How Could You Call It Devious? This Was an Open Scheme

"Wudang emissary Wang Chuan, what do you mean by cooperation?"

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere to sit down and discuss it."

"All right, this way, please."

Wang Chuan did not refuse and followed Feng Zhenghao to a secluded spot.

Feng Zhenghao was in no hurry, and began demonstrating his tea ceremony.

"Here, have some tea."

"Good tea."

Though he was only being polite, Feng Zhenghao's tea really was good, with no bitter aftertaste.

"Let's dispense with the roundabout talk. Please be direct with me, emissary Wang Chuan."

"President Feng, you should know about Spirit Restraint and General Dispatch and its connection to the Wang Family, shouldn't you?"

"You know about it all, emissary Wang?"

"There's no need to sound me out, President Feng. Many things may be hidden, but they leave traces in the end."

"Wudang Mountain?"

Wang Chuan smiled without answering Feng Zhenghao's attempt to get to the bottom of it, and Feng Zhenghao did not press the matter further.

The source of the information wasn't important. What mattered was what Wang Chuan meant by bringing it up and proposing cooperation.

When Wang Chuan had come down the mountain to visit the Tianxiahui before, Feng Zhenghao had known that this man would never do anything without a purpose.

"President Feng, what do you think of the Ten Elders as an institution?"

"It's quite good. In modern society, there's no need to go around killing each other. Having people mediate grudges is good for everyone."

"Yes, it's a good thing, but some people sitting in those seats aren't."

"Who are you referring to, emissary Wang?"

"The Lü Family's Bright Soul Technique is actually Twin Hands, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills. Back then, the Lü Family forced Duanmu Ying to leave behind a bloodline inheritance of the skill in their family."

!!!

"Is that true, emissary Wang?!"

"Wang Ai and the Wang Family don't have that kind of history, but what they did to force your grandfather's hand amounts to much the same thing."

"Enough riddles, emissary Wang. Please speak plainly."

"I want to become one of the Ten Elders. What do you think?"

"You're strong enough, emissary Wang, but your reputation still needs time to build."

"Yes, which is why I need people to recommend and support me."

"You want my help?"

"The Old Celestial Master has already agreed to help me if a seat opens up. Old Master Lu was there too. Oh, and I learned Threefold Reversal."

Having said that, Wang Chuan paid no mind to Feng Zhenghao's reaction and went on refilling his teacup.

Feng Zhenghao fell somewhat silent. He had originally planned to use his cooperation with Wang Chuan to indirectly strike at Wang Ai and the Wang Family. He was confident he could play both sides to his advantage.

But Wang Chuan had brought up the Old Celestial Master. It wasn't that no one dared invoke the Old Celestial Master's name falsely, but this was something he could verify by asking the man himself. When it came to major matters, one could never be too careful.

And if Wang Chuan was telling the truth, then once a seat opened up, he had already won the favor of two of the Ten Elders. With Feng Zhenghao, that made three.

If they really got rid of Wang Ai and Lü Ci, only five Elders whose positions were unclear would remain.

But on closer calculation, none of those people had any irreconcilable conflict with Wang Chuan or Wudang Mountain.

Master Jiekong of Shaolin, for one, would have no difficulty remaining neutral thanks to his ties with Wudang Mountain.

Chen Jinkui of the Shuzi Sect might also be persuaded with Wudang Mountain's Feng Hou Qimen.

Guan Shihua belonged to the Northeast spirit-medium lineage. After Wang Bing had displayed his spirit-devouring methods today, they would certainly be delighted to see Wang Ai lose his seat among the Ten Elders.

Na Ruhu would acknowledge anyone strong enough. Whether it was Wudang Mountain's strength or Wang Chuan's personal strength, both were enough.

As for Mu You, he no longer mattered. What could he do by opposing it alone?

At this point in his analysis, Feng Zhenghao was jolted with alarm. If Wang Chuan and Wudang Mountain wanted him to become one of the Ten Elders, all they lacked was an empty seat. There might be only one or two people opposed.

But he also had to consider the Company's opinion. He then recalled that Wang Chuan had recently grown close to Zhang Chulan, Xu San, and Xu Si.

His eyes flickered at once. Had this fellow been laying his plans since he came down the mountain?

Besides, it was said that Liu Yanyan, the Liu Family's sole inheritor in Western Hunan, had been deemed to have mistakenly joined Quanxing after Wang Chuan brought her to Mount Longhu. So the Western Hunan side would be unlikely to object to Wang Chuan becoming one of the Ten Elders.

And Xia He—that woman had not been seen again after Wang Chuan brought her to Mount Longhu. According to the rumors, Zhang Lingyu cultivated Yin Five Thunders.

Putting the two together, no one was a fool. It was highly likely that the Old Celestial Master would favor Wang Chuan.

Looking at it closely, from coming down the mountain, to the Tianxiahui, to the Lu Family, to Zhang Chulan, to the Company, to the Liu Family of Western Hunan, to the Celestial Master Mansion on Mount Longhu—

This young man had used favors, grudges, and his lineage to draw everyone, Feng Zhenghao included, to his side!

Even with the Company, he had used his closeness to Zhang Chulan to place himself, however vaguely, on its side.

Wudang Mountain gave that position meaning!

"How frightening. But, emissary Wang, I find it hard to believe you arranged such an elaborate scheme just for a seat among the Ten Elders."

Wang Chuan did not know what Feng Zhenghao was thinking. If he did, he would only have remarked that a dirty-minded person saw dirt in everything.

How could a bright and cheerful young man like me do something like that?

"A scheme? I don't know what you think you've seen, President Feng, but I shouldn't be as frightening as you imagine."

"As for my goal? It's simple: pursue strength, pursue status, and then collect techniques, methods, and ways that are useful to me."

"Ultimately—to attain the Dao and become an immortal!"

"Attain the Dao and become an immortal? That's only a legend."

"It's only a legend because it's difficult. I don't believe it can't be done!"

Feng Zhenghao's expression turned odd. He suddenly felt that his earlier conjectures might have been a coincidence.

"Never mind. Back to the Ten Elders. Who do you want to kick out first, emissary Wang?"

"Both at once. That way, one of them getting into trouble won't put the other on guard. Besides, with an extra seat open, we can make more friends."

"I'm afraid that won't be easy. The timing has to be right."

"Quanxing will attack Mount Longhu during this Luotian Grand Ceremony."

"Good idea. Use Quanxing's name as cover?"

"But those two always have followers around them. How do we deal with them? Taking care of too many people at once could easily lead to other trouble."

"Not using Quanxing's name, but using the chaos they cause. We'll offer them one of the 'Eight Extraordinary Skills' to lure them out alone."

"Have them use Quanxing's name to come after you? So you really have mastered Feng Hou Qimen, emissary Wang?"

"Who told you that?"

"There are rumors going around that Wang Ye used Feng Hou Qimen in his fight with Zhuge Qing, and so people are saying you've mastered it too."

"Is that so? Then spread it around. Lü Ci won't pass up a chance to silence me, and Wang Ai won't pass up one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills. As for you, President Feng..."

"I'll be the one plotting with them to get Feng Hou Qimen."

"Then they attack me, but you turn from darkness to light at the crucial moment."

"The two of us join forces to subdue the two Elders who were scheming to get one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills. Who could have expected them to resist to the death? We could only..."

"Yes, we could only... What a pity."

Neither of them said how they would lure the two old fellows out. There was no need to discuss it; that was Feng Zhenghao's most important role in the plan.

As for whether Feng Zhenghao might turn on him, Wang Chuan was not worried in the slightest. Did anyone really think he had made no preparations at all?

Geppo ensured that even if he couldn't win, he could still float into the air and escape.

Spirit Restraint and General Dispatch only let spirits fly, not people.

Besides, his abilities went far beyond what he had shown so far.

And so, for a time, the two talked with great delight. All that was missing was for them to declare themselves kindred spirits, cut off a chicken's head, and drink yellow wine together.