Chapter 257: Fury of the Sword Immortal

"Feng Bo was none other than Solomon," Jin accused. "Furthermore, I am absolutely certain that you were aware of this deception as well."

"And what of it?" Wu asked simply.

"The terms of the mission required him to teach four students," Jin responded. "Only three actual students performed the technique today. Since Solomon himself acted as the fourth participant, he blatantly failed to fulfill the core requirements of the mission."

Wu chuckled again. "Do you believe it is easy for anyone to fully master the thirteen steps of the Azure Crane Blade within a strict two-week deadline?"

Jin fell silent for a moment. "It is not entirely impossible for a prodigy."

"Solomon only taught those students personally for the first week," Wu pointed out. "They practiced and drilled the forms entirely by themselves during the second week."

Jin nodded in acknowledgment. "I am aware. The children he selected might simply be exceptionally gifted."

"Excluding your son, Marco, who had already learned the first ten steps prior to the mission," Wu continued, "the other three are merely first-year novices. They were not even dedicated sword practitioners to begin with. Maximus Thunderstrike is a spear and shield user. Princess Elizabeth is an elemental mage, although she clearly possesses a refined foundation in royal fencing. And Arthur Vance has never even held a sword in his entire life before arriving in the Martial World."

"I completely agree, Master," Jin conceded, bowing his head slightly out of respect for their achievements. "I hold immense respect for their dedication, and I acknowledge Solomon’s phenomenal teaching methods. However, the fact remains that Solomon still did not fulfill the strict parameters of his mission. This is a fundamental question of the sect’s integrity."

Wu smiled, his gaze drifting distantly toward the moonlit clouds. "Solomon fulfilled the mission exactly as he was instructed. He successfully taught four students the Azure Crane Blade."

"Solomon himself does not count as the fourth student," Jin repeated stubbornly.

"I am not including Solomon in that count," Wu responded mildly.

Jin frowned in genuine confusion. "What are you talking about? I do not understand."

"The fourth student, Arthur Vance, came to see me privately this morning," Wu explained, resting his hand on his sword. "He had been requesting an audience with me for the past three days, and I finally had the time to meet with him today."

Jin stood perfectly still, listening attentively.

"Arthur came to me to formally request that I pass Solomon on the mission," Wu continued. "He was terrified that Solomon was going to fail solely because of his own physical shortcomings."

Wu looked directly at the pavilion leader. "Arthur suffers from a condition that severely restricts his stamina and physical endurance. The limitation was intentionally sealed by his own family. Despite that heavy burden, he demonstrated the entire thirteen-step sequence of the Azure Crane Blade for me this morning. Although it took him exactly ten minutes to finish the sequence, his execution of the physical mechanics was absolutely perfect."

"Unless the steps are executed in a rapid, continuous flow, the technique is fundamentally incomplete," Jin stated calmly, adhering strictly to martial logic. "No enemy on a real battlefield is going to politely wait ten minutes for him to finish his footwork."

Wu laughed out loud and nodded in agreement. "That is true. However, Solomon’s assigned mission was simply to teach four students the Azure Crane Blade until they mastered the physical mechanics. They achieved that. The speed of the performance during a public assembly was never explicitly included in the mission parameters."

Jin’s eyes widened slightly as the realization finally clicked into place. The grandmaster had utilized a massive technical loophole to validate the boy’s success.

"I apologize, Master Wu," Jin said, bowing his head deeply. "I should have known better. I spoke out of turn."

Wu laughed the apology off with a wave of his hand. He shifted the conversation to a much more personal topic. "How are things progressing with your family? Are Marco and Yue speaking to you yet?"

Jin’s shoulders slumped slightly. "They still refuse to talk to me."

"They simply need more time," Wu offered gently. "You should not let it weigh your heart. They do not blame you for your second daughter’s death. You need to let go of that suffocating guilt, Jin. Release your burdens so you can finally ascend and become the Sword Immortal you once were."

Jin did not offer a verbal response. He simply bowed deeply, his expression unreadable, and excused himself from the clearing.

As Jin turned to walk back down the mountain path, Master Wu spoke up one final time.

"I heard a rather interesting rumor today," Wu mentioned casually. "It seems Yue and Solomon have gotten quite close during their journey together to the Azure Moon Kingdom."

Jin stopped dead in his tracks. He immediately frowned, his face twisting into an expression of protective fury. He practically stomped down the mountain trail, radiating intense killing intent into the peaceful night air.

Jin quickly left the mountain cliff, practically sprinting down the winding path. He bypassed the Sword Pavilion entirely and made a beeline straight for the Tenth Pavilion.

It took him a while to cross the sprawling sect grounds, but he finally reached the intricately carved gates. He stormed inside, completely ignoring the confused stares of the night guards.

He navigated the bamboo gardens and marched directly up to Yue’s private residence. He pounded his fist heavily against her wooden doors.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open. Yue stood in the threshold, wearing her silk night robes and rubbing sleep from her eyes.

She looked at Jin, glanced around the empty, moonlit courtyard in confusion, and let out a tired sigh. "Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

"I heard a rumor that I needed to confirm immediately," Jin responded, his voice tight with suppressed anger.

Yue clearly possessed zero interest in entertaining a late-night interrogation. "What is it?"

"Is there something going on between you and Solomon?" Jin demanded bluntly.

At first, Yue looked genuinely shocked by the direct accusation. She frowned deeply, opening her mouth to immediately deny the ridiculous claim. But then, a mischievous smile slowly spread across her lips.

"What if there is?" Yue challenged, crossing her arms over her silk robes.

Jin’s face flushed with anger. "Solomon is an academy student! He is a first-year novice, and he is here as a disciple under our tutelage! You are a Pavilion Master! That is inappropriate!"

"There is zero logic in your argument," Yue responded, her tone turning icy. "I am twenty-two years old, and he is legally an adult. I do not understand why you would have a problem with it."

She stepped closer to the threshold and glared at him. "Actually, let me correct myself. Why should you have anything to do with my personal life in the first place? I can do whatever I want."

Before Jin could formulate a response, she waved her hand dismissively. "If you do not have anything relevant to sect business to discuss, you should leave. Next time, keep the hour in mind before you come pounding on my doors."

She slammed the heavy wooden doors shut directly in his face.

Jin stood frozen on the porch, staring at the closed doors in utter shock. He clenched his fists until his knuckles popped.

’I need to return to my peak power,’ Jin decided, his eyes burning with renewed determination. ’That is the only way to make everyone respect my authority again. And I definitely need to teach that silver-haired brat a lesson.’

Jin then slowly left the ten pavilion ground.

The guards watched him leave and one asked another, "He came like a tiger but leaving like a turtle."

"Family, brother, family. It’s complicated. Someone unmarried as you at the age of forty four wouldn’t understand how tough it is to deal with a daughter."