"The message has been delivered. Now get lost." Si Wanning snapped.
Gu Jinghong's lips curled into a sinister smirk. "Tomorrow… I'm looking forward to it."
His eyes lingered on Yun Jin for a moment, meaningful and sharp, before he drew a thumb across his throat in a mocking gesture.
Yun Jin looked back, widened her eyes dramatically, then pulled down at the corners of her mouth and eyes, sticking out her tongue in a grotesque face.
Gu Jinghong: "..."
Suddenly, he wasn't smiling anymore.
With a cold snort, he turned and left.
"Who does he think he's scaring?" Yun Jin called after him loudly. "I specialize in dealing with psychos. If he loves blood so much, next time I'll let him taste his own!"
Even as Gu Jinghong disappeared into the distance, Yun Jin kept taunting.
"Come at me again if you dare! If I so much as flinch, I'll change my surname!"
This was the first time in his life Gu Jinghong had encountered someone so shameless. His jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached.
"Leaving so soon? Don't you have the guts to stay and chat?"
Yun Jin was still shouting.
Yue Zhao's expression was complicated. "Junior Sister… he's long gone."
Gu Jinghong had an unsettling aura—most people avoided him on sight. Even Yue Zhao preferred not to deal with him.
But Yun Jin?
She provoked him. As if she wanted him to come after her.
Knowing Gu Jinghong, Yue Zhao could only conclude one thing:
Yun Jin had firmly secured his hatred.
At least the other disciples could breathe easy for a while.
"Take a break. Have some water." Si Wanning handed her a cup.
Yun Jin took a sip, unsatisfied. "Senior Brother, Senior Sister… I feel like I didn't perform well just now. Do you think Senior Brother Gu might not come looking for me next time?"
She sounded genuinely worried.
She really wanted to play with Gu Jinghong some more.
Yue Zhao's lips twitched. "...Junior Sister, you really don't need to worry about that."
Yun Jin had no idea just how efficient she was at attracting hatred.
"Good." Yun Jin sighed in relief, a dangerous smile creeping onto her lips.
If Gu Jinghong came to her himself, she wouldn't have to hunt him down.
Those debts from her past life were just waiting to be repaid.
Seeing that smile, Yue Zhao fell silent.
For some reason…
He wasn't worried about Yun Jin at all.
He was starting to worry about Gu Jinghong.
Because Yun Jin's mental state seemed even less stable than his.
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Yue Zhao shook his head violently.
As the eldest senior brother, how could he think such things about his junior sister?!
Tomorrow's initiation ceremony was bound to have trouble. He needed to warn Yun Jin properly!
"Junior sister," Yue Zhao said, serious now. "I suspect Gu Jinghong will try something during the ceremony. The whole sect will be present, so I doubt he'll go too far, but still, be cautious. I'll be watching from start to finish. If anything happens, I'll step in immediately."
"I'll keep an eye out too," Si Wanning added.
Even Yu Songnian, normally quiet, nodded solemnly.
"He'd dare pull something in front of the entire sect?" Yun Jin's voice rose incredulously.
Yue Zhao tried to calm her. "No need to get too worked up. It's just a precaution—"
"That's great news!" Yun Jin cut in, eyes gleaming.
Yue Zhao: "…"
Never mind. He should just keep an eye on her himself.
The Next Morning
Yun Jin woke up early, brimming with excitement.
While Yue Zhao and the others wore expressions like they were marching into battle, Yun Jin looked like she was heading out for a picnic.
~
Central Plaza.
On the high platform sat the Sect Master and the ten Peak Masters of the Tianxing Sect.
Below them stood the inner circle—True Disciples of each peak.
Most True Disciples were often out on missions, so only a few were present.
That was expected.
After the initial period where the sect offered free access to techniques, disciples had to exchange contribution points for everything—manuals, pills, artifacts. The best way to earn those points was through completing missions.
As such, most True Disciples spent more than half the year outside the sect on assignments.
Below them stood the Formal Disciples, students under the Sect Master or the Peak Masters. Their status was significantly lower, and their talent usually paled in comparison, though occasionally a few would rise above the rest.
At the bottom stood the Outer Disciples.
These were the lowest of the low in the Tianxing Sect hierarchy. They barely received any resources and were burdened with chores. Most were treated little better than servants. For them, rising through the ranks was harder than reaching the heavens.
Outer Disciples rarely dared take on sect missions. Instead, they relied on menial work for survival.
Among the new batch of disciples—
Only two were made True Disciples.
One was Yun Jin, who entered Tianjian Peak.
The other was Ye Danxia, who was accepted by the Sect Master himself.
Eight were accepted as Formal Disciples by various peaks.
The remaining five were sent directly to the Outer Sect.
Thus, even at the entrance ceremony, the hierarchy was crystal clear.
Everyone knew that Tianjian Peak would soon have a new Peak Master. But for now, Yun Jin held the title of True Disciple, and she stood at the forefront with Ye Danxia.
Behind them stood the Formal Disciples.
And at the back, the Outer Disciples.
Rank and class were already established.
Once everyone had gathered—
Zhao Wuji, the Sect Master, stood up calmly. "This year, we have fifteen new disciples. Among them, two are True Disciples."
His gaze fell upon Yun Jin and Ye Danxia.
"Yun Jin, Ye Danxia, step forward."
Ye Danxia's chest swelled with pride as she took a step forward.
When Yun Jin did the same, her eyes flickered with displeasure.
She knew Yun Jin only had three months left to strut around.
But standing on the same level as her still itched like a burr under her skin.
She was a heavenly spiritual root.
Yun Jin? A worthless five-element trash.
How dare she share the same rank?
But then Ye Danxia remembered her second senior brother's promise, and a glint of schadenfreude flashed in her eyes.
After Yun Jin had forced that agreement on Eldest Senior Brother, the sect master had ordered him into seclusion to avoid further embarrassment.
Fortunately…
Second Senior Brother had returned. Not only was he more handsome than the eldest, but his devotion to her was blatantly obvious.
This time, she hadn't even needed to complain—
The moment he heard about Yun Jin's antics, he'd vowed to teach her a lesson.
(Of course, Ye Danxia had pretended to dissuade him. Naturally, she'd failed.)
Now, as she glanced at Gu Jinghong, he gave her a reassuring smile.
Her heart settled at once.
Whatever he had planned… it would work.
This time, Yun Jin would humiliate herself in front of the entire sect!