The Whispers of Justice
Wú Jié, now fully integrated as an Inner Disciple and apprentice to Elder Ming, spent the next few weeks immersing himself in the sect's most complex Formation Theory scrolls. Elder Ming, impressed by Wú Jié's relentless efficiency and quick mind, left him to his own devices in the vast, quiet Formation Archives.
However, the whispers about Zhao Fei's sudden, spectacular downfall had reached the Inner Sect. The official verdict was spiritual corruption and reckless array tampering, but the disciples had other theories.
"Did you see Zhao Fei?" murmured a passing disciple, Lu Chen, to his companion near Wú Jié's desk. "He's trapped at the First Layer! It was a curse, I tell you. A demonic curse! How else could someone shatter their own Dantian Shield so cleanly?"
Lu Chen approached Wú Jié's desk, eyeing the new Inner Disciple robes with suspicion. "You were there, Wú Jié. You were the one who 'discovered the flaw.' Did you see anything unusual?"
Wú Jié paused his brush stroke, looking up with unnerving composure. The sheer hypocrisy of the righteous path never ceased to amuse him. These disciples believed in curses and fate, never in simple, terrifying human calculation.
He met Lu Chen's fearful gaze and uttered
"There are no curses, only consequences. His ambition overran his fate, and the Dao corrected the imbalance. Nothing more."
Lu Chen shivered and quickly backed away, clearly finding Wú Jié's chilling logic far more disturbing than the concept of a ghostly curse.
Wú Jié turned back to his scroll. Consequence. He hadn't cursed Zhao Fei. He had merely manipulated the conditions until Zhao Fei chose the exact action that led to his own self-destruction. This was the true nature of power not breaking the rules, but arranging the rules to break others.
False Kindness
Elder Ming soon assigned Wú Jié a "morale-boosting" task: investigating the disappearance of the Sky-Mirror Talisman, a minor protective artifact used by the sect's disciples. The talisman had vanished from the quarters of Disciple Li Yun, a low-ranking but exceedingly hardworking girl known for her deep-seated fear of confrontation.
"The girl is terrified. She is due to go on her first independent mission soon," Elder Ming grumbled. "Find the talisman, Wú Jié. It is a minor matter, but we must maintain discipline."
Wú Jié went to Li Yun's quarters. He wasn't interested in the talisman. He was interested in resources.
Li Yun was weeping softly, convinced she would be punished.
"The talisman is gone," she whispered tearfully. "They say if I lose it, I lose my mission slot. I have worked for years for this chance..."
Wú Jié didn't offer comfort. He walked around the small room, his eyes scanning for anomalies. He quickly identified the thief: Zhang Kui, another low-ranking disciple and known bully who was competing for the same mission slot. Zhang Kui had a distinct habit of chewing on a certain type of highly fragrant wood Wú Jié detected the faint, specific scent near the window.
Wú Jié leaned in and spoke to Li Yun, his voice low and firm. "You do not care about the talisman. You care about the mission. The thief is Zhang Kui."
Li Yun gasped. "How do you know?"
"Irrelevant," Wú Jié cut her off. "If you accuse him, he will deny it, and the sect will blame you for lack of proof. You will lose the mission slot and gain an enemy. That is a poor outcome."
Li Yun looked desperate. "What do I do, then?"
Wú Jié reached into his sleeve and produced a small, silver-blue tablet. It was not the original Sky-Mirror Talisman, but a superior, custom-made Qi-Nullification Talisman that provided far better protection. He had crafted it using the remaining scraps of the Heart-Cleansing Jade Essence.
"Take this. It will function as a replacement for the mission. You will survive the mission because this artifact is superior."
Li Yun stared at the exquisite, powerful talisman. "Why... why would you give me this? It is worth more than my entire family's assets."
Wú Jié's expression hardened, offering A , chilling piece of philosophy:
"Every action is a seed. When you plant fear, you reap distrust. When you plant power, you reap loyalty. Do not mistake this for kindness. This is an investment in your consequence."
A testament to his cold calculated and almost twisted views, personality and moral standing.
Moniker Of The Weaver
Li Yun, stunned but obedient, took the talisman. Wú Jié then sought out Zhang Kui, the thief.
He cornered Zhang Kui near the training fields, where the disciple was boasting about his upcoming mission.
"You stole the Sky-Mirror Talisman from Li Yun," Wú Jié stated without preamble.
Zhang Kui instantly went hostile, his Qi surging. "What slander is this, Inner Disciple? Get lost!"
Wú Jié remained unmoving. He didn't threaten Zhang Kui with exposure. He threatened him with a destiny far worse than punishment.
"If you proceed with that mission, your fate is death," Wú Jié said, his tone utterly certain. "The mission involves encountering a Phantom Spirit Hound. The Hound's only weakness is the fragrance of the wood you chew Dark Cypress. It will follow you, disable the Talisman you stole, and devour your soul in the forest."
Zhang Kui paled. "You lie! How could you know the weakness of the Hound?"
"I know the array schematics of the containment fields, and I know the natural patterns of the local beasts," Wú Jié countered. "Li Yun, however, will survive. She holds a talisman that nullifies the Hound's scent ability entirely."
Wú Jié smiled faintly, leaning close. "Now, you have two paths. You can go on the mission with your stolen talisman and die a consequence of your theft. Or, you can create a consequence for Li Yun that removes her from the mission, leaving you safe. Make her miss the departure deadline. You will not face the Phantom Hound, and you will not die."
Wú Jié made a cold, final calculation for the ambitious thief:
"Never destroy the chessboard. Simply move the pieces until only your King remains."
Zhang Kui, faced with certain, painful death versus a simple, morally bankrupt maneuver, chose the latter. He was not a villain, just a coward. He agreed to sabotage Li Yun's departure.
However, Wú Jié had already given Li Yun the superior talisman and the instruction to leave early. Zhang Kui's attempt at sabotage delaying her carriage failed entirely. Li Yun left safely with the Core Mission.
Zhang Kui, seeing his attempt fail, was terrified of Wú Jié's next move. He voluntarily withdrew from the mission, claiming sudden illness.
The Result: Li Yun went on her mission and survived, now owing a deep, spiritual debt of loyalty to Wú Jié. Zhang Kui was terrified into submission, becoming an unwitting, silent pawn in the Inner Sect. And Wú Jié had gained an unbreakable asset and neutralized a threat without lifting a finger in combat.
When Elder Ming heard the official report that Li Yun had gone on the mission safely while the reckless Zhang Kui had inexplicably withdrawn he only shook his head. "Wú Jié, you didn't simply find the talisman; you orchestrated the entire result. You didn't just solve the problem, you rearranged their fates."
Word of the bizarre incident spread among the Inner Disciples: how Wú Jié, the quiet, pale genius, could predict the downfall of one and the success of another through cold logic and calculated moves. They didn't call it strategy. They called it something darker, more powerful.
It was in the following weeks, when disciples began altering their behavior around Wú Jié, desperate not to be counted among his "consequences," that the title took hold.
He was the one who could see the threads of destiny before they were spun. He was
(The Weaver Of Fates.)
This chapter establishes Wú Jié's combat strategy (using knowledge to instantly dismantle an opponent, as he did with Zhao Fei), his terrifying philosophy, and earns him the critical title of
The Weaver Of Fates by orchestrating the dual fate of Li Yun and Zhang Kui.