Headed by a Snake

Jiang Ying Yue pushed the paper door wide open, "IIIIII'M BACK, B*TCHESSSS!!!"

At her side, Wang Lei was cradling his head in his hands, "Sister... why?"

The main room was nothing like Ying Yue expected.

Usually, it was filled with... servants gossiping or... her cousins doing boring things like... knitting?

Poetry? Sharing poetry wouldn't have been surprising.

Instead, the whole room was filled with... sect elders. They sat on long discussion tables, with the Sect Leader at the head on Father's chair..

And... it wasn't just men and women from the Jiang family. There were representatives from the Liang, the Chen, and both Zhou families too...

Mother fainted almost immediately.

Oops.

Father-- that is, Jiang Yuanbo, stood up amongst the crowd... his mouth twitching, "Ladies and gentlemen... it seems my... prodigal daughter has returned."

...Ying Yue folded her hands and quickly bowed, "Um... h-hello, Father. Sect Leader. Esteemed elders..."

She... probably should have knocked-- or at the very least tried to sense who was beyond the door.

It was an oversight.

Sect Leader Chen Weiqi waved a powerful, robed arm, "The discussion is over for the sun, dear friends. Prepare your warriors for the coming conflict."

"Looks like your luck has saved you, Sister," Wang Lei muttered.

"Sect Leader's name means lucky, doesn't it?" Ying Yue scoffed. "I can always rely on the old fart."

"I can hear you, Yue," Chen Weiqi sighed.

"We can all hear you, daughter," Father said... looking like he was about to cry.

The various, very important family personages began to dodder out of the room.

"Welcome back, young lady." "Elder Zhen! How's the knee?" "Fine, thanks."

"Ah! Miss Ying Yue, My son has been wanting to exchange pointers with you for some time now." "Get me a time and place, Elder Zhou!" "...Perhaps I could ask you to be... more gentle, this time?" "Nah. Prepare the medicinal brew for when I send him back."

"It seems you haven't lost your sense for manners, traveling in the outside world..." "Wouldn't dream of it, Elder Huiyin."

When most everyone had left, Wang Lei leaned over to whisper.

"She was insulting you, Sister."

Ying Yue furrowed her brows, "She was?"

Still in the room there were a few Jiang elders-- which made sense. They lived in the estate, after all.

But... the Sect Leader stayed too? That was odd.

Yue tried not to mind it. It was her estate, too.

She hopped into the room, pouring herself a warm cup of tea from an unattended teapot.

Yum. Traveling across the Realm by way of flying sword was tiring.

Father sighed loudly... "Sect Elder... please forgive my daughter for her lack of politeness and her questionable state of dress. My shame knows no bounds and if this sun is when I am finally executed or sent to closed cultivation, then I accept my punishment willingly."

Sect Elder Weiqi pursed his lips... "The timing of Ying Yue's return is fortuitous, Yuanbo. And anyroad, you wouldn't live long enough to serve an appropriate length of exile."

"Perhaps all the Jiang elders... and myself, then?" Wang Lei sighed as he began to collect tea pots and stack plates.

"Now..." Weiqi grimaced, "is decidedly *not* an appropriate time to cripple the sect, grand-nephew."

Wang Lei casually looked over to Father while he precariously balanced all the trays and snack plates, "How is Mother?"

"I'll take her back," Father sighed as he scooped Mother into his arms. "Come see her later, Ying Yue... and try not to startle her when you do."

"Oooh!" Ying Yue's eyes brightened, "I have lots of stories to tell her! I've fought literally hundreds of opponents, killing them with almost every weapon in the Realm and in every way imaginable!"

The men responded almost in unison:

"Daughter, please..." "Do *not* do that, Sister." "Ying Yue, no..."

Ying Yue paused...

Their warnings were... reasonable.

Mother was always the... uh-- faint-y type.

"Anyroad," Yue plopped down at the table with the others, "what were you guys talking about before I uh..."

Lei was staring at her.

Very hard.

Ying Yue gulped and bowed her head, "Esteemed Sect Elder... I was curious as to... you know-- whatever the heck is going on?"

When something went wrong, it was common to summon all the family heads to discuss it. However, Ying Yue saw that even the guest elders had gathered... as well as several of the older, most powerful Martialists of each house.

Whatever was going on... it was big.

Sect Elder Weiqi shut his eyes... "A great calamity looms over our Hidden Lake sect, child. We have decided on requesting help from our Venerable Ancestor, hoping that he could assist us in this task."

"Ooh! I can help!" Ying Yue rolled up her sleeve and flexed her bicep, "I'm a half-step Monarch now!"

Weiqi's face twisted in surprise, "That is... incredible news! Yuanbo! You must be proud!"

"Yes," Father smiled politely. "Despite the fact that, every sun, I wonder just how I failed at raising her... I am proud of my family's Ying Yue."

"This news is also incredibly disconcerting," Wanglei sighed. "I fear my sister will never marry."

"I'm sitting right here, Little Lei," Ying Yue pouted.

"Of that, I am aware."

"Jiang Ying Yue is destined for greatness," Sect Elder Weiqi said... "It is her right to demand a partner of similar or equal stature... a powerful and honorable man that will treat her with care and affection... and above all, a man that she respects."

"Or a woman," Wanglei muttered under his breath.

"S-such things are... unorthodox," Weiqi coughed. "And... would still require a concubine to father her children."

"C-can we talk about something else, Sect Elder?" Ying Yue pleaded. "Also, I like guys. Please believe me."

"I'd like to be excused," Father frowned, "On account of my unconscious wife and my ever-burgeoning shame."

"Father, really! I do!"

No one looked at Ying Yue like they believed her...

It was baffling, really.

The Sect Elder dismissed Father... and after a few more pleasantries that Yue honestly didn't really care for, he finally got to the point.

"Jiang Ying Yue... the morning of this very sun, our Hidden Lake sect received... a warning."

"I'm all about it," Ying Yue nodded.

She was hoping that her return to her sect would be nice and relaxing... suns of playing on the beach, climbing the coniferous trees... gossiping with her cousins, and teasing her brother.

However, if the people she loved were in trouble, she'd do everything in her power to help them.

That's what heroes did.

Weiqi nodded solemnly... "Esteemed guest... if you are willing, please tell Miss Ying Yue... of the song of which legends are sung."