Taking the opportunity, he quietly studied the faces that were at once familiar and strange.
Daoist Cangsong, the law-enforcement elder, had a stern face and commanded respect without raising his voice; Tian Buyi, peak master of Dazhu Peak, was slightly stout but carried himself like a master no one would dare underestimate; Zeng Shuchang, peak master of Fenghui Peak, looked somewhat aged, though his eyes remained sharp; Master Shuiyue, peak master of Xiaozhu Peak, was cool and otherworldly in beauty, like a fairy untouched by mortal life; Shang Zhengliang of Chaoyang Peak and Tianyun Daoist of Luoxia Peak were no less distinguished.
After observing them, Gu Hui had a clear sense of the six peak masters' cultivation levels.
Tian Buyi was the strongest, having reached the fourth level of Shangqing. In another century, he might well be able to make a bid for Taiqing.
Cangsong came next, at the third level of Shangqing.
The others were all at the first or second level of Shangqing.
It made sense. After the Righteous-Demonic War, the older generation had either retired or passed away. These peak masters had only recently taken their posts and were still young. The youngest were barely over a hundred.
Once everyone was seated, with Cangsong and the other five peak masters at the front and the remaining elders below them, Yuqing Hall gradually fell quiet.
"During my seclusion, I'm sorry for the trouble of managing the sect's affairs, my fellow disciples," Gu Hui said warmly, looking around the hall.
"Senior Brother Sect Master, you're too kind. It was our duty," they answered in unison.
To cultivators who could live for centuries, a few months of seclusion was nothing. Even eight or ten years was commonplace.
Gu Hui dispensed with further courtesies and began discussing the sect affairs that