7.Glimmer of Hope

Mu Mansion in the Blazing Dawn SectIn the heart of the Elders residence area of the Blazing Dawn Sect stood the imposing structure of Mu Mansion, its architecture designed in a Panopticon style. A central tower housed the living quarters of the Mu Family, while surrounding it were various departments - financial, business, armory, and martial arts classrooms for sect students. This layout allowed the Mu Family to oversee all operations, ensuring efficiency and control.Within the confines of the Mu Family quarters, candles flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Aunt Li Mei reclined on her husband Han Cha's lap, her hair disheveled, and her clothes unkempt. "Father is onto us," she murmured, a sly smile playing on her lips. "But luckily, we know all his spies and the location of any evidence he might have against us, including my treatment of Edina. We can dispose of it whenever necessary."Han Cha gazed at his wife with a troubled expression. "You're right," he conceded, "but our immediate concern should be securing that inheritance. We must use it to fortify our position within the Sect. You need to position yourself as the frontrunner for the next sect leader before the succession battle erupts in the imperial palace. That way, we can throw our support behind the second prince's claim to the throne." Li Mei Nodding then with a sly smile kissing her husband.After their kiss, Han Cha spoke up. "Oh, I just remembered. A junior disciple reported that the merchant from Leon witnessed Wei and Jin bullying Edina. Instruct them not to harass her while he's a guest in the sect." Li Mei grasped the implication immediately. The reason she took Edina under her wing after Jinwei's death was to garner support from the Leon Empire for her bid to become sect leader. If Keith, the merchant, noticed anything amiss, he might use his long-distance communication spell to inform the Leon Empire. Subsequently, the Imperial Family of the Leon Empire would pressure the Blazing Dawn Sect and the Imperial Palace of the Central Plains to send Edina to the Western Continent, where she would be under their care. Li Mei was adamant about keeping Edina under her control to ensure the Leon Empire felt obligated to support her. Foreign support was a significant advantage in claiming the position. "I will," she said, before pushing him down.In Jinwei Mansion, the Blazing Dawn SectJunior Edina continued to peruse the letter from Senior Edina.Step one: Let's take back financial control of Jinwei Mansion!"You're out of your mind," Junior Edina muttered to herself as she read the first line, though she remained composed and continued reading.Yep, in two weeks' time, the merchant Keith Maxism will depart for the Leon Empire. Grandfather will host a banquet, inviting heads of sub-clans and elders. We're going to leverage this event to request financial independence. Currently, Aunt Li Mei uses the allowance allocated to Jinwei Mansion to fund her own interests. Once you demand financial independence, she'll be forced to hand over the account books with the funds for this month's allowance, which she's already spent. Consequently, she'll need to acquire the money by any means necessary, or else you can easily expose her. Additionally, with financial independence, we can terminate all staff in Jinwei Mansion, putting an end to the bullying by the staff you've endured. Here's my plan: if we can't expose Aunt Li Mei directly, let's challenge her authority in a different manner. This strategy aims to gradually erode her control over you. I understand that you're afraid to speak up and struggle to think clearly in confrontational situations, so I propose a solution: what if you didn't have to think? In the following pages, I've anticipated all possible responses from grandfather, Aunt Li Mei, and everyone else at the banquet.Memorize the prepared replies and recite them like a poem. If something unexpected arises during the conversation, simply nod your head. I'll provide more anticipated conversations and responses the next time I take over.This was madness. Junior Edina flipped through the pages and found rows upon rows of text written in Han Language, not Leonese, since she needed to memorize and use it in conversation. Junior Edina couldn't help but marvel at Senior Edina's dedication, realizing she must have stayed up all night contemplating every possible turn the conversation could take. Despite feeling frightened, Junior Edina also experienced a surge of excitement. It was surprising how easily brought into this seemingly unrealistic narrative.Deep down, there was a profound psychological reason for her acceptance. As a 13-year-old girl who had recently lost her parents and was enduring torment from her Aunt, she felt utterly isolated and overwhelmed with emotions. Bottling up her anger and frustrations, she subconsciously yearned for someone who could understand and support her. Thus, when this seemingly unrealistic source of support appeared, she couldn't help but embrace it, clinging to the hope that it might be true. Despite her maturity, she was still a young teenager seeking companionship and understanding.Taking the pages in hand, Junior Edina began to read them one by one. She knew it would be impossible to memorize everything in just two weeks, especially since Senior Edina would be adding more. Nevertheless, Junior Edina was determined to try. The prospect of avoiding the darkroom forever was too enticing to ignore.The next morning, the broken window cast its fractured light into the room, but Junior Edina was already dressed for class and unfazed by the glimmer. She made her way to the cooking area of Jinwei Mansion, where she discreetly disposed of the letter written in Leonese by Senior Edina, tossing it into the fire to conceal it from prying eyes. While no one in the mansion could read Leonese, Junior Edina knew that if Xiao Min stumbled upon it, she might report it to Li Mei. Even if Li Mei couldn't decipher the text, she could find someone who could. With the letter disposed of, Junior Edina proceeded to class at the Mu Mansion.Meanwhile, in the guest wing of the Blazing Dawn Sect, Keith embarked on a morning stroll, his golden-brown locks aglow in the sunlight. He made his way to the Wisdom Mansion, a grand structure housing libraries and classrooms where disciples honed their martial skills. Observing the disciples practicing brought a smile to his face. Approaching the entrance to the library, a guard initially moved to intercept him out of habit but relented upon recognizing him as a guest of the sect leader. Keith acknowledged the guard's gesture and entered the library, greeted by rows upon rows of shelves teeming with books, giving credence to the mansion's name. As Keith perused the volumes, he spotted an elderly man with a lively air about him, despite his white hair. The man was seated in a corner engrossed in a book. Keith approached him, book in hand, and took a seat across from him. The old man, without looking up from his reading, remarked, "What a coincidence to encounter you here, Keith," before smiling and gesturing to the book in his hands. "Indeed," Keith replied, returning the smile."And likewise, Sect Leader Liang Feng."Read 12+ advance chapters by becoming a patron : patreon.com/kn1is7otaku