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The sect's token shone brightly.

Zhi Rui read the message and opened her eyes with mirth.

[In the name of knowledge and experience, the time of surveillance will be extended for fifteen more days. Those who deactivated their hope rock, turn it on, now.]

The thoughts traveled fast on Zhi Rui's mind.

'Who was it? The Dao protectors, the geniuses, or somebody with a personal grudge against her?'

'What benefit there is for her enemies if she has more time to prepare without being a target?'.

'Nobody.'

Zhi Rui thought.

'unless...'

Suddenly another message came from the sect token.

Seeing the one who sent, and the content. Zhi Rui laughed.

'So, they really did thought the same as me in the end.' She mused.

It was a message of Gao Fang, one of the geniuses, He was summoning every Disciple for a get-together to plan how they'll hunt. He said that, regardless of their differences, the sect remains most important, and they have to work together to accomplish its objectives.

With this Zhi, Rui felt relieved. for a second she was burdened for means to discover the scheme and the enemy, but int the following second, the suspect delivered itself.

'Couldn't they wait for a little?' Zhi Rui mocked.

The information she got from the elder of the interconnected store about the competitors, Gao Fang was a man who felt pleasure at others suffering, he's always smiling, regardless of his feelings, and people are more often than not, fooled by his facade. some of his covered up deeds were delivered to Zhi Rui. And she had her stomach twisted with disgust. While she was a murderer and held no regard for life. She loathed him. He tortured mentally. and when he had a specific target he'd do it until the person was broken. He rarely acted physically even though he was a weapon cultivator who wielded the sword.

She despised him.

But to know more about his schemes against her, she'd have to seat with him.

[As long as there's what to eat and what to drink. I'll go anywhere.] Zhi Rui sent.

[Tomorrow then!] Gao Fang answered

As she read the last message and released the token in her hands. The rats found the way to the hidden room she dug. At the moment she passed through the gate to the underworld. Zheng Li had sent instruction on how to meet him. He was the one who found her base and dug the tunnel using the rats.

On the next day, in the late part of the day, around midnight. Zhi Rui floated out of her swamp and walked through the air all the way to the 'neutral' middle area.

She was wearing a slim, red dress and showed the curves of her trained body. Her thighs and bottom where slight thicker than other women, coupled with her abundant bust, she was sinfully beautiful.

Entering the building made by the geniuses, Zhi Rui was met with a smiling Gao Fang.

"'Zhi Rui, you're so beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, and passed by him, without saying another word, or giving another glance. She saw the only chair available and sat down.

Bain Bengwas frowned. "That's Gao Fang's seat"

"I didn't see his name on it." Zhi Rui said

"If there was his name on it, would you have stood but the side?" Chao Cheng chukled and asked from the side.

Zhi Rui only smiled.

"Ha, I guess we did start with the wrong foot., why don't we intr-"

"So, what's the plan?" Zhi Rui cut him off and asked openly.

This time, Gao Fang didn't try talking again, he stood there for a few seconds, then walked beside An Bai.

He pointed his finger to the ground and moved it in a circle. Then he stomped on the floor hard, Causing a mild tremor. A round jade rock popped up at the size of the chair. Although it was simple and had no backrest, it didn't matter since his mastery of the sword path was enough to gather attention.

Zhi Rui figured he was more physically strong and more skillful with the sword than Zhun Xuying, as she relied more on the wind element to fight.

Zhi Rui nodded at Xa Day as greeting. She was staring at her with a smile from the moment she entered the room.

Xa Dayuu only smiled.

"You're really a vulgar and uncouth person, really fitting from a native of the Dawn kingdom."

An Bai said with a snort.

"No need for these small insults." Zhi Rui said. "I can't bother myself with useless talk, so, what do you people want?"

An Bai frowned.

Seeing the discomfort on An Bai made Zhi Rui chuckle.

From the moment Zhi Rui entered, Gao Fang observed her every movement. every twitch and every blink. He was looking for anything that he could use to affect her.

He had some idea of where to poke her, but he couldn't be sure. So he tried to eliminate some of his assumptions that he suspected were not feasible to his eyes.

He looked at everybody's neck, nobody was wearing a hope rock. He looked at An Bai and said aloud.

"You shouldn't be so rude An Bai, even if you share a belief with a person, it doesn't mean they'll share your manners. Remember, the light of God illuminates the whole world, but in every thousand meters, there's a different belief and culture, expect her to have the same manner is unreasonable."

A backhand comment. His eyes went to Zhi Rui, searching for any twitch.

"Isn't it right, my lady? The god of light protects and shine his wisdom on every living being. it's up to us to meet his standards right? Although he hasn' t been doing a great job lately."

He finished with a chuckle, but through the slits of his eyes, he examined Zhi Rui's reaction minutely.

She looked at him for a second. Her mind worked fast. He deliberated looked at the people's necks before speaking, He wanted her to notice that nobody was using the hope-rock, that meant he's recording this conversation. At least he has someone hearing it, is the digging flaws on her? Zhi Rui thought and laughed inwardly.

This last comment of his, he was testing her fanatism for the god of light. But she wasn't sure, if he was doing this to show a fault on her know image, or if he was simply looking for flaws to use against her. If she was truly a fanatic, then he could use the god of light against her. And if she wasn't and he had proof, then he could defame her by claiming she was a fake that used faith to gain fame.

'He's really an annoying snake...'

Zhi Rui frowned deeply, her eyebrows were nearly touching each other, she glared at him with rage but didn't say anything. Seemingly fighting an urge inside of her. But nonetheless, regardless of his reason, he insulted the god of light. Fanatism was something she used to build herself, since the beginning. She can't allow someone to offending it right in front of her. Without reacting fiercely. And if he believes her act or not, she can see right now.

Her eyes suddenly went red. Like lightning, her fist and body flew across the table. Time turned slow for everybody there. It was too sudden. even for Gao Fang, he watched as the fist grew bigger in his direction. Because he was only probing, he threw mild comment, how could he know she'd go ballistic in the next second!?

But nonetheless, he is a master of the sword.

The air around him went stale and he raised his hand. Lightning snakes coiled in the form of a sword. Zhi Rui was startled inwardly. But she increased her strength instead of back down. One of the things more important in war is an image, if she showed the slightest sign of hesitation, her "faith" might be doubted. And if one, small stain appeared on her image, then everything else will become dirt at the eyes of people.

"BLASPHEMOUS BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU!" Her arm's muscles went rigid and the veins bulged, with her hysterical scream.

Her knuckles hit the lightning sword, and a metallic sound echoed.

BOOM!

The expensive wooden table shattered into smithereens

Gao Fang flew back and his sword dissipated. Before hitting the wall roughly. He moved midair and damped the impact with his feet. He reached the wall then landed on the ground, no damage was done to the surroundings, he didn't even sweat, he rummaged his robe and hair and smiled with distress.

He opened both his hands in a pleading gesture. "I'm really sorry that my poor choice of words, had offended your belief. All my family members are avid devotees of the god of light, I wouldn't dare to be blasphemous in a thousand years, I commented without thinking."

As he finished his speech, all the eyes went to Zhi Rui. Some veins on her body had blown up with small holes, and were bleeding profusely, she was breathing roughly. It was obvious that she was overworked. But why was she like this? they saw her fight before, that amount shouldn't be enough to injury her.

Bain Bengwas suddenly thought of something and widened his eyes He laughed loud, acting like someone who just had an epiphany.

"She's injured!" He exclaimed. Others squinted. In their midst, they all know that Bain Bagwan was a mindless moron, but he was talented and competent in battles, so they believed when he suspected she was injured.

Gao Fang paid particular attention to Zhi Rui again.

Xa Dayu smiled and went beside Zhi Rui. grabbing her wrist. Zhi Rui let it.

"Her inner self has suffered prolonged damages, even though she has absurd healing capabilities, it'd still take around two months to heal."

Xa DAyu said with certainty.

They all opened their eyes wide. Why were they so worried about Zhi Rui? because she was strong! because she was capable! What happens now that she's a waste? Xa Dayu wouldn't lie, she has an agreement with everyone there, she can't lie about medical conditions. So, without a doubt, Zhi Rui just became the same as a dead person in their eyes.

"Ha." An Bai chukled "HAHAHA" she laughed out loud. "What a waste of my time." She bolted away from there.

Bain Bengwan didn't take his eyes off Zhi Rui and kept laughing at her face.

Chao Cheng got up. And looked at her with a clear meaning.

'My offer from before still stands.' was what Zhi Rui understood. And it made her snort in contempt.

He jumped away. Left in the room was only Bain Bengwan, Xa Dayu, and Gao Fang.