Hou Niao cultivated and waited at Heavy Gate Residence, contentedly living his life as a gardener, pruning meticulously every day and never tiring of it.
E Huangshi possessed extraordinary natural gifts, with gate upon gate and door upon door, quite unlike others.
The winds in Jade Capital City began to shift. After the Red Happiness Troupe had performed for three days, cultivators from the Minister of War Prefecture stepped forward and halted their performances, heralding another contest of strength within Jade Capital's cultivation circles.
It no longer had anything to do with the Red Happiness Troupe, or even with Hou Niao. The struggle among the higher ranks surged with treacherous waves and shifting clouds, with far-reaching implications. The Minister of War, Minister of Works, and Minister of Justice Prefectures, together with the independent marquises' and princes' households, had taken it entirely beyond its instigator's control. Things had instead grown quiet.
"Is it over?" E Huangshi asked.
Hou Niao smiled. "No, it's only just beginning."
"Then, as for the Red Happiness Troupe..."
"Read more books on the Shan Kingdom's laws. Cultivators won't come looking for trouble with you again, but there will be no shortage of attacks from fellow mortals. There will always be people hoping to kiss ass and ride the momentum into a higher position. You can never eliminate people like that.
"What you can do is avoid those forbidden practices. For example, I know the troupe doesn't prohibit Inviting Guests to the Stage.
"Once this storm has passed, all sorts of trouble will come knocking. But as long as you conduct yourselves properly, it won't be able to injure the Red Happiness Troupe's sinews and bones."
"What a bother..."
"Being alive is a bother. Once you're dead, things get easy."
"Even you're afraid of trouble, Venerable Master?"
"Yes,