The Mandate

Main Hall, Li Manor, Phoenix Empire

It was evening, and the mercenaries were exhausted. Meeting people turned out to be this tiring! Thankfully they had met everyone, even the small patrician families. Li Sihan, who had been blissfully playing with Little Bun in the Li manor artificial hot springs all day, finally returned to the Main Hall. She sat down under everyone's gaze.

"Shall we return to the Headquarters, then, Grand Chief?" Flaming Spear Xi Yun asked.

Li Sihan contemplated the suggestion. Then she slowly shook her head.

"Little Bun's cultivation cannot withstand the terrain of the Headquarters yet,"

What-- what?! Their Grand Chief was not returning -- because of that baby?!!

"Grand Chief--" Xi Yun felt her head throbbing.

"I can't leave Little Bun behind!" Li Sihan barked.

"I dare not suggest that!" Xi Yun went down on one knee, "but everyone at the Headquarters has been pent up and worried for a whole year--"

"Tell them I'm well then. Who else is worried? Is this not all of you seniors?"

"Well--" Xi Yun thought quickly, "how about we stay by your side? The Scorpion Hall and Yan Temple might make a move while we're gone?"

"The Scorpion Hall already made their move. And am I a child? If I can't protect myself, can you?"

Everyone: ...Yes, you are a child, Boss!!

"What I want you to do is this. Investigate the Headquarters of the Scorpion Hall. I want to kill that old man myself. And the Yan Temple. They can dream all they want, but they will never become like the Si Lak Mercenaries!"

"Yes!" Everyone's voices rang out.

"Jun Ru, you will remain with me,"

"Yes, Grand Chief!"

The envious gazes from the others made Jun Ru swell with pride.

"Grand Chief, I'm also skilled, especially with dealing with pesky people. Let me stay here as well!" Sword Saint Tao He pleaded.

Li Sihan cocked her head to one side and seemed to be considering the matter.

"Grand Chief, me too!"

"Grand Chief, Young Miss probably needs some pills to increase her foundation, let me stay!"

"Grand Chief, I'll also stay!"

"Ditto!"

Li Sihan: "...."

"Enough," Li Sihan frowned, "Jun Ru and Tao He will stay,"

"Thank you, Grand Chief!" Tao He bowed. He cast a provocative glance at Jun Ru. Young kid, you may be my Senior, but it's not for nothing I'm an old man!

Finally, Li Sihan asked.

"By the way, why are all of you wearing such ugly masks? Do you want to scare my Little Bun?"

Everyone: "...."

Jun Ru had taken off his mask earlier but had worn it again when they were tasked to meet with the representatives from the prestigious families. His face was chiseled, hard lined, but his eyes were lit up with a mischievous light.

Xi Yun was a beautiful young woman in her mid twenties. Her raven-black hair, like Li Sihan's, fell in tresses about her shoulders. The greatest attraction were her soft purple eyes, with fluttering eyelashes that made one think one was in a dream.

Tao He was like a well meaning uncle next door. He had a well kept beard that greatly enhanced his charm. His eyes were slightly curved upward, and gave one the impression that he was always smiling. Although his biological age was above seventy, he only appeared to be middle aged.

Red Monkey was an ethereal beauty. Her cheeks were rosy, and her lips were pink. Her locks were golden, and tied with a simple ribbon at the back.

Charming Leopard, truly middle aged, was reserved. His long hair fell down to his shoulders and his heterochromatic eyes, like Luo Bai's, made onlookers feel ill at ease. He had very pale skin that could almost be seen through.

Storm Sword was hair all over. Wild untamed hair, hairy arms, bushy beard, he looked like a bear, but friendly.

Spider Lily was a wizened old man with a short white beard. Though the rest of his body betrayed his age, his face was devoid of wrinkles.

These seemingly harmless people were all ace killers! Don't fall a prey!

Royal Palace, Phoenix Imperial Capital

Xi Huazing was green with envy. How?!? How could the Si Lak Mercenaries have rejected him and chosen Ji Hanming, who did not have one single drop of cultivation talent in his meridians?! The Ji family now dared to look down on the imperial family!! The prime minister kept receiving congratulations from all and sundry, even at court! It was no small matter, his eldest son had been accepted into the Si Lak Mercenaries. The Si Lak Mercenaries! Other than the daughter of the Feng family, he was the only one who was accepted during the Si Lak Mercenaries visit to the Phoenix Empire. Of course, with Feng Chusan's unparalleled beauty, and the Feng family's undying prestige, how would those hot blooded mercenaries pass up a beauty like her?

But people talked. The Phoenix imperial family's fourth prince, born of the Emperor and Consort Ruang, who was the Li patriarch's cousin; a prodigy of cultivation talent, was not selected! Did the Li patriarch not put in enough of a good word in front of the Mercenaries for him? Or was the Li patriarch unconcerned? Quite a number of people knew the beef between the Li patriarch and his cousin Li Ruang. The lady had relied on him for most of her adult life, but after she married into the imperial family, she shunned her cousin completely. Now, she had the guts to visit the Li manor and try to guilt trip her cousin as to why her son was not already in the Si Lak Mercenaries right now. The bystanders reported that the fiery young miss of the Li family had sent the consort packing back to the imperial palace in dismay. And-- and-- there was a much much more flabbergasting piece of news circulating the capital; Sword Saint Tao He and Shadow Claw Jun Ru, two top echelons of the Si Lak Mercenaries , remained in the Li Manor! What was this?! The Li patriarch still called the shots! Who was Shadow Claw, who was Sword Saint? These people were not to be trifled with!! Other people surmised that it was these two prodigies that silenced the airheaded consort rather that the little miss of the Li family.

The Emperor sat on his throne, displeasure and unwillingness written all over his face. Kneeling on the floor was Consort Ruang, tears streaming down her face, being supported one one side by her daughter, the eight princess Xi Huan, and on the other side by Xi Huazing.

"Consort Ruang, when did We ask you to seek an explanation from our subject Li Zhenming on this emperor's behalf?" The emperor asked, comforting himself in his heart. Yes, Li Zhenming was still his subject, as long as the man resided in the Phoenix Empire. He had asked the Grand Chamberlain to summon the Li patriarch to the imperial palace. The man was already on his way.

"Your majesty--" Consort Ruang didn't have anything to say and just kept shedding tears, hiding her face behind her sleeves. If one could see her heart, one would know that these were not crocodile tears at all! Oh, how her heart bled! When she became a Consort, she had thought that she had reached the pinnacle of existence, that she would be forever at the top, receiving everyone's respects. So she shunned her cousin. She shunned her cousin who had taken her in when she was at her lowest point, who had disregarded past grudges with her parents, his uncle and out. The relationship between Li Zhenming and his cousin, Li Ruang, had always been a bittersweet love hate one, but the majority of the blame rested on Li Ruang or her side of the family.

First of all, Li Ruang's parents were Li Zhenming's benefactors. He became an orphan at a young age, and thus was taken in by the older Li couple who had always wanted a son, but only had Li Ruang in their old age. The senior Li doted on Li Zhenming a lot, and no one knew he was only their nephew. Little Li Ruang also took to her new 'ge-ge' with gusto, and was always seen running after him, calling out shrilly: "Zhenming ge-ge! Wait for Ruang-er!"

However, this blissful family life ended when the older Li couple disagreed with Li Zhenming over a seemingly trivial issue by the time he was in his late teens. They wanted him to be apprenticed to senior Li's friend to learn business, but he refused and went for someone else, someone who senior Li detested. The disagreement escalated quickly, with old matters being brought up, and Li Zhenming was eventually thrown out of the house to fend for himself.

A few years later when Li Ruang became an orphan as well, she fled to the capital. She had had it rough when at first, having no money or kin, deceived a few times, and even nearly being sold to a brothel! Then she caught a very familiar name on people's lips, and soon the story of her cousin's success reached her ears. Battered and haggard, she had found her way to his house. He received her warmly and took charge of her for over a decade. As her cousin progressed financially, she also progressed in status, and soon became friends with several noble young ladies of the capital. With these high-standing friends of hers, the former simple country bumpkin was unrecognisable, as she started attending functions in the palace. Soon, she 'fell in love' with the Emperor! Her problems with her cousin had begun at this point. Li Zhenming preferred her to settle down with a low ranked scholar or minister and live a quiet peaceful life. But the glamorous palace life was what she desired. Despite her cousin's rebuttals, she had entered the harem and became a consort. Her cousin's support ended here and her struggles began. Poison in teas. Needles under the sheets. Fake disloyal maids. Scheming eunuchs. Embarrassing herself in front of the emperor. Unknowingly insulting the empress dowager.... What didn't she face in that hell called the harem! She managed to safely deliver the pregnancy of the Fourth Prince and that was when she could finally rest easy as her status was affirmed. But one could never let down one's guard in the harem. Sometimes she wondered if it would not have been better to have listened to her cousin all those years ago.

"Li Zhenming pays his respects to the Emperor!" A strong steady voice resounded in the Emperor's court. Li Zhenming was dressed in a brown and gold court robe patterned with sparrows and a befitting silver headpiece to match. He kowtowed to the Emperor and to the Empress, who sat next to the Emperor in her own throne, watching the proceedings without much emotion.

"You may rise," the Emperor was a little but conflicted. He had, at first, been thinking to coax Li Zhenming into forgiving the Consort Ruang so the last vestiges of the honour the man had for the imperial family would not be fed to partridges. But now, when the man himself had arrived, the man that had somehow gained the support of the Si Lak Mercenaries, a man in whose manor the fifth ranked assassin on the continent, and the most renowned swordmaster In Phoenix Empire remained after the Mercenaries had left. What was he supposed to say now? Was the man really still his subject?

An idea suddenly struck the Emperor.

"You have a young daughter, don't you?"

Li Zhenming was a little confused. He pondered whether the matter of his daughter being the Grand Chief of the Si Lak Mercenaries had been leaked. But he had strictly threatened everyone in his manor who had witnessed it that day. Did the emperor have a spy in his manor?

"Yes, your majesty. Your subject had two young daughters," Li Zhenming replied.

"I knew it. You are a most beloved subject of this emperor. Our families shall be united. I will grant your elder daughter the mandate of Princess Weiyu and betroth her to the seventeenth prince,"

Li Zhenming's mouth twitched. Was this damn emperor kidding him right now?!! He didn't even know his Sihan's name, yet he had already casually decided his beloved daughter's future just like that?!?! Even when he was just Patriarch Li, the top business mogul of the Phoenix Empire, he would never allow this! Much less now that he was Patriarch Li, the father of the Grand Chief of the Si Lak Mercenaries!! If he could not reject this simple thing on behalf of his daughter without her hearing about it at all, was he still worthy of being her father???

Li Zhenming bowed.

"Your majesty, please forgive this subject for rejecting your goodwill. My family is not worthy enough to accept this mandate. And about my daughter," Li Zhenming looked regretful, "I am afraid that I cannot say she is mine anymore. During the Si Lak Mercenaries trip to our Phoenix Empire, one of the Seniors took a fancy to her and has accepted her as a disciple. Soon, she will enter the Si Lak Mercenaries. My younger daughter as well. Your majesty, please take back your gracious mandate,"

Shock was written on the faces of everyone in the emperor's court. Of course! Li Zhenming still called the shots! Two! Two of his children had been accepted into the Mercenaries, two little girls who still smelled of milk!!! He was the greatest winner, of course! Who knew what other hidden deals they'd cooked while they were still in his manor! This man was already way out of league! The prime minister would be forever grateful to him as he was the one who had facilitated his son's acceptance into the Si Lak Mercenaries. Would he not at once jump to the man's aid if needed? The Feng family were also in his debt. How he would scoff at the emperor's decree! What princess Weiyu, what seventeenth prince consort? The emperor felt like an idiot. Even if it was crown prince consort, would Li Zhenming agree? One had to know that he detested palace harem schemes the most! And that was what being a prince consort was all about.

"I understand you can't make decisions on your daughter's behalf anymore," the emperor collected his thoughts quickly, "but We still want to reward you. How about this, I will throw a banquet in your honour. Bring your family into the palace. Your daughters will still receive princess mandates, and they will be regarded as royal family members,"

Li Zhenming was not pleased at this forced gesture. He knew exactly what the emperor was after. To have him bring Sword Saint Tao He into the palace so Xi Huazing could present himself as the disciple that got abandoned six years ago.

If only he could keep up the pretence of the motive of Sword Saint and Shadow Claw's staying on in the Phoenix Empire! If there was a banquet, and Sihan entered the palace, Shadow Claw and Sword Saint would accompany her for sure!

"This subject thanks your majesty's benevolence," Li Zhenming bowed and excused himself. Xi Huazing offered to accompany him back to the Li Manor but he hastily refused.

Returning to the court after seeing the Li patriarch outside the door, Xi Huazing was charged strictly by the emperor.

"I don't know what you will do this time-- but Sword Saint Tao He must become your master,"

"I'll enter closed door cultivation," a resolute look came into those peach blossom eyes. He had lost two opportunities. This last chance must be seized!

"Good. Try your best to breakthrough to Martial Practitioner. And also master the Four Winds Sword Technique Scroll bestowed by the Empress Dowager," The emperor said.

"Yes, father. I shall not let you down," Xi Huazing bowed and exited the court. The emperor soon dismissed everyone else.