Shangyuque

Chapter 190 The Turning Point of an Era Will Not Wait for Anyone (1.58 Million Votes, Please Vote!)

As soon as Wang Yulou returned to the clan, he began refining weapons, so much so that the current clan leader, Wang Rongjiang, didn't even have a chance to talk to Yulou.

Upon seeing that Wang Yulou had finally come down from Shaluyuan, Wang Rongjiang immediately sent a message to arrange a meeting.

“Uncle Rongjiang, you’ve worked so hard all these years. I really didn’t have time to come back while I was on the front lines. You’ve taken on a lot of pressure and shouldered the blame for me. Yulou knows all the hardships you’ve endured.”

Is Wang Rongjiang facing difficulties? Of course he is, but Wang Yulou is not here to help him solve his problems.

He received two and a half portions of Foundation Establishment resources from his family before he was able to establish his foundation. In the end, it would be normal for him to repay that debt of gratitude for a lifetime.

"Jade Pavilion."

Wang Rongjiang was speechless, unsure how to respond.

Over the past century, taking advantage of the great increase in gratitude and blessings bestowed upon Patriarch Mangxiang upon attaining the Golden Elixir, the Wang family, under the leadership of Wang Xianmao, has reached its most prosperous state in history.

However, as the clan leader who shaped the peak era, Wang Xianmao chose to retire gracefully and become an assistant to Wang Yulou in his career in the Western Sea, hoping to help Wang Yulou go further in the future and lead the Wang clan to a new level.

But Wang Rongjiang, who took over the position of clan leader, found it difficult. He had three people above him: Wang Xianmao, Wang Jingyi, and Wang Yulou, each of whom could command him.

Ancestor Jingyi had long been developing within the sect and had no demands regarding the distribution of benefits within the Wang clan. Wang Xianmao, having served as the clan leader for many years, was well aware of Wang Rongjiang's difficulties and therefore never made things difficult for him.

The only problem is Wang Yulou, who began interfering in the clan's personnel affairs from the moment he started pushing for the division of the Wang family.

After taking up his post at the front, Wang Yulou, in order to "maintain his integrity," not only could not help the Wang family, but also had to suppress them as an example.

Note that even though both the Red Lantern and the Immortal Alliance are harvesting organizations established by powerful cultivators, their nature and internal operating logic are not the same.

The organization's purpose is to help high-level cultivators 'eat people' more efficiently, but there are also internally agreed-upon rules of justice within the organization.

For example, Wang Yulou, a mid-to-high-level member of the Red Lantern Society, needs to set an example in many things to gain the respect of the people and prevent his opponents from finding more points to attack.

Therefore, even if he could actually help arrange some good positions for people in the clan, he couldn't help them all.

However, this approach doesn't provide comprehensive assistance; when applied to specific individuals, it becomes a major problem.

It is extremely difficult to achieve both reason and emotion. When Wang Xianmao was the clan chief, he also did his best to maintain order, which prevented major chaos from occurring.

Wang Rongjiang couldn't do it.

Not helping everyone leads to an imbalance in people's hearts. Wang Rongjiang is like a tool, helping Wang Yulou achieve his needs and taking the blame for Wang Yulou.

"Uncle Rongjiang, I know how hard you've had it, but these troubles should be coming to an end soon."

"Ancestor Jingyi, Ancestor Xianmao, and I have already made a plan: to transform our family into a sect and establish the Xishan Sect!"

The difficulty of family governance ultimately stems from the fact that kinship ties affect the relative fairness of the distribution of benefits.

Kinship is a special thing. When a family is weak, it can act as a bond and help the family develop rapidly.

However, as the family grows, the influence of blood ties makes it difficult to achieve relative fairness internally.

Often, it truly comes down to mutual forbearance within the clan. With enough determination, fairness can be achieved in the allocation of tasks and rewards, but kinship ties that have lost their bargaining power will be crushed by the fairness of the facts—there will always be countless exceptions, but in the long run, this is inevitable.

Therefore, once the Wang clan had seventeen Foundation Establishment members, establishing a new clan was inevitable.

"To establish a clan-based sect and create the Xishan Sect?"

Wang Rongjiang never expected to receive such an explanation from Yulou. He repeated, somewhat bewildered, the joint decision made by Wang Yulou, Wang Jingyi, and Wang Xianmao.

Unlike Wang Xianmao, who held real power, Wang Rongjiang, the clan leader, was similar to Jiuqu, the master of Miaofeng Mountain, and Zou Tianxing, the leader of the Red Lantern Clan—a mere tool.

This was an inevitable consequence, as Wang Xianmao held considerable power at the time, but the Wang family itself had not yet fully developed.

Currently, within and outside the Wang clan, including those from the direct lineage who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, those from other clans who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, those from the sect, those from the Western Sea, and Wang Yulou's Daoist partner who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, there are a total of seventeen Foundation Establishment individuals.

It would be a real joke if such a large family could make all decisions with just the patriarch's word.

"Yes, in the next counter-offensive, we will start from the southern front, with the section from Nan Ye Kingdom in the south to Siming Sect in the middle as our main attack point. The goal is to completely reclaim the last small piece that was lost before."

Upon hearing Yu Lou's explanation, Wang Rongjiang's eyes lit up, and he said...

"After the Frog King made his move, the Siming Sect was almost wiped out. Many of the lands they left behind are in this last remaining territory that hasn't been reclaimed yet. Are you suggesting that our Wang family establish our clan on this land?"

The Wang family, being a mediocre clan, wasn't extravagant enough to allow a mere idiot to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Wang Rongjiang's use of two and a half Foundation Establishment resources didn't mean he was a complete idiot, so he naturally understood Wang Yulou's meaning.

"Yes, this front that has not been recovered is about 600 li long, and in some places it is more than 400 li wide, and in some places it is 200 li wide. Its area is more than three times larger than that of Anbei Kingdom."

Including the surrounding area, which hasn't yet been occupied by the Red Lantern Clan's affiliated forces, the entire area is roughly 800 li long and 300 to 500 li wide. It's much smaller than Miaofeng Mountain, but close in size to the Southern Ye Kingdom.

Wang Rongjiang was initially worried that, given the current state of the battle between the Red Lantern Sect and the Heavenly Serpent Sect, if the fighting continued for a long time, the Xishan Sect would face enormous risks in establishing its own sect behind the front lines.

But Wang Yulou's last sentence was really interesting—it was almost the size of the Southern Ye Kingdom.

As everyone knows, the Southern Ye Kingdom is a powerful state that supports that old man, Nan Ye Ke.

Thinking of this, Wang Rongjiang tentatively asked.

"Yu Lou, is it that Second Aunt is finally going to successfully open her Purple Mansion?"

After Wang Jingyi was seriously injured, the timeline for opening the Purple Mansion was indefinitely delayed. A few years ago, when Wang Rongjiang visited the Red Lantern Clan, Ancestor Jingyi was still recuperating because his injuries had damaged his foundation, and the opening of the Purple Mansion was a long way off.

"No, and even if Ancestor Jingyi opens her Purple Mansion, she will remain in the Red Lantern Hall. The Western Mountain Sect did not prepare it specifically for her."

"and you."

"I have no need for the Xishan Sect. In the future, my opportunity to open my Purple Mansion will either be in the sect, the Immortal Alliance, or the Western Sea. If I don't have the opportunity to open my Purple Mansion in any of these three places, there's no point in using the family's resources to do so."

Uncle Rongjiang, you don't need to test us. We've established the Xishan Sect as a clan, but the Xishan Sect isn't just for the Wang family. I've also brought three other Foundation Establishment families to join.

One is the An family within the Red Lantern Sect. Their clan leader, An Hening, is on good terms with me. There are four Foundation Establishment cultivators in the clan, and all four of them joined the Western Mountain Sect together.

One is the Yang family of Yangliudang, who are skilled at raising spirit beasts. Their patriarch, Yang Qi, is also an old acquaintance of mine. Their racetracks have now spread throughout more than a dozen markets under the jurisdiction of the Red Lantern. Of the eight Foundation Establishment cultivators in their family, five will join the Xishan Sect.

The last one is the Liu family of Zhuoshuitan, who are skilled in making talismans. Their family and I jointly organized the Talisman Master Competition, which was held throughout Hongdengzhao County. We have cooperated quite a bit. Their family will also send five people to join the Xishan Sect.

In this way, not counting our Wang clan, the Xishan Sect will have fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators. I also plan to open the sect gates wider and recruit ten more Foundation Establishment cultivators to join.

Our Wang clan, besides myself, Yingxi, Mingdu, Linying, Yu'an, and Uncle Rongsheng, also has eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Of the eleven, three are in the Western Sea, Ancestor Jingyi and Uncle Rongnian are in the Red Lantern Clan, and there are only six Foundation Establishment cultivators within the clan.

Of these six people, four need to be sent to join the Xishan Sect.

Wang Yulou has his own plans for the Xishan Sect. The old patriarch Xianmao no longer cares about things, and Ancestor Jingyi has not been involved in the family for a long time. What will happen to the Wang family? It still depends on Wang Yulou.
Twenty-eight Foundation Establishment cultivators are a considerable number even within a single Purple Mansion True Person faction, demonstrating Wang Yulou's ambition.

"Yu Lou, I understand the rest, but what are your plans for the three from the West Sea?"

Wang Rongjiang was in a daze. He had only wanted to complain to Wang Yulou about his difficulties, but clearly, the surprise Wang Yulou gave him was a bit too big, almost to the point of shock.

However, he still maintained a high level of probing.

While seemingly asking about the arrangements for the three Foundation Establishment cultivators in the West Sea, the question was actually a probe into at least two directions.

One possibility is that Wang Yulou will not open his Purple Mansion through the Xishan Sect, but may open it through the Red Lantern Sect, the Immortal Alliance, or the West Sea. Asking about the West Sea is asking about Wang Yulou's future plans.

Another was to test Wang Yulou's future attitude towards the Wang family and the Xishan Sect. If Wang Yulou's focus shifted elsewhere, then Wang Rongjiang would have to consider adjusting his attitude towards Wang Yulou.

Wang Yulou, this prodigy of the Wang family, has risen too fast and too high, already reaching the innermost circle of the Red Lantern Gang. Other members of the Wang family might not be able to catch up even if they tried their best.

For example, Wang Rongjiang established his foundation more than ten years earlier than Wang Yulou, but now his cultivation level is far inferior to Wang Yulou's, barely reaching the mid-stage minor completion level.

Just as Wang Xianmao said, not everyone can be as afraid of the future as Wang Yulou.

Wang Yulou's fear of the future stems from his belief that he has a future with great prospects, while others would find it difficult to succeed simply through cultivation.

"People from the West Sea can stay in the West Sea. I have a fighting arena, a wine immortal, and the Wang family's West Sea villa in the West Sea. All of these need someone to support them. Three Foundation Establishment cultivators are the foundation."

The Wang family of Wangjiashan will still exist, but for those who feel unfairly treated within the clan, joining a sect like the Xishan Sect, which they helped establish, will always offer them a wider path to advancement.

Having come this far, Wang Yulou could see through the intentions of others at a glance, so he deflected all of Wang Rongjiang's probing questions and didn't reveal his true thoughts.

After all, the more his true thoughts leak out, the sooner those scoundrels who lead a large group of smart people to figure out how to mess with him will find new ways to do so.

However, although Wang Yulou's words were roundabout, they were one of the reasons he was establishing the Xishan Sect.

Some people may be marginalized in their clan, but once they enter a sect, they are no longer so marginalized.

After all, the Wang family was one of the founding families of the Xishan Sect. Compared with the later disciples, the disciples of the Wang family naturally had a certain relative advantage.

Once they develop, won't that be a boost for Xiao Wang?

As for his plans for the Western Sea, Wang Yulou intended to view it as a kind of backup plan.

This alternative may not be ideal, but it's better than having no other way out.

Wang Yulou never forgot the principle that it's better to rely on oneself than on the immortals. Seeking more immortals to rely on was also an action guided by his subjective initiative.

To put it bluntly, developing a career in a place like the West Sea, where ownership changes hands frequently, means abandoning personal ambition and gambling everything on the future.

It's not about winning or losing in the future, but about the possibility of having another option in the future.

Shenguang only lost the last round, he didn't die!
Mang Xiang is very powerful, but what can Wang Yulou do if Mang Xiang doesn't give him a chance in the future?
Hiding in a corner, crying and cursing Mang Xiang for being heartless?

Even crying to a bandit requires careful timing, but a wild elephant is far superior. If you cry to a wild elephant, it will probably laugh.

"But we've brought so many families together to run the Xishan Sect. Within the sect, do we have the final say or do they? Putting aside everything else, just the Yang family of Yangliudang alone is no simple matter."

Several of my acquaintances have said that the Yang family of Yangliudang has the potential to become the next Huang family; they are very adept at business.

Seeing that he couldn't get any results from his probing, Wang Rongjiang stopped trying and started talking about specific issues.

It's certainly a good thing for a family to become a sect, since the land that the Xishan Sect will occupy in the future is a good place, large and rich, full of potential.

"I have a good relationship with Lao An. I will marry a woman from the An family later. In the future, the sect will be a joint force between us and the An family to fight against the Yang and Liu families who are fighting alone."

Internal strife is a constant phenomenon, no matter where you are. The intensity of the struggle may vary, but it will never disappear.

It's a very simple logic: as long as a system is developing, new distributions of benefits will inevitably emerge within it.

Excessive allocation can prematurely deplete the system's potential, accelerating its path to collapse.

Only by artificially creating scarcity can we satisfy the needs of the system's creators while also addressing the hunger that sustains the system's long-term development.

When people are hungry, they will fight for food.

Even mindless, fanatical cults fight amongst themselves; organizations that don't fight amongst themselves are unlikely to have a future.

“Yu Lou, I still feel we’re rushing things. If we develop for another ten years or so, we can easily gain three to five more Foundation Establishment cultivators. By then, when we start to establish the Xishan Sect, the situation will be much better.”

"We can't have all the cheap stuff to ourselves. Putting everything else aside, Siming Zhenren is still alive."

More Foundation Establishment families would help us share the burden.

Otherwise, it would seem as if I were using the name of the Patriarch to bully Siming Zhenren, and those people would seize on this and torment me to death.

Another reason is that I've been given command of the next counterattack, and we only have one chance.

If I fail this time, Yi Zouri and Zou Tianxing will block me, and I won't have the chance to help my family transform into a sect.

The development and turning point of the times will not wait for anyone. Regardless of whether the Wang family is ready or not, the opportunity that Wang Yulou saw is here and will be fleeting. It would be a pity not to try it.

When a powerful force remains stable for a long time, the distribution of internal interests becomes highly rigid, and the lives of cultivators at the bottom are wasted under the temptation of a vain future.

Only in chaos can there be change, and Wang Yulou dared not forget how important change was.

Before leaving, Di Shui said so much, all in the hope that Wang Yulou would bring more changes to this world.

What great cultivators fear most is change.

Therefore, even though it was rushed and not perfect, Wang Yulou still intended to give it a try.

"Yu Lou, the war is dangerous, and we need to prepare well for the counterattack."

Wang Rongjiang was still unwilling to accept it. Such good land had to be divided with other families; it was too unfair.

“Uncle Rongjiang, you’re being too attached to appearances. Only by not hoarding things can you go further, whether it’s for me or for the Wang family.”

Seemingly spurred by the numerous Purple Mansions emerging from the Mangxiang Sect over the past fifty years, Wang Rongjiang, despite Yulou's admonition, still dared to utter a somewhat arrogant remark.

"Qiyuan Zhenren's family is also a family, and it's doing quite well. Nanye Kingdom may seem like a fairy kingdom, but it's actually part of the Nanye family."

Yes, they have real people involved, so they can do this, but our Wang family will soon have real people too.

The fatal flaws of information asymmetry and strategic positioning were clearly revealed at this moment. Wang Yulou smiled helplessly and said.

"Uncle Rongjiang, is Master Qiyuan's family still a family?"
Gu Tongming is under my command. He is the second elder of the Gu family, but the Gu family has five second elders and three first elders.

The Gu family may appear to be a clan, but it is actually a special kind of sect. Not only can the generational names in the family be bought, but they can also be promoted.

As for Nan Ye Kingdom, you yourself said it's a small immortal kingdom.

Once a cultivation family reaches a certain size, it either becomes a sect in name only, or it actively and completely transforms into a sect; there is no third option.

As for waiting, I would like to wait, but the urgency of the war is not a reason for me to wait; on the contrary, it is a reason for me to seize the time to organize a counterattack.

"Stop saying those things. I am a member of the Wang family, but also a true disciple of the Red Lantern Sect. In war, I must serve the greater good of the sect!"

Being able to distinguish right from wrong is a very important quality. Wang Yulou cannot and should not harm the interests of the Red Lantern Police for his own benefit.

At least not now—so-called principles are meant to be broken, and golden rules will not last forever, but they do have a real limitation on Wang Yulou today.

From this perspective, the presence of Yi Zouri and Zou Tianxing did indeed have an effect, and the control that Zhuzhao Immortal Venerable had over the Red Lantern was demonstrated at this moment.

What Wang Yulou feared most were Yi Zouri and Zou Tianxing, and the Immortal Venerable Zhuzhao behind them.

"This was an oversight on my part."

Wang Rongjiang was speechless. He realized that Wang Yulou didn't seem to be a lucky person either. Perhaps even if he were in Wang Yulou's position, he might not be able to reach Wang Yulou's current level.
-
Wang Yulou served as the guardian cultivator of Xiangzhufang for over fifty years, but in reality, the total time he spent in Xiangzhufang probably didn't even add up to half a month.

Over the years, Guo Chengtai was initially in charge of the Xiangzhufang business, but later Qin Churan was transferred out of Dishuidong along with Lin Ying by Wang Yulou.

Lin Ying went to the northern route to help Wang Yulou look after the outsourced branch of the Special Merit Hall on the northern route, while Qin Churan went to Xiangzhufang to serve as a guardian cultivator for Wang Yulou.

Xiao Qin's cultivation level was barely at the Qi Refining stage, but the position of the guardian cultivator of Xiangzhufang did not depend on cultivation level, but only on whether one was qualified.

If Wang Yulou says she has it, then she has it. As for whether she can hold the fort for Wang Yulou, that's not a problem at all.

If Xiangzhufang, a market town near the front lines of the two major battles, could be breached, it would mean that the front lines had been destroyed.

With the front lines blown up again, whether Xiangzhufang is destroyed or not is no longer so important.

Being a guardian cultivator for Wang Yulou isn't just about staying in the guardian cultivator's mansion and cultivating every day. In wartime, guardian cultivators have many things to do.

Most of these tasks could be handled by Wang Yulou's subordinates, but there were some things Qin Churan simply couldn't avoid.

For example, returning to the sect for a meeting.

In theory, information can be transmitted very quickly and accurately between cultivators.

However, in reality, during wartime, the guardian cultivators of the Red Lantern Sect must obey the overall situation of the Red Lantern Sect and ensure that their foolishness does not harm the interests of the sect or the interests of the True Immortals within the sect.

Therefore, Qin Churan sometimes had to personally return to the sect to attend briefings.

Red lanterns illuminate the Sect Leader's Palace and Hall.

There were quite a few people in the hall today, most of whom were true disciples of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. Qin Churan, dressed in the robes of an inner disciple, stood out among the crowd.

However, she remained calm and obediently followed beside Wang Yulou's first wife.

Wang Yulou married a bunch of Daoist partners. In order of seniority, Qin Churan was the first after Bai Xiaoyu left, but she was actually the least noticeable among them.

The second to last and least noticeable one is Lin Ying, after all, the Lin family has already been taken away by the Water Immortal, and the Water Cave has left the Red Lantern City along with them.

No one knows where the Water Immortal went. Without the support of her family, Lin Ying is relatively less conspicuous.

Above that is the competition between Yingxi and Jinmingdu.

These two Daoist couples in Yulou both have the support of the Purple Mansion behind them.

However, there is a difference in the fact that there is a Purple Mansion behind it.

Jin Mingdu's backer, Jinshan Zhenren, is certainly powerful. As a great cultivator who can become Xihai Longhu Zhenren and lead the Xihai Immortal City of the Immortal Alliance, his strength must be strong. He is probably only one level weaker than Gua Zhenren and Qiu Mile, and two levels weaker than the Quasi-Immortal Venerable Mangxiang.

Compared to Jinshan, Lao Mu is much weaker. After all, he has only recently become a Purple Mansion cultivator, and he might even be weaker than Li Haikuo.

But Jinshan is Jinmingdu's ancestor, and Muchunze is Zhou Yingxi's biological father!
From this perspective, Zhou Yingxi was Wang Yulou's first wife.

As someone who truly came from a humble background, Xiao Qin took these things very seriously and valued them highly.

This is her way of surviving, which is why she always respects Yingxi.

"Big sister, what brings you here today?"

Upon hearing Qin Churan's telepathic message, Zhou Yingxi remained still and silently replied.

"Counter-offensive mobilization briefing: a full-scale counter-offensive is underway."

Qin Churan was slightly taken aback and instantly realized something was wrong. Launching a full-scale counterattack and holding a briefing was just asking for trouble for Wang Yulou.
She was unaware that Wang Yulou had gained command of the counterattack; what she saw was that Yi Zouri and Zou Tianxing were plotting how to trick Wang Yulou again.

As the de facto invisible commander of the Red Lights on the front lines, Wang Yulou would be utterly humiliated if the counterattack failed due to the premature leak of information.

"Sister, something's not right. Is it really appropriate to announce something like this so widely?"

Yingxi smiled slightly and spoke with a firm and resolute tone.

"Chu Ran, don't worry. Senior Brother Tianxing knows what's important and wouldn't do something like leaking information to the Tian She Sect demons under the guise of a briefing."

Zou Tianxing, who was talking with Jiang Baobian at the head of the hall, suddenly looked in Zhou Yingxi's direction.

He gave Zhou Yingxi a mocking smile, and then turned to Jiang Bao.

"Sects like the Heavenly Serpent Sect, which cannot see the changes in their own status, always think that the Red Lanterns are still the same Red Lanterns, but what right do they have to stand there with the arrogant attitude of those above the Wunan sect?"

Times have changed. The Heavenly Serpent Sect comes knocking, and so do we, the Red Lantern Gang!
Therefore, we must fight!

Zou Tianxing's Yin-Yang skills were subtle, but there were too many clever minds among the true disciples, so many people looked at Zhou Yingxi with suspicion. Yingxi's eyebrows were lowered, and she showed no obvious emotional reaction.

The scions of prominent families all learn the same important lesson—patience!
The closer one gets to a high-ranking monk, the more one can understand the cruel rules.

After Lao Zhou died, she became a disciple of Mang Xiang, but her status declined significantly.

A beast like Mang Xiang is among the most monstrous in the Red Lantern Police.

He promised Zhou Yingxi a position in the Purple Mansion, but Zhou Yingxi didn't believe him at all.

She couldn't see where the road ahead lay, so she could only take it one step at a time.

Wang Yulou was even less reliable. He himself was standing on the edge of a fire pit. His position seemed prestigious, but he was actually taking the brunt of the consequences.

If you survive, great; if you don't, you'll be blown to pieces.

Wang Yu'an could see this, and Zhou Yingxi could see it even better.

After a long while, Zou Tianxing finished his conversation with the representatives of the various masters within the Red Lantern Sect and began the formal briefing.

"We fought for fifty years. The Heavenly Serpent Sect launched nine full-scale attacks, and we defended against them all."

The Celestial Venerable was very dissatisfied with this cowardly situation and repeatedly emphasized that the front line should take the initiative and fight with the momentum of the Red Lanterns.

However, it's unclear who is openly or secretly defying the Celestial Venerable's decree.

On stage, Zou Tianxing openly and subtly criticized Wang Yuque, but the audience ignored him.

In their eyes, neither Zou Tianxing nor Wang Yuque were good people, but in terms of anthropomorphism, Wang Yuque, who could still barely maintain his hypocrisy, was better.

We're all consumables, everyone agrees on that. But according to Zou Tianxing's logic, consumables should just go to the front lines and die, as long as they die with the spirit of the Red Lanterns.

But for an individual, the front lines are for their apprentices, their family, and their lovers.

Therefore, it's better for Wang Yuque to insist on not sending frontline cultivators to their deaths.

Moreover, Zhuzhao never actually issued any decree. How could a celestial being like him possibly break ties with Mangxiang over something so trivial?

Zou Tianxing's use of the Candlelight as a pretext was not entirely unfounded. His purpose in using the Candlelight as a pretext was to suppress Wang Yuque. This was a case of using the Immortal Venerable's banner for the benefit of his faction, which was considered to have a legitimate cause.

As for opposing Zhuzhao, Wang Yulou actually did it.

The specific method is very simple—the achievement of killing Heavenly Serpent Sect demons while leaving the front-line defense node does not count as battle merit, and that is enough.

Having control over the distribution of frontline battle achievements is of great significance. Xiao Wang established his position as the unsung commander-in-chief of the frontline solely through this one move.

To say that Xiao Wang has any bad intentions is absolutely untrue.

Xiao Wang was simply taking a cautious approach and never acting rashly in the war.

Everything was for the sake of not losing. Victory was never on Wang Yulou's mind. Whether they won or not depended on the will of the great cultivators above. At most, he could provide Mangxiang with a decent bargaining chip. That was the greatest value that Little Wang, the invisible commander on the front line, could create.

It might seem a bit odd, but the fact that it can be used as a bargaining chip means that Wang Yulou's value is already extraordinary.

Because the place beneath his buttocks is truly a pit of fire, so hot that he dares not even speak a single truth.

After all, his opponents, both inside and outside the sect, had prepared a group of people to analyze his actions together.

In fact, at Gu's Teahouse, Xiao Wang's past information can be listed separately and sold alongside the pasts of many other real people.
"Strengthen vigilance and be prepared at all times. Junior Brother Yuque is very good, but he is still young. If the front line collapses, everyone should be prepared in advance."

Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone, head back and strengthen your defense as soon as possible.

After Sect Leader Zou Tianxing finally finished venting his anger, Qin Churan followed Yingxi back to her residence on the main mountain of the Red Lantern Sect with a worried expression.

Old Zhou's sacred mountain was entrusted to his beloved master for safekeeping, and Xuanzhuan arranged a perfect and spiritually beautiful place for Yingxi on Mangxiang Mountain.

But Yingxi rarely stayed there; she preferred to spend most of her time on Hongdengzhaozhu Mountain.

The difference between people is a difference, not a gap, and this is where it comes into play.

As an individual with independent will, Zhou Yingxi is entitled to decide what she wants to do; she has that right, but she acts too contradictorily.

Zhou Yingxi wanted to move forward. Her ancestor was dead, her clansmen were all wiped out, and her biological father had fled far away. After experiencing all this, how could she not yearn to gain power and thus control her own destiny?
She longed for it, but she couldn't bring herself to kneel completely.

Having started from such a high point as the Zhou family, she couldn't kneel down.

As a third-class true disciple, Yingxi's residence was quite luxurious, possessing all the standard amenities expected of a true disciple of the sect.

As soon as Yingxi sat down in the mansion, Qin Churan's first words made her lose her composure.

"Big sister, your current state is not right. You should be cultivating on Mangxiang Mountain all the time."

Speaking too frankly with someone you don't know well, Qin Churan's words were like a sharp and presumptuous knife, piercing through the illusory sense of security that Zhou Yingxi had built up.

"you"

Zhou Yingxi wanted to make a firm response, but she knew very well how cautious Qin Churan was. Compared to Zhou Yingxi, who came from a prominent family, Qin Churan had always lived a humble life and never overstepped her bounds.

But her overstepping of boundaries today shows that she had an ulterior motive.

"Big sister, there's a question that's been on my mind for a long time."

What have you been doing all these years?
Or rather, have you figured out what you're doing?

Another slash; Qin Churan's offense did not stop.

Even with Yingxi's composure, she was provoked to anger.

"What I do is none of your business, is it?"

Noticing the coldness reflected in those beautiful peach blossom eyes, Qin Churan knew that she had achieved the effect she wanted.

“Look, I humiliated you to your face, and you were angry, but Jin Mingdu has never taken you seriously. Aren’t you angry?”

Zhou Yingxi had never thought about this issue—competing for favor.

In her opinion, Wang Yulou didn't like her very much, never had.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"What do you mean?"

"Big sister, Sister Lin's family, along with Drip Water Cave, were taken away by the Immortal Venerable, and Little Fish was also taken away."

My husband's favorite girl was Xiaoyu, but after Xiaoyu left, he has been most fond of Jin Mingdu in recent years.

Have you ever thought about why?

Zhou Yingxi's mood was naturally not good when she thought of Jin Mingdu, who had always been by Wang Yulou's side.

"Because she is very adept at social maneuvering, her mind is always focused on things other than spiritual practice!"

Qin Churan laughed; she found that girls from prominent families could sometimes be frighteningly naive.

"You know, elder sister, that's also a form of cultivation."

My husband needs us to be 'useful' because there are too many female cultivators who want to throw themselves at him. He won't accept any female cultivators who are useless.

Jin Mingdu is very useful, and she is also a junior of Jinshan Zhenren. The combination of these two factors is why her husband keeps her by his side for a long time.

And what have you been doing all these years?

Sister Lin was powerless to help. There were fewer than three hundred cultivators outside the cave who hadn't been taken away by the Immortal Venerable, and they might not even give her any face.

You have the support of the vassal family of the Dragon-Binding Immortal, and you are a disciple of the patriarch. You have the opportunity to become your husband's right-hand man. Why are you unwilling to accept these challenges?
You say Jin Mingdu's mind is focused on things outside of cultivation, but among those who have achieved the Purple Mansion realm over the years, which one of them was a fool who only knew how to retreat from the world and cultivate?"

Apart from Zhou Yingxi, who was forced into marriage, Wang Yulou's other Daoist partners were all chosen by him voluntarily.

I chose Qin Churan and Xiaoyu because they are easy to control.

Wang Yulou chose Lin Ying because the Lin family was neither too big nor too small, and he was confident that after he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he could gradually incorporate the Lin family into the Wang family—this was his true thought that he had never told anyone.

The Lin family practiced woodworking techniques, and so did the Wang family; from a profit perspective, this merger was mutually beneficial.

However, things took an absurd turn, and Wang Yulou's preparations, just like the Wang family's initial expectation that he would join the Immortal Alliance in the Immortal Alliance selection process, quickly became meaningless and futile.

The reason for choosing Jin Mingdu is that Zhou Fujiao is dead, the pressure from the divine light is too great, and the Mangxiang is no good. Jin Mingdu's ancestor, Jin Shan, is a peak Purple Mansion Grand Master directly under the Immortal Alliance. Wang Yulou marrying Jin Mingdu means that he may have more choices.

These girls had been by Wang Yulou's side for a long time, so naturally Wang Yulou developed feelings for them.

But besides being a man, Wang Yulou is also a seeker of the Dao, and this identity is even more important to him.

Therefore, he will value Kim Myung-do.

Qin Churan provoked Zhou Yingxi because she was truly anxious.

Kim Myung-do came from the West Sea and was very skilled in social maneuvering.

Of the three thousand rogue cultivators that Wang Yulou brought from the Western Sea to the Red Lantern Cult, only a few hundred have died in recent years, but more than forty have already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and this number may double in the future.

These people, along with Jinshan, were all regarded by Jinmingdu as his value and foundation. Based on these, her position in Wang Yulou's heart was very stable.

Qin Churan saw this and was anxious.

If Wang Yulou's attention is completely stolen by Jin Mingdu, her life as a marginalized Daoist partner will only get worse.

Lin Ying, who was born in Drip Cave, had very limited potential for development after the Immortal Venerable Drip Water left the Immortal Alliance.

Therefore, she hoped that Zhou Yingxi, who had become Mang Xiang's apprentice, could stand up and rival Jin Mingdu.

"Are you saying I'm stupid?"

Zhou Yingxi was unwilling to be 'instructed' like this by someone who was merely at the late stage of Qi Refining, and she retorted.

"Big sister, you see, you still don't want to wake up. That's all I have to say."

With the war at the front lines urgent and matters at Xiangzhufang complicated, Chu Ran left first.

However, I really don't want to see Kim Myung-do's arrogant attitude towards me.

She probably respects you a lot—because deep down she looks down on you!

Before leaving, Qin Churan couldn't hold back and finally spoke the truth from her heart.

"Sister Yingxi, I actually envy you a lot."

Your father is a Purple Mansion official, your master is the Patriarch, and your position is a steward at a trading company. If you want to develop your influence, you have so many vassals to choose from from the Zhou family.

I am the most powerless one. Even Senior Sister Lin, my husband has a bunch of cultivators from Dripping Water Cave under his command, who can become her assistants.

Many times, I hate myself for being too clear-headed. Being clear-headed yet powerless is the most painful thing.

If you still want to make changes, you need to hurry. Your husband won't wait for anyone; he only has his own path in mind.

After Qin Churan blew up the illusory wall that Yingxi had built for herself, she patted her buttocks—no, she didn't pat her buttocks, that would be too vulgar.

In short, in order to avoid being completely marginalized, Chu Ran pulled off a big stunt and then left gracefully.

She can't control her own destiny, and there are many things she can't fight for. If Zhou Yingxi can't stand up for herself, she will have to bow down to Jin Mingdu.

The impudent female cultivator who was practicing Qi cultivation left without looking back.

Yingxi sat motionless in her empty mansion.

After a long while, she took out a list of treasures from Huang's Treasure Shop from her storage bag.

This list was personally delivered to her by one of Old Huang's disciples.

As a disciple of the founder, Wang Yuque's Daoist partner, a true disciple of the Red Lantern Sect, and a steward of the Trading Company, Lao Huang had every reason to befriend Zhou Yingxi, both in terms of her status and her business dealings.

Therefore, Huang Qiusheng would send her the list of treasures from Huang's Treasure Shop every six months.

However, on this list, there were a few lines that were personally marked with Wong Chau-sang's magic when they were delivered.

'Auspicious Deer Blood - the essence blood of a demon king, a top-grade ingredient for precious pills, costing 100,000 spirit stones per drop.'

Ruilu meat – the meat of a demon king, a top-grade ingredient for precious pills, costing 1,200 spirit stones per pound.

Ruilu Blood Marrow – the bone marrow of a demon king, a top-grade elixir ingredient, costing one tael for four thousand spirit stones.

Ruilu antler slices – a material from the bones of a demon king, a base material for top-grade talismans, and a material for top-grade precious pills, costing 80,000 spirit stones per cubic meter (over 20 catties, irregular shape).

Rui Deer Hide – the outer skin of a demon king, a top-grade talisman base material, and a top-grade magic weapon base material. Contact Baibaofang for details if interested.

Touching the jade slip on her forehead, tears streamed uncontrollably down Yingxi's face.

As a prominent merchant family in Wunan, the Huang family naturally did not only do business with Zhou Yingxi. Many of the true disciples of the Red Lantern Clan were qualified to receive this list of treasures.

This is why Zou Tianxing dared to speak sarcastically about Zhou Yingxi in the Sect Leader's Hall today, and it's also the source of her confidence that makes so many disciples look at her with disdain.

There is only one auspicious deer demon king in the world: Mu Chunze!
Yes, your father is a Purple Mansion, but Mu Chunze's Purple Mansion is an illegal one created by the Divine Light, a Purple Mansion that is forced to produce materials and kept in captivity!
-
Wang Yulou certainly didn't only have his own path in mind.

Or rather, attaining enlightenment is an extremely complex matter, requiring preparation for too many details.

Perhaps some aspects were not adequately prepared, but as long as the overall preparation is sufficient, certain shortcomings are not so important.

This is the significance of planning your future in advance. It may become a useless move, but this forward-looking attitude of being prepared at all times is absolutely not a problem.

In fact, Wang Yulou didn't care that Zou Tianxing had revealed the counterattack plan to many of the Red Lanterns' true disciples and inner disciples during the meeting.

Because if the Heavenly Serpent Sect wants to organize a counterattack during the great battle, they will definitely take notice.

Before Master Gua led the Heavenly Serpent Sect in a full-scale counterattack, the Red Lanterns knew most of the Heavenly Serpent Sect's movements in advance and had made preparations well in advance. The only unexpected thing was that that bastard Master Gua actually personally got involved.

If Mangxiang hadn't stayed in the Great World for so long to prevent anyone from causing trouble while he was trying to achieve the Golden Core stage, with Gua Zhenren's strength, it wouldn't be surprising if he roared a third time and killed tens of millions more people.

In short, Wang Yulou did not intend to use any surprise tactics in this counterattack.

At the residence of the garrison commander of the central line, Wang Yulou is meeting with Jiang Baobian, the assistant commander of the garrison commander of the southern line.

"We have been upholding the orthodox principles for fifty years, which is upholding the orthodox principles, but the counter-offensive itself is an unexpected move."

After all, the previous counterattacks were all carried out with great fanfare, leaving the Heavenly Serpent Sect exhausted.

This time, we will continue with a grand scale and meticulous preparation for every step; only in this way can we achieve true stability.

After the traitor Pi Lingxiu abandoned Fuyan and instead shouted "Mangxiang, loyalty!", the new garrison commander of the southern front was Yan Siyuan, a disciple of the Zhuzhao Sect.

Yan Siyuan and Yi Zouri are similar in that they are quite hostile towards Wang Yulou. To say that they hate Wang Yulou is pure nonsense. They have no personal grudges, only an irreconcilable factional conflict.

Compared to talking with Yan Siyuan, Wang Yulou preferred to negotiate with Jiang Baobian. The Red Lanterns' counter-offensive required coordination between the central and southern fronts, and there were many details to prepare.

"The southern route has 12,000 Qi Refining cultivators and 900 Foundation Establishment cultivators, plus the central route has 30,000 Qi Refining cultivators and 2,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators, totaling 42,000 Qi Refining cultivators and 2,900 Foundation Establishment cultivators. Isn't this number a bit too low?"

Jiang Baobian's concerns were not unfounded. Every time the Heavenly Serpent Sect attacked, it started with 40,000 Qi Refining cultivators and often had 3,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they never gained any advantage.

In the war among cultivators, the offensive is often weakened by the large formations prepared in advance by the defender. If the Red Lanterns were to prepare on the same scale as the Heavenly Serpent Sect's offensive, they would obviously not be able to achieve anything on the battlefield.

"Yes, that's not enough, so I've prepared a surprise weapon."

Having managed things on the front lines for so long, how could Wang Yuque not understand the importance of having fewer people? He had actually made preparations in secret.

"Our main focus of attack will be on the former site of the Siming Sect."

The Siming Sect has many high-grade spiritual artifacts hidden underground. If a battle breaks out, the surviving cultivators of the Siming Sect can retrieve those spiritual artifacts that have been nurtured for many years and give them to their capable senior Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Only in this way can we break through the Heavenly Serpent Sect's defenses in the shortest possible time.

Although the Siming Sect had lost most of its members to Gua Zhenren's roar, it hadn't completely disappeared. It was time to use this card.

Jiang Baobian was a direct descendant of the Zifu lineage of the Fuyan School, so he couldn't possibly call him "Mangxiang, Zhongcheng." Therefore, Wang Yulou and he were simply conducting official business.

There's no such thing as hiding a card from the sect and then suddenly using it when the battle starts.

A great battle, a great battle involving hundreds of thousands of cultivators, a great battle constantly monitored by the Immortal Alliance, where are there any secret weapons or trump cards to fight against?

Being honest with the sect on important matters is a fundamental requirement for a cultivator to establish a long-term foothold within the sect.

Of course, it's not a big problem for everyone to take advantage of each other and undermine other sects. The real problem lies with those who think they're clever, hide their trump cards, and then use them to disrupt the sect war arrangements.

"Alright, Yulou, you've put your heart into this, but we can't be greedy this time. Your plan is still too aggressive."

I understand what you mean, aiming high will yield some results, but you've set such a high bar for yourself. If you fail to achieve your goals, Zou Tianxing and Yi Zouri will definitely cause you trouble.

By then, any merit will have become no merit at all.

Old Jiang's reminder was very insightful, showing that he considered Wang Yulou as almost one of his own.

It's true that Jiang Baobian wouldn't shout "Mangxiang, Zhongcheng" because of his background, but it's also true that the Fuyan faction gradually disintegrated in the conflict between Mangxiang and Zhuzhao.

This is similar to the eldest and second eldest brothers fighting, and the aftershocks of the fight killed the third eldest brother first.

Pilingxiu and his group were right to worry. Under the dual-rule system, the third option was actually a dead end.

However, the patriarch's promise was so appealing that even Old Pi himself became a traitor, similar to Jiang Baobian's act of goodwill. The remaining members of the Floating Smoke Sect felt even less guilty about doing it.

It could be said that the old man set a bad precedent—which was good for Wang Yulou, of course.

"Yes, Senior Brother Leopard Transformation is right. Let's be conservative and change it to a counterattack of fifty miles."

We can't possibly fail to conquer even fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers) of territory. Moreover, with more territory captured, our current conservative approach could actually become an advantage.

Jiang Baobian treated Wang Yulou as half one of his own, while Wang Yulou treated Jiang Baobian as one of his own.

The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers.

If Wang Yulou wants to go far, he even needs to win over his enemies.

Therefore, his sincerity towards Chiang Kai-shek was also considerable.

Jiang Baobian wasn't a stubborn person; Wang Yulou's arrangement was reasonable, so he naturally wouldn't object.

"Okay, I'll go back and prepare right away."

(End of this chapter)