"Act as Circumstances Dictate"

Knock, knock—

A string of knocks sounded from outside the door.

Inside, Yun Yun, who was sitting cross-legged in cultivation, paused for an instant. After her soul swept over the area, she continued circulating her Dou Qi, merely dividing off part of her attention to keep an eye on the outside world.

"Yanran? Come in."

"Master..."

Nalan Yanran pushed the door open and saluted. The moment she entered the room, she saw the table piled high with papers. "These things are still here?"

She had seen this same pile last month. This time, not only had it not shrunk, there were even more of them.

Who knew how long they had been backed up?

"You came at just the right time. Take all of these to the elders when you leave."

Yun Yun's eyes opened and closed slightly, green light flickering within them. "I'm afraid I can't spare that much energy to deal with these things."

It was not all that unexpected.

Nalan took out a stack and flipped through it. They were all documents involving sect resources and positions. "Master, these have already been reviewed by the elders. They're just waiting for you to make the final decision."

Everything inside had been written out clearly and thoroughly. They were only short of listing options one, two, and three from best to worst and arranging a whole spread of plans for her.

At most, all she had to do was choose from them.

"Huh?"

Yun Yun stopped what she was doing and beckoned with her hand. The documents flew halfway over, but then she hesitated. After thinking it over again and again, she still pushed them back.

"Let it be, then. Since the elders have already planned it all out, we'll follow what's written here."

"But..."

Nalan Yanran opened her mouth, subconsciously setting aside even her own business first. "But Master, you're the Sect Leader! The documents sent here all need the Sect Leader's seal before anyone dares to act on them."

"Then you stamp them."

Yun Yun dropped a bombshell as if it were nothing.

"That isn't appropriate..." Nalan's hand trembled, and she tossed the documents back onto the table.

Perhaps because she had been exposed to such things since childhood, she was still rather sensitive to matters of power and knew where the boundaries lay.

No matter how much Yun Yun protected her, she was still only a disciple with a different surname. So long as she had not succeeded the position, she could not be secure for even a day.

Young Sect Master? The "young" part was certainly true. As for "Sect Master," that was harder to say.

"I think it's very appropriate!"

Yun Yun acted completely unconcerned. "No matter what, you are still the Young Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect. What's inappropriate about the Acting Sect Leader handling affairs?"

"This... yes..."

Nalan Yanran swallowed the words she had been brewing for a long time, though she had still wanted to discuss something, and sat in the seat like a puppet, acting as a stamping machine.

Open it. Bang!

Lift it. Bang!

Change to another. Bang! She did not dare flip an extra page, nor did she feel right looking at them too closely. As for whether stamping things so carelessly would have any consequences...

There were two Sect Leader seals in total, and carved on the bottom of one of them were the four words "Act as Circumstances Dictate."

After Nalan had stamped dozens of times, she straightened them slightly and looked toward the mountain of documents again. For a moment, her scalp went numb.

It was not that she was afraid of the workload. She had merely suddenly realized that this whole enormous pile of documents would ultimately all be—

"Act as Circumstances Dictate."

"..."

Nalan Yanran suddenly felt that the seal in her hand had become inexplicably hot to the touch.

"Whew~"

After a long while, the Dou Qi inside Yun Yun gradually calmed, and the light in her eyes receded as she ended her cultivation.

Nalan, who had finished stamping the seals long ago, was nodding off with her head propped on the table. Startled by a sudden current of wind, she opened her eyes with a jolt. "Ah! Master."

"If you're tired, go sleep for a while."

Yun Yun pointed behind the hall. "Thanks to you for handling these things."

"I'm not tired..."

Nalan Yanran looked at the robe draped over her, then hung it back on the rack. "Master, has the Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect always been like this?"

Ignoring worldly affairs and focusing solely on cultivation.

Whatever important matters or work there was, it was all thrown to the people below.

Yun Yun naturally knew what she was asking, but she did not answer directly. Her voice carried helplessness, along with a hint of self-mockery. "Do I look like someone capable of getting things done?"

Nalan fell silent for a moment, which counted as leaving her master a little dignity.

No.

Anyone could tell she was not the sort to pour passion into running a sect.

"I became Sect Leader only because I am a Dou Emperor, not because I am suited to it. Do you understand?"

Yun Yun picked up two seals and showed Nalan Yanran their undersides. "The Sect Leader holds the greatest authority because this is a privilege granted to the strongest."

"They can be a diligent, hardworking doer, or an irresponsible hands-off manager, or even an ambitious schemer..."

"But the one thing they cannot be is some carefree recluse who abandons the sect, or a coward who only ever protects themselves!"

Nalan Yanran's eyes shifted slightly.

The two seals were held before her eyes. One read "Act as Circumstances Dictate," and the other "Sect Leader's Edict."

"I was never good at dealing with all these messy affairs. If I forced my way in, I would only give myself a headache. It would be better to let them act freely instead."

Yun Yun brought the two seals together and put them away. "Naturally, it would be best if the Sect Leader could manage affairs. If she cannot handle these trifles, then she should cultivate and not let the image of the entire sect's spiritual leader collapse."

Then aren't you afraid they'll overthrow you? Nalan Yanran was just about to speak, but instantly fell silent again.

Overthrow... and after overthrowing her? Who would take the position of Sect Leader? Those Dou Wangs?

Those hostile forces, or even allies—would they negotiate with a newly appointed Dou Wang like you, or would they speak face-to-face with Dou Emperor Yun Yun?

Strength was the eternal truth.

A leader was not something you could become simply because you thought you were one.

The Life and Death Gate passed down through generations of the Misty Cloud Sect easily drew an uncrossable chasm, completely separating the Sect Leader from the elders.

Even if there was not much difference in their starting talent, one trip through that gate ought to divide heaven from earth.

"Yes, Teacher... Yanran understands."

Nalan Yanran stood quietly in place, her thoughts churning.

Even though she was still far from those realms, the cold, cruel truth had already been laid bare before her.

The strong were revered! "As long as you understand."

Yun Yun smiled and nodded. Seeing Nalan Yanran still standing there awkwardly, hesitating, she drew a little closer, leaned against the desk, and asked, "Yanran, is there something else?"

"Well..."

Nalan Yanran paused, not knowing where to begin. After thinking it over several times, she still decided it was better to be direct. "Teacher... um, I actually have a marriage engagement."

Crack—

Nalan Yanran's body trembled.

The hand braced on the desk clenched slightly, yet Yun Yun's smile did not fade. She straightened herself, lowered her head a little, and said, "Yanran? Can you tell me about this in detail? I would very much like to hear the story between you two."

"Yes... yes, Teacher."

Nalan Yanran raised her head slightly, her movements stiff. "But there's nothing between me and him..."

The almost frozen air instantly began to flow again. Yun Yun seemed to let out a great sigh of relief and patted Nalan Yanran's back as if to comfort her. "I knew it~"

She had already made an exception for Nalan Yanran once. If there was another time, then it really would be deliberately going against her.

"Even so, don't do anything that will put Teacher in a difficult position in the future, all right?" Yun Yun advised her, almost pleading.

"Don't worry, Teacher!"

Nalan Yanran calmed her heartbeat. Even the pressure a Dou Emperor released unconsciously was not something she could easily endure. "I know where to draw the line. I absolutely won't put you in a difficult position, Teacher."

Ha, guaranteed difficult position. ()