Chapter 138: Palace Mistress Jiu Lan Threatens Wang Li
The third day of the banquet dawned, marking the conclusion of the grand celebration.
The festivities continued with the same vigor, the air buzzing with laughter and chatter as guests savored their final moments of revelry.
Wang Li engaged in a whirlwind of diplomatic interactions.
Elders from the Jade Lotus Palace, Azure Peak Sect, and even the distant Emerald Sea Palace found themselves drawn into his orbit.
He managed to forge a cordial relationship with Sect Leader Deng of the Azure Peak Sect, his booming laughter echoing through the hall.
Palace Mistress Gao Ming of the Emerald Sea Palace, known for her stoic demeanor, was charmed by his witty anecdotes.
Meanwhile, within a secluded chamber, a different storm was brewing. Palace Mistress Jiu Lan, her usually serene face contorted in fury, was heading towards the chamber of her dear disciple Liu Xue.
“Xue’er!” Jiu Lan roared, her voice resonating with pent-up anger. Liu Xue whirled around, her tranquil expression shattering into a mask of shock and terror.
“Master?” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
Jiu Lan’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t play innocent with me,” she spat, her voice laced with disdain. “I saw you yesterday, Xue’er. Your little exchange with that… Patriarch Wang.”
Liu Xue’s face drained of color. How could Master know? Shame gnawed at her, but confusion clouded her mind. “Master,” she stammered, “I don’t…”
“Don’t deny it!” Jiu Lan cut her off, her voice rising with each word. “And last night? Those… those moans emanating from your room? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into?”
“You spent the night with a married man within the Xia Family Manor, no less!” Jiu Lan boomed, her voice echoing through the chamber. “Do you understand the potential ramifications? Matriarch Xia Bingling would have your head if she discovered such a transgression! Wang Li is about to be wed to her daughter, Qingwu!”
Liu Xue flinched, the weight of her transgression crashing down on her.
Seeing her disciple’s panicked expression, a flicker of sympathy softened Jiu Lan’s features. “You shouldn’t have, Xue’er,” she said, her voice softening. “That man… he’s… trouble.”
Liu Xue hung her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t want to break things off with Wang Li, but defying Master was unthinkable. “I… I’m sorry, Master,” she mumbled, her voice thick with regret.
Jiu Lan sighed, a wave of frustration washing over her. “This isn’t your fault, Xue’er,” she reassured, placing a comforting hand on her disciple’s shoulder. “That man, Wang Li… he seduced one of our core disciples, Xia Qingwu, and now you. He’s a depraved womanizer with no regard for loyalty or honor.”
Liu Xue’s lips trembled at the mention of Xia Qingwu. A pang of jealousy, a feeling she had vehemently denied to herself, surfaced momentarily. But it was quickly overshadowed by Master’s words.
“You need to break ties with him, Xue’er,” Jiu Lan declared, her voice firm with resolve. “For your sake, for the Jade Lotus Palace’s sake. That man is nothing but bad news.”
Liu Xue bit her lip, torn between her burgeoning feelings for Wang Li and the unwavering loyalty she owed her master. She didn’t want to break the secret bond they shared, yet she understood the potential for disaster.
The master-disciple bond was sacrosanct and defying her wouldn’t be an option.
With a heavy heart, Liu Xue nodded silently, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.
“Yes, Master,” she murmured, a flicker of defiance fading in her eyes.
Jiu Lan watched her disciple closely, a mix of relief and worry warring within her. Breaking free from Wang Li’s hold wouldn’t be easy, but it was necessary. The future held uncertainties, but for now, the first step had been taken.
The scandal of her disciple’s entanglement with Wang Li was a potential storm cloud, one Jiu Lan hoped to navigate before it could engulf the Jade Lotus Palace.
As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, Jiu Lan and Liu Xue exited the chamber.
The master-disciple duo re-entered the hall, their faces etched with an unspoken tension. The elders and guests, oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded, continued their conversations and farewells. Palace Mistress Jiu Lan exchanged pleasantries, her face a mask of composure that concealed the storm brewing within.
As dusk settled, casting long shadows across the sprawling Xia Family manor, Jiu Lan discreetly sent a spiritual message to Wang Li. “Patriarch Wang,” her voice resonated in his mind, laced with a frosty edge, “meet me behind the mansion. We need to discuss an important matter… privately.”
Wang Li, a master manipulator himself, could decipher the subtext – trouble brewing. He sent back a concise reply, “I’ll be there.”
Under the cloak of night, Wang Li arrived at the designated spot. A full moon bathed the landscape in an ethereal glow, revealing Palace Mistress Jiu Lan standing tall, a figure of unwavering authority. Beside her stood Liu Xue, her head bowed in shame, the picture of chastisement.
The air crackled with unspoken tension as Wang Li approached. He maintained a facade of stoic calmness, his gaze flitting between master and disciple. Jiu Lan broke the silence, her voice dripping with venom.
“Wang Li,” she hissed, “you are a depraved man indeed. Not content with seducing a core disciple of the Jade Lotus Palace – the heiress of this very family, Xia Qingwu – you dared to have a secret affair with another one, my very own disciple, Liu Xue!”
Wang Li remained silent, allowing her initial outburst to peter out. He knew placating her with empty apologies would be futile. Let her vent, he thought, his eyes narrowed in calculation.
“It isn’t my place to interfere with your arranged marriage with Qingwu,” Jiu Lan continued, her voice gaining a semblance of control. “Matriarch Xia Bingling will decide that fate. However, I will not stand idly by while you exploit the trust of one of my most promising disciples!”
She pointed an accusatory finger at Liu Xue, who flinched, a silent tear rolling down her cheek. “As of right now,” Jiu Lan declared, her voice ringing with authority, “I am severing this… connection… between you two. Consider it a permanent severing!”
A threat hung heavy in the air. “And let me be clear, Wang Li,” Jiu Lan’s voice turned icy, “if I ever hear of you approaching Liu Xue again, or if the two of you meet in secret, I will not hesitate to destroy you and your Wang Family. You understand?”
Wang Li’s eyes flashed for a fleeting moment, a flicker of anger betraying his carefully constructed facade. Threatening his family, the very foundation of his ambition, was a dangerous game. But he knew he couldn’t afford a public confrontation, not here, not now.
He continued to remain silent, the moonlight reflecting off his impassive mask. Jiu Lan, misinterpreting his silence as submission, delivered her final blow.
“Furthermore,” she sneered, “should I choose to reveal this tawdry affair… well, let’s just say your mother-in-law and wife won’t be too thrilled either.” Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at Liu Xue. “The only reason I hesitate to expose you, Xue’er, is because I do not wish to tarnish your honor. Do not test my patience though!”
Jiu Lan finished her tirade, her chest heaving with a mixture of anger and disappointment. Still, she didn’t leave. Her gaze remained fixed on both Wang Li and Liu Xue, as if daring them to defy her.
Liu Xue, her face streaked with tears, stood there as she kept her head lowered, not daring to look at her dear lover.
As she was crying, Wang Li, his face now a mask of cold fury, sent a covert spiritual message to Liu Xue. “Calm down,” it whispered in her mind, “obey your Master and regain her trust. No matter what she says, our bond remains unbroken. I need your help to deal with her.”
A flicker of warmth blossomed in Liu Xue’s chest. Despite the harsh words and threats, Wang Li’s unwavering commitment ignited a spark of defiance within her. “I will do whatever it takes,” she replied through a similar mind-link, “you will always have a place in my heart.”
The air hung heavy with unspoken defiance as Palace Mistress Jiu Lan and Liu Xue departed, their figures dwindling into the night. Wang Li watched them go, a cold glint in his eyes.
His next move, however, demanded a different kind of strategy. With a practiced ease, he sauntered towards Xia Qingwu’s chamber. Finding her alone, he swept her into a warm embrace.
“Qingwu,” he murmured, his voice a husky caress. “I can’t wait for the day you become my wife.”
Qingwu, her heart overflowing with love, beamed at him. “Me neither, Li,” she replied, her voice a soft chirp. “These past few days have felt like an eternity.”
Wang Li chuckled. He showered her with affection, stolen kisses and whispered promises, all the while suppressing the calculating thoughts swirling in his mind. Soon, sated and content, Qingwu drifted off to sleep. But for Wang Li, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.
With a silent farewell, he made his way towards Matriarch Bingling’s chamber. Finding her diligently poring over scrolls, he let out a playful whistle, announcing his arrival.
