nownovels Chapter 251: Sect Hall!
Chapter 251: Sect Hall!
When Song Meilin arrived at the location where the invasion had taken place, her expression immediately darkened.
The battle was over, but the traces it left behind were impossible to ignore.
Several buildings had partially collapsed. Broken walls and shattered roofs lay scattered across the sect’s grounds. Deep craters covered the earth, while many ancient trees that had stood for decades had been uprooted during the fighting. The cold mountain wind carried the faint smell of blood and smoke.
Inner disciples moved back and forth through the area under the supervision of several elders. Some were transporting corpses. Others were treating the wounded. The atmosphere was heavy.
The corpses of Pishachas lay everywhere.
Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones.
Mixed among them were the bodies of White Moon Sect disciples.
Song Meilin silently clenched her fists.
It seemed the earlier report that the invasion had been repelled without major issues wasn’t entirely accurate.
There was no such thing as a battle without casualties.
The information simply hadn’t spread yet.
"Elder Song, you’re here."
A familiar voice called out.
Song Meilin turned and saw an elderly man holding a jade slip while recording information.
It was Elder Mao, one of the Outer Elders.
She immediately walked over.
"Elder Mao, what are the casualties?" she asked without wasting time. "Tell me the situation in detail."
Elder Mao’s expression became somewhat grim.
He lowered the jade slip and sighed.
"Twenty-nine disciples have died."
Song Meilin’s heart sank.
Elder Mao continued.
"Four elders were also killed during the battle."
Even though she had mentally prepared herself on the way here, hearing the numbers still shocked her.
Twenty-nine disciples and four elders.
Such losses were already enough to affect the foundation of the sect.
Moreover, she knew these numbers only represented confirmed deaths.
The number of severely injured disciples was likely much higher.
As if understanding her thoughts, Elder Mao shook his head helplessly.
"I’m only responsible for recording casualties. The medical hall is still counting the injured."
Song Meilin nodded. Then she asked the question that had been troubling her since she returned.
"How did so many Pishachas get this close to the sect without anyone noticing?"
Elder Mao frowned. "That is what everyone is trying to figure out."
He looked toward the distant mountains.
"The patrol teams didn’t report anything unusual."
"The warning formations weren’t triggered either."
"Yet hundreds of Pishachas suddenly appeared near the sect."
His voice carried confusion.
"No one understands how they managed it."
Song Meilin’s expression became increasingly serious.
If the Pishachas could approach White Moon Sect undetected, then the situation was far more dangerous than they had previously believed.
Just as she was about to ask another question, hurried footsteps approached from behind.
A young disciple stopped beside them and cupped his fists respectfully.
"Elder Song."
Song Meilin turned toward him.
"What is it?"
"The Sect Master requests your presence."
The disciple’s tone was respectful but urgent.
"Sect Master? Where is he?" Song Meilin asked.
"In the Sect Hall," The disciple answered. "All elders have been summoned there."
Understanding immediately flashed through Song Meilin’s eyes.
A meeting.
Given the scale of today’s invasion, it was obvious the sect leadership would gather to discuss countermeasures.
"Understood."
She didn’t waste any more time.
After giving Elder Mao a brief nod, Song Meilin turned and headed toward the centre of the sect.
Her figure quickly disappeared into the distance.
The mountain wind continued to blow across the damaged grounds.
Behind her, disciples remained busy cleaning the battlefield and carrying away the dead.
The battle might have ended.
But everyone knew this was only the beginning.
If the White Moon Sect couldn’t discover why the Pishachas were becoming increasingly active...
Then today’s losses would not be the last.
---
Inside the Sect Hall, one could hear a pin drop.
The atmosphere was so heavy that even breathing felt uncomfortable.
Sect Master Wu Haruto sat upon the elevated platform at the front of the hall. He wore a crimson robe embroidered with golden patterns. Normally, his squinted eyes gave people the impression of a smiling fox. Today, however, there wasn’t the slightest trace of amusement on his face.
His gaze swept across the gathered elders.
Core Elders.
Inner Elders.
The Great Elder.
All of them sat silently.
No one was eager to speak.
Partly because everyone knew the Sect Master was furious. Whoever opened their mouth first would inevitably become the target of that anger.
However, that wasn’t the only reason.
The losses suffered today were real.
Twenty-nine disciples. Four elders.
No matter how one looked at it, this was a painful blow to White Moon Sect.
Wu Haruto slowly looked around the hall.
None of the elders were willing to meet his eyes.
Seeing this, he could only speak first.
"In all my years as Sect Master," he said, slowly, "this is the largest invasion White Moon Sect has suffered."
His voice wasn’t loud.
Yet everyone could feel the pressure hidden beneath it.
His gaze landed upon two Core Elders.
One was responsible for gathering intelligence regarding the Pishachas.
The other oversaw the sect’s defensive network.
"Perhaps one of you can explain something to me."
The elder responsible for intelligence immediately felt his scalp turn numb, knowing he couldn’t avoid it.
Wu Haruto leaned forward slightly.
"How did hundreds of Pishachas enter our territory without your information network discovering anything?"
The elder wiped away the sweat gathering on his forehead.
"This subordinate was negligent."
The moment those words left his mouth, Wu Haruto’s expression darkened further.
"Negligent?"
His voice rose several degrees.
"Hundreds of Pishachas breached our defences without alarming. Four elders and twenty-nine disciples are dead."
"And your explanation is negligence?!"
The elder lowered his head.
He knew there was no point in defending himself.
However, remaining silent would only make matters worse.
After a brief hesitation, he finally spoke.
"Sect Master... the barrier never reacted."
The entire hall became quiet.
Even those elders who had remained expressionless until now suddenly looked over.