“Maybe I just recovered some strength, so I can’t control my force.”
Seeing Zhu Yuexi’s reaction, Xu Sheng muttered this from the side.
He naturally understood Li Qingqing’s sarcasm and was holding back laughter inside.
Strictly speaking, Zhu Yuexi’s figure was more slender, while Li Qingqing, who was cooler, had a plumper build.
The two were similar in height and age, but there was a clear difference in chest size.
It wasn’t that Zhu Yuexi was underdeveloped; she actually had some curves. It was just that Li Qingqing was too gifted.
“I’m not eating anymore.”
Zhu Yuexi gave Xu Sheng one last glare before getting up and leaving.
‘I really have been spoiling Yuexi too much…’ Mo Ruxue reflected on whether she had failed as a master.
Zhu Yuexi stood up and turned to leave the dining room. Before Mo Ruxue could speak, Xu Sheng reached out and pressed his hand over the back of hers.
Feeling the touch of Xu Sheng’s skin on her hand, Mo Ruxue’s instinct was to pull back.
This wasn’t because she rejected Xu Sheng, but simply due to her personality.
However, her eyes inadvertently glanced at Li Qingqing standing nearby. She held back her instinct and began to enjoy the contact.
This was exactly the reason Xu Sheng had set up the situation—to let Li Qingqing pressure Mo Ruxue and make her jealous.
If he hadn’t arranged things in advance and had Li Qingqing frequently appear in front of Mo Ruxue, then when he pressed her hand now, she would likely pull away immediately.
Xu Sheng curled his lips into a smile.
“It’s fine. Those two just finished their treatment, so we shouldn’t rush the medicine. We can take it slow. Today I can teach you about the solution for the Linxian Sect’s problem.”
…
In truth, it wasn’t anything profound.
One reason Mo Ruxue had failed to resolve the Linxian Sect’s predicament was that she rarely spent long periods away from the sect. The pressure from her strength and reputation made it hard for even superficial conflicts within the sect to surface.
Another reason was that Mo Ruxue herself was an idealist. Her worldview made her always judge others by her own standards, subconsciously harboring expectations of them.
If she were a little more ruthless, she could easily solve the Linxian Sect’s problems.
Even if the solution caused some bleeding within the sect, it would never shake its foundation.
The foundation of the Linxian Sect—its anchor—was Mo Ruxue herself.
But what came after solving the problem?
If Mo Ruxue didn’t have absolute power, her personality would have caused trouble long ago.
Uh…
Xu Sheng suddenly thought of Mo Ruxue’s current situation.
In fact, trouble had already come.
He cleared his throat twice and set down his teacup.
They were now facing each other in the study of the residence. Beside them was a low window, outside which lay a small pond where lotuses were in full bloom.
Rain was falling outside the window as well, a fine drizzle making the white lotuses even more dazzling.
“Lotuses blooming at this season?”
Mo Ruxue seemed fond of lotuses. After all, their purity emerging from mud suited her character well.
“Lotuses usually bloom in summer, but my little paradise has a spiritual spring. Even in spring, the water’s temperature is a bit high. The lotuses Li Qingqing transplanted a few days ago naturally bloomed early.”
This wasn’t deliberate flattery.
In fact, Xu Sheng had always admired Mo Ruxue’s quality.
He was born under the red flag…
Ahem.
He had received nine years of compulsory education. His facial features were upright, and his worldview was even more…
Well, his worldview might not be better than his facial features.
But after transmigrating to a cyber world and witnessing the coldness and warmth of a cultivation world, Xu Sheng had seen a lot and understood what was most precious.
Unconsciously, lotuses had become his favorite plant.
“Strictly speaking, spring rain and lotuses are the best match. Summer rain is too heavy and damages the lotuses, while spring rain only cloaks their beauty in a veil of mist, making them even more alluring.”
“Is Milord hinting that I should go with the flow?”
Mo Ruxue looked at Xu Sheng, steering the conversation back on track.
Xu Sheng raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
“Why overthink it? At your cultivation level, do you even need to go with the flow? Do whatever you want.”
“…!” Mo Ruxue felt her cheeks burn. She didn’t answer, just took a sip of tea.
Xu Sheng found it a bit cute…
But he didn’t show it. He silently picked up his teacup and drank too.
“Ahem… To solve this matter, it’s actually very simple. What you need to do now isn’t to maintain balance between the two sides. You govern the sect by seeking balance, but now you need to break that balance and unify the entire Linxian Sect’s thinking.”
Xu Sheng said it lightly: unify the entire Linxian Sect’s thinking.
In truth, if Mo Ruxue used her raw strength to crush opposition, she could do it just as easily. However, she didn’t want to favor either side, nor did she want to hurt the other.
Xu Sheng saw her dilemma.
“If you must deal with one side, then deal with the Fifth Elder’s faction.”
Mo Ruxue frowned. “The Fifth Elder’s lineage has existed in the sect for a long time and has deep roots. And by ‘deal with,’ you mean suppress them until they’re completely ruined… If I really do that, I’m afraid it will chill the hearts of the sect’s elders. Besides, I can’t find a reason to do so. On the other hand, the Ninth Elder’s faction is more overbearing…”
Xu Sheng waved his hand to interrupt her.
“I have a reason for telling you to deal with them. I’m not asking you to suppress them for no reason.”
Mo Ruxue was taken aback.
“What reason?”
Xu Sheng shrugged.
“The Fifth Elder’s faction colludes with the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.”
“…!” Mo Ruxue fell silent, her expression gradually turning incredulous. She even wondered if she had misheard.
“Collude… with the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons?”
Xu Sheng nodded calmly.
“Remember the Demon Cult spies I helped you find the other day?”
“Those were spies from other demon cults in your Linxian Sect, not from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. But half of the entire Fifth Elder’s faction has long been infiltrated by the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.”
“…”
Mo Ruxue needed time to digest this.
She was the Sect Master of the Linxian Sect.
The current number one under heaven, the leader of the righteous path.
The Linxian Sect was also the number one sect in the world.
A few days ago, when Xu Sheng found several demon cult spies among the sect’s high-level members, the Linxian Sect had been shocked, angered, and disappointed.
Now Xu Sheng was telling her that half of the Fifth Elder’s faction had been infiltrated…
The Linxian Sect was Mo Ruxue’s life’s work, her pride.
Hearing Xu Sheng’s words, she felt surprisingly dizzy.