CHAPTER 201
The Duties of a Sect Leader
============================================================
Separated from Su Cheng only by a lawn and a corridor, the two women stood silently in another small garden at the back courtyard, their unspoken understanding clear.
"Just swordsmanship?" Shangguan Rou asked tentatively.
"Consider it a light drink. Qinghan still needs to return for dinner later. You wouldn't want to tear down someone's house, would you?"
"I have no objections. Let's begin."
The moment the words left her mouth, the Frostblade Sword and Windsong Blade materialized simultaneously, clashing together in an instant!
They weren't using divine powers—merely restricting skill releases, not eliminating them entirely.
Beneath their feet, the grass swayed rhythmically like ocean waves, buffeted by the surging true qi radiating from both combatants.
The clash of the two metallic weapons produced no metallic clang. Instead, it sounded like ice hitting red-hot iron—a sizzling hiss.
In truth, the divine blades never touched—only their clashing qi collided!
Meanwhile, Su Cheng had thoroughly enjoyed playing with the two children, as if rediscovering his former vigor. That invincible loneliness—who could understand it?
Su Muchan and Dongfang Jue felt the same. When it came to swordsmanship alone, Su Cheng's skill placed him among the elite of the elite.
Such opportunities were rare indeed.
"Yu Lan, it's time for breakfast…"
Before the words could finish, commotion erupted from another courtyard nearby!
Being the kind of people who loved a good spectacle, they hurried over to watch.
There they were, Ye Qinghan and Shangguan Rou locked in a fierce battle, neither gaining the upper hand for quite some time.
Spotting Su Cheng approaching to investigate, both fighters paused their struggle and bowed in unison.
"It's fine. If Qinghan isn't hungry, feel free to keep playing. I'm just here to watch, nothing else."
Ye Qinghan chuckled softly. Her master truly understood her!
Nodding, she exchanged a glance with Su Muchan, and the two resumed their battle!
Yu Lan noticed her husband's keen interest, but she thought he should still eat breakfast!
"Master, shall I bring breakfast over to the small pavilion nearby?"
Su Cheng nodded and took a seat in the pavilion first, watching the two First Disciples' match.
Before long, the wine and dishes were all prepared. Looking at the spread before them, calling it breakfast felt downright extravagant. What surprised Su Cheng even more was the presence of a small pot of wine.
"What's this?" Su Cheng, who didn't have the habit of drinking early in the morning, was a bit taken aback.
Yu Lan smiled faintly, sitting down opposite Su Cheng. It was just a meal; she didn't mind giving up the seat closest to him.
"Consider it a reward for the Sect Leader's hard work last night? What do you say? Besides, Yu Lan sees the Sect Leader seems in high spirits. Perhaps you'd like to enjoy a few cups?"
Hearing this, Dongfang Jue and Su Muchan both froze, staring at Yu Lan in utter disbelief!
Last night's hard work?
This, this, this, this, this, this!
This Elder Yu Lan was truly extraordinary!
Yu Lan casually set up a barrier and poured himself a cup first, just to show his attitude~
The cup sat on the table. Though the barrier contained the surging true energy, the wine within still rippled from the clash between the two figures nearby.
Dongfang Jue paid it little mind, eating while watching.
Yu Lan, however, paid no attention at all, merely eating while observing Su Cheng.
As for Su Muchan, she wasn't hungry at all. Her mind was entirely focused on Ye Qinghan. It had to be said, Ye Qinghan and Shangguan Rou were truly formidable!
One was the direct disciple of the Heavenly Dao Pavilion, the other the direct disciple of the Lingxian Hall. Both were foremost disciples, their power unfathomably deep!
Su Cheng watched with utter satisfaction, inwardly marveling, "No wonder he's my precious Qinghan." At the same time, he thought, "This guy was holding back while playing with me earlier!"
Hahaha, he's even learned how to fool his master~
Just as he lifted his chopsticks to take a bite, Xu Zhanfeng appeared, striding down the corridor toward them.
Xu Zhanfeng approached the table, surveyed the surroundings, paused briefly, then replied with a clever answer.
"Zhanfeng is late."
"Hehe, how did the matters I entrusted you with turn out?" Su Cheng understood perfectly well. Xu Zhanfeng was hesitating, unsure if he could speak freely with so many people present.
"All has been thoroughly investigated."
"No rush. Sit down and eat first. We'll talk later."
Dongfang Jue paid it no mind, but Su Muchan, hearing the thought, froze in surprise. Master Su intended to reclaim the Northern Domain for Ye Qinghan?
Previously, she'd assumed it was merely a reward for a disciple and hadn't given it much thought. But now she realized—if the Twelve Sacred Realms were to be bloodily subdued, wouldn't the Northern Realm be left without a ruler?
Xu Zhanfeng felt both flattered and overwhelmed. This was Master Su's table—was he really welcome?
He stood frozen, unsure whether to decline or comply.
"It's no trouble. Steward Xu is family. No need for formalities."
Xu Zhanfeng felt incredibly fortunate. Family!
With Su Cheng speaking so, he could hardly refuse any longer. He listened as Yu Lan introduced several immortal maidens.
"This is the Sect Leader's third direct disciple, Dongfang Jue, though she has yet to formally complete her initiation rites."
Hearing this, Dongfang Jue promptly rose and bowed with clasped fists. "Senior Steward, Jue pays his respects."
"Zhanfeng greets Third Grandmother." Xu Zhanfeng bowed respectfully. With the Sect Master present, he couldn't make any grand gestures—like pulling off a drift or anything.
"This is Su Muchan, the Demon Clan's Witch."
Su Muchan also rose and promptly bowed.
"No need for formalities, Miss Muchan," Xu Zhanfeng returned the courtesy.
To be honest, this whole ceremony felt overly formal and rigid.
Truth be told, Su Cheng didn't quite grasp it. He rarely performed formal courtesies himself; a nod upon meeting was already giving face.
Back then, even if he hadn't bowed, they wouldn't have bothered acknowledging him anyway.
Before long, Ye Qinghan grew tired of playing and came over to find something to eat.
Xu Zhanfeng promptly moved aside. Everyone present understood the unspoken rules, clearing a spot for Ye Qinghan near their master.
Su Cheng turned a blind eye to this. He didn't consider it a bad custom; after all, proper etiquette should be observed. As the master's First Disciple, Ye Qinghan deserved such treatment.
She didn't see it as Ye Qinghan having a bad temper or anything like that. When Ye Qinghan became his disciple, she came to enjoy the benefits—otherwise, why become a disciple at all?
As long as Ye Qinghan held him in high regard as her master, that was enough.
He held the same expectations for all three disciples. He didn't expect them to share like Kong Rong yielding his pear, nor did he expect them to dedicate themselves to healing the world. He only hoped they could pursue their own paths and attain what they desired.
After the meal, Su Cheng returned to his quarters and listened to Xu Zhanfeng's report. He had to admit, Xu Zhanfeng was exceptionally efficient!
According to Xu Zhanfeng, while the Northern Domain was called the Twelve Sacred Realms, in reality, the Twelve Sacred Realms merely managed the Northern Domain on behalf of the figure pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Eleven of the Twelve Sacred Domains had now fallen, yet judging by the current situation, this was insufficient to cause any significant damage.
This aligned with Su Cheng's own assessment. If the world truly faced upheaval, the Northern Domain wouldn't remain in its current state.
"Steward Xu, you've done well these past days. I have a signet ring here for you. Take it. Its true purpose, you will understand in time."
"Besides the signet ring, I also have a set of sword techniques. I wonder if you might be interested in seeing them?"
Unlike the sword manuals, which were engraved on jade slips, this sword technique was recorded with pen and paper, compiled into a bound volume.
To Xu Zhanfeng's ears, this sounded like being sent on a suicide mission.
Log in to permanently save your bookshelf data across devices. We recommend logging in for use.
============================================================