"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 assessnt, her lips curled into a smug expression, pride swelling in her chest for her senior brother's accomplishnts.
"Why are you so smug? I'm not complinting you," the Empress thought irritably, though she didn't bother voicing this sentint aloud.
After a mont of contemplation, the Empress spoke again, her tone shifting to sothing more serious. [You should probably promote your senior brother.]
Li Yao's eyes widened at the sudden serious statent. "What do you an?" 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 recomnd 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 recomnd 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 tis over. If anything, the rank is too modest.]
The Empress's deanor 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."
Everyone froze montarily 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 ant this. Many disciples seed to be having low morale after recent events—even so 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 imdiately apparent on the surface.
"The Sect Master is right," Elder Huang affird. "The Grand Elder position doesn't co 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' advancent.
"I guess I have no choice," he said with resignation, shoulders slumping slightly in acceptance.
"You an..." Li Yao leaned forward, hope brightening her features.
"Yeah, I'll beco the Grand Elder," he confird, though his tone still sounded reluctant.
Li Yao's face transford instantly, lighting up with undisguised joy. Without warning, she launched herself forward and threw her arms around him, her slender fra colliding with his chest.
"Thank you, senior brother!" she exclaid, her voice muffled against his robes.
Xiang Yu blinked in confusion. "For what?"
She tilted her face up to et his gaze, eyes shining with emotion. "You don't like stuff like this, right? You must have done it for , right?"
Xiang Yu's expression twisted into bewildernt. 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 anded, swallowing his guilt. "How could I let my junior sister suffer?"
"Senior brother loves 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 mont, 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 eting 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 garnts 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 exclaid 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 sohow 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 disappointnt.
The Empress rely shook her head before retreating once more.
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