The young man pumped his skinny legs faster in response. His eyes darted left and right. From his plain brown robes, it was clear he was also a servant.

The crowd parted around him as he ran.

Following close behind was the old man in severe grey robes. With thick white brows that swept sharply upwards and a section of his hair in a top knot, the old man emitted a stern and intimidating aura. At the moment, his gaze was full of killing intent. Despite his advanced age, he was amazingly spry; he was slowly catching up to the kid in the front!

"Stop running away!"

The young man didn't even blink. He continued to run forwards, eyes still searching the crowd.

"I just want to talk!" The elder shouted at the top of his lungs.

The onlooking servants showed wry expressions.

Was this the actions of someone who just wanted to talk? Somehow the shaking fist, the fierce expression and the staff that was being waved in a threatening manner didn't make this statement too convincing!

None of the servants believed the elder's words, and neither did the young man in front. He continued to scan the crowd. As long moments pa.s.sed, his breathing became more laborious, his steps heavier, and his eyes redder. No matter how many faces he saw, none of them was who he was looking for. His eyes started to blur.

Van stood with Ryan, somewhere at the back of the crowds, furthest away from the commotion. He watched the scene with arms crossed as if it were a play being acted out in the village square. His dark eyes followed the thin young man as he twisted through the crowds.

Abruptly, their eyes locked through the crowd.

The hairs on the back of Van's neck raised.

A short moment seemed to stretch out into eternity. Then, the young man's red eyes slid off him like water off a duck's back.

Van's shoulders relaxed. Instinctively, he felt that the target of the young man's search was not him.

However, the young man's eyes did not slide very far. A split second later, an expression of extreme hatred crossed the young man's face. His footsteps lightened as if a wind was aiding him. With a vicious expression, he charged forwards, shoving people aside.

He was making for Van's general direction!

Once more, Van tensed. His eyes quickly darted to the side, following the fleeing young man's line of sight.

Somewhere behind him and off to his right was Hans. The big servant was frozen and wan. His pupils shook; guilt and fear warred within him. Beside him, Freya's face was bloodless. Her eyes darted between the fleeing young man and the old man in the grey robes.

As he took in their expressions, Van realised this so-called 'play' had more to do with him than he originally thought. Or rather, it was all to do with the starsteel staff he had stored within Jet!

The fleeing young man, Van surmised, was the 'friend' who had nicked the staff from its rightful owner! It didn't take much to surmise who this rightful owner was - that elder looked like he was ready to kill!

The young man stumbled - a large gaggle of servants who had been slow to get out of the way.

The old man was onto him in a flash. With a dark and malicious expression, he swung his staff at the young man.

There was a horrendous cracking noise that echoed through the area.

The young man's eyes rolled upwards, showing the whites. Like a ragdoll, he slumped to the ground and stilled. On the large footpath, his crumpled form was small and pitiful.

The surrounding servants gasped, horrified. They drew back, wary of drawing this grey-robed old man's wrath.

Behind Van, he heard a young woman's shaking voice.

"Oh G.o.d. I-I recognise him now. That senior is t-that elder. The one rumoured to have... to have killed a student. The one whose probation period just ended."

There were sharp breaths.

"The Disciplinary Elder?" Someone inquired tremulously. There were nods.

Another voice spoke up.

"That rumour is utter rubbis.h.!.+

The Cedar Sect has had a stellar reputation for centuries. Its safety is one of the reasons why it has the most people out of all the top sects in Dragon City!

If something like that happened there would be public outrage. Other sects would be clamouring and shouting the news over every rooftop, dragging the Cedar Sect's name in the mud! The fact that we are still in the top three proves this rumour is false."

"I heard he didn't kill the disciple. He accidentally crippled him while in a blind rage. His probation period was only a year in light of his decades of exemplary service to the sect."

There was dissatisfaction in the crowd at these words.

"The elder should have been removed from the sect."

Another servant joined in, voice hushed.

"That's the thing. It was a very odd incident.

Before it happened, this elder was very popular! They said he treated everybody fairly and upheld the sect's rules with a kind, but firm hand. His even temperament was praised even by the Sect Master! Him suddenly crippling a disciple in anger … I think everyone in the sect was so shocked that they didn't know what to do with him…and his actions today…"

There was a collective sigh.

"I just hope that kid is okay."

As the conversation died down, Van absorbed what he had learnt from the hushed whispers behind him.

Kind? Fair?

The Disciplinary Elder standing in front of him right now didn't possess any of these qualities at all!

Van's emotions were messy. On one hand, he couldn't deny that the young man's incapacitation solved a lot of problems for him. On the other hand – this elder was not to be taken lightly! If Van did not tread carefully, the next person to be on the floor would be him.

A vicious light gleamed in the Disciplinary Elder's eyes, he raised the staff above his head, ready to deliver the final blow to the fallen figure on the ground.

The servants, of whom none were above the 3rd level of Qi Distillation, were helpless to watch as this sect elder killed one of their own. They closed their eyes, unwilling to witness it. Somewhere behind Van, a girl wailed. Tears welled up in her eyes out of terror. She, like the other servants, suddenly realised their powerlessness in this vast world.

Van watched with dry eyes. The young boy from the countryside stood numbly as the scene before him burnt itself into his brain.

Suddenly, an immense pressure crashed down.

"STAY YOUR HAND!"

The world went a blinding white.