None of the three spoke for a moment.
Qing Chen broke the silence first, looking at Ye Wushang, who was flicking a spirit fruit pit out the window:
"Wu Shang, I heard that your master, Heavenly Shu True Lord, served in the army several centuries ago, and even became a Nascent Soul True Lord over in Great Jin?"
Ye Wushang's hand paused. The spirit fruit pit shot out with a whoosh, startling several gray sparrows.
He wiped the juice from the corner of his mouth and spoke with a sword cultivator's distinctive pride. "That's hardly a secret in the Gouwu Sea.
"Our Shushan Sword Sect once had its roots on the Nanhua Continent. It was even one of the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty's major sects.
"Later, disagreements arose within the sect over our ideals. After a few fights in which we gained no advantage, our branch simply moved to the Gouwu Sea. It's been nearly ten thousand years since we came."
He leaned back against his chair. "But we never abandoned the old rules. Every generation of disciples is required to go to Great Jin to temper themselves.
"Master, for instance, spent several decades in the Yue-Suppressing Army of the Southeastern Circuit. He fought in several major wars, reached Nascent Soul, and was even granted an official rank."
Beside him, Wuchen's fingers slowed on his prayer beads. He added softly:
"Times have changed. The Shushan Sword Sect is now one of our Gouwu Sea's Upper Eight Cave Spirit Islands, and those old grievances have long faded.
"The Shushan Mystic Sect in the Southwestern Circuit doesn't rank particularly high among the Ten Heterodox Ways these days. It has long had little to do with the Shushan Sword Sect here."
Qing Chen nodded and said pointedly, "Might the three of us brothers