Soaring the Heavens

’Give you a surprise? I gave myself a big shock, is more like it!’ Huo Lingxiao didn’t know how to reply to her at all. Even though he had jokingly pledged brotherhood with Miao Yi, they were still sworn brothers in name after all. Logically speaking, by sending the latter off to the Sea of Constellations, it was inevitable that he would eventually be forgotten. ’To think that he actually made it back alive. How did that kid manage to survive?’

Huo Lingxiao smiled bitterly. "My subordinates sent over that name list. I didn’t want to interfere with the decisions of the respective Manor Heads under me, so I didn’t really look through them. To be honest, if Palace Lord hadn’t mentioned this to me, I wouldn’t have known that Miao Yi had gone off to join the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade. In the first place, our oath of brotherhood was sworn as a joke; our paths never crossed at all before that. Outsiders don’t know of my relationship with him, and neither does he know of my actual identity.

"Oh, I see!" Zhang Tianxiao chuckled. It was unclear whether she believed him or not. With eyes shut, she inhaled the blue smoke and said with a euphoric expression, "I told you just now that the survivors will be allowed to take up the position of Manor Head wherever they please within the Fifth Earthly Branch. My Traversing Moon Palace doesn’t have much to offer in terms of location, but now that I finally have a subordinate who’s survived the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade, there’s no reason for me to idly let the others have him. That would make me look like such a fool. At the end of the day, you are still his sworn big brother, so it’ll be easier for you to talk to him. I want you to convince him to stay within our Traversing Moon Palace. I can put him in charge of the crystal coin mine within my domain."

’You want me to talk to Miao Yi? Wouldn’t my identity be revealed then? How exactly should I talk to him when that happens?’ Slightly dumbstruck, Huo Lingxiao said reluctantly, "To my knowledge, Advisor Lu’s men are the ones managing that crystal coin mine. I doubt he’ll be too pleased if we suddenly force someone into the basket like this!"

"That’s not something you should worry about. Let Miao Yi handle it himself. If he can’t even manage his connections properly, what use is he to me?" Zhang Tianxiao narrowed her eyes at him slightly and asked, "Are you not confident that you can convince him, or are you reluctant to meet because you’ve done something mean to him?"

"I’m just worried that Advisor Lu will think badly of me once he knows I’m the one pulling the strings. There’s no other reason. However, since the Palace Lord has asked this of me, I will finish this task well even if I have to go through hell to do it!" Huo Lingxiao smiled and hugged her tightly, as his hands squeezed her breasts once again.

"You can dismiss yourself now!" Zhang Tianxiao bluntly ordered, inhaling the blue smoke as she closed her eyes.

Huo Lingxiao’s expression froze. Too afraid to disobey her again, he slowly released Zhang Tianxiao, got up to put on his clothes, then got down from the bed. He bowed before the Palace Lord, saying, "Please excuse this subordinate!"

Still in rapture, Zhang Tianxiao didn’t respond to him at all. Flustered, Huo Lingxiao then quietly took his leave...

Once he was back in Suppressing Second Hall, Huo Lingxiao was like an entirely different person. Descending from the sky, he then strode towards his own harem. His aura was proud and dignified, a stark contrast from how he tried to please the Palace Lord earlier on. His handmaidens Tian Yu and Liu Xing came forward to welcome him back, "Hall Master!"

"Tell Shen Fenghua to come see me!" Huo Lingxiao strode into the hall and commanded.

As she followed behind him, Tian Yu replied, "Deacon Shen is out on patrol. Does Hall Master have some business with him?"

"Out on patrol?" Huo Lingxiao was taken aback. Turning around, he sat down on his chair, changing the subject of the conversation as he smiled bitterly and said, "Miao Yi is coming back."

"Miao Yi?" His other handmaiden, Liu Xing, asked, "The one that joined the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade? That Miao Yi?"

"Who else?" Huo Lingxiao shook his head and continued, "How inconceivable! To think he could actually make it back alive. He’s really made it big this time. Even the Palace Lord won’t stop talking about him. I can’t believe that something I did in passing has helped him find success."

Tian Yu and Liu Xing exchanged glances. They too were in utter disbelief.

Huo Lingxiao asked, "If my memory serves me well, he was already the Mountain Chieftain of Calming Sea before he left, correct?"

Tian Yu answered, "Yes! Is Hall Master planning to promote him?"

"The Palace Lord has already set her sights on him. It’s no longer my place to promote him." Huo Lingxiao took the teacup Liu Xing offered, placed it down after a sip, then said solemnly, "There’s an idiom that goes: to fall from grace. I doubt anyone could have imagined that he would actually make it back alive. It’s inevitable that some people will stir up trouble in Mount Calming Sea. Tell Shen Fenghua to come see me immediately once he’s back. I want him to carry my official decree to Mount Calming Sea and take charge of the situation there. Don’t let that miserly little brother of mine find a reason to be upset once he returns. That way, it’ll be easier for me to persuade him as well. Otherwise, I won’t be able to answer to the Palace Lord."

"Hall Master, isn’t it a little inappropriate to send Deacon Shen to Mount Calming Sea?" Liu Xing advised. It was a handmaiden’s duty to provide support to her master whenever possible.

Huo LIngxiao asked curiously, "Why?"

Tian Yu replied, "Hall Master, have you forgotten? Before the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade, Miao Yi was tasked with the construction of the ships. And at the time, Deacon Shen was the one assigned to confirm their progress. However, not only did he fail to get any bribes, but he also had a falling out with Miao Yi. After that, Deacon Shen came to you to lodge a complaint. However, in your rage, you gave the order to cut off his supply of Orbs of Will for the next ten years. If we have Deacon Shen go over to sort things out in Mount Calming Sea, there’s a chance something terrible will happen when he bumps into Miao Yi."

"I do seem to recall something like this happening." Huo Lingxiao immediately understood. He lightly nodded and said, "Indeed, it does seem rather inappropriate to send Shen Fenghua. I’ll send Fan Zizhang instead then. He doesn’t have any grievances with Miao Yi, right?"

The two women smiled and shook their heads...

Speaking of Deacon Shen Fenghua, the place he was currently patrolling was none other than Mount Calming Sea.

After being punished by Huo Lingxiao and having his supply of Orbs of Will cut off for the next decade, for the past few years, Deacon Shen had no other alternative but to try and fish for whatever he could get from the people working down below. This was especially the case for Mount Calming Sea, the place that had put him in this position in the first place. He would survey this place year after year. And with Miao Yi absent, there would naturally be someone to indulge him.

At this moment, Deacon Shen was having a feast in Mount Calming Sea, accompanied by two beautiful women. These two were none other than the interim Mountain Chieftains of Mount Calming Sea assisted by Yan Xiu—Qian’Er and Xue’Er.

Before Miao Yi left for the Sea of Constellations, he had decreed: "In the coming days while I am not in Mount Calming Sea, under Yan Xiu’s assistance, Elder Auntie and Little Auntie will temporarily have the authority and responsibilities of a Mountain Chieftain. Everyone must carry out their orders without fail. Those who choose to defy their superiors and incite rebellion; kill them! Those who deign to plot conspiracies; kill them! For those who would defy orders and act in contempt; kill them!"

While official decrees were indeed useful when the person handing it out was still around to enforce it, who would still obey it when said person was dead?

Sitting on the table was Yan Xiu, Tian Qingfeng as well as Sword Deviate Sect’s Zhou Huan, Jade Lady Sect’s Liu Qian, and the School of Imperial Beasts’ Mao Yifan.

The last three were the original Mount Calming Sea advisors who had been demoted by Miao Yi before he left. Their positions had been reinstated a few years ago. And as for the School of Blue Jade disciples who were previously promoted, they were knocked back down by the members of the three major sects.

And while the reason for their reinstatement had much to do with the authority of the three major sects, the main factor was still the presence of this Suppressing Second Hall’s deacon—Shen Fenghua.

Considering how Huo Lingxiao would look for him whenever he had something that needed to be done, it was evident that Shen Fenghua still had some place in the Suppressing Second Hall Master’s heart. And with Shen Fenghua repeatedly breathing down Yang Qing’s neck, Yang Qing had no choice but to re-evaluate his decisions. Was it worth it to offend Shen Fenghua for the sake of someone who was as good as dead?

In the end, while Yang Qing had no choice but to yield to Shen Fenghua’s demands, he wouldn’t really openly agree to them. Yang Qing was a man who knew how to handle his business well, after all. At most, he would simply turn a blind eye to Shen Fenghua’s misdeeds and not expose him publicly. As for the School of Blue Jade disciples, how could they fight against the forces of the three major sects now that they had lost the backing of their school? Even Yan Xiu, Qian’Er, and Xue’Er couldn’t do anything against them.

In the first place, Qian’Er and Xue’Er were handmaidens and were not required to entertain others. However, much to the two ladies’ dismay, they were the interim Mountain Chieftains of Mount Calming Sea. And since Shen Fenghua insisted on discussing business while eating, the two of them couldn’t possibly decline.

Shen Fenghua enjoyed himself indeed—with Qian’Er sitting to his left, and Xue’Er to his right, it looked like they were his women. He was only short of grabbing their waists to complete the picture.

"Miss Qian’Er, come, let us drink another!" With bloated, red cheeks, Shen Fenghua raised his cup and brought his face close to Qian’Er, with his lips just inches away from her face.

Qian’Er immediately leaned back and forced a smile as she said, "Deacon Shen, I’m not a very good drinker. I hope you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable. Sister, come help me."

Xue’Er immediately left her seat to help Qian’Er up, and the two ladies were about to take their leave.

"Hold it!" Shen Fenghua suddenly reached out and grabbed Qian’Er’s wrist, saying, "It looks like the two of you are not showing this deacon any face!"

Beside him, Zhou Huan and Mao Yifan let out a light chuckle, and being a woman herself, Liu Qian simply pretended to ignore what was happening in front of her.

The three of them knew long ago that Shen Fenghua wanted to get into bed with these two ladies. Not because he fancied them, but just purely out of spite. Many years ago, he ended up in conflict with Miao Yi. Unfortunately, the latter had gone to the Sea of Constellations, dashing his hopes for revenge. Hence, even if he could only vent some of his frustration, Shen Fenghua didn’t want to let Miao Yi’s handmaidens off.

Much to his dismay, however, before he left, Miao Yi had delegated these two ladies to act as interim Mountain Chieftains in order to protect them. Thus, Shen Fenghua couldn’t really force them to sleep with him. If word of that were to spread out, how would it look on him? Shen Fenghua wasn’t that muddleheaded, but still, he made his intentions significantly clear to the two ladies every time he visited, repeatedly hinting at them to take the initiative. If the two ladies were the ones to make the first move, there naturally wouldn’t be a problem.

"Deacon Shen, please show some dignity!" Qian’Er cried out as she swept her hand. However, with her cultivation, she couldn’t possibly brush Shen Fenghua aside.

’Pa!’ Yan Xiu slapped the table and stood up, furiously bellowing, "Shen Fenghua, what do you think you’re doing?!"

Hong Xiu and Hong Fu, who were acting as wine servers, also immediately dropped the wine pots in their hands. They brandished swords from their storage rings, glaring at Shen Fenghua with murderous intent.

Shen Fenghua seemed to have realized that he had gone too far. He loosened his grip and released Qian’Er, then scoffed, "Zhou Huan, to draw their blades in front of me, could your Mount Calming Sea be trying to harm this deacon?"

’Pa!’ Zhou Huan slapped on the table and stood up as well. Pointing at Hong Xiu and Hong Fu, he barked, "Throw down your weapons immediately!"

Hong Xiu and Hong Fu completely ignored him. Yan Xiu then yelled in a somber tone, "Zhou Huan, are you the interim Mountain Chieftain or is it the two Aunties? What right do you have to yell at their friends?" He then turned to Tian Qingfeng and said, "Tian Qingfeng, the Mountain Chieftain has treated you well when he was around. Why are you keeping quiet?"

Tian Qingfeng had an awkward expression on his face, but he still pretended not to have heard Yan Xiu’s remarks, simply lowering his head to drink his wine. Miao Yi had indeed treated him well when he was around, but it was evident that the era of Miao Yi in Mount Calming Sea was already gone. Given Miao Yi’s cultivation, there was no way he could make it back alive from the Sea of Constellations. And in Mount Calming Sea, the two Aunties barely had any weight behind their words. Now, the entire Mount Calming Sea was already in the grasp of Zhou Huan and the others. It was questionable whether Tian Qingfeng himself would be able to survive. To stick his nose into their conflict was inevitably courting death. Thus, he could only pretend to be deaf and mute.