Li Huang looked at them and waited for their answer until he remembered something.
"Oh, and you will be under 'my' tutelage not my family, but I have enough money so you don't have to think much of it." Li Huang said. He didn't want the Li family to be responsible for them as he wanted them to be his followers not the young master of the Li family's followers. For Li Huang who likes to plan for everything, getting into a problem with the Li family is also accounted for so this could be another fail-safe for that unlikely, but not impossible situation.
Ren Tai was still shocked but the usually silent Ren Ru cupped her fists, bowed, and came a step forward.
"We of course accept your generous offer, young master Li." She said with a small voice as she wasn't one to talk much and elbowed her brother while she had her fists cupped. Ren Tai who just now came out of his thoughts bowed hastily and cupped his fists.
"Good, you can keep calling me big brother when we are not in public. I will send the letters to your sect for finalizing the tutelage. For now, continue cultivating." Li Huang said and gave each of them a couple of pills that would help them in cultivation. He was positive that if he asked for it, their sect, the Green Lake sect would even expel them so this letter was only a matter of formality and when Li Huang told them that he wants to tutelage them and they accepted, it was a forgone conclusion.
"Young master, this…" Ren Tai wanted to refuse the pills somehow as he felt that it was too much and they would be wasted on them.
Li Huang just raised a hand to stop him. He knew that in these type of situations the best course of action is to somehow force them to accept it.
"Just take it, those pills are better used to make you two stronger, or are you going to stay this weak and lose face for me?" Li Huang said with a raised eyebrow. This forceful method would work better as they would not only use the pills but they will train as hard as they can so that they won't be losing face for him.
"Thank you, young master." Ren Tai nodded with a small smile and said.
"Don't mention it. I will be seeing you soon." Li Huang said and went toward his next destination.
He was going toward the Sky Pillar Sect's tent to talk to their patriarch. Li Huang needed to give his brother's body to him so that he can rest easy that his brother is back and Li Huang could also score some brownie points with them.
As he was getting near the tent he is called by someone.
"Li Huang!" Zheng Jingyi, the chief disciple of the Sky Pillar sect said as he walked toward him. He didn't know why Li Huang has came here so he wanted to see if he can help him in any way. As they say, the best way to know a cultivator is to fight alongside them and they have fought together so their relationship was friendly.
"Zheng Jingyi, it is actually perfect that I saw you right now." Li Huang said as it would make it simpler for him to see the patriarch of the Sky Pillar sect if he were to go with Zheng Jingyi.
"If you need anything just tell me." Zheng Jingyi said as he punched his own chest. The things that he was unable to do in their Sky Pillar sect could be counted with one hand so he wasn't afraid that Li Huang could be asking something that he is unable to satisfy. One should not forget that Zheng Jingyi is a young master himself so showing off to his friend was only natural.
Li Huang nodded as he accepted the gesture. This 'punishment' in the trial made every participant closer to each other and this in itself was worth all the hassle that they had gone through as this generation would be the leaders of their respective sects in the future and a harmonious relationship could be expected from them. Well, maybe not He Junli but that is beside the point and her getting into a leading position of her sect despite what happened here is near impossible.
"I want to see your master, patriarch of the Sky Pillar sect." Li Huang said.
Zheng Jingyi was just mildly surprised because even if Li Huang were to request an audience without telling him he wouldn't have a problem because of his title and lineage. He was more interested in the reason.
"No problem but what is the reason for this visit?" Zheng Jingyi asked as he thought there might have been some sort of new problem so he wanted to know so that he can better prepare himself.
Li Huang shook his head as he couldn't say what this was about.
"I am sorry but unfortunately I can't say it as it is your master's choice to disclose this or not." Li Huang said. He didn't know if Han Junxiong, the current patriarch of the Sky Pillar sect would want to open the closed wound by bringing his brother's body to light so he didn't say anything as it would be better to let the victim's family decide about these matters.
Zheng Jingyi could understand that this is most probably a personal matter of his master so he didn't ask anymore. He nodded and spoke again.
"Alright, follow me. I will take you to my master." Zheng Jingyi said as he gestured to Li Huang to follow him. Li Huang too didn't waste any more time and followed.
In front of the tent the disciples guarding saluted Zheng Jingyi as he was entering the tent with Li Huang and didn't pry about why Zheng Jingyi was bringing someone else with him. As they were not the participants of the trial, they didn't know Li Huang's face.
Li Huang looked at this with a little bit of interest as until now, he stood in Zheng Jingyi's shoes so experiencing it as an observer was completely new to him.
Like this, they continued on the way as Zheng Jingyi would get greeted every few steps. The tents of the holy lands were spacious enough that sect leaders would conduct their meetings there too.
When they got to a room that Li Huang could assume was where Han Junxiong, the current patriarch of the Sky Pillar sect was, Zheng Jingyi turned to a guard who greeted him.
"Senior brother." The guard cupped his fists at Zheng Jingyi.
Zheng Jingyi nodded at him to return his greeting.
"Is the sect patriarch inside?" Zheng Jingyi asked the guard.
"Yes but the patriarch is currently in a meeting with some of the elders." The guard calmly answered.
"I see. Announce that I am here with the chief disciple of the heavenly sword sect, Li Huang who wishes to have an audience with our sect master." Zheng Jingyi nodded and said. He was sure that his master would understand it is not a simple matter if he personally guided Li Huang here.
"Of course, senior brother." The guard said and entered the room without making a noise.
Han Junxiong knew that the guard would not dare enter if it is not an urgent matter so he gestured for him to speak and all the elders looked at the guard.
The guard used all his will to not quiver under their gazes and relayed the message.
Han Junxiong was in thoughts as to what meaning this sudden visit could have. Seeing this, one of the elders talked to the guard.
"Didn't chief disciple Zheng Jingyi say anything about the nature of this visit?" the elder asked as he felt this is weird that no details were given.
"He did not, elder." The guard bowed and said.
"Let them enter." Han Junxiong looked at the guard and said. He understood why Zheng Jingyi didn't say anything so this matter couldn't be delayed, whatever it is.
The guard bowed again and left the room to inform Zheng Jingyi and Li Huang about the patriarch's decision.
"The patriarch said you can enter." The guard bowed and opened the door for them.
Entering the room Zheng Jingyi and Li Huang were looking at two rows of elders that were looking at them and the patriarch of the Sky Pillar sect who was sitting at the end of the room.
Zheng Jingyi just cupped his fists and bowed as he too was an observer here and didn't want to delay Li Huang's talks by chiming in.
Li Huang too cupped his fists and bowed a little.
"Li Huang, chief disciple of the Heavenly Sword sect greets the patriarch of the Sky Pillar sect and the elders." Li Huang said politely.
Han Junxiong nodded as he could see that Li Huang carried himself well but wasn't arrogant.
"Welcome, what is that you wish to talk with us about?" Han Junxiong asked as he had no clue what this was about.
Looking around the room for a moment Li Huang sent a sound transmission to Han Junxiong as he didn't want to let everyone know about this.
'Who knows what secrets there might be, it is better to tell him privately.' Li Huang thought before sending the message.
~'It is about your twin brother, Han Junhui.'~ Li Huang said.
Hearing this Han Junxiong gripped the handle of his chair so hard that it broke into countless pieces. This surprised everyone as no one has ever seen their patriarch this way, Li Huang too wasn't expecting this.
"Everyone get out except Li Huang. NOW." Standing from where he was sitting, Han Junxiong shouted.
'…' Li Huang didn't know what to think about this situation.