"What do you think of these?" Li Yao asked internally as she inspected the items spread before them.
[They're pretty high quality. And it's only been a few days—I didn't expect him to be so talented.]
When Li Yao heard this assessment, her lips curled into a smug expression, pride swelling in her chest for her senior brother's accomplishments.
"Why are you so smug? I'm not complimenting you," the Empress thought irritably, though she didn't bother voicing this sentiment aloud.
After a moment of contemplation, the Empress spoke again, her tone shifting to something more serious. [You should probably promote your senior brother.]
Li Yao's eyes widened at the sudden serious statement. "What do you mean?" she asked, caught off guard by the suggestion.
[A good leader knows both when to reward and when to punish,] the Empress explained, [As the Sect Master, you should not only punish mistakes but also reward good deeds. Do you get what I'm saying?]
Li Yao's expression shifted to one of understanding as she absorbed the Empress's guidance.
[I recommend giving him the position of Grand Elder,] the Empress continued decisively.
"Isn't that too much?" Li Yao asked, her brows furrowing slightly. She had expected the Empress to recommend perhaps a dean position, but directly promoting him to grand elder position? It wasn't that she didn't want to elevate Xiang Yu's status—quite the contrary—but she knew her senior brother disliked such formalities and responsibilities.
[How is it too much?] the Empress countered, her tone slightly incredulous. [Just the value of these resources is enough to buy the sect a few times over. If anything, the rank is too modest.]
The Empress's demeanor softened, her voice taking on a more gentle tone. [Besides, seniority often interferes with relationships. It's always nice to bridge the gap when you can. There is no better chance than this—all those in opposition will quickly shut up as long as you show them these resources.]
When Li Yao heard this, she blushed deeply. She understood perfectly what the Empress was implying—it would be difficult for her to pursue an intimate relationship with her senior brother if he remained just a disciple. Elevating his status would remove that barrier.
Li Yao's expression hardened as she turned to face Xiang Yu directly.
"Senior brother..." she began, then paused, her voice strengthening as she corrected herself. "No! Xiang Yu, from now on, you are the Grand Elder of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Everyone froze momentarily upon hearing her words.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?" Xiang Yu protested, waving his hands dismissively.
"These resources are really worth a lot," Li Yao insisted, standing her ground. "You can be considered the sect's greatest benefactor." Her voice softened slightly, though her resolve remained unchanged. "I know you don't like this kind of thing, but as the Sect Master, I must also consider what's good for the sect."
"You don't have to do much, we'll just announce you as a secondary professionist to raise the morale of the disciples," She added.
Li Yao really meant this. Many disciples seemed to be having low morale after recent events—even some elders appeared disheartened due to their resource shortage. Announcing they had a secondary professionist of Xiang Yu's caliber would significantly boost everyone's confidence and calm their anxieties.
Elder Huang nodded thoughtfully after hearing this reasoning. The tension throughout the sect was indeed growing, even if it wasn't immediately apparent on the surface.
"The Sect Master is right," Elder Huang affirmed. "The Grand Elder position doesn't come with any responsibilities so you can continue your life as usual," she added, addressing Xiang Yu. "You'll also have the authority to mobilize the sect's resources, so you'll be able to practice more effectively."
...
Xiang Yu looked at his martial aunt and junior sister with their pleading expressions, then noticed even his master was gazing at him expectantly. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he considered how the situation had escalated to this point. The position didn't require actual duties, at least, and being able to mobilize sect resources would undoubtedly accelerate his secondary professions' advancement.
"I guess I have no choice," he said with resignation, shoulders slumping slightly in acceptance.
"You mean..." Li Yao leaned forward, hope brightening her features.
"Yeah, I'll become the Grand Elder," he confirmed, though his tone still sounded reluctant.
Li Yao's face transformed instantly, lighting up with undisguised joy. Without warning, she launched herself forward and threw her arms around him, her slender frame colliding with his chest.
"Thank you, senior brother!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against his robes.
Xiang Yu blinked in confusion. "For what?"
She tilted her face up to meet his gaze, eyes shining with emotion. "You don't like stuff like this, right? You must have done it for me, right?"
Xiang Yu's expression twisted into bewilderment. Had she misunderstood his motivation entirely? He simply wanted access to resources for his cultivation.
"No?" Li Yao asked, her voice faltering slightly.
Realizing his error, Xiang Yu laughed nervously, one hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Of course I did it for you," he quickly amended, swallowing his guilt. "How could I let my junior sister suffer?"
"Senior brother loves me the most!" she said triumphantly, tightening her embrace until Xiang Yu feared for his ribs.
From the sidelines, Elder Huang observed their interaction with a knowing smile. Taking advantage of the moment, she reached out and grasped Elder Guo's hand firmly in her own.
"Let's go," she suggested, her tone leaving no room for debate. "I still haven't checked your cultivation."
"Hey, let go—" Elder Guo began to protest, but his objection was cut short as Elder Huang leapt skyward, taking him with her through the air.
Left alone with Li Yao, Xiang Yu's lips twitched as he struggled with her unyielding grip. Despite his physical strength, he couldn't seem to pry her fingers from his clothing. How was she so strong? She wasn't budging at all.
She suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting his. "Senior brother," she spoke, her voice softening.
"What is it?" he asked cautiously, still attempting to loosen her grip on his robes.
Without warning, she released him and sprang backward, her hand already reaching for her spatial ring. "Since you're now the Grand Elder, you need to look the part," she declared, beginning to pull various garments from her storage ring.
"No, not this... nah... this could work..." she muttered, examining and discarding options.
"Look the part?" Xiang Yu questioned, his brow furrowing. "Didn't you say I didn't have to do anything? Why do I need to look the part?"
Li Yao continued her search without pausing. "You don't have to do anything, but we still have to announce you to the sect," she explained matter-of-factly. "How are you supposed to be taken seriously if you're dressed like that?"
Xiang Yu glanced down at his simple robes, suddenly self-conscious. "Mh, that makes sense," he admitted reluctantly.
"There it is!" Li Yao exclaimed triumphantly, choosing a particular set of clothing. She rose to her feet, carefully returning the rejected options to her ring.
With a sweet smile that somehow made Xiang Yu instantly wary, she asked, "Senior brother, do you need help changing?"
"No need," he replied hastily, snatching the clothes from her hands. "I'll put it on myself."
As he retreated toward his room, Xiang Yu couldn't help thinking that this girl was becoming increasingly assertive. He wondered if he should be concerned for his safety around her.
Li Yao watched Xiang Yu enter his bamboo house, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. 'Senior brother, this was all part of my plan,' she thought deviously, activating her qi sense. With her cultivation level, seeing through the thin bamboo walls should be effortless.
"Ouch!" she suddenly cried out, clutching her head in pain. What had just happened? She attempted to focus again, only to be interrupted by the Empress's exasperated voice.
[Give up. It's a concealing array.]
"Concealing array? Tch!" Li Yao clicked her tongue in disappointment.
The Empress merely shook her head before retreating once more.
...
Elder Huang placed her hand on Elder Guo's dantian, sending a gentle stream of qi into his pathways to test for any issues. The spiritual energy flowed like water through a riverbed, carefully probing for obstructions or damage.
"Happy now?" Elder Guo asked with a hint of impatience.
But Elder Huang didn't respond.
"Hey," he called out, shaking her shoulder lightly. Still no response.
Then suddenly, he heard something drip to the floor. Elder Guo quickly raised her face and froze. "Are you crying?" he asked, his voice softening at the sight of tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I was really worried, you know that?" she spoke, her voice quivering..
Seeing her like this Elder Guo reached out and held her hand. "I'm sorry," he said simply.
She didn't reply. Instead, she collapsed against his chest, her quiet sniffling the only sound in the room. Elder Guo awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she continued to tremble against him. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
"Umm... Junior Sister," he spoke after a while, breaking the silence that had settled between them.
She stopped sniffling and responded without looking up. "wot?" The word came out muffled against his robes.
Elder Guo took a deep breath, steadying his voice before speaking,
"Do you want to get married?"
When Elder Huang heard this, she instantly pushed away from him, creating distance between them. Her face flushed crimson as she waved her hands frantically in the air. "Wh-what are you talking about?" she stammered, words tumbling over each other.
Her mind raced wildly. Had she heard correctly? How could such words come from this insensitive man who had never shown the slightest romantic inclination in all their years together?
"I asked if you wanted to get married?" Elder Guo repeated, rising from his position and walking deliberately toward her. His movements held none of the hesitation in his voice.
"Umm..." She struggled to find words as she backed away from his advance, her usual composure completely shattered.
"What, you don't want to?" Elder Guo pressed on, continuing his approach.
"I didn't say that," she responded quickly, then suddenly felt the cool surface of the wall against her back. She had run out of space to retreat.
Elder Guo placed his hand on the wall behind her, creating a barrier with his arm. "Then, do you want to?" he asked softly, reaching up with his other hand to fix a strand of hair that had fallen across her eye.
She tried to slip away to the side, but he blocked her escape with his other arm, trapping her completely. "You still haven't answered my question," he spoke, his voice low and insistent.
She blushed deeper, the color spreading to her ears. "Well, it's just so sudden," she said. "What made you ask such a thing?"
"Back then, when I was about to die..." he began, his expression growing somber, "I regretted a lot of things."
He paused, "I regretted letting my brothers down, not living up to Master's expectations," he continued, then leaned in closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "But most of all, I regretted not asking you this question."
His eyes locked with hers, intense and unwavering. They were so close that he could feel her breath warm against his face. She looked away, unable to maintain the contact.
"I've always worried about the sect," he continued softly, "but from what I've seen, from both Xiang Yu and Li Yao, I don't need to worry anymore."
A rare smile crossed his weathered face. "Li Yao is stronger than me by a huge margin. She can protect the sect. And Xiang Yu is a genius as well. As long as they work together, I'm sure they'll take the sect to levels we could never imagine."
His shoulders relaxed visibly. "It feels like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. Now that I no longer have those huge responsibilities, I can finally pick up smaller responsibilities."
He gently turned her chin to face him. "Huang Fengqi," he called formally. "Will you be this old man's responsibility?"
Her expression suddenly shifted to a pout, eyebrows drawing together. "Are you calling me a responsibility?"
Elder Guo was taken aback. Now that she said it aloud, it indeed sounded strange. He didn't possess his junior brother's talent for poetry—this was the best he could manage.
"That's besides the point," he said hastily. "I've explained my reasoning. What's your answer?"
"Well..." she began, but then apparently decided words were inadequate. She looked up at him, her eyes conveying what language could not. Slowly, she raised her hands and wrapped them around his neck.
Standing on her toes to compensate for their height difference, she leaned in...
...
When Xiang Yu emerged after changing, Li Yao took out a human-sized mirror. "Senior brother, it looks nice on you," she said, her eyes sparkling with approval as she assessed his appearance.
"Does it?" he responded doubtfully, inspecting his reflection with a critical eye. He couldn't see much difference from his regular attire except for the more vibrant colors and finer material. The deep azure fabric shimmered slightly when he moved, embroidered with subtle cloud patterns along the hems.
"Of course. You can trust me, I'm a professional," Li Yao declared confidently, flashing him a thumbs up. Her gaze lingered on him, clearly pleased with how the formal attire accentuated his frame.
Xiang Yu shrugged slightly. Well, as long as she liked it. There were far more important things to concern himself with than clothing. "What do I do now?" he asked.
"You'll go with me to the inauguration ceremony," Li Yao explained. "I'll announce your position then."
Xiang Yu nodded, accepting his fate. As they continued talking, they suddenly noticed Elder Huang and Elder Guo returning together. What surprised them, however, was that the two elders were holding hands, both sporting noticeable blushes on their faces like young cultivators rather than the dignified elders they were supposed to be.
The disciples exchanged glances, had something happened between them in that short time they were gone.
"Martial aunt, did something happen?" Li Yao asked curiously.
"Umm, well..." Elder Huang began hesitantly.
"Me and your martial aunt are getting married," Elder Guo interjected bluntly, his characteristic directness unchanged despite the redness in his cheeks.
Both disciples' eyes widened simultaneously. Marriage? This was really unexpected. Even though they knew that the two had feelings for each other, they hadn't expected them to progress this quickly.
"Umm, yes," Elder Huang confirmed, her fingers still intertwined with Elder Guo's. "He proposed to me and I said yes."
"Master proposed?" Xiang Yu and Li Yao exclaimed in perfect unison, unable to hide their astonishment.
Elder Guo's expression immediately darkened. "What? You think I don't dare to?" he asked with indignation. Were these kids looking down on their master?
"Hahaha," Xiang Yu laughed awkwardly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Master, you misunderstood," he explained hastily. "We're just surprised is all." Internally, he marveled at this unexpected development. To think that his master would be the one to propose first!
"Hmph," Elder Guo scoffed at the response, his pride slightly wounded. What did these youngsters know? Back in the day, this elder was—
"Ouch!" Elder Guo suddenly winced, his reminiscence cut short. He looked up at Elder Huang with confusion. "Why'd you pinch me?" he demanded.
But she simply looked away with another "Hmph,"
Li Yao observed the interaction with amusement. Despite their engagement, it seemed their dynamic hadn't changed much at all. They were still the same bickering elders.
...