Ten breaths passed. Hua Qingsi and Bian Yuqing waited in silence.
Half a cup of tea later, the two women were still waiting.
It wasn't until a full incense stick had burned down—just as Bian Yuqing was growing impatient—that a figure suddenly came hurtling toward them. As the figure drew close enough to reveal its features, who else could it be but Yao Si?
Seeing that he had truly returned, Bian Yuqing finally let go of the tension she had been holding and looked at Hua Qingsi with an expression of admiration.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Yao Si rode the wind on nothing but void, struggling to suppress the frustration and fury churning within him. He kept his tone as flat as he could manage: "I accept the position of Commander. Tell him—I will report to Lingxiao Palace within three days to assume my post."
"With Commander Yao at the helm, the Ji-Zi Army is sure to soar like a dragon and strike like the wind, unstoppable in all its campaigns." Hua Qingsi smiled radiantly and offered a graceful bow.
"Hmph!" Yao Si, his belly full of suppressed rage, turned and flew away once more. This time, he truly departed.
Only after watching him vanish from sight did Hua Qingsi finally raise a hand to pat her heaving chest and let out a long breath. During that incense stick's worth of waiting, she had been certain she'd bungled the assignment. Fortunately, Yao Si hadn't actually gone back on his word.
"Sister Hua, were you confident he'd come back?" Bian Yuqing asked.
Hua Qingsi's smile was somewhat strained. "Not entirely. But I figured—even if he doesn't care about his own reputation, the Netherworld Palace and the Netherworld Great Emperor certainly do. He at least has to consider the Sect and the Great Emperor standing behind him."
Although she'd had little direct contact with Yao Si, his behavior just now spoke volumes. He wasn't some rigid traditionalist or dogmatic fool. He was likely the kind of man who would stop at nothing to achieve victory, so long as he didn't cross the bottom line of morality. For someone like that, going back on a promise wouldn't be entirely surprising. But as Hua Qingsi had said, even if he disregarded his own reputation, he couldn't disregard the Great Emperor or the Netherworld Palace. Yao Si had no choice but to return.
The Ji-Zi Army hadn't even been officially established yet, and already they'd secured a Commander of distinguished origins and formidable strength. Even if Yao Si proved incapable of marshaling a large force, his presence alone added considerable weight to the army.
This was good news.
"Three days..." Hua Qingsi turned her head to gaze at Lingxiao Palace, as if she could pierce through the layers upon layers of protective formations to see what was happening within Lingxiao Peak. A flush crept across her cheeks, and she rubbed her temples with a headache. "I wonder if that's enough time..."
"Enough time for what?" Bian Yuqing didn't understand.
Hua Qingsi's face reddened further. She lowered her voice: "Second Steward, have you never heard the saying—'a short separation makes a sweet reunion'? The Palace Master has been away for years, and he just returned..."
Now Bian Yuqing understood. She too glanced toward Lingxiao Palace and let out a soft, muffled giggle behind her hand.
Putting that topic aside, Hua Qingsi's expression turned serious. "Regardless, we're going to be busy. The Ji-Zi Army is being formed, and the Palace Master is taking the position of Corps Commander. Our Lingxiao Palace must give him our fullest support. Twenty thousand disciples will join to get the framework in place first. As for the rest of the personnel, there's no rush to recruit them all immediately. Here's what we'll do—Second Steward, please make a trip to the Southern Territory Branch Sect and compile a registry of all disciples at the Void King Realm and above. I'll handle things here at the main Sect. Everything has to be sorted out within three days."
"Understood." Bian Yuqing agreed at once. The two women had collaborated for years and shared an unspoken understanding. With the tasks divided between them, each set about her work.
The Great Emperor's decree had sealed Lingxiao Palace's mountain—not just the main Sect in the Northern Territory, but the Branch Sect in the Southern Territory as well. Now, with the Great Emperor's generous reward added on top, the Southern Territory side hadn't yet heard the news. When Bian Yuqing arrived and spread the word, the entire Southern Territory Branch Sect erupted in another round of heated celebration.
Upon learning that the Ji-Zi Army was being established with Yang Kai as Corps Commander, every disciple at the Void King Realm and above rushed to sign up for enlistment.
The disciples of Lingxiao Palace—ninety-nine percent of them—had been brought up from lower-level star fields by Yang Kai. A large portion were originally from the Lingxiao Sect of the Dark Star, and many more had been selected from various cultivation worlds across the Heluo Star Field for their exceptional talent.
These people had been living in the Star Boundary for quite some time now. Each one had grown significantly in strength. The warriors at the Void King Realm and above numbered at least thirty to forty thousand. The Dao Source Realm had also seen a recent surge in numbers. The Emperor Realm was still somewhat sparse, but propping up the initial framework wouldn't pose much of a problem. Once the structure was in place, expanding the army gradually could come later.
The main Sect and the branch were both buzzing with activity.
Inside Lingxiao Peak, the atmosphere was just as fervent.
A heady fragrance permeated the chamber. Discarded clothing lay scattered across the floor. On the large bed, several lithe, luminous bodies intertwined, and the sounds of soft moans and rhythmic impact echoed without cease.
The Little Senior Sister's veil had been torn away, revealing the peerless beauty rarely seen by ordinary eyes. Su Yan's hair fanned wildly about her. Shan Qingluo glistened with fragrant perspiration. Xue Yue had long since dissolved into a formless puddle, draped over the edge of the bed, gasping for breath in great heaves as her body shuddered with uncontrollable tremors.
On the battlefield, only Zhu Qing still held on by the thinnest of threads. The mingling of bodies brought forth an unending chorus of dragon calls.
Unlike the other four women, this was Zhu Qing's first time experiencing such a thing. Originally, she had been unwilling—she simply couldn't bring herself to do it, hemming and hawing for quite some time—until Shan Qingluo had shredded her clothes, and Yang Kai had pressed himself against her. In that instant, every trace of resistance crumbled.
The very first time she had met Yang Kai, his dragon nature had already eroded her willpower, causing her to lose control of her senses and letting him take full advantage. In an environment like this, how could she possibly put up any resistance?
In the end, she could only submit to Yang Kai's desires.
She had been the first to enter the fray, yet she was still holding on to this moment. After all, as a member of the Dragon Clan, her physical constitution was far beyond what Su Yan and the others could match.
Sprawled in every direction around her, Shan Qingluo's eyes smoldered with a languid, cat-like allure. She bit her lip gently and whispered into Su Yan's ear: "Hateful—how does this woman have so much stamina?"
Su Yan didn't even have the strength to move a single finger, let alone respond. She simply shook her head ever so slowly.