Meanwhile…
“I think all of you have already heard the reason why we are gathered here today”
An old man with white hair and a beard completely covering his facial features spoke in a grave tone. He was sitting in a wide, opulent hall alongside three other people. His seat was the one closest to the other, larger one, but there was no one sitting in it.
This place was meant to welcome five people normally, but it seemed like the most important had not shown up.
“Supreme Elder Junmin… I have indeed heard of the rumours and summoned all of the concerned disciples separately to question them. They apparently did their best to conceal the matter, but one of them seemed to believe that what happened should be made public”
The one who responded was another old man. He looked quite average except for the large scar across his face, which had seemingly left one of his eyes completely blind… His face contorted with disgust as he spoke.
“No need to get so emotional, Daoren”
Everyone in the room was an elder of Shenjian Sect, and they were currently discussing a mission into Leynlornd. The group of disciples had initially only reported two casualties and an encounter with two foreign prodigies.
From the very beginning, those who had heard the report had felt that it was suspicious, as the disciples had been oddly willing to admit that they had begged for their lives like wretches. But now it made sense.
“The matter at hand is indeed quite problematic. On one hand, it is true that we needed to know of such events in advance, as sending any more of our disciples there when they can run such a risk is an enormous threat to our reputation… On the other hand, however, the fact that it was spread throughout the whole sect and certainly beyond is also a problem”
“It would have been best if we had learned of it privately and kept it a secret”
The one speaking was another elder–A man wearing a blindfold and keeping his sheathed blade close to his chest.
“Thanks for explaining what we all already knew, Jianmin”
“You’re welcome, Daoren”
“Stop your childish spat, you two. Our disciples were brutally viotted! I would remind you. They were utterly humiliated, and word of it has gotten out! This isn’t a small matter. The other sects will look down on us now, and since the word has spread, it means that they will be more careful, and that the same thing probably won’t happen to them! If they had endured the same humiliation, we would have been able to keep our heads up. But now? We look like weak fools!”
The elder to speak was the only woman present. She struck the armrest of her chair with her fist. The red slit-like mark on her forehead was glowing for a split moment.
“Anger will not help us, Minxia”
The Supreme Elder raised his hand, making the other three go silent immediately.
“The humiliation is indeed severe, but I am afraid that there is nothing much that we can do. The perpetrator is a young scion of the Elt clan–Zixuan Elt, also known as Edrick Lucien Anoteros… Any scion of Leynlornd’s great clans is pretty much untouchable at the moment, and I don’t think I need to remind you all how the Elt in particular are not to be messed with. You’ve all studied our enemies, yes?”
The elders nodded, with Daoren being the first to speak up.
“Of course. They are linked to evil sects and devil cults. They are akin to the devil cultivator of our lands, only much stronger and with the backing of a country. It isn’t surprising that a scion of theirs would be awful enough to commit acts of Samelinist viot…”
Jianmin spoke up next, his unseeing stare pointed at the ground.
“What is there that we can do, though? All expeditions have been left to us sects not so far from the border. Others are using us as guinea pigs to test the current strength of Leynlornd, and we’ve been suffering nothing but failures and setbacks! Most of the disciples we send never come back, and those who do have been viotted and robbed of their dignity–Thoroughly humiliated!”
What had happened to the disciples who had come back might be better than death for those concerned, but for the sect as a whole… It would have been best if they had never come back so that word of what they endured could never have spread.
Like clockwork, Minxia spoke up right after.
“This Zixuan Elt or whatever is clearly sending us a message. If he just wanted to have his twisted fun, he could have done so and killed them right after. But he didn’t. He let them live so that we would be able to know what he did. It might have been in his plans for word of it to spread wildly, too…”
“...It’s an open threat. He is letting all of Journomanp know what can happen to invaders. Our weaker disciples might be laughing at the unfortunate fate of their fellows, but how many of them will be willing to set foot in Leynlornd after this? An inner disciple was easily overpowered and humiliated in such a way… Even the most arrogant will be too scared to do anything”
The Supreme Elder sighed, looking down at his scarred hands.
“In all of my hundreds of years, I rarely encountered such a vile method. This Zixuan is truly worthy of the Elt lineage… And it is indeed correct that the stronger forces are using us as pawns in their schemes… We aren’t even allowed to know the reasons for this war!”
Junmin clenched his fists, letting his high cultivation level burst out of him for a moment.
The other elders stayed quiet. It had easily been decades since they had seen him this angry.
“We do not have to obey them. Why don’t we peacefully negotiate with Leynlornd in secret?”
“Supreme Elder! We can’t make such a decision without the Sect Leader!”
“Nonsense, if Quanrui is going to neglect his duties, then he can’t blame us for actually doing our job!”
“Perhaps... But what about the more powerful sects? What if they find out what we are up to?”
The Supreme Elder threw his hands up in the air.
“More powerful, huh… Let’s see if they dare actually fight us. The difference between our sects and disciples might be like heaven and earth, but we elders stand on par with theirs. Those cowards won’t dare to actually escalate any conflict… I refuse for us to be used as pawns and send out disciples to be constantly slaughtered, or worse”
“How can we try to contact someone in Leynlornd peacefully without raising suspicions, though?”
“Why don’t we deal directly with this devil? Even if profoundly evil, the fact that he let them live to tell the tale does imply that he is willing to have some form of conversation, right? Why don’t we send the disciples he played with to deliver a message? He’ll recognise them and immediately know that they are neither here of their own volition nor that they are a credible threat. This way, our willingness to discuss should be more obvious, don’t you think?”
“Well… I don’t think we have many options at our disposal… Let’s summon those disciples immediately!”