The Elders’ Hall was noisy when Lin Yijun arrived. The four Sect Elders sat at the front. The Sect Leader was not present: they had gone into seclusion in preparation to advance to the next level.

The numerous peak masters and senior cultivators gathered into two neat rows, one on the side of the two male Elders, and one on the side of the two female Elders. Lin Yijun’s parents were on Elder Wang’s side.

Lin Yijun bowed his head and took a seat behind his parents.

“A war with the demonic sects? Really? There have been none in my living memory…”

“—I have to say, I’m not surprised, demonic cultivators are this kind of aggressive person.”

“We should take this chance to clean them up a little—”

The chatter showed no sign of abating. Finally, Elder Wang took charge, ordering a “Quiet!”

The Hall immediately fell silent. Eyes turned to the front.

“The rumours are true,” Elder Wang said. “The demonic sects have declared war—”

“They declared war on us?” a senior cultivator scoffed. “We should declare war on them! There have been traces of demonic cultivation in the sect recently!”

“We should take this chance to purify the world!”

The heavy pressure of Elder Wang’s qi pressed down in the Hall in a clear warning to be quiet.

Lin Yijun’s face remained impassive, but a cold fear curled in his heart. Demonic traces in the sect? Zhou Sheng?

Elder Liu Ru said calmly, “What evidence do you have?”

Elder Wang didn’t look at Elder Liu. “Two of our agents have uncovered their plans, and I have received reports of demonic cultivators raising ghost and corpse armies. Is that not a declaration of war?”

“And do you know why?” Elder Liu asked.

“When do demonic cultivators need a reason to fight?” a senior cultivator from Elder Wang’s faction scoffed. “In fact, such a war would benefit their cultivation. Think of all the corpses, blood and ghosts that would come out of the battlefield!”

“And that is why we need to strike first,” Elder Wang said somberly.

Lin Yijun’s gaze lowered as he recalled the righteous-demonic war from his last life. There was a bit of guilt, too. His actions had led to that ghost invasion happening earlier. Had that triggered multiple other events to happen earlier, leading to an earlier start to the war?

Elder Liu’s lips pursed. “Don’t be hasty, Elder Wang.”

Elder Wang glanced sidelong at Elder Liu. “Do you not trust the information we have gathered? You’ve already accepted mortals into the sect. Do you plan to accept demonic cultivators too?”

With his words, many of the other cultivators in the Hall were reminded of Elder Liu’s actions, and their impression of Elder Liu was lowered. They felt that Elder Liu was getting soft, and was unsuitable for this war talk.

“But to allay Elder Liu’s fears, we will organise a second reconnaissance group,” Elder Wang said magnanimously.

The conversation in the Hall soon delved into the fine details. Various other administration issues were then brought up during the occasion before the meeting concluded.

---

Elder Wang and his faction met again afterwards, without the knowledge or interference of Elder Liu Ru.

They met in the large building on Elder Wang’s mountain peak. The furnishings of his meeting Hall was sparse, but every little detail was brimming with complex qi. A large table was set at the centre, and everyone sat around it, including Lin Yijun.

“Of course, Elder Liu is obliged to question us,” Elder Wang said, showing the slightest demeaning smile. “However, our intelligence is clear and true. The demonic sects are preparing for war. We don’t have the luxury to laze around and wait for confirmation.”

Elder Wan unrolled a map of the Golden Sun Sect and its surroundings, covering the entire table. “Based on our reports, the demonic sets’ actions have been focused around these areas…”

“Prepare your weapons and acquire treasures. But do not be too obvious about it,” Elder Wang commanded them. And then he started to assign specific jobs.

Although Lin Yijun was a senior cultivator at Nascent Soul, he was also the youngest senior cultivator in the room. And so his task...was to manage the junior disciples in the sect and prepare them for war.

A war that Lin Yijun did not want to happen, a war that Lin Yijun did not want to participate in. Even now, he could still remember that horrible feeling of facing Zhou Sheng on the battlefield.

But in a room full of seniors and peak masters and Elder Wang, Lin Yijun bowed his head and accepted the task.

 

---

 

In the dark, barely lit hall in the Blood Sect, Zhou Sheng’s eyes were cold as his gaze swept over the other senior cultivators.

“Someone has been capturing demonic cultivators, over something as normal as slavery!”

“—I thought it was a rogue cultivator—”

“Bah! Haven’t you seen those Golden Sun cultivators spreading their little pampered fingers?”

“...Who told them to spy on us, huh? Infiltrating our sect and leaving their blasted qi around!”

“They’re asking for it!”

“We must show them that they can’t mess around with us demonic cultivators!”

“And think of their blood. Filled with qi….”

Sniggers filled the hall.

“Say, how many times have they destroyed our ghosts? It’s time to destroy them!”

“Especially that Lin Yijun! Oh, wouldn’t the Golden Sun Sect be so sad if their little genius was killed by our little genius?”

The blood cultivator next to Zhou Sheng leered at him. “Ready, Sheng Sheng?”

Zhou Sheng’s polearm materialised in a split second. “Don’t call me that.”

The blood cultivator laughed maniacally instead. “That’s the spirit! Aiyo, maybe we can poach more Golden Sun sect cultivators and twist them into ours! How great it is to dirty you to become like us!”

“—Don’t kill him, Cultivator Zhou,” the Blood Sect Leader ordered.

Zhou Sheng’s dark face didn’t flicker as his polearm returned to its storage space. His expression remained annoyed as he listened to the Sect Leader’s plans to assign him a contingent of junior demonic cultivators as his own little ‘army regiment’...

 

---

 

The Golden Sun Sect cultivators sent out to gather intelligence soon returned.

Not only did they confirm that the demonic sects were preparing for war, but they also determined the location. One particular cultivator returned almost dead, clutching an ornate scroll of declaration. It was only due to the quick actions of the healers that the cultivator was saved from death.

Another emergency meeting was called. The Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect filled the Elders’ Hall once more.

Elder Liu Ru examined the declaration scroll with a grim expression.

“If we don’t fight, those demonic cultivators will ravage the mortal towns,” Elder Wang said. “Doesn’t your own inner sect disciple visit them daily?”

The declaration of war was clear. Even Elder Liu Ru could not refute it.

Elder Liu exhaled heavily. “Then, we prepare to meet them.”

There was a touch of victory in Elder Wang’s eyes. “Yes. Let us prepare for war.”

 

 

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*author peeks head out* who expected this? 😏