Proofreader: Papatonks
Pff!
Chu Qingcheng giggled, then teased him, “Why are you suddenly so clingy like a child?”
“Yes, I’m a child, and I want to stick to you for as long as I live… shit!”
However, Zhuo Fan didn’t get to act spoiled as much as he wanted as he lifted his head from that fragrance hair, exclaiming, “T-this is incredible!”
Chu Qingcheng turned around and gave him a curious look, “What is it, Zhuo Fan? What happened?”
“I-I advanced to the 5th layer of Radiant Stage. Yet I only slept!”
Zhuo Fan stood dumbstruck for a moment, then looked in shock at her, “Qingcheng, your Empty Spirit Body is as amazing as they say. After just a night of dual cultivation, you helped me advance. Come, there’s no time to waste. Let’s do it again!”
Blushing, Chu Qingcheng glared, “In the middle of the day? People will laugh at us!”
“Who will? We’re doing an honorable thing, dual cultivation. Come on, I just can’t wait anymore. We’ll boost our strength while also tightening our marital bond, ha-ha-ha…” Zhuo Fan beamed sitting on the bed with a nasty glimmer in his eyes.
Chu Qingcheng perked her mouth, faking resistance as she followed him.
However, they didn’t get to start as urgent knocking came from the door, “Ahem, Sect Leader Zhuo, as any other cultivator, you could dual cultivate how much you like. But you’re our leader now. Doing it in broad daylight is setting a bad example.”
“Elder Yuan?”
Zhuo Fan cried out and Chu Qingcheng blushed, knowing the old coot heard them. She glared at him and rushed to open the door.
Chu Qingcheng, with a red face, slightly bowed before Elder Yuan. Zhuo Fan looked annoyed, “Master, I thought that since I’m a Sect Leader, I’m the boss here, so there can’t be anyone stupid enough to listen in on my chambers. That’s why I didn’t set up a barrier. How is it a respectable old man as yourself have such a deviant hobby?”
Elder Yuan’s face twitched and shook his head before he sat at the table. “I don’t have a twisted hobby. I just came to inform you that you have to set off.”
“Set off?”
The two looked stunned, with Zhuo Fan asking, “Set off where? I just became the Sect Leader and now I’m gonna leave?”
Elder Yuan smiled and revealed a jade slip, “See for yourself. Congratulations, you two, after consulting with the elders and Exalted of Double Dragon Manor, you have been chosen to enter Double Dragon Manor as disciples. This is a golden chance. In a couple of decades, when you come from Double Dragon Manor, things will be very different. You’ll become a real power in western lands. That will also be the time when Double Dragon Manor will become a real middle three sect.”
Elder Yuan’s eyes flickered and Zhuo Fan quirked an eyebrow after scanning the jade slip, “The names of all chosen are released together? Sword God Sect’s Wen Tao, Xie Tianshang; Hellion Flame’s Yan Mo; Ultimate Clarity Sect’s Ye Lin and Wu Qingqiu are all here.”
“Ha-ha-ha, of course.”
Elder Yuan chuckled, “You met all of them at the Double Dragon Gathering. After twenty years or so, you’ll constantly be in touch. You’ll now just get ready for it. No matter what grudges you formed in the Double Dragon Gathering, you’ll be cultivating together now and smooth things over. This must be Double Dragon Manor’s plan.”
Throwing the jade slip on the table, Zhuo Fan shook his head, “That Ye Lin is savage and you expect me to play nice with him for decades? Humph.”
“I’ve heard about him and he’s almost as bad as you. So you don’t have to avoid him. You two are practically made of the same cloth.”
Elder Yuan chuckled and stood up, “Well, get ready for your journey. Shui Ruohua and the others are waiting for you.”
“So soon?” Zhuo Fan started.
Elder Yuan teased, “I know you’re newlyweds and are very lively, but this jade slip has been with me for a long time already. Other sects must’ve sent their disciples by now. You need to go now if you want to keep up. You can just get physical all you want in the Double Dragon Manor anyway.”
Ugh!
Chu Qingcheng blushed and lowered her head. Zhuo Fan was stumped.
[I never knew this old coot was so lewd. He just keeps being blunt about our marital privilege.]
The two got ready and followed Elder Yuan outside the sect barrier. Demon Scheming Sect’s elders were already waiting to send them off with the Luo clan.
Zhuo Fan’s group came out and Venerable Qi and Bai stepped up, cupping their hands and bowing, “Sect Leader, don’t worry. While Sect Leader is cultivating in the Double Dragon Manor, we and High Venerable will handle everything.”
[What handling it with High Venerable? You’re clearly making yourself the second Venerable!]
[I haven’t promoted you yet and you guys are so thoughtful you kicked Venerable Shi off his chair to take his place. You guys sure are ambitious.]
[No matter, not when you’re on my side. It’s not like I have any other candidate to be the second Venerable.]
Zhuo Fan smiled and patted their shoulder with a nod, “I’ll leave it to you. But if anything bad happens, you are to follow High Venerable’s every order!”
“Yes, sir!”
The two’s hearts jumped.
[Zhuo Fan gave all the power to High Venerable, warning us to curb our greed.]
Knowing Zhuo and High Venerable were so close, the two were relieved.
Elder Yuan spoke, “Zhuo Fan, you’re now the Sect Leader of Double Dragon Manor, not like other disciples. After you reach the Double Dragon Manor, you must greet the Exalted as one. I figure Double Dragon Manor will treat you like one as well. You must not be like before, lacking mannerism.”
“I got it, High Venerable.” Zhuo Fan nodded.
Elder Yuan smiled.
With a ripple, the sect barrier closed and Zhuo Fan with the Luo clan set off, leaving the sect’s elders to return to their matters. Only High Venerable remained for longer, muttering, “I hope the Exalted will notice the situation and understand our intention without making it too hard on us.”
“High Venerable, the Exalted were specifically after Zhuo Fan and the others when they sent that jade slip. What do we do? Did we offend the two Exalted?”
Elder She of the Impermanence Five appeared behind Elder She.
Elder Yuan sighed and took out another jade slip, “This is what the Exalted sent to me alone, hoping to train Zhuo Fan, such a marvelous talent, and take him from us. Since they care for Zhuo Fan, how could we not as well? I had worked fast in getting Zhuo Fan’s new status so the leaders of the western lands should not be as forceful in taking our Sect Leader. I hope that by acting like a Sect Leader before the Exalted, they would understand my intent and let this go. If they wanted to take him, there’s nothing I could do to stop them.”
“Ha-ha-ha, don’t worry High Venerable. Exalted Double Dragons care about their reputation and won’t be so forceful. How could they lead western lands otherwise?” Elder She consoled, “Now that Zhuo Fan is our Sect Leader, no matter how much they want him, they can’t do anything about it. High Venerable’s move was brilliant.”
Elder Yuan smiled, “Ha-ha-ha, you don’t have to praise me. I had no other choice. Or when Zhuo Fan took the men to attack Mystical Heaven Sect, I just had to use my name as High Venerable and it would’ve nulled the token he used to force them. It would’ve cut his uprising and his rise short. But in the end, Wuyue became a sacrifice to keep Zhuo Fan here. I had no choice but to make him step down.”
High Venerable shook his head, his eyes flashing.
Everything had been going according to High Venerable’s plan. It wasn’t circumstances that forced him to get Xie Wuyue to step down, it was what he chose.
[I wonder what will they would say if Xie Wuyue and Zhuo Fan knew this.]
[I ended up making use of these shrewd youngsters, all for the future of the sect…]
“Send a jade slip. The hare is out of the burrow. It’s time to strike!”
Xie Wuyue stood on a far mountain overlooking everything. Seeing Elder Yuan’s bent back as he returned to the sect, he sighed, “Master, since you forsook me, you only have yourself to blame.”
Venerable Shi mocked, “Sect Leader, a great man must be ruthless. Since you want to get back your seat, then stop playing the victim. It’s too fake. This was your idea after all. No one’s forcing you to fight your master.”
“Yes, no one forced me. It’s me who’s forcing myself.”
Xie Wuyue’s eyes shone and gnashed his teeth with resolve. “I need to get everything I had back and I’ll kill anyone that stands in my way…”
