Chapter 4 – The Rotten Root of the Sect
The Jade Willow Sect was known by many as a great place to learn cultivation. But once you stepped inside, the truth was clear—it was a place full of pride, lies, and cruelty.
Li Zhen walked in with steady steps, wearing plain clothes and calm eyes. He looked like just another poor boy trying his luck.
The disciples guarding the gate laughed as he passed.
"Another fool hoping for a miracle," one of them said.
"He'll be begging to leave in a week," another chuckled.
Li Zhen ignored them. He didn't care what they thought. He had a plan.
The entry test wasn't fair. If you had no background, no money, no power, they made sure you failed. They gave weak manuals, fake pills, and laughed when you fell.
Li Zhen saw it all. And he let it happen.
He took the ruined scroll. He bowed when insulted. He acted weak, helpless, slow.
But in his eyes, a silent fire burned.
They sent him to the outer quarters—the worst area. A broken hut. No food. Dirty clothes. Some new disciples even came to bully him, thinking he was easy prey.
Li Zhen sat outside his hut, staring at the evening sky, when three boys came and blocked his way.
"You think you're better than us?"
"You didn't bow yesterday."
"You should learn respect."
Li Zhen stood slowly. His eyes didn't show fear. Just a strange calm.
Then, without a word, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a coin.
Clink.
He tossed it into the air.
It spun once... twice... before falling to the ground.
The air turned cold.
He stepped forward and whispered into the ear of the first bully.
"Your father didn't die in battle. He ran away. I wonder what your friends would say if they knew."
The boy froze.
Then to the second, "Your brother is in the inner sect, right? Does he know you steal from the storage house?"
And to the last, "You lied to get your mother's medicine. You'll lose that spot soon."
The three of them backed away, pale and shaking.
Li Zhen didn't shout. He didn't hit anyone.
But the fear in their hearts grew like fire.
He smiled—a cold, slow smile.
The coin lay still on the ground.
That night, the three bullies never returned. And in the darkness of the sect, Li Zhen's plan began to grow roots.
He wasn't there to become a hero. He wasn't there to make friends.
He came to destroy the system from within.