Ruthless Enough to Not Even Spare Oneself

As he spoke, Wang Buyao cast a glance at Cai and Yao, his expression of disdain plain for all to see.

Li Mu smiled indifferently, ignoring the fact that Cai and Yao were on the verge of exploding, and continued on his own: "Senior Brother Wang, there is no need to take it to heart."

"We martial artists are not mere weevils in a grain bin; only by constantly striving for self-improvement can we scale the peaks of the martial path."

This was no joke. In Li Mu's eyes, Wang Buyao, whose cultivation was currently lagging, possessed far greater potential for future development than either Cai or Yao.

It had nothing to do with talent; it was primarily a gap in temperament, willpower, and life experience.

Both the Sword and Qi factions were desperate to gain the upper hand, placing too much importance on Cai and Yao, who had been coddled since childhood. Long periods of being cooped up on the mountain had left them lacking sufficient tempering, resulting in their subpar character.

Potential is just potential, however; in the upcoming battle for succession, Cai and Yao remained the greater threat. As for Wang Buyao, he was more like an outsider making up the numbers, lacking the capital to participate in this game of power.

If they were not competitors, then they were friends. Even if they hadn't been before, they could be now.

"Junior Brother, your words are reasonable."

Seeing the two of them laughing and chatting while trading veiled insults, Cai Buli finally could not sit still. With a violent slap, he shattered the tea table in front of him and barked a stern reprimand:

"Enough! The moment you two sat down, you began pointing at the mulberry tree to curse the locust tree—is this the bearing of Mount Hua disciples?

The resources were given by our elders. If you are dissatisfied, you could have spoken to them directly; how can you engage in such backbiting?"

Seeing this, Li Mu immediately shook his head. This was the Sword Qi Soaring Hall, the place where the Mount Hua Sect discussed major internal affairs. To dare to slam tables and glare here showed just how poor their temperament truly was.

However, Li Mu could understand it. As a top-tier second-generation disciple, Cai Buli had grown up under the meticulous care of his martial uncles and aunts; when had he ever suffered such grievances?

"Junior Brother Cai, calm your anger. If there is something to say, say it properly. Why take it out on the tea table? If you ruin your health, wouldn't that just be playing into the hands of certain people?"

As he spoke, Yao Buzhou provocatively glared at Li Mu and Wang Buyao, as if to say: these little tricks are only enough to bully Cai Buli.

Realizing he had lost his composure, Cai Buli sneered: "I don't need you to play the good guy here. A hypocrite is a hypocrite; you never forget to—put on a show!"

Through sharp tongues and sowing discord, the four senior disciples of the 'Bu' generation were split into three factions in a short amount of time.

Li Mu was very satisfied with this result. Regardless of his actual relationship with Wang Buyao, it was enough that Yao and Cai believed they were in league with each other.

After such a commotion, the seating controversy was effectively over. As long as the three of them could not unite, they would have to follow the martial arts world's rule of "the strong are respected," and settle any disagreements on the sparring stage.

Not to mention whether they could actually win, the mere fact that a senior brother would be challenging a junior brother would be enough to drown them in the sect's collective spit, not to mention having to consider the feelings of their elders.

Interests are interests; everyone is not your father or mother, capable of supporting you unconditionally. It was not as if they were the only choice; if one truly proved to be mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall, they would simply be abandoned.

It was just unclear whether the people watching the show next door were willing to accept this result. Presumably they were; after all, everyone was a Mount Hua disciple, and this was part of the test for the successor to the sect leader.

That's right, the unintentional stoking of the flames just now was purely a deliberate act by Li Mu. Ever since he discovered someone eavesdropping in the next room, he had decided to stir up trouble.

To become the sect leader of the Mount Hua Sect, one could not be a mere martial brute; political maneuvering, management ability, breadth of mind, and bearing—not a single one could be missing.

"Quite lively, aren't you? Since you've already smashed a tea table, why not just tear down the Sword Qi Soaring Hall for me?"

A voice full of majesty rang out. Aside from Li Mu, who managed to maintain his composure, the other three looked as if they had been terrified, their faces turning ash-gray.

Caught red-handed by the sect leader, even if they wanted to argue, there was nowhere to start—especially Cai Buli, who had shattered the table and was scared out of his wits.

Having prepared in advance, Li Mu immediately stood up and feigned panic: "Disciple... dares not!"

The other three, slow to react, immediately chose to follow suit. But before anyone could finish their words, Ning Qingyu began to lash out.

"Is there anything you dare not do? By the looks of it, if I had arrived a moment later, you would have staged a full-blown brawl here.

It seems that in your eyes, the Mount Hua Sect rules have become nothing. Yao Buzhou, you are the senior brother; you should set an example for your junior brothers. Do you still remember the Seven Precepts of Mount Hua?"

Yao Buzhou replied in fear and trepidation: "This disciple naturally remembers. The seven great precepts of the Mount Hua Sect:

The first is to not betray one's master or ancestors, or disrespect one's elders. The second is to not use strength to bully the weak or harm the innocent. The third is to not be lecherous or harass women. The fourth is to not be jealous of fellow disciples..."

It was clear that Ning Qingyu still had feelings for his eldest disciple. While he appeared to be the first one he was taking to task, he was actually trying to give him an out.

Unfortunately, Yao Buzhou seemed too afraid of his master, failing to hear the subtext and immediately reciting the Seven Precepts of Mount Hua.

Now that the sect rules had been brought up, none of the four could escape. The defiant Wang Buyao and the instigator Li Mu were suspected of violating the fourth precept, "jealousy of fellow disciples."

Cai Buli, who had shattered the tea table, was in an even worse position. This was the Sword Qi Soaring Hall, the most sacred place of the Mount Hua Sect.

To put it mildly, it was a lack of respect and upbringing; to put it severely, it was disrespecting elders and suspected betrayal of one's master and ancestors.

As the senior brother, Yao Buzhou appeared to have no major issues, but that was not the case. As the sect's senior brother, failing to stop the dispute in time was his greatest dereliction of duty.

Ning Qingyu's hint about "setting an example" had been very clear. If Yao Buzhou had admitted his guilt immediately and taken the responsibility upon himself, it would have made people think more highly of him. Even if he were punished, the board would have been raised high and lowered gently.

Now, all four were grasshoppers on the same string; if they were to be dealt with, they would have to be dealt with together, and no one could escape.

Glaring fiercely at the four of them, Feng Qinglin bit the bullet and stepped forward to persuade: "Sect Leader, the Demonic Cult is coming aggressively. Our top priority is to find a way to rescue the Heng Mountain and Mount Tai sects; other issues can be dealt with later.

The sect is currently in need of people; why not let these four atone for their crimes through meritorious service?"

He had to step up; even if they were all going to be punished, there were degrees of severity.

Yao Buzhou's main issue was a lack of overall perspective, causing him to lose face in front of his elders, but he had not actually violated the seven great precepts.

Wang Buyao and Li Mu had only grumbled a few times; if one insisted on pinning the "jealousy of fellow disciples" label on them, there would be a group of junior brothers who felt the same way to plead for them.

No matter how severe the punishment, at most it would be a year or two of seclusion at the Cliff of Repentance.

Cai Buli was the one in trouble. Whether treated severely or leniently, any label pinned on him would result in his immediate elimination.