When Xu Xiaomin made that statement, Lin Tian was left utterly dumbfounded. No matter how one looked at it, the elderly man before them was a sect elder. And yet Xu Xiaomin, merely an inner disciple, dared to speak to him in such a manner. Such conduct was nothing short of blatant insubordination.
"Xu Xiaomin, how can you speak to an elder like that?" Lin Tian rebuked her. Though her attitude was flagrantly arrogant, the old man was, after all, the helper Lin Tian had brought along. Naturally, Lin Tian had to side with him.
"An elder?" Xu Xiaomin sneered coldly upon hearing this. "He's nothing more than an outer-sect elder. What is there to fear? I am the personal disciple of the Third Elder of the Medicine Peak. Why would I ever place a mere outer elder in my eyes?"
"Old man, if you know what's good for you, you'd better step aside. Otherwise, once I report this matter to my master, things won't end so simply." Xu Xiaomin pointed at the old man, her tone domineering beyond measure.
Lin Tian was momentarily stunned. He had not expected her to remain so overbearing even after learning of the elder's status. It seemed that the Third Elder of the Medicine Peak must hold an exceptionally exalted position; otherwise, a single personal disciple would never dare speak so brazenly to a sect elder.
"And what if I refuse?" The old man spoke at last, his expression darkening. As an elder, being openly provoked by an inner disciple was enough to anger anyone with even a shred of temper.
"Very well. In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless." Xu Xiaomin's eyes turned icy as she finished speaking, and she produced a jade pendant.
"A transmission jade?" Lin Tian froze when he saw it. Such jades were disposable spiritual tools refined by the Artifact Peak. They came in paired forms—mother and child. Once the child jade was crushed, the holder of the mother jade could immediately sense its location and rush over.
Though such paired transmission jades were not particularly expensive, Xu Xiaomin's use of one here was clearly extravagant. Even so, it perfectly demonstrated her wealth and influence.
The moment the jade shattered, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. A figure in long robes appeared before them in an instant. The newcomer was none other than the Third Elder of the Medicine Peak—Chen Yao.
"What exactly is going on?" Chen Yao frowned slightly as he glanced at Xu Xiaomin, his voice tinged with displeasure. Clearly, he did not understand why she had crushed a transmission jade within the sect.
"Master, you're finally here." Upon seeing Chen Yao, Xu Xiaomin immediately dropped to her knees. Her former arrogance vanished without a trace, replaced by overwhelming grievance.
"What happened? Why are you in such a state?" Seeing his most cherished disciple so wronged, Chen Yao's expression grew increasingly grim.
"This outer disciple relied on an elder's protection to insult me, an inner disciple. When I tried to teach this ignorant brat a lesson, this outer-sect elder actually attacked me. If I hadn't crushed the jade in time, Master, you might never have seen me again." Xu Xiaomin pointed at Lin Tian, her voice trembling with tears.
Lin Tian was completely stunned by her melodramatic performance. He had not expected her to turn the tables so shamelessly. Her acting was so convincing that, if she did not become an actress, it would truly be a waste of talent.
"Master, you must seek justice for me!" Xu Xiaomin cried, clutching Chen Yao's leg.
Yet Chen Yao's eyes revealed a trace of hesitation as he turned to look at the old man.
"What? Is the Third Elder planning to punish us?" the old man asked calmly, utterly unflustered. The moment he finished speaking, Chen Yao's expression changed drastically.
"Former Peak Lord, I would never dare punish you," Chen Yao said hastily, clasping his fists in salute.
"Former Peak Lord?" Xu Xiaomin was struck dumb upon hearing this title. She had never imagined that the man before her was the legendary former Peak Lord of the Medicine Peak.
"You are the former Peak Lord?" Lin Tian stared at the old man, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Well, I did serve as Peak Lord for a few days in the past," the old man replied somewhat bashfully.
Hearing this, Lin Tian's eyes lit up with delight. He had never expected that the backing he had casually found would turn out to be so formidable.
"Peak Lord, earlier Senior Sister attacked me. Now my arm seems difficult to lift," Lin Tian said earnestly, glancing at the old man.
The old man paused for a moment, then quickly caught on. "Oh? Is that so? Let me have a look." He took Lin Tian's completely unharmed arm and pretended to examine it with great concern.
Seeing this scene, Chen Yao was left utterly speechless. He understood perfectly well what the two were doing. Yet with the former Peak Lord's status laid bare, even if Chen Yao felt displeased, he could only swallow his frustration. Besides, it was his own disciple who had provoked them in the first place; suffering some punishment was only just.
"Master, I didn't even touch him!" Xu Xiaomin hurriedly protested.
"Senior Sister, that is where your ignorance lies," Lin Tian replied weakly, clutching his chest. "Though you did not strike me directly, you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The force of your punch alone was enough to gravely injure me. If not for the elder's timely intervention, I might not even be standing here now. Former Peak Lord, shouldn't you examine me to see whether I've suffered serious internal injuries? My chest feels rather painful."
Hearing Lin Tian's utterly shameless words, the old man was momentarily taken aback. Yet the more he looked at the young man, the more he liked him. Placing a hand on Lin Tian's wrist, his brows furrowed deeply. "Boy, your injuries are extremely severe indeed."