After Sectional Leader Zhou had left, Li Qiye glanced through the roster of the disciples at the Cleansing Jade Peak; there were a total of three hundred disciples, and the first disciple of the Cleansing Jade Peak has been there for five years.
Li Qiye read through the roster once, and he then, looking towards Nan Huairen, asked: "Do you have any comments?"
Nan Huairen dryly laughed: "Dear senior, this little brother doesn't want to wildly speculate; however, if you really want to know my perspective, then this little brother could only dare to say a thing or two!"
Nan Huairen was always smooth and understanding, and he knew conversational limits; once he chose to be under Li Qiye's wing, then he would go where Li Qiye points.
"Dare my fart!" Li Qiye contemptuously yelled and then, he continued speaking: "If you use the same amount of energy you spend on treacherous scheming to cultivate, your current power would reach a very high rank."
Hearing Li Qiye's words, Nan Huairen could only force himself to smile: "Senior, one can't do any different from his natural disposition, birthed by the heavens."
"Fine, don't give me more treacherous words. Tell me your opinions." Li Qiye lightly waved his hand. He didn't care for the smooth words of his junior. Nan Huairen's nature had been solidified; it couldn't be changed even if he wanted to.
Nan Huairen quickly said: "I heard one piece of news: The First Elder wanted you to teach the disciples how to cultivate at the Strange Gem Peak, but the second elder has been advocating for you to teach at the Cleansing Jade Peak…"
"Keep going with your conjectures so I can listen to them!" Li Qiye casually smiled; he had already understood the essential factors behind this event.
Nan Huairen was no longer flippant; he continued explaining his thoughts in a serious manner: "The second elder has great influence at the Cleansing Jade Peak because senior Leng Shizhi also studied there. Although Leng Shizhi was only a third generation disciple, with his cultivation, he had already been equal in status to the sectional leader uncles." Here, Nan Huairen looked up to see Li Qiye's expression because he knew; when it comes to strategy and tricks, this senior was the most frightening person.
"How did the other Elders react?" Li Qiye smiled.
"This…" Nan Huairen pondered for a moment. Even though he was gifted at reading people, but, as a third generation disciple, there were many things that he was not privy to.
"It is very simple! We just need to see whether the First Elder still wants to compete for the Sect Master position, then, we can make an accurate conjecture." At this moment, Tu Buyu arrived; he spoke while he walked forward. Even though he was more than one thousand years old, his body was as vigorous as a young man; his face always had a kind smile.
"Keep going, I'm listening." Li Qiye did not mind the presence of Tu Buyu joining the conversation; thus, he commanded him to go on.
Tu Buyu smilingly said: "Senior, no one in our Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect has more influence than the First Elder. He is a serious man, administrates fairly, and, on top of that, he was also the eldest disciple of the previous Sect Master. One could say that he has the biggest opportunity to become the Sect Master of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect."
"Our master isn't the eldest disciple of the previous Sect Master?" Li Qiye was a little surprised to hear Tu Buyu's response. He had thought that, because Su Yonghuang was the eldest disciple from the last Sect Master, that was why she became the new Sect Master.
Tu Buyu shook his head and smilingly answered: "Master's situation is a bit special unlike the First Elder. Within the first generation of disciples, the First Elder was the most likely successor; in fact, amongst the Six Elders, only the second elder had competed for the Sect Master's seat. The other four, in theory, had always supported the First Elder."
"Then what does the First Elder think about this situation?" Li Qiye stroked his chin, and he asked.
Tu Buyu quickly replied: "Everyone knows about how Cao Xiong yearns for the Sect Master's seat, but no one knows what the First Elder is thinking. Even though the other four Elders support him, fervently, he still hadn't shown a decisive attitude. I'm afraid that, in recent years, the other four Elders stance have been shaken because of this."
Li Qiye looked at Tu Buyu and teasingly said: "Master has been outside for many years, and younger brother seldom returns to the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect; however, it seems like you are still pretty well-informed on things."
It made one think about why Su Yonghuang still grasped the exact situation of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect even though she wasn't here. Li Qiye was a bit curious, but he didn't care for the First Elder's attitude, let alone Su Yonghuang's or even Cao Xiong's. Since he had made up his mind about reviving the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, no one could stop him; not even his master-in-name, Su Yonghuang.
"Senior, please stop joking. As a disciple of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, this is our home, so of course we have to pay attention to our home's current situation." Tu Buyu graciously smiled; his words were humbling.
Since Tu Buyu had started speaking, Nan Huairen had been silently listening. A monster living for more than one thousand years more than possessed the necessary qualifications to discuss the situation of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect.
He was definitely an old fox! Li Qiye silently cursed in his mind, and he then calmly smiled: "Since younger brother is back, then you should know about master's attitude more than anyone, eh."
If this second disciple was a smart person, then Li Qiye wouldn't waste time talking in circles; he would directly ask about the main point.
Tu Buyu's expression was still the same, and he smilingly said: "Senior is the Prime Disciple of the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, and you represent our future glory; whatever senior does or says, master will not interfere."
Not bad. Such mastery at pushing and pulling; as expected from a one thousand year old fox. Li Qiye was impressed with the sly conducts of Tu Buyu. If the disciple was like this, then what would the master, Su Yonghuang, be like? [1]
Li Qiye only smiled after he finished speaking. Right now, he didn't want to cause a commotion in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect; once his cultivation reached an acceptable height, he would take action and deal with everything.
Leaving Tu Buyu to the side, Li Qiye directly commanded Nan Huairen: "Huairen, go bring all the information regarding the merit laws that are currently being practiced by the disciples at the Cleansing Jade Peak to my place; I want to see what they are playing with."
Nan Huairen quickly affirmed and turned around to take care of it without neglect.
However, before Nan Huairen had returned, Li Qiye was invited to meet the First Elder via his disciple.
***
The Cleaning Ancient Incense Sect used to have over one thousand primary peaks; however, right now, there were only seventy-three peaks, and even these seventy-three were withering; the natural world energy within them had slowly been depleted.
As the First Elder, Elder Gu was qualified to own the tallest peak containing the highest amount of natural world energy in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect.
As a third generation disciple like Li Qiye, being invited to a private conversation with the First Elder would be considered a tremendous honor in the eyes of the other young disciples.
Li Qiye comfortably sat in the hall, facing the First Elder, without any worries or nervousness.
The two of them stared at each other for a long, yet, as they examined each other's attitude, no one was willing to make the first move.
Eventually, the First Elder couldn't wait any longer; he sighed and opened his mouth: "Li Qiye, this seat does not understand you. If others say that you are from the Nine Saint Demon Gate, then you are too irrationally arrogant." [2]
The First Elder was quite blatant with his words; then, he too might as well open the sky for a truly clear and direct conversation. Li Qiye smiled indifferently and said: "What is the First Elder's implication? That I am a spy from the Nine Saint Demon Gate?"
"This isn't something that can be confirmed or denied on my own." The First Elder wittily responded.
Li Qiye smiled after hearing these words; this answer was not outside the realm of his expectation. He stared at the First Elder for a moment, he then inquired: "How others look at it doesn't matter. The most essential thing, here, is your opinion. What does the First Elder think about my teaching of the Dao at the Cleansing Jade Peak?"
The First Elder stood up and went to a window. He silently stood there, without saying a word, akin to a statue. After a while, he turned around, stared at Li Qiye, and then said: "I, alone, cannot administrate everything in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, especially during this time."
"It seems like the four Elders attitudes has been shaken!" Li Qiye smiled and thought about the words of Tu Buyu. He understood the thoughts of the First Elder. Although the four Elders had always supported Elder Gu, a long period of time could whither or shake their attitudes; Cao Xiong's ambition for the Sect Master's seat had been apparent for a long time. It would be strange if they didn't reconsider their attitudes.
"I was born and raised in the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect, and my master was my benefactor; his kindness, to me, was as heavy as a mountain." The First Elder's tone became heavy and continued: "I do not want to see the day where the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect suffers a great calamity befallen from the heavens."
Li Qiye was silently listening. A moment later, the voice of the First Elder rang again: "Our enemy isn't the people in our sect; they are from external forces such as the Heavenly God Sect."
"Elder, please guide me through this maze." Li Qiye nodded, accompanied by a rare serious attitude, and he inquired. [3]
The First Elder sat down, gently sighed, and then he said: "Thirty thousand years ago, our Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect fought a battle with the Heavenly God Sect. We suffered a crushing defeat in our national capital, and we had to run back to the sect's territory, losing complete control of the kingdom. Thirty thousand years ago, till now, all of our great predecessors from the older generations had met their origins; our Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect's decline was inevitable and irrevocable. Although we had fallen, we still possess certain things that the Heavenly God Sect coveted. The Heavenly God Sect has not made any moves; it is because they still have some reservations. If one day, the Heavenly God Sect finds out that we do not have any hidden aces, that would be the day of our Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect's demise!"
The war between the Cleansing Incense Ancient Sect and the Heavenly God Sect – Nan Huairen had talked about this before. In reality, when Li Qiye was still the Dark Crow, he knew some information regarding the Heavenly God Sect; however, his disposition at the time was not ideal. Thus, he naturally did not bother with such trivial matters!
[1] The first raw sentence is using Tai Chi's ideologies to describe someone dodging a question completely.
[2] Certain people in powerful positions refer to themselves as "this seat".
[3] Li Qiye here used a respectful idiom to ask the Elder to elaborate.