In the Magical Martial Sect, a young lady with silky black hair and brown eyes that shined gloriously in the sunlight was meditating on a crystal rock near the waterfall. The sounds of the raging waters combined with the warm, humid air gave the perfect temperature for a summer cultivation. Dark heaps of energy flowed around her like comets and formed her aura full of darkness.
"So," the young lady spoke without looking back at the person behind her, "An invitation for Tang Di Wan and Yaoyao? By knowing that they both have desires for the title of Empress to be by the Crown Prince Yang Le's side, they're using their goals against each other. . .heh. . .well, that's one way to get rid of competitors." She laughs in amusement. "I don't mind being in the sidelines to see this happen. I'll think of it as free entertainment from the Azure Dragon's crew."
"But the preparations. . ." The person behind her spoke. "Is Young Miss Wei going to abandon the plan?"
"Now now, Gu Mei," She turns to Gu Mei, who had black hair tied up into a bun with little side bangs on both sides of her face and on the middle of her forehead. Her golden snake-like eyes were a unique trait to this personal maid. "I didn't say anything about abandoning the plan. We can have both entertainment and destroying them when it's time. In the meantime, do make sure those invitations get in the hands of their respective parties."
"Yes, Young Miss Wei." Gu Mei bowed and turns around to walk away, but her lady stopped her for a moment.
"Did I ever tell you that your outfit suits you perfectly?" Her young miss smiled. Gu Mei's outfit had shoulder armors of golden scales on her upper body cape while she wore tight black pants and short black boots with a cloud of golden scales decorated on them. She also had long black sleeves with black gloves that exposed her fingers. "Of all the Black Snake Sect's disciples, you're the only one who ever truly shined. Don't let your shine ever fade, Gu Mei."
"Yes, Young Miss." Gu Mei turned around and bows the second time before leaping off into the trees. The young miss smiled towards the ripples of the waterfall lake.
"Now, let's see how you'll do this, Yin Lanying."
. . .
"Unbelievable! That vile girl who hangs out with Senior Dong Min Lei thinks of becoming the Empress and stealing His Highness Yang Le from me?! Not a chance!" Tang Di Wan tore the message into tiny pieces and scattered its remains around her bedroom floor in rage. There was no way that Yaoyao could think of that at all! Wasn't she just a lowly outer sect disciple who seduced her senior into buying rare things for her to easily surpass everyone in the outer sect district?!
"Second Miss, should we take action? After all, Lord Yan is able to get rid of young ladies in his way. . ." Tang Di Wan's maid suggested vaguely, pulling out a gold card for her. She took the card from her maid's hand, angling the card's reflective light up and down in thought.
To make sure that Yaoyao wouldn't interfere with her future goal, it's best to get rid of her early on. Tang Di Wan smiles sinisterly as she passed back the gold card to her maid. "I'd like to face her head on before that. When I truly make her bow down to me, that's when we can take her to Lord Yan." Let's just see how mighty this lowly outer sect disciple is.
. . .
"Yaoyao, where are you going? Let me come with you."
"Senior Dong, do not worry. I'll just be heading out to explore the food stalls. Besides, I have the sect's protective amulet so if I'm in trouble then Senior Dong can come to my rescue." Yaoyao gave a flowery smile to him, captivating him into nodding in agreement.
"Then don't stay out for too long. Master would worry about you too since he's trying to help you recover your dantian." Dong Min Lei walks over to her and swipes away the hair bang on her face before placing his warm hand on her cheek. "Be safe, okay?"
Yaoyao internally frowns but held a fake smile to reassure him as she placed her hand on top of his own. "I will, Senior Dong. Please rest assured, I will come back safely." Then she turns around to leave, leaving Dong Min Lei with his hand still left on the spot where he caressed her cheek.
"I understand that you never loved me in the first place. . .but I can't help but give my all for you. Is this foolish of me to want you to look at me properly?" He slowly clenches his hand to bring it to his chest. "It's like I'm never part of the same sky as the others are. . ."
". . ."
Once Yaoyao left the sect, she went to find the inn where the message given to her was telling where she should go. It mentioned that the person had a way to restore her dantian completely by using a secret method that works wonders in just a second, and the holy energy around the message felt so divine that it was impossible to mistake it as false. Once she was near the inn, a hand grabbed her into the alleyway where she saw the face of her only love looking back at her.
"Y-Your Highness Yang Le!"
"You're Yaoyao, right? I've been looking for a way to restore your dantian after I've heard the tragic news of a divine artifact shattering your dantian." Yang Le walks closer to her, extending his hand to touch her chin as he smiled handsomely. In Yaoyao's vision, she saw his glistening smile make her heart melt. "And I found the solution. . .but I don't know if it's a good thing to say."
"Your highness. . .Yaoyao sincerely thanks Crown Prince for helping to restore my dantian. Even if it's an unconventional method, I want to be able to cultivate again to be strong enough to protect the country and protect your future." Yaoyao blushes shyly, trying to enhance her beauty by doing so. Yang Le tilts his head to the side in thought and leaned into her face, barely brushing his lips over hers as the girl looks on with her heart beating faster.
The crown prince then smirks. "You have to kill Tang Di Wan, and steal her spiritual energy in order to restore your dantian." Upon bearing his words, Yaoyao widened her eyes in shock.
"Kill Tang Di Wan?!" Her strength is stronger than hers and and she's an inner sect disciple! It's not easy to be near her! She wishes she had the power to kill that seductress. "Please don't be mistaken, your highness. . .I do not have the power to do that but if it's the only way to restore my dantian. . ."
"It is. Don't worry, once you regain your dantian. . .I shall make you my empress once I ascend the throne." Hearing his words made her confidence grow, but she was still hesitant about killing an inner sect disciple until Yang Le's lips brushed past her ear. "I heard that she plans to become my empress, wanting you to be a concubine lower than her status so that she could torture you far from the public."
With those words in mind, Yaoyao was quietly enraged. That seductress plans on stealing the empress position from her?! Not if she could. . .yes. Yes, she can. It doesn't have to be her who kills that girl. "Your highness. . .Tang Di Wan is indebted to you. In return , if there a favor that you need me to do, I will do it." She bows in respect with a blush.
Yang Le looked at her and smirks. "You'll need to bring me your senior brother's artifact that he has around his neck. I'd like to take the chance of making him my general by using it to bring him over." Having Dong Min Lei become his general was the bonus to this success. "If you are wil-"
"I'm willing!" She immediately responded excitedly. It's just Senior Dong, so she can just ask him for it and he would! Yaoyao exited the alleyway and headed back to the Magical Martial Sect.
Yang Le. . .cracked an evil smile. "This is why I don't like white lotuses." A golden tornado engulfs him, revealing Jin Long with his dazzling smile as he flipped his long black hair that had a faint glint of gold in them. "Well, my part's done. I wonder how my dearest Yin Long is doing?~" The golden dragon chuckled.