Everyone admired and some even showed their respect to Lory's words, but Zhao Li Xin felt different. He felt pain, an excruciating suffocating pain. He closed his eyes to calm himself. He wondered if the words Lory said were meant for both Ming Yue Yin and herself. He could see pride, determination, and sorrow sparkling within her eyes.

'She had no other choice!'

​​

Is that what happened to her?

Zhao Li Xin went to look for Lory the night like he always did after he was done cultivating inside his ring. He headed towards the garden as he knew she rarely stayed in her room. Lory was seated on the same bench as he thought. She was covered in a fur quilt from head to toe. Her head was the only thing peeking from the quilt.

Zhao Li Xin took a seat next to her and softly whispered in her ear, "What are you thinking about?"

His hot breath tickled her. She giggled and moved her ear away from him, "Nothing…"

His handsome face frowned with disbelief, "So why are you still here? Your cheeks are even cold."

Zhao Li Xin rubbed his hands and pressed them on both sides of her cheeks. The sudden warmth engulfed her and tainted her pale cheeks with a faint blush.

"It's a beautiful night and I don't want to sleep…."

Zhao Li Xin embraced her from behind and pulled her back against his chest making her lay against him. His body heat slowly crept from her back engulfing her whole body, warming her. "You will get sick if you do not sleep."

"It's only for a day. People don't get sick because they did not sleep for a day," Lory refuted.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Zhao Li Xin sighed as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"It's my charm!" She said proudly.

"I can't deny that…" Zhao Li Xin smiled faintly.

Lory placed her head on Zhao Li Xin's chest and gazed up at him, "About your plan on how to handle the Emperor�� You know, it surprised me!"

"You don't like it?" Zhao Li Xin tightened his embrace.

"No, it's not like that. It's just too…dramatic," Lory tilted her head.

"Is it?" Zhao Li Xin was amused to hear her honest opinion.

"But I don't hate it! It seems like there's gonna be a great show in a few days," Lory's soft giggles made Zhao Li Xin's heart itch. He had changed a little since he met her. The old him would never have interfered in other people's business, much less to plan a scheme like this. However, he was more than willing to do anything because of her.

"How about the Heavenly Jade pavilion? I hear they wanted to give you a beautiful woman. It's a pity you refused her... You don't regret it, do you?" Lory teased and Zhao Li Xin's faces darkened. He knew she's joking but it still left a bad taste in his mouth.

"You dare send me a woman?!" He bit her neck lightly. This tickled Lory and she unconsciously jolted into clear laughter. She sounded like a small bell which made him feel more excited.

"So…sorry. I won't dare! I won't dare," She laughed and tried to move her neck away from him, but Zhao Li Xin was still annoyed. He wrapped his hands around her waist and took advantage of the helpless woman in his arms.

"You won't dare what?" He whispered in her ear as he nibbled her earlobe. Lory felt both itchy and warm. She wanted to break away from his embrace but his hands felt like iron shackles. They did not move an inch.

"No women! I won't send you any woman...ever!" She was ticklish and embarrassed as she tried to hold back her voice. She was scared someone might catch their intimate moment again. Unbeknown to her, all shadow guards had already run away in full swing the moment they saw their Lord cozying up to his woman. The four Kings had also reminded themself to not bother their Lord's sweet times.

Zhao Li Xin smirked and warned with a teasing smile, "Good… Let's see if you would dare make another joke like that."

Lory lay limps on Zhao Li Xin's chest with exhaustion from too much laughter. Zhao Li Xin fixed the fur quilt around her shoulders and said, "I gave the Heavenly Jade Pavilion a warning. They would answer my 'small' request if they are smart, but if they're not…well…"

"I heard what you asked them… There's no way they would fulfill your request," Lory sighed. She knew he was just looking for an excuse to ruin them all.

"Then they must bear the consequences," He said with a gentle tone.

"The Liang Zu Emperor, Jiang Wei Emperor, Heavenly Jade Sect…" Lory counted with her fingers. "You really like to mess things up!"

Zhao Li Xin smiled, "It's good to keep busy, isn't it…?"

_____________________________

Somewhere in Jing An city, four elderly men gathered around a big wooden table inside a lavish villa. They all looked anxious and overwrought by the news they had received. The had been told Long Ming not only burned their offerings, but he even threatened to kill Huang Ning Yun if they dared to offer her as a peace-offering. Zu Gong had clearly underestimated Zhao Li Xin's character.

Zu Gong thought Zhao Li Xin would stop pretending to live like a monk and start eating meat since he now had a fiancée. They thought they could make an alliance by sending him a woman. He forgot he was thinking about a man who killed Huang Ni Yang, one of the most beautiful ladies from the Heavenly Jade Pavilion, without batting his eyes. Things had even escalated to the point where Long Ming demanded Huang Si Yun to personally apologize to his fiancée.

"What should we do, Master Zu?" One of the elders with a grey beard and small slanted eyes asked with worry.

"What did the sect master say?" The other elder asked with impatience.

Zu Gong leaned back into his armchair. "He's infuriated but the Hei Shen sect is not a power we can underestimate. We cannot just go against them without understanding the situation fully."

"What should we do? Huang Zi Feng is dead, the First Princess is gone and they even lost the sacred tree. Our plans have gone haywire and even the Hei Shen Sect is now on our tail!" The elder with the grey beard slammed the table loudly.

They were disrupted when a man with white robes entered the room, knelt on the floor, and cupped his fists, "Honorable elders, we have found out where Long Ming is staying."

"Is this true?" Zu Gong was elated. He didn't know where the Hei Shen Sect was staying so he spread the word about giving a peace-offering to pacify the Hei Shen Sect's anger a few days earlier. He thought they could be able to form an alliance if they're lucky. Unfortunately, the Hei Shen Sect members burned their offerings and even threatened them. They wanted to retaliate but they didn't know where the Hei Shen Sect was located. Knowing their current location was good news that could surprise the Hei Shen Sect when they least expected.

"That's good news!" The grey-bearded elder stroked his beard with a pleased expression.

"Are we gonna attack them?" Another elder asked with hesitation.

"If we want to… This is the best time as they haven't noticed we know their location yet," Zu Gong nodded.

"Right! Tomorrow may be too late as the Hei Shen Sect people may get to know we have located their place. If we want to do anything, we must do it fast or it may be too late!"

" I will go with you!" A woman barged in as they discussed. She looked to be in her late forties but appeared like a woman who was barely thirty. She had an alluring appearance that could stop a man's heart. She looked both ravishing and delicate, a contrast to her bloodthirsty gaze.

"Miss Huang Yi Yi!" Zu Gong and the other elders were stunned to see her, but they immediately cupped their fists respectfully towards her.

" I will come with you if you want to kill Long Ming!!" She gnashed her teeth. Her son was killed by Long Ming and her future dignified position as the Emperor dowager was gone. Her decades of sacrifice had become useless. Fury filled her as she had now become an old spinster for nothing. This outcome was all Long Ming's fault!

"First Miss Huang, killing Long Ming is a dangerous task. We must not act recklessly without a plan," Zu Gong tried to calm her down as he knew Huang Yi Yi's temperament. She was a vicious and cruel woman. No one could stop her if she wanted to kill someone.

"What else do you need to think about?" She waved her hand and a creature with dark wrinkly skin with a strong body appeared. Its body was like a bear's and its face was like a lizard's. It had long sharp teeth and a thick long tongue with small eyes that were missing pupils, only white could be seen in the eyes. Its feet were long and muscular with big claws.

"That…is…Lo Tie, the monster!" Zu Gong shrieked with shock. It was one of the most ferocious beasts on the continent. The creature was aggressive, bloodthirsty, and also quite intelligent. This creature's favorite meat was humans, especially women and children. He wondered how Huang Yi Yi had subdued the creature.

"Don't be afraid. Father already gave me an amulet to control the beast so none of you need to be worry," She showed them a green bracelet with glowing red pearls at the center. The same pearls were implanted on the monster's head. The elders rejoiced to see the ferocious beast once they knew it was tame.

"We have no problem killing Long Ming with this," She smiled viciously.

Lo Tie was a Saint Level beast and its presence made the elders confident they could win against the Hei Shen Sect. They might not be able to kill Long Ming but they were sure they could still create havoc inside the Hei Shen Sect. If such news spread, the Heavenly Jade Pavilion's name would raise to the sky and no one would dare mess with their sect ever again.

Huang Yi Yi gave a sinister smile as she watched them. She couldn't wait to kill Long Ming and his woman. She would even make Lo Tie eat Long Ming's woman inside his home. She wanted to see the great Long Ming beg underneath her feet.