Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Inner Sect Survival Rules
Elder Hou stared for quite a while, then said in disbelief: “Sect Master, are you joking with old Hou?”

Elder Hou was stunned for a long moment and stared wide-eyed.

It was no wonder he was so shocked. In Five Elements Dao Sect, Inner Disciples had always been promoted to become Personal Disciples. There had never been a case of a Personal Disciple turning into an Inner Disciple.

Only someone truly terrible would be expelled from the sect, and that was the kind of thing people thought would never happen.

Sect Master Ji Yuan cleared his throat and said: “Ahem, do I look like I’m joking with you? This is how it is. Don’t ask too much and just do it.”

Slowly, Elder Hou came back to his senses, and the way he looked at Yu Zhao was as if he were looking at a monster.

He had already recognized Yu Zhao.

After all, Master Qing Yan, ranked first in fighting strength in Five Elements Dao Sect, had accepted only seven Personal Disciples in total, and Yu Zhao was one of the more famous among them.

Although it was a bad kind of fame, there was no disciple in Five Elements Dao Sect who did not know of her.

During the time when the rumors were at their worst, every day disciples would secretly discuss why Master Qing Yan did not drive Yu Zhao out of his sect.

Of course, no one thought that their talk would become reality. They were just venting.

Who would have thought that Yu Zhao would really become the abandoned disciple of Lone Moon Peak?

Elder Hou could completely imagine the storm of gossip Yu Zhao would face next.

He frowned and looked at Ji Yuan as he said: “Sect Master, why don’t you take her back to Main Peak and let her live there for a while?”

At least on Main Peak, the disciples would restrain themselves a bit.

Seeing that Elder Hou was thinking the same thing as he was, Ji Yuan could not help but pat him on the shoulder in relief.

Elder Hou truly was a good elder who thought only of the sect and its disciples. He really knew how to look out for them.

Elder Hou thought that Ji Yuan had agreed. He had not yet had time to let out a breath of relief for Yu Zhao when he heard Ji Yuan reject him firmly: “No. Public matters must be handled as public matters. Even I must act according to the sect rules.”

Ji Yuan’s chest was held high, and he looked full of upright righteousness. There was no sign at all that not long ago he himself had tried hard to persuade Yu Zhao on this matter.

Elder Hou’s expression changed, and he could not help feeling a bit ashamed.

He had made this suggestion mostly because the Sect Master seemed to value Yu Zhao greatly and he wanted to do the Sect Master a favor. He had not expected the Sect Master to be so noble and upright, rejecting it in one stroke.

The Sect Master’s state of mind was so lofty that he felt ashamed in comparison.

Elder Hou patted his chest and said: “Sect Master, don’t worry. I know what to do.”

When it came to handling things by the rules, he was most familiar.

After hearing Elder Hou’s words, Ji Yuan was completely not at ease. He handed Yu Zhao over to Elder Hou, then strolled back to Main Peak himself.

His eldest disciple was still waiting for him to come back and give a report.

Elder Hou said to Yu Zhao: “Come with me.”

As soon as Ji Yuan left, the warmth on Elder Hou’s face vanished at once.

Yu Zhao followed silently, not caring at all about his change in attitude.

The Inner Court of Five Elements Dao Sect was located on a low peak to the south of Main Peak. Hundreds of courtyards were arranged along the mountainside in a neat but staggered pattern.

Seeing that Yu Zhao stayed quiet along the way and did not talk much, Elder Hou was barely satisfied.

Thinking again of how the Sect Master treated her differently, he was merciful enough to tell her some survival rules for Inner Disciples.

“Inner Disciples are the ones under the greatest pressure among the three ranks of disciples in Five Elements Dao Sect, and they are also the most competitive,” Elder Hou said.

This was because the requirements for Inner Disciples were strict. Every half year there would be a ranking tournament for Inner Disciples. Anyone who placed in the bottom ten three times in a row would automatically be demoted to an Outer Disciple.

“The way for an Outer Disciple to be promoted is much simpler,” Elder Hou went on. “As long as they defeat an Inner Disciple, they can successfully be promoted. At the same time, the Inner Disciple will get one demerit, and three demerits will also mean being demoted to an Outer Disciple.”

Outer Disciples wanted to step on Inner Disciples to get promoted. Inner Disciples did not want to become someone else’s stepping stone, and they also wanted to earn the favor of elders and peak masters and become Personal Disciples, so of course they had to cultivate with all their might.

They fought over resources, over fame, over status.

The motto of Inner Disciples could be summed up in one word: fight.

Yu Zhao took in the information from Elder Hou and quietly laid out her next rules for action in her heart.

She did not have time to fight every day with Inner Disciples.

She did not care about the position of Personal Disciple that they wanted so badly.

All she wanted was a quiet place to cultivate.

This small request should not be something anyone would reject.

Elder Hou added: “Actually, you don’t need to worry too much. With your cultivation level at late Foundation Establishment, there are not many Inner Disciples who can match you. As long as you do not run into those few people, you should be able to get along with the others in peace.”

“Elder Hou, who are those few people you mentioned?” Yu Zhao asked.

At that point, Elder Hou did not want to say more. He waved his hand and said: “Stay here for a while and you will know. Look, the Inner Court is just ahead.”

Inner Disciples did only one thing every day.

Cultivate.

Only by cultivating could they become stronger. Only by cultivating could they protect the status they had now.

No cultivator was willing to be eliminated by someone weaker than themselves, and no cultivator was willing to stand still forever.

Because of that, even though it was a beautiful time of day, there was not a single figure to be seen in the Inner Court.

As soon as Yu Zhao stepped into the Inner Court, a tense, oppressive atmosphere rushed up to wrap around her. It felt as if there were sparks in the air.

“Can you feel their determination?” Elder Hou said with a chuckle.

Yu Zhao nodded.

When she had been on Lone Moon Peak, Fang Cheng Lang, Cui Jue, and the others had always urged her to cultivate. She had thought of herself as quite hardworking. After coming here, she realized she had still overestimated herself.

Elder Hou led Yu Zhao up the stone steps built along the slope. He said: “The place where you live in the Inner Court also has its rules. The strongest stay at the foot of the mountain, and only the weakest live on the top. Do you know why?”

Yu Zhao thought for a moment and said: “It should be to save time.”

Living at the foot of the mountain made it easier to go anywhere.

Although it did not save much time compared to living on the top, in the eyes of Inner Disciples, even the smallest difference could become the key to victory or defeat.

“That’s right,” Elder Hou said. “So the distribution of courtyards is not fixed. As long as you have the ability, you can live in any courtyard here. That counts as one sign of status.”

There was a hint of provocation in Elder Hou’s words.

It seemed that he very much wanted Yu Zhao to challenge the Inner Disciples.

Yu Zhao only smiled and did not answer.

The peak where the Inner Court was located was not very high. In less than the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, Yu Zhao and Elder Hou had already reached the top.

In the very center of the mountaintop was a flat patch of ground, and on it stood a small green courtyard.

There was a ring of fencing around the courtyard. Through the gaps in the fence, one could clearly see the inside.

Inside was an open piece of land, but in the eastern corner grew an ancient tree that had clearly lived for many years.

The tree’s trunk was thick, and its canopy was layered like clouds. When a breeze blew, the leaves knocked against each other with a soft, rustling sound.

Yu Zhao took a liking to that ancient tree at a glance.

She pointed at the courtyard and said: “Elder Hou, I want to live here.”