By the next day, word of the incident had spread across the entire sect-the Thousand Herbs Peak disciple who had crippled four members of the Discipline Committee was all anyone talked about.
Within Thousand Herbs Peak, the reaction was immediate and unified. They stood behind their own.
"How can a Sword Peak disciple cut off one of ours'' arms," one disciple demanded bitterly, "and when we retaliate, the Discipline Committee suddenly says we''re the ones at fault?"
"They should be investigating Sword Peak instead," another snapped.
"Exactly."
A third lowered his voice, ncing around. "But haven''t you heard? More than eighty percent of the Discipline Department... they alle from Sword Peak."
"That''s true," someone else agreed. "Sword Peak dominates everything- tournaments, inter-peak battles. They specialize inbat. They''re always the strongest."
"Not like us,” another muttered. "We study medicine, herbs, formations... other paths. No wonder the Discipline Department always takes their side. Sword Peak disciples have been bullying others for years—and no one stops them.”
A brief silence followed.
Then someone spoke again, quieter-but with a spark of hope.
"But not this year."
Heads turned.
"We have Jun Jiu now. I heard his techniques are terrifying... that even Sword Peak disciples had no choice but to bow their heads and run-after losing their arms."
The murmurs spread like wildfire.
Meanwhile, atop Heaven Law Peak-the seat of the Discipline Department-the atmosphere was far colder.
An elder stood at the front of the hall, his expression dark with fury as he looked over the gathered disciples.
"We have been humiliated," he said, his voice low but sharp enough to cut. “Humiliated... by disciples of Thousand Herbs Peak."
His gaze hardened.
"Those people... who spend their days tending gardens, refining pills, and treating sword practice as nothing more than a warm-up exercise."
His fist mmed into the table.
Wood shattered instantly, splintering under the force.
"Do you not feel the shame?" he roared. "They should fear us—not the other way around!"
A disciple stepped forward, lowering his head respectfully.
"Master, this was my failure. I was the one who assigned four of our people to handle the situation." His voice steadied. "Give me another chance."
The elder said nothing.
“I will personally lead a group—twenty disciples at the Great Qi Condensation stage, and one at Foundation Establishment. This time... no one will be able to touch them."
The hall fell silent.
"We won''t just bring Jun Jiu back to Sword Peak," the disciple continued, his tone turning cold. "Anyone who dared harm our people... will be taken as well."
His eyes lifted slightly, filled with restrained fury.
"They will answer for it."
"Go," the elder said coldly. "I will not tolerate another mistake."
All twenty-one disciples bowed in unison. "We will bring the culprit back."
Without another word, they turned and rushed out, heading straight for Thousand Herbs Peak.
They didn''t stop to rest.
They didn''t slow down.
Anger burned in their veins, driving them forward like a storm. Ever since thest incident, the entire sect had begun to look down on them. The humiliation clung to their backs like a shadow.
This time, they would reim their honor.
They already knew where Jun Jiu was.
So they went straight for the front courtyard of his residence.
“Jun Jiu!” the leader at the Foundation Establishment stage roared, his voice echoing across the area, shaking the air itself.
Inside the hut, Alex stepped out, his expression calm—almost bored.
"Who''s shouting like that?" he said casually. "My hearing is perfectly fine. You could''ve just spoken normally. Why scream like a madman... or are you deaf?" "How dare you!" one of the Discipline members snapped. "Jun Jiu, you injured members of Sword Peak. You will kneel, cut off one of your arms, and submit yourself before we take you back."
His voice turned even colder.
"Jun Jiu! Last chance-kneel and cut off your arm!"
"Oh? Just one arm?" Alex tilted his head.
"Yes. Consider it mercy."
"Only one?"
"...What, you want to negotiate?"
"No, I''m just surprised."
"Surprised?"
"You came all this way... and only brought enough courage to ask for one?"
The other Thousand Herbs Peak disciples burst intoughter, the sound loud and unrestrained.
"So the Discipline Department''s members are cowards after all," one of them mocked.
The leader''s face twisted with rage. His chest rose and fell as anger surged through him, and then he roared-
"Everyone whoid a hand on our people yesterday every one of you will kneel, follow us to the Discipline Department, and serve one year in confinement!"
The disciples of Thousand Herbs Peak froze, stunned by the demand.
"How can you be this unreasonable?!" Lu Piao shouted, stepping forward, fury zing in his eyes. "You didn''t even bother asking who was at fault-you just came here to force your twisted version of justice on us! We''re not going anywhere with you!"
At once, the Discipline members drew their swords.
Steel shed under the light.
"If you refuse toe peacefully," one of them said, voice dripping with threat, "then we''ll drag you there ourselves—even if we have to cut you down first. Either way, you''reing."
"Do you really think force makes you right?” Alex asked, his tone still calm—but now colder. "Do you think calling something ''justice'' makes it justice... just because the strong crush the weak?"
The leaderughed, a harsh, mocking sound.
"In Murim," he said, "justice belongs to the strong."
A brief silence followed.
Then Lu Piao let out a sharpugh.
"Well said," he replied, turning to the others. "You all heard him. Justice belongs to
the strong."
His grin widened, fierce and fearless.
"So if we beat them... then we''re justice.”
He clenched his fists.
"Brothers-hit them!"
The leader and the twenty Discipline members burst intoughter.
"You''re not even at Great Qi Foundation," one of them sneered. "And you want to
teach us?"
The leader stepped forward, eyes cold with arrogance. “Fine. Let''s call this justice. If
we lose... we''ll admit we were wrong."
“But if you lose—every one of you will pay a heavy price."
To them, it was unthinkable.
Disciples at Great Qi Condensation—and even Foundation Establishment—losing to
a group made up mostly of fifth-level Qi Condensation fighters?
It defied everything they believed.
In their eyes, the gap between those levels wasn''t justrge-it was absolute. It was
the difference between power and helplessness.
Like an adult facing a five-year-old child.
A single p should have been enough.
There was no world in which they were supposed to lose.
"Attack," Lu Piao said.
He didn''t hesitate.
Despite being only at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, he charged forward without
a trace of fear.
The leader raised his hand, ready to strike-
Then froze.
A flicker of shock crossed his face.
He couldn''t channel his inner force.
It was as if something inside him had been sealed shut.
Around him, the other twenty Discipline members felt it too. No matter how they tried, their energy
refused to respond Even those at Great Q Condensation stood there, suddenly powerless.
Without their inner force, they were worse than beginners.
Lu Piao''s fist mmed straight into the leader''s face—
A sharp crack followed.
Several teeth broke loose, scattering as the man''s head snapped back from the
force.
At the same time, the disciples of Thousand Herbs Peak surged forward.
What had begun as a confrontation instantly turned into chaos.
More than a hundred people descended on the twenty-one Discipline members.
Blows rained down from every direction.
"This isn''t fair!" the leader screamed, struggling under the barrage. "You... you poisoned us!"
But his voice was drowned out.
They didn''t get the chance to say anything more.
They were beaten senseless.
Not far away, Alex simply shook his head.
From the moment the group had arrived, he had already sensed the direction of the
wind. Quietly, he positioned himself where the airflow would carry what he needed.
A fine powder-nearly invisible-had been released into the air.
The wind carried it straight to the Discipline members.
It didn''t harm them.
It only sealed their inner force... for about an hour.
More than enough time.
More than enough for what was happening now.
"So this is justice," Lu Piao said between strikes, breathing hard but grinning. "Turns
out... the strong really do decide everything."
He kicked one of the fallen Discipline members, who was already crying out in pain.
"I think I''m starting to like this kind of justice."
"Every one Lu Piao shouted, his voice zing with fury. "These bastards came here to take our big brother''s arm we''re already showing them mercy for not taking
their arms!"
His grin turned fierce, almost savage.
"So this time... we shave them bald and throw them out naked! Let the Discipline
Department see what happens when they push us too far!"
A beat-
Then the entire crowd erupted.
Cheers exploded across the courtyard, loud, wild, and unstoppable.
High above, on one of the peaks, the sect leader watched the entire scene unfold.
Then heughed.
A deep, unrestrainedugh.
“I don''t think I''ve ever been this entertained,” he said, eyes gleaming, “in all my
years at Wudang Sect."
"Master,” Li Qingxue said, her voice cutting through theughter, "don''t you think this
should be stopped? A small fire... can grow out of control."
The sect leader onlyughed harder, clearly amused.
"Oh,e on, Qingxue," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "We both know the Discipline
Department has
Salways sided with
Sword Peak. And now... they ve
kicked an iron te."
His eyes gleamed with interest.
"Don''t you want to see what happens next?"
Li Qingxue''s expression didn''t change.
"No," she replied calmly. “I''m afraid that fire will keep growing... until it burns Jun Jiu."
"Really?" The sect leader tilted his head, studying her. Then a knowing smile spread across his face. "So that''s it. You want to protect your future Dao partner.”
"No," Li Qingxue said, her tone turning cold.
The sect leader chuckled.
"Don''t worry," he said. "From what I''ve seen... Jun Jiu won''t be the one burned."
His gaze drifted toward the distant figure below.
"If the Discipline Department refuses to lower their heads... if they keep forcing their
version of justice—then they''re the ones who''ll be consumed by the mes."
Li Qingxue frowned slightly. "I don''t believe that."
The sect leader''s smile sharpened.
"Then let''s make a bet."
Silence settled between them.
"If Jun Jiu is the one who gets burned," he continued, "you can step in and stop it.
And in return... you can ask me for one thing."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
“But if the Discipline Department is the one that burns.....”
His voice dropped, quieter now-but far more dangerous.
"Then you will stop Jun Jiu yourself."
Li Qingxue''s brows tightened.
"And," he added casually, "you will agree to be his Dao partner.”
Her eyes widened in shock.
But the sect leader had already turned his attention back to the scene below, his
gaze fixed on Jun Jiu-on Alex—with a calcting intensity.
He knew what kind of man he was looking at.
A man who didn''t belong in one ce for long.
A man who would eventually leave.
Unless...
Unless he was given a reason to stay.
A faint smile touched the sect leader''s lips.
Even a hero can be anchored... if you bind him with the right chain.
And what better chain than a woman like Li Qingxue?
"Do you agree, Li Qingxue?" he asked without looking at her.
A long silence followed.
Then-
"Yes, Master," she said.
The sect leader burst intoughter again, louder than before.
The next day, the Discipline Department erupted into fury.
The elder''s voice thundered through the hall.
"We will send a hundred people," he roared. "Crush them and bring Jun Jiu back!"
His eyes burned with rage.
"And if they dare resist..."
A deadly pause.
"Then burn the entire Thousand Herbs Peak."