Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Among them, the Grand Elder and the Second Elder held the most power. While the other Elders had also used a Secret Technique to reach the Sword Sect Realm, they would find it nearly impossible to advance for the rest of their lives.

But "nearly impossible" didn’t mean "impossible," and one never knew without trying. As a result, the other six Elders rarely involved themselves in sect affairs, so most of the power naturally fell into the hands of the Grand Elder and Second Elder. This was why the Third Elder had been standing by this whole time with her brow slightly furrowed, not having said a single word.

They had just returned from a banquet hosted by the Qin Family, where they had accepted a great number of gifts. During the reception, the Qin Family had spotted Shangguan Yutong, and upon learning of her teacher-student relationship with Ling Xiao, they proceeded to speak ill of him in front of the three Elders.

Having accepted their food and gifts, they felt indebted. Then, upon returning, they heard that Ling Xiao had come to visit and, to their surprise, the Palace Master had personally summoned him. The Grand Elder’s and Second Elder’s dislike for Ling Xiao instantly escalated to extreme vigilance!

’The Palace Master is as pure as jade, and so innocent and naive. If that brat tricks her and steals her heart, it will be a huge blow to Lengning Palace!’ This was why they had attacked Ling Xiao so recklessly.

But they hadn’t expected to genuinely infuriate Leng Qianqian. The Grand Elder dared not say more. She shot Ling Xiao a vicious glare, then turned and stalked out of the room without another word.

The Second Elder hesitated, gave Leng Qianqian a slight bow, and also turned to leave. As she did, she added in a passive-aggressive tone, "Since the Palace Master brought up the sect’s founding rules, then I shall also remind you of a couple of things. First, the Elder Council has the right to veto the Palace Master’s erroneous decisions! Second, Inner Sect Disciples are forbidden from indulging in worldly affairs. And you... are the Palace Master. I hope you will conduct yourself with propriety."

Leng Qianqian pressed her lips together tightly, her body trembling slightly with rage. By now, Ling Xiao’s anger toward the Grand Elder and Second Elder had subsided. ’No matter what, even for Shangguan Yutong’s sake, I can’t actually kill those two crazy women.’ Still, he felt quite guilty for dragging Leng Qianqian into this mess.

Ling Xiao stood up, gave Leng Qianqian a slight bow, and said gently, "Lady Cold, I didn’t realize my reputation was so poor. I’ve ended up troubling you. Please, don’t let any misunderstandings arise within your sect because of me! I would feel terrible if that happened."

Leng Qianqian sat down. She glanced at Qiuyue Yao and Shangguan Yutong and said softly, "Senior Sister, and you, Yutong... as of today, both of you should leave Lengning Palace."

Qiuyue Yao and Shangguan Yutong were stunned for a moment, but then they understood Leng Qianqian’s meaning. ’After today, the Grand Elder and Second Elder have lost face. They’ll obviously hold a grudge against us. It would be all too easy for them to make trouble for us later. With our strength, how could we possibly have the means to oppose Lengning Palace? They could find any random excuse to cruelly humiliate and torture us.’

Qiuyue Yao gave a bitter smile and sighed softly. "Palace Master, I joined Lengning Palace as a child, and more than forty years have passed since then. My heart has long been cut off from the mortal world. Let Yutong go. I will remain here in the palace."

"Master..." Shangguan Yutong’s eyes reddened. ’This is all my fault,’ she thought. ’If I hadn’t brought Ling Xiao here, none of this would have happened. Now, not only is Master implicated, but even the Palace Master is fighting with the elders.’ As she thought this, tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.

Leng Qianqian suddenly stood, walked over, and took one of Shangguan Yutong’s hands. She smiled faintly and said, "Although we belong to different generations in the sect, I’ve always felt we were like sisters. How could I not see that you have feelings for Ling Xiao? So, even if today’s events hadn’t occurred, I would never have allowed you to enter the Inner Sect! The Inner Sect is not for you!" With that, she glanced at Ling Xiao and added coolly, "From this day forward, Shangguan Yutong is no longer a disciple of my Lengning Palace. This is because of you. I hope you will not let down this sister of mine."

"Martial Aunt..." Shangguan Yutong murmured, her face flushed with shyness, tears still glistening on her cheeks.

A rare smile graced Leng Qianqian’s beautiful, icy face. "You’re not normally like this. What’s wrong with fighting for your own happiness? Now that you’re no longer a member of Lengning Palace, we can just call each other sisters."

"But... how can I do that? Even if I leave the sect, I am still my Master’s disciple, and you will still be my Martial Aunt," Shangguan Yutong said softly.

Leng Qianqian said calmly, "It is because I say it is. You don’t need to say anything more."

Ling Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’This Leng Qianqian... you could say she’s naive about the world, yet some of the things she says are right up my alley. But then you look at her playing matchmaker with the wrong people, and you’d think she knows nothing at all.’ He couldn’t help but shake his head. ’What a complete mess.’

Just then, Song Mingyue entered from outside, her face as cold as frost. A chill went down Ling Xiao’s spine. ’Don’t tell me she’s here to start something, too?’ he thought.

Song Mingyue ignored everyone else, her gaze fixed on Ling Xiao, her eyes filled with immense hurt. She said, "Who were those two women outside? They told me you were a man of low character and that I should stay away from you. Then they... they said I was unchaste. Who the hell do they think they are?!"

Ling Xiao’s eyes narrowed, his gaze turning instantly to ice.

At that moment, the Third Elder, who had been silent all this time, suddenly glanced at Ling Xiao. "We just came from the Qin Family’s residence," she said. "The Qin Family... said quite a few unflattering things about Young Master Ling. So, my elder sisters... they have probably misunderstood."