LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 219: Lame.
"Lame," Ruo said unhesitantly.
"I like it, simple and elegant," Liyue said with a nod while also throwing a chess piece accurately at Ruo's forehead.
Ruo suppressed another growl. She couldn't mess with this particular big sister too much. She wasn't Han Li or Yue Li; Liyue would probably beat her up if she acted too cocky.
Hua Feilan spoke up this time, not asking about the sect business.
"I am all for the promise, and I am ready to enter the binding. I… just have one question. I don't even mind becoming a part of this Paradise as long as I won't be forced to do something I don't want to. I just have one question."
Han Li looked at her. She looked back at him, unflinching.
"I have not one, but two questions. Sorry for that, but may I know why Hua Yu is not a part of this discussion?
"…And I still don't know—even as her best friend—what your relationship is with her.
"Are you guys romantically attracted? In a relationship? Or are you guys in a hateful relationship? My mind boggles. I know it could be a private thing, but I've known Hua Yu for decades, and we are not the type to keep secrets from each other.
"And if she is excluded from this extremely important meeting for no reason, I'd like to leave as well. Honestly, I respect you a lot, but Han Li, if that much is the respect you give to a woman who is tied to you—I can't see myself being any different.
"I won't lie to myself as there is no need to. I like you, and I do feel attracted. Why bother? I feel like if you had asked me, I might have slept with you without a question. I still want to be more of a prominent figure in this room, and that's my attraction to you talking.
"But I'd like to know why Hua Yu isn't here before I enter into this sect business—which is clearly dangerous."
Ruo smiled from the side.
"Ah, the so-mighty-Brother Han won't actually be afraid of Big Sister Hua Yu because she is the only woman around you who is stronger than you, would he? I won't be surprised, honestly. He is a cynic."
She prodded Yue Li and said, "Mom, look, he does have flaws. He is not invincible. But if I say it out loud, it's as if I have done something of a great offense. I get that you all love him, but you are all so shallow; how can a person grow without knowing their flaws? You guys are such… crass fools."
She shrugged at all the unfriendly eyes on her, especially Liyue was looking at her as if she was genuinely mad this time.
"Ruo, if you respect me, shut up. Don't speak a word in this meeting anymore. You are still too immature."
Ruo's eyes grew obviously shadowed. Yet, she didn't speak. For all her arrogant words, she respected everyone in the room as her elders. Especially Liyue—she really considered Liyue to be her actual big sister.
Han Li ignored Ruo's taunts for now and leaned forward, closer to Hua Feilan's face, his eyes bright.
"That's one way to confess you have feelings for me. And don't worry about Hua Yu. She is not someone who requires you to be worried about—and I and her are partners. Moreover, I bet she knows what's going on here—that woman is too curious not to know everything happening around the temple."
Hua Feilan's cheeks reddened because of his close proximity, but she didn't fawn at him. She just nodded.
"I am in. So what am I now, part of the Paradise?"
Han Li smirked.
"Since no one wishes to leave, let's establish some ground rules and begin the sect first."
***
"Rule one: What happens in Paradise stays in Paradise."
"Rule two: We don't support backstabbing or unnecessary maliciousness inside the Paradise. If some kind of irreconcilable conflict occurs between the two here, they will be handled by the Master of the Sect and the top authority—Me."
"Rule Three:…"
The rules were clear.
No one could betray each other out of maliciousness. Yet, other than true betrayal, everyone had their own freedom, and nobody restricted their actions in the true essence.
They were not Han Li's puppets. They had full autonomy of themselves but they could think whatever they wanted to think. But they couldn't act against any of the members of the sect maliciously while knowing they were part of the sect.
With Han Li's experience, creating a set of laws without any loopholes that didn't restrict anyone's true freedom at all was not especially hard. The position of the Sect Master did command more respect than the other members but it was not to the point of slavery.
And thus, The Demon Paradise was born.
Han Li had become a Sect master. If the world knew, Transcendents would probably send killers after him already.
The Sect's first members were: Yue Li, Liyue, Li Yao, Hua Feilan, Wei Yuanfen, and Ruo.
The sect had just been established and it still needed a lot of work to be a functional weapon in Han Li's hand. Regardless, for now, everyone in the room entered into a Heart Qi binding and Han Li could feel locks being placed into them.
It was not really an ordinary Heart Qi Binding either. He was much better at using Heart Qi after sensing his own Existence and so, he could create a sort of Heart Qi Binding that would warn the bound people without outright hurting them first.
If they were close to breaking a law, they themselves would be warned by a sort of pain—they would be warned (You are close to going against the laws).
As the caster of the binding, he himself would also feel that their binding was being strained. It was indeed similar to how a sect functioned.
Just that the sect would require absolute patriotism.
After everything was settled, he clenched his hand around his mother's waist, and seeing that he was filled with some foreign emotion, she patted his hand gently, soothing him where no others noticed.