Fang Qingyuan traveled on, returning to Yuanling Mountain without incident. After erging from his seclusion, he made a few public appearances before retreating back into his Quiet Chamber.
Inside the Quiet Chamber, Fang Qingyuan released Jinbao and the young bird from the Immortal Mansion.
Watching the two energetic and boisterous Spirit Beasts, Fang Qingyuan’s mood was anything but pleasant.
The information he had learned through telepathy back in the Wilderness Forest made Fang Qingyuan realize that he was being targeted.
The inspectors from the Great Zhou Academy were like hyenas. Especially when it ca to Demon-possessed Cultivators, these investigators would surely latch onto him and never let go.
’The matter with Huo Hu has been leaked.’ Fang Qingyuan had no idea where he had slipped up. ’Could it be that I was recognized when I had Huo Hu deal with Jia Changqing and his brothers?’
’No, the timing doesn’t add up. Huo Hu dealt with the Jia Changqing brothers a month ago, but Ji Yuanjian started targeting even earlier than that.’
’Could the Artifact Talisman Alliance have leaked the information?’
’Qi Wushuang has no reason to betray . It must be Kuai Tong.’
’Kuai Tong defected to the Spirit Wood Alliance, so he definitely knows about Huo Hu becoming demon-possessed. However, Kuai Tong probably doesn’t know the role I played in it.’
’Otherwise, Ji Yuanjian wouldn’t need to co here to collect evidence. He could have just had Kuai Tong testify, and that would have been enough to convict .’
Fang Qingyuan slowly untangled a thread of the situation, but he still couldn’t understand what role Zhao E Lian—an abandoned pawn exiled to the fringes—was playing in all of this.
And if Zhao E Lian had the energy to sche against the Southern Border, then the chances of Lechuan’s trip ending in failure were even higher.
’It seems I need to plan an escape route for myself. The banner of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect might really have to change.’
Thinking of this, Fang Qingyuan sighed. In his eagerness to break the deadlock back then, he had set his sights on Huo Hu. ’Looking back, I was too hasty.’
But even without the Huo Hu incident, his situation wouldn’t be much better if Zhao E Lian ca to power.
For the expansion war in a few years, Fang Qingyuan had originally planned to be a logistics officer, simply handling the logistical operations for the main army.
But if Zhao E Lian was calling the shots, he would probably be thrown to the front lines as the first wave of cannon fodder.
Given Zhao E Lian’s temperant, he was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.
And Lechuan, having lost his position as the head of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect, would have little say in the matter. He might not even be able to protect himself.
’Huo Gan, oh Huo Gan, you truly disappeared at the worst possible ti.’
Inside the Quiet Chamber, a dark glint flickered in Fang Qingyuan’s eyes. A mont later, he abruptly stood up and headed toward the place where Jiang Kui was cultivating.
....
"Senior Sister Jiang, it’s !"
Standing before the array at Jiang Kui’s residence, Fang Qingyuan announced his presence. A few breaths later, the array silently opened, and Fang Qingyuan stepped inside.
Ever since taking the Elixir Pills Fang Qingyuan had found for her, Jiang Kui had devoted most of her energy to cultivation.
Jiang Kui’s innate talent was not that of a heaven-sent genius; she rely possessed a Top-grade Water Spirit Root.
A Top-grade Spirit Root offered so advantage during the Qi Refining stage, but after entering Foundation Establishnt, her cultivation speed beca average.
Moreover, she had been delayed for nearly twenty years after being poisoned. After so much ti wasted, even a Foundation Establishnt Cultivator had only so many twenty-year periods in their life.
These days, there was nothing on Yuanling Mountain that required Jiang Kui’s attention. In the years she had been away, Yuanling Mountain had developed its own system of operation.
Jiang Kui also disliked worldly affairs, so she had rarely appeared before outsiders since returning to Yuanling Mountain. Devoting herself to bitter cultivation, she was now on the verge of advancing to the Foundation Establishnt Second Layer.
Jiang Kui’s house was not much different from before. Looking at the familiar surroundings, Fang Qingyuan felt as if he had returned to the old days.
But under the perception of his Divine Sense, the image of Jiang Kui inside the house was so clear in his mind that it served as a constant reminder that he could never go back.
Jiang Kui wore a black Daoist robe. Her movents were languid in front of Fang Qingyuan. Leaning back in a jade chair inside her house, she spoke upon seeing him,
"What made you think of coming to see ?"
Over the past few years, Fang Qingyuan and Jiang Kui had not t often. For one, Fang Qingyuan was busy with cultivation and other matters. For another, he subconsciously avoided getting more involved with her.
Unlike him, Jiang Kui did not have nurous cultivators protecting her, nor did she have many trump cards. Fang Qingyuan had always kept the threat of the Spirit Wood Alliance in mind.
If he beca too entangled with Jiang Kui, Fang Qingyuan feared she would beco a weakness that could be exploited.
Fang Qingyuan did his best to avoid such a situation, because he worried that when the ti ca, he would have to have a heart of stone.
"It has been a long ti. I thought I’d take this opportunity to visit you, Senior Sister, and tie up so loose ends."
Listening to Fang Qingyuan’s tone, Jiang Kui’s lazy smile slowly faded, and her expression turned serious.
"Did you run into so kind of trouble?"
After saying this, Jiang Kui seed to snap out of it and laughed at herself.
"You’re already the head seat. I can’t help you with any trouble you might face. Just pretend I didn’t say that."
Fang Qingyuan stared at Jiang Kui for a few breaths, then said slowly,
"Senior Sister, back then, you took under your wing and brought to Yuanling Mountain. Now that I’ve beco the head of the Miscellaneous Affairs Peak, it’s best to sort out so of our assets to stop people from wagging their tongues."
After Fang Qingyuan said these distant words, Jiang Kui’s mood soured. She turned her head away, no longer looking at his face.
Seeing that Jiang Kui didn’t respond, Fang Qingyuan continued on his own.
"I plan to transfer the inco from the red iron mine to Yuanling Mountain’s na. That’s a sum of two Top-grade Spirit Stones per year.
As for Yuanling Square Marketplace, I’m planning to give Zhang Yuan thirty percent of the shares. You’ll take twelve percent. The ten percent share in Jiuye Square will also be transferred to Yuanling Mountain.
Additionally, over the past few years, the vassal families of the sect have presented with various assets as tribute. Take whatever catches your eye. If there’s nothing you fancy, I’ll just sell it all."
At first, Jiang Kui didn’t want to listen, but as Fang Qingyuan’s words grew more and more pessimistic, she couldn’t help but ask,
"Why does it sound like you’re arranging your last affairs? You’ve already beco the head of the Ministry of Affairs. What trouble could you possibly be in?"
Gazing at Jiang Kui’s fair face, Fang Qingyuan considered for a mont, then decided to selectively reveal a few details about Zhao E Lian’s impending rise to power.
He didn’t reveal a single thing about Huo Hu or the Great Zhou Academy.
After a long mont, Jiang Kui finally accepted this fact. She then sighed helplessly.
"Internal enemies are more terrifying than external ones. I never thought that before the Spirit Wood Alliance could even make a move, a problem would arise from Zongshan."
After she finished speaking, the two of them looked at each other, speechless.
...
Half a day later, Fang Qingyuan erged from Jiang Kui’s residence. His steps were much lighter now, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
「The next day.」 Fang Qingyuan led the Cal Ray Beast Array toward Celestial Gate Mountain.
Two months later, Lechuan returned from Zongshan, but the news he brought was not optimistic.
Inside Lechuan Mansion, Lechuan’s expression was grim. After he recounted his trip to Zongshan, everyone fell silent.
Heiye was also present, crouching in a distant corner, its tail wagging restlessly, clearly agitated.
Huo Bai also frowned, but his expression was blank. He was powerless in a struggle that involved high-level Nascent Soul Cultivators.
Lechuan had taken Yu He’s token to Zongshan, but upon arriving, he hadn’t rushed to find Yu He. Instead, he first visited other Nascent Soul Cultivators.
After so intelligence gathering, he had obtained several crucial pieces of information.
First, Zhao E Lian’s Golden Silk Silver-backed Manta Ray had successfully advanced to a Nascent Soul Spirit Beast. As a result, Zhao E Lian’s status within the sect had risen with the tide.
Unlike Lechuan’s Companion Beast, which was disobedient, Zhao E Lian remained the dominant party in his relationship with the Golden Silk Silver Back, even after it reached the Nascent Soul realm.
Second, this sche was not orchestrated by Zhao E Lian alone. Another Nascent Soul Cultivator was the main driving force, and most troublingly, this cultivator had originally been from the sa faction as Huo Gan.
Huo Gan’s absence over the years had sparked dissatisfaction among the other Nascent Soul Cultivators. A matter as important as the expansion war was still less important in Huo Gan’s heart than his own Companion Beast, the Spiritual Crane.
Since Huo Gan refused to take responsibility, and with the expansion war drawing ever closer, the other Nascent Soul Cultivators simply decided to replace him. And Lechuan, the banner-man who followed Huo Gan, had lost his usefulness.
He had even beco an obstacle to them dividing the rits.
If the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect achieved great rit in the expansion war, the credit wouldn’t go to Lechuan. If Lechuan excelled, it would only make Huo Gan look like a man with good judgnt in the end.
anwhile, Zhao E Lian had managed his own territory and courtyard with great success in recent years. Coupled with his past grievances with Lechuan and the Huo Family, he beca the perfect replacent.
Even more terrifying, behind all of this was the tacit approval of the true backer of Huo Gan’s faction: the Master of Moon Peak.
With that, the matter was already set in stone.
Hearing all this, Fang Qingyuan felt a wave of powerlessness. In this upheaval, even Golden Core Cultivators were nothing more than disposable pawns.
’As a re Junior Cultivator in the early-stage of Foundation Establishnt, I’d better think more about my own plans.’
’It seems I need to sell off my remaining shares in Yuanling Square Marketplace as soon as possible.’
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