Within the great hall, dozens of sect elders stood arrayed on either side.
Luminous pearls overhead cast a cold light, illuminating faces that were numb, hesitant, or silent.
"Great Elder, fellow elders, Elder Qin Feng was slain by an outside enemy at the Falling Star Sect, and more than half our elite disciples were killed or wounded. This is a shameful humiliation for our sect, a blood feud that cannot coexist beneath the same sky."
"May I ask what course of action the sect has decided upon?"
Jiang Yan walked slowly to the center of the hall and surveyed those present. His gaze finally settled on the Great Elder. He cupped his hands slightly and asked:
"Shall we muster an army at once and march against the Falling Star Sect to avenge Elder Qin and our disciples who died in battle?"
"Or shall we send a top Great Divine Ability User to the Falling Star Sect's star domain to slay the chief culprit and console Elder Qin's spirit in heaven?"
"Elder Jiang, turbulent undercurrents now run both within and beyond the sect. As for sending an army on a punitive expedition, I fear the sect has the will but not the strength."
At these words, the Great Elder slowly raised his head, his face steeped in exhaustion. His eyes were clouded, without a trace of radiance:
"Enemies lurk to the east, west, north, and south of our sect, eyeing us like hungry tigers. Rashly sending out a great army now would upset the balance of our forces and give those enemies an opening."
"When that happens, we may bring an even greater calamity upon ourselves before we have avenged this grievance."
"The sect has already resolved not to mobilize a great army, but to dispatch a top Great Divine Ability