Chương 362: Chapter 308: Age Has Made You

~~~"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!" Xiao Yifan's Qi rages around her, filling the entirety of her room and putting the many protective talismans on the walls under great strain. It is a testament to their quality that they have yet to break. Even a cultivator in the Heaven Realm would have a hard time bearing Xiao Yifan's presence right now. Ruan Chenshu remains unmoved.

"There is no point to this," Ruan Chenshu says, crossing his arms. Though his green robes are voluminous, it is easy to tell his limbs are long and his elbows are bony.

"We already had this conversation. The Wandering Wind represents too much of a threat for you to be near her. Besides, you already appointed a replacement to handle your duties."

"That was before I found out nearly every major Branch Master is coming to witness the tournament!" Xiao Yifan howls. The force of her Qi breaks several items in her room. Xiao Yifan always knew some of the Xiao Sect's Branch Masters would come to the tournament. However, she had expected only those most loyal to her would attend. That is why leaving things to that fool Li Boqin had been acceptable. However, that is no longer the case.

Her abominable nephew somehow convinced nearly every important Branch Master of the Xiao Sect to come. What would they think if they are greeted by Li Boqin? Even replacing Li Boqin with an Elder would be insufficient. She needs to be there personally, but how can she do that if she's meant to stay inside the Xiao Sect's estate?

"Your failure to deal with the affairs of your Sect is not my problem," replies Ruan Chenshu.

"You have tried to deal with that child for years, and this is the result. Do not expect me to accommodate my behavior to your failures." Xiao Yifan's nails dig into her palms. Blood trickles between her fists and falls to the floor. However, Ruan Chenshu is not the sole target of her ire. As much as she does not want to admit it, it is exactly as he says. This is all because she failed to deal with Xiao Fang! The memory of the banquet is still fresh in her mind.

The Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire and two of the Four Great Sects blatantly sided with him over her while the Endlessly Raging Valley remained silent. A child of less than two decades has somehow gained more political support than her. She cannot allow this to continue.

"You will not accommodate your behavior to my failures. Fine. What about your paranoia?" Xiao Yifan counters.

"You live in fear of what the Wandering Wind might do, but it is all merely supposition on your part! Meanwhile, there is nothing hypothetical about what will happen to my reputation if my Branch Masters come and see me hiding from a child." Ruan Chenshu sighs. His head comes down a little as he shakes it before his eyes look up.

"As always, you do not believe. That is your problem. You do not believe, and so, you underestimate," Ruan Chenshu says.

"Every day, I risk myself by interacting with the Wandering Wind, but that cannot be avoided. However, I can prevent you from being exposed to her, so I will. Besides, why should it matter if you're in the stadium? Do you think that will make your Branch Masters think better when they see the proof of your inadequacy on the stage?" Xiao Yifan reels back as if struck. She knows full well what Ruan Chenshu is talking about.

Out of the entire delegation, the only member of the Xiao Sect who made it to the final stage is Ruan Dafeng, the former member of the Endlessly Raging Valley. Not a single one of the disciples the Xiao Sect raised managed to cross that final threshold. By itself, that's not surprising. Only sixty-four people can participate in the last stage, and forty of them belong to the Four Great Sects. In other words, every other Sect in the Empire is fighting for those last twenty-four spots.

There is no shame in failing to grab them. However, Xiao Fang has etched his name among those chosen few. Had Ruan Dafeng not been added to their delegation at the last moment, this would already be a complete defeat for her Xiao Sect. As it is, they will manage to snatch a pyrrhic victory when Ruan Dafeng makes it further than Xiao Fang, but there is no hiding his origins. Everyone will know that the one fighting for the Xiao Sect is a disciple in name only.

How much worse will it be if Xiao Yifan hides while this all takes place?

"I will not be seen hiding from a child!" Xiao Yifan hisses, her Qi bristling angrily. It does not matter how ludicrous the notion is. If she does not attend, that is exactly how people would see it. Xiao Yifan hiding from her nephew.

"Enough." More than his words, it is Ruan Chenshu's Qi that silences her. It bears down on like a large hand pressing the top of her head. Xiao Yifan grits, barely managing to fight the force. It is a stark reminder of the difference between the two. Though they are both Emperors, their power is by no means equal.

"As always, you try my patience," Ruan Chenshu says. Contrary to the force of his Qi, his voice sounds perfectly bored.

"You do not believe. However, I believe strongly enough for the both of us. You cannot expose yourself to the Wandering Wind. You have no choice here."

"I will not live in fear!"

"Yes. You. Will." Ruan Chenshu's words hammer into her, making her knees falter, yet pure stubbornness keeps her on her feet.

"I will make the appropriate arrangements to mitigate your failure in the tournament, but that is all. We will not meet until after the tournament is over. I have other matters to attend to." Like so many times before, Ruan Chenshu vanishes from her room by stepping into the painting on her wall, yet this time, Xiao Yifan is left with a pensive look. As much as she wants to rage and break things, there is something else that takes precedence.

Ruan Chenshu is completely certain she cannot be allowed to meet the Wandering Wind. At first, she thought he was being overly cautious, yet that he is willing to risk her losing authority in the eyes of her Sect after all he has done to put her at the top of it says much. He is not worried that the Wandering Wind might focus on her out of some sort of whim. He knows that she will if given the chance. And that… that is leverage.

~~~ It is a sign of how dire things have become that speaking to Xiao Yifan is somehow a highlight of Ruan Chenshu's day. Though often annoying, dealing with one's inferiors is always preferable to dealing with one's superiors. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Especially when the one superior to him is the Wandering Wind. Ruan Chenshu walks into the study she has claimed as her own.

It did not matter that they had prepared the best room in the entire estate for her. No, she chose this place and would not consider any other options. That is how things often go with the Wandering Wind. Ruan Chenshu dearly wishes he could delegate dealing with her to someone else, but that would not be wise. Ruan Chenshu believes in the Wandering Wind. Thus, he knows putting someone incompetent in front of her would bode poorly. His poor cousin, Ruan Goutin, learned that lesson the hard way.

"Greetings," he says. It is a useless gesture. He knows she sensed his presence even before he entered the room. Nevertheless, it must be made.

"Is there anything you require?" Just like every other time Ruan Chenshu has asked that question, the Wandering Wind does not answer right away. She merely lies on the couch, reviewing the reports from the tournament. The floor is littered with discarded pages that occasionally float to her hands, only to be tossed aside once more.

"I have no need of anything," the Wandering Wind says after nearly a minute of silence. She does not even look at him.

"You can leave." It is very tempting to bow his head and obey. Alas, he does not have the luxury of merely doing what is convenient to him. Not at this juncture. Not when dealing with this particular person.

"Your disciple has yet to return," he says. It feels so unnatural to do so. When Ruan Chenshu first heard about it, he'd been in shock. For several decades, over a century in some cases, the most powerful clans of the Endlessly Raging Valley, as well as their strongest and most influential allies, had paraded no end of prodigies in front of the Wandering Wind in both subtle and overt ways. However, the Wandering Wind never put any of them in her eyes. That is how she always is.

From the very beginning, the Wandering Wind had upended the balance of power in the Endlessly Raging Valley. Her growth surpassed every expectation, and the plots to thwart her only served to boost her reputation and disgrace her rivals. Many people foolishly started supporting her, thinking seeking her favor was wise. They did not see. They did not understand. The Wandering Wind does not care. Their alliances. Their enmities. Their history. The Wandering Wind does not care about any of it.

She brought her enemies low and left the rest to pick up the pieces. What remains of the Endlessly Raging Valley is a collection of Clans warring for second best. That is why the Wandering Wind taking a disciple is so significant. However, the one she has chosen is a girl from no relevant family and a worryingly unclear background. That is who the Wandering Wind has, perhaps without even thinking about, made her heir in the eyes of many.

Now, that girl is with the Eternal Flame Clan and the Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire. Worse still, the Wandering Wind knew that would happen. Before the beginning of the second stage, the Wandering Wind told him that he was to allow her disciple to leave with the Emperor if she chose to. It was a ridiculous order, yet one he had no choice but to obey.

"That matter is not for you to concern with," the Wandering Wind says after another long stretch of silence. It is the answer he expected, and it would be foolish for him to push further. He understands when he is being dismissed. Thus, Ruan Chenshu does what is wisest.

"As you wish," he says, bowing his head. He leaves the room and keeps walking until several walls separate him from the Wandering Wind. Only then does he allow a frown to appear on his face. The time between the appearance of the Wandering Wind's disciple and the Wandering Wind's trip to the Storm Dragon Empire is not lost on him. The presence of the agent of the Peerless Heavenly Sword Peak there is also a matter of great significance.

Though the exact relationship between all three subjects escapes him, the Storm Dragon Empire seems to be at the center of it. Emperor Qing Jin seems to be the center of it. That is exactly why he cannot allow Xiao Yifan to be exposed to the Wandering Wind. Xiao Yifan will stabilize soon enough, and when she does, he will have certainty. He has worked too hard for things to end here. ~~~"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say, Boss." Liu Jin smiles.

It is comforting to know that Su An's blunt honesty still lives within Su Daji. The purple-haired girl crosses her arms and glares sullenly at him from her bed.

"I am serious!" she hisses. Her furred ears bristle on top of her head. It is very cute.

"This is no laughing matter. Why did you even tell me this?!"

"I had to tell someone," Liu Jin says, shrugging his shoulders. He looks out the window. The sky is dark, yet the moon is tinted red due to the presence of the Crimson Cloud.

"I have been thinking of this ever since… Well, it has been a long time. I know what I have to do. I just haven't told anyone what it all implies."

"And you chose me?" Su Daji asks. Her eyebrow twitches.

"Why?"

"A test. Partially," Liu Jin admits.

"You can choose to tell the Wandering Wind or the Endlessly Raging Valley." Not that it matters if she does.

"I can tell Lu Mei," she counters.

"I can tell Xiao Shuang."

"That would be somewhat inconvenient," Liu Jin admits with a small nod, "but they will find out eventually. More importantly, I told you because you have almost always been honest with me."

"It's stupid. Don't do it. Stop."

"I wish I could."

"You could. You just don't want to, Boss," Su Daji points out, glowering at him.

"Age has made you stubborn and arrogant."

"I was always stubborn."

"You did not even bother denying you're being arrogant!" Su Daji jabs her finger in his direction.

"I thought this whole tournament was about getting me back from the Wandering Wind!"

"That was always part of it. However," Liu Jin gestures in her direction, "You're as safe as you can be right now. The Wandering Wind could come and take you away from me again if she wished to, but there is little I can do about that. All that is left for me to do is to fulfill my part of the agreement. Impress her."

"It won't be just her who is impressed." Liu Jin sighs.

"I realized this back in the Storm Dragon Empire," he says, leaning forward with his hands clasped together.

"There is too much I didn't know. Too much I need to understand. The Wandering Wind is someone who can help shed some light into the unknowns, but she's too unreliable." Su Daji frowns but does not deny it. As much as she does not like his idea, she knows that relying on someone like the Wandering Wind is a dangerous prospect. Paradoxically, it is because the Wandering Wind is how she is that she is more inclined towards sharing sensitive secrets than most.

"I need to force things. I will never get another opportunity like this," Liu Jin says.

"The Crimson Cloud Tournament is a special occasion that focuses the eyes of the most powerful people on this side of the Dead Plains on a single stage. By the time the next one arrives, I will have aged out of the participation range. Besides… No, it doesn't matter. It has to be now."

"I need to force things," Su Daji mocks him by imitating his tone and scoffing.

"If you continue, you'll just force your head out of your body."

"At the very least, I expect someone will try that." Su Daji throws a pillow at his face. ~~~ And so it comes to pass that amidst the several plots, threats, and hidden deals, the tournament bracket for the third stage is finally released. Countless eyes all over the city devour its contents in an instant. ~~~"Finally!" ~~~ Some are joyous. ~~~"No! No! No! Why?" ~~~ Others are not. ~~~"Interesting." ~~~ Some are modifying their plans. ~~~ However, none is happier than the heir of the Xiao Sect.

He looks at the bracket for a full second before crumbling the piece of paper and tossing it aside. There is a wide smile on his face, which soon explodes into roaring laughter. As the sound echoes down the streets, the paper rolls around the floor before hitting a wall and unfurling a little. The object of Xiao Fang's joy becomes visible. Xiao Fang vs Ruan Dafeng ~~~