The thump of the head rolling on the floor made everyone's blood run cold. He didn't even realise how he died! Just how much stronger had Lady Nuhuang become!?
"Once again," her low voice out in a growl that forced their attention on her once more. "This is my husband, and he is the head of this house."
****
Long Chen had summoned all the clansmen of the Long family and gathered them into the open sparring grounds.
They were allocated a decently sized area by the dragons, so naturally, they dedicated a portion of it towards training.
Because it was large enough to hold the entirety of the family here, this was the reason Long Nuhuang had when she told Long Chen to bring them all there.
"Why are we gathered here?"
"I don't know. Sir Long Chen just told us to be ready to be addressed."
"Addressed? Addressed by who?"
"Maybe it's Family Head Long Huangdi"
"Bah! Him!?"
"Don't speak ill of the Family Head!"
"He won't be head of the family for long!"
"Have you heard something!?"
Numerous discussions popped up at the same time, resulting in a cacophony of questions, speculations, and rumours.
"Look!"
Someone noticed the more powerful members of the family heading towards them, with Long Huangdi leading them.
Everyone quieted down, though no one advised them to. Most stared at Long Huangdi with a faint hint of derision in their eyes.
However, when they saw the figure that trailed at the back of the approaching group, derision swiftly transformed into reverence and fear. Something that they only had for Long Huangdi in the past.
"Greetings Family Head!"
Everyone bowed when Long Huangdi and the rest arrived before them. Even if they didn't respect him at heart, they still had to express the barest amount of respect for his position at least.
However, what happened next caused everyone to flinch back in horror.
Long Nuhuang came to the front of the crowd and, carrying Long Yan's head, she threw it to the ground for all to see.
Nearly everyone paled in horror upon seeing this.
Long Yan was one of the most gifted members among them! What could have happened to cause such a massive reversal!?
Immediately, people began to think that Long Huangdi begged his wife to kill Long Yan. It all made sense when they thought about it. However, Long Nuhuang didn't dare to let this issue devolve any more than it already had and came forward to speak.
"Ever since that day, many emotions became lost to me, leaving only a dangerous few. Those would be grief, anger, and sadness. I express sadness when alone, grief with my husband and reserve anger for my enemies."
Her eyes were cold as she scanned the collective group, and she continued. "My anger should target my enemies and only them! But… exceptions are possible. Much like these dragons, I too have a reverse scale of my own. My family, that is… my husband… and son."
The last word came out as a whisper, but somehow everyone heard it.
"When Long Yan disrespected my husband, he became my enemy. If you don't want to follow my husband, then leave. Something tells me these dragons won't make it that hard for us to do so. However, if you wish to remain a part of this family, then know this: the Family Head is already established."
Everyone remained silent. No one even entertained the thought of saying otherwise. The head on the ground was like a weight on their chest.
"Dear…" Suddenly, Long Nuhuang felt a hand on her shoulder.
She turned back to look over her shoulder at the only man that could call her that and, seeing the look in his eyes, her own warmed considerably.
She gave the group behind him one last look and sentence. "The Family Head has something to say about the direction of you all. I implore you to listen."
When Long Huangdi stepped forward, he looked from the left to the right as he scanned the hundreds of people that comprised the Long family. He was no fool. He could read people and he could see that he became lesser in their eyes. The fear that his wife instilled could only do so much.
It became worse when he did nothing and said nothing. Since what happened earlier happened, he needed to address this before more blood was shed.
"A few years ago, our family was on a meteoric rise." His voice was gruff yet weak, not spirited and powerful like in the past.
"My strength was number one within Thunder Cloud City, which guaranteed us a good place. We were then blessed by the Heavens." Long Nuhuang flinched at the word Heavens, but said nothing more.
Long Huandi noticed this but went on. "As it gave me a son. Of course, misfortune often accompanies fortune, as I was injured shortly after during one of the many waves of magical beast rampage caused by the ones who have us even now." He stared at the ground as he spoke, and it signified his damage.
"Though it was a blow to me that my cultivation regressed and stagnated, I never allowed it to break me. My pride in my son outweighed it all. Just seeing him kept me together. He and my wife became my everything. But then…"
His voice took a drastic change as rage flashed in his eyes as he recalled the most painful moment of his life. "He was taken from me by some cruel twist of fate! Yet now here I am, unable to cultivate! Unable to lash out! Do you know what happens when your wife and your son are your everything and you lose one of them!? Well… do you!?"
When he asked this question again, his rage died down, and it regained the former weakness it had.
No one said anything all the same. It wasn't because Long Nuhuang was here; it was because it was the first time in a long time they saw a reminder of the man Long Huangdi used to be and it awed them and hurt them.
He continued. "When you lose one, you lose half of yourself, and that broke me. So with that being said, I have an announcement to make."
Everyone looked at him, a bit confused. Even Long Nuhuang wasn't aware of there being a need for an announcement, as opposed to the issues that needed to be aired.
"Starting today, I will step down from the position of Family Head and hand the position to my wife, Long Nuhuang."
"Darling what are you—"
"You will follow her orders going forward." Long Huangdi didn't give her a chance to contest him at the moment.
"Her ambitions are what creates a leader and what defines one. As for me, though I will remain here, I will be more of a supporter to her. If I remain in this role…" he turned to her as he said this, as if explaining to her his decision. "I will go through the motions day by day with no sense of purpose towards it, and using fear to keep everyone in line is not what makes a family."
When Long Nuhuang heard this, her head hung low. He moved closer and put his hand to her cheek, not caring that everyone else was there.
"I will still be here. There won't be much difference in that aspect. We will simply use your ambition to fuel the family forward. Please don't refuse this of me."
She slowly nodded to indicate that she wouldn't.
"Thank you." Long Huangdi put his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace.
Silence pervaded the area. Though this was what they wanted for some time now when it finally happened, and under these circumstances, there was a bitter aftertaste that came with it.
Boom!
Suddenly, a powerful tremor shook the region they were in.
"Useless human!"
A booming voice shattered the silence that pervaded the surroundings.
Long Huangdi immediately recognised the voice, "What does Long Jiao want with me?"
Dum!
"Who is he calling useless!?" Long Nuhuang's aura subconsciously erupted in the face of this insult.
When the clansmen felt the pressure they gave off, they all started to shiver. They were now even more glad that they chose to keep their mouths shut when she spoke.
"Just calm down," his thumb gently caressed her cheek. "There's no need to fight him. I'll just go and see what he wants and then I'll come back."
He forced a smile as he said this, trying to put her at ease.
"I don't have all day!"
The same booming voice thundered once again, shaking the vicinity!
Long Huangdi reluctantly released her and made his way to the exit.
Long Nuhuang followed after him at a distance. Since this was the first time any of the dragons, much less the ruler of this bastion, came to see them this late.
When Long Huangdi left the cave they were in, he entered an enormous cavern where he saw Long Jiao lying coiled on the ground some distance away.
He made his way to the dragon to see for what reason it could have called him. Long Nuhuang stayed back at the cave entrance to watch what was happening.
When Long Huangdi got close enough, Long Jiao finally uncoiled himself and looked at the insignificant human before him. "You are not worth it."
Long Huangdi's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you—"
Bam!
Before Long Huangdi could finish what he was about to say, a massive tail came and slapped him with a crushing force!
Boom!
He crashed into the wall at the far end of the cavern with a crash!
D-Dum!
"Huangdi!" Long Nuhuang's cultivation base erupted without reserve!
She rushed towards Long Huangdi, but before she could get far, she was blocked by a massive claw that slapped her back!
When she saw who it was, her pupils narrowed in panic and confusion. "What is all this!?"
"Your dependence on this male human weakens you. I will take mercy on you and rid you of him."
"Step aside!"
"This is for your own good."
The royal emissary stood before her like an immovable wall that would not budge, no matter what she did.
Boom!
Another crash rocked the cavern as Long Huangdi barely dodged a claw that dug out the wall he was embedded in before!
Shing!
Long Nuhuang unsheathed the sword that she used to behead Long Yan not long ago.
The royal emissary looked at her with the same expression of amusement he always did. "You would put yourself against me? You would suffer hurt for him?"
She snarled her response. "I will make you bleed for him!"