"So soon? Is there any concrete news?"
He left with Li Chuping. Since their sect headquarters had only just been established and a thousand tangled threads needed sorting out, intelligence work still fell under Li Chuping's purview.
"No. I hear Anhe has been in chaos lately, with every sort of ox demon and snake spirit gathering there. Hardly surprising, really. Anhe's location is simply too good, and its population is enormous-a fat morsel in the Daoist Sect's eyes. First came the Wu Sect, then the Upper Realm Visitors. Every last one of them has a sharp eye," Miaomiao'er said.
"Has the sect decided on any approach?"
"No. We could still play a role when they were confronting the Wu Sect, but now this is a struggle over succession. It's hard for outsiders to intervene. Your status alone makes you our most suitable means of getting involved. You're the sect leader, so play it by ear?"
Hou Niao sighed. "I'll set off right away. Honestly, I have no confidence at all. There are the two Anhes, north and south, the Wu Sect meddling, and a dozen or more Upper Realm Visitors, every one of them with powerful backing. Only heaven knows how far I can get."
Li Chuping reminded him, "Your position in Anhe is more that of a guest elder. You need to be careful and avoid looking at things from the Sword Lineage's perspective. That's something the Daoist Sect cannot tolerate, and even Northern Anhe, which is close to us, is no exception.
"The best outcome would be to choose a successor who is impartial toward the Sword Lineage, while also reuniting Anhe to withstand pressure from the Wu Sect.
"Failing that, maintaining the status quo would also be acceptable. At least Northern Anhe could still serve as a