Hong Qingyuan said nothing, and at once all eyes fell upon the five grand elders ranked at the very top. Counting Hong Qingyuan and Xue Liping, the sect master and his deputy, these seven alone were the true voice of power within the Snow Sword Sect. The other high-ranking figures of the sect were either their own people or, more simply, their disciples—men who possessed no independent say of their own.

"Cough, cough, cough—" One of the old men suddenly broke into a violent fit of coughing. It was the grand elder, Chi Qianqiu.

"I say, Elder Chi, if you're unwell, you'd best go back and rest," Xue Liping said, curling his lip at Chi Qianqiu with a trace of impatience. "Staying here in your condition—first, you won't rest well and it'll only worsen your illness; second, you'll disrupt everyone's discussion. You're the most senior elder present in our Snow Sword Sect, so surely you ought to have at least that much sense of the bigger picture?"

The other high-ranking sect members wore varying expressions at these words. The rivalry between Xue Liping and Chi Qianqiu was long-standing: one was the deputy sect master, wielding authority and weight; the other was the grand elder, steeped in the deepest seniority. In terms of power, Xue Liping held a slight edge by virtue of his post; yet in terms of standing, Chi Qianqiu stood a notch higher.

After all, he was the most senior grand elder present, and one promoted by the previous sect master's own hand. Chi Qianqiu's standing was second only to Sect Master Hong Qingyuan himself—even Xue Liping could not match it. And precisely because of this, friction between the two never ceased. One mountain cannot hold two tigers; Hong Qingyuan's position was deeply rooted beyond challenge, yet this contest for the number-two seat had never once been decided.

"Cough, cough—Deputy Sect Master Xue, you are mistaken," Chi Qianqiu said with a smile between coughs. "Since I sit in the grand elder's seat, it is only fitting that I exhaust myself for the Snow Sword Sect. Compared with the sect's great affairs, what is this old ailment of mine?"

"Hmph. Then what insight does Elder Chi have to offer?" Xue Liping cursed the old fool inwardly. Word had it that Chi Qianqiu's chronic ailment was a wound left from his youth, when he had risked life and limb for the previous sect master. Even the finest pills could at best suppress the injury, never cure it. If one day the old thing's ailment flared up and carried him off—now that would truly be cause for burning incense in thanks.

"Hardly any great insight—merely a few honest words." Chi Qianqiu smiled and turned to the assembly. "Everyone, our Snow Sword Sect and the Cangwu Sect of North Island have enjoyed friendly relations for many a year. We are all quite familiar with how the Cangwu Sect conducts itself. Do you truly believe the Cangwu Sect of North Island is arrogant and overbearing?"

The crowd exchanged glances, and most shook their heads. The Cangwu Sect of North Island was famously mild in its dealings—there was scarcely any precedent of them provoking trouble of their own accord. Even when other ancient sects goaded them, they would usually smooth matters over, making much of little. To call such conduct arrogant and overbearing would be an outrage against all reason.

"And because a thing was so before, must it be so ever after? Elder Chi, surely you are not that naive. Could all those past doings not have been a disguise? This time it was not only my son—even Bing Wushuang was beaten into a cripple. And all of it happened on the Cangwu Sect of North Island's own ground. Has Elder Chi grown so old that he did not hear clearly?" Xue Liping sneered without cease.

"Oh? So Deputy Sect Master Xue is aware that this took place on their ground?" Chi Qianqiu gave him a look that was neither quite a smile nor quite not. Then he turned to the crowd. "Everyone, just imagine this for a moment. If two men suddenly came charging into the Cangwu Sect of North Island and, without a word of explanation, made straight to seize people by force—what would you do?"

"Why, naturally we'd give them a proper lesson in manners," came the near-unanimous response from the assembled Snow Sword Sect leadership.

"And so, in this old man's view, it is far too much of a stretch to lay this at the Cangwu Sect of North Island's door. Saying so abroad will only hand others a handle to mock us with. When all is said and done, it was our own people who acted improperly. Bing Wushuang and Xue Jianming went to another's ground for no reason at all, throwing their weight around and trying to seize people. Being beaten for it is only natural. That they were tossed back as two cripples is already considerable courtesy. Had it been this old man, there would have been two corpses." Chi Qianqiu looked at Xue Liping as he spoke.

The sect leaders nodded in unison, and Xue Liping's face could no longer hold its composure. "I seem to recall that Elder Chi is an elder of our Snow Sword Sect," he said in a strange, needling tone. "Not someone sent over from the Cangwu Sect of North Island, is he?"

"What did you say?" Chi Qianqiu's face darkened as well. The two had never seen eye to eye, but Xue Liping's words had plainly crossed the line—little short of tearing all pretense of civility apart in public.

The other Snow Sword Sect leaders of Chi Qianqiu's faction were even more indignant, barely restraining themselves from pounding the table and rising. At the same time, the sect leaders of Xue Liping's faction were likewise roused to fury, one and all. The air in the council hall turned abruptly tense—a single ill-chosen word and it might well descend into a free-for-all.

Just then Hong Qingyuan gave a light cough, and the two factions, fists already clenched, fell silent at once. Devoted as these men were to Chi Qianqiu and Xue Liping, Hong Qingyuan as sect master of the Snow Sword Sect was no mere figurehead. Once Hong Qingyuan's temper was roused, even Chi Qianqiu and Xue Liping would tremble—let alone the likes of them.

Hong Qingyuan tapped his fingers on the table out of habit and said mildly, "We are all of one sect. Speak your minds civilly. Do not wound the harmony between us."

At this, Chi Qianqiu and Xue Liping exchanged a glance and could only give slight nods. "Forgive us, Sect Master. We lost our composure."

"Continue," Hong Qingyuan said, waving a hand. On this matter he still betrayed no inclination whatsoever, as though he meant to stand back and let Chi Qianqiu and Xue Liping's people fight it out among themselves.

"Elder Chi, you say this happened on the Cangwu Sect of North Island's ground, and therefore we cannot pursue the matter? Hmph. Then why do you not consider why Bing Wushuang and my son went there in the first place? If not to carry out the sect's orders and arrest the traitor Lenglen, why would they have gone to make trouble at their door?" Xue Liping snorted coldly.

Hardly had the words left his mouth, before Chi Qianqiu could even rebut, when a female leader in the distance could contain herself no longer and rose without hesitation to demand, "Who are you calling a traitor?!"

All turned at the sound, and only after they had made out the speaker's features did looks of dawning comprehension spread across their faces. This person was Xu Xiaoshuang—Lenglen's master. No wonder she had bristled so.

"Hmph, Xu Xiaoshuang, this deputy sect master advises you to mind your station. Is this an occasion where a mere candidate elder like you has any business opening her mouth?" Xue Liping cast her a contemptuous glance.

"You—!" Xu Xiaoshuang was choked with fury on the spot, yet for the moment she could think of no retort.

Infuriating as Xue Liping's words were, when it came down to it, they were not entirely without reason. (To be continued.)