Bragging with a Draft

The Elder Council is the highest-level decision-making meeting in Zongzhi Mountain. Generally speaking, each Direct Disciple is only qualified to listen in.

Unless the headmaster or an elder asks you a question, you cannot easily interrupt.

Xiao Ran could tell that the Disciplinary Elder didn't have any personal opinions about him; his problem was with his master.

At this moment, he saw his usually uninhibited master, in order to protect him, actually acting like a clumsy girl who couldn't answer a question in class, hands on hips, face propped up, helplessly silent...

Xiao Ran rarely saw such a cute side of his master.

With such a cute master, how could he not protect her and fleece her for wool? How could he be worthy of his filial piety?

Thinking this, even though everyone present was stronger, older, and more esteemed than him, even if it meant going against the world, even if it meant losing face and making a fool of himself, Xiao Ran had to forcefully interrupt—

"The Wraith matter has nothing to do with my master; it was aimed at this disciple."

The spiritual patterns on the Sword Fence flickered.

A faint mist drifted in through the gaps in the fence.

The entire room was silent.

The atmosphere was extremely tense.

Everyone's gaze slowly shifted from Lingzhou Yue to Xiao Ran.

Lingzhou Yue then took a sip of wine, remaining calm.

How could this disciple be so foolish and honest! she thought.

Master Boyun, True Person Yinyue, True Person Moxia, even Chunwa, Qiuchan, Gao Shi with his iron rings, and the fat Luo Sheng... all stared at Xiao Ran with different thoughts.

No one said anything.

Only Huangfu Qun didn't look at him, continuing to gaze out the window.

After a long while, he finally spoke faintly:

"What's your name?"

"Disciple Xiao Ran."

Xiao Ran steadied his mind, remained calm and composed, and had a plan in mind.

Huangfu Qun turned his head, his deep old eyes fixed on him: "Before the Elder Council, did no one tell you the rules here?"

Lingzhou Yue was displeased and was about to get up, but seeing Xiao Ran was calm, she thought for a moment and sat back down.

She sat upright, giving off a pressure that she could draw her sword and kill someone at any moment.

Huangfu Qun seemed to be talking about Xiao Ran, but was actually subtly mocking Lingzhou Yue.

Although he was no match for Lingzhou Yue, he was not afraid of her at all.

He had a big opinion on Lingzhou Yue's Dao Alliance genius background and her unrestrained style. He always felt that she had made the sect's atmosphere too free. In peaceful times, it might not be a problem, but in the Dharma Ending Era, it was not a good thing.

The benefits Lingzhou Yue brought to Zongzhi Mountain were far less than the damage she caused.

If he could beat her, he would have kicked her out of the sect long ago...

This was not a personal grudge.

Rather, it was a conflict of ideas on how to deal with the Dharma Ending Era.

Huangfu Qun was determined to obtain the position of acting headmaster in three years, inherit his master Qian Junzi's will, and fully manage all the affairs of the sect, using a strict and efficient style to deal with the increasingly severe Dharma Ending Era.

Within the sect, True Person Moxia, although high in position and power, was focused on forging swords and had no intention of seizing power, so he was no threat to him.

The only uncertain factor in his plan to govern the sect was Lingzhou Yue.

Now, using Xiao Ran, this obviously unqualified Direct Disciple, he could dampen her spirit.

So he deliberately turned his head to look elsewhere, and said in an extremely flat tone:

"You can leave first; you will be notified of the results after the meeting."

That old dog Huangfu Qun!

Lingzhou Yue's eyes twitched slightly, and just as she was about to explode—

Suddenly, an aged voice came from diagonally across, saying, "Junior Brother Huangfu, let him speak."

It was like striking iron, resounding and powerful! Huangfu Qun was stunned, turning his head in disbelief.

"Senior Brother Ink Case, you..."

True Person Moxia squinted, flames flickering in his deep, obscure eyes.

"This old one is very interested in Disciple Xiao's words."

No explanation, no reason.

Only the weight of the words themselves.

Huangfu Qun's forehead was covered in black lines...

In the Elder Council meetings of the last few decades, True Person Moxia had never expressed a personal opinion.

But everyone knew that his words were worth a thousand jun.

Without the Sect Leader, Zongzhi Mountain would be easily coveted by outsiders, such as the other Great Ascension cultivators of the Dao Alliance.

But without True Person Moxia, Zongzhi Mountain would not have the sword-forging industry that sold well throughout the True Spirit Continent, and the sect would lose its economic foundation. It wouldn't need outsiders to bully it; it would collapse on its own.

This was the weight of True Person Moxia! But why would Senior Brother Ink Case, who hadn't spoken for decades, suddenly help a junior speak? Huangfu Qun was puzzled, but he had to give Senior Brother Ink Case face.

Xiao Ran smiled without saying a word, nodding slightly to True Person Moxia to thank him.

He had wanted to give the old man a hint with his eyes, to discuss the matter of tea tasting...

He didn't expect that before he could even hint, the old man would tactfully help him! From this, it could be seen that True Person Moxia was not only skilled in the art of sword forging, but his attainments in architecture must also be outrageously high.

Without high architectural attainments, he wouldn't value him so much! After thanking True Person Moxia, Xiao Ran stared at Huangfu Qun, cupping his hands in salute and saying, "Now, may this disciple speak?"

His words were very polite, unhurried, neither humble nor arrogant, without deliberately retaliating or slapping faces, yet they seemed to carry their own pa pa sound effects.

Huangfu Qun's face darkened, like a black knife carving in the extremely cold night. Since things had come to this, he had no choice but to take advantage of the situation and step down, saying with a straight face:

"Make it short."

However, Xiao Ran was prepared to give a long speech.

"What this disciple wants to say first is that Master found me in the vast sea of people, not by chance, but because she had discerning eyes and saw things that others could not see."

Everyone who understood knew who 'others' referred to.

Huangfu Qun kept his black face straight, enduring without speaking.

Lingzhou Yue was a little embarrassed by the praise, sitting obediently in front of Xiao Ran.

True Person Moxia pondered slightly, asking curiously:

"What is Disciple Xiao referring to?"

He was certain that Xiao Ran had something on him that others couldn't see, but his nearsighted eyes couldn't make it out.

Xiao Ran explained in detail.

"This thing is extremely crucial, and this disciple cannot say it clearly yet, but it has already attracted the attention of high-level beings like the Humanoid Wraith, indicating that this thing is of utmost importance and may be related to the future direction of the entire Dharma Ending Era."

With the system as a safety net and Master backing him up, Xiao Ran's bragging had a draft.

True Person Moxia fell into silence.

True Person Yinyue's eyes contained gentle light.

Huangfu Qun almost laughed his teeth out, taking the opportunity to ridicule, "In that case, we have to send someone to protect you?"

Xiao Ran cupped his fist slightly.

"This disciple does not need Martial Uncle's protection. With the Sect Leader in seclusion, no one in Zongzhi Mountain is better able to protect this disciple than Master."

Every sentence stabbed at the heart and could not be refuted. With just a few words, he dismantled Huangfu Qun's conspiracy against Lingzhou Yue.

"You—"

Huangfu Qun was speechless, his face as black as ink.

Lingzhou Yue nodded slightly, thinking that this child was teachable, and happily took three sips of her little wine, savoring the true taste within.

The others fell into contemplation.

Logically, what Xiao Ran said was flawless.

However, everything he said was just castles in the air, and still needed to be proven.

To prove his worth! Huangfu Qun naturally wouldn't let Sword-Wielding Mountain off the hook so easily.

He calmed his mind, forgetting the unfavorable situation just now, and took out his trump card that he had prepared long ago—

A small stack of Yellow Sealed Jade Slips.

"Since Junior Nephew Xiao Ran entered the sect, this old man has received dozens of letters of protest in a short period of time. Some protest that Senior Sister Lingzhou Yue's acceptance of a disciple was unfair, some say that she deliberately accepted a useless disciple to escape her teaching obligations, and some say that she is obsessed with beauty, and some even suspect that you are her younger brother or illegitimate son..."

Lingzhou Yue: "Huh?"