Misty Sect, Misty Manor, Council Hall. Ou Peng was leisurely savoring fragrant tea.
What elegant leisure—stealing half a day of idleness from this fleeting life.
This period had kept Ou Peng terribly busy.
The Luoshui Gang had recently merged into the Misty Sect. How should they plan and develop in the new year? The Misty Six Tigers and Shui Yupeng had all racked their brains and exhausted every ounce of ingenuity before barely drawing up five "Three-Year Development Plans." The hardships involved were not something outsiders could understand. If they developed too quickly, not only would their foundation be unstable, but a tall tree caught the wind; they would easily draw the attention of super sects. If those sects discovered even the slightest clue, the losses would outweigh the gains. Yet if they stood still and shut themselves away, they would not only fail the brothers who had sacrificed their lives for the merger of the two factions, but would also chill the hearts of the Luoshui Gang brothers. Once people's hearts scattered, the ranks became hard to lead. Ou Peng understood this deeply, and Shui Yupeng naturally would not agree either. Thus, for a time, Ou Peng would often sigh toward the heavens. The Doctrine of the Mean, harmonious development—the ancients had spoken well indeed!
Whether it was the Luoshui Gang's "Three-Year Development Plan" or the Misty Sect's already revised fifth "Five-Year Plan," their central idea was to raise the sect's standing in the martial world, increase its influence over martial-world affairs, and become an important force upon the martial world's stage. Achieving those goals depended on expanding and properly managing the forces of both the Misty Sect and the Luoshui Gang. At its root, expansion meant greatly improving the martial skill levels of sect disciples. And when it