Who Could Change It?

---- Two Instruments Sect, Rosy Lake Mountain

"Fellow Daoist Xiang, things are likely to be exposed." Pu Honggu, disregarding the pain of losing his fellow disciples, spoke to Xiang Tianxing with considerable unease.

The latter gave a light rebuke, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing. "That Daoist Peng has been your fellow disciple for over two hundred years, yet he has no regard for even this much affection? Now that he's fallen into the hands of that old bird from the Fei Household, he's bound to surrender without a second thought?! Completely helpless?!"

"There's really nothing we can do. Junior Brother Peng is very cautious. Although he has taken in a few disciples, they have no ties to the sect." Pu Honggu's face also showed a hint of helplessness.

Xiang Tianxing frowned as well. In the eyes of Evil Cultivator like Daoist Peng, what difference was there between his disciples and the dead bones by the roadside if it concerned his own safety? Don't think that the latter would be afraid because of this little bit of leverage.

"What should we do then?"

"Sect Leader Xiang, could it be the Elder Master of the Tower?"

"Fellow Daoist Pu speaks so casually. How can one seek favors for every little thing? True Person's slightest movement is known to everyone, everywhere and in every region. If this falls into the eyes of those with ulterior motives, things will become chaotic." Xiang Tianxing didn't completely cut to the chase, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Originally, I wanted your family to establish connections with the Li Mountain Lineage, merely to counterbalance Kuang Liuting's return from the outer sea, but now it's too early, far too early!"

Pu Honggu also knew the gravity of the matter. After pondering for a while, he finally mustered up his courage and said, "Sect Leader Xiang, the Star-Picking Pavilion also had considerable ties with the imperial clan back then, why not..."

The old cultivator had only spoken halfway when he saw a sharp glint flash in Xiang Tianxing's eyes. He immediately realized what was happening and fell silent. The latter snorted coldly but also remained silent.

Xiang Tianxing couldn't blame Pu Honggu for being so short-sighted. After all, because of the Star-Picking Pavilion's neglect of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court over the years, the various families under its jurisdiction had been appeased for so many years, so it was only natural that they would develop some desire to surrender.

But the Kuang Household was not so easy to rely on. Not only were they mean and ungrateful, but they were also cruel and harsh. There were countless other families in the Immortal Dynasty that stood in opposition to the Great Wei clan.

Star-Picking Pavilion is not Five Old Mothers Mountain. True Person Moon Hidden is only at the Nascent Soul Early Stage realm. He barely managed to occupy the Mountain North Circuit by relying on the legacy of his ancestors and his disciples. The sect is also facing a shortage of True Person will emerge.

The families of Mountain North Circuit are all relying on the remaining lifespan of True Person Moon Hidden. After True Person Moon Hidden passes away, no one knows what their situation will be like.

I've heard that a few years ago, one of the three great rogue cultivators of the Immortal Dynasty was promised by the current emperor to be the master of the northern mountain. This forced Master Yueyin to abandon his sect disciples and become a protector of Kuangliuting.

However, Bai Canhong, the current master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, is different. He is not even nine hundred years old, but he has already reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He once sparred with the Southern King Kuang Shenzhi, and the two were evenly matched. He is vaguely known as the number one cultivator in the Southwest.

Although there are only a hundred or so disciples in the Star-Picking Pavilion, they are all elites, and it is difficult to find even a cultivator with Triple Spirit Root among them.

No matter how prosperous the Daoist tradition is or how many disciples the "Three Administrations" in the Shannan Circuit region are, they still have to hand over most of their income to the Star-Picking Pavilion every year, and they dare not even find an excuse to delay.

The difference between the two is obvious.

The dying True Person Moon Hidden needs to carefully protect Kuang Liuting, a rare and outstanding member of the Great Wei family, for the sake of his legacy.

Bai Canhong has the resources, so there's no need to rush.

Although there are some places within the Immortal Dynasty currently experiencing fierce infighting, it is actually just minor skirmishes. You should know that while the phrase "sitting on the fence and watching" may not sound pleasant, it is the safest option.

If you choose a faction to join now, you'll only have headaches later.

Looking at the "Extinction Guard" faction alone, there are those like the Blood Sword Sect, who have a deep-seated hatred for the Kuang Household family clan and are determined to overthrow the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty and rebuild the state; there are also many who were frightened by the disasters during the reign of Emperor Taizu and only want to protect their own small territory and live a good life; and there are even those who are forced by the situation to remain loyal to the Han Dynasty while serving Cao Cao, and who knows when they will rebel again.

Within the Bao Kuang faction, it was difficult to find many who were of one mind. There were members of the Kuang Household clan, new and old nobles, court officials, powerful families in the capital, and local governors. The interests of these people seemed to be opposed, but they were actually intertwined and deeply intertwined. It was as if they were intertwined with each other, and it was probably impossible to find a single person in the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty who could untangle the conflict.

Moreover, compared to the founding emperor and the late emperor, the current emperor is indeed far less capable.

Although he was fortunate enough to be born, for many years he could only rely on the word "benevolence" to establish himself and work as a paperhanger. Without any major changes, it would be extremely difficult for him to achieve anything remarkable.

Therefore, there are indeed not many people who have clearly joined either faction, because everyone is afraid that they will be dragged in and rot into the dust if they are not careful.

Of these thirty-three Nascent Soul sects, most were like Original Response Temple and Star-Picking Pavilion, unrelated and observing from afar.

Despite the fact that the current prime minister, Gui Xuantong, led the court and upheld the government, the Liaoyuan Gui Household, under his control, still met a tragic end. There are many reasons for this, and it's difficult to explain them all in a short time.

Xiang Tianxing didn't need to elaborate on these principles with Pu Honggu. After rejecting the latter's advice, he asked softly, "Perhaps this matter still needs to be reported to Master. At worst, he can just learn a lesson. But does Fellow Daoist Pu know which Demon Officer in the Li Mountain Lineage your junior brother contacted?"

"I don't know for sure, but I do have a general direction." Seeing that Xiang Tianxing's gaze had become much more serious, Pu Honggu continued, "After I go down, I will gather my disciples to search in Cold Crow Mountain. I think that after some time, even if I can't be certain, I should at least have some clues."

After nodding, the latter said calmly, "I'll leave this matter to Fellow Daoist Pu. My Star-Picking Pavilion will also send some disciples over later."

"I dare not complain of the hardship. This time, it was the sect's incompetence that implicated Sect Leader Xiang. I humbly request Sect Leader Xiang's assistance with the Elder."

Pu Honggu adopted a very humble attitude, Xiang Tianxing had seen for many years and had grown accustomed to. He casually agreed and then left Rosy Lake Mountain on his own.

As he walked among the clouds, Xiang Tianxing leaned on his spear and peered down, only to see the entire mountain covered in white mourning clothes.

For many families, reaching the Golden Core stage is considered a significant achievement, and the fall of even one could lead to the downfall of the entire family.

As one of the "Three Administrations," the Two Instruments Sect naturally possesses a much stronger foundation, but Huang Siniang's death is still a heavy blow. Although Pu Honggu enjoys great prestige, cleaning up this mess will likely be a major headache for him.

"Fellow Daoist Pu will probably have to work even harder," Xiang Tianxing remarked, before quickly withdrawing his gaze. In this great upheaval, what was the point of a Golden Core cultivator dying? It was only now that people were bringing it up as gossip.

Xiang Tianxing towards the sunset, and Pu Honggu only breathed a sigh of relief after his Divine Sense could no longer detect his whereabouts. A pill he had stored in his internal organs, which had not yet been refined, was constantly flashing with a bright red light, which was extremely alluring.

Pu Honggu watched for a while, even the grief he felt from the death of his junior sister, whom he had raised and spent every day with, dissipated considerably.

The old cultivator spent half a day alone, his expression changing countless times. He took turns tapping his ten hands on the jade table, leaving bloody marks, but he still couldn't make up his mind.

He merely tapped the old pine trunk, and the spirit understood. A thick, gnarled root was pulled from the soil, scattering a large amount of earth across the sky, while also revealing a hidden formation beneath the pine.

The old cultivator flicked his index finger, sending wisps of spiritual light flowing to his fingertip and condensing into a profound rune, which he then projected onto the formation.

The magic array opened, revealing the secret treasury of the Two Instruments Sect. Pu Honggu, familiar with the place, strode forward and took out a Jade Slip with only a few annotations from the most secluded esoteric bookshelf.

Just then, Li Yun arrived to investigate. After entering the secret vault, she saw her senior brother with a pale face, holding Jade Slip and remaining silent.

"Junior Brother Li, you have mastered the Daoist military manuals stored in the sect the best. If we take Foundation Establishment True Cultivator as our foundation and Golden Core as our bones, after one or two hundred years, could we forge a Daoist army like the Mystic Firmament Palace Imperial Guard, capable of fighting against True Person?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yun's expression suddenly turned extremely ugly. "Senior Brother, why did you go to such lengths?!"

Pu Honggu smiled wistfully, then placed the Jade Slip into Li Yun's arms and sighed softly, "In this era of great strife, one must always accumulate some capital to ensure the preservation of one's lineage. Well then, I know that Junior Brother Li harbors some reservations, but this is quite common. Perhaps I was wrong after all. As for what to do, Junior Brother Li, you can ponder it yourself."

After speaking, Pu Honggu walked out of the secret vault with a hunched back, as if his spine had been removed. Li Yun was left alone, staring at the two characters "Change Yin" on the Jade Slip in his hand. After a long silence, he took out a Pill Formula from his sleeve and focused his gaze on it.

He stared at the three large, dark purple characters at the top of the Pill Formula, "Blood Foundation Pill," almost as if he could see right through them with his eyes.

The Sect Leader Kang Da was unable to interrogate Daoist Peng together with Fei Tianqin. In fact, after Daoist Peng uttered the words "True Person," the only one who remained in the prison with Fei Tianqin was Fei Nanying.

The Fei Household patriarch was clearly a man of rough exterior but shrewd interior. He knew perfectly well when to be arrogant and unrestrained and when to be cautious, without needing any reminders from others.

The patriarch said he could Gui Household, but Kang Dabao was in no hurry to leave. He examined his eldest son's cultivation and was quite satisfied. He instructed Kang Changyi to cultivate diligently and not to let romantic feelings ruin his Dao Path. After that, he paid his respects to Madam Qi and her husband and returned to Little Ring Mountain.

With Daoist Peng captured, the visiting troops who had been stationed in Pingrong County returned to their hometowns one after another. Before leaving, they bought some local products, which made Sect Leader Kang Da quite reluctant to part with them.

It's not yet possible to calculate how many Spirit Stones each family has earned from these people, but just by looking at how the women of the Mandarin Duck Hall have all experienced a significant increase in their cultivation over these past few days, it's clear that they must have made quite a fortune.

Upon learning of Kang Dabao's return to the mountain, Zhou Xinran hurriedly brought the account book to report, while the former plunged into the Seclusion Chamber. Now that Sect Leader Kang Da had two Pine Creek Pills in hand, it was time to properly improve his cultivation.

----In the prison cell

"I have long heard that few can rival Elder Master Fei of Fei Household Tianqin True Person, but I used to think it was an exaggeration. Only today do I realize that your Daoist arts are indeed profound, and I truly admire your superiority."

Although Daoist Peng's words were mostly flattering, they were also very sincere, and coupled with his current destitute and pitiful appearance, they became even more believable.

However, Fei Tianqin ignored his flattery and said in a deep voice, "Young man, you don't need to say more. I suppose that having cultivated to such a level, you must have gotten rid of many of your naive and laughable faults. I only ask you, what exactly are you hiding that even the Two Instruments Sect couldn't save you, and you need Xiang Tianxing and rescue you?"

Daoist Peng's face darkened, and he continued, "Senior, you ask questions without giving any promises?"

Fei Nanying played the good cop, earnestly advising, "Fellow Daoist Peng, no one can save you now. As long as you still have the will to abandon darkness and embrace the light, you should just confess directly."

Fei Tianqin, however, was much more domineering. He disdained to play the good cop to Daoist Peng, so his tone lacked any sense of certainty, appearing rather casual and composed.

"Don't keep me in suspense. Speak if you want to, or if you don't want to, just say it. Your Golden Core form is quite rare. I could easily find a Demon Officer I know and sell you for some supplies."

If the market is really bad and you can't sell them, then hand them over to the Liangxi Circuit Imperial Horse Directorate to fight the Demon Beast. As for whether the Emperor will take some of your possessions to make you a Purification Army, or bestow a Third Tier spirit talisman upon you to make you a conscript, that's beyond my control."

Even though he knew that the old bird in front of him was pressuring him, Daoist Peng still felt a chill in his heart. This was because Fei Tianqin was not one to just make threats; if what he said really came to pass, even a villain like Daoist Peng would be moved to tears.

Without pondering for long, Daoist Peng closed his eyes and spoke from the heart, "Junior... In the past few years, I have been bewitched and coerced by Pu Honggu to go to Cold Crow Mountain and collude with the Li Mountain Lineage on his behalf."

"Colluding with the Demon Race! The Two Instruments Sect has some nerve!" Fei Nanying's indignant expression seemed genuine, while Fei Tianqin's eyes lit up, immediately showing interest. "Oh, that's interesting."

The old bird could no longer hide the curiosity in his eyes. "Which Demon Lieutenant's subordinate have you allied with?"

Daoist Peng immediately straightened his posture. "So that you may know, senior, they are the Demon Officer Iron Bristle and the Demon Officer Golden Bone under Demon Lieutenant Yellow Stone. When I was still a nobody, I had some dealings with these two Demon Officer by chance."

Fei Nanying's face immediately turned horribly ugly. "Go to hell! What coincidence? It's just trafficking people into Cold Crow Mountain. Who can we hide it from?"

Daoist Peng's face twitched. "Marquis of Gucheng, please report that they are all lonely widowers and widowers. Even if I didn't sell them, I wouldn't live much longer."

"So, it seems I've wronged you, the Bodhisattva?" Fei Nanying hardened, while Daoist Peng calmed down, simply cupping his hands in apology and closing his eyes in silence.

Seeing this, Fei Tianqin sighed inwardly. He didn't say much to Fei Nanying, but instead spoke to the composed Daoist Peng: "What did the talks go through?"

The latter replied seriously, "Those demons and barbarians are all driven by self-interest. They've taken back nearly 100,000 people, but they haven't loosened their grip at all, and nothing has been accomplished."

Fei Tianqin pondered for a moment after hearing this before saying, "Oh, the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion must be holding the array positions of the Shannan Circuit barrier, intending to use them to make a deal with the Demon Lieutenant?"

A genuine look of shock appeared in Daoist Peng's eyes. "Senior, your foresight is truly divine!"

"Heh, Bai Canhong doesn't have much capital on hand, and all he can guess is the same few things." Fei Tianqin sneered. Once the matter was explained, he lost all interest in Daoist Peng. He simply called Chu Yanran and Yang Baoshan back to the prison to look after them, while he himself led Fei Nanying out of the cell.

Fei Nanying's complexion had improved considerably by this time, and he asked in a questioning voice, "How did Ancestor know about the Star-Picking Pavilion's plan?"

"Heh, how would I know?" Fei Tianqin sighed softly, then said, "These are just a few key points that my brother asked me to worry about before he left. My brother previously guessed that if the Earl of Nan'an really became Upper-Grade Golden Core Star-Picking Pavilion, the situation in the world would definitely be turbulent."

If the Immortal Dynasty pushes too hard in the future, the Star-Picking Pavilion might as well loosen the barrier within Cold Crow Mountain and allow the few Demon Lieutenant of the Li Mountain Lineage stationed here to lead their beast hordes to charge in, turning the Mountain South into a demon-infested land like Liangxi and Haibei.

Fei Nanying understood Star-Picking Pavilion's scheme very quickly. Since they couldn't keep something anyway, they wanted to destroy it completely before returning it to its original owner.

The Star-Picking Pavilion had few people, so a single flying boat could easily take them away. They would have to find another place to eat.

"Ancestor Ye Shui is indeed omniscient! With him in charge of the family, it is truly a blessing for the Ying Prefecture Fei Household."

After spending a lot of time together, Fei Nanying figured out a bit about this old bird's temperament. The latter didn't like flattery, but as long as you kept praising Fei Ye Shui Fei Tianqin, it would make him feel happy.

Sure enough, upon hearing Fei Nanying praise his younger brother, Fei Tianqin's tone noticeably improved. "Of course."

In a better mood, Fei Tianqin felt inclined to offer Fei Nanying a word of advice. "Why did you have to expose that guy just now? It only made things awkward for everyone."

Fei Nanying's face darkened. "Ancestor, that Demon Race, selling immortals and mortals as food for demons; his crime is unforgivable!"

Fei Tianqin didn't care at all. "This matter has been going on since the previous dynasty. Except for a year or two when Emperor Taizu inspected the Mountain South, it has never stopped. You haven't even gotten used to it yet, which is laughable." He paused here, and then continued:

"Don't think that just because I don't have human blood, I'm without compassion. My bloodline comes from the Bitter Spirit Mountain lineage. Although I don't eat human flesh because of the traditions passed down from my ancestors, I know that in the eyes of cultivators, humans are not human; and in the eyes of Demon Race, Demon Beast are not demons."

Seeing that Fei Nanying's expression had become much more solemn, it said in a deep voice, "This principle cannot be altered by True Person, nor can it be changed by True Lord. It has always been so, and it has never been so."

Fei Nanying had no answer, but after this old bird's guidance, he felt much more at ease. He recalled the old patriarch's teaching, "Conscience is indeed useless for cultivation."

Enough is enough. This is just how the world is; who can change it?