"Where's Renshu?" The door of the Lotus Hall closes.
This is the first thing that Prince Yin Wenyan asked the moment he entered the hall.
The princess immediately reveals herself behind the screen and greeted her brother.
"Well..." Princess Yin Xiulan doesn't know what to say.
Emperor Yin Renshu is still sleeping soundly behind the screen. She doubts that he'll be waking up soon after drinking too much liquor last night.
"Don't cover him up." His voice is still calm but his face is very serious.
"I know he acted recklessly again but with his current state, I'm afraid talking to him won't be very effective." Yin Xiulan slightly turns her head to the left side where two men wearing white robes are sitting at the round table. "And besides, we have more important things to tackle."
Yin Wenyan turns his head towards the direction as well. That's when he noticed the presence of his two teachers. By then, he immediately clasps his hands and bowed.
"Shizun! Wang-shifu! Please forgive my rudeness."
"There's no need for formalities." The kind smile on Zhao Yangguang's face revealed again. "Besides, it was us who did not announce our arrival."
These two don't need permission from the emperor to enter the imperial palace because they don't enter the palace gates in the first place. Also, the grand empress dowager might raise suspicions if she knows that these two are still seeing the royal triplets so it's better to sneak their way into the imperial palace. They're more like an intruder but no one is allowed to arrest them due to their connection with the emperor.
"Have you waited for so long? I'm so sorry, I couldn't greet you two in time." Yin Wenyan headed towards the round table and takes his seat.
"I told you to forget about formalities. You three are not our disciples anymore." Sect Leader Zhao said in a straight face. This statement made both Yin Wenyan and Yin Xiulan lower their heads.
"Hana, stop that. You're making them feel upset." Wang Junjie said indifferently to Zhao Yangguang. Yes, for some complicated reasons, he calls the sect leader Hana. He then continued, "And it's not like you to say something like that too."
Zhao Yangguang stamps his foot and throws a fit. "Ah-Jieee! Why do they have to grow up so fast?! It's not lively in Wan Moli Hua Palace anymore!" With a frowning face, he looks at the prince, "Wenyan, can't you three just shrink back to your seventeen-year-old bodies again? Come back to our sect with us!"
"Let it go. You know they can't and we can't keep them forever." Wang Junjie said as he pours tea on the cup and handed it over to the sect leader who is currently throwing a tantrum.
"About the case of Empress Xue Chi..." Wang Junjie turns his head to face Yin Wenyan. "We've got the Fenghuang Sect's side."
Yin Wenyan nods then looks at his sister that is still standing near the screen. "Wake Renshu up."
"But..." Yin Xiulan hesitated for a while. She looks at his brother laying down in bed then to her other brother who is sitting with their masters. "Fine, I'll wake him up."
There's an important matter to discuss and Yin Renshu should hear the news for himself.
Meanwhile, outside the Lotus Hall, Xu Zhengming and Liu Chen is waiting for their boss.
"You're alone today. Where are the emperor's personal maids?" Officer Liu Chen asks the silly eunuch.
Xu Zhengming made a long face and turns to face the official. He answered, "His majesty gave his personal servants the rest of the day for themselves except for me. How about you? The princess has personal servants too, right? How come it's only you who I always see together with her highness?"
Liu Chen responds casually, "Yes, the princess has her personal servants too but she doesn't want a lot of maids to follow her like a tail wherever she goes. Usually, the princess general just leaves her maids in her hall. That is why she only asks me to assist her."
Xu Zhengming looks at him from head to toe then back to the head again. No matter how he looks at him, he doesn't look like a regular servant. He doesn't wear the uniform for the eunuchs too. "Are you a soldier? You're under the Ministry of War and Defense, right?"
The officer nods. "Mn. I am appointed as one of the Lieutenant Generals by General Yin Xiulan herself."
"You're a Lieutenant General?!"
Xu Zhengming doesn't see this coming. Lieutenant General, just a step inferior to the general. So the princess likes to order such a high-ranking military official around like a lowly eunuch?
Lieutenant General Liu Chen smiles bashfully, "I understand, Eunuch Xu. I know I look so incompetent but I always try my best to defend the empire."
"No, no. I don't mean it like that. I---"
Xu Zhengming got interrupted by a loud crashing sound coming from the Lotus Hall. The Lieutenant General and the silly eunuch look at each other with confused facial expressions on their faces.
"General, is everything fine?" Lieutenant General Liu asked in a loud voice.
"It's nothing! Don't come in!" Yin Xiulan yells back.
Inside the Lotus Hall, the emperor with a hangover is currently laying down kissing the hard wooden floor.
"Oww..." Yin Renshu slowly rises up. His vision is a little unstable and it seems everything is spinning around him.
He glares at his sister. "What was that for?!"
"I tried to wake you up many times but you won't just move a muscle. Now, tell me, are you still going to drink too much liquor in the future?" She asked and she only receives a silent no by shaking his head. She then continues, "Listen, Shizun and Wang-shifu are here. Important matters will be discussed so you should get up."
"Ah, they're finally back." He said. "Let me fix myself for a short while."
"Fine. Hurry up." She said as she headed towards the round table.
"Is he fine?" Zhao Yangguang forced a smile.
Yin Xiulan takes her seat, opens her fan, and helped herself. She replies, "Don't worry about him, shizun. You know him, it's most probably the floor who got more damage than him."
"Mn. We better check the floor later." Yin Wenyan agrees casually.
Wang Junjie nods in silence as well.
"You just never care for me." Yin Renshu smirks while heading to the round table. He wears his usual black and gold-yellow robes but he didn't put his coronet on this time.
"We need to talk later." Yin Wenyan said coldly. He emphasizes every word of his next sentence, "Just the two of us."
"Mn. Sure." Yin Renshu sensed that he'll be undergoing a long seminar with his brother later. He turns his attention to their teachers and clasps his hand to offer his respects, "Shizun, Wang-shifu. Please don't mind what happened earlier."
"It's alright. It's alright." Xhao Yangguang waves his hand. "You see, we just got back from Fenghuang Sect. We were delayed for their sect leader went to a conference together with the other leaders of 10 big sects. Of course, we're not aware of it since we're not included. I don't even know if we could still call our Wan Molihua Palace as a cultivation sect." Sect leader Zhao sighs.
Yin Renshu immediately consoled him. "Don't feel bad about it, shizun. Wan MoliHua Palace was once the number one sect in the lower cultivation world. Maybe it's time for the second place to take over now."
Instead of cheering up a little, he sighs and became more dispirited. "A hundred years of history, glory, and honor ended in my hands."
Wang Junjie, "You know it's not your fault."
"Well... maybe. Whatever. Let bygones be bygones." He said. "Where are we? Ah, right. So FengHuang's sect leader just returned yesterday and that's when we have the chance to have a word with her."
It was already sundown when Ji Xiang, the sect leader of Fenghuang Sect, arrived at her home.
Tiredness can be traced in her delicate beauty.
"Sect Leader." Li Yu, the seventeen-year-old sect chief disciple, clasps his hands and bows in front of the sect leader to pay his respects. His long hair in a high ponytail and the sky blue sect uniform he wears give off a decent aura around him. "While you are away, the---"
"Li Yu..." Ji Xiang pats the crown of her disciple's head. "I'm tired. Can you give me the reports for the past few days tomorrow?"
"If you wish so, sect leader. But there's one more thing. Taoist Zha---"
Sect Leader Ji interrupted him halfway, "Aiyah. Can't it wait 'till tomorrow? I really want to go to bed now."
"Claire." A low voice sounded followed by several sounds of footsteps.
Two men in white robes approach their direction.
Ji Xiang's tired face lightens up. She cheerfully calls, "Hana!"
But her face immediately turns into ashen as she turns her head to look at her chief disciple. "Li Yu! Why didn't you tell me that my best friend is here?"
"But I was---" Li Yu was about to reason out but Ji Xiang won't allow him.
"Aiyah. You're talking back now? You go back to your quarters now. Go, go, go."
Li Yu obediently follows. Before he left, he clasps his hands to the three elders. "This disciple bids you a good night, Sect Leader, Taoist Zhao, Taoist Wang."
Wang Junjie silently nods while Zhao Yangguang smiles at the disciple.
"That kid." She sighs. "I'm so sorry, Hana. My chief disciple is sometimes neglectful but I have high hopes on him."
Zhao Yangguang crossed his arms on his chest and raised his eyebrows. "It's you who didn't listen to him. I saw it." Then he smiles weakly. "And that chief disciple of yours reminds me of my chief disciple back then. He's obedient and doesn't complain too. He's also responsible and gentle at heart."
Ji Xiang thinks for a while. "Ah, you mean the late emperor's son? Now that you mentioned it, I remember your sect only has three disciples left, which we later discovered that they're actually the long-lost royal siblings. Now that they're back in the imperial palace, you don't have a disciple now, right?"
"..."
Zhao Yangguang is being reminded of how quiet his sect has become after the three left to go where they truly belong. He somewhat feels sad again.
Meanwhile, Wang Junjie throws a meaningful look at Ji Xiang but she disregards him because for some reason Sect Leader Xi and Elder Wang don't have a very good relationship.
Instead of making up with Sect Leader Zhao, she speaks tactlessly again. "I can give you some except for Li Yu. Even though we're besties I can't just give him to you. He's my precious chief disciple after all."
"..." Zhao Yangguang is speechless.
She really knows him. She really knows how to get into his nerves. But then again, the great Zhao Yangguang has long patience. Though his patience isn't as long as Yin Wenyan's, it's still enough to hold back from hitting this insensitive woman.
"Fine, if you don't want my offer, then don't." Ji Xiang rolls her eyes. Then another thought pops up in his mind. "But I wonder... aren't they triplets? Why does the imperial palace announce that they're only two? How about the other one?"
"Actually, I am not certain as well. But I heard it's the grand empress dowager's order. I don't know her real intention but she wants one of his two grandsons to shine in glory and isolate the other one in shadows." Zhao Yangguang got distracted from the topic and his annoyance greatly lessened but it doesn't mean it's completely gone. He attacks her through words, "But I really think you should treat your disciples a little nicer."
"Psssh... fine. Whatever." Ji Xiang rolls her eyes.
Ji Xiang decided to let the matter go and cheerfully runs to Zhao Yangguang in a hopping manner. She beams a smile and clutches the arm of the fellow sect leader. "So? What brings you two here?"
Wang Junjie clears his throat as he put his arm around Zhao Yangguang's waist then pulls him closer to him and slightly further from Ji Xiang.
The lady sect leader frowns but finds her way to get closer to sect leader Zhao again.
Wang Junjie answers her question with a blank expression, "It's about your disciples blocking the empress' way."
Her left eyebrow slightly raised. She looks at Zhao Yangguang for confirmation and she got a nod from him as a response. The next thing that happened is that pure surprise is written all over her face.
"My disciples blocked the empress?!"
"..." Zhao Yangguang got dumbfounded for a while. He asks, "You didn't know?"
From a confused face, her expression became fierce.
After she recovers from the shock, her loud voice echoes in the entire Fenghuang Sect. "LI YUUUUU!!!"
"So she didn't order her disciples to do so?" Yin Renshu asks in the middle of Zhao Yangguang's narration.
"Yes." Zhao Yangguang nods. "But her disciples got a good reason to do so."
In the Fenghuang sect, there's a pavilion where the disciples and sect elders gather to tackle four of the Six Arts which are rites, music, literacy, and numeracy. This place is called Integrity Pavilion. The said pavilion is also used for gatherings from lively celebrations, serious conferences, to public humiliation.
That very night, Ji Xiao summoned her chief disciple, Li Yu, and one of the sect elders, Ming Dingxiang in the Integrity Pavilion. In fact, she was planning to call all the sect disciples and elders out of rage but Zhao Yangguang tried his very best to convince her not to.
Of course, she has the reason to get mad. She's the head of their sect but she's not informed by this bold action made by the disciples of her sect. They actually dared to offend the empress! Moreover, the elders didn't manage to discipline the disciples while she was not around. She didn't even receive a single letter from any of the thirteen sect elders.
"Sect Leader Xi." Elder Ming pays his respects to the sect leader.
The two cultivators in white caught his attention. For some reason, his face somehow reveals a complicated expression. At first, he looks indifferent but the longer one stares at his facial expression, pain can actually be traced from it.
There are really some bygones that cannot be buried and forgotten.
"Sect Leader Zhao. Taoist Wang." He clasps his hands towards them.
The two cultivators in white also returned the salutation.
"Sect Leader, you called for me?" Li Yu looks at his superior with a pair of innocent eyes.
Ji Xiang, "Yes. I want you two to explain why the Fenghuang Sect dared to offend the empress. Why am I not informed of this?"
"That... Sect Leader...." Li Yu forced a smile. "I thought the sect leader wants to discuss it tomorrow."
Ji Xiang stamps her foot and her face reveals how angry she's become. "But you didn't tell me that it has something to do with the imperial palace!"
She massages her forehead and demands an explanation from the two. "Ming Dingxiang, Li Yu, explain it to me."
It was Ming Dingxiang who first explains what really happened. "Sect Leader Xi, the truth is the elders are not aware of this at first as well. We only learned this after Li Yu makes his daily report."
"That is true, Sect Leader. We are guilty of acting in our own accord without our superiors' permission." Li Yu also defended. "However, we didn't know it was the empress in the first place because she rarely appears in public. The reason why your disciples blocked her is that they found out something strange about her highness."
"What do you mean by that?" Ji Xiang asks.
Li Yu pulls the string of his necklace that he hides under his robes. The necklace has a droplet-shaped aquamarine stone pendant. Every disciple of the Fenghuang Sect has one.
The Moondrop Pendant strongly reacts to Yin energy. If it can sense abundant dark energy nearby, it glows and gradually turns into the color of blood.
"My fellow disciples' Moondrop Pendants reacted on her. There's too much Yin energy surrounding her highness. Sect Leader's disciples suspected that she practices a dark method of cultivation. They also retrieved a piece of evidence, a talisman."
"A talisman." Ji Xiang snorted. "We all use talismans here but we're not practicing dark cultivation. I also can't remember a rule that forbids civilians to use a couple or two."
"Sect Leader Ji, I saw the talisman with my own eyes. It has strange writings on it that neither of our sect elders could recognize. I haven't seen anything like that either." Ming Dingxiang said in a low voice. "Also, It's written in blood."
Li Yu bows in front of the sect head. He humbly defended his junior brothers and sisters that were involved in the incident. "Sect Leader, I believe my juniors are only following the teachings of our sect. They complied to one of the duties of a Fenghuang sect disciple: to suppress dark arts."
"Dark arts?"
Yin Wenyan's gentle expression dissipated and pure shock dominated his being. It's the same as Yin Renshu and Yin Xiulan.
The three don't trust her but they never saw this one coming. They never expected that the graceful and elegant Empress Xue Chi practices a dark way of cultivating.
"So the empress practices dark arts?!"
"Well, it's not that the Liaodong Xue Sect is a righteous sect." Zhao Yangguang said.