CHAPTER 262: UNEXPECTED VISITOR

"Li Yao, by order of the patriarch, you must return to the main branch within one week," Li Mei spoke with forced authority, though her voice trembled slightly.

Li Yao stared at her for a long moment, her expression completely blank and unreadable. Then, without acknowledging her words at all, she simply sidestepped around Li Mei and continued walking toward her office as if nothing had happened.

"Who’s that weirdo? So, anyway, as I was saying..."

Li Mei turned around quickly in frustration. She then raised her voice significantly, "Li Yao, don’t be so arrogant! Even if you can beat Soul Formation experts, do you know how many Soul Formation and Void experts are in the Li family?"

She thought to herself that she didn’t have time for this. She needed to get back and check on grandpa, she had been having a terrible feeling in her gut ever since leaving.

If Li Yao really didn’t want to return to the main branch, she didn’t want to keep pushing the issue. Actually, she pitied her cousin deeply. She had felt genuinely sad when she heard that Li Yao’s immediate family had been killed in that tragic incident. But Li Yao seemed to have built her own home here in this sect and appeared genuinely happy. Li Mei wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to see the people from the main branch again, she would have done the same thing in that situation.

"Li? Do you mean the Li family from the central continent?" suddenly, a voice spoke up from behind them.

Li Mei turned around to look at the approaching figures. It was one middle-aged man with a dignified bearing and a handsome young man who appeared to be around his twenties, though this estimate was practically useless in the cultivation world where people could retain their youthful or elderly appearances through various methods and techniques.

"Yeah, what about it?" Li Mei asked suspiciously, studying the newcomers carefully.

"When did you leave the central continent?" Liu Feng asked.

"About a week ago," she replied, gauging the man’s strength. From her observations, she could tell that his cultivation was at the peak of Golden Core realm, but she couldn’t properly assess the strength of the person standing behind him. She wondered if this young man was a young master from some prominent family and the other was serving as his bodyguard.

When Liu Feng heard her answer, he let out a heavy sigh. "I see, it’s no wonder you don’t know," he spoke.

Li Mei suddenly felt a strange, cold sensation spreading throughout her entire body. "What do you mean?" she asked, though part of her already dreaded the answer.

"Yesterday, the Li family main branch was attacked," Liu Feng spoke.

Li Mei felt her blood run completely cold.

"No one survived," Liu Feng added.

Instantly, Li Mei collapsed to her knees. She had a shocked expression and her face turned deathly pale. "No, this can’t be true. Grandpa..." she spoke in complete disbelief.

Then tears started streaming down her face uncontrollably. "I see, so this is what you meant..." she said, smiling strangely, she seemed to be going crazy.

She then punched the stone floor with tremendous force, "You lied to me..." she shouted as deep cracks spread outward from the impact point like a spider web.

Suddenly, her heartbroken sobs were interrupted when she sensed an overwhelming aura pressing down around her. The entire building started shaking violently and seemed as though it was going to collapse in on itself under the immense pressure.

She turned around slowly to see her cousin, who now had a completely indifferent gaze that seemed to look right through everything. A thin crack started appearing on Li Yao’s cheek, spreading like fractured porcelain.

"Sect Master?" Wang Jian stepped forward quickly, positioning himself protectively in front of Liu Feng. He had a deeply nervous expression as he felt the terrifying power radiating from Li Yao. That aura—what kind of monster was this girl?

Li Yao then seemed to suddenly snap out of whatever trance she had entered. "Ah, forgive me," she spoke calmly as she raised her hand, gently wiping her cheek. The crack that had been spreading there seemed to disappear completely as if it had never existed.

"I lost my composure for a moment," she spoke calmly. "Such a pity, I would’ve loved to have had a word with grandpa one last time," she added, though her tone betrayed no emotion.

Then suddenly, her entire expression transformed into a sweet, welcoming smile as if nothing had happened. "Sect Master Jian, sorry for the poor hospitality. I hope you don’t take it to heart," she said cheerfully.

Wang Jian looked at her, his eye twitching slightly. How could this girl change expressions so fast? "Ah, no need to worry about it. We’re the ones who came unannounced. It seems the sect master is busy, so we should probably visit at a different time," Wang Jian spoke.

"No need for that. Come on in," Li Yao spoke warmly as she gestured for them to follow her, guiding them toward the main hall.

...

Four people sat in the main hall, the atmosphere seemed quite tense. Li Yao sat at the forefront in the sect master’s chair, her posture radiating authority. Opposite her was Wang Jian, matching the sect master’s aura with one of his own.

On the side sat Liu Feng, who wore a distinctly nervous expression as he occasionally glanced at Li Mei, who sat directly across from him. Li Mei’s eyes were fixed on him with an intense glare.

Liu Feng wondered what exactly was wrong with her and why she was directing such hostility toward him. He was just a messenger. Deciding it was best to ignore her, he turned his thoughts to something else that had been weighing heavily on his mind for quite a while now.

He glanced at Li Yao, who sat imposingly at the front of the hall. She really wasn’t like the others of the same generation he had encountered. Just that overwhelming aura she had displayed earlier—it was even more powerful than the last time he had seen her, and it hadn’t even been a full month since their previous meeting. Her cultivation speed was absolutely monstrous, defying all conventional understanding.

But that wasn’t what was bothering him the most. What troubled him even more was that she now carried that same distinct scent, the exact same smell as the Grand Elder, though much fainter and more subtle.

As he was deep in thought about this puzzling development, he suddenly averted his gaze, his cheeks blushing slightly with embarrassment. That’s right, how could he have forgotten? Those two were a couple, so it was completely normal for her to carry his scent. Now he felt like a complete idiot.

"Ahem," Wang Jian coughed to get his attention.

When Liu Feng noticed this, he quickly composed himself and straightened in his seat, trying to look more professional.

Wang Jian glanced at him from the side with growing concern. He thought to himself that the young master was acting quite strangely during these visits. Last time he had been staring intently at the husband, and now he was staring at the wife with equal intensity. Did this fool want to get them both killed?

At that moment, the door swung open smoothly and Elder Huang walked in carrying a tea service. She poured steaming tea for all four people present before bowing respectfully and leaving.

Li Yao raised her cup and took a careful sip of the hot tea. "Too bitter!" she screamed internally, but outwardly she remained perfectly composed and serene. She thought to herself that she was really getting the hang of this whole sect master stuff. If she kept improving at this rate, she might become a true empress soon.

[-_-]

Li Yao then slowly put the cup down on the table, her expression shifting to one of serious business. "What brings Sect Master Jian and Young Master Liu to my humble sect?"

...

A/N: Empress is so me fr