Bei Li Yan dragged his friend to another courtyard with its own garden, koi fish pond, and a manmade waterfall fountain covered with a floating lotus flower. The courtyard also had a small pavilion in the middle of the pond that was connected by a small bridge. Bei Li Yan released his friend once they reached the bridge and stomped his feet as he crossed the bridge with an upset expression. His giant friend followed him closely yet he still looked dazed. He had yet to recover from the shock.
"He is really stupid!" Bei Li Yan shouted in anger once he reached the pavilion. "You almost angered 'Milord' again!"
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"Tck… What have you done this time, Jiang Wei?" A man in his late twenties who was playing chess with Jin Hao asked. The man wore lavish silver and grey robes. Half of his hair was tied in a topknot and was secured by a guan headdress. His appearance was of a noble young master who had a charming smile plastered on his face. He seemed to be a gentle and refined nobleman but those who knew him saw a shrewd and calculative businessman as he was Wu San Bo, the King of the Black Turtle Palace.
"I… I… I…saw…Ki…ss…" Jiang Jin Wei stuttered as he gasped for air.
Bei Li Yan squinted and clarified, "You saw our Lord kissing the Young Madam."
"I…I… Its…wo…re…" Jiang Jin Wei jumbled his words with bulged eyes.
Jin Hao was annoyed with Jiang Jin Wei for disturbing his chess game. He rose from his seat and hit the back of Jiang Jin Wei's head. It was a strong hit but Jiang Jin Wei didn't feel any pain. It, however, fixed Jiang Jin Wei's stammering like a machine as he finally managed to exclaim, "I saw Mi Lord kissing a woman!!"
Wu San Bo was surprised by the revelation but he maintained his calmness. Jin Hao didn't care about it as he was busy calculating his next chess move, while Bei Li Yan scoffed indifferently.
"Did you want Milord to kiss a man instead?" Bei Li Yan mocked him.
Jiang Jin Wei was still shocked but Wu San Bo suddenly smiled with excitement. "No wonder… Milord, who never cared about jewelry, asked me to send a lot of women's jewelry to the manor. He even asked me to custom make women dresses. It seems the rumor about getting a young madam is true!"
"It's very true!" Bei Li Yan nodded.
Jiang Jin Wei had known Zhao Li Xin for a long time. He admired his Lord's perseverance, intelligence, and power but his Lord was a cold and indifferent man. However, he never mistreated his subordinates – as long as they did not betray or cross his bottom line. Zhao Li Xin was never close to any of them as it seemed like there's an invisible thick wall between Zhao Li Xin and the people around him. He was even intimidating towards Mong Ki and Mong Yi.
Jiang Jin Wei had served Zhao Li Xin for many years but he had never seen him smile, well he had perhaps seen him smirked a few times but that mostly meant someone would die soon after. Zhao Li Xin's smirk scared many but Jiang Jin Wei liked working for Zhao Li Xin despite this. Serving Zhao Li Xin was not like serving the Emperor or in a normal sect that was filled with intrigue, politics and scheming.
Those issues that plagued other sects didn't plague the Hei Shen Sect as Zhao Li Xin's power was absolute. No one could change his decision or influence it and no decision was made without his consent. Each King Palace had the liberty to control his Palace however they wanted as long as he was in line with Zhao Li Xin's needs and never challenged his authority.
Zhao Li Xin was a simple man and he would let one achieve wealth and power beyond their wildest imagination as long you were 'his people'. However, he could also make you taste hell if you ever crossed him. Zhao Li Xin was a firm and fair leader who punished without discrimination.
The Hei Shen Sect thrived and was stable due to his strong leadership but despite everything Zhao Li Xin had accomplished, Jiang Jin Wei had never seen him rejoice or take pride in his achievements as he always looked indifferent. His main expressions were indifference, fury and another expression… disgust - the biggest victim for this was mostly women.
It didn't matter how beautiful, talented, or special one's identity was. Zhao Li Xin looked at all women with the same expression people had when they saw an ant or bug. It was indifference with a touch of disgust. Jiang Jin Wei at first thought his Lord had good self-control that allowed him to ignore the beautiful ladies who tried to seduced him.
A beautiful woman who was a Hei Shen Sect member once boldly appeared naked in Zhao Li Xin's bathroom. The lady, famous for her beauty within the Hei Shen Sect, overestimated herself as she thought she could seduce Zhao Li Xin but he gauged out the woman's eyes, crippled her cultivation and cut off her limbs for her troubles. He then sent her to a small brothel near the border to entertain soldiers and barbaric men.
Zhao Li Xin then killed the guard and everyone who was involved in the woman's seduction scheme after he was done with her. Their deaths were cruel and painful, and Zhao Li Xin made sure every Hei Shen Sect member witnessed what he would do if there was a repeat. His actions scared many but there was always a stubborn woman or two who thought they were different from the rest. Zhao Li Xin would torture them in front of the other sect members every time they tried to seduce him. It took a few years for the women inside the Hei Shen Sect to finally get the message and not even dare to look at him.
This was why Jiang Jin Wei was shocked to see the same harsh man lying on the couch and passionately kissing a woman like any normal man. He was distraught to see this change. He had heard the rumors about the mysterious young madam around his Lord but he never really trusted the rumor deep down within himself until he got to see the woman with his own eyes.
"Milord pampers the young Miss to the moon and back. So be careful with your words," Jin Hao reminded Jiang Jin Wei.
"I know," Jiang Jin Wei said as he didn't have an opinion about her. He was just surprised his Lord could treat a woman the way he did. He got curious and asked, "What kinda woman is she anyway?"
"A very special one," Bei Li Yan winked mysteriously.
"I'm serious…" Jiang Jin Wei was annoyed.
"I am…am I right, Jin Hao?" Bei Li Yan glanced at Jin Hao with a playful smile.
"She is…" Jin Hao replied with his eyes glued to the chessboard. Bei Li Yan and Jin Hao had been in the tomb and knew there was more to her than meets the eyes. Jin Hao also admired her strength and perseverance. She couldn't cultivate but she was also not weak.
Jiang Jin Wei and Wu San Bo were surprised to know Jin Hao had formed a good opinion on the young madam in a short period as Jin Hao was more cautious and skeptical. It was not easy to convince him. He also knew Zhao Li Xin before the others which meant his relationship with Zhao Li Xin was closer when compared to other King Palaces.
Jiang Jin Wei slouched on the stool next to Bei Li Yan and sighed. He poured himself some wine and said, "I thought Milord had something going on with Miss Tang Yi Mei."
"Don't let Milord hear you say that in front of Young Miss!" Bei Li Yan sternly warned.
"Why? Don't tell me she's so petty and gets jealous easily?" Jiang Jin Wei joked.
"No, but Milord is," Bei Li Yan hushed him immediately. He was scared their Lord would hear them. "And don't you dare say anything bad about Miss Luo! You haven't seen how much Milord cares for Miss Luo. Trust me when I say he has no problem punishing us for her!"
"I know your stepsister is close to Miss Tang… remind her not to make trouble for Miss Luo," Wu San Bo added. Jiang Jin Wei's stepsister was a nice girl but was also too naive and gullible. She had a close relationship with Tang Yi Mei since the latter saved her from bad men years ago. She idolized Tang Yi Mei and was a supporter of Zhao Li Xin and Tang Yi Mei being in a relationship.
Jiang Jin Wei scratched his head. He forgot he had a stupid younger stepsister with weird delusions about Zhao Li Xin and Tang Yi Mei being a couple. His sister was so sure about her belief that she almost convinced Jiang Jin Wei.
Jin Hao gently placed a chess piece on the board before he shifted his gaze to Jian Jin Wei, "Remind your sister who she placed her allegiance with. The only reason our Lord put us underneath his wings is because we all serve his needs and it's not the other way round. He would easily disband our sect without a second thought the moment the Hei Shen Sect becomes a hindrance to him."
"I know! I won't let my sister mess up!" Jiang Jin Wei suddenly felt tired. His Sister was stubborn and he could only pray she would listen to him.
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