"I know, you can just make it up to me some other time, okay? We both need some sleep after this long day."
Li Mei nodded her head as she cuddled into him some more, her hands wrapping around his body as her exhaustion finally took hold. Before long, she had fallen asleep on his chest, her breathing soft and even.
Huang Shi stared at his lover, his thoughts warm and fuzzy, and yet underneath that layer of warmth was a flicker of darkness that he struggled to control.
Fuck... she must be trying her best to be strong for me... I need to get rid of these people as quickly as possible for both her and Grandfather.
After thinking to himself for a while, he finally felt the first hints of drowsiness hit his psyche as his thoughts started to become muddled. Before long, he started to drift off into sleep.
As the both of them were asleep, in some other part of the sect—within the halls of his old home, in the abode of the Sect Master—his father Huang Dao and the leader of the Disciplinary Hall, Huang Mo, were currently having a discussion.
"What do you think of the current actions being done by the Iron Cloud Sect within our territory? Do you think we need to retaliate?"
Huang Mo had a cold expression on his face as his body flickered with dark lightning sparks before he eventually shook his head.
"No, it seems Young Master Huang Shi has survived their assassination attempt, and so we don't have to do anything."
Huang Dao paused, his expression shifting under the darkness as sparks of azure lightning appeared all over his body while he stared in the direction of Huang Shi's estate.
"That child has become stranger and stranger ever since he woke up from his coma. Not only that, but he and Li Mei have been awfully close lately—closer than usual…"
Huang Mo suddenly turned his head back toward Huang Dao, his expression now a bit strange as he spoke with a bit of hesitation despite his cold exterior.
"What do you mean by that, Sect Master? Are you thinking that they truly are engaging in some sort of illicit affair?"
Huang Dao suddenly had an awful expression on his face as he grit his teeth, his eyes shining with anger and jealousy as he spat on the ground.
"Nonsense! That woman has never even allowed me to lay a hand on her body ever since the day she agreed to be my concubine; there is no way she would have allowed a brat like him to touch her!"
Huang Mo looked at this Sect Master of his before silently shaking his head, thinking that this was none of his business as he then shifted the topic of the conversation.
"We have heard certain rumors about the Crimson Sand Sect that require your attention. It's about Ma Rui…"
Seeing that Huang Mo had tactfully not pursued the topic any longer and opted to change the talk to something else instead, Huang Dao secretly nodded his head in appreciation before speaking.
"I have heard. It seems that the assassins we have employed from outside of Reshi City to try and probe his true strength have all been killed… I think we have severely underestimated his true strength…"
Huang Mo thought for a few seconds before shaking his head, his expression remaining ruthless.
"Rumors are just rumors… what is real is that these pieces of trash from the Crimson Sand Sect are newcomers in our Reshi City… what gives them the right to think that they are on par with us when they have no solid foundation?"
Huang Dao tapped his finger on his thigh, thinking for a few seconds more before decisively making a decision.
"No! I have decided that the Azure Dragon Sect shall not pursue any open conflict with the Crimson Sand Sect in the foreseeable future and will even aim to cooperate with them in certain matters. We cannot risk any form of instability at this time while the Ancestor is recuperating from his injuries…"
Huang Mo had a look of struggle on his face, and yet he still eventually agreed with the decision as he nodded his head.
"Alright… as always, the Disciplinary Hall will trust in your judgment… you have not failed us yet, and I doubt you will fail us in the future, Sect Master!"
Huang Dao gave a smile of satisfaction before asking a different question.
"How goes the preparations for the sect competition?"
Huang Mo gave it a bit of thought for a few seconds before replying.
"It's going well. By the time the day of the competition arrives, we will be done with all of our preparations and can make sure that this will be the biggest and most eventful Azure Dragon Sect Martial Arts Competition in the past fifty years!"
Huang Dao nodded his head before looking towards Huang Mo and asking, "Does the Disciplinary Hall have any notable figures from the younger generation this year?"
Huang Mo gave a ruthless smile as he nodded his head.
"As a matter of fact, we do have one, Sect Master! He is called Huang Yufei, and he is our most promising disciple thus far. In fact, he has already reached the 7th level of the Nascent Profound Realm!"
Huang Dao nodded in satisfaction as he replied, "That's good. At least Long'er will have some competition among the younger generation of our Azure Dragon Sect… everyone else is just trash."
Huang Mo thought about it for a few seconds before speaking with a bit of hesitation.
"Sect Master, what if Yufei beats Young Master Huang Long? Will that be a problem?"
Huang Dao looked a bit surprised as he turned his head towards Huang Mo, before eventually shaking his head with a smile.
"If he loses, then that just means that he doesn't deserve his title as the number one of the Azure Dragon Sect's younger generation. So, you don't have to tell Yufei to hold back; after all, he is also a part of the sect!"