Trends, Part Two

Ze Province, Jade Void Palace.

Inside the Green Water Pool.

Zhang Rongfang and Ding Rui sat facing each other in a small, private Stone Chamber.

There was also a black stone table in the middle, on which were placed plates of delicious-looking home-style dishes.

Fish-flavored Shredded Pork, Fried Diced Chicken, Five-Color Vegetable Soup, Five-Spice Pig Trotters, and Black Rice.

The combination of various colors makes it look very appetizing.

Although the dishes smelled delicious, Zhang Rongfang had little appetite at the moment.

He was still recalling his conversation with his Grandmaster Uncle in the Ling Xiao Palace.

Two roads.

One is to gain the approval of Grandmaster Uncle and become Daozi.

Another option is to kill off one's relatives, sever the bloodline, and then defeat all the masters of the same Jade Void Palace through martial arts.

"Sigh," he sighed deeply. "Now it seems that gaining the approval of my Grandmaster Uncle is truly difficult."

"That's natural," Ding Rui laughed. "The entire Jade Void Palace, with its Twelve Clan Estates and twelve lineages, has thousands of people, but not a single one has gained the Palace Master's approval."

"Palace Master, what exactly is going on?" Zhang Rongfang simply addressed him the same way.

"When I was young, I practiced martial arts, but I ran into some problems and failed at the last minute. However, compared to those madmen who Extreme Realm martial arts, I am still much better off. So I just make do with what I have," Ding Rui sighed.

"Practicing the Extreme Realm of martial arts?" Zhang Rongfang sensed the hidden meaning.

"Yes, many people say that the Palace Master killed his entire family of over a hundred people at that time, with only his younger sister escaping unharmed."

But that's not actually the case. Ding Rui sighed. "We don't know about the cultivation in the Extreme Realm, but my Ding Family patriarch personally witnessed the Palace Master find his younger sister and was about to kill her."

But at the very last moment, the Palace Master stopped himself.

"He stopped on his own?"

"Yes, at that time, she was closest to her younger sister in the Lineage, and the two of them suffered oppression Lineage. So, her younger sister was the only person in the whole family she didn't hate. It's normal that she couldn't bring herself to do it in the end. But because of this, she didn't reach her full Extreme Realm," Ding Rui explained.

"By the way, the last day of each week is the day Ling Xiao Palace is completely closed, so you absolutely must not go up there," Ding Rui suddenly reminded him.

"Why?" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"Yes, that day was the day the Palace Master fully experienced nature. So..." Ding Rui's expression was strange, mixed with a hint of helplessness.

"." Zhang Rongfang understood immediately.

Considering the astonishing remarks made by their Grandmaster Uncle before, it seems that this great man is truly practicing his own way. Both of them sighed in unspoken understanding.

"Speaking of which, after meeting your elders, how many days do you plan to stay here?" Ding Rui asked again. "So I can go down the mountain with you."

"Is Senior Brother Ding going to take up his post with me?" Zhang Rongfang asked in surprise.

"Yes, I'll protect you one last time. I have other important matters to attend to. Don't worry about me here; everything is under our control. Your safety is absolutely guaranteed."

"Where are True One and Western Sect?"

"They're still fighting, but they're on the other side. We specifically designated a small area for them to fight in," Ding Rui explained with a smile. "If these two groups dare to come out and affect other areas, they're just asking for trouble."

The parties have now essentially broken off relations.

The Great Dao Sect instigated this conflict, Western Sect True One has become a mortal enemy. Everyone has also openly established the rules.

"That's good." Zhang Rongfang clicked his tongue in amazement. Since the Great Dao Sect stopped lying low, its domineering nature, which is gradually being revealed, seems to be more exaggerated than that of the other major sects.

"By the way, when does Grandmaster Uncle usually come down?" Zhang Rongfang suddenly asked again.

"They usually don't come down; they just move back and forth between a few of their usual Dao Palace," Ding Rui replied. "The Palace Master has been like this for many years, and I don't know the reason."

"With the Palace Master's strength, surely no one can restrain her?" Zhang Rongfang asked in surprise.

"That's natural." Ding Rui nodded. "The only thing that can limit her is herself."

His expression held a deeper meaning when he said those words.

But Zhang Rongfang did not ask further questions.

My Grandmaster Uncle is a very secretive person, with many hidden secrets.

After learning the conditions for becoming Daozi of the Jade Void Palace, he decided to let nature take its course.

Anyway, his purpose in coming here was not to become Daozi at all; becoming Daozi was just what his master Chongxuan, wanted him to achieve.

He came here to lie low, to explore the secrets of the Blood God Statue, and to uncover the hidden secrets of the Spirit General and the Great Grandmaster.

They also wanted to establish a foundation that was entirely their own here.

So, if he can't become Daozi, then so be it! Anyway, as long as he honestly continues to accumulate experience, he is destined to reach a terrifying level that ordinary people cannot imagine.

Next, it's time for Hao Hou to take office and then find an opportunity to improve his talent for Blood Flesh Completion.

Speaking of this, Zhang Rongfang couldn't help but recall the rich, pungent aroma of blood and flesh emanating from his Grandmaster Uncle.

The aroma was an irresistible temptation, constantly challenging his self-control.

But Zhang Rongfang is also well aware that the talent he has shown so far is already astonishing enough.

He's only in his thirties. No, within the upper echelons of the Great Dao Sect, they should know his true age.

He's twenty-one now, and will be twenty-two in October. At this age, if he were to reveal his terrifying strength...

It will likely become the focus of the entire world in an instant.

Zhang Rongfang cannot truly reveal his strength until he is able to resist all threats and dangers.

All matters related to martial arts were handled by his twin brother, another mysterious Black Masked Man.

It has nothing to do with Zhang Ying Daozi.

After having dinner with Ding Rui, Zhang Rongfang was arranged to stay in a separate courtyard house.

The residence is not located on any mountain peak; the buildings on the peaks are all Dao Palace and temples, where only the core high-ranking members can reside for extended periods.

The rest of the people mostly live in the vast Woodland and Sea of Trees below the mountain peaks.

The Tian He Mountain Range are vast, and the thousands of people living and thriving within them are like a tiny, inconspicuous speck.

After staying at the Jade Void Palace for a few days, he was warmly received by the people there. Most of the people who came to him mentioned Yue Dewen, the Grand Master Heavenly Treasure Palace.

Clearly, Yue Dewen's visit here left a very good impression on everyone.

Of course, they came as if they were just curious, and had no intention of worrying that the position of the Jade Void Palace Daozi might be taken away.

After all, given Zhang Rongfang's apparent strength, his Super Grade External Medicine was indeed quite impressive, capable of suppressing an entire region in remote areas.

But even in a secluded Daoist Sect holy site like Jade Void Palace, it's just so-so.

Zhang Rongfang didn't stay here long. Early on the fourth day, he left with Ding Rui as the guide, heading to Qingchuan, the capital of Ze Province.

Jade Void Palace is not too far from Qingchuan Prefecture. With Zhang Rongfang's normal External Medicine speed, it would only take two days to make the round trip.

Therefore, we can keep in touch frequently in the future.

On the Official Road leading to Qingchuan Prefecture.

The swaying carriage occasionally shook from being bumped against the uneven ground.

The extremely poor shockproof design made Zhang Rongfang and Ding Rui, who were sitting inside, feel somewhat embarrassed.

Ding Rui was genuinely embarrassed, since Jade Void Palace was practically his hometown. Yet, he excitedly went to make arrangements, found the family's long-distance carriage, and sent Zhang Ying to her new post.

However, since most of the people in the Jade Void Palace are used to walking, the carriages have not been updated for many years and are all old models from more than ten years ago.

This has led to the current situation.

"We still have more than three hours to go before we arrive. I'll tell you about the general situation in Ze Province, Junior Brother." Ding Rui decisively changed the subject.

"That's excellent. Thank you, Senior Brother." Zhang Rongfang nodded solemnly.

"Now, most of the Ze Province is under the jurisdiction of our supporters. But we can't assume that the area is completely safe," Ding Rui cautioned.

"The Twelve Clan Estates are not a monolithic entity. The First Prefecture Lord Shangguan Feihe, is ambitious and has long sought the position of Palace Master, but his attempts have all ended in failure. When Sect Grand Master Yue Dewen came to the Jade Void Palace, he was also harassed by him. Therefore, Junior Brother, you must be careful."

"The First Prefecture Lord Shangguan Feihe? I remember him." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

"Another one is Zhu Xingxiu, the Seventh Prefecture Lord. He's an ally of Shangguan Feihe's faction, and his methods are quite insidious. He suffered a loss at the hands of Yue Sect Leader back then, so it's hard to guarantee he won't take his anger out on you here," Ding Rui continued.

"Aside from our own forces, there are Four Gates One Sect five forces, throughout Ze Province. They all have Super Grade experts as their trump card. But they're nothing special. With your skills in Citong, you should be able to handle them easily."

"Thank you, senior brother." Zhang Rongfang nodded solemnly.

"These aren't actually the key points." Ding Rui's expression finally turned serious. "The real trouble isn't these points, but the Righteous Army."

"The Righteous Army??" Zhang Rongfang was taken aback.

"That's right. Although Ze Province is under the control of our Jade Void Palace, we are naturally averse to worldly affairs and prefer to conduct research internally. We don't have much external control."

Therefore, there are uprisings and rebellions everywhere in Ze Province. The Ling Ting must have a reason for sending you here to deal with this matter.

After all, the terrain here is sensitive, and it's best to have someone from within our Great Dao Sect handle this. Otherwise, any officials sent from outside will first have to deal with our relationship. A slight misstep could result in a humiliating defeat."

Zhang Rongfang frowned slightly at the unexpected trouble.

Rebel Army —this is a sensitive topic.

"Senior Brother Ding, there's something I don't understand."

"Go on," Ding Rui said, sitting up straight.

"I would like to ask, what is the Jade Void Palace's attitude towards these Righteous Army?" Zhang Rongfang.

"Kill the leaders without mercy! Beat the followers and use them as mouthpieces. Men will be enslaved and women will be prostitutes, just follow the Great Ling Law." Ding Rui replied. He said seriously, "Junior brother, do not be soft-hearted. These Righteous Army are not Wildfire, but are connected by a huge and secretive organization. After years of investigation, we have found that this organization is called the Rebel Alliance."

"Rebel Alliance?"

"Indeed, the Rebel Alliance has infiltrated our Great Dao Sect quite a bit. They want to completely overturn the current order. Before you arrived, they had already caused the deaths and injuries of many experts in our jurisdiction. This has continued for more than ten years, and now the two sides are like oil and water."

Ding Rui sighed.

"Remember, never show mercy. Some people, from the very beginning, wanted to seize our interests and slaughter our relatives and friends. The masses are ignorant and cannot distinguish right from wrong. They will only follow the Fire Messenger and vent their anger without restraint."

Therefore, the first thing you must do upon assuming office is to quell the mutinous troops. The Jade Void Palace has already arranged personnel to work with you on this. You only need to cooperate and coordinate, and after some time, you should be able to achieve peace and An Ning in Qingchuan Prefecture."

Zhang Rongfang nodded. The other party had arranged everything for him, so what could he say? But for some reason, he suddenly thought of his first mentor, Zhang Xuan.

And then there's that generous senior brother Zhang Xintai, who keeps courting death for Xiao Qingying.

Master Zhang Xuan and his Senior Brother Zhang Xintai, father and son, were the leaders of the Rebel Army back then.

Their mysterious disappearance afterwards raises the question of whether it is related to this Rebel Alliance.