inscribed upon its surface shining brightly, as it formed a spiritual barrier to protect me. Like a Gellar field, an insubstantial screen completely invisible to the naked eye, shimmered around me. The qi tendrils scrabbled desperately against the arcane protection, trying to find an opening or a weak point, but so far it failed.

The malicious, demonic entity seemed to grow ever more desperate, hammering violently against the pseudo-Gellar field with increasing intensity. I winced, but endured the mental onslaught. It shouldn't take me too long, and the spiritual protection that Tang Qi Hong helpfully wove into my Snow Aegis should hold until I was completed.

Swallowing, I took a brave step toward the plaza.

"Do you mind if I spend some time here before going to the Fire Prison Cliff?" I asked the two elders. They shook their heads.

"Be my guest," Elder Zhao said.

"Don't try any tricks," Elder Cheng warned. "We can't let you escape. We can only help you so far, but if you…"

"Don't worry, I have no intention of escaping," I assured him before turning my attention back to the Spirit Engraved Pillars. The malevolent entity was still there, brushing against the edges of my consciousness and being repelled by the spiritual qi barrier from my Snow Aegis. I tried my best to ignore its creepy qi tendrils, which were whispering eerily to me, trying to tempt me into opening the walls and allowing it in.

Like hell I would.

"Is Fei Wu seriously…?" Tang Qi Hong, who had followed me along with the others, raised her hands to her mouth in shock.

"Seems like it," Tong Xue confirmed, amused.

"Will he really be able to do it, though?" Pang Feng wondered out loud. "I mean, the number of people who succeeded in triggering a response from the Spirit Engraved Pillars in our nine hundred plus years of history numbers less than forty…"

"Perhaps he will be the fortieth one," Pang Yun suggested, her eyes gleaming.

Lian Rou laughed nervously. "That will be quite the sight…"

"I believe in Brother Wu," Zi Xiao Ji declared. Everyone turned to stare at her, and she shrugged. "If it's Brother Wu, I believe he can do it. That's why you chose him, right? Sister Qi Hong."

"Uh, I…no, I just…" Tang Qi Hong stammered nervously. I would like to think that she liked me because of my character and personality, and not because of any talent or potential I displayed. I was right, of course. Tang Qi Hong wasn't such a shallow person. She would still have made the same choice and stuck by me even if I had no talent or potential or whatever.

"Are you seriously going to try and comprehend the Spirit Engraved Pillars now?" Elder Cheng Ping asked. He looked a little anxious, probably because he had a duty to do. He also wondered if I was trying some kind of trick. "Don't take too long, okay?"

Elder Zhao, who was my staunch ally all this while, also looked uncertain.

"Why now?" he asked.

There were many reasons why, but it would take too long to explain each and every one of them. The main reason was because I finally had something that could protect me from being possessed by the demonic entity lurking under the Spirit Engraved Pillars, thanks to Tang Qi Hong inscribing those Spirit Engravings just yesterday, but obviously I couldn't tell them about the malevolent presence dwelling at the heart of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect for almost a millennium.

That would surely give every member a heart attack.

Instead, I smiled brightly and then sat down in the middle of the plaza, facing the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars.

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