The Secretariat Director

Having paid homage to the Celestial Emperor and received his imperial decree, Li Fan's tribute mission was considered complete. Unfortunately, there was no plot involving an imperial edict or similar embellishments; the only minor incident was simply pleasing the God Lord.

By the way, this mask is also a Magic Treasure. In the secret vault of the Ziwei Yuan, it was sealed off from spiritual energy and could not exert its effects. However, after being smuggled out of the palace, Li Fan discovered that the mask gradually absorbed Dao Breath and was activated. The face of the deity gradually changed from pale and dry to rosy, moist and radiant, almost like a living person. Moreover, the skin also emitted a strange fragrance.

It's somewhat like agarwood, and somewhat like musk, but it doesn't seem to be made by soaking in perfumes or fragrances. Could it be that the deity has a natural body odor...?

Upon closer examination of the celestial silk weaving on the mask's backing, Li Fan, having amassed a wealth of materials and now being proficient in cloud-script fabrication, immediately recognized it as using the same cloud-script technique, subtly incorporating the Immortal Palace's incantations.

Judging from the incantation on the talisman's belly, wearing this mask not only grants access to the face of the deity but also allows the use of mysterious and alluring techniques that directly affect the brain and spirit of the person in front of it. It can make others 'see without forgetting' or 'see without seeing' the person. It was probably a mask used by the Celestial Emperor or Empress when traveling incognito outside the palace.

Furthermore, Li Fan discovered that this 'face' had also used a profound secret technique to peel off and seal a portion of the God Lord's primordial spirit, making it like a second primordial spirit. This spirit could disguise itself and deceive the Divine Sense locking of other cultivators. However, this portion of the primordial spirit had lost its consciousness and had been completely sealed and suppressed within the mask, so it could not be considered a magic weapon, but merely a Magic Treasure.

Furthermore, Li Fan vaguely felt that the weaving stitches of the silk lining of the 'God's Mask' were quite similar to those of the 'Unknown Face' from Ink Bamboo Mountain. Perhaps the weavers were from the same school, a direct lineage, or perhaps the Oldest One 'God's Mask' was the fundamental source of the 'Unknown Face'.

Considering that the era of the deity is too far removed from the present day and difficult to verify, it is probably a story about a descendant of some Immortal Palace who was exiled to Ink Bamboo Mountain after losing a struggle.

After studying the 'God's Mask' for a while, Li Fan put it away. Judging by the sheer quantity of human artifacts in the secret warehouse, the previous owner of the Ziwei Yuan, the company's manager, or a client must have been an incorrigible anti-human being.

No wonder the Divine Cult is still determined to storm the Ziwei Yuan to avenge their grievances; their hatred runs deep.

Li Fan figured that if he handed over this epic item, the 'God's Mask,' to the Divine Cult, he could earn at least a first-class merit, and exchanging it for a Heavenly Book wouldn't be a problem. In the future, if there was an opportunity, he might even be able to return it to the God who ascended to another world, and they might even become friends.

There's no rush now. His mission has only just begun. After all, as an envoy to the Three Realms, paying respects to the Immortal Emperor is merely a formality. The real diplomatic task ahead is to meet with the Grand Tutor and the powerful officials of the Three Realms Immortal Clan.

Needless to say, the Grand Tutor was a big favor to be bestowed upon the abbot with the position of General of the Vanguard and the title of Marquis of Li Fan. Of course, he had to pay his respects. Whether he could actually meet him was another matter entirely.

Then came the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers below the Grand Tutor, and the heads of powerful families. It was a good opportunity to meet the true masters of these Immortal Palace.

Li Fan came prepared this time, bringing a whole package of Tai Su Dao gifts for these powerful clan heads, from the Void Jade and the Tai Sha Flying Sword to the Yuan Shi and the Heavenly Book Magic Puppet. He planned to teach (or trick) as many as he could.

Besides representing Ink Bamboo Mountain on this mission, Li Fan's main personal purpose was to come to Sanyuan, the center of the world, to gradually spread the Tai Su Dao. He planned to first create buzz among the high-ranking officials, and then take advantage of the Grand Tutor's tribulation to see if he could demonstrate his skills and generate more attention before holding a sermon.

While this might arouse suspicion in the Central Plains and remind some of the Luo Sect of yesteryear, thus incurring the stigma of demonic cultivation, the rise of the Tai Su Dao is unstoppable. Anyone with a basic understanding of mathematics should be able to see this. Moreover, since it will initially be promoted only within the aristocratic circles, the resistance from the Xuanmen (Daoist sects) should not be as great as it was back then.

As for why he didn't spread the teachings among the common people first, it's mainly because Li Fan's current method of transforming into a human has many limitations and hidden dangers, lacks experimental data, and frankly speaking, the method of transformation in Moshan requires consuming a large amount of Non-Thing to shape the body.

Currently, droughts, locust plagues, floods, and endless wars plague the Twelve Countries, making it difficult for ordinary people to even feed themselves. Their weak constitutions cannot withstand the changes brought about by the Taisu. However, the good news is that the production of Taisu millet, which has undergone systematic genetic modification, is doubling year by year. Although it is still not enough to feed the people of Moshan, if they can take advantage of this opportunity of righteousness to sweep away the Nangong Family and seize the large plains at the Nanyu Mountain to establish mechanized farms, the situation may fundamentally change.

With this in mind, Li Fan did indeed have the idea of completely annihilating the Nangong Family. However, he did not see the Grand Tutor in person this time, so he could not observe the other party's fate and did not know whether he was really undergoing tribulation or pretending. In addition, he did not see Guardian General and the Central Guard. They were probably in the military camp or government office. The person who came out of the Grand Tutor Manor to greet him was just a secretary.

However, Li Fan did not feel that the Grand Tutor was belittling his ally. On the contrary, it was precisely because he valued him that he was able to meet this person at the Grand Tutor Manor.

Because this Zhongshu Lang seems to be quite capable, before the mission, not only did Yang Sheng specifically mention this Zhongshu Lang to him when introducing the important civil and military officials of the Three Palaces, but even the abbot mentioned his name to Li Fan.

This person is a descendant of the Zhong family, a powerful clan of the Three Palaces, and the youngest son of the current Grand Commandant, Marquis of Dingling County. He is Guan Nei Hou as Marquis of Guannei. Although he is currently only a Zhongshu Lang (a minor official in the Imperial Secretariat) and the deputy of the Zhongshu Jian (a minor official in the Imperial Secretariat), which is equivalent to a secretary, he is the chief secretary of the Grand Tutor.

The official position of Zhongshu Ling was actually a nominal title held by a powerful clan head who did not actually do anything. The real person in charge of the Zhongshu Jian (the Secretariat) was this person who drafted imperial edicts, formulated central government policies, planned and deployed troops, quelled the recent rebellion in Zhen in the southeast, and coordinated the imperial guards. He was the one who made the greatest contribution with his numerous strategies.

Some commentators even compared him to Marquis Liu, who helped the immortal lord sweep away all obstacles in the world. To put it bluntly, he is the strategist of the Sima Clan.

"Zhong Hui pays her respects to Lord Yu."

"Guan Nei Hou are too kind. I have long heard that you, the Imperial Secretary, were among the top scholars on Yuntai Peak, a rare talent in this world. Seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed extraordinary. Would you be interested in joining me in the mountains to cultivate Daoism?"

Li Fan wasn't exaggerating. He glanced at the young man and thought, "Wow, this young man is also a top-ranking Daoist, with the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. He's also the Grand Tutor's confidential secretary, and it's said that he's a first-time cultivator. In just a few decades, he's managed the state organs and risen to the central position of the court. The court originally wanted to appoint him as one of the Nine Ministers and Grand Master of the Palace for his meritorious service in pacifying Zhen, but Zhong Hui declined, citing his insufficient qualifications. He only accepted the Guan Nei Hou and concurrently held the position of Sili Xiaowei — the Sili Xiaowei of the Three Enclosures! To be able to win the respect of the nobles of the Three Enclosures shows his exceptional skills!"

Now that the war in Zhen has come to an end and the Grand Tutor is in seclusion, many important military and political affairs still need his coordination and arrangement, so he has temporarily remained in his post in the Secretariat. It can be said that he now interferes in all matters, large and small, inside and outside the Three Palaces and in the appointment and removal of officials, and he does so so meticulously that it is truly astonishing!

It can be said that this person is the Grand Tutor's most trusted confidant! The elite among the elite of the powerful clans! The genius among the geniuses of the Twelve Countries! The leader of the younger generation of the Immortal Clan! The absolute core of the next generation of the Immortal Palace!

Or maybe we should just tie him up and take him back...

"Lord Yu, you flatter me. You are a hero of our time. I have long heard of your ambition to uphold justice and your benevolence in helping the people. Not only have you vanquished demons and monsters over the years, but you also prevented the Demon King of the South Sea from invading twice. With such great talent, it would be a pity to live in seclusion in the mountains. Why not come and serve in the court? The Grand Tutor will make the best use of your talents and will certainly give you an important position."

Zhong Hui was quite polite, showering him with compliments. Of course, no matter how powerful he was, he was only at the Nascent Soul Realm. Of course, he couldn't afford to offend Qingyue Divine Lord, who had beaten up all the old men and women of the Xuanmen sect as soon as he entered the capital.

At this moment, eight young attendants came out to serve tea. Each of them was a 'Precious Lord' at the Divine Transformation stage, clearly there to act as bodyguards.

Li Fan smiled. "Alright, alright, my ambitions lie not in the imperial court, and you have no interest in the martial world, so let's skip the formalities. These <Yuan Shi> are gifts for the Grand Tutor to appreciate. It's also a fortunate occasion to meet the Guan Nei Hou today. Zhong Zhongshu's talent is unparalleled, and naturally, you should also be included. They are all the great Dao of Tai Su Tian. If Moon Worship gains any insights, feel free to come and spar with me anytime, and we can all comprehend the Dao together."

Zhong Hui wouldn't refuse, accepting the gift without even looking at it, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "True virtue lies in simplicity, why must we conform to the crowd? As the future unfolds, everyone has their own interpretation, and it's not to be seen whether the path to immortality is truly dead."

This young man is quite arrogant, but then again, he's self-important. People who think highly of themselves and are superior to others all have their own arrogance, and they're not so easily persuaded. So let's just rely on our own abilities.

Li Fan naturally wouldn't argue with Zhong Hui, the Grand Tutor's trusted confidant, about any grand principles. Aside from giving gifts, he was simply representing Ink Bamboo Mountain to show Zhong Hui the abbot's secret letter. Although the court Guanzhu Feng as a General of the Vanguard, it was largely due to Zhong Hui's planning, and it seemed the Grand Tutor had already given out the rewards.

But everyone knows that these are just empty titles, used to lure fools. The distribution of interests between the Taifu Group and the Guanzhu Group, their future strategic plans, and new alliance agreements will certainly not be reached so easily. All of these will be negotiated during this opportunity to attend the ceremony.

The abbot had instructed that this handwritten letter could only be seen by the Grand Tutor, Guardian General, and the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. Therefore, he hadn't mentioned it to Li Fan, the wife and son-in-law of the Grand Tutor, until he saw Zhong Hui this time. Zhong Hui glanced at it, read it quickly, nodded to indicate that she had memorized the negotiation terms, and then nodded cautiously.

Well, it seems that photographic memory is a standard skill for elite Daoist disciples...

"Hui will personally report this matter to the Grand Tutor and the General. I request that Marquis Yu linger in the capital for a while longer."

Over the past decade, Ink Bamboo Mountain's strength has increased significantly. Although its strategy of prioritizing the south over the north has not changed, and its strength is still insufficient to contend for the world, sometimes the political situation in the world does not give you much time to recuperate.

For example, the Divine Sect is about to launch a large-scale eastward campaign to fight the Immortal Palace, and the Three Enclosures have already pacified Zhen and stabilized their rear. What will be the next target of the Imperial Guard? The three-way non-aggression agreement between the Divine Sect and Ink Bamboo Mountain and Hengshan is also nearing the point of being unenforceable. Furthermore, the outcome of the Grand Tutor's tribulation will directly affect the choices and decisions of all the players, so there is no need to rush.

"Of course. By the way, I heard that Zhong Zhongshu pacified Zhen, captured Hou Gu, and made great contributions. The Divine Cult is coming to rescue people. I wonder if I need to lend a hand?"

Li Fan a polite remark, and Zhong Hui smiled in response.

"It's just a rumor spread by petty scoundrels. Right now, the Divine Cult is mobilizing troops to enter the pass. How could they have time to deal with Hou Gu, a sinner whose fate is sealed? Perhaps he has offended too many people by poisoning Zhen over the years, and someone is worried that he will say something he shouldn't, so they want to deal with him in advance. Don't worry, Lord Yu, the Lord has already made arrangements."

Then the two of them went on to flatter each other again.

"I see. The Grand Tutor is wise and brilliant, and the Secretariat is full of brilliant strategies. In that case, I, a recluse from the mountains, will not meddle in other people's business."

"What are you saying? If all cultivators in the world were as loyal to the court and concerned for the common people as Marquis Yu, where would there be any fighting and strife in this world?"

Tsk tsk, it seems that the Immortal Palace has indeed planted an inside agent within the Divine Sect, and is well aware of the situation in the world and the behind-the-scenes schemes.

Li Fan didn't urge the other party to give an immediate reply. Afterwards, he paid visits to the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, like a poor relative from the countryside, bringing a bunch of local specialties, giving a little to this family and a little to that family. He took this opportunity to get to know these patriarchs and powerful figures and to see how their fortunes would turn out.

After observing, it becomes clear that Zhong Hui is indeed the most outstanding among the aristocratic families; the others are merely talented individuals. In any case, if a falling out occurs in the future, killing Zhong Hui first should save a lot of trouble.

After a busy day of socializing, exchanging gifts, building relationships, and drinking tea, Li Fan was bored out of his mind. He thought to himself that he would never take on this kind of diplomatic mission again; it was so damn boring. So he turned his attention to checking on the situation on the other two sides.

Qin Jiu is doing quite well; he has already mastered many sword techniques. Although he doesn't have enough essence blood to unleash many skills, he can go out and grind monsters as long as he can right-click to move and left-click to attack. No need to worry about him.

Meanwhile, Yuepo was still trapped in the royal mausoleum of the North Mang Mountain. However, it couldn't really be called 'trapped', as Li Fan noticed that she was manipulating the sword attendant to go deeper and deeper, as if she were looking for something.

Could it be that Xuan Tian has hidden some secret treasure in the royal tomb?

Li Fan was initially curious, but upon closer inspection, something seemed off. Although Xuan Tian liked to hide things, he usually couldn't even remember where he hid them. Moreover, given his style, it was more likely that he would have emptied the entire North Mang Mountain. How could he possibly be hiding anything?

For a moment, Li Fan suspected that perhaps the Sword Lords in the Yuntai Peak treasure vault had told this little rabbit some legend, or perhaps the Sword Lords and their spirits had some unique connection. In any case, this might be a unique opportunity for Yuepo, an independent storyline.

Therefore, Li Fan decided not to interfere with Yuepo's search for immortality.

Back at the villa, I counted at least two dozen old men and women squatting on the eaves of the gate and in the alley. I sighed, then took out my notebook to register their order of inquiry, explaining that the Moon was already out and it was too dangerous to talk about the Tai Su Dharma now. For everyone's physical and mental health, I suggested we reschedule for another day.

The elderly people said they couldn't wait any longer, not even a single day.

Li Fan then suggested that they wait half a day. If anyone wanted to attend a public lecture, they could do so at dawn the next day at the Daoist temple outside Sanyuan City. This finally persuaded the old men who had been waiting all day to leave.

Several loud-voiced individuals were shouting that they should go and reserve seats now, Li Fan not to be disrespectful and stand them up, so as to avoid future grudges...

Just when Li Fan thought he could finally do some math problems that night and deduce the changes in fortune after his mission to pay tribute, he suddenly heard a loud bang.

From the rooftop of the annex, one could clearly see that the distant city walls were ablaze, with thick smoke billowing and flames shooting into the sky, shaking the Jingji.

Li Fan quickly calculated and knew it was the Immortal Prison Sky Prison!

Huh? Good heavens! Is this a real rescue operation at the execution ground? Or has the Grand Tutor's 'pre-arranged' scheme begun?

How could I miss out on such a lively event! At worst, 'Qingyue' would just mind her own business.

So Li Fan threw himself on the ground and swapped places with his shadow, concealing his form and hiding his secrets, before immediately stealthily sneaking over to watch the show.