The turmoil in Luoyang had ended. The unknowing onlookers, apart from marveling at the Demonic Cult's treachery, had no idea of the power struggle unfolding behind the scenes.
Only the major Jianghu factions involved knew how perilous things had been. The two great righteous factions had nearly come to blows. Just thinking about it was thrilling.
If they had really fought, the entire Jianghu would have been dragged in. No one could have stayed out of it.
Fortunately, everything had been settled in the end. As for the details of the struggle between Shaolin Temple and Mount Hua, nobody was interested. Everyone knew that curiosity killed the cat.
As the loser, Mount Hua Sect naturally wouldn't spread around this dark chapter that damaged its reputation.
Shaolin Temple had won, but not without difficulty. Letting the truth out might damage Mount Hua Sect's prestige, but it would also draw the attention of those with ulterior motives.
If people discovered that their sect's cornerstone had lost years of its life, who knew what might happen? At the very least, many of their current arrangements would be seriously affected.
Mount Hua
When he heard that the elders of his sect had returned, Li Mu breathed a deep sigh of relief.
These past few days, every major and minor matter on the mountain had weighed on his shoulders. If Li Mu hadn't been reasonably capable at managing things, the place would have descended into chaos long ago.
If he'd only been managing affairs on the mountain, it wouldn't have been a big deal. The problem was that, while he wasn't lacking in ability, his authority was limited!
No matter how highly regarded he was within the sect, he was still just an ordinary Mount Hua disciple. His authority came from a temporary appointment by the sect's elders.
He could carry out routine matters by following established procedures, but he had no authority to make any substantial changes.
As for the failure of the Eastward Expansion Plan, Li Mu wasn't surprised in the least. If it had actually succeeded, Mount Hua Sect would have been too busy sorting out its new territory to have time for any Sword-Qi dispute.
"Senior Brother Zhou, pass the word around and have everyone prepare to welcome the Sect Leader back. Keep things simple. We're in the mourning period, so it wouldn't be appropriate to make too much of a celebration."
Knowing full well that the Eastward Expansion Plan had failed and the sect's higher-ups were seething, Li Mu didn't want to walk straight into the line of fire.
So many people had died at the sect's mountain gate this time, including six elders. They were still in deep mourning, so there was every reason not to hold a celebration.
"Understood, Junior Brother Li. I'll make the arrangements now."
Looking up at the clouds on the horizon, Li Mu knew it was time to pay a visit to the sect's last surviving elder.
Whether it was turning the tide at a critical moment or working tirelessly to handle the aftermath, his contributions needed to be properly recognized.
By now, Li Mu had become a prominent figure in the sect. There were many things he simply couldn't avoid.
Since he couldn't avoid them, he might as well step into the spotlight of his own accord. With the credit he'd earned this time, if he played his cards right, he might even surpass Cai and Yao in the sect's esteem.
His efforts during this period hadn't been wasted. The Demonic Cult's raid had left a power vacuum on the mountain, giving him the perfect opportunity.
Taking advantage of it, Li Mu had not only gotten a thorough understanding of Mount Hua Sect's power structure and network of connections, but had also won over a great many people at the sect's mountain gate.
After the attack, his junior brothers and sisters had been frightened and at a loss. Li Mu had taken the opportunity to play the part of the "good senior brother" to the hilt, becoming the pillar everyone relied on.
It wouldn't count for much in the short term, but his junior brothers and sisters would grow up in time. The future looked promising.
Most importantly, his influence spanned both the Sword and Qi Factions. When it came to competing for the position of Sect Leader, that was the biggest advantage he could have.
If nothing unexpected happened and things continued along their current course, Li Mu would most likely defeat Cai and Yao and secure the position of the Sect Leader's successor.
Following a winding path paved with blue-gray flagstones, Li Mu arrived at a quiet little courtyard.
The first thing he saw was a lotus pond. In its center stood a natural boulder, six meters tall, with Li Bai's The Swordsman's Journey carved into it.
"Your disciple, Li Bumu, pays his respects to Granduncle Liu."
The white-haired elder gave a faint nod and said, looking somewhat weary, "Get up. We don't have so many rules here, so you needn't be so formal."
It was clear that the battle that day had taken a heavy toll on Granduncle Liu. His physical wounds had mostly healed, but the scars on his spirit could never be mended.
Even for someone who had seen so much death, watching his fellow elders fall one by one and being left as the only survivor must have been its own kind of torment.
Unless he could come to terms with it and move on, there was nothing anyone else could do to help.
Li Mu replied respectfully, "Thank you, Granduncle."
After the Demonic Cult's attack, and after seeing the bearing of the sect's elders, Li Mu felt genuine respect for them.
As if he'd seen through Li Mu's intentions, Granduncle Liu chided him with a laugh. "You've got all the major and minor affairs on the mountain to worry about. How did you find the time to come visit an old man like me?"
"You can't hide anything from your keen eyes, Granduncle. A letter just arrived from Luoyang. The Sect Leaders have already set out and will reach Mount Hua within a few days.
"Someone will soon be back to clean up the mess on the mountain, so I won't need to keep worrying about it."
Li Mu answered honestly.
Granduncle Liu stroked his white beard and smiled. "At least you're honest, boy. Don't worry. Mount Hua Sect has always rewarded and punished fairly. No one can erase your contributions, and no one will make you take the blame.
"If you were a disciple of the Qi Sect, then with contributions like yours, this old man would risk what little face I have left to make Ning Qingyu appoint you as his successor."
Li Mu understood the implication. His contributions were safe, but he could forget about using them to secure the position of Sect Leader's successor.
After pondering for a moment, Li Mu deliberately tested the waters. "Granduncle, aren't the Sword Sect and Qi Sect both part of Mount Hua? Why do you sound just like those narrow-minded people?"
To Li Mu's surprise, Granduncle Liu actually nodded in agreement.
"You're right, boy. The Sword Sect and Qi Sect are both part of Mount Hua. Compared with those two good-for-nothings, Cai and Yao, you're clearly the better candidate.
"But that doesn't matter to me. The Qi Sect inheriting the position of Sect Leader is a tradition left by our forebears.
"I'm old. I only just managed to get away from these disputes, and I don't want to get dragged back in.
"If you're capable, find a way to win everyone's support yourself. The most I can do is tell my own disciples not to oppose you.
"If you ask me, you should stop making a fuss and focus on handing over the affairs of the mountain. Once you've collected your reward, hurry off to cultivate in seclusion.
"If you can break through to the peak level, things will be very different. Even Qingyu was only able to take the position with the support of everyone because he broke through to the peak level first."
"Thank you for your guidance, Granduncle!"
Li Mu said gratefully.
This outcome genuinely surprised him. He'd only meant to test the waters, but he hadn't expected to win Granduncle Liu's support.
A person's background determined their loyalties. Sometimes, "not opposing" was support. It was never realistic to expect the Qi Sect elders to betray their own faction and openly back him.
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