If Zhao Ruiting inherited her parents’ sense of duty, Zhao Yihao inherited their stubborness, Zhao Mngshen their wits, then Zhao Anji must have inherited their charisma. There was no other way to explain how a girl of eight years managed to reshuffle an entire organisation within a week to improve what they struggled with for months.
Yan Ping did not interfere as promised. However, she had eyes and ears everywhere. The prophet followed the news closely from afar and held her breath.
Initially, Anji only set up a triage system. That reshuffling was done in one night. Yan Ping thought Anji would busy herself with the patients, but she was wrong. Not only did her brilliant student delegate the duty to the right experts, but she also branched out to tackle a bigger problem that Yan Ping had been working on.
For two days and nights, Anji spent her ti in the war room and sitting through strategy etings to understand the outside situation. Yan Ping gave her consent for Anji to be present. However, the child was forbidden from giving her opinions or views on that matter. Restructuring the Mystical Qilin Sect was one thing. Participating in the murim war even from the back lines was another thing.
Although Anji never once tried to interfere with war strategies, she asked many questions. Yan Ping and the Elders answered her honestly, withholding nothing from the child. The truth was, the Rainbow Alliance sustained heavy damages. Although they had an advantage in numbers and resources, the demonic cult had a wider range of operations. They lacked the information required to effectively deal with the enemy, as proven by the ambush.
As the situation was dire and bleak, Anji left the war eting on the third day and never returned. Yan Ping thought that would break Anji’s spirit. In war, only the strong erged as the victor. As they stood, they were losing. Even with the Mystical Qilin Sect’s participation, the demonic cult had been arming up for the last two decades. They were well-versed not only in martial arts but also in spells and arrays. Their covert arts were proving more troubleso than their martial prowess. Many cultivator schools of righteous sects do not specialise in sneak attacks and cheap tricks. Most only teach their students basic spells and potions. As a result, the battle scholars sent to the field were overworked. Unlike the demonic cult who could easily replace any fallen mber of their team, the battle squad’s skill balance was very crucial. Without the battle scholar’s aid, the cultivators were at risk of falling to curses. However, battle scholars were weaker at combat, needing protection and increasing the risk of injury during fights.
For the next few days, Anji shut herself in the forbidden library. Nobody knew what she was doing. However, they had many urgent matters to deal with. Yan Ping ordered nobody to disturb Anji, but kept an eye to ensure the girl was taking care of herself. Although she was unable to see physically, she could feel the shift in energy Anji was experiencing. It was similar to the ti she spoke with Researcher Xi at the academic slums.
On the sixth day of their agreent, Anji erged from the forbidden library with a stack of notes. Yan Ping was busy analysing the flow of the war when Anji sought an audience with her.
"Co in."
Clearing so space from the work table, Yan Ping subtly checked on Anji. Although her golden core was still at the sa cultivation level, the aura emitting from her soul was denser. Anji must have attained a different sort of spiritual enlightennt that did not match her body. How interesting.
"Shifu, do you have so ti? I developed an idea in haste and require your guidance."
Yan Ping was busy. She really was. However, ti was sothing to be made and not found. For Anji who was her priority, she would always have so ti.
"What is it?" she asked while brewing so persimmon leaf tea. "There is still a little ti before the week is over."
Anji bit her lips nervously. Although she was only allowed to manage the triage system, Anji knew she was pushing boundaries by requesting for many things unrelated to the internal managent of the Mystical Qilin Sect. However, soone had to do sothing to improve the situation. Preparing more elixirs and antidotes was only a temporary situation to ease the burden for the scholars outside the sect. It did not erase the problem of the manpower limitations. Hence, Anji conducted extensive research in the forbidden library for sothing that could replace these scholars, even if just for a little mont.
"Forgive if I am overstepping my role, shifu. However, after listening to the war strategy eting, I realised that the battle squad formation’s weakest link is in the skill level difference that the Rainbow Alliance is unable to bridge. Compared to the demonic cult that has been training its mbers in all skills evenly over the years, the mbers of the Rainbow Alliance are closer to specialists than generalists."
Yan Ping nodded and pushed a cup of freshly brewed tea to Anji, indicating that she should explain further. Anji’s analysis was spot on. It was a problem the higher-ups of the war were trying to resolve. However, between finding information on the enemy, trying to rebuild their sect and protecting those on the front line, there was little they could do to divert the resources and focus to other areas.
Unfolding her drafted design for a special talisman, Anji explained how she was inspired by the concept of magnets.
"What if we created a talisman that attracts curses?" Anji proposed. "Dispelling a curse on a paper puppet is easier than dispelling it from a person. All they need to do is burn the paper puppet. Each person can also carry more than one. That way, even without battle scholars, cultivators can operate more freely. There are many uses of such talismans. Although it cannot negate the effects of miasma poisoning, we can make miasma detection compasses to help narrow down potential base locations without putting anyone at risk. The present improved teleportation talismans can also be modified to activate instantly upon an unregistered array trigger. We can avoid falling into forced ambush battles with them. Battle scholars can be put to better use to establish more outposts and bases to compete with the demonic cult."
Although the designs were rough and lacking, Yan Ping imdiately sent them to Elder Lu after listening to Anji. Of all the ideas that Yan Ping listened to, Anji’s solution was the most ti and cost-savvy. If done correctly, they could regain the footing they lost within weeks.
Anji bead when Yan Ping accepted her ideas. The gentle head pat lted all her previous worries.
"You worked hard," Yan Ping’s voice was strained. "Although I was harsh on you the mont you erged from isolation training, I do not regret my decision. War is not sothing that begins suddenly. It is also not sothing that can be ended in one night. Your participation will an nothing if your value for contribution is not significant enough."
Although Anji understood this, it stung badly. Her cheeks were flushed, and her head hung low. But she held onto the feeling of helplessness, fuelling her silent promise to end the war. Even if all she could do now was propose new ideas, Anji wanted to beco soone qualified to stand at the front line like the rest of her family.
"Anji understands," she sighed. "But shifu, there is one more favour I have to ask."
Smirking, Yan Ping pinched her ear lightly.
"After receiving one harsh scolding, you decided to be cheeky again?"
Anji only grinned widely.
"But it’s a personal favour this ti," Anji insisted. "I promise not to interfere with the war or sect operations after tonight. Instead, I’d like to ask for another week before I resu the successor training. I have not called my father, and I want to check on Hong Nian Niang while she is still here. It’s been a while since I spoke with everyone. I want to see how they’re doing."
Letting go of the cheeky girl, Yan Ping nodded. This was more like it.
"You’d better do that then. Your father has been complaining to during official etings and not doing his work properly. As it is, he’s useless. Sect Leader Hong is residing in at the top floor special room in the Hidden Palace. She refuses to see anyone, so it’s up to your luck to be granted an audience. I will use this extra week to reformulate the new successor training for you. The new harmonisation thod you discovered during isolated training is novel but untested. I’ll call for you when I have your new training schedule."
Beaming, Anji hugged Yan Ping briefly and thanked her before skipping away quickly. Yan Ping was not too fond of physical affections like this, but Anji just wanted to give her strict teacher a hug. After all, that was how she was taught to make up after a fight.
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