Shangyuque

Chapter 224 The ideological framework supporting the reforms began from this point onward, with Wang Yulou actively interfering in Zhou Yingxi's development.

"Why are you crying?"

Just as she had never understood Wang Yulou before, Zhou Yingxi was also unable to understand Wang Yulou at this moment.

They are clearly Daoist partners, but they cannot understand each other. However, this is actually a deliberate creation by Wang Yulou.

She cannot be easily seen through. Perhaps the clan leader is wrong. Zhou Yingxi is actually trustworthy, but she is unreliable.

She was too weak to keep Wang Yulou's secret.

What's most frustrating is that when Wang Yulou was in charge of six prefectures, promoting reforms, and holding immense power, his decision-making logic, speech habits, and even his habits in life and spiritual practice were all part of the 'secret'.

The smartest and most cunning beings will keep a close eye on him, studying his thinking and behavioral habits behind his decisions, big and small.

From the present moment, to an unknown future.

This is one of the biggest challenges he faces, and also the pressure he should rightfully bear.

This situation will not change until Wang Yulou dies or ascends to the position of supreme authority.

When he dies, those eyes that were staring at him will turn away in disdain.

When he ascends to the position of supreme authority, all those who have been watching him intently will transform into loyal performers of a symphony of emotions on the floor.

Therefore, Wang Yulou may have secrets, but he must never tell anyone!
"So much has happened in the West Sea, Yingxi. So much has happened in the West Sea. It's not easy for us to get to where we are today. It's been so difficult."

Wang Yulou made up an excuse, hoping to gloss over the current situation.

However, just as Zhou Yingxi's question "Is it true?" unlocked some kind of switch in his heart, his words also seemed to unlock some kind of switch that Yingxi had hidden deep in her heart.

Sensing that the girl was crying along with him, Wang Yulou stopped his own tears.

Cultivating immortality, cultivating immortality—I've already reached such a high position, there's nothing to cry about.

"Keep moving forward, we must keep moving forward, Xiao Xi," he comforted Ying Xi.

"My lord, can I still keep up with your pace?"

Zhou Yingxi also has a special feeling for Xihai, but in terms of color, it may be closer to a certain gray, which is an unpleasant memory.

Zhou Fujiao and the entire Zhou family died in the Western Sea, where Zhou Yingxi's past is buried.

But what's even more terrifying than being consumed by the cruelty of the cultivation world in the past is her fear that she has no future.

A common situation is that in the cultivation world, every Foundation Establishment cultivator will inevitably fall into despair at some stage after Foundation Establishment.

This has nothing to do with one's background, status, or talent; it's simply that the cultivation path after Foundation Establishment is too difficult.

Logically speaking, it is only natural that a cultivator's practice should be methodical and gradual, with each stage having its own development and tasks.

However, in reality, there is no path for cultivators to ascend from Foundation Establishment to Purple Mansion, and from Purple Mansion to Golden Core.
We cannot regard the one-in-a-million chance among millions of practitioners as the normal path.

That's not a path, but a single-plank bridge ticket that only the most gifted, determined, ruthless, and opportunistic cultivators are qualified to compete for.

Even with the support of the Zhou family, Zhou Yingxi would have had a hard time getting this ticket, but now that the Zhou family is gone, her only support is Wang Yulou.
Is Wang Yulou reliable?
They can't be trusted; Wang Yulou doesn't even care about the Wang family!

"Yes, I am practicing cultivation."

"As long as you're willing to keep going, you'll be on the same path as me, and that way you'll always be able to keep up with my pace," Wang Yulou comforted him.

Clearly, Zhou Yingxi's understanding of "keeping up" is different from Wang Yulou's.

She didn't speak, but wiped away her tears and leaned weakly into Wang Yulou's arms.

"My husband, I haven't known what you're thinking for a long time. It seems like you have countless worries hidden in your heart."

No, it's more accurate to say that since we got married, we've never truly gotten along well. It's like an invisible fog hanging over our hearts.

Zhou Yingxi's desire to rely on Wang Yulou is not hard to understand. She is also in a difficult situation. Jin Mingdu's pressure is a fact, the cruel environment of the cultivation world is a fact, and Wang Yulou's indifference is a fact.

Ultimately, her role as Wang Yulou's Daoist partner had disappeared after Zhou Fujiao's death.

When it comes to handling specific and minute details, Qin Churan is more capable and more thorough than her.

When it comes to conveying Wang Yulou's attitude to the outside world, Jin Mingdu is more capable and adept than her.

Her only advantage might be that she and Wang Yulou were practically childhood sweethearts; they formed their initial bond back in Qingxifang.

Apart from that, her appearance, talent, status, background, and strength could not provide Wang Yulou with any practical help.

From a utilitarian perspective, it has no value.

Wang Yulou could accept a pretty face, but Zhou Yingxi was tormented by her own gradual degeneration into a pretty face.

Her special feelings for the West Sea acted as a catalyst, arousing her fear and anxiety.

"Before the clan chief left, he left me a will."

As he stroked the beauty's hair, Wang Yulou rarely revealed a part of his true feelings.

“I have two ancestors, Ancestor Jingyi and Ancestor Xianmao, and their relationship is actually not good.”

Despite the difficulties, they still contributed and supported the Wang family for over a hundred years.

The biggest difference between the two lies in their views on family, but the underlying reality is a difference in their Daoist beliefs.

This difference in their Daoist hearts is related to their development experiences. Ancestor Xianmao never truly separated from his family for an extended period, while Ancestor Jingyi entered the sect early on and endured many setbacks and hardships.

Ancestor Jingyi's Dao heart is probably better. She abandoned the basic thinking of a minor cultivator, which is why she was able to cultivate powerful supernatural abilities and stand firm in the core layer of the Red Lantern Sect.

Yingxi, you haven't found your own Dao heart yet.

Zhou Yingxi buried her head in Wang Yulou's shoulder and whispered.

“I have also suffered a lot. I won’t go into what happened in the past, but you know how unscrupulous Jin Mingdu was.”

Wang Yulou remained silent for a long time. There was simply no perfect solution to these problems.

Zhou Yingxi still brings up this kind of thing now, probably because I protected her too well.

In Hong Deng Zhao, everyone respected her just as they respected Wang Yulou, and no one would make things difficult for her.

And Jin Mingdu
"I need Jinshan's existence; he has the potential to attain the Golden Core stage."

In addition, Yingxi's Dao heart is like a seed.

Some seeds need water, some seeds need nutrients, and some seeds are even very picky about water.

Perhaps I could transfer you from the Red Lantern Police Station to Chongxian Prefecture to help me oversee the reforms, giving you more experience and training. What do you say?

Wang Yulou needs gold mountains; he needs them very much. The more powerful backers he has, the greater his chances of success will be.

The value of this possibility even surpasses that of all sixth-grade spiritual items.

Well, if it's a fifth-rank official, then it's hard to say.

“I feel like I’ve already had a very hard time, but you still think I haven’t experienced enough hardship.”

My husband, I know that you will be unhappy if I say these things, and I also know that compared to other ordinary cultivators, my journey has been relatively easy.

It's still so difficult. When Sect Leader Qiu Sheng voluntarily gave up the opportunity to reach the Purple Mansion Realm, we didn't understand. But now, I'm gradually starting to understand him.

This journey has been exhausting. Sometimes I wonder, can I make it to the very end?

Hearing Yingxi's words, Wang Yulou fell silent.

He thought of many things.

However, if a leader of a celestial alliance devotes all his attention to women, his death will come very quickly.

Therefore, he wasn't thinking about Zhou Yingxi, but rather the fleeting inspiration that Zhou Yingxi's words had provided him.

To implement reforms among 100 million cultivators in the six states, it is essential to develop a sufficiently universal and inspiring ideological program to increase the cultivators' acceptance of the reforms and fundamentally reduce resistance to them.

Moreover, given that the distribution of benefits cannot be fundamentally changed, and that the great cultivators' push for reform is merely for the sake of getting a bigger slice of the pie, discussing benefits may not be a good approach.

This, from another perspective, reinforces the necessity and importance of supporting the ideology of reform.

Yingxi's words provided Wang Yulou with a unique perspective.

Anthony Wong, Zhou Yingxi, Wang Xianmao, and further back, Feng Jianxian, among others, cultivation level and realm are not the absolute top priority in their life beliefs.

They all share a common characteristic: they come from prominent families, enjoy a life of luxury from a young age, and have an exceptionally easy path to cultivation.

This group of cultivators, who haven't undergone rigorous selection based on ability, often rely solely on their background and family resources to gain opportunities and positions within the Immortal Alliance and sects. There are many possible ideological guidelines for reform; perhaps portraying the 'unworthiness' of these powerful clan cultivators in a more compelling way could more effectively motivate lower-level cultivators to participate in the reform.

They are all unworthy of advancement. If I work a little harder, I will also have a chance. If I don't have a chance, it's because I haven't worked hard enough.
Although this ideological program is specific and detailed, upon careful consideration, it is indeed a good angle to start from.

The only problem is that Wang Yulou himself is a representative of 'the same group of cultivators'.

He has never gone through any selection process, has never received any merit that can withstand quantitative scrutiny in a strictly defined sense, and has never even once engaged in a power struggle with anyone.
I am contradicting myself. Although it is abstract, it happens to meet Wang Yulou's current need for reform.

I like people who can walk with me through life.

Xiaoxi, don't think so much. You're not at the point where you need to think about these things yet.

Do things first, and refine your mindset until it becomes clearer, then you will know what you truly want.

Only then can one have the ability to understand everything that is entangled with truth and falsehood.

Chongxian Prefecture is the smallest prefecture in the Immortal Alliance. I will appoint you as the Deputy Palace Master of Jade Palace, Assistant to the Immortal Alliance's Selection of Immortals, and Deputy City Master of Lixian Immortal City in Chongxian Prefecture.

These positions correspond to my support, the Immortal Alliance's approval, and the acceptance of local forces in Chongxian Prefecture, which is enough for you to push forward the implementation of the reforms.

Many years ago, I believed you were a gem in the rough.

"Yingxi, don't worry, you will hone your Dao heart in Chongxian Prefecture."

Wang Yulou's tone left no room for discussion, and his words were even more authoritative, as he was also afraid that Zhou Yingxi would not be able to keep up with his pace.

The civil war within the Immortal Alliance may have already begun, and the era of chaos could arrive at any time.

Wang Yulou invested so much time, energy, resources, support, and even affection in Zhou Yingxi.

If Zhou Yingxi really can't hold on and, like those others, backs down, then Wang Yulou will lose a crucial tentacle.

When he really needs people, he won't be able to mobilize Zhou Fujiao's remaining base, and Wang Yulou will lose a foundation.

With Zhou Yingxi gone, Wang Yulou will have one less point of leverage in his power struggles within the Red Lantern Gang. Therefore, if she backs down, Wang Yulou will suffer significant losses.

Yes, he could easily use people like Chen Yangshi, who are loyal dogs of other people's families, or people from other bigwigs and allies within his faction, but that's not the same thing.

Work resources are extremely scarce. By using so many key positions and incurring trial and error costs, Zhou Yingxi was cultivated step by step. If she leaves, Wang Yulou will suffer a complete loss.

Even if Zhou Yingxi really wanted to back out, we couldn't let her really give up. We had to keep her by our side to replace Mingdu.

This arrangement allows the value to be realized while also making it easy for Zhou Yingxi to accept.

Just as Wang Yulou had finished considering alternative plans, Yingxi spoke up again in a low voice.

"Compared to Kim Myung-do, am I far inferior?"

She was certainly not stupid, so she understood what she was saying and how extravagant her thoughts were.

"To be honest, I'm actually quite relieved, it shows that your feelings for me are genuine."

As for Mingdu, she never mentions what you just said, but that means that I'm actually further away from her.

Just as you can't see me clearly, sometimes I can't see her clearly either.

They are the same kind of people as me, and I'm actually quite afraid of them.

Xiaoxi, you're different. We've known each other for a long time, and you were a little silly back then.

Yingxi raised her fist and punched Wang Yulou twice, then silently hugged him tightly.

Is Wang Yulou alright?
It was well-packaged, and Zhou Yingxi was absolutely satisfied.

Will Wang Yulou always be good to me?

Zhou Yingxi didn't know.

The statement "I need Kingsoft" is terrifyingly utilitarian.

However, going to Chongxian Prefecture to serve as the assistant for the selection of immortals is indeed a challenge worth trying.

It was time for me to leave the Red Lantern Gang and face the turning point of the Immortal Alliance era.

Otherwise, how could he have gained a foothold beside Wang Yulou?

The arena for the duel in the Western Sea was bustling with noise.

In the past, tickets to the arena started at five spirit stones, and monthly passes started at thirty spirit stones—enough to watch fifteen days of fighting matches.

Above the monthly pass is the annual pass, and there's also the 'Hero of the Western Sea' lifetime free exclusive badge, which can only be obtained by those who dominate the annual rankings in the arena.

Most ordinary cultivators who frequent the fighting arena can only manage to compete for the monthly rankings at best.

The arena was packed today because Vice Alliance Leader Wang Yulou was there in person.

Three battles were arranged for Foundation Establishment cultivators: two duels between former "Heroes of the Western Sea" and one duel between a true disciple of the Red Lantern Cult and a Dragon Tiger Guard of the Western Sea.

Currently, the second match has been played, and Yuan Wu is exchanging greetings with his opponent on the court.

His opponent was a female cultivator whom Wang Yulou had never seen before. Like Yuan Wu, she was also a "Hero of the West Sea" who had once topped the annual rankings of the West Sea Battle Arena.

"Yuan Wu, Yuan Wu, bet me 100,000 spirit stones, just bet that Yuan Wu will win, hahaha."

Wang Yulou smiled and instructed Zheng Yan beside him.

Personal struggle, the twists of fate, and the opportunities of the times all combined to create Yuan Wu, this extraordinary individual.

He once lowered the prestige of the "Qilin Child," but later, in the Western Sea Battle Arena, he went through life and death step by step and successfully established his foundation.

Moreover, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with extremely powerful strength and a very high level of combat skills.

As the breeze stirred up along Wang Yulou's climbing path, one person after another had their destiny altered.

Wang Yulou had a peculiar expectation when facing Yuan Wu, like looking at a stray dog ​​he had fed.

Whether Yuan Wu can truly become Wang Yuque's lackey depends on whether he can win this match.

In this special era, no matter how powerful an individual cultivator is in combat, they cannot compare to the oppressive force of systemic violence.

The idea of ​​'one-on-one, fair battle between people of the same cultivation level' is something only the most idiotic, brainless, and lowest-level beings would believe.
"As you command, that female cultivator is actually more powerful than Yuan Wu, and she is also a true rogue cultivator."

I remember she had four spiritual roots. At first, she signed a life-or-death contract with the fighting arena to fight against demons and beasts. She was seriously injured several times, and gradually earned some resources by risking her life, thus improving her cultivation step by step to the Foundation Establishment stage.

If you want to recruit people from these fighting arenas, you should recruit her instead of Yuan Wu.”

Zheng Yan was worried that Yuan Wu might have ulterior motives. After all, that bastard's family had made things difficult for Wang Yulou in the past—Wang Yulou's information was almost public knowledge, and everyone who needed to know it already knew it.

"It's alright. The Western Sea is a good place. We can't just recruit those who are good at fighting, we should also recruit rogue cultivators."

I plan to reorganize the Wang Family's West Sea Villa, separating it from the Wang Family and transforming it into the West Sea Branch of the Jade Palace, with you as its master.

Maintaining a proper distance from one's family is a challenge. The use of Chen Yangshi was a little too obvious, and Mang Xiang saw it all clearly.

Therefore, while Wang Yulou valued his family, he also needed to distance himself from them, even to the point of infringing on their interests.

Through these actions, they proactively project an image of being somewhere between making decisions based on self-interest and maintaining emotional attachment, thus playing the role of a reform promoter who is easily accepted by the senior monks.

"Regarding the division of the Jade Palace, shall it be done according to your wishes, or..."

Zheng Yan was a little confused. He certainly dared not refuse Wang Yulou's decree, but he was unsure of Wang Yulou's thinking.

The Wang family's businesses need to pay tribute to the ancestral master. Wang Yulou dismantled the Wang family's Xihai Villa and used the businesses that the Wang family had built up in the past to establish the Yuque Palace branch. Will they continue to transfer benefits to the ancestral master as before?

"Of course I will listen to Master. I will always be Master's disciple."

It wasn't the right time yet, and Wang Yulou was more than willing to give up such a small benefit without batting an eye.

Upon hearing that no changes were needed, Zheng Yan immediately felt relieved. Who wouldn't be afraid of paying the price?

Becoming a price, at any cost—what is a price?

The price, paying the price on behalf of others...

The price is countless lives lost, countless profits lost, countless possibilities lost—all of it is reduced to fuel in the single phrase "price."

No one wants to be the price, but most people have no control over whether or not they become the price.

"I understand, I understand."

[The break was a bit awkward; this part of the plot was rather bland, but it's a necessary transition. The later parts are more interesting. I'll try to finish it tomorrow.]

(End of this chapter)