Huai Xiaozhun, with all the grace of a cat reluctantly pulled out of a warm bed, found himself trailing behind the group as they made their way through the rugged landscape. He deftly positioned himself as the caboose of this motley crew, a strategic move that required all the tactical brilliance of someone who had spent years perfecting the art of avoiding responsibility.

The wisdom of this manoeuvre was clear to him: if anything unpleasant were to happen, it would happen to the people in front first. And that was just fine by Huai Xiaozhun.

At the front of this procession was Lan Yunlong, the stoic, unflappable leader of the honoured disciplines. With all the charisma of a statue and the enthusiasm of someone who had been doing this for a thousand years (probably because he had), Lan Yunlong led the way through treacherous terrain and a series of unfortunate encounters. Meanwhile, Huai Xiaozhun observed the action from his preferred position at the back, where the view was excellent and the danger was minimal.

As the journey progressed and the group stumbled upon yet another demonic adversary, Huai Xiaozhun watched with an air of studied disinterest. The demon, a pitiful creature more likely to scare small animals than hardened warriors, was promptly dispatched by the more eager members of the group. Huai Xiaozhun noted the demon's insignificance and chose to stay his hand, preferring to let the others have their moment of glory. After all, why get involved in unnecessary demon-slaying when there were more significant challenges ahead, challenges that would surely require his, ahem, unique talents.

Huai Xiaozhun had been forced to join this merry band of warriors, and he had every intention of turning this involuntary participation into a strategic advantage. He made a mental note of the group's reliance on the honoured disciplines for even the simplest of demon encounters.

This observation only confirmed his suspicions: these apparently weak individuals somehow found themselves on Qi Yun Peak, perhaps through a clerical error or a misalignment of the stars. He couldn't quite fathom how they had managed to earn their place among the elite, but that was a mystery for another day.

Fortunately for Huai Xiaozhun, the honoured disciplines, with Lan Yunlong at their helm, proved competent enough to handle the minor inconveniences that crossed their path. Each time a low-level demon bit the dust, one of the disciplines would glance back at Huai Xiaozhun with a look that said, "Why are you just standing there?" Huai Xiaozhun, ever the master of nonchalance, would return their stares with a gaze that could only be described as enigmatically indifferent.

Eventually, one of the more exasperated disciplines, unable to contain his frustration any longer, barked out, "Why are you just standing around? Answer me!" The urgency in his voice was almost comical to Huai Xiaozhun, who finally deigned to respond.

With a calmness that belied the absurdity of the situation, he said, "I agreed to come along, but wasting time on lowly demons was never part of the deal." The discipline, clearly perplexed by Huai Xiaozhun's blasé attitude toward what they considered formidable foes, could only stare in bewilderment.

For the rest of the group, these low-level demons posed a significant challenge, and Huai Xiaozhun's cavalier dismissal of their efforts left them in a state of shock. They could barely comprehend how he could regard these encounters with such casual disdain. In that moment, Huai Xiaozhun's subtle manipulation began to take root, reshaping the group's perception of him.

It was no longer just about his reluctant participation; it was now a calculated choice, a strategic decision to conserve his strength for the more significant battles that surely lay ahead. The others were left dumbfounded, their expressions a mix of disbelief and incomprehension, while Huai Xiaozhun smirked inwardly, content with his handiwork.

The disciplined warrior, who had previously attempted to muster some semblance of authority over Huai Xiaozhun, now lapsed into a moody silence as the group continued their arduous journey. It seemed the sting of Huai Xiaozhun's unexpected nonchalance had rendered him speechless.

The once amiable atmosphere, which had been lightly tinged with gratitude towards Huai Xiaozhun for his reluctant participation, now soured into thinly veiled annoyance. The glares from his companions were as sharp as daggers, their silent scorn seeping through every glance and furrowed brow.

How swiftly the tides of opinion had turned! Huai Xiaozhun found the capricious nature of human sentiment both fascinating and amusing. It was almost as if he were observing a particularly predictable play, where the actors had all forgotten their lines and were now ad-libbing poorly.

As they navigated the alien landscape of the rift, Huai Xiaozhun found his thoughts drifting like a leaf on a stream. This was his first foray into such a place, and he had anticipated something far more spectacular. Instead, the rift's terrain appeared disappointingly similar to the outside world.

Why did people always paint these rifts as the epitome of human nightmares? Perhaps it was a case of exaggerated storytelling, a favourite pastime of humanity. The discrepancy between the terrifying tales and the mundane reality piqued his curiosity.

Huai Xiaozhun's musings then wandered to the nature of demons, these supposed nightmarish entities that humanity so reviled. The prevailing sentiment was clear: demons were malevolent, evil creatures to be exterminated on sight. But Huai Xiaozhun, ever the contrarian, couldn't help but ponder their origins.

Many creatures in Ende had once been human, so what was it about their transformation into demons that pushed them into the darkness? The complexities of such a profound change eluded him, like a puzzle with missing pieces.

Yet as they trudged along, Huai Xiaozhun sensed an unsettling shift in the atmosphere. It felt as if an invisible barrier had enveloped him, a peculiar sensation that seemed to go unnoticed by his companions.

Opting for discretion, he returned to his ruminations, albeit with a touch more wariness. Could it be a discipline's doing? He dismissed this idea quickly; most discipline barriers were conspicuous and detectable by others. It dawned on him that the barrier might be the handiwork of a demon, but there was no time to delve deeper into this troubling thought.

Just as he was on the brink of voicing his suspicions, a demon materialised before them, its sudden appearance banishing all lingering thoughts. The group was caught off guard, their collective surprise punctuating the tension like a sharp intake of breath. The demon, an imposing figure with a countenance that seemed to have been sculpted from a particularly grumpy stone, loomed before them, its eyes gleaming with malevolent intent.

Huai Xiaozhun, now faced with a palpable threat, swiftly set aside his philosophical musings and focused on the imminent confrontation. It was a moment that called for action, not contemplation. He noted with a wry smile how his companions, who had been so eager to chastise him earlier, now looked to him with a mixture of hope and expectation.

The demon, perhaps sensing the shifting dynamics, let out a roar that could curdle milk. The group, snapping into action with the grace of a well-oiled machine (or perhaps a rusty one, depending on one's perspective), readied themselves for battle. Huai Xiaozhun, for his part, took a step forward, his expression one of serene determination.

As the looming threat materialised before them, even Huai Xiaozhun, usually as unruffled as a monk in meditation, found himself tightening his grip on his sword and bracing for the worst. It was clear that this was no ordinary demon; the air around the creature vibrated with a sinister energy that suggested a formidable adversary.

Huai Xiaozhun, still somewhat amateur in the finer points of demon identification, couldn't decide if this was a particularly powerful demon or an entirely different creature that had wandered in from the wrong part of the cosmos. Either way, it promised to be a challenge.

With a determined sigh, Huai Xiaozhun unsheathed his sword, opting for his older, more reliable blade instead of the flashy one given to him by the enigmatic warlock. Flashing around gifts from powerful strangers tended to raise eyebrows and questions he wasn't eager to answer. Behind him, the other disciplines, faces pale with fear, huddled like a flock of sheep behind their shepherd, the steadfast Lan Yunlong.

Summoning every ounce of his courage, Huai Xiaozhun took a bold step forward, though his stomach was doing flip-flops worthy of an acrobat. The demon's aura was overwhelming, a suffocating presence that made the air thick and hard to breathe. The chances of coming out of this without a few new scars seemed slim, and Huai Xiaozhun couldn't shake the feeling that he might have signed up for more than he'd bargained for.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Lan Yunlong, Huai Xiaozhun adopted a defensive stance, trying to mask the trepidation he felt. Their faces mirrored each other's uncertainty. The demon's power was so palpable, it was almost as if the air around it shimmered with malevolence. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and every discipline in the cave could feel the growing dread as they realised they were out of their depth.