The Senior Elder

The Senior Elder was waiting for them In the hall of the main Family hall, he was the head of the Luo Family and he has been for quite some time. He was a slim man with a warrior's build, his hair and long beard were white, and on his forehead gleamed his Topaz Souljewel. Rumors have it that he was already at Peak Topaz and on his way for his Souljewel to turn to Emerald.

He sat on a stone tab, his back straight and his eyes closed without reacting as Shun and Chun bowed and kneed before him.

"Tell me, what happened today?"

Chun raised his head and began the story of how he and his father had been suspicious of the lightless Souljewel Shun and how he had been set to...look after him. And he told of how when he had confronted Shun and asked what he was doing alone in the forest, Shun had talked rudely to him which had made him snap his arrow in two.

"The qi sprite was powerful and I took the blow meant for Lightless boy and I passed out," his first lie so far, "when I woke up, the qi sprite had moved away from my sight and I thought Shun had run away so I make my way home myself."

The Senior Elder looked at them both, his eyes and face as hard as the stone tab he sat on, "Luo Chun, you had forsaken the greatest thing that has always been what the Luo Family was known for. We are the Family of protectors and we have been doing so time and time again through the generations of this Family." He shifted on his tab stone, his eyes trained on Chun, "yet you choose to run when you could have waited to protect the Lightless. You threw away your honor then and this is your punishment– you will be whipped today and after that, you will spend five nights outside this hall to reflect on your errors. Also as of now, you will not take part in the tournament. I will think about it, maybe the Lightless who slayed the qi sprite should go in your place. Leave us."

Chun stood and bowed to the Senior Elder, "thank you for your mercy, Senior Elder." He was waved off.

Shun clenched his teeth, why is the Senior Elder causing more trouble for him? Chun was sure to take it out of him.

"Where is the Souljewel?" The Senior Elder asked and his aura flared, waiting for Shun's answer, "you know it'll be useless for you."

Shun did not know where this is going, "I....it goes to my sister and Shun."

"Good. Tell me Shun, do you know what is it you did wrong today?"

"Senior Elder?" Shun did not understand the question, "I went after the qi sprite myself without finding someone to accompany me for protection."

The Senior Elder snorted, "that's not it. Do you know you are worthless? Why are you going out of your way to fight to pick a fight with an initial Amber? If you had been killed I wouldn't have given Chun more than the punishment I had already given him. You have no worth to this Family."

Shame burned through Shun's body like hot oil, his heart clenched at his shame and how his eyes tinged with the shame.

Shun said nothing just continue to look at the floor, what was there to be said? The elder continues.

"Even if a scared practitioner from another province had killed you, we of this province would not do anything because you have no worth for this province and this Family. It wouldn't be the same for others and we would demand a full apology or even go to war."

His eyes burned and he squeezed them, he would not cry here and shame himself further.

"I am saying this not to wound you further but because this is your destiny and your reality. You will always be worthless, that is a fact," the elder's time had changed, it has softened, "your only armor is not getting noticed, be the background."

Shun harden his heart like the stone he was kneeling on, hardened it, and swore in his own heart that– he would change his reality, he would change his fact and he vowed to sit at the top of all scared practitioners.

"You deserve no punishment today but I must give you one anyway, you are to climb the tower and attend to Elder Shi and her needs."

Shun's heart stumbled, Elder Shi? The Elder with the power to see things?

"Maybe she would be of help to you, the help I can't offer you." Shun sneaked a little look at the Elder and was surprised to see him frowning. The elder was showing much emotion today.

"Thank you, Senior Elder," Shun said, standing up and bowing once more.