"Wei Xueru is with them."
"I understand. I will go see what is happening."
Jian Dan rose. She brought no one along this time and walked a familiar path straight to the Law Enforcement Hall.
Law Enforcement Hall
Jian Li sat in the chief seat of the great hall, looking down at the three standing below: Wei Zhengrong, Wei Xueru, and the Wei clan's Wei Chengze.
"Zūnshàng Jian Li, please uphold justice. Wei Zhengrong deceived our elders. Without the Ancestor's permission, he sent Wei Xueru into the sect. I have come by order of the Ancestor to take Wei Xueru back."
"Wei Xueru has already taken a master and does not wish to return to the clan. Besides, my parents have agreed to let me cultivate in the Heavenly Sword Sect."
"You junior, it is not your place to speak. Whom did you worship as Master? Is this how that person teaches you?"
"She worship me, Jian Lu. My disciple is not yours to scold." Jian Dan stepped into the hall at an easy pace and finished Wei Chengze's line for him.
Wei Chengze resembled Wei Zhengrong by about half, but his features were less pleasant. His cultivation was similar to Wei Zhengrong's, at early Divine Transformation. He was the second son of Wei Zhengrong's eldest uncle.
Seeing Jian Dan enter, Jian Li knew Wei Chengze would gain nothing today. He gestured for his junior sister to sit.
Qi Hua and Jin Liuli, who had been watching, hurried forward to salute and deftly served Jian Dan tea and refreshments.
Jian Dan beckoned to Wei Xueru, who stood straight below. "Wei Xueru, come to your Master."
From the moment Jian Dan entered, Wei Xueru's eyes had not left her. At her Master's call, Wei Xueru bowed to Zūnshàng Jian Li, then quickly approached Jian Dan.
Jian Dan drew Wei Xueru to her side, swept her with Primordial Soul sense, and asked gently, "Wei Xueru, are you hurt?"
"Reporting to Master, my elder brother protected me. Wei Xueru was not harmed." Tears shimmered in Wei Xueru's eyes, but she held them back and answered respectfully.
"Good girl. It is only right that your brother protect you." Jian Dan patted the twin buns on Wei Xueru's head and smiled.
Below, Wei Chengze felt increasingly uncomfortable. Wei Xueru's Master had appeared from nowhere. He did not know this woman's background, but her Dao title was familiar, and Jian Li Zūnshàng was clearly courteous to her.
After soothing Wei Xueru, Jian Dan finally looked over Wei Chengze and spoke mildly. "The Wei clan's Ancestor sent you?"
"Y, yes." Pressed by Jian Dan's presence, Wei Chengze stammered.
"Tut. Why tell such a lie? Would your Ancestor busy himself over a six-year-old with a stone root who could not cultivate?"
"Wei Xueru can cultivate now." Wei Chengze dodged the point.
"Yes. I healed her. And now you come to take the ready-made benefit?" Jian Dan's eyes tilted with a hint of mockery as she regarded him like a fool.
Wei Chengze clenched his teeth. "The clan is, of course, grateful for your aid. But that does not mean you can claim an outstanding scion of the Wei clan as your own on that basis alone."
"Why not? When Wei Xueru could not cultivate, none of you stood up for her. Now that she is my disciple, you reach out to snatch her back. What do you mean by that?"
Wei Chengze knew if Jian Lu pressed that point in public, it would disgrace the Wei clan. When Wei Xueru was unable to cultivate, only his second uncle's family had supported her. Now that she had a pure Wind root and could cultivate, they stepped forward. It would indeed give people something to talk about.
Wei Chengze's eyes shifted as he sought another angle. "Zūnshàng, the clan's earlier neglect was our fault, so I came to bring Wei Xueru back for proper training. We will make amends. The clan possesses a wind-attribute cultivation art perfectly suited to her. The clan head has already decided to bestow it upon Wei Xueru."
As Jian Dan listened, the Butterfly-Kissing Golden-Cup fan appeared in her hand. She flicked it twice and smiled. "Would a disciple of Jian Lu lack for cultivation arts?"
That line choked Wei Chengze. In truth, today's move had been his own impulsive idea.
Earlier, Wei Zhengrong's use of the Dragonbone Flying Boat had been blocked by Wei Weie, and the second uncle's family had been punished with ten years of offerings, ordered to reflect in seclusion.
Wei Zhengrong's eldest uncle's branch had rejoiced. With that punishment, Wei Weie could not interfere in clan affairs. Their aim of sidelining him had been met.
Things stayed quiet until a month ago, when Wei Zhengrong returned to the clan to see his parents. Then came the rumor that Wei Xueru would join the Heavenly Sword Sect's intake. Only then did they realize something was amiss.
Wei Chengze volunteered to investigate and happened to run into the siblings coming out of the Affairs Hall.
With his early Divine Transformation cultivation, he could see at a glance that Wei Xueru could now cultivate, and that she was already at Qi Refining fourth level. That was no worse than his eldest brother's children, and Wei Xueru's training time was clearly short.
Panicking, he had tried to grab Wei Xueru first, planning to drag her back to the clan and then consult his father. With a single-attribute Wind root and this cultivation speed, surpassing them would be only a matter of time.
Wei Zhengrong, however, reacted like an enraged dragon with its reverse scale touched. He flung off Wei Chengze's hand. In the ensuing dispute, the patrol escorted them to the Law Enforcement Hall. After all, Wei Chengze was a visitor, while Wei Zhengrong was a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, so the matter came before Hall Master Jian Li.
By the time they arrived, Wei Chengze had calmed down. He admitted inwardly that Wei Xueru's rapid progress had shocked him. He adjusted his plan, accused Wei Zhengrong of deceiving the Ancestor, and invoked the Ancestor's name to demand Wei Xueru's return. Clearly, that plan would fail today. Wei Xueru's Master was not one to trifle with.
At last, Wei Zhengrong stepped forward, respectfully presenting Jian Dan's purple jade sword token.
"Zūnshàng, Wei Xueru's identity sword token has been completed."
"Good. You worked hard." With a flick of Jian Dan's hand, the purple jade token returned to her waist. She turned her fan, and a formal visiting card appeared upon the fan's face. She instructed Wei Zhengrong: "Have this gentleman—"
Jian Dan glanced once at Wei Chengze. Wei Zhengrong supplied the name at once.
"This is Wei Chengze, second son of the Wei clan head."
"Very well. Let him take this to the Wei clan's Ancestor. Say it is my visiting card, from Jian Lu. Wei Xueru has entered the Heavenly Sword Sect as my closed-door disciple. If they accept this, it will be a fine outcome. If they insist on taking Wei Xueru back, they may come to Tianyue Peak to seek me."
"Yes, Zūnshàng." Steady at heart, Wei Zhengrong received the name card with both hands and passed it to Wei Chengze.
"I am a lazy person who prefers to settle things once and for all. Since Wei Xueru is so precious, come find me, and let us see who is more qualified to be her Master."
As she spoke, Jian Dan pressed down on Wei Chengze with a thread of Mahayana-stage aura.
Wei Chengze accepted the card and felt the immense pressure. His brows drew tight. He forced a bow, then withdrew from the Law Enforcement Hall.
"Tut. With manners like that, he dares speak of another's upbringing." Still fanning herself unhurriedly, Jian Dan addressed the dais where Senior Brother Jian Li sat.
"Do not worry, Junior Sister," Jian Li said. "The Wei clan's Ancestor is early Mahayana, but he is not adept at combat."
"I know. Now that Wei Xueru is my disciple, there is no reason to keep hiding. This is a good chance to make matters clear, so they stop coveting her."