A Kind of Support is: Not Opposing

The storm in Luoyang has ended. The oblivious onlookers, aside from lamenting the treachery of the Demonic Cult, had no inkling of the high-stakes power struggle that had unfolded behind the scenes.

Only the major sects involved in the affair understood the true peril. The two titans of the righteous path had nearly come to blows; the mere thought of it was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Had they truly clashed, the entire martial arts world would have been dragged into the fray, and no one would have been able to remain unscathed.

Fortunately, the matter was resolved satisfactorily. As for the intricate details of the maneuvering between Shaolin Temple and Mount Hua Sect, the public had no interest. Curiosity kills the cat—everyone understood that principle well enough.

As the losing side, Mount Hua Sect would naturally never speak of such a dark chapter that tarnished their reputation.

The Shaolin Temple, though the victor, had not won easily. While leaking the news could certainly damage Mount Hua's prestige, it would also draw the attention of those with ulterior motives.

Should anyone discover that their sect's foundational pillar had suffered a loss of lifespan, there was no telling what might happen. At the very least, many of their current strategic deployments would be severely compromised.

Mount Hua.

Upon receiving news that the sect elders were returning, Li Mu let out a deep sigh of relief.

Lately, every major and minor affair within the mountain had been pressed upon his shoulders. Had it not been for Li Mu's decent administrative talent, things would have descended into chaos long ago.

Managing the sect's affairs was not the real issue; the problem was that while his competence was high, his authority was severely limited.

No matter how high his reputation within the sect, he remained a mere ordinary disciple of Mount Hua, his power derived solely from the temporary appointments of the sect's elders.

He could execute tasks by the book and follow established precedents, but he lacked the authority to make any substantive changes.

As for the failure of the eastward expansion plan, Li Mu felt no surprise at all. Had it actually succeeded, Mount Hua would have been too busy consolidating new territory to bother with any internal conflict between the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect.

"Brother Zhou, pass the word down. Tell everyone to prepare for the Sect Leader's return. Keep it simple; it is not appropriate to be too festive while we are still in the period of mourning."

Knowing full well that the expansion plan had failed and the sect's leadership was seething with frustration, Li Mu had no desire to walk into the line of fire.

So many had died within the mountain gates, including six sect elders. We are currently in the midst of deep mourning, so skipping the celebrations is entirely justifiable.

"Understood, Junior Brother Li. I shall go and make the arrangements at once."

Looking up at the clouds on the horizon, Li Mu knew it was time to pay a visit to the last remaining elder of the sect.

Whether it was his efforts to turn the tide at the critical moment or his tireless work in the aftermath, these merits needed to be acknowledged.

By now, Li Mu had become a prominent figure in the sect; many things were destined to be unavoidable.

Since he could not hide from them, he might as well step into the spotlight. Relying on these recent achievements, if he played his cards right, it was entirely possible for his reputation within the sect to surpass both Cai and Yao.

His efforts during this period had not been in vain. The power vacuum created by the Demonic Cult's surprise attack had provided him with the perfect opportunity.

Seizing this chance, Li Mu had not only mapped out the power distribution and interpersonal networks of Mount Hua, but he had also gone to great lengths to win over the hearts of the disciples.

By playing the role of the "good senior brother" while his junior brothers and sisters were gripped by fear and uncertainty after the attack, he had successfully established himself as their pillar of support.

Though this influence might not yield immediate results, his juniors would eventually grow up, and the future prospects were promising.

Most importantly, this influence spanned both the Sword and Qi sects. For the sake of competing for the position of Sect Leader, this was an absolute advantage.

If no accidents occurred and things continued to proceed as they were, Li Mu had a high probability of defeating Cai and Yao to secure the position of heir to the sect.

Following a winding bluestone path, Li Mu arrived at a secluded courtyard.

The first thing that caught his eye was a lotus pond, in the center of which stood a twenty-foot-tall natural boulder engraved with Li Bai's Song of the Gallant Knight.

"Disciple Li Bumu pays his respects to Grand-Uncle Liu."

The white-haired elder nodded slightly, his spirit appearing somewhat weary as he said, "Rise. There are not so many rules here; you need not be so formal."

It was evident that the battle that day had taken a heavy toll on Grand-Uncle Liu. While his physical wounds had mostly healed, the psychological trauma was something that could never be mended.

Even having seen his share of life and death, watching his peers fall one by one while he remained the sole survivor was surely a form of torture.

In such matters, unless he could find his own way out, no one else could help him.

Li Mu replied respectfully, "Thank you, Grand-Uncle!"

Having experienced the battle against the Demonic Cult and witnessed the demeanor of the sect's elders, Li Mu's respect was genuine.

As if seeing through Li Mu's hidden thoughts, Grand-Uncle Liu laughed and scolded, "You have to worry about every little thing in the sect, so how do you have the leisure to come visit this old bag of bones?"

"Nothing escapes your wise eyes, Grand-Uncle. A letter just arrived from Luoyang; the Sect Leaders have departed and will arrive at Mount Hua in a few days.

The mess on the mountain will soon have someone to clean it up, so there is no need for this disciple to worry any longer."

Li Mu spoke with complete honesty.

Grand-Uncle Liu stroked his pale beard and smiled, "You are an honest lad. Rest assured, our Mount Hua Sect has always been clear about rewards and punishments. No one can erase your merits, nor will they let you be the scapegoat.

If you were a disciple of my Qi Sect, based on these achievements, this old man would cast aside his pride and demand that Ning Qingyu name you the Young Sect Leader."

Li Mu understood the implication clearly. His merits were secure, but he should stop dreaming about using this opportunity to seize the position of heir.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Mu deliberately probed, "Grand-Uncle, are the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect not both disciples of Mount Hua? Why must you, sir, be like those worldly people?"

To Li Mu's surprise, Grand-Uncle Liu actually nodded in agreement.

"You are right, lad. Both the Sword Sect and the Qi Sect are disciples of Mount Hua. Compared to those two useless fellows, Cai and Yao, you are indeed far more outstanding."

But that is of no use to me; the succession of the Sect Leader position within the Qi Sect is a tradition left behind by our ancestors.

The old man is getting on in years and has finally managed to escape the strife; I have no desire to get dragged back into it.

If you have the ability, brat, then find a way to win everyone's support yourself. The most I can do is ensure the disciples under my name do not oppose you.

If you ask me, you should stop this aimless tossing and turning. Once you have finished handing over the sect affairs and collected your rewards, hurry off into secluded cultivation.

If you can break through to the Peerless Realm, the situation will be entirely different. Even Qingyu only managed to ascend to the position by popular acclaim because he broke through to the Peerless Realm first.

"Many thanks for your guidance, Grandmaster!"

Li Mu said gratefully.

This result truly came as a pleasant surprise; he had only intended to test the waters, never expecting to actually gain the support of Grandmaster Liu.

Background determines one's stance, and sometimes "not opposing" is as good as support. Expecting the elders of the Qi Sect faction to betray their own lineage and stand up to support him was never realistic to begin with.