Small snowflakes began to drift outside the window once again.
They fluttered down, silently landing in the courtyard, adding a touch of chilly serenity to the quiet afternoon...
Inside the room, it was warm and cozy.
Ning Xian sat by the small stove, where a clay pot bubbled with steam, the aroma of wine filling the air...
The heat on her face hadn't fully faded, and the corners of her eyes were still a bit moist.
She was trying her best to put on a stern face, attempting to project the authority of a senior sister.
However, her indignation made her look more like a bristling kitten with no real bite.
"Do you admit your mistake?"
She picked up a cup of freshly warmed wine and took a small sip.
She had to... she had to reclaim a bit of her dignity as a senior sister.
Being bullied like that by her junior brother just now was simply... too embarrassing.
Fang Xuan sat on the meditation cushion across from her, looking perfectly obedient.
"I was wrong, Senior Sister. I'll listen to you from now on."
Ning Xian wasn't buying it; her cold eyes glared at him. "You said the same thing last time."
He had admitted his mistake and given his word even faster last time.
And the result? Just moments ago, he still...
Thinking about how she had been toyed with by the bedside, her body turning soft as she pleaded repeatedly, Ning Xian's face heated up again. She quickly took another gulp of wine.
Dammit, her junior brother was way too disobedient.
Fang Xuan had no choice but to use his ultimate move.
His senior sister was hard to coax.
He leaned in closer. "Senior Sister, you're so beautiful."
"Oh... well, yes..."
Ning Xian quickly turned her head, habitually raising a hand to tidy a stray hair that wasn't actually out of place, her heart skipping a beat for some reason.
"Don't... don't try to change the subject."
Fang Xuan took the hint and immediately changed his angle of attack. "I like Senior Sister most."
Ning Xian's heart skipped another beat, and as if possessed, she blurted out, "How... how much do you like me?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
Asking that... it was like a child begging for candy.
She pursed her lips in frustration, her toes curling unconsciously.
Fang Xuan continued, "I like you as much as you like me, Senior Sister."
Ning Xian's face turned completely red.
Her first instinct was to say that she didn't like her junior brother that much.
But she couldn't bring herself to say it.
If she said that, he would be sad...
Besides, it would be a lie.
She could only pick up her wine cup again, using the liquid to suppress the rolling heat on her face.
She was the senior sister; how could she be thrown into such disarray by a few words and be so thoroughly handled...
She had to... she had to win back some ground.
After thinking it over, she realized she had no idea how.
Ning Xian realized with a sense of defeat that she really didn't have much authority left in front of her junior brother...
She took another deep breath, trying to suppress the heat on her face and the chaotic thoughts in her mind, and brought the topic back on track.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat, letting her voice return to its usual cold tone.
"Now... where were we? About the training plan for later..."
Before she could finish, a respectful announcement suddenly came from outside the courtyard. "Chen Fan seeks an audience with Senior Fang and Senior Ning."
.......
Fang Xuan stood up and straightened his robes. "I'll go see."
Ning Xian also set down her wine cup and followed him out.
The emotions from before were instantly suppressed; when business arrived, it was time to focus.
.......
In the courtyard, snow fell silently.
Chen Fan, dressed in plain silk robes, stood in the snow. Seeing Fang Xuan and Ning Xian come out, he quickly bowed. "Greetings, Senior Fang, Senior Ning."
"What is it?" Fang Xuan asked.
A grave expression appeared on Chen Fan's face as he lowered his voice. "An imperial edict just came from the palace. My father has summoned all princes to enter the palace for a banquet tonight."
He lowered his voice even further, sounding worried. "The edict came suddenly. Though the wording was polite... I feel uneasy."
"My father's health has been declining lately, and he's become increasingly tolerant of the fighting between my brothers. He's also... quite suspicious of me. I fear this banquet... is no ordinary dinner."
The implication was clear.
He thought it was a trap and wanted Fang Xuan and Ning Xian to help him.
Ning Xian spoke up coldly first. "Understood."
Chen Fan was stunned; he hadn't expected her to agree so readily.
Ning Xian glanced at Fang Xuan. Seeing no objection, she continued, "Since we're going to resolve this, we'll settle everything tonight."
"How are the men I told you to prepare?" she asked Chen Fan.
Chen Fan's spirits lifted as he quickly replied, "They've been positioned as you instructed... It's just that time was short, so the available troops are limited. Moreover, the palace guards are strict. There are several great Foundation Establishment cultivators serving as enshrined experts around my father..."
Ning Xian interrupted him. "It doesn't matter. Your soldiers would have been useless anyway."
Chen Fan: "......."
Though it was the truth, it still hurt a little to hear.
.......
The transfer of imperial power couldn't openly involve cultivators.
The rules of mortal kingdoms had to be respected on the surface.
Therefore, they only needed to solve the problem in the shadows and then pin everything on the official uprising.
.......
Chen Fan's heart shook with excitement.
Was Senior Ning... going to intervene directly and clear the path for him?
.......
At first, she had only thought about reaping some benefits.
For example, taking half of the national treasury's cultivation resources would be enough for her and her junior brother to train for a while.
But now, her thinking had changed.
Since she had decided to intervene, she might as well take a bit more.
Controlling a mortal kingdom might not seem very useful to a cultivator.
But having such a sizable nation behind the scenes would make her plans much more convenient.
Collecting resources, gathering information, handling trivial matters that were inconvenient for her to do personally... Even in the future, if she ever had to settle accounts with Qingyun Sect once and for all.
These forces could be slowly cultivated and hidden.
A mortal dynasty that was completely obedient to her would be a very useful pawn.
.......
"Tonight, act as the situation demands," Ning Xian finally told Chen Fan. "Do what you need to do."
"Yes! I understand! I will not let you down!"
Chen Fan bowed deeply, his face full of excitement and joy.
Watching Chen Fan's departing figure, Fang Xuan leaned in toward Ning Xian. "Senior Sister, we're moving tonight?"
"Mm. The strongest are only at the Void Core Realm. We can take them out easily."
Ning Xian turned and took Fang Xuan's hand as they walked back.
......
She was thinking about something she cared about more.
Specifically... how she could severely punish her disobedient junior brother.
She felt like the things she had thought of before... chains, pinning him underfoot, absolute dominance...
They didn't seem quite right.
Rate on N.U.
