CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36

"Who is it?"

A resonant, measured voice rolled from beyond the thick wooden door, carrying the authority of one accustomed to command.

"Disciple Erik reporting, sir. I have a matter of critical importance," Erik called, guiding Jake through the moonlit courtyard toward a softly glowing study.

They passed bonsai pines and luminescent spirit lanterns, pausing just inside the open threshold.

Rowan Hiddleston, the notorious core disciple of Enforcer Peak, sat at a desk. He was not a young man, but ageless in the way of cultivators: black hair streaked with steel, skin unlined but eyes coiled with subtle wrath and tired wisdom. Two cups of tea steamed on the table, untouched—clear evidence of an earlier, and likely important, conversation.

Unmistakably, this was where Elder Azel and Rowan had spoken not minutes before.

Rowan set aside a scroll with graceful finality, looking them over with a flat, unreadable gaze.

"It’s late. What is so urgent?"

Erik, recognizing the delicate balance of opportunity and risk, waved for Jake to step forward.

Jake gathered himself, feeling both fear and hope, and gave a formal salute.

He launched into a detailed account—embellishing every detail of the evening and especially coloring Ethan’s actions. He described Ethan’s arrogance, how he’d lashed out at Law Enforcement Hall disciples, how he’d overstepped, and how, worst of all, he’d killed a fellow member of the sect.

Each word was chosen to inflame the justice-loving Rowan’s anger, to paint Ethan as dangerous and irredeemable.

Rowan’s face darkened as the story unwound, anger slowly building like a summer storm behind his eyes. When Jake invoked sect laws, painting Ethan as a villain who dared spit on the traditions of the Azure Origin Dao Sect, Rowan’s jaw set in visible fury.

Erik, watching this, nearly grinned with satisfaction.

He had seen this change in Rowan before: a wrath that meant action would be swift and ruthless.

Perfect, he thought.

Ethan’s going to pay for what he’s done—at last.

Finally Rowan sat upright, spine stiffening.

"Is that everything?" he demanded, voice hard.

Jake finished, sweat running cold down his back, "That’s all, Senior. For the law, for the sect. Ethan dared to kill a disciple and strike Law Enforcement. He must face the rules. For justice, for order, we beg you to act!"

Rowan’s gaze fell icy on Jake.

"Your name is Jake, yes?"

Jake straightened, a spark of hope rising in him.

"Yes, Core Disciple Rowan!" he answered, pitch trembling with excitement.

There were many, too hard to count, new Law Enforcement disciples, but for Rowan to know his name—this meant opportunity, advancement.

If he handled this well, his path in the sect would be secured.

But Rowan’s next words landed heavier than a mountain.

"From this moment, you are no longer a disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall."

Jake blinked, confusion painting his face. "S-sir? Core Disciple Rowan, why am I—" But disbelief cut his tongue; the words faltered, rebounding inside his mind.

Erik’s satisfaction collapsed into horror and confusion. Even he couldn’t process the sudden turn.

Rowan stood, his figure seeming to loom taller, voice charged with indignation. "Do you not recognize the error you’ve made? Do you not understand the meaning of ’justice’?"

He paused, gaze boring into Jake with a force that made the room shrink.

"You have exaggerated, deceived your superiors and subordinates alike. The Law Enforcement Hall is not a place for liars or those who bend facts for personal gain!"

Jake’s knees buckled, panic flooding his face.

Rowan picked up the untouched cup of tea, swirling it calmly as he spoke: "Elder Azel—an Elder of the Forbidden Land, who is above the petty quarrels of peak politics—came to see me not long ago. He explained tonight’s matter in full. The truth is as follows: Alex, of Voidshade Peak, ambushed Ethan in the tomb, seeking his life. Ethan fought back only to preserve himself. Alex’s death was not murder, but self-defense."

Rowan slammed the cup down with a dull ring, anger simmering just beneath his words.

"But you, Jake, have come here with slander—calling Ethan cruel and monstrous, and hiding the truth of your involvement! Your mistake is not merely procedural. It is a stain on the order of this sect!"

Hearing this, Jake and Erik felt the world tilt.

It became clear why Elder Azel had come in person, why their ploy had failed before it began—they’d been outmaneuvered from the start.

Jake slumped to the floor, despair crashing over him. "Disciple... Disciple was wrong. Please, Senior, please forgive—" He struck himself hard, reddening his cheeks, tears welling in his eyes.

"Please, have mercy!"

Rowan’s voice carried the full chill of the Law.

"From this moment, you are not only expelled from the Law Enforcement Hall, but also from the inner sect. You will return to train as an outer disciple, and for the next ten years, you are barred from reapplying to the inner sect."

The finality was crushing. Jake sobbed.

"Core disciple Rowan, please let me try again, only one more..."

His life flashed before his eyes—all those years of struggle, all the resources, all the manipulation and naming of favors to escape the bottom rung. He’d spent decades angling for a position in Law Enforcement, and now, in only some short months, it was snatched away.

Desperate, Jake glanced at Erik, but Erik had gone cold, dread gathering in his eyes as he considered his own vulnerability. To shield himself, Erik stepped back, voice sharp. "Jake, for your own selfishness you twisted the truth and disregarded the sect’s laws. I see now I misjudged your character. Gather your things and get out!"

It was over—Jake’s ambitions, his safeguards, his place in the Law Enforcement Hall. They’d crumbled with a handful of words and the turning of a tea cup. In the fate-weaving world of the Azure Origin Dao Sect, justice and injustice moved faster and struck more surely, sometimes, than any blade.

And so ended Jake’s brief rise in the sect... for now, no path but shame and exile lay before him.