Free Cloud Sect, Main HallThe last Sect Elder entered the main hall of the monastery and everything was quiet. He looked to his left and right and noticed that there were two rows of chairs aligned, where all the Sect Elders had gathered, sitting down solemnly. Right in the middle of the two rows was a stage, and the statue of the Patriarch was glowing brightly.
Elder Zhang hurriedly bowed to the statue of the Patriarch and the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader was the only one who wasn’t seated. After some time, the Sect Leader spoke, "You’re late. Take a seat."
The Sect Leader made a small cough before speaking, "Since we’re all unable to come up with a unanimous decision, then let’s invite the Patriarch to take a look before we shall call for a vote."
"I have no objections." Yu Yun Jun hurriedly replied.
"Then let’s begin!"
Someone burned some incense as offering and handed it over to the Sect Leader. He then turned around, faced the statue and placed it within the burner. He then bowed before retreating several steps. The minute he bowed, there was a buzzing sound, as the statue of the Patriarch started glowing brighter.
A transparent image of Pei Zi Yun appeared before the statue of the Patriarch and had turned a bright red from the light reflected by the Patriarch. It almost seemed as though he was looking thoroughly into the transparent image. Yu Yun Jun could not help but clenched her fist as she watched on. She noticed that several Elders had their eyes fixated upon her.
"Patriarch, does this person possess any other powers, or has he brought in foreign powers into our sect?" The Sect Leader stepped forward and asked.
"This person has cultivated for a total duration of two years, and bears no traces of other magical powers!" A voice rang out from the statue. The Sect Leader’s face was ashen.
Immediately after, the red glowing light simmered down and faded away. Yu Yun Jun then stood up, "Since that’s the case, fellow Elders, let’s cast our votes!"
Meditation Room
Honestly speaking, this meditation room wasn’t a jail cell meant to contain anyone. Instead, it was supposed to be a place for secluded meditation.
The area experienced a cool and gentle breeze with the warm sun glowing overhead within a thousand kilometers. And yet within the meditation room, it was damp and dark. There was a mattress and a table with a pot of tea on it. The floor was made of soft wood, which wouldn’t make any sound when it was stepped on. Incense had been burnt within the room as well, and none of the windows were open.
It was a rather favorable environment for someone to enter secluded meditation.
Pei Zi Yun wore a plain white robe and sat atop the mattress, as though he was in deep meditation, and yet he was thinking about other matters. He was thinking about the series of recent events that had transpired.
"I’m not afraid of the investigation by the Patriarch since my cultivation foundation is pure and true. Besides, I’ve managed to open the gates of heaven and become a Yin Master, and have established a great contribution to the sect. Although I went overboard by killing Song Zhi, it was not a big issue. I did it out of self-defense. What can the Sect Leader do about that?’
"There are people standing guard outside the meditation room. I was placed here to cultivate, and also to give them time to decide my fate after killing Song Zhi."
Pei Zi Yun’s heart fluttered before a white Plum Blossom appeared before his eyes and became a transparent white information interface.
"Mission : Weed out all of Xie Cheng Dong’s men in Ying Prefecture (Completed)"
"Mission : Break through the gates of heaven, become a Core Disciple (Incomplete)"
"For now that matter isn’t of utmost importance. Although I’ve managed to break through the gates of heaven by relying on the original owner’s experience, I’ve incurred some cracks within my cultivation. Although it’s not very serious, it requires some time of meditation to repair."
Just as he was thinking, he could hear someone speaking outside.
"You’re not to say anything about this. I have something important which I need to discuss with my fellow brother. Do you hear me?" The voice outside belonged to Chu Xia who was talking to the guards outside.
"Little Junior Sister, my Master commanded me not to allow anyone to disturb Junior Brother Pei." The person outside replied, refusing to allow the little lady into the room.
"If you don’t move away, I shall tell my Master and senior uncle that you’ve been bullying me." The voice outside spoke.
"No, no, no, don’t do that, little Junior Sister. You may go in, we won’t stop you. But if my Master comes, please tell him that you insisted on going in, and not that I allowed you in." The Daoist outside relented in resignation and told Chu Xia.
"Fine, fine. I got it. You do not have to speak further. I just want to see my Junior Brother, what can happen from that?" Chu Xia said irritably.
At this point Chu Xia pushed open the door and looked at Pei Zi Yun. "Junior Brother, hurry get up and escape. I overheard someone saying that the Sect Leader had decided to punish you harshly. He said they were to expel all your Dao arts and energy and chase you out of the sect. He said you showed no respect for the seniors and even violated the rules of the sect."
Pei Zi Yun looked at Chu Xia, who seemed extremely worried. He then broke out into a smile, "Senior Sister, don’t worry about me. I know what to expect."
"Junior Brother, you killed Song Zhi and violated the sect rules by killing a member of the same sect. Junior Brother, will you really be okay?" Chu Xia looked troubled.
Pei Zi Yun gave her a warm smile, "Matters within Free Cloud Sect are not solely decided by the Sect Leader alone. The other Sect Elders also understand what I had to do. Besides, there are the Patriarchs who will watch over me. This matter shall not go in favor of the Sect Leader’s wishes."
Pei Zi Yun consoled Chu Xia before they heard someone speaking loudly, "Respects to senior."
The voices came from the pair of Daoist standing guard outside as they paid their respects.
When the door opened, Chu Xia was still trying to find a place to hide but failed.
Yu Yun Jun strolled in and met the gaze of Pei Zi Yun. She looked very calm and composed, and her expression could not be read.
When Yu Yun Jun entered she looked at Chu Xia who was standing by the corner. She then looked at Pei Zi Yun. Only after some time did she speak, "Zi Yun, the matter has finally pa.s.sed."
"Although Song Zhi was extremely vile and committed treacherous act, he was still the Sect Leader’s favorite disciple and was extremely friendly with many other Sect Leaders."
"Although you’ve killed a disciple of our sect, there was the mitigating factor of you rescuing the disciple from True Element Sect. Furthermore you had your reasons for attacking him. However, it’s been decided that your Honorary Disciple position would be stalled and would not be granted to you."
"We can only grant you the position of Core Disciple. You also have been expelled from the Sect domains for a year, and are forbidden from returning back. This is your punishment."
"As for this matter, Master can only fight so hard for you and help you get the most lenient punishment." Yu Yun Jun seemed crestfallen.
"Many thanks Master." Pei Zi Yun stood up and bowed. A punishment like this can’t even be considered a punishment. The main reason for this expulsion from the sect domains was to prevent any stain or negative impact for when he finally becomes the Honorary Disciple, and he knew that. Although he had legitimate reasons for acting the way he did, it didn’t leave a good impression on the rest of the Sect Elders, and was a huge reason why he was unable to get the Honorary Disciple spot.
Since Pei Zi Yun was unable to remain neutral and tolerate the hatred from the original owner, and what he’d threatened to do to Ye Su’er, this was the price he had to pay.
At this point however, he felt guilty for letting down Yu Yun Jun, who had always treated him lovingly. She had placed all her hopes on him.
"Zi Yun, today shall be the day you receive your t.i.tle. Do not clash with the Sect Leader. Although he doesn’t command your respect, he’s still the Sect Leader, and is the face of our Free Cloud Sect. It’s never good to clash with the head." Yu Yun Jun spoke to Pei Zi Yun as she straightened his robes for him.
"Yes, Master. I know." Pei Zi Yun stood before the mirror and replied.
"Now, you shall receive the t.i.tle to become a Core Disciple. When you become an Earth Immortal eventually, you can come back here again." Yu Yun Jun spoke as she continued straightening his attire and making him presentable.
"Yes, Master." Pei Zi Yun listened to her attentively as he smiled. He knew that his Master was extremely concerned for his well-being.
"Turn around and let me take a look!" Yu Yun Jun said.
Pei Zi Yun then turned around and allowed Yu Yun Jun to scrutinize him. "Not bad, you look extremely charming and handsome."
Within the main hall, all the Sect Elders were divided into two rows and they sat upright in their respective chairs. The Sect Leader sat atop the highest chair, and his face looked extremely unkind, as though he took no pleasure in being present at this ceremony.
Outside the main hall, many disciples were gathered outside. They’ve all heard that this junior disciple had killed Senior Brother Song Zhi. They’ve even heard that this matter had risen due to a woman that Pei Zi Yun was in love with. Many of the disciples had never met Pei Zi Yun and they came to get a glimpse of the person everyone was speaking of.
Yu Yun Jun sat on her chair as she got ready. After some time, Pei Zi Yun entered the main hall from outside. Everyone parted to allow him to walk through as they scrutinized him.
When the Sect Leader saw Pei Zi Yun enter the main hall, his face turned pale.
A Sect Elder stood up and shouted, "The procession of ordaining a disciple as a Core Disciple shall commence."
Following this Elder’s words, the statue of the Patriarch lit up and started glowing. The Patriarch was observing the entire hall from Paradise.
"Pei Zi Yun has broken through the gates of heaven and shall be awarded the Core Disciple position." A disciple then carried a tray, on which bore the seal of the sect and handed it over to the Sect Leader.
"You’ve already reached the status of Core Disciple. In future, you shall consider your sect members, Sect Elders and Sect Leader before you act, and prevent making any mistakes." The Sect Leader spoke without emotion, and his facial expression was stoic. His eyes were as deep as a well as he picked up the sect seal and handed it over to Pei Zi Yun.
"Yes, Sect Leader." Pei Zi Yun bowed as he received the seal. The moment he touched the seal, there was a loud buzz. And his vision started turning blurry before sharpening into focus once more. From the statue of the Patriarch, a faint shadow emerged from it and stood in front of the statue.
A white haired Daoist appeared. He held a horsetail whisk in his hands and looked straight at Pei Zi Yun. When Pei Zi Yun had received the sect seal, he waved the whisk, and Paradise opened up behind him.
Paradise seemed to open up to him from the back of the hall, and it looked as though a huge mountain had appeared within the hall. This image flashed past in less than a second, and the seal which was held by Pei Zi Yun was pulsating.
When the whisk had been waved, a spiritual energy descended upon the body of Pei Zi Yun. The Yin Master within his corporeal body open his eyes. He then looked down and noticed that he was wearing Dao robes and was holding a sect seal as well. This seal was pulsating to the same rhythm as Paradise, which was pulsating as well.
"In the previous life, the original owner had brought in foreign powers into the sect, and thus was not considered pure and could not become a Core Disciple. However, from my senior grand-uncle’s memories, this was a familiar scene. This ritual was a sort of key to gain access to paradise, and the destruction of the mortal body."
The seal within his hand was flickering, and seemed to be in sync with Paradise. This meant that the seal was allowed to pa.s.s through Paradise. Pei Zi Yun then kowtowed, "Thanks to Patriarch, thanks to Sect Leader, thanks to all the Sect Elders."
"No wonder a person had to break through the gates of heaven to become a Core Disciple. Without becoming a Core Disciple, a person would become a ghoul or a wandering spirit after death. Although I wonder what will happen after I enter Paradise?"
"Ceremony concluded!" The Sect Elder shouted out after seeing Pei Zi Yun bow to everyone. He had now joined the ranks of the Core Disciples.
The statue stopped glowing before completely going still. The Sect Leader didn’t speak at all and turned around to leave. The Sect Elders around him and the other disciples all rushed up and congratulated him.
"Junior Brother, you’ve already become a Yin Master, and I’m still stuck at the seventh level. When will I be able to catch up with you?" Chu Xia was standing outside and chose not to squeeze through the crowd. She watched Pei Zi Yun from afar, and looked slightly upset.
When all the congratulations had been said, Pei Zi Yun walked out of the main hall. A white Plum Blossom then appeared before his eyes. It then transformed into the white information interface.
"Mission : Breakthrough the gates of heaven, Become a Core Disciple (Completed)"
Both these missions had been completed. But if he were to touch the missions right now, the Plum Blossom would appear on his forehead. Although it will fade away quickly and might not even be noticed, it was after all a scar on his forehead and thus didn’t want anyone to see it. He then decided to absorb the mission only after leaving the mountain.
At this point Chu Xia rushed up to him and tugged on his sleeves. She looked unhappy.
"What’s the matter Senior Sister?" Pei Zi Yun asked Chu Xia curiously. He wondered who had bullied her, for her to look so hurt.
"Junior Brother, give me a big hug." Chu Xia approached Pei Zi Yun and wanted to hug him. Pei Zi Yun wanted to reject her, but thought about how she had behaved towards him earlier today. He then resigned to his fate and decided to hug her.
"Ai" Pei Zi Yun then heard her sigh. Chu Xia hugged him for a fraction of a second before felt a strange sensation like electricity pa.s.sing through her body before releasing him immediately. Yu Yun Jun looked at Chu Xia before looking at him. "Zi Yun, what are your plans now?"
"Master, since the Sect has made their decision, I shall leave the mountains. I have an idea, which I would require the help of Master!" Pei Zi Yun then continued, "Chu Xia, Liao Qing Ye and He Qing Qing, I request for Master to accept them all."
As he spoke, he handed up a jade vial. "Master look at this!"