995 994. Some truths were better left unspoken
---Little Gamma---
"Who would have thought those lowly guys were useful for something? As they said, it was worth monitoring this building," a man whispered to his partner. They were hiding in the crowd opposite the System Church in Little Gamma.
"Is that really him?" his partner asked in a hushed voice, stealing a glance at the sketch in his hands.
"It's definitely him. We have to inform the sect master," the first said and started writing characters on a paper crane. After whispering to the origami creature, it suddenly crumbled into a tiny ball, becoming smaller and smaller until it vanished in a space anomaly.
"Why can't we just grab him? I guess he is quite tall and muscular... and kinda handsome, but he's just a savage who has not cultivated qi," she asked eagerly. Her partner stared at his martial sister for a moment before he sighed.
~You didn't read the mission pamphlet again. Don't underestimate him because he looks like nothing much. That's the guy who beat Guardian Ho until he was only a nascent soul and destroyed the Alliance's base single-handedly. Also, please keep yourself in check, we are on a mission.~
"You are just jealous. Do you think the Sect Master will come personally then?" Her martial brother shook his head.
~The Sect Master is not that free right now. Did you forget that he helps the great masters with the barrier at the rift? He will probably send some elders and inner disciples.~ Listening to him, she couldn't help but glance at the huge tree whose crown covered the sprawling exotic city below and the strange barrier that protected the place.
"With what you just said, do you think that will be enough?" she asked unsure. The two of them were able to smuggle themselves in by the virtue of their stealth techniques and a device they purchased from the dark path that had operated for longer in this world. She doubted the elders or one of the seniors from the inner sect would stoop so low as to sneak in through a tiny hole in the barrier.
~Don't underestimate our Silk River Sect. Some of the Inner Sect seniors have already reached Spirit Severing. And please, remember to use secret thought transmission when we talk about sect matters.~ he cautioned her.
"Fine, Fine," she said and switched to thought transmission ~Should we follow him?~
~Carefully.~ he agreed and the two started following the Tower Master from a great distance after he left the branch of the System Church.
...
From an alley not too far away from the branch building two hidden pairs of eyes had watched the entire scene.
~D-Did you see that, brother? ~ the martial sister asked, her face the color of a tomato. Feeling the heat rise to her head, she looked over to her martial brother as he stayed silent. The man's face was pale and frozen. Was that a tear in the corner of his eye?
"Brother, relax your hand! Your palms are bleeding!" she explained in shock seeing that he had balled his fists so hard that his nails dug into his palms. At her call, she seemed to finally regain his senses and swallowed hard.
"This lucky- It's good to know. This bastard has a weakness. We should report this to the sect master, it might come in handy," he said, his voice wavering as he kept his emotions under control.
"No need to be jealous, brother. Those are standards you will never reach, so there is no use dreaming of it. I'm sure you will find one, too. Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"I mean, with your face, you can definitely make one of the less ugly servants fall for you. Or maybe you find a fairy without standards," she evaluated him objectively.
"You are being too cruel," her partner mumbled not amused.
"I'm just stating the honest truth, brother."
"Some truths are better left unspoken," he said angrily and walked off.
~Follow me, we can't lose them now. ~ he called her with thought transmission. She shook her head in pity.
"Did I hurt his feelings? I just don't want him to get his hopes up and get hurt later on," she thought to herself and hurriedly followed him. Should she tell him...?
"Some truths were better left unspoken." She remembered his words and kept her intentions to herself. She could only hope her fellow disciple's dao heart wouldn't crumble in the future when he flew too high just to get mercilessly shot down.