The next day, Leon Huang returned once again to Heavenly Melody Sect.
As soon as she saw him, Grace Gao couldn't wait and said, "Young Master Huang, our Heavenly Melody Sect is willing to submit."
She was so urgent because, in just one day, several more Grandmasters of Heavenly Melody had been assassinated. Meanwhile, the forces led by the three major sects were attacking even more fiercely—just in one day, Tianluo Sect lost over thirty city-fortresses.
Besides Grace Gao, three others were present: two middle-aged women about her age, and an elderly, white-haired woman, stooped and seemingly on the verge of death. But Leon didn't dare underestimate her, as her cultivation was much higher than Grace's.
"May I ask when Young Master Huang will help us resolve this crisis?" one of the middle-aged women asked.
"Sign this."
Leon produced a prepared contract and handed it to Grace Gao.
After reviewing the contract and finding nothing excessive, Grace passed it to the elderly woman: "Aunt Wu, please take a look."
"Let the sect master decide. I have no opinion," the elderly woman shook her head.
"Alright!"
Grace Gao nodded and passed the contract to the other two middle-aged women: "Junior-Sister Wang, Senior-Sister Ning, you both take a look as well."
Finally, the contract ended up in the hands of the middle-aged woman surnamed Ning. She glanced over it carelessly and slowly said, "Young Master Huang, I think you should first help us resolve Heavenly Melody's crisis. Only then can we sign this contract, so we can give an account to our disciples."
"Senior-Sister Ning!"
Grace's expression suddenly darkened, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Years ago, Senior-Sister Ning had competed with her for the sect master position, but Grace had ultimately won.
This time, if Grace went to beg Elder Nian for forgiveness, she would surely never return. Naturally, the position of sect master would fall to Senior-Sister Ning. But now, with Grace suddenly changing her mind, Ning's plans were ruined. So, she disliked Leon and wanted to sabotage the cooperation between Grace and Leon, hoping to force Grace into a death mission at the Holy City.
Ignoring Grace's warning, Senior-Sister Ning looked at Leon and mocked, "All we have are your words. How do we know Young Master Huang isn't lying?"
Leon was far too clever not to see that Senior-Sister Ning and Grace were not on the same side.
He didn't get angry. Instead, he looked at Grace and said, "Sect Master Gao, if you haven't unified your opinions, you should've said so earlier. I've come here for nothing. If you need more time to discuss, I'll come back later—I'm not in a hurry."
"Young Master Huang, please don't misunderstand! Just give me half an incense stick's time!" Grace said anxiously.
"Alright, I'll give you half an incense stick." Leon nodded, walked to the side, sat down, picked up a teacup, and leisurely took a sip.
On the other side of the room.
Grace Gao stared coldly at Senior-Sister Ning, Ning Shangxiang, and said icily, "Senior-Sister Ning, Heavenly Melody is at the brink of life and death. I hope you can consider the bigger picture!"
Ning Shangxiang retorted sharply, "Junior-Sister, I really don't like hearing that. What do you mean, 'consider the bigger picture'? As if I would ever harm Heavenly Melody! Sure, Huang Liang is famous, but you really think he alone can solve our crisis? I absolutely don't believe it. Unless he shows some real sincerity, I will never agree to Heavenly Melody becoming someone else's vassal sect!"
Hearing Ning Shangxiang's words, Grace trembled with anger and demanded, "Do you realize that every quarter-hour you delay, more of our disciples die and more cities fall?"
"But that's still better than becoming someone else's subordinate sect!" Ning Shangxiang refused to back down.
"You're absolutely unreasonable!" Grace shouted angrily.
"I think you're just dying to be someone else's lackey!" Ning Shangxiang loudly mocked.
Suddenly, Leon's voice interrupted: "Sect Master Gao, I think you're no longer suitable to lead Heavenly Melody. Why not hand the sect master position over to Senior-Sister Ning?"
"Young Master Huang, you...?" Grace's expression changed, but when she met Leon's half-smiling gaze, she instantly understood his intention. So she said to Ning Shangxiang, "Senior-Sister Ning, I know you've always been bitter about not becoming sect master. Today, I'll fulfill your wish. Here are the sect master insignia and token—please take them."
Becoming sect master of Heavenly Melody had always been Ning Shangxiang's dream. Now, with Grace suddenly stepping down, she instinctively accepted the insignia and token, her face lighting up with joy.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
Then Grace Gao stepped back, bowed respectfully to Ning Shangxiang.
"Hahaha, Junior-Sister Gao, no need to be so formal! Please, rise quickly!" Ning Shangxiang said, brimming with pride.
Junior-Sister Wang was stunned, while the elderly woman gave Leon a meaningful look and then glanced at the smug Ning Shangxiang. Disappointment flashed in her cloudy old eyes—how could someone with such poor judgment possibly lead Heavenly Melody?
"Thank you, Sect Master Senior-Sister!"
Grace straightened, her expression turning serious. "Sect Master Senior-Sister, outside our sect, the three major East Domain sects are leading attacks against us. Inside, assassins from the Holy City are killing our disciples. We're under siege from all sides. Do you have any strategy to save us from this crisis?"
"What?"
Caught up in the joy of becoming sect master, Ning Shangxiang finally realized that Grace had just dumped the whole mess in her lap.
Before, when she wasn't sect master, she could criticize freely. But now, with the full weight of Heavenly Melody's predicament on her shoulders, she felt suffocated, her mind going blank.
"Sect Master Senior-Sister? Sect Master Senior-Sister?" Grace called repeatedly. Seeing Ning's dazed state, Grace felt an inexplicable satisfaction—now Ning could taste the pressure of being driven mad by responsibility. At the same time, she admired Leon's brilliance: with a single move, he not only solved her immediate problem but left Ning trapped with no way out.
Ning Shangxiang finally came to her senses and said awkwardly, "Well... I don't have a good solution for now. Does Junior-Sister have any ideas?"
Grace replied, "Heavenly Melody now has only two options: either the sect master goes to the Holy City to beg Elder Nian for forgiveness on our behalf—"
"No way! Absolutely not, I'm not going to the Holy City!" Ning Shangxiang waved her hands—this wasn't asking for forgiveness, it was a death sentence.
Grace continued, "Then our only choice is the second option: submit to Young Master Huang and ask him to help us resolve the crisis."
Leon laughed, "I've enjoyed quite the show. Time for me to leave! Farewell, everyone!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Leon vanished without a trace.
Ning Shangxiang was stunned. "He... How did he just leave?"
Grace secretly thanked Leon for playing along. She said, "Sect Master Senior-Sister, since Young Master Huang has left, we can only go with the first option. You should head to the Holy City and beg for forgiveness. The sooner, the better—why not set out right now?"
Instantly, Ning Shangxiang's face turned deathly pale!