"What do you think you're doing exactly, Aika?"
Aika lounged in Old Wan's cave without a care and even covered her mouth in a yawn, seemingly unbothered by Old Wan's rare display of seriousness.
"Don't talk to me like I'm a child. I've caught up to you now, I can do as I please. You're content to hide like a rat down here, but I am not. I only followed your lead because I was too weak to have a say, but now that I've broken through, I'll be leading the Radiant Star Sect forward as I please."
"And then what? Condemn all these youths to death?"
"And who's fault would that be? Mine?"
"Who's fault could it be if not yours? Is it not you leading them toward a march of doom? This is probably the absolute worst time to ascend to the Second Heaven. Even the Iunae Clan who has a small foothold hasn't dared to do so and is still biding their time until the matters with the Heavenly Path are concluded."
"You want to compare me to the Iunae Clan? How about we spar a bit, old man. If you can last three moves I'll take a step back."
"Aika! Can you not be such a child for once?!"
"If you're too scared to battle, just say so, you old, wrinkled, pussy cat."
"Wrinkles?! Where?!" Old Wan's voice boomed.
But his response only made Elder Aika keel over in laughter. Of all the things she said, that was what he had a problem with? This old man was just the same.
Old Wan, who realized his old habit had resurfaced, coughed. He still looked like a 20 year old young man, but he had let Aika get the better of him again.
"You're just the same old pansy. If you had given as much effort as I had during that battle, you think you would have been able to retain that smooth skin? I, as a woman, was willing to give up my youth to battle it out to the end, but you, as a man, couldn't even deign to do that much, you should be ashamed of yourself."
Old Wan coughed again. "Listen, you're a lower level than me—."
"Was a lower level," Aika corrected.
"Fine, was a lower level. Breaking through for you is relatively easier."
"Why don't you tell the full story? The reason I was a lower level to begin with is because my Dao is far more profound than yours. Look at you, you've ascended to at least the Higher level while I'm still at the Lower and you still don't dare to fight me. Where'd your balls go? Can you even be considered a man?"
Old Wan, who had finally regained his calm, took a breath and smiled lightly.
"You've always been the fighter, my Dao is not designed for such barbaric things."
"What use is your foresight? All it's gotten me is years of annoyances. Pieces of trash from the Second Heaven actually dare look down on me! This is your fault!"
"Well, didn't I find Selheira and Ryu? As much as you're bloviating right now, you wouldn't have dared do this if we didn't have the two of them. If not, we would have to reveal too much of our strength to keep the Sect together and we would be exposed before we're ready."
"Selheira and Little Ryu both came here of their own accord, what the hell did it have to do with you?!"
Old Wan coughed. Wasn't this woman's mouth a bit too sharp?
"And it's also your fault that our disciples are so weak to begin with. You lowered the requirements of joining my Radiant Star Sect so low that I can't even walk around anymore without wanting to vomit. What absolute trash. If it was up to me, we'd expel them all, all of them!"
"There are… some with a little potential…"
"Compared to Selheira and Little Ryu, what are they worth? Nothing! You called me over here to complain about how many of them would die, but I say good. Let them die. The more than die, the merrier. By the end of it, only the true elites will be left, only the ones that can break out of their cocoon and shed their Fate.
"I know that that was your original goal, old pansy. But they're never going to break out of that cocoon if there's not enough pressure.
"We'll place the Sect in a pressure cooker and those that come out the other side I'll allow to learn the real teachings of my Radiant Star Sect. As for those that cannot, they can become fertilizer for the next batch."
Old Wan sighed and shook his head. Finally peace fell.
A light sound of a throat clearing came from outside of the cave.
"Is it… safe to enter now?"
Old Wan laughed. "Old Samson, just come in directly."
"Haha, Big Bro, Big Sis, I can't cut in on your time. This little brother has to be polite in case he runs into something he should not see."
"Old Samson" was none other than the Grand Elder of the Radiant Star Sect and the reason why no one punished Ryu for his reckless slaughter of disciples. But before these two, he only called himself little brother.
Old Wan coughed lightly at the bold choice in words and Elder Aika rolled her eyes.
"I've been away for so long that you must have grown tired of little Samson," Elder Aika replied.
"Hehe, it's been so long, it's only a matter of time before you two get together. I'm itching to be the best man for your wedding."
Aika's eye roll only became more prominent.
"Me? Marry this pansy? He's not even a real man. If this old lady is going to give herself to anyone, it'll be a man who has more than just good looks. I'm not attracted to little mice who can only hide behind schemes. How boring. Just the thought fills my belly with cold ice, no excitement whatsoever."
Old Samson laughed and Old Wan shook his head.
They both knew that Aika wasn't kidding. Aika wasn't the tsundere type, she spoke what she meant and meant what she said.
Aika, Wan and Samson had grown up together and could be considered very close childhood friends. If she had taken a liking to any one of them, she would have said so long ago. But by this point, she couldn't be bothered.
That said, that was also the reason Samson could get away with saying such things without being slapped to death by her.
"Alright, this old woman is going to go into meditation. When I wake up, we had better be on the Second Heaven, or else I'll bend you both over my knee."