Xian Long's question hung in the air.
Xian Tiandi glanced in the direction Zhou Kang had disappeared into the mission hall, then looked back at his foster brother.
"Walk with me," he said simply.
They moved away from the busy entrance, finding a quieter spot along the path beside the building. Ying Yue followed without a word, her eyes carrying the same quiet curiosity as Xian Long's.
Xian Tiandi kept his voice low and even.
"Zhou Kang didn't take the trials," he said. "He didn't need to."
Xian Long blinked. "What do you mean he didn't need to?"
"His clan has an elder here in the sect," Xian Tiandi said. "A genuine sect elder with real standing. That connection alone would have been enough to get him in through a different path. But it didn't stop there."
He paused, letting that land first.
