It was the first time Wu was this confused, having tens of questions troubling her mind.
Was her grandpa lying to create trouble for Xuefeng? Elder Yang's reaction and his quick departure clearly showed something was up. Sect Master Liu getting new disciples could definitely bring such a reaction from him.
But would Xuefeng even get a master like that? Especially on the first day after their Ascension? She believed he had the capabilities to be recruited, but he already had Ming and Ling who were more than enough knowledgeable to lead him. He didn't need that Sect Master Liu even if he was the most powerful expert in the Heaven Realm.
Maybe he did it for resources? Or maybe he was forced? She didn't have much information, not able to guess properly.
"Congratulations, Miss Wu. Not only having Trade Union's support but also Sect Master Liu decided to take your husband under his wing. I'm sure you will get to the top quite quickly," Lady Wang called out happily, raising her glass of wine. "I can't wait to meet the man that could fall under Sect Master Liu's radar."
"Thank you, Lady Wang," Wu replied before questioning her grandpa. "Are you sure? Is this confirmed?"
"I wasn't sure myself, thinking that your husband forged the Disciple Token but Elder Yang confirmed that it is impossible. It can only mean that Liu Xuefeng was recruited by Sect Master Liu for real. His other wife, Tianshi, seemed to be recruited as well," President Wu mentioned, smiling at her proudly.
Wu and Nuwa knitted their brows. President Wu was definitely telling all that on purpose. They knew it very well that Xuefeng and Ming were more than capable of forging some token. By bringing the case to everyone's attention, President Wu made the situation even bigger, winning in both scenarios.
If Xuefeng forged it, he would be hunted down by the House of Dragons which would be exactly what President Wu wanted. On the other hand, if Xuefeng actually became Sect Master Liu's personal disciple, he could proudly use his name for benefits as well.
"Though, it is indeed quite confusing," President Wu added. "I know for a fact that Sect Master Liu locked himself in his mountain and is currently preparing for his breakthrough. As Elder Yang said, would Sect Master Liu sneak out at that important moment just to recruit some new disciples? Something seems off."
'I knew it…' Wu muttered in her mind. Her grandpa showed his true plans.
"Does it matter?" Nuwa replied first, rolling her eyes at President Wu. "Elder Yang already said it's impossible to forge it so Xuefeng had to get it somehow. If not from Sect Master Liu himself then maybe from one of his other disciples. Either way, Xuefeng is bound to have a bright future."
"That's true," Master Dong agreed with her. "Pretending to be a Personal Disciple of Sect Master Liu would be a huge offense and House of Dragons would definitely hunt him down if it turned out true. I doubt anyone would be this crazy to do it, so we don't need to worry."
"Maybe it was Sect Master Liu's daughter who met them today and gave them the tokens? I'm sure she has a few excess tokens passed on from her father. She is strong enough to manage the disciples on his stead while he is in closed-door cultivation. It's not like there are many of them," Lady Wang suggested to which other nodded.
Being a disciple of Sect Master Liu was an extremely high profile position so everyone knew about them.
"Let's hope that is true indeed. I don't want to see my granddaughter in heartbreak once something bad happens to her husband. We can only wait for the confirmation from Elder Yang," President Wu muttered with a sigh, reaching out to pat Wu on the head but she dodged his hand, standing up.
"Please inform me when that happens. For now, we will return back and rest for tonight. It's already pretty late," Wu announced, pulling on Nuwa's hand. "You can continue the Celebration Party according to schedule."
"Wait, Little Wu, what about the Auction? It is going to start soon," President Wu called out after her.
"I'm tired after cultivation, so I will sleep early. I will have a busy time tomorrow handling Trade Union matters," Wu replied, gazing at main table guests without bothering with him anymore. "If any of you have any matters with me, please visit my office from tomorrow."
"Don't worry, Miss Wu. Your husband will be alright," Lady Wang assured to which Wu smiled back. "I'm not worried. My husband can handle anything."
In truth, her mind was now occupied with Xuefeng and thoughts around him. Nuwa was for sure similar, so it was best to leave and find a place to handle the matter. On another note, she didn't want to reveal anything more about Xuefeng. The topic would definitely shift to Xuefeng and give her grandpa more opportunity to gain an edge over her. She couldn't let that happen.
Leaving the main table, Wu didn't forget about others.
"Everyone, we will be leaving to rest early," Wu announced to the whole venue in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to talk with everyone but don't worry. I'm not leaving anywhere, so there will be more occasions for sure. Thank you for coming to the party and please, enjoy the auction."
———
"What do you think?"
Right as the two left the Trade Union's escort and entered their mansion, Wu couldn't help but ask, dropping all the acts.
"Knowing Xuefeng and Ming? Yeah, they probably forged the tokens but we can't be hundred percent sure. It does seem like it's very unlikely he was recruited by the Sect Master Liu," Nuwa replied, deep in thought. "No matter if they did or not, they must have known the consequences so they must have a plan as well. We shouldn't worry too much."
"That's true too… Ah, if only he stayed low key for a little longer, I would be able to take control of Trade Union and bring everyone together," Wu lamented.
"But if he did that…" They spoke at the same time. "He wouldn't be Xuefeng we love."
———
"Hey, Bella… It's morning now. You can wake up."
With the first beam of sunlight that entered through the cavern's entrance, Drakos reached out gently with his claws and rubbed Bella on her back, trying to wake her up.
At the first try, Bella still didn't move, stuck in deep sleep. Drakos couldn't help but look at her, staring at the sleeping beauty for some more time. He didn't sleep at all that night, protecting her in case any beasts sensed them.
"Hey… Wake up…" Drakos whispered as he caressed her cheek, his claw bigger than her face. He tried to split her hair, wanting to get a glimpse of her face yet she suddenly jerked, scaring him.
"Mhmm…" She moaned unwillingly, reaching out to cover herself with a part of his wing. "More…"
"What did you say?" Drakos asked, her voice so cute he couldn't resist himself.
"Sleep more… Five minutes…" Bella repeated.
"We can't. It is time to act. The Dwarfs will be leaving soon," Drakos rejected, but she didn't move, rubbing her cheek against his scales. "It's so warm and soft. I want to sleep more…"
How could he reject her when she behaved like this? He ended up waiting more than half an hour, just watching her move around and stretch. The way her chest moved up and down on his body made him curse he wasn't in human form yet.
Yawn…
Bella breathed out loudly with her mouth wide open and finally sat down on his belly.
"I'm hungry. Cook for me," Bella demanded, yawning from time to time.
Normally Drakos would reject her but this time he didn't, knowing he needs her later.
"What do you want?"
"I want meat. Grilled meat," Bella replied casually, staring at him.
"Are you going to jump off me? I can't cook on my back," Drakos questioned confused as she didn't seem like she planned on leaving his stomach.
Only then did she raise up her arms and ordered, "Carry me. The floor is dirty. I don't want to dirty my dress."
"…"
Drakos was slowly getting irritated by her demands but he still didn't complain, picking her up gently. Flipping onto his legs, he placed her on his neck and reached out forward. A big chunk of meat appeared in front of him out of nowhere, and he caught it in his claws.
Just as Bella requested, he slowly began to roast it under the flame bursting from his mouth. He tried to moderate it so he wouldn't burn the meat.
"Nope, grill it some more," Bella said as he passed it to her for testing.
"No, some more please."
"Just a little bit more."
After her last order, Drakos was about to blow up but he stopped himself. For him, the meat was already perfectly ready.
"Is it good now?" Drakos asked after another round of roasting. There were already some signs of being burnt but Bella seemed satisfied.
"Yes, thank you," Bella said casually and cut off a small chunk, slowly eating it. "You can eat the rest."
"You sure you don't want more?" Drakos asked just to be sure and she nodded. With that said, he didn't hesitate but start eating it himself.
He was about to swallow when Bella started a sudden conversation.
"You seem very nice lately. No matter what I do, you don't shout nor argue with me. You didn't fall for me, right?"