The glaring sun momentarily blinded Matthew as he stepped outside. As he shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his hand, he saw Lucius, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Bamboo standing not far away.
At that, he walked over to them and said, "Mr. Lucius, most of my guys have left. Let's discuss the plans moving forward."
Lucius gazed at Matthew with a multitude of emotions, having trouble speaking up despite making several attempts. He couldn't bring himself to tell Matthew, a good friend he made despite their age differences, that he couldn't stay with them anymore.
"Next, I will leave Basha's Sacred Mount with Prince Gadel to minimize Montiria's impact on the mountain."
"I…" Lucius began to speak but fell silent again. Matthew had already decided to leave Basha's Sacred Mount to spare them the trouble, and he felt ashamed for even thinking of urging him to leave. A feeling of guilt arose in Lucius' heart, leaving his thoughts scattered.
Mr. Stewart and Mr. Bamboo were equally embarrassed, feeling overshadowed by the younger man's decisiveness.
"Mr. Lucius?" Matthew called out when he saw no response from Lucius, pulling him back from his reverie.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, yes," Lucius replied. Suddenly, a thought came to him, and he winked frantically at Mr. Stewart and Mr. Bamboo, who responded with confused looks, unable to catch his signal.
Earlier, when the elders confronted Lucius, one said, "If you're too embarrassed to speak, we will do it for you."
Lucius feared the elders would soon arrive, so he signaled Mr. Stewart to intercept them. Unfortunately, what he dreaded happened. Led by a sinister-looking elder named Orin, a group approached.
Lucius' expression turned grim. Orin, the same age as Lucius, had been a thorn in his side ever since losing the election for sect master.
Under Orin's lead, several other disreputable elders began causing chaos.
"Matthew is a disaster bringer! He must be kicked out of Basha's Sacred Mount!"
"Matthew, return the lives of our disciples!"
Seeing the disciples' accusatory glances, Orin furiously shouted, "Nonsense! He's framing me! Everything I've done is for the sect."
"Have you? You claim to act for the sect, but how much have you taken in bribes from elders and disciples over the years? Tell me, how is that for the sect?"
"Have you? You claim to act for the sect, but how much have you taken in bribes from elders and disciples over the years? Tell me, how is that for the sect?" Lucius stepped forward, his disappointment evident. He never thought Orin would keep up his act when it had come to this.
Orin's face stiffened in disbelief. How did Lucius know?
"Orin, for your misconduct, your cultivation is abolished, and you are exiled to the ancestral shrine as a warning to others!" Lucius wasted no time, disabling Orin's powers with a single strike and having Mr. Bamboo escort him away.
"Matthew, today's incident is my failure in leadership."
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