"I acted too rashly!" Hou Niao explained.
Judge Cheng waved a hand. "It has nothing to do with who was at fault! It has everything to do with a Sword Cultivator's convictions! With responsibility! Once someone reaches that position, he has to accept the challenges that belong to his level! That is what the foremost True Disciple is there for. Otherwise, did everyone put you on a pedestal just to have a mascot?
"Some people wanted to see you make a fool of yourself, to see the Minister of Justice Prefecture make a fool of itself. They did not get their wish, but instead found countless things to question!
"Congratulations. You have successfully provoked the hostility of two princely prefectures. I do not even know how you managed it. Perhaps you could teach me sometime?"
Hou Niao was embarrassed. "You're joking, Martial Uncle. I really did not do it deliberately!"
"Go and prepare. There is still a month, but even that may not be enough for you. Coming back with so little time to spare-you certainly do not let anything worry you."
Hou Niao slowly rose. Before stepping out, he turned back and bowed deeply once more, then slowly left.
Judge Cheng remained seated and calmly accepted his bow. Both of them understood what it was for.
As the saying went, the times made the hero. In an earlier age, a young disciple like him would have been suppressed until he died, because he challenged tradition and encroached on most people's interests. In the present, however, his timing was just right.
Admiration could not put food on the table. So what if he was outstanding? He was not their son or nephew.
What mattered was that, at this critical juncture, with the continent's winds and clouds shifting and the world