"Let us go," he ordered

Everyone watched as they walked away from the hall but seeing her expression, they weren't sure if it is actually a good idea to try striking a conversation with her, from all that had transpired in the hall, they had realized that anything might have changed but the fact that she is still that untamed, strong and badass woman hasn't changed even though it was very obvious to them that she had tried her best to suppress her character and prevent herself from roasting them all. ​​

Walking past their eyes, they finally arrived at a place where no one could interfere with them or hear them, she didn't even bother to send the elders and the guardians away before asking her about what had happened back in the hall, standing under a willow tree centred in the middle of a garden they gathered round about Huo Ying, sect madam Huo wasn't the only curious one, the elders were also curious but the first elder could tell that there is something going on that he isn't aware of or even the whole sect is oblivious to it.

"Mother, why have we come here?" Huo Ying asked, wondering why her mother was leading them away from everyone's eyes when the plan was to make them visible to the other sect so as to remind them of the flame sect past glory.

"Huo Ying, what happened back then?" sect madam Huo asked while the elders and the two guardians turned to look at her as though they all had the same question to ask her.

"What do you mean?" Huo Ying asked, feigning ignorance even though she is very well aware of what they were asking but how can she tell them the truth when she herself doesn't understand what had just happened and how is she supposed to tell them that the same thing happened when they were testing the reason for her sudden increase in cultivation, moreover, she couldn't let anything mess up her plans for today.

"The witness must have recognised Huo Qiang by his scar and I could tell that he was about to tell it to Lin Yuanlang but the moment you called him, the both of you spaced out and he didn't report what had happened again, what did you do?" she queried, she had a rough guess of what had happened during the time, it is either she is already beginning to display the powers of the flame demon as her cultivation is increasing or she secretly cultivated a demonic technique that could make the man do what she wants.

"Mother, you are overthinking it, I noticed that he must have recognised Huo Qiang using his scar, so I called him at that moment to stop him from spilling the truth, that was when we were both staring at each other, after seeing his reaction to me calling him, I realized that he didn't find anything" she explained in hopes that they would take her words for it and not ask her further questions.

"Are you telling the truth?" part of her believed Huo Ying and another part of her didn't believe her but she really wished that she is telling the truth, the moment the power of the flame demon starts manifesting, she would be at risk of being discovered and the whole world will be terrified of her and her sister, only her sect will stay with her forever since their root is from the flame demon but this is something that is not known to other sects..

"I can assure you that every word I have just said is the truth" she confidently replied, hiding her deceit behind her reassuring voice.

"Who is there!!" Huo Qiang suddenly shouted then he picked a stone from the ground and threw it in the direction of the tree opposite where they stood, a young and startled disciple immediately appeared in front of them after managing to dodge the hit, realizing that he had been caught, he quickly scanned for excuses in his head while he walked out from the back of the tree he was hiding.

"I...I didn't eavesdrop just now, sect leader instructed me to guide you to your various rooms but seeing as you were busy discussing, I decided to not interrupt you so I waited until you were done with your discussion," he scanned their expression to see if they believed anything he had just said but seeing the doubtful expression on the elders face, he cowered his head in surrender and gave up on his excuse.

"We didn't even ask you anything and yet you have already started defending yourself, seems like the disciples of the wind sect are not as well behaved as the world thinks they are, despite being the largest sect and the leader of all the sects you actually had the nerve to eavesdrop on our conversation, if others hear of this, what do you think will become of your sect reputation," Huo Ying scolded, her lambast way of speaking as she criticized him made the disciples feel like he had just committed a very heinous crime, being a disciple of the strongest sect, he immediately shuddered and fell to his knees and cupped his hand then he raised them above his head with an apologetic and remorseful look on his face.

"I apologize for my unruly behaviour, I will make sure it doesn't repeat itself again, I hope you will be merciful and forgive me for this mistake" the disciples pleaded, his voice rang fear instead of sorry, if she reports his behaviour to his sect leader who has always tried to paint the wind sect as the most honourable sect, he might end up getting punished or being expelled since he is one of the disciples that had just passed the test to become a disciple in the wind sect, he wouldn't want to risk being expelled.

Huo Mei and Huo Qiang smiled at his cowardly behaviour and nodded their head in disappointment after Huo Ying scolded him, he should have tried to refute the charge and stick with his excuse but he didn't even have the nerve to deny it, his cowardly behaviour couldn't appear to be more laughable and disgraceful to his seat than it already is, they wished others were there to see the scene then they would realize that the wind sect disciples are not as brave as people think they are.

"How did you become a disciple with such a cowardly behaviour, if it is a disciple of the flame sect who is in your position, they would never succumb to such...."

"You are indeed correct, it is such a disgrace to see a disciple of my sect behaving so cowardly," Bohai interjected as he walked into the scene with a charming and composed smile on his lips, with one of his hands folded at his back while the other is also arched on his waist. Huo Qiang frowned at his interjection while he was scolding the disciple.

"You must be the son of the alliance leader, seeing as you stood beside him in the hall and your composure and demeanour also resembles him, like father like son," sect madam Huo commented as he arrived at the scene and greeted her and the elders with a light bow.

"I am indeed the son of the alliance leader but you have given me too much praise, how can I be compared to my father, there are still many things I have to learn to reach the stage of my father," Bohai replied humbly to which Huo Ying smirked at.

"insidious..." she muttered underneath her breath

"You arrived here just in time, the people outside have always respected the wind sect and your reputation around the world is unrivalled but today, your disciple has shown otherwise, has the wind sect trained their disciples to eavesdrop on other peoples conversation?" sect madam Huo queried in a gentle manner that made her seem different from the kind of person she has always been described as, even the elders were almost fooled.

"I apologise on behalf of the sect for his unruly behaviour, I will make sure that he is duly punished for his actions" he turned back to face the disciples with a glare that tells him that he won't be able to escape the punishment for bringing such a disgrace to their sect, his father sent the disciple to use the excuse of bringing them to their room to eavesdrop on them but he actually got caught.

"Go and await your punishment," Bohai said to the disciples with a dismissal nod which sent the disciples dashing away as fast as he could.

"Seems like you are also scrupulous, I trust that you will handle this matter well but I wonder what brought young master Lin this way, it couldn't be a coincidence that you were passing by just as we were about to punish that disciple?" Sect madam Huo questioned, hinting at his coincidental appearance which meant that might have followed them there for the same purpose.

"It is indeed a coincidence, father originally sent the disciple to escort you to your rooms but who would have thought that he would try to eavesdrop on your conversation, seeing as he wasn't back in time, father sent me to check up on the situation," Bohai answered without any blemish in his statement, sect madam Huo turned back to glare at Huo Ying, she had originally forgotten to ask her the reason why she had suggested that they stay in the flame sect then she faced forward again with a look of gratitude.

"If that is so then we would have to bother young master Lin to guide us," she replied

"One more thing...ah....I have almost forgotten to relay my father's message to you"

"What message does sect leader Lin have for us that couldn't be said in the hall?" Huo Ying asked

"Earlier on, he had forgotten to inform you that the witnesses will be checking your disciples tomorrow so you should do as you have said earlier on," he scanned their expression but seeing as they weren't faltering, he felt relieved. If the flame sect falls, then Huo Lan might have to die and this is the last thing he wants to happen.

"If that is the alliance leader's decision then he can be rest assured," sect madam Huo answered,

He smiled and stretched his hand forward, gesturing them to follow after him while he guides them to their rooms, seeing how gentlemanly is character is, she couldn't help but admit that he is different from his father, if they weren't enemies, she might have considered him as her son or someone she would like to mentor but amidst his gentlemanly behaviour, she could sense something else, something that she can't describe and this feeling about him really put her off.

After a while, the elders and sect madam Huo had already been allocated their rooms in a large quarter that is befitting for their status, if they didn't know better, they would have thought that sect leader Lin really sees them as an honoured guest who is worthy of being respected.

After taking them to their rooms, he was now left with only Huo Ying, since her room is farther than the others, he had no choice but to walk with her alone even though he felt uneasy with her walking behind him, watching him from the back, she could tell that he is feeling uneasy, she smirked and walked forward until she could walk at the same line with him.

"Are you feeling uneasy?" he was almost startled by her sudden appearance by his side but he managed to keep his calm, he didn't hesitate to give her the charming smile that has always worked its wonders in enchanting the hearts of many females but she isn't just any female.

"I wonder what miss Huo Ying means by that?" Bohai questioned.

she smiled gently with her deep red lipstick enhancing every features of her lips, looking at her lips, he could tell that they are indeed twins, her lips had the exact same shape as Huo Lan's lips and not only her lips but everything about her looked like Huo Lan, if he could see the upper part of her face then it would be the same as seeing Huo Lan, he stared at her for a while, he was almost taking her for Huo Lan.

"I saw that you kept rubbing your hand all through the way so I thought I should ask you if you if you were feeling uneasy because of me," Huo Ying said in a really friendly manner that surprised him, they are supposed to be enemies but surprisingly, he couldn't feel that they are enemies, but he won't be fooled, he knows that there is more to her than she is showing.

"You are overthinking, I was just bothered by some trivial sect affairs, you don't need to feel that it is because of you," Bohai replied in the same manner in which she spoke to him.

"If that is the case then I am relieved," Huo Ying replied, just as they arrived in front of her quarter, Meng Hui sighted them, they were both smiling at each other and that ignited the jealousy in her, she swiftly walked to their front and cleared her throat to draw their attention.

The both of them turned in her direction while they dispelled the smile on their lips.

"Meng Hui, what are you doing here?" Bohai asked

"I thought the young mistress of the flame sect would have arrived at her quarter so I just came here to greet her but it appears that the both of you have been taking your time to become closer to each other," Meng Hui said with a frown on her face as she glared at Huo Ying instead of Bohai who she is talking to.

{ seems like she has feelings for him, this is going to be fun}

Huo Ying said in her mind with an inward smirk!