Outside the camp, Perikena and the old man Qin Ran had met once before were glaring at Selty and an unfamiliar middle-aged man.
Neither side would back down, and the air bristled with tension.
Qin Ran could see unmistakable hatred in their eyes.
The longstanding feud between the Snake School and the Crow School was clearly recorded in On Schools, but the book never explained what had actually happened between the two organizations.
Still, those few scattered descriptions were enough for Qin Ran to make some guesses.
Competition for resources.
Competition for disciples.
Expansion of their influence.
Any one of these could have made them enemies.
As Qin Ran arrived, both sides snorted, expressing their disdain for each other before turning their eyes toward him.
"2567, if these crows are among my partners, I will refuse to cooperate with you, even if it means breaking my oath!"
Perikena spoke with absolute resolve.
"Someone who isn't even a 'Primordial Snake' actually controls the entire Snake School... So, after being wiped out once, all the Snake School can do is hide in the gutters like mudfish?"
Selty sneered coldly.
"Selty, you amateur cook who hangs around with crows, what right do you have to judge us? If you have that much time to spare, go find your 'First Crow'! Perhaps he's somewhere struggling to hold on, waiting for you to rescue him!"
The old man accompanying Perikena struck back without mercy.
"Pirret, you ought to be grateful the Snake School was destroyed. Otherwise, how could someone from the lowest of its eight branches have risen so high? You should thank the Betrayer from back then!"
Selty smiled at him, showing no sign of anger.
His tone was steady, his voice clear.
The old man named Pirret, on the other hand, had been