Living in the Present Was Good Enough!

"Yun Ci, what do you mean?"

Zhao Yanshan spoke up, after all, he and the Sun Clan were both under Shi Jian's command, so he had to lend a hand. "Should the Sun Clan receive a smaller share? Or none at all?"

"Senior Zhao is overthinking it."

Yun Ci quickly cupped his hands in greeting. "I simply believe that distributing rewards according to contribution is the only sustainable approach. Is that not true?"

"Over the years, the Sun Clan has suffered many deaths and injuries, and indeed, they haven't made any significant contributions."

"If we continue to rely on the legacy of Ancestor Shi and live off our past achievements, sooner or later we will be criticized by the entire sect and our disciples will become dissatisfied."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.

Yun Du watched the two clashing and sighed inwardly.

Yun Ci is talented, but her vision is a bit limited.

No matter how down on his luck the Sun Clan is, Shi Jian personally approved it. What kind of talk will it make if a junior like you is arguing about such trivial matters?

Moreover, Shi Jian was extremely important to White Cloud Temple.

The reason why White Cloud Temple has been able to develop so smoothly over the years is largely due to the deterrent effect of Shi Jian.

"This matter need not be discussed further."

Yun Du broke the silence, making the final decision. "The Sun Clan's share will remain the same, but the sect will allocate additional resources to each peak and branch."

Upon hearing this, Yun Ci's expression softened slightly, and she bowed and thanked him.

Zhao Yanshan continued to smile, saying nothing.

After the meeting, Zhao Yanshan went to find Yun Du.

The two sat facing each other and talked in a pavilion on the back hill.

"Uncle-Master, do you really think Yun Ci is capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Du sighed, "His temperament is still somewhat lacking, but he has the ability. Given time, he may well be able to stand on his own."

"To stand on one's own?"

Zhao Yanshan smiled and said, "He's already thinking about standing on his own. Hasn't your uncle seen how many people he's secretly recruited over the past two years under the guise of trade?"

"I know it's difficult for a martial uncle. As the head of a sect, he needs to treat everyone equally, but Yun Ci's forming factions over the years isn't a good sign..."

"Are you afraid he'll become too powerful to control in the future?" Yun Du raised an eyebrow.

What I'm afraid of isn't that he'll become too powerful to control.

Zhao Yanshan shook his head. "What I'm afraid of, my nephew, is that he's misdirecting his efforts."

"White Cloud Temple may appear prosperous and beautiful now, but beneath the surface, undercurrents are surging. A single misstep could lead to utter destruction."

Yun Du was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand everything you're saying."

"But now is not the time for internal strife. The war in the west is not yet over, and the states of the Wei Kingdom and Liang Kingdom in the east are also eyeing us covetously."

"If our own people start to fall into chaos first, that would be a real catastrophe."

That's why I came to discuss this with you.

Zhao Yanshan lowered his voice. "Uncle-Master Yun, the Zhao Household will be sending people to the Yuan Continent in a few days, are you aware of that?"

"I know a thing or two about that."

"I can roughly guess what Fellow Daoist Shi means: expanding outwards and branching out to diversify risks..."

"It's not just about diversifying risk."

Zhao Yanshan's gaze was deep and pointed. "The Ancestor's sharing of risks is a pretense; his true intention is to plan for the future of the Demon Race."

"Uncle-Master, in recent years, White Cloud Temple has been ostensibly Human Race sect, but secretly..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Yun Du already understood.

The foundation of White Cloud Temple was built under the protection of Shi Jian, a powerful demon at the Golden Core stage.

On the surface, the Human Race and the Demon Race are cooperating, but in reality, Shi Jian is using White Cloud Temple as a shell for the Human Race to gain living space for the Demon Race.

This situation is fine in the short term.

But as time goes on, problems will inevitably arise sooner or later, especially with a radical young man like Yun Ci. If he spills the beans, things will go wrong sooner or later!

"Yanshan," Yun Du suddenly called his name.

"Exist."

"Does your Zhao Household side with the Human Race or the Demon Race?"

Zhao Yanshan paused for a moment, then laughed, "Uncle Yun, that's an interesting question. My Zhao Household is neither on either side nor on either side."

"What we're standing here for is nothing more than survival."

Yun Du stared at him for a long time, and finally smiled.

"Good, alive."

"Then let's all live well. I share the same thought as you; being able to live in the cultivation world is already a great achievement."

"What humans and demons? These are still too far removed from us."

"At least for now, we're doing well, and that's enough."