The moment those words entered Elder Zhen Ren's ears, he couldn't help but tremble ever so slightly—an action that did not go unnoticed by the Sect Leader.

Elder Zhen Ren raised his head and looked at the Sect Leader. He then said in a panic, "Ao?! Sect Leader, did he do something? I couldn't find him the entire day!"

Inwardly, however, Elder Zhen Ren was cursing his misfortune.

I told that brat not to wander around and draw people's attention. He had to do exactly what I told him not to. Worse yet, now even the Sect Leader knows about him!

When he had brought Adam to the sect, he knew, of course, that sooner or later the Sect Leader would become privy to it. But he didn't expect it to happen so soon.

"So, his name is Ao," said the Sect Leader, stroking his neatly-trimmed beard.

He looked at the Elder with narrowed eyes and continued, "But you still haven't answered me. Why did you bring him here? Is he someone you know?"

Elder Zhen Ren knew he couldn't lie, and he wasn't going to lie to begin with. After all, other than him, there were disciples who knew about Adam being apprehended by the guards and sent for interrogation.

One way or another, the Sect Leader would have found out about it. Everything that happened at Baihua Sect or in Jingyun City never escaped the Sect Leader's attention.

If Elder Zhen Ren had more time to think about it, he would have surely come up with a believable excuse. But as things stood, anything he said would sound suspicious.

I was too hasty in bringing Adam to the Sect, he thought regretfully.

Lao Ren's prophecy made him greatly excited, but at the same time, it resulted in him being careless.

Realizing he was taking too much time to answer, Elder Zhen Ren decided to be as straightforward as possible, without divulging the existence of the Shadow Sect.

"Sect Leader, apologies for not bringing this matter to your attention sooner," he began, head lowered in reverence.

"To answer your question... no, I do not know Ao. He was someone the guards in the city had apprehended because of suspicious activity. But when I dug deeper, I found out it was all because of a misunderstanding."

"Suspicious activity?" The Sect Leader frowned.

"Please, allow me to explain…"

Elder Zhen Ren then recounted everything that led to Adam being captured by the city guards.

"…I found it very interesting that Ao was able to sense someone's gaze from several blocks away. His perception is frighteningly sharp. So, I thought I would bring him up to the mountain, not only to exchange pointers, but also to apologize for the earlier misunderstanding."

The Sect Leader remained silent, intently gazing at the Elder.

At last, he said in an even voice:

"And throughout all of this, not once did you think that bringing a stranger like him to our home could pose a threat to the disciples?"

Elder Zhen Ren couldn't help but frown. He then said in an apologetic tone, "Sect Leader, forgive me, I did not sense any hostility from him towards me or even the disciples that apprehended him. As for the topic of him being a threat to our sect…"

The Sect Leader leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "What, you think he is incapable of posing a threat to the Baihua Sect?"

"Naturally," Elder Zhen Ren said matter-of-factly.

"Have you thought what would have happened if I was away?" The Sect Leader asked, amused.

Elder Zhen Ren was about to confidently say that the other Elders would have easily taken care of the guest in such a hypothetical scenario, but he suddenly noticed the Sect Leader's expression.

Is he… smiling?

Then, another thought emerged in Elder Zhen Ren's mind.

Wait, why is he even asking such a question in the first place? Could it be…

"Sect Master, are you suggesting…" The Elder couldn't even finish his words because he found it so ridiculous.

"Yes," said the Sect Leader. "That man, Ao, is strong. None of the Elders of our sect can stand up to him. Not even the Grand Elder. Well, if all of them team up, they might have a chance."

Elder Zhen Ren's eyes trembled.

"…What?!"

"Tell me, Zhen Ren," the Sect Leader continued. "What did you bring him up the mountain? This is unlike you."

Elder Zhen Ren gulped subconsciously. "I, uh… I'm not sure what I was thinking, to be honest. Ao gave off a mysterious air, and I could tell he was strong. That's why I wanted to exchange pointers with him. But I didn't know he was that strong…"

Still shaken by the information the Sect Leader had shared with him, Elder Zhen Ren knew that he could no longer allow Adam to stay within the sect. If he insisted, then that might come across as suspicious.

So, he hurriedly added, "Sect Leader, please forgive me for my transgression. I will immediately escort him out of the Sect and the city."

"It is no offence to bring a guest to our home, certainly not for an Elder," said the Sect Leader. "That being said, I wish you were more careful about who you bring to our home. Like I said, this is unlike you."

Elder Zhen Ren's heart sank.

Is he… suspicious of me now? He thought to himself, terrified.

Oh, no! What have I done?!

"But I must commend you for your foresight, Zhen Ren." The Sect Leader's following words stunned the Elder.

Elder Zhen Ren turned to him, confused. "Eh?"

"You were right about clearing any misunderstandings with a Magus so powerful. You were also right about exchanging pointers with him," the Sect Leader added, stroking his beard. "There's a lot to be learned. Especially for our Dragon and Phoenix."

Elder Zhen Ren's eyes slightly widened. "Sect Leader, are you suggesting…"

"Hmm." The Sect Leader's eyes were distant, his lips curling into a smile as he replayed Adam's breathtaking dance with nature in his mind.

He then turned to the Elder and instructed:

"Bai Ge and Bai Xun are the pride of our Sect. They are also its future. Introduce them to your guest. Have them spar on a regular basis. I'll leave it up to you on how you compensate Ao for training those two."

Elder Zhen Ren was truly stunned. "Sect Leader, what… uhm, yes, okay. I understand. But you just mentioned that Ao was stronger than all the Elders of our Sect. Do you not think he will be a threat to us?"

"No, Zhen Ren." The Sect Leader shook his head, a faint smile on his wizened face.

Elder Zhen Ren did not know what to say. He wanted to ask about the reasoning behind the Sect Leader's certainty, but in the end, he remained silent.

This was exactly what he had been hoping for, and thankfully, things had worked out in his favor.

He cupped his fists and bowed.

"I understand, Sect Leader."

With that said, he left the great hall.

Bai Tianji looked at the twin moons through the window, but his mind was still replaying the beautiful dance performed by Adam.

"What a fascinating martial art," he muttered under his breath.

"It is more profound than even the Plum Blossom Sword Art…"

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