The Star-Picking Pavilion Aids Huang; Wanqing Seeks the Dao

---- Tengwen Prefecture, Star-Picking Pavilion

"The one who plays the game?"

Bai Canhong, seated high above, chuckled and looked at Xiang Tianxing, who had just addressed him with those words, and said in a low voice:

"Within the Immortal Dynasty, not just anyone can deserve this title. The lord of the Outer Billowing Dream Palace can be considered one; the one on the throne of Great Abyss Capital can be considered one; the abbot of Supreme Unity Temple and the left prime minister in the temple can also be considered one of them."

If we were to encounter them, even late-stage True Person like those from the Dragon and Tiger Sect and Original Response Temple would only be qualified to serve tea on the sidelines. As for me and the likes of Xiao Wan'er from the Hehuan Sect, we would merely be pawns.

Perhaps because they had never seen their master so humble before, the latter paused for a moment before replying, "At least in the Three Southwest Circuits, no one can rival the master."

Bai Canhong's expression hadn't improved; he simply nodded without speaking, suggesting that the title of leader of the Southwest didn't hold much value for him. He closed his eyes and pondered for a while before speaking again, changing the subject. "Have you heard any news about Daoist Peng lately?"

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Xiang Tianxing's face, and he could only cup his hands and say, "Still no news."

Bai Canhong showed no surprise, but asked again, "Well, what do you think?"

"If this fellow didn't die outside, he most likely went into the demon land's barrier and sought refuge with those scaled and horned beasts."

Xiang Tianxing's tone was icy. Regardless of whether Daoist Peng would have any other use afterward, the fact that such a third-tier peak pill slave had run away and was now unusable was a huge loss for the Star-Picking Pavilion.

Bai Canhong, still not opening his eyes after hearing the sound, tapped his knuckles on the table, indicating that he agreed with Xiang Tianxing's statement.

However, he had little reason to be wary of someone like Daoist Peng.

The matter of contacting the Demon Lieutenant has been accomplished; whether he is present or not makes no difference to someone like the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion.

Xiang Tianxing Bai Canhong remained silent for a long time, Xiang Tianxing cautiously asked again, "Master, when can those fellow Daoists in the Cold Crow Mountain Range make their move?"

"No rush. That nobleman is eager to show off my knife-sharpening skills to the world. We shouldn't disturb his enjoyment now."

Xiang Tianxing had been cultivating under Bai Canhong's tutelage since childhood, but he could sense a hint of anger hidden in the latter's playful words.

Before he could react, Bai Canhong's palm lit up, summoning a letter that had just arrived from Huangpi Circuit, which he then handed to Xiang Tianxing, who was assisting him.

"Huang Mi is asking for help, what do you think?"

"Master, the Rouge Temple and Thousand Buddha Grove are already quite powerful, not much weaker than the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall. Plus, there's the Immortal Dynasty's lackeys watching them like hawks. While Huang Mi is certainly skilled, he'll still find it difficult to withstand them."

"Heh, little clown." Bai Canhong chuckled, it was unclear whether he was referring to the three families mentioned above, or to the people behind them. He shook his head and sighed softly, then asked, "So, do you mean to save them?"

"Master, though the Huang Mi is worthless and the offerings at the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall are meager, its life or death is a matter of reputation for this building."

This reasoning was rather rudimentary. Bai Canhong then asked, "Which of the three families—the Two Instruments Sect, the Xianyu Household, Cloud Water Sect— can be touched?"

"Those treacherous villains in the Office of the Duke of Qin are either waiting to take advantage of the situation, and none of them can be touched."

Hearing Xiang Tianxing's denial, the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion was not surprised, but then asked a probing question, "So, are you going to select disciples from the tower to rescue them?"

The Star-Picking Pavilion has a small population; even including those at the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment, there are fewer than two hundred people, each one exceptionally talented. Therefore, how could Xiang Tianxing with them?

Then he was heard to respectfully reply, "Huang Mi's life is not worth too much; it shouldn't implicate the disciples in the tower."

What do you intend to do?

"Master, four Jiazi ago, when our late master led his army to annihilate the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, he captured five Third Tier puppets. He then asked that person in Xuanwei City to repair them one by one, and it was said before the year Jiazi had passed that they were completely restored."

"Oh, is that so?"

Bai Canhong slowly raised his eyelids as he listened. He had been a Nascent Soul cultivator for a long time, so long that the head of the General Affairs Department of the Star-Picking Pavilion under him had changed more than once.

Therefore, not only did he not know that Xiang Tianxing's master had taken the Third Tier puppet from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, but Bai Canhong also had little recollection of when the Golden Core Sect was destroyed by the Star- Star-Picking Pavilion.

However, the Nascent Soul True Person cultivator seemed like a dragon spring in a box, unpredictable and treacherous. After a few moments of calculation, Bai Canhong suddenly understood. "So that's how it is."

"I heard that there are two more Third Tier bronze corpses that Daoist Peng hid in the Two Instruments Sect. Summon them and send them to Huang Mi as well."

"In other words, if he can hold those three families back, I will remember his merit. Don't worry about his meager resources anymore. If he does well, I can give him the entire Huangpi Circuit in the future. As for the people behind those two families, don't worry about them either; they're nothing but chickens and dogs, they'll amount to nothing."

"Your disciple obeys."

"When we go, we'll take a good look to see if Pu Honggu is really dead or not. If he's not, then we shouldn't just use Qiu Yunsheng as a shield. Although he's old, he's still somewhat useful. He shouldn't expect to have an easy time; he should die within the formation of my Star-Picking Pavilion."

"I understand, and I will certainly investigate thoroughly!"

"After you finish these things, go into the barrier again and finalize the rules and regulations with Feng Yun, the Demon Lieutenant. I can let them out to enjoy themselves this time, but they must abide by the rules of my Star-Picking Pavilion."

"Let's make this clear: if any of his beasts dare to cross the line I've drawn, for the next sixty years, the cheapest monsters in the Three Southwest Circuits will be from his Li Mountain Lineage."

"Yes, disciple will not miss a single word." Xiang Tianxing the full prostration.

Xiang Tianxing strode away, and the two ancient blue doors closed heavily, leaving Bai Canhong, who was sitting alone on the high seat, to slowly close his eyes and begin to gather his qi to practice his skills.

The Daoist priest on the high seat seemed to have thought of something again. Suddenly, Bai Canhong's lips curled up and he let out a soft laugh:

"The Immortal Dynasty is full of mediocre talents, yet the royal family of Great Wei prefers to use me as a whetstone. Let's see what this Upper-Grade Golden Core cultivator, who hasn't even reached the Nascent Soul stage, can do to me!"

---- Little Ring Mountain, Chongming Sect

When Duan Yunzhou achieved True Cultivator and emerged from the meditation room, he found only a few old servants with a Second Tier sword puppet outside acting as protectors. This was quite rare for the Chongming Sect, which valued loyalty and righteousness.

After all, normally speaking, even if the other clan elders and fellow disciples were absent, and Duan Anle affairs, his mother, Zhou Xinran, would always find time to come and wait for him. However, it was strange that Duan Yunzhou was not present at all of these times.

The old servant in the lead was Wu Meng. Despite having only a Mixed Spirit Root and being incredibly dull-witted, he was able to work as a steward for Duan Anle on the mountain, managing household affairs so that he could safeguard the family's relationships and wealth for his deceased father.

The old servant was overjoyed to see Duan Yunzhou emerge from seclusion. He hurriedly sent out a message to announce the good news. Just as he was about to offer some words of congratulations, Duan Yunzhou stopped him with a wave of his hand and asked first, "Brother Wu, has something happened within the sect?"

Seeing that the old servant seemed even more pleased upon hearing the voice, Duan Yunzhou felt somewhat relieved. He then heard the servant reply cheerfully:

"Reporting to young master, the master accompanied the sect leader for half a month to descend upon most of Xian Prefecture. The Ghost Sword Sect's Swordless High Cultivator, Wu Jian, has died, and his disciples have either died or fled, rendering them insignificant."

"Xian Prefecture?" Duan Yunzhou had heard of Yuan Jin's plan to advance into Xian Prefecture before, but the latter had said that it was a gradual and piecemeal approach.

But hearing what Brother Wu meant, it seems the sect leader has already led a large army in a massive takeover attempt; there must be quite a story behind this.

Duan Yunzhou never expected to learn these secrets from these old servants. After he found out that Yuan Jin was in charge of things on the mountain, he didn't stop and Swift Movement to the council hall.

Unexpectedly, after walking on the Law Artifact for a while, he saw a sword light carrying a scholar in a turban coming over and calling him to a stop.

"Brother Zhou,"

"Uncle?!"

"Haha, my Brother Zhou has indeed achieved Foundation Establishment!! If my brother-in-law were still at home, no matter how busy he is with clan affairs, I would definitely drag him out for a big drink!! He really succeeded, haha, I wonder how happy your mother will be now!"

Even though Zhou Kun, who was riding on the sword's light, spoke with a face full of joy, he could not hide his exhaustion.

When Zhou Kun embarked on the path of cultivation, his stepmother, Lady Shan, was still alive. Therefore, he was not much older than Duan Yunzhou, but his own aptitude was far inferior to that of his nephew.

Furthermore, he went astray and became obsessed with swordsmanship, so even though Zhou Kun is now over sixty years old and has received a large amount of funding from his teachers, he has only just advanced to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

Now, he only serves as a steward in the Nurturing Qilin Hall and has made little progress, which naturally makes his sister Zhou Xinran anxious.

However, unlike his father, who always wore a sorrowful expression, Zhou Kun was an optimistic and free-spirited person. It's likely that the fact that he looked so tired meant he had been having a lot of hard work lately.

Duan Yunzhou had been very close to Zhou Kun since childhood, so the latter wasn't wary of him because of his achievement as True Cultivator. After carefully examining Duan Yunzhou for a while to make sure he had no hidden or new injuries, he was completely relieved and asked:

"Is Brother Zhou going to pay his respects to his second uncle?"

"What my uncle says is true; I am indeed on my way to pay my respects to my grandmaster."

"Come on, I also have something important to discuss with my second uncle."

Along the way, the two encountered many fellow disciples, but none of them were of high rank.

As Duan Yunzhou returned the greetings without the slightest arrogance, he also learned the general outline of the military expedition to Xian Prefecture from Zhou Kun. He then didn't rush to ask Yuan Jin for details, but instead listened as Zhou Kun began to discuss important matters within the clan:

"Senior Brother Kang left the Spirit Plant Hall to serve in Xian Prefecture, so your mother took over the management there. With your maternal grandfather's status keeping those farming masters in check, none of them dared to slack off. These days, they obeyed their master's orders and, disregarding the soil's fertility, used methods to accelerate growth, harvesting a large quantity of spirit grains and Spirit Plant for the Alchemy Hall;

The disciples of the Alchemy Hall were not particularly skilled, so Junior Sister Qi, along with her two junior disciples Chen Zihang and Gun Fangmu, led the stockpiling of a considerable amount of Grain Avoidance and Restore Spirit Pills. Every ten days, they would take out one-third of these pills and hand them over to the alliance's merchant caravan to be sent to Xian Prefecture by flying boat, without ever delay.

These days, the furnaces and cauldrons in the Artifact Hall have been almost constantly burning, and Senior Brother He seems to have become thinner from being roasted. The broken magical Law Artifact that were sent back need to be repaired, and the captured magical Law Artifact that were sent back need to be repaired. He doesn't even have time to eat a spiritual meal, and he can only rely on taking a Grain Avoidance Pill every ten days to prolong his life.

The Talisman-Making Pavilion was personally overseen by my aunt. The several Second Tier talisman masters sent by the Fei Household were initially just going through the motions, but after she gave them a good scolding and had my aunt come over to discipline them, they became much more obedient.

Beast Garden

After listening to Zhou Kun's long and eloquent speech, Duan Yunzhou still had some doubts, so he asked:

"Uncle, just now, Master Yan and Father won the battle of Xian Prefecture. Why are our fellow disciples still struggling so much? It seems like our family is the one in a losing position."

The latter's words surprised Zhou Kun. He pondered for a while, feeling that there was some truth to it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he could only give a perfunctory reply:

"My uncle is always very cautious; perhaps that's why he's in such a hurry?"

However, this explanation was something even he himself found hard to believe. But since he and his nephew had already arrived at the sect's council hall, it wasn't appropriate to discuss it in detail.

The disciples guarding the entrance were Zheng Wanbi disciple of Ming Zhe, and Jiang Tangpei, a disciple of Ye Yaoling. Both were outstanding disciples with the potential to Foundation Establishment. Seeing Duan Yunzhou emerge from seclusion after achieving Foundation Establishment, they were overjoyed and stepped forward to pay their respects.

After they finished bowing, the two women stopped Duan and Zhou, saying, "Master Zhou, Senior Brother Duan, our Grandmaster Uncle is receiving guests inside. Please wait a moment."

Zhou Kun, hearing this, asked curiously, "A guest? Who is the guest?"

"Reporting to my uncle, she is a lady from the Fei Household, and her wife is also inside."

----Inside the council chamber

Yuan Jin, seated in the main seat, first bowed to Fei Shuhe, then turned to Fei Wanqing beside her and said softly, "Fellow Daoist, please."

After bowing and thanking him, the young lady from the Fei Household didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point. "Fellow Daoist Yuan, I have indeed come here to ask you for a favor."

"Oh?" Yuan Jin was somewhat surprised, and even the fat on his face suddenly tightened.

"What could Sima Fei's daughter possibly want from us that she would come to our door seeking her help?"

He first dismissed the thought, then glanced at Fei Shuhe, who remained silent with a faint smile, and finally added a few more smiles, saying heartily, "Fellow Daoist is mistaken. With my sister-in-law here, how can I, Yuan, have the right to make a judgment?!"

Fei Shuhe was quite pleased with Yuan Jin's Yuan Jin, but she did not respond to him. Instead, she smiled and said, "Wanqing has come on official business. My husband is not here, so it should be up to Second Uncle to make the decision. How could it be my place as a woman?"

"Sister-in-law, you flatter me. We're all family, why talk about public and private matters?" Yuan Jin chuckled, but his doubts only deepened. He then asked, "But I wonder what my Chongming Sect can do to help Fellow Daoist Fei?"

Fei Wanqing was quite direct and didn't say much. She simply said in a clear voice, "I've heard that your esteemed clan's scripture pavilion has been well-renovated, and I'd like to go inside to examine it. I wonder if you would allow me to?"

"Oh? I see."

Yuan Jin understood immediately, and a sense of melancholy arose in his heart.

After all, Fei Wanqing became famous at a young age. When she achieved the Ice Leaf Dao Foundation, she was not even twenty years old. Even among the world-renowned Ying Prefecture Fei Household, she was considered exceptionally talented.

Even the elders of the clan knew her name and surname, and even kept her in the clan's territory and provided her with extra provisions.

Nearly a century has passed, yet Fei Wanqing remains stuck at the Foundation Establishment Peak, struggling to break through. While her progress is not slow, she can hardly be described as exceptionally talented.

He was even lagging behind Sect Leader Kang Da was the same age as him, so naturally he was anxious.

Upon hearing that Fei Core Thesis in recent years, Yuan Jin decided to immerse himself in books in order to uncover its true meaning. The elder of the Fei Household had selected several books for Fei Wanqing, but they had not been effective. Thus, the latter decided to borrow them from the Chongming Sect.

After all, apart from those Nascent Soul sects nearby, Chongming Sect, despite its relatively short history of restoration, has accumulated some decent lineage due to its strong sect tradition.

Although it is still far inferior to the Fei Household's collection, it must have some commendable aspects, which is exactly what Fei Wanqing, who was looking for fortuitous opportunity, needed.

Even though the Scripture Pavilion was Chongming Sect location within the Fei Wanqing, Yuan Jin couldn't refuse Fei Wanqing's personal request, both out of courtesy and reason. He simply smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, you're too kind. We're all one family; there's no need to ask for permission."

Fei Shuhe was born into a noble family, but it is rare for a person to be perfect. She had some of the vanity of a typical woman, which was also true.

Because Yuan Jin had agreed to this matter, Fei Shuhe felt that she could smile happily in front of her younger sister from her maternal family. She took the token of elder authority from Yuan Jin and was about to take Fei Wanqing out of the council hall and head towards the scripture library.

Just as she was about to peek out the door, Fei Wanqing paused, prompting Fei Shuhe to ask curiously, "What's wrong, Qingmei?"

"Please wait a moment, sister," the former apologized and bowed, then turned to Yuan Jin and asked, "Fellow Daoist Yuan, if I may presume to ask, is my brother-in-law's Core Formation manual also in the Scripture Pavilion?"

After all, the Core Formation Manual is a very important item. Fei Wanqing's question made Yuan Jin clench his palms before smiling and saying, "It should be carried by the Sect Leader. Fellow Daoist, please go upstairs first. I will go to Xinxian Xian Prefecture and ask the Sect Leader."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

"No, we're all one family, why talk about thanks?"