In Wan Shangyi's small courtyard, the fragrance of tea curled through the air.
He sat across from Qian Baole. After hearing Qian Baole's question, Wan Shangyi lifted his teacup and took a sip before slowly saying, "This time, invite Chen Qing, Meng Qianxue, and that newly promoted Luo Qianjue as well."
The folding fan in Qian Baole's hand swayed lightly. At this, he paused and asked tentatively, "What about Han Xiong?"
"Let him recover from his injuries in peace."
Wan Shangyi's tone was calm, with no emotion discernible in it, as though he were discussing the most ordinary of matters.
"The small gathering he led last time had good intentions—to let everyone exchange what they had, know themselves and know each other. Yet he mixed in far too much selfishness and actually excluded Chen Qing. That already went against the original purpose of our gathering."
He set down his teacup and continued, "Though we True Disciple Candidates compete with one another, our goal is the same: to travel farther along the path of martial arts, in hopes of one day joining the ranks of True Disciples. Competition is naturally unavoidable, but before the dust settles, we should help one another more, exchange insights, and forge good ties."
"After all, within the sect, having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy. What Han Xiong did last time was too small-minded. He only cared about excluding dissidents, yet forgot that our true opponents were never each other, but those ten seats."
His words were earnest and weighty. They not only pointed out the short-sightedness of Han Xiong's actions, but also once more emphasized the unspoken rule of their small circle of True Disciple Candidates: surface unity and shared information.
Han Xiong had privately excluded Chen Qing last time,