The Tamed

Divulgence

Jin Guangshan looked genuinely surprised by Sect Leader Nie's declaration. He never expected this at all.

After some moment, he cleared his throat and bowed his head slightly in apology, "Please forgive me for my lack of respect, Sect Leader Nie. That is some news to me."

"I will let this go once since you do not know." Sect Leader Nie's tone of voice implied that there was little doubt of his choice of words.

Jin Guangshan merely nodded in acknowledgement, refraining from saying anything else. This conversation wasn't exactly in his favor anyway. There was no doubt in his mind that the three clan leaders had banded together in secrecy without him knowing and had decided to use the knowledge to his advantage when necessary.

Afterwards, all four of them left the dais and went to congratulate the youngsters who had won the top four spots.

As they walked towards the field, Jin Guangshan couldn't help but wonder what else he didn't know. He had believed himself to be one of the most knowledgeable sect leaders, with spies and informants scattered throughout the cultivation world. But here he was, blindsided by three of his fellow leaders. He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about what else could be going on behind his back. But for now, he had to wait and see which side is more beneficial for him. He was also a pragmatic man who understood that the future of his sect could be at stake here and knew that he needed to keep his wits about him if he wanted his sect to come out on top.

Among all the juniors, there was one figure that instantly caught Jin Guangshan's attention as they got nearer. The teenager who had managed to be at the top spot. Wei Wuxian.

He couldn't help but think about how everyone was talking about the young cultivator. From what he learned through his son's testimony as well as the passing words of rumors, it was said that his swordplay was so exquisite and his cultivation techniques so perfect that could shame even some Sect Leaders. In first glance, the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang looked like a normal teenage cultivator although he could not deny that there was a bit unusual air around him. His eyes were sharp and clear while his movements were very graceful yet controlled, a clear indication that the boy was highly intelligent despite his seemingly naive exterior. It was only a matter of time before the youth would rise above the rest of his peers.

Just as he was studying the youth from afar, another figure caught his eye. Lan Wangji who was standing tall next to Wei Wuxian had his eyes glued on the latter, looking comfortable with each other's presence. It was obvious to anyone looking that the two were extremely close. In fact, it felt like they belonged together. The way they interacted with each other made it seemed like Lan Wangji would protect Wei Wuxian and vice versa. Even his son seemed to hold the duo who was nicknamed as Yin and Yang demon trainers in immense respect. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if those two were to ever turn against him. Would it be bad to be standing on the opposite side of these two? He quickly shook off such unpleasant thoughts and moved onto other matters to distract himself.

*****

Meanwhile back to the field, Xiao Zhan finally managed to extract himself from the grip of his junior disciples who was acting like a horde of zombies, wanting nothing more than for give their senior brother the much-deserved fawning and praises for his great feat in a form of physical affection. As he escaped the mass of disciple, he immediately went off to Lan Wangji's side with full intention to use the lover of his as a shield from those bunch of rascals.

"Phew, they are getting worse. Too rowdy! Way too rowdy!", he complained in a lighthearted tone to Lan Wangji.

"Mn." Lan Wangji agreed. He added inside his heart, 'and too touchy!' But he didn't say that out loud because it was not the right place to say it. "You could've pushed them away if you want to."