Gracious Mountain Range.
Whip. Wishh. Whip.
Several figures flashed through the forest as the wind from the movement made the leaves slap each other.
About six men were heading towards the inner region of the forest, moving in a v-shape formation.
Their steps were heavy, and they were getting faster as they approached their destination.
The one leading them had an expression of urgency and distress. Just as they crossed a stream, one person from behind broke the silence, "Clan Head, we're about to reach the Gracious Sword Sect. Please think carefully and don't let your emotions get into your head."
The person leading them nodded his head, though he refrained himself from saying anything.
Seeing him nod his head, the person from earlier continued, "Today's meeting will affect the future of not only our clan and their sect, but the whole kingdom. And whatever your final decision be, I will reassure you that the whole clan will stand with you and follow your lead."
Just as he had finished, the person leading them came to a halt.
He took a deep breath and, without saying anything, moved towards a nearby tree and sat down while leaning on it.
With one hand holding his head, he finally spoke, "Elder Kai, I don't know what the outcome of today's meeting will be. I don't know what they did to my son. I don't know who is at fault. I don't know what I will do. I don't know what I will say."
As his eyes moistened due to grief, he continued after a short pause, "Elder Kai, they took my son. They took Kang Clan's heir. How could I let things go? When I heard the news, I wanted to destroy this goddamn sect, but I didn't let my emotions take over my senses."
Elder Kai, the person who had spoken earlier, replied, "Clan Head, we understand your grief, and I have assured you before, whatever your decision be, everyone will follow."
Clan Head Kang Ximin nodded, "I have already lost my son. I can't lose anyone else. My son was as dear to me as any other clan member. If I were to join politics, not only would it harm our clan's future, it would also put its the current generation in danger."
Elder Kai shook his head, "But Clan Head, I don't feel like we have any choice in this. If you choose to forgive and forget, our clan will become a laughing stock. But if we chose to argue and fight, it will destroy the balance in the kingdom, and everything will fall in chaos."
Clan Head Kang Ximin closed his eyes as he leaned the back of his head on the tree trunk, "This is what worries me. I don't understand how things will turn out."
Just then, one of the other four members of the entourage spoke, "Clan Head, I suggest that you don't think much of this. Put this decision on the Gracious Sword Sect."
"Hmm?" Clan Head Kang Ximin frowned, "What do you mean, Elder Du?"
"Clan Head, what I want to say is, we should decide after looking at Gracious Sword Sect's response and their seriousness towards the incident."
"Also, Clan Head, soon someone will join us and come with us to meet Sect Leader Su."
"Who?" Clan Head Kang Ximin asked.
Elder Du replied, "Someone from the Heaven Oracle Sect."
His words put an expression of surprise on everyone's face.
"Someone from Heaven Oracle Sect?" Clan Head Kang Ximin nodded his head and stood up.
Taking a few steps ahead, he continued, "Let's put the decision on the Gracious Sword Sect then."
"Whatever I say, however, I react, don't interfere. We will see what's Gracious Sword Sect's behavior is and we will see what this master from the Heaven Oracle Sect has to say about this situation.
And with that said, they resumed their journey towards the Sect.
This time, with a less distressed expression.
…
Grand Meeting Hall, Gracious Sword Sect.
The atmosphere in the most crucial place of the sect was quite serious today.
Almost all of the core elders and Peak Leader were present in the meeting, including the Sect Leader and the Grand Elders.
They had a solemn expression as the hall remained veiled in silence.
Grand Elder Xuan, the only person in the room who seemed to have no worries at all, spoke, "I don't understand why do you people even care about this Kang Clan."
"They are just a clan, but we? We are a sect. And not just a random sect; we're one of the most powerful sects in this Kingdom. I don't think we need to give any more importance to this clan."
"Also, who cares about this 'balance' in the Kingdom? Everyone's just making a mountain out of a molehill."
Sect Leader Su frowned as he heard those words, "Grand Elder Xuan, why don't you act more sensible and less ignorant? Do you really think the Kang Clan is 'just' a clan? And don't you understand the situation of the whole kingdom?"
Grand Elder Xuan snorted, "I understand the situation way better than anyone else in this room. And trust me, Kang Clan is the least of the things that our sect needs to worry about."
Sect Leader Sur shook his head but didn't say anything. He had already put his thoughts on the table; saying any more would only increase the argument.
Grand elder Xuan, however, continued to blabber, "Let me tell you why I think we shouldn't care about this single clan - because we are not alone. There may be more clans than sect, but the sects and clans are an integral part of each other."
"For generations, the clans have sent their children to the sects to train and grow, and when those children become adults, they send them to the secs to learn cultivation. This cycle has continued for eons, and to my surprise, everyone's now dividing this Kingdom into two factions of the Clans and the Sects. How did these two entities turn into factions in the first place?"
"You guys are worrying for nothing. When the time comes, it won't be other sects that will come to our aid, but it will be the clans who have grown with the help of our sects that will put forward their hands to help us."
"The Clans faction that everyone worries about is just pure nonsense, in my humble opinion. The clans would never get united. It wasn't King Xin who trained them or their kids; it was us. And we didn't even ask for anything, but rather, the King puts taxes and other things in the name of running the Kingdom."
Grand Elder Li, who had been silent all this time, raised his hand and said, "Xuan, you do not see reality. Your points may seem very valid, but the reality is very different from this. Especially your opinion about the Clans coming to our help."
"What's wrong with that? Don't tell me those useless clans won't come forward? Don't tell me they will forget how much they owe to the sects?"
Grand Elder Li let out a sigh before replying, "Xuan, even if they don't forget, they won't have a choice. And let me remind you that if things were to go in the wrong direction today, it would be us who will be at the center of the storm. And at that time, neither clans nor the other sects will come to our help. It will be the doom of our sect."
Grand Elder Li's words put everyone in silence. At this time, Sect Leader Su added, "Also, those clans that you think that they owe us, well, they don't owe us anything."
"We may have taught them cultivation and gave them enough resources, but the disciples also perform enough missions and put their lives online for those resources. The disciples earn them. We don't gift them for free."
"And don't forget, these disciples are part of clans before they are disciples here. If they have to choose between sect and clans, they won't hesitate to return back to their clans."
"What will our sect do without those disciples? What meaning will it have?"
Silence prevailed once again as Sect Leader Su finished his piece.
Grand Elder Xuan also became silent and decided not to say anything.
The future ahead was unpredictable, but most of the outcomes were not in favor of their Sect.
After a few minutes, the gates of the Grand Meeting Hall were pushed open as an elder hurried inside and announced, "Clan Head Kang Ximin and six more people from the Kang Clan have arrived in the sect."
Sect Leader Su nodded his head and said, "Escort them here with all the respect."
The Elder nodded and left.
Sect Leader Su then gazed from one side of the hall to the other before saying, "Fate always places its game at unexpected times. Who knew the accidental death of a disciple would lead to such a situation. Even though everyone here is very sensible, I will still request you not to antagonize our guests."
Everyone nodded their head in agreement, and after a few more minutes, the gate of the hall was once again opened.
And the person who stepped inside first was none other than the Clan Head of the Kang CLan, Kang Ximin.
The meeting was now about to begin.
...
A/n: If you have forgotten about the Heaven Oracle Sect, give the synopsis a read.
Also, if you find any typos or errors, please let me know through comments so I can correct them. ty