A dreamless night…
Xiao Yufan opened his eyes, but he was woken by the ringing phone. Slightly annoyed, he picked up the call, already feeling the urge to scold the person on the other end.
The beauty in his arms murmured softly in her sleep, then shifted positions before drifting off again. Xiao Yufan, however, felt helpless. Who could be so tempting so early in the morning? He suspected this little enchantress had done it on purpose.
“Speak quickly, or get off the line!”
Seeing it was a call from Nie Xiao Dao, Xiao Yufan felt even more like going over there and giving him a beating.
“Master, did I interrupt something good? You’re in such a bad mood. Should I call you back later?”
Xiao Dao’s hearty voice came through, mixed with a hint of laughter. But that laughter sounded far from innocent. It seemed this guy had been influenced by Wang Wei and the others and had become increasingly mischievous.
Thinking of Xiao Dao, Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but recall Senior Sister Shi Yun. He hadn’t returned for several days; he wondered if that quiet woman was missing him…
“If you keep babbling, do you think I won’t train you a bit harder? Even Wei Ge is entering the realm of self-cultivation. Shouldn’t you work a little harder too?”
A sly smile crept onto his lips. On the other end of the line, Nie Xiao Dao’s scalp prickled, and a cold sweat broke out on his back. Recalling the brutal training Master had once put Wei Ge through, he immediately stopped laughing.
“I’m calling Master for an important reason…”
“Just spit it out!”
“A few days ago, we had a confrontation with the Yuan Gang. They entered Dongling, attempting to take it over, but our Dark Gate brothers drove them out. They suffered heavy losses!”
Nie Xiao Dao’s tone turned serious. Thinking back to the clash between the Dark Gate and the Yuan Gang the other day, a flash of sharpness flickered in his eyes.
“A confrontation already?”
Xiao Yufan sounded somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected the Yuan Gang to act so hastily. Back when they were in Dongling, the Yuan Gang had already made their presence known. With the Dark Gate’s current momentum, it wouldn’t be long before they could challenge the Yuan Gang for dominance in the north.
“Yeah, but the people they sent were also strong. Many of our Dark Gate brothers were injured. However, Wei Ge has entered the realm of self-cultivation. Compared to them, we not only didn’t suffer losses, but we won decisively!”
Xiao Dao sounded proud, though much of that victory was thanks to Wang Wei’s advancement. Otherwise, the Dark Gate might have suffered even greater losses.
“Self-cultivation realm—excellent. Faster than I expected. No wonder he’s from the Wang family of Changbai Mountain. His talent must be far superior to many others!”
Xiao Yufan murmured, a slight smile appearing on his face upon hearing this news. The stronger the Dark Gate became, the happier he felt.
“Xiao Dao, let me ask you a question…”
“Master, just say it. Whatever you ask of me, even if it means climbing mountains of blades or leaping into seas of fire, I won’t hesitate!”
“Cut it out. If I really sent you into such dangers, Senior Sister Shi Yun would definitely blame me. Even if it’s not for your sake, I can’t let you do such things!”
“Then what is it that Master wants me to do…”
“I’ve told you before that one day I will leave the Dark Gate, because that’s not where I belong. I can be the shadow behind it, but I’m not suited to be its true leader. I want you to become the leader of the Dark Gate!”
What was once Xiao Yufan’s vision—to build his own underground empire—had now evolved into a new plan: to become the shadow behind that empire, rather than the figure always standing at the forefront.
“Did the Dark Gate brothers do something wrong, Master? Don’t scare me like this…”
Nie Xiao Dao didn’t catch on immediately and grew anxious. Had he done something wrong?
“Never mind. When I return to Linjiang, I’ll explain everything.”
Helplessly shaking his head, Xiao Yufan knew exactly how Nie Xiao Dao would react. Since it was hard to explain over the phone, he decided to wait until his return to Linjiang before making further arrangements.
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