Qianye walked himself over to where the sword had fallen, clasping its bloodied pommel in his hand.

"You saying that I am disregarding you, Meng Jue," Qianye said as he stood himself upright still looking through the crowd patiently instead of back at him, "suggests you’ve said something that should be worth my attention."

Briefly, he stopped looking through the crowd, glancing back over his shoulder at the anger wrung face of the tall man.

"I might have lost a battle and my cultivation, but since when have I been as easy to push around as your flabby gut and pride?"

[ You have lampooned an individual with Nascent grade Destiny. Meng Jue has lost 1 Fortuity, and you have gained 1 Fortuity. ]

Qianye paused for a moment, scoffing faintly as Meng Jue’s countenance darkened, shadowed by the portions of his hair falling to curtain it.

He relieved himself of looking at Meng Jue, turning back ahead as he walked closer to the disciples.

His attention chilled the outer disciples, especially as they glanced at the sword in his hands.

Many of them stepped back, giving him space, and he began walking the edge of their gathering, his eyes brushing through them all.

At the same time, he continued, "I am meant to be recovering, and yet in the middle of the day you’ve barged into my assigned property, disrespected my elf, and spat heretical, baseless accusations around."

Qianye paused as he stopped before a young, female disciple.

She was shorter than him by a few inches with delicate eyes and a face leaking droplets of sweat. Her feet tried to shuffle her away from him as he stopped before her.

However, the disciple that she bumped her back into pushed her forwards, hissing curses at her for potentially implicating her.

What outer disciple had not heard the rumours of Ouyang Qianye’s tyranny? No one had outright described him as evil however, he was an unscrupulous, manipulative, arrogant and cold person.

Now that such a person was an injured dog, who among them had the guts to stand up to him when he had a sword in his hand? Everyone here understood that enemies were most dangerous when cornered and desperate.

Would any one of them standing up to him here not just be offering themselves up to the devil if they tried anything stupid?

They were only in the Body Refinement realm for heaven’s sake!

Even crippled, with his skill and experience, he could butcher them with a hand behind his back and his eyes closed!

"I won’t hurt you," Qianye said smiling faintly in attempt to pacify her, though it only seemed to have the opposite effect, especially when he was so slathered in blood.

"All I have to ask is a single question," he said, and his smile fell, dropping his face into seriousness.

"If someone disrespected you like this for no reason, interrupting your much needed rest to befoul your family name and your own name with accusations of profanity, and nearly kill someone that you care for, would you take it? Would you happily respond to anything that they are saying to you?"

Within the fractions of the next moment, she, like a dog whipping a squeaky toy back and forth, shook her head. Her quivering lips then dribbled the words out:

"No, Senior Ouyang!"

[ Your actions have significantly affected an unnamed beings Alignment towards you. Her esteem shimmers brighter at your acknowledgement. ]

[ You have lampooned an individual with Nascent grade Destiny. Meng Jue has lost 1 Fortuity, and you have gained 1 Fortuity. ]

[ Your actions have affected Meng Jue’s Alignment towards you. His contempt grows darker at your insults. ]

He smiled faintly to her with the faint thanks he felt for her compliance.

Then he turned his head, his eyes fallen cold as he looked at the other disciples.

"What she has just said is a sentiment I believe you all share, yes?"

"..."

For a moment, none of the others responded. The other two inner disciples snickered between themselves and Meng Jue grinned, very quietly satisfied.

However, then Qianye roared:

"WELL!? Have none of you any self-respect?! What is the point of you daring to become a cultivator?! There is no honour in fear!"

His sword rose and he stomped a step forward, threatening it to them all except the young woman.

"If you cannot answer such a simple question, I am more than willing to relieve you of the burden that is cultivation! I assure you, with those wills of yours as delicate as Meng Jue’s foreskin, I would be doing you a great favor!"

"We would not tolerate it, Senior!!" A loud, uniform shout rumbled through the ground as the disciples hollered their backs straight and slipping with nervous sweat.

Qianye lowered his sword, not acknowledging what they said, he turned his gaze back to the furious looking Meng Jue.

"You have heard the people, Meng Jue. Now, why do you dare suggest that I disrespect myself with granting you the satisfaction of a response any more than I have?"

Qianye spat onto the ground in Meng Jue’s direction, "You should be ashamed to face your parents. I would shove your head into the feces of a cow if I were your father. Leaving you to be a dung cake for a few centuries might do you some good."

To the periphery of his vision, he watched as the faces of Meng Jue’s lackies, Xiao Bo and Mo Chen turn ugly.

[ You have disgraced an individual with Nascent grade Destiny. Meng Jue has lost 5 Fortuity, and you have gained 5 Fortuity. ]

[ Your actions have significantly affected Meng Jue’s Alignment towards you. His contempt grows darker at your insults, growing to five stars. ]

[ You have raised the Negative Alignment stars of an individual with Nascent grade Destiny towards you. You have gained 20 Fortuity. ]

"You spineless fools! What nonsense! Meng Jue came only to seek justice. You all saw it was that elf-blooded witch who drew the weapon first when he only gave her disciplinary slaps!" Xiao Bo spat and barked back, waving a hand at them all in disregard, "For you to side with this vicious cripple despite his good will, has the goat blood on him frightened all of the senses out of your heads?!"

"For you to all lose yourselves because he waved a sword around... I urge you to think carefully and then correct yourselves." Mo Chen folded his arms and glared, "The dead cannot protect you from the consequences of offending Inner Disciples."

The outer disciples, all silenced by this point, recoiled even more. All of their faces were plagued with reluctance and regret.

Why had they come here!? All for gossiping and nothing else! The hoped to witness the infamous Ouyang Qianye be humiliated with their own eyes!

That instant, many of them silently swore to themselves to cut off all mundane temptation from their lives, lest they invite more trouble into their lives.

Meanwhile, Qianye smiled at the two lackeys. He found them very amusing, honestly.

And at the same time, he was rather appreciative of their participation, although with the wrinkles that it caused on his face, his smile was certainly not a pleasant sight.

Disregarding them thereafter, he continued walking along the perimeter of the disciples, his heart hammering against his ear drums but his face even.

’Where might he be...’ The thought buzzed urgently as his eyes combed through the disciples.

At the same time, Meng Jue began:

"Pathetic," Meng Jue did not holler this time. His voice was deep, grumbling like the simmer of thunder. "You sheep bleating whatever the loudest voice tells you to," He scowled at the disciples, "how pathetic must you be to take lessons in honour from Ouyang Qianye?"

Suddenly, Meng Jue took out a wooden token from his inner robe. The outer disciples faces fell, and Xiao Bo and Mo Chen grinned.

"Remember those words when you are before the disciplinary hall!"

He raised the token high, a blue mist gathering around his hand. The light transferred into the token and then it shot a bright but thin beam in a particular direction of the sect.

Mentally, a wide, shining white, victorious grin embellished Qianye’s face mentally.

’Found you, asshole!’