Furong Inn.

"Xiao Le. Do you know why I called you here?" Li Nanzi asked after he summoned Kang Ce and Xiao Le.

"Sect leader can summon us, his disciples, at any time for any reason." Xiao Le said.

Li Nanzi's face darkened but he endured his anger. He still dare call me his sect leader when he dared use that tone and with those words? He thought as he balled his fists. I can't… hold it back. Or else you'll lose the chance to get Cheng Sheng's favor. He thought as he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I didn't know Xiao Le is good in making talismans." He said and smiled.

"How can sect leader know?" Xiao Le said. "He's been ignoring this disciple so this disciple can only hide himself, or else that time will repeat again, right?" he asked and looked at Li Nanzi whose face had paled in his suppressed anger. "I am a homosexual. I like Kang-shixiong. I am plotting against him. Right?" he asked and looked at Kang Ce whose face darkened.

"Xiao Le…" Kang Ce called. His body is shaking as he balled his fists.

"I know you all don't like me since the beginning." Xiao Le said. His voice and eyes are blank. He felt exhausted. "Sect leader Li." He called. "Let's cut to the chase. Please kick me out of the sect." he told him.

"WHAT?!" Kang Ce was the first to react as he sharply turned to Xiao Le. "What did you say?!" he asked as he looked at him in both shock and disbelief.

Xiao Le didn't even glance at Kang Ce, so he missed the emotion that passed in Kang Ce's eyes. "Sect leader Li. Please." He told him. "You won't look bad. People will think I defected to Cheng Sheng's faction and betrayed our sect. The Huli Sect won't suffer a loss." He explained.

"XIAO LE!" Kang Ce yelled as he glared at him.

Li Nanzi's face is red in anger. What should I do? He thought. He didn't expect for Xiao Le to request him to kick him out of their sect. No… he thought as he looked at the youth before him. He should've expected this long ago after he chose Mu Rongrong over Xiao Le whose talent is just about to bloom.

It was all his fault. He crushed that flower and trampled upon it when he sided with Mu Rongrong's one-sided confession of Xiao Le's 'crimes'. To display his 'benevolence', he pardoned Xiao Le, only to make the matters worse since it made Xiao Le looked like he really did commit treason and has unspeakable intentions towards Kang Ce. Xiao Le leaving their sect is inevitable.

He sighed. He suddenly felt tired. He created this mess with his own hands. "Where are you planning to go?" he asked. His tone had changed.

Kang Ce's eyes widened. He was stunned by Li Nanzi's change. "Sect leader…" he called as he stood frozen beside Xiao Le.

Xiao Le was also surprised by Li Nanzi, but he grabbed this chance. He didn't even throw a glance at Kang Ce who paled in horror. "Cheng Sheng told me he'd take me as his junior apprentice." He said and showed his mage badge to Li Nanzi. "It is also inappropriate for me to stay here since I have Cheng Sheng as my shifu now. Sect leader Li, I apologize to do these things without your knowledge." He told him and kowtowed. He is sincere with his apology. Even after all the things the Huli Sect did to him, but Li Nanzi is still an older person than him. It's right to respect your elders.

Li Nanzi's lips thinned in anger, but things have already happened. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Xiao Le." He called. "I really regret choosing Mu Rongrong instead of you. I've also wronged you. Now, we're even." He told him.

"Sect leader – " Kang Ce called. Panic is in his voice.

However, Li Nanzi ignored him. "Xiao Le. From now on, the Huli Sect won't bind you." He told him.

"SECT LEADER!" Kang Ce called as his voice raised. "I don't accept this! I won't accept this!" he said as he turned to Xiao Le who sighed in relief after the weight on his heart disappeared. "As the eldest disciple, Xiao Le, I order you cannot leave the sect – " he said.

"Kang Ce!" Li Nanzi called. However, his eldest disciple ignored him.

"Xiao Le, you can't – " Kang Ce said.

"I can." Xiao Le said as he finally turned to Kang Ce. "The Huli Sect has never been for me." he told Kang Ce who was stupefied when he saw him smiled. "Let's be honest. You felt disgusted that time, right? Even though it wasn't for you those talismans, and they're really just for my interest, but still…" he said and laughed. He then looked at Kang Ce.

Kang Ce was shocked when he saw Xiao Le's eyes shone because of the tears he's holding back. "Xiao Le…" he called.

"I'm sorry for failing you, da shixiong." Xiao Le said. "I'm sorry to be a disappointment. I truly liked you, as what Mu Rongrong said." he told Kang Ce.

Kang Ce looked like he was poured with cold water. Li Nanzi was also shocked and didn't know how to react to Xiao Le's confession.

"Your obsession is just because you felt guilty towards me." Xiao Le continued. "You felt sorry because of the unjust treatment I had received. But, you were awkward with your feelings. So, you mask your feelings with anger. I know. Because I noticed it." he said as his tears finally fell and he looked at Kang Ce. "You really cared for me, just like before. Before Mu Rongrong destroyed our friendship. It's actually fine, since it wasn't really friendship I wanted from you. However, it's all too late now." he told Kang Ce. "Things that have been broken, no matter how it is repaired, it wouldn't return to how it was before. That's why sect leader Li freed me." he said and looked at Li Nanzi whose shoulder fell. If he'd continue to stay in Huli Sect, the already strained relationship between them will become worse. "I'm sorry. And goodbye." He said before he ran outside.

The Huli Sect disciples who were eavesdropping were shocked of what they have heard. Then, they were startled when Xiao Le bolted out and ran as fast as a lightning. "Xiao Le!" they called as they ran after him. "Xiao-shidi!" they called. "We're sorry! We want to apologize, too!" they said as they ran after him. "Hah… hah…" they panted after they saw Xiao Le reached the gate. "That's – " they said when they saw Xiao Le ran towards Shu Mu and cried. "Shu Mu!" they cried in surprise.

"Let's go." Shu Mu told Xiao Le who was still crying. Then, he coldly looked at them.

"Shu Mu!" they called as they glared at Shu Mu. "Let go of our shidi!" they said as they ran towards him.

"Why? For you to bully him again?" Shu Mu said and scoffed.

"We just - !" they said and was taken aback. "We just want to apologize to Xiao-shidi…" they said.

"Why now? Because he has shown his strength?" Shu Mu asked. "Stop being hypocrites. I know your sect is now declining after Mu Rongrong shot herself in her feet." He grinned. "Now, you want Xiao Le to reclaim your sect's honor – " he said.

"You're wrong!" they answered.

"Hah!" Shu Mu snorted as he held Xiao Le tighter. His chest was soaked with Xiao Le's tears and it hurts him. He pressed his lips tight to suppress the anger rising in his chest. "Don't you dare chase him again. He's not your shidi anymore. He's not a part of your sect. You don't have any relationship with him now." he told them before he took Xiao Le away.

"Xiao-shidi!" they called as they looked at the sky. "Xiao-shidi…" they called as they fell on their knees. Their plan to apologize and fix their sect's broken relationship was now gone. Everything had been too suffocating ever since that incident with Mu Rongrong happened.

Before that, they were just doing fine. They were laughing with Xiao Le. Teasing him with Kang Ce. After all, they came from the same place and Li Nanzi took them in to his sect. However, Xiao Le started to show his strengths and slowly, but unintentionally, overshadowed Mu Rongrong. Because Mu Rongrong's father is an elder of the sect, they nipped the bud – Xiao Le. Then, it started to become a mess.

Xiao Le was suppressed by Mu Rongrong. To avoid internal conflict, Li Nanzi tried to appease Mu Yanshan. The other elders of their sect also pleased Mu Yanshan since Mu Yanshan is second to Li Nanzi in terms of power and authority. They started to fan the flames by ignoring Xiao Le and not teaching him any. Some disciples who were afraid of Mu Rongrong started to lessen Xiao Le's share of food and magic pills. And them, who came from the same place as Xiao Le, in order not to be implicated, they turned a blind eye to everything.

Although they didn't do anything, but turning a blind eye is already their sin to Xiao Le.