There's an old saying: Ripe plums often fall to the underdogs, a bitter truth that has descended upon us for a long time now.
As the junior disciple, Mo Buxiu, wrapped in a halo, fully buffed, failed to win over his senior sister, which was a downright failure.
Indeed, he serves as the antagonist for what not to do.
Lu Bei was muttering in his mind, blaming his master for his lack of effort. If he had put in more effort back then, defeated the senior brother, and won both the position of Sect Leader and the senior sister, what he would be inheriting now wouldn't be the 'Man Marvel Ground Spirit' Feather Gate, but the Lingxiao Sword Sect instead.
Lu Bei knew nothing about the situation at the Lingxiao Sword Sect - the number of people, the size of the lands, the number of senior sisters waiting for marriage, the number of senior brothers who never return for the night - but he had great confidence in Feather Gate, knowing it to be rotten to the core when viewed from a broader perspective.
Guarding this gate was much worse than gaining experience at the Lingxiao Sword Sect.
Indeed, he could now rely on Bai Jin to get past the beginning stages, but what then? He certainly can't expect Bai Jin to support him for the rest of his life!
Considering this, Lu Bei struggled to find a solution. Based on Bai Jin's comments, Mo Buxiu indeed had the glorious deed of seriously injuring his sect leader senior brother. Regardless of whether he did it by accident or with full effort, at least in terms of strength, the junior brother was superior to the senior one.
So, the question is, why did Mo Buxiu lose to his senior sister when he had the upper hand?
"That's not right, it doesn't seem like he lost."
Lu Bei narrowed his eyes and realized something was off. Mo Buxiu had been absent from the Lingxiao Sword Sect for many years, but he was able to summon Bai Jin with a single message. Moreover, Bai Jin seemed to have high expectations regarding Mo Buxiu's last words, as if a certain Sect Leader's wife, who didn't want to reveal her name, had left some instructions.
Indeed, it wasn't complicated at all.
"Mr. Lu, what do you mean by 'lost'?" asked Bai Jin, seeing Lu Bei deep in thought.
"Nothing really, just babbling in loneliness. Please forgive me, Sister Bai." Lu Bei swiftly changed the topic, "Where is the Lingxiao Sword Sect? You must be tired after your long journey, Sister Bai."
"The Lingxiao Sword Sect is located in Yue Province, to the east of Ning Province, covering seven counties..."
Seeing that Lu Bei didn't continue to ask about the gossip between the three elders, Bai Jin was slightly disappointed, and she simply gave him a brief introduction to the old home of Mo Buxiu, the Lingxiao Sword Sect.
"So, it's in Yue Province."
Lu Bei nodded repeatedly. He knew nothing about the Lingxiao Sword Sect, but he had heard about Yue Province.
Yue Province is located at the easternmost part of Wu Zhou Country, bordering a neighboring country. When the 2.0 version sparked a war between countries, Yue Province bore the brunt. It was one of the major battlefields, and all local cultivation sects were almost wiped out, with cultivators either dead or fleeing.
By the time of the 3.0 version, the spiritual veins of mountains within Yue Province were occupied by various guilds. After a surge of fierce competition, the few remaining NPC cultivators had to pack up and leave.
Since then, whether Yue Province was in disorder or not, the players had the final say.
The time when Lu Bei started doing tasks on behalf of his boss was when the 3.0 version began. He had heard a lot about Yue Province but never dared to go due to the intense competitions.
Now, Lu Bei could roughly guess the fate of the Lingxiao Sword Sect. It either perished in the war or was pushed out by players. Therefore, it's not surprising that he, who logged in since the 3.0 version, has never heard of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.
Having finished talking about the Lingxiao Sword Sect, Bai Jin also gave a brief introduction to Yue Province. Seeing that Lu Bei was not very interested, she didn't say more.
Lu Bei didn't mention going to the Lingxiao Sword Sect, and Bai Jin didn't bring up taking Mo Buxiu's ashes back either. The responsibility for this matter didn't fall on either of them, but on the Sect Leader.
Considering the fact that Mo Buxiu had once severely injured her husband, coupled with her on-and-off relationship with him over the years, the Sect Leader would probably smile lightly, indicating the past was forgiven and then secretly have someone scatter Mo Buxiu's ashes.
Chances are, that person would be him.
"Mr. Lu, did Uncle Mo leave anything behind?"
"There's a Universe Bag. The seal of the Sect Leader from Feather Gate is inside, but I can't open it," Lu Bei took out the Universe Bag and told her everything without hiding any details.
Considering the current situation, Bai Jin and the Sect Leader's wife are on his side. They are his people, and he trusts them.
Bai Jin nodded, took the Universe Bag, and removed the Sect Leader's seal and the deed from it. The Sect Leader's seal was a palm-sized, antique-looking token. The front was engraved with "Feather Gate" in a strange script, whereas the back was carved with a bird in flight. It was nothing special and had no distinctive features.
Having put away the Sect Leader's token, Bai Jin took out a bag of steamed buns and a package of cooked food wrapped in lotus leaves from the Universe Bag, which she handed to Lu Bei: "Uncle Mo has passed his position onto you. Because of the abruptness, there certainly wasn't time to register it with the Imperial Sect. I'll handle this matter. The sooner the better. It's still early now. If I set off immediately, I can return by night."
Lu Bei suddenly realized, no wonder his wealth and camp status were both blank – it was because the authorities hadn't put a seal on them.
The Imperial Sect was the first major cultivation sect of Wuzhou, established even before the founding of Wuzhou. It could be said that the vast territories conquered by Wuzhou and its unbroken lineage of 800 years were all attributed to the Imperial Sect's contributions.
There was a common saying among the people: As long as the Imperial Sect stands, Wuzhou will not perish!
Lu Bei didn't take this seriously and even scoffed at it. Having experienced version 3.0, he was all too aware of the harm the Imperial Sect could do to Wuzhou.
If the Imperial Sect doesn't fall, Wuzhou will certainly perish, at best they would annihilate each other.
In the early days of its establishment, the Imperial Sect was a genuine sect of cultivators. It wasn't until the Imperial Sect helped the Wu Zhou Zhu Clan take over the world that masses of Zhu Clan members entered the Sect, turning it into a puppet of the Zhu Family. From that point on, this sect essentially came under government control.
As Wuzhou relied on a cultivation sect to conquer the world, it became extremely cautious of cultivation sects within its borders. The Imperial Sect, as a representative of the authorities, had nominal jurisdiction. All disciples from cultivation sects within the territory had to be registered and sect leadership changes needed approval. Otherwise, it would be deemed illegitimate and treated as invalid.
This might sound unbelievable. Cultivators, known for their free-spirited natures, wouldn't seem to be the type to willingly submit to constraints. Yet, such the reality. Not just in Wuzhou, but in all the countries around the world.
First step of cultivation? Getting a certification.
Back to the main story, at the time, the Imperial Sect's assistance in solidifying the Zhu Clan's rule over Wuzhou was a good thing for the country and the people.
But as time went on, problems arose. There were too many people surnamed Zhu and they were all cultivators. Thousands of princes from the imperial family flooded the Imperial Sect, which involuntarily shifted its allegiance and started meddling with Wuzhou's internal affairs.
Interestingly, more than half of the provincial governors and county magistrates in the total 84 counties of Wuzhou's 12 states were members of the Zhu Clan or related by marriage. As the central power oversaw the appointments of local officials, the Imperial Sect's interference with internal affairs directly touched upon these people's interests.
The Imperial Sect, who once assisted Wuzhou's central imperial power, now was in a clandestine struggle with it. This irony was something no one foresaw during the establishment of Wuzhou.
But looking on the bright side, regardless of who won or lost, control of the world was still in the hands of the Zhu Family.
Laughable!
"Hehehe..."
"Why are you laughing, Mr. Lu?"
"Oh, just muttering nonsense as usual. Please don't mind me, Sister Bai."
Lu Bei waved his hand and took a steamed bun, munching it while asking, "Don't I need to accompany you for the letter of succession of the sect leader of the Feather Gate?"
"No need. I am quicker on my own."
Bai Jin explained that the Feather Gate was a minor sect of no reputation within Wuzhou jurisdiction. For easier administration, it had been included under the Nine Bamboo Mountain lineage. It was customary for this lineage to register at Ning Province. She had acquaintances in the 'Great Victory Pass', the Imperial Sect's local base in Ning Province. So the procedures would be fast and convenient; Lu Bei's presence was not essential.
Out of trust in his senior sister and chiefly because of the ambiguous relationship between his cheap master and sect leader's wife, Lu Bei just nodded, chewing another steamed bun without saying a word.
Compared to cultivation, eating was more important.
"Mr. Lu, Uncle Mo has entrusted your cultivation to me, so I will make all related arrangements from now on."
"That's only appropriate. I appreciate your help, Sister Bai."
"Okay."
Bai Jin nodded and asked Lu Bei to sit cross-legged on the floor. She took out a small white bottle, "The spiritual energy in this peak is too thin. Here are some Spirit Awakening Elixirs. Take two after every hour until I come back. During my round trip to the Great Victory Pass, I will leave a formation diagram to protect you. I hope you will devote yourself to cultivating your foundations."
Impressive, it seems that you don't have to wait until you turn 30 to be gifted with elixirs.
"Thanks, Sister."
Lu Bei swallowed the last mouthful of his steamed bun swiftly and then swallowed two Spirit Awakening Elixirs, waiting for the medicinal power to digest and the spiritual energy to naturally spread throughout his internal organs.
Seeing this, Bai Jin stopped talking. She threw out a formation diagram that covered a two-meter radius around Lu Bei, left a package, then turned and left towards the Great Victory Pass.