Please!
Moments after Ye Xuan’s voice echoed, a woman slowly entered the hall.
It was Ding Shaoyao!
Seeing her, Ye Xuan gave a wry smile, “Aunt Ding!”
Though he no longer held much affection for the Yang Clan, he still felt fondness for Ding Shaoyao, who had helped him greatly in the past.
The Yang Clan was one thing, Aunt Ding another. Ye Xuan was clear about gratitude and grudges.
Seeing Ye Xuan, Ding Shaoyao smiled slightly, “Little one, it’s been a while!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Hello, Aunt Ding.”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “Can we talk privately?”
Ye Xuan glanced at Envoy Zhang nearby, who bowed deeply and quietly withdrew.
Only Ding Shaoyao and Ye Xuan remained in the hall.
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “Do you know why I’m here?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “I’ve got an idea.”
Ding Shaoyao thought for a moment, then said, “I came to persuade you, but now I think it’s unnecessary!”
Ye Xuan was puzzled, “Why?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “First, you’d never go back. Second, there’s no need for you to.”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Ding Shaoyao continued, “Qing Shi made a mistake. She meant no harm, but her approach to you was wrong!”
Ye Xuan’s expression remained calm, “I don’t meddle in others’ affairs!”
Ding Shaoyao sighed softly.
As she said, Su Qing Shi had no ill intent toward Ye Xuan, but her approach was mistaken!
Ye Xuan hadn’t grown up in the Yang Clan, and with the Green Shirt Sword Master’s hands-off upbringing, he felt no sense of belonging to the clan. For clan members to call him a bastard at such a time, how could someone with Ye Xuan’s temperament tolerate it?
Bastard!
It wasn’t just an insult to Ye Xuan but to Dong Li Nan as well.
This was likely the real reason Ye Xuan was furious and left the Yang Clan!
Ding Shaoyao sighed again, then said, “Little one, I’m now in charge of all the Yang Clan’s affairs!”
Ye Xuan smiled faintly, “Congratulations, Aunt Ding! If you’re here to persuade me to return to the Yang Clan, there’s no need, I…”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “I’m not here to convince you to return!”
Ye Xuan was surprised, “Then why are you here, Aunt Ding?”
Ding Shaoyao suddenly turned and pointed outside the hall. On the bluestone plaza, over ten thousand people stood.
Ye Xuan grew more curious, “Who are they?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “These are talents I’ve personally trained, experts in management, scholars, and strategists… each a top figure in their field!”
She looked at Ye Xuan, “I know your academy needs a lot of talent, right?”
Ye Xuan was silent.
Ding Shaoyao added, “Don’t overthink it. These are my people, trained by me. Though they’re from the Yang Clan, treat them as mine, no need to worry!”
Ye Xuan was speechless.
Ding Shaoyao opened her palm, and a map floated to Ye Xuan, “This is the Yang Clan’s cosmic map, covering 360,000 universes. Before I came, I ordered academies to be built in all of them. They’re ready, and you can send people to take over anytime. For talent, don’t worry, I’ve issued a decree for a civil examination, like in the mortal world, to select talent. Soon, a steady stream will join your academy. As for funds, you needn’t worry, the Yang Clan has some savings.”
Ye Xuan gave a wry smile, “Aunt Ding, this…”
Ding Shaoyao continued, “What’s most important for running an academy, do you know?”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “Money and talent?”
Ding Shaoyao shook her head, “Not the most important! It’s winning hearts. Your path differs from the Yang Clan’s. You’re building a new order, and to do that, you must win hearts! Not just human hearts, but the approval of all beings and spirits in the universe…”
She smiled, “Before coming, I contacted Xiao Bai. She’s agreed to join your Guanxuan Academy as the head of the Spirit Academy!”
She opened her palm, and a paper with a small paw print floated to Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan looked at it, “What’s this?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “A hiring letter I wrote. Xiao Bai signed it with her paw. With this, you’ll gain the approval of all spirits and heavenly laws in the existing and boundless universes, plus their help.”
Ye Xuan was silent, his right hand trembling slightly.
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “Do you know how many universes exist?”
Ye Xuan shook his head, “No idea!”
Ding Shaoyao smiled faintly, “The existing universes number in the tens of trillions at least, with countless factions, large and small, interwoven complexly. To spread your academy across them all, you need the help of all beings and a clan’s support!”
She opened her palm, and a paper with a divine thunder mark floated to Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan was confused, “What’s this?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “An agreement signed with the Heavenly Law Clan’s leader. They’ve agreed to assist us across these countless universes. Mortals revere heavenly laws, and if the Heavenly Law Clan joins your Guanxuan Academy…”
She trailed off, her lips curving slightly.
Ye Xuan was silent.
Ding Shaoyao continued, “Once the academy is built, what’s needed most? Laws! A system to govern the entire universe. Before coming, I gathered countless scholars to draft a comprehensive legal code!”
She opened her palm, and a storage ring floated to Ye Xuan, containing tens of millions of thick ancient texts.
Ye Xuan was stunned, “These are?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “Laws!”
Ye Xuan was shocked, “So many?”
Ding Shaoyao shook her head, “With so many universes, each with different customs, we must consider local traditions when drafting laws, especially for unique races. Human moral standards don’t always apply, so we tailored laws for them.”
Ye Xuan was silent.
Ding Shaoyao continued, “With laws in place, you need strength to enforce them. I know your academy is new and short on manpower, so I’ve formed an enforcement team for you! Handpicked by me, thirty-six in total, all peak Void Self Realm experts, able to traverse universes freely. Of course, thirty-six is too few, so I had them select more from the clan, about 109 in total, all top-tier experts.”
Ye Xuan glanced at Ding Shaoyao, saying nothing.
Ding Shaoyao smiled faintly, “Don’t look at me like that. I won’t ask you to return to the Yang Clan. As I said, you don’t need to. It’s good for a young man to build his own legacy outside, and I support you.”
Ye Xuan gave a wry smile, “Aunt Ding… I don’t know if I should refuse you!”
Ding Shaoyao suddenly asked, “What’s the purpose of your academy?”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “To establish a new order!”
Ding Shaoyao nodded, “To create order and change the universe, your heart must be bigger, more inclusive. Am I right?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Yes!”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “I know you’re like your father, sometimes a bit extreme. But as the academy’s head, you can’t always act on impulse. Am I right?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Yes!”
Ding Shaoyao nodded slightly, “So, are you still going to refuse me?”
Ye Xuan, “…”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “I know you don’t resent the Yang Clan or Qing Shi. You resent being called a bastard. You asked Qing Shi if you were one, and I know you feel wronged. But you don’t need to prove anything to anyone. You are you, and you don’t care about being the Yang Clan’s young master, do you?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Exactly!”
Ding Shaoyao smiled lightly, then opened her palm. A storage ring floated to Ye Xuan, “This contains 200 billion cosmic veins, plus various cultivation methods and divine techniques. An academy needs to train armed forces, and these should help.”
She smiled, “No matter what, we’re family. Am I right?”
Ye Xuan glanced at the ring, hesitated, then nodded, “Yes!”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “I won’t disturb you further! Get to work.”
As she turned to leave, she stopped at the door, adding, “There’s another big gift coming soon. Wait for it!”
Ye Xuan hurriedly said, “Aunt Ding, you’re too generous!”
Ding Shaoyao laughed, “We’re family, why say such things?”
With that, she left the hall.
Inside, Ye Xuan stood in silence, looking at the storage ring. Was he being too petty?
…
After leaving the hall, Ding Shaoyao ascended to the clouds, where a woman with a long sword on her back stood.
It was Situ Tingyun.
Situ Tingyun looked down and asked, “How did it go?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled faintly, “The boy’s just feeling wronged. He doesn’t truly hate us!”
Situ Tingyun said solemnly, “Will he return to the Yang Clan?”
Ding Shaoyao shook her head, “I didn’t ask him to.”
Situ Tingyun frowned, “Why not?”
Ding Shaoyao said softly, “Because he’d never agree. So, we need another approach, like… letting the Yang Clan gradually merge into his Guanxuan Academy…”
Situ Tingyun hesitated, then asked, “Is there a difference?”
Ding Shaoyao smiled, “There is. Forcing him back to the Yang Clan won’t work, but if we let the Yang Clan blend into his Guanxuan Academy, he can’t refuse.”
Her lips curved slightly, “This little guy’s still a bit green!”
Situ Tingyun, “…”
