The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Allegiance
After traveling west and south from the Skywater Academy for a day and a half, the damp chill along the official road had not yet dissipated, and the ground color changed from bluish-gray to warm yellow.
Vast fields and estates stretched out. The glazed flags of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School were planted on the field ridges, their surfaces swirling with seven colors in the wind, looking from afar like a rainbow stretching across the fields.
The Nan Feng blew along the official road. The Old Huai sniffed inside the pagoda.
"This is the territory of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. These people have planted Soul Power crops all over the plain, and mixed glazed sand into the soil. The crops are growing 30% faster than elsewhere."
"That old man Ning Fengzhi is a master at managing accounts."
Nan Feng didn't reply.
When he left Skywater Academy, Shui Bing'er gave him a sample of a combination technique ice crystal and told him to study it on the way. Now he was holding it in his hand, turning it over and over to look at it.
The ice crystal contained a Ice Phoenix feather pattern and a Tower Suppression power, the two intertwined perfectly.
Shui Bing'er carved a line of small characters on the surface of the ice crystal.
"A stable version with 1000 steps, waiting for your return to test it."
Nan Feng stored the ice crystals into the Tower Spirit Space and looked up at the sky. The dark purple streak in the Far North was still there, even more intense than when he saw it at the Skywater Academy.
The headquarters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was built on a raised platform. The city walls were made of bluish-white glazed rock, and the entire wall reflected the sunlight.
Two rows of Soul Master stood guard at the city gate, all possessing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, and their Soul Power was all above level 40. Their armor was inlaid with glazed tiles, making them look even more imposing than the Imperial Guards of Heaven Dou City.
Nan Feng walked to the city gate. The leading guard looked him up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the red ribbon on his left wrist, before straightening up.
"Master Nan Feng?"
Is Ning Fengzhi here?
"The sect leader is waiting for you in the council hall." The guard stepped aside to make way, adding, "He's been waiting for two days."
Nan Feng nodded and walked inside.
The interior of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was even more magnificent than the exterior, with glazed decorations and Soul Power guiding patterns everywhere. Even the lampposts along the roadside were engraved with miniature soul-gathering arrays, drawing the surrounding Spiritual Power into the sect.
Old Huai clicked his tongue inside the tower.
"This is quite a move. After the Spirit Hall fell, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect reaped considerable benefits."
The council hall is located at the deepest part of the sect, and is a seven-story glazed tower. Each floor of the tower is engraved with different Soul Power patterns.
When Nan Feng arrived at the tower gate, Ning Fengzhi was already standing at the door waiting for her.
The sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was in his fifties, thin, and wore a faded gray-blue robe with frayed cuffs, which was out of place with the sect's magnificent decorations.
He met Nan Feng and clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"The immortal master arrived sooner than I expected."
"I've finished dealing with Shui Bing'er, it's on the way." Nan Feng followed him into the council hall.
A long glass table sat in the hall, on which lay a stack of account books and an open map.
Ning Fengzhi sat down in the main seat without exchanging pleasantries.
"I received the letter. There was only one sentence, and I've been pondering it for three days."
He picked up the letter beside him and waved it. There was only one line of text on the letter.
"Would the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect be willing to submit to the Immortal Dao Path?"
Ning Fengzhi put the letter back and looked at Nan Feng.
"You're certainly saving your breath."
"Writing more is useless. You, Ning Fengzhi, have spent your whole life calculating accounts; every extra word you write is just empty talk."
Nan Feng sat down opposite him.
Ning Fengzhi was silent for a while. He tapped his fingers on the table seven times.
"Let me do the math for you. After the Spirit Hall fell, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lost its biggest check and balance. Among the Upper Three Sects, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is too busy to take care of itself, the Clear Sky Sect is hiding on Clear Sky Peak and never goes out. And those people from the Lower Four Sects are drooling over my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's territory every day."
"Our sect's official records show that its output of Soul Power crops accounts for 30% of the continent's total, mineral veins for 40%, and Soul Tool workshops for 50%."
"A company of this size can't survive without powerful backers."
He opened an account book and pushed it towards him.
"Look at this again. Before the Spirit Hall fell, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had to pay 30% of its profits to the Spirit Hall as protection money every year. Now that money is saved, it will have to be spent on expanding its army."
"Last year alone, the sect hired three hundred more Soul Master, increasing expenses by 20%. If this continues, we won't last five years."
Nan Feng flipped through two pages of the ledger but didn't look at it closely.
He had long heard of Ning Fengzhi's accounting skills. The fact that the old man was willing to show him this ledger meant that he had thought things through.
"I've been pondering that sentence in your letter for three days." Ning Fengzhi put the account book away and leaned back.
"My first thought was not to submit. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has been passed down for hundreds of years. It's understandable that we have no choice but to bow down to the Spirit Hall. But if the Spirit Hall falls, we'll have to find another master. I'm not willing to accept that."
"The next day, I thought of submitting. You, Nan Feng, hold the Immortal Dao Cultivation Method in your hands. The Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the Blazing Fire Academy, and the Skywater Academy have all formed an alliance with you, and even a bunch of scoundrels like the Elephant Armor Sect are shamelessly trying to curry favor with you."
"If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't follow suit, it will be squeezed out of existence in five years."
"And the third day?" Nan Feng asked.
Ning Fengzhi silent for three breaths.
On the third day, I thought, my own pride is not important. Thousands of people in the sect need to eat, and I can't drag the entire sect down just because I'm unwilling to accept defeat.
He pulled a glass token from under the table. The front was engraved with the pattern of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and the back was engraved with the character "Ning".
"But there are conditions to joining. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will not merge into the Immortal Dao Alliance, but will only be an ally. I will manage the internal affairs of the sect myself."
"I'll buy your Immortal Dao cultivation method with money, exchanging it for the output of Soul Power crops and mineral veins. Externally, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will stand with your Immortal Dao Alliance, but we will not change the sect's name or the sect leader."
Nan Feng picked up the glass token, looked at it, and put it back.
"Alright. We'll do it your way. But there's one condition: the cultivation methods of Immortal Dao are not to be passed on to outsiders. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can only cultivate them among its own members; they cannot be sold for money."
Ning Fengzhi placed the token on the table, his voice slightly softer than before.
"Make a deal."
He stood up, walked to the window, opened it, and shouted outside.
"Rongrong! Come in!"
Footsteps came from the other end of the corridor. Ning Rongrong pushed open the door and entered the council hall.
Nan Feng noticed that she had changed into a neat and tidy outfit, her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and a string of glass beads formed from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul hung from her waist. She looked much heavier than when she was at Shrek.
Upon seeing Nan Feng, she opened her mouth, but ultimately uttered "Immortal Master" first.
Ning Fengzhi walked back, picked up the token on the table, and handed it to Ning Rongrong.
"Go to Heaven Dou City and give this token to Qin Ming. Tell him that the alliance between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Immortal Dao Alliance has officially taken effect. We'll discuss the details later."
Ning Rongrong took the token and paused for a moment.
"Father, sending the token is a simple matter that can be handled by a messenger—"
"Sending a messenger is just a formality. You going is to tell everyone that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is a legitimate alliance, not just sending someone to deliver a token."
After Ning Fengzhi finished speaking, he glanced at Nan Feng.
"Rongrong's relationship with Tang San is their relationship, and the sect's affairs are their affairs. I understand that."
Ning Rongrong gripped the token, remained silent for a moment, nodded, and turned to walk out the door.
She paused at the door without turning her head.
"Immortal Master, I won't make things difficult for Tang San."
After saying that, he strode out the door.
Nan Feng watched Ning Rongrong's figure disappear at the end of the corridor. Ning Fengzhi spoke up from the side.
"Rongrong is a proud girl. Having her deliver this token is more effective than ten of my words. Everyone in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is watching. The sect leader's own daughter is personally delivering the alliance token. Who would dare to gossip?"
Nan Feng withdrew her gaze and glanced at Ning Fengzhi. This old man was shrewd; he even included his own daughter in his calculations.
"There's one more thing." Ning Fengzhi pointed to an area north of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect on the map.
"I've received information that several minor sects among the Lower Four Sects have recently been active in the Far North. Your people were blocked in the city once before, and they may have regrouped this time."
Nan Feng frowned slightly.
After the Elephant Armor Sect Huyan Bao Sect, there was no further news, and he had assumed the matter had been suppressed.
"I understand." Nan Feng stored the map into the Tower Spirit Space. "I'll have Qin Ming handle things with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School later. I have to head north."
Ning Fengzhi did not try to keep him.
As Nan Feng reached the door, Ning Fengzhi suddenly called out to him.
"Immortal Master."
The Nan Feng turns back.
Ning Fengzhi stood in front of the window of the glazed pagoda, his back to the light, so his face Taiqing visible.
"My daughter was close to Tang San when she was at Shrek. Now that I've sent her to Heaven Dou City to deliver the token, people outside are bound to gossip."
"Please pass on a message to her for me. The daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School always stands tall and proud."
Nan Feng nodded and left the council hall.
Old Huai remained silent throughout the journey inside the tower, only speaking after leaving the territory of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"That old man Ning Fengzhi is even more shrewd than Huyan Bao in his calculations. But he's not lying about one thing: he truly cares deeply for the thousands of people in the sect."
Nan Feng took out Shui Bing'er's ice crystal, looked at it again, and strode northward.
"Therefore, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect didn't lose out by partnering with him."
With a single step, he shrank the distance, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch in one step and a hundred steps in another. At the Far North end of the official road, the dark purple hue intensified.