Back then, to seal Bing Wushuang's mouth, he had been forced to split half of his Spirit-Consciousness Grass with the man. And what a fine bargain that turned out to be: before he had even left the Ancient Trial Grounds, before the remaining half in his hand could even grow warm, before he had so much as a chance to feel the wondrous effects of spirit-consciousness tempering, Wei Zhao had brazenly snatched it away. Thus the Spirit-Consciousness Grass he had schemed and sweated for ended up as half a stalk in Bing Wushuang's keeping, while his own hands were left completely empty. The thought of it was enough to make him spit blood with frustration.

"Is there anything else?" Bing Wushuang glanced at him and said coolly, "If not, kindly step aside. I am going back into seclusion. This Spirit-Consciousness Grass cannot be kept for long, or its efficacy will fade."

"..." Xue Jianming felt a sweetness rise in his throat. This time he truly was spitting blood from sheer rage.

Bing Wushuang departed at his leisure, leaving Xue Jianming to grind his teeth. The man was plainly out to provoke him, and what could he do about it?

"Hmph. Just don't let me catch proof that you've turned traitor, or you'll be the first to find yourself in a world of trouble!" Xue Jianming gnashed his teeth inwardly. More and more, he felt there was something fishy about Bing Wushuang. If that first sheltering of Leng Leng during the Ancient Trial had been merely a little odd, then now the signs of something amiss were growing ever more obvious. He was, in his heart, almost certain that Bing Wushuang and Wei Zhao shared some unspeakable connection; he simply lacked the evidence for the time being.

Without decisive proof, Xue Jianming did not dare go tattling to Dr. Spectacles even if he harbored suspicions. Otherwise Bing Wushuang might turn on him and expose how he had trapped and killed Wei Zhao, and then it might well be Xue Jianming himself who landed in the deeper trouble.

After the meeting dispersed, Leng Leng proved most cooperative, voluntarily accepting house arrest. In reality, of course, it was simply seclusion. As for Bing Wushuang, seeing that the matter of Leng Leng's disposition was settled and Wei Zhao's charge to him fulfilled, he too could scarcely wait to shut himself away.

After all, for him the immediate task was not merely to use that half stalk of Spirit-Consciousness Grass to temper his spirit consciousness and become the legendary strongest expert of the Golden Core stage. There was another, more important purpose besides—and one must not forget that Wei Zhao had given him a Gestation-Forming Golden Core!

What Bing Wushuang had not expected was that Xue Jianming's quiet was only an illusion. In less than half a month afterward, Xue Jianming reverted to his old ways. This time, however, he did not come at Leng Leng directly; he had other designs in mind.

The fifteenth of every month was the regular meeting day for all Golden Core senior members of the Snow Sword Sect. All matters great and small within the sect were gathered on this day for discussion and disposition. Apart from that, unless special circumstances arose, no special council of senior elders would be convened.

Sect Master Hong Qingyuan took the central seat as always, but the two places beside him—those were a matter of dispute.

The previous meeting had been a welcome ceremony, attended not only by Bing Wushuang and Xue Jianming but also by Leng Leng, who stood at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Special seats had been arranged for them, and none could fault that. But this was a routine session now, and every single person's seat carried great significance.

Everyone knew that the closer one's seat to Sect Master Hong Qingyuan, the higher one's status. Thus it had always been the five great elders, headed by Vice Sect Masters Xue Liping and Chi Qianqiu, arrayed to left and right. Plainly put: Xue Liping on the left, Chi Qianqiu on the right—that had been the invariable rule.

But that could not hold now. Follow the old rule, and where would Bing Wushuang and Xue Jianming sit? To put it another way, Bing Wushuang was presently in seclusion and could be set aside for the moment, but Xue Jianming was still very much present.

Sure enough, no sooner had Sect Master Hong Qingyuan sat down than Xue Jianming planted himself at his right hand, while his father Xue Liping plunked down on Hong Qingyuan's left. Father and son had simply staked out the two most illustrious seats for themselves.

At the sight, the faces of Chi Qianqiu and the other four great elders turned black at once. The five of them were not always of one mind in ordinary times, but at this moment they breathed with a single nostril. After all, if the Xue father and son were truly allowed to cook the rice and make it done, it was not only Grand Elder Chi Qianqiu whose standing would suffer; the other four great elders would be dragged down with him. This was something they could not tolerate in the least.

"Xue Jianming, what is the meaning of this?" Chi Qianqiu frowned and said in a deep voice. He did not sit, and the other four great elders did not sit either. As for the remaining ordinary Golden Core seniors, they dared not sit all the more. A whole crowd stood throughout the council hall; besides Sect Master Hong Qingyuan, the only ones seated were Xue Jianming and his father.

"Oh? No meaning at all. We are simply holding a meeting. Don't stand there, Grand Elder Chi—do sit!" Xue Jianming, feigning courtesy, pulled out the chair beside him and gestured for Chi Qianqiu to take it.

"You are sitting in the wrong seat," Chi Qianqiu said bluntly.

"Is that so?" Xue Jianming glanced left and right, his face all innocence. "I don't think so. Doesn't our Snow Sword Sect always seat people according to strength? Apart from Sect Master Hong, it seems I am the only Golden Core grand-completion expert present, am I not? I'm young, Grand Elder Chi—please don't deceive me!"

Chi Qianqiu and the others were choked speechless for a good while, yet for the moment found it hard to refute him. Never mind the Snow Sword Sect—throughout the whole little jianghu of the Ancient Age, strength was honored. Of that there was no doubt. But the problem was that this was not, after all, primitive society. The words "strength is honored" were embodied through every aspect and every means, never merely shouted aloud—otherwise, what difference would there be from barbarians ignorant of courtesy?

"Hmph. So you're at Golden Core grand completion—what of it? Who ever told you that grand completion alone entitles you to the second seat on the elders' council? Xue Jianming, you are far too arrogant!" the Second Elder snorted angrily.

"Oh? Then I must humbly ask for instruction. If Golden Core grand-completion strength is not enough, what else must I do to sit in this seat?" Xue Jianming raised an eyebrow.

"To sit in this seat, naturally you must have the corresponding standing!" several elders said almost in unison.

"That's easy enough. A Golden Core grand-completion expert as young and vigorous as I am—by reason and by right, surely I ought to be entrusted with heavy responsibilities, no? Otherwise wouldn't that be a plain waste of talent?" Xue Jianming chuckled shamelessly, his hide thick as could be.

The listeners all felt the corners of their eyes twitch. The logic was indeed sound enough, but for Xue Jianming to say it himself out loud was shameless beyond all measure. The man's face was practically a city wall!

"Then what would it take not to waste talent?" Chi Qianqiu asked smoothly, betraying no emotion. (To be continued.)