Two of the figures were familiar faces — Teacher Jiansu who looked unusually meek, and Arhat Disciple Xue Bing Lie.

  “Junior monk, Xue Dejiu. You’re in the presence of the Ninth and Tenth Arhat of the temple.” Arhat Disciple Xue Bing Lie said formally as he gestured to the other two.

  One looked ancient while the other oddly looked as young as someone like Dejiu. The younger one was a nun rather than a monk.

  “This one is called Xue Dejiu.” Dejiu echoed meekly. Oh, Buddha! Have mercy on this lowly monk. I only killed those who were deserving!

  Eventually, the older Arhat spoke. “This is the one you spoke of, Xue Bing Lie? Hmph, you’re right. The stench of hell is rampant on him no matter how many days passed.”

  “Young. Very young.” Was all the nun said. Weird.

  Arhat Disciple Xue Bing Lie motioned to the older Arhat. “This is my esteemed master. The Ninth Arhat of the Heavenly Snowy Temple, Xue Hanfeng.”

  Ninth Arhat Xue Hanfeng gave a curt nod.

  “I am called Xue Xuanyang, young monk. Tenth Arhat of the temple.” The nun followed.

  Dejiu didn’t know what to say. He’s stumped! So he decided to do the best thing possible — stand and wait until they ask him something and say as little as possible… and as self-serving as possible.

  “I will keep this short, young monk. You’ve done the temple a great deed. Although a trifling Impure Pillarshard isn’t worth the attention, it is conveniently close to Mount Xuedou. It’s rare for such a thing to appear so close to our home.” Arhat Xue Hanfeng said through his wispy beard.

  With his lowered head, he grinned. Seven Hells… this is what this is about? I thought I was going to be ousted for killing those Feng Clan people or even colluding with a daimon! Ha!

  "However, your transgressions cannot be overlooked," Arhat Xue Hanfeng continued, his voice a cold wind cutting through Dejiu's temporary relief.

  …Damn.

  Xue Xuanyang, the nun Arhat, spoke. "In your pursuit of survival within the Pillarshard, you’ve displayed recklessness unbecoming of a monk of this temple. To so gruesomely spill the blood of cultivators—whether they intended to harm you or not—is a grave act. Your decision, however justifiable in your eyes, stains the name of the Heavenly Snowy Temple. Much so considering your peculiar Class."

  “You ambushed them. You poisoned them. You killed them in such a vicious manner that some bodies couldn’t be identified.” Arhat Xue Hanfeng accused. “This is precisely why cultivation was not to be taught to him. A Blood Monk? To think the Abbot allowed such a thing seven years ago.”

  Dejiu stifled a scowl and feigned a shiver instead. It always went back to his damned class. His gaze flicked to Jiansu who lingered to the side with Arhat Disciple Xue Bing Lie. Jiansu’s expression was one of quiet regret. Dejiu knew exactly why — because his teacher was the one who saved him and brought him to the temple. So whenever Dejiu bore the brunt of the temple’s ire, Jiansu partially felt at fault.

  Dejiu kowtowed. His bald head slammed against the frost-streaked floor in a show of repentance and guilt. But inside there was a storm. Ambushed? Well, obviously I did! They outnumbered me! And poison? When the hell did I poison them? Was it Withering Palm maybe? Argh, so what? And viciously killing them? Dead is dead!

  Dejiu knew better than to speak his mind. Every word he wanted to hurl at them would only dig the pit beneath him deeper.

  “Forgive this lowly monk!” He pleaded. “But they didn’t give me an option! I did not poison them either.”

  “Enough,” Arhat Xue Hanfeng interrupted, his tone final. “We’ve been told of that trap of food you left by the Seventh Hell’s entrance. Excuses will not absolve you. As monks, we are tasked with preserving peace in the realm. You have disrupted it with malicious actions, no matter your intent.”

  Dejiu’s heart sank. Now that he thought of it, Bing Xin did say that the peppers he picked were likely poisonous to others because they didn’t share the same affinity. Yep. It’s looking quite bad now. But those bastards stole and ate his food, and now he’s getting blamed for it?

  “And who made them eat it? It was their choice to eat. It was hardly a trap, it was my storage for food!” Dejiu said.

  “Food? Hellish produce that only daimons consume? Playing to their hunger as you leave food so conveniently before their eyes.” Arhat Xue Hanfeng snorted.

  “Ye–” Dejiu paused to think of his answer first. “Yes. I didn’t know at the time, nor have I tried to eat them. So I didn’t know.”

  “Enough. The many mangled bodies are telling enough. To think our temple raised such a vicious fiend.” Xue Hanfeng waved his hand. “We have already decided on our ruling — You will remain inside the Hundred Penance Tower for nine days as our temple settles the matter with the Feng Clan. Although we gained a foothold into the Seven Hells, it cost us dearly.”

  How!? Is that why there were nine of them instead of ten? A runner?

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Arhat Xue Xuanyang added, “Indeed. Their young master possessed a certain remnant that notified someone from their clan. In a matter of hours, we have already received a Feng Clan emissary from the capital.”

  Fuck those rich clans! He cursed. Then there wasn’t even a reason to kill all of them! He could’ve spared Feng Mu if the entire thing was going to come to light regardless!

  At this point, Dejiu’s anger and frustration were boiling over. He did what he could to survive. He obtained a Pillarshard. Because of some arrogant young master, he was being blamed for something that shouldn’t even be an issue.

  “They demanded we hand over the perpetrator, but although you are the furthest from a proper monk, you are still miraculously recognized as a monk of the Heavenly Snowy Temple.” Arhat Xue Hanfeng grumbled before he motioned to Xue Xuanyang.

  “Now, take your reward. You owe this to Tenth Arhat Xue Xuanyang.”

  From Arhat Xue Xuanyang’s robes, a small wooden box flew towards Dejiu. It flew between the cold iron bars and landed in front of him.

  Wait what? A reward? Dejiu hesitantly looked up and grabbed the box. It was heavier than it looked and bracketed by a clasped lock on two sides. Decorated in intricate designs, the wood was beautiful and thin.

  “Open it, junior monk.” Arhat Xue Xuanyang said. Dejiu looked up and noticed something odd. The geezer-like Ninth Arhat looked extremely displeased while she looked a little amused.

  Swallowing his anxiety, Dejiu complied.

  The clasp was simple, but his fingers shook so badly that he fumbled thrice before he finally got the lid open. When he saw what rested inside, he nearly dropped the box.

  There was one pill shaped like a many-petaled lotus. Pure white like freshly fallen snow.

  “One of our temple’s staple pills, the Heavenly Ice Essence Lotus. We have heard that you have absorbed an abundance of Hell Shards. You must refine your volatile hell element prana to that of ice. The prana replenishment factor of our temple’s foothold relies on you, junior monk Xue Dejiu” Arhat Xue Xuanyan said.

  Dejiu was surprised. This was amazing! That condition didn’t sound so bad. Damn right he’ll accept, he even gets to leave a treasure on top of his life!

  “Of cour—urk!”

  “Agree now and it would seem like you are too eager.” Bing Xin cackled from wherever she was inside him.

  The Seven Hells is this daimon thinking!? What if they sense her!? Dejiu cleared his throat to play it off. He wanted to mutter a curse at the daimon, but he didn’t want the already displeased geezer Ninth Arhat to misinterpret him.

  “Uh, is that truly a treasure befitting my accomplishment? You said it yourself, it's the temple’s foothold and all. Um–surely I deserve something a little more considering I haven’t even been taught the temple’s cultivation method.” He sheepishly said.

  Outside, Dejiu nervously smiled. Inside, he cursed with everything he knew. You fucking wench! Let me go! How many times are you going to try and kill me? You’re pushing my luck — I’d be happy to leave with just my head! Also, aren’t you supposed to be laying low? Huh!? Huh!?

  Arhat Xue Hanfeng’s face twitched. A menacingly half-tranquil smile stretched across his old face. A cold pressure, colder than anything Dejiu felt before pressed down on him.

  Oi! Hey, Miss Bing Xin! You damned daimon! Look at him! He’s pissed! He’s seething!

  “Shameless misfit! The Buddha teaches us that the desire for more blinds the heart, and yet here you stand, blinded by your own delusions. ” The old Arhat’s voice was like winter’s breath, cold and cutting.

  “N-no, honored Arhat, I-um, require strength to undertake more responsibility. The weight of the Pillarshard is heavy, so I must be able to bear it. Surely you can see the reasoning?” Dejiu said. He was bullshitting! Spouting dogshit! He didn’t want to say any of this, but that daimonic coil around his heart wouldn’t lessen otherwise.

  Arhat Xue Hanfeng glared at him. “The Buddha himself abandoned all worldly desires to seek enlightenment. Do not think that you can barter righteousness for ambition—”

  “Ninth Arhat Xue Hanfeng, I think there is merit in rewarding the young monk further. His words are true. No matter his methods, for a newly advanced Mid Initiate to conquer a Pillarshard by his lonesome is unheard of. Much less one without remnants and a cultivation technique. In another light, he could be a prodigious warrior monk.” Arhat Xue Xuanyang rebuked.

  Dejiu was flabbergasted. No way this is working! Miss Bing Xin, I’ll never doubt you again!

  Somehow Arhat Xue Hanfeng turned ever more bitter. “Reward him? I was adamant against providing even this pill! It’s already more than a reward to not throw him out of the temple–”

  “That is off the table. To survive is not to be punished. True, his nature must be investigated or suppressed for his interest and the temples’, but had it been another junior monk, then they would be rewarded for the same deeds.” Arhat Xue Xuanyang said before turning to Dejiu again.

  From Arhat Xue Xuanyang’s robes, another small wooden box flew towards Dejiu. He cupped his hands for the small box to land.

  “I’ve given you a second pill. You’ll likely advance with these. Refine them well, Xue Dejiu.” Arhat Xue Xuanyan said.

  Dejiu kowtowed again. “Thank you for your magnanimity and mercy, esteemed Arhats!”

  The two Arhats turned around. Both had different gaits. The damned geezer had heavy steps while the nun walked with grace.

  Arhat Disciple Xue Bing Lie and Teacher Jiansu shuffled behind. His worried teacher looked like he wanted to say something, likely about his missing hand, but it wasn’t the right place and time. Dejiu couldn’t blame him — they were in the presence of two Arhats. People that even Teacher Jiansu hasn’t seen despite how long he has been in the temple. Dejiu already made his teacher lose face seven years ago. Add everything he’s done since then — fighting back against those who wanted to pick on him, repeatedly attempting to steal Hell Shards, failing to run away from the temple, the ordeal with the Pillarshard, and his shameless request to two of the exalted figures of the temple. Of course Teacher Jiansu couldn’t say something.

  “Ah, I forgot.” Arhat Xue Xuanyang looked behind and asked, “Did you name the Pillarshard yet?”

  Dejiu raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly from behind the iron bars. “Talonfall. I named it after the types of daimons I found inside.”

  “Talonfall.” Arhat Xue Xuanyang echoed with a nod.

  They left and Dejiu shivered alone. It wasn’t a few minutes later until he saw the shadows of his frozen cell grow darker. Darkness manifested in the form of a veiled woman followed by laughter.