After the Sixth Elder disappeared at the end of the corridor, the air remained tense for a few moments, as if the place itself had not yet processed what had just happened.
Shirin was the first to move.
She turned toward Faiser quickly, her short steps carrying clear irritation more than anger itself.
"Are you… actually out of your mind?"
She said it while lowering her voice, but its sharpness remained present.
"I understand that you dislike his manner, and I understand that he provoked you, but you insulted him in front of the servants, in front of some disciples, and in front of me… do you realize who he is?"
Faiser began walking calmly through the corridor, as if nothing had happened.
"A full-bodied elder, fat, emotionally sensitive, and Low probability ."
Shirin stopped for a moment, then caught up to him again.
"I'm serious!"
"And I described what I saw."
Inside his mind, the book burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Emotionally sensitive! Write that on his grave later!"
"Be quiet," Faiser said inwardly.
"I can't… I thrive in chaos."
Shirin clenched her hand slightly as she walked beside him.
"You do not understand. The position of elder within the sect is not an empty title. Every elder possesses influence, followers, disciples, connections, and the right to speak before the sect council... also great combat strength and martial arts."
She looked at him sharply.
"And you… arrived almost yesterday, then insulted one of them in the corridors."
"A small correction," Faiser said without looking at her. "He insulted himself. I merely helped the truth come out."
"Sir Faiser!"
"What?"
"Are you intentionally trying to annoy me too?"
"No. This happens naturally."
The book immediately said:
"My god… I have found a woman who reminds me of you."
"Be quiet."
"Impossible, this is romantic destiny."
"I truly need to get you out of my mind!"
Shirin let out a long sigh, then softened her tone slightly.
"Listen to me carefully. The disciples of the Sixth Elder are not ordinary. Some of them are from the second generation, and some trained with the first generation. They spent years in the outer battlefields, fought real duels, learned advanced martial arts, and tempered their bodies and their chi."
Then she looked directly at his chest.
"And you… are still only at the Pulsing Seed level."
A short silence.
"No matter how strange your aura is… level is no joke."
Faiser kept walking.
"Are you finished?"
She stared at him in disbelief.
"That is your entire response?"
"No."
He stopped, then turned halfway toward her.
"The problem is that you are looking at what my opponents possess… and not at what they lack."
Shirin blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"True confidence."
He resumed walking.
"Whoever needs to draw strength from his elder's name, from the number of his disciples, and from his years of training… is indirectly telling you that he is not reassured."
Shirin fell silent. As for the book, it spoke in a lighter tone this time:
"Hmmm… annoying, but your words are good."
Then it immediately returned to its usual tone:
"Still, I would have preferred if you hit the fat one."
Shirin said after a few moments:
"Even if I assume you are right… why provoke him in the first place? You could have ignored him."
Faiser's steps finally stopped. He turned to face her completely. His eyes were calm… too calm.
"Because I wanted to see his type."
"His type?"
"Yes."
He raised one finger slightly.
"There are those who attack when angry."
He raised a second finger.
"And there are those who smile when angry."
He raised a third.
"And the most dangerous… those who turn insult into a plan."
Shirin's gaze stilled.
"And the Sixth Elder… is the third type."
"So you were testing him?"
"From the first word."
Inside his mind, the book went silent for two seconds… then said:
"I hate it when you are truly intelligent."
Shirin lowered her gaze slightly.
"You are a… truly exhausting person."
"I heard that from you a little while ago."
"You have become two reliable sources now."
The book burst out laughing.
At the crossroads of the corridors, Shirin stopped.
"I will go to my wing."
Then she looked at him seriously.
"Despite everything… be careful."
"I will try."
"And please… do not insult another elder today."
He thought for a moment.
"Hmmm… I make no promises."
She closed her eyes in pain, then left.
The book immediately said:
"Well done. A kind woman left regretting knowing you."
The next morning—
The sect awoke to a rumor faster than the wind: Prince Shin's guest… a weak young man at the Pulsing Seed level, rude, arrogant, insulted one of the sect elders, lives under Shin's protection, and behaves like a noble.
In the courtyards, at the wells, near the training halls, and even among the servants… the name kept repeating.
Faiser.
Faiser stood in one of the side corridors, listening to the conversation of two disciples without looking at them.
"I heard this person thinks he is a genius."
"I heard the Sixth Elder will bury him in the tournament."
"And Shin?"
"He brought shame with an outsider like that."
They passed beside him without noticing him.
Faiser continued walking.
The book said happily:
"Finally…"
It paused dramatically.
"Organized hatred."
Then it continued:
"I am beginning to love this sect."
Faiser did not answer immediately, then said calmly:
"This is no longer personal."
"I know," said the book.
"No. You do not know."
His steps stopped.
"If the Sixth Elder only wanted revenge on me, the tournament would have been enough."
He raised his gaze toward the sect buildings.
"But he spread the rumor this way to tie me to Shin."
"Mmm…"
"If I lose… they will say Shin has poor judgment and gathers fools around him. If I withdraw… they will say his guest is a coward. If I get angry now… they will say the rumors are true."
Silence, then the book laughed lightly.
"Hahaha… nice. The fat one is more cunning than I expected."
"Not great cunning."
"Then what?"
"Just small cunning… but practical."
The book liked the answer.
"You are getting worse… and I am proud."
Then the book spoke in a different tone, less playful.
"Listen carefully, Faiser."
Faiser stopped.
"You have now entered an arena larger than you think. This tournament is not a quarrel between you and a fat elder."
"I know."
"If you win… you will create a place for yourself. And if you crush them easily…"
It paused for a moment.
"…you will make everyone reconsider."
The book's tone began growing deeper.
"The world does not respect potential. The world respects results."
"Prestige is not given… it is seized."
"And sects do not open their doors to strangers… unless they fear them."
Faiser's gaze became calmer.
"So?"
"So you will win."
"That is obvious."
"No."
The book said it with sudden sharpness.
"You will win with an overwhelming victory. A big difference."
Then it continued:
"And for that… you must train."
"Here?"
"Here?"
The book laughed mockingly.
"Inside a sect where the Sixth Elder watches you?"
"From this moment, every step you take is counted. Every person who passes beside you may be one of his eyes."
"If you train here, he will know. If you improve here, he will prepare."
"But if you leave the sect…"
It paused.
"…he will not have authority beyond its walls."
Faiser thought for only a few seconds, then turned toward the main gate.
"Then let us leave now. No time to waste."
The book fell silent for a moment, then said with admiration:
"Sometimes… you shorten words beautifully."
Faiser passed through the grand courtyard, then toward the gate.
At that moment, from a side balcony in one of the tall buildings...
Shin stood silently watching the purple-haired young man leave alone.
He sighed lightly, then smiled a small smile.
"What are you truly hiding… Faiser?"
Outside the sect—the air was wider, the road was dusty, and the distant mountains were still.
The book said:
"So? Where shall we go to train?"
Faiser smiled… a rare faint smile.
"I know a suitable place."
"That sentence worries me."
"Good."
After an hour of walking, he entered among the trees. The forest grew denser, the sounds quieted, and the path became familiar to him alone.
Until he reached a silent spot… the ground slightly cracked, broken stones, and a massive tree trunk bent in the middle.
The place where he first fell into this world.
He stood there without speaking.
The book asked:
"What is this place?"
Faiser looked around him.
"A place where the problems began."
"Then it is very suitable for training."
Faiser slowly sat upon a rock.
Then he let out a long breath.
"Now you must teach me."
A short silence followed.
Then the book said… in a tone that held no mockery this time:
"Fine... although this is annoying."
It paused.
"Then let us begin by learning the basics of the Moon Penguin Sword Dance, because it will be one of your winning cards."
A cold wind blew between the trees, and Faiser's gaze changed completely, because he knew that advancing toward the unknown would begin from this small point...