Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 348 A mixed bag of fish and dragons
After returning to Luojia Mountain from Tianshan, Song Xian continued his daily practice without interruption, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, as usual, he was absorbing and refining spiritual energy in the cultivation room when a knock came from outside. After the stone door opened, a disciple bowed and said, "Sect Leader, news has come from Tianshan that Elder Zhong has passed away."

Song Xian lowered his gaze, remained silent, and finally sighed.

……

Zhong Wenyuan's funeral was a very grand ceremony, with all the disciples of the sect participating and many sects from Bianxi City invited. The ceremony lasted for seven days, and Song Xian personally carried the coffin into the burial place at Guzi Peak.

After the funeral, Song Xian convened a meeting, where all the deputy hall masters and deputy commanders of the various camps of the sect gathered together.

"Senior Brother Wenyuan devoted his life to the sect. The sect owes its current success to him. Unfortunately, he has passed away." After this brief opening, Song Xian got to the point.

"The position of Chief Cabinet Secretary carries great responsibility. Now that Senior Brother Wen Yuan has passed away, after careful consideration, Zhang Ningyuan will succeed Senior Brother Zhong Wen Yuan as Chief Cabinet Secretary, and concurrently serve as the Head of the Personnel Hall."

Upon hearing this, many people looked surprised and turned to look at George Lam, or perhaps at Zhang Ningyuan.

In everyone's mind, with Zhong Wenyuan's passing, the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary should rightfully belong to Lin Zixiang, and it would be reasonable for Su Zhirou to take over.

However, Zhang Ningyuan was only a Qi Refining cultivator, whose cultivation level was far superior to Lin Zixiang's. His succession was truly unexpected for many people.

George Lam, however, remained expressionless, sitting upright with his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"In addition, the sect will establish a new Martial Guard Pavilion. From now on, the Hunyuan Camp, Tianshan Camp, and Guard Camp will all be under the overall command of the Martial Guard Pavilion. The Martial Guard Pavilion and the Inner Pavilion will not be subordinate to each other. Senior Brother Zixiang will serve as the commander of the Martial Guard Pavilion, and Hu Xiaobao will serve as the deputy commander of the Martial Guard Pavilion," Song Xian continued.

He had already spoken to George Lam about the matter of the chief cabinet secretary. In order to appease George Lam, he decided to establish the Martial Guard Pavilion, and from now on, the civil and military positions in the sect would be completely separated.

"Senior Brother Lu Yuan has taken over as the second-in-command of the Cabinet, and Junior Sister Feng Yan has taken over as the head of the Foreign Affairs Hall and entered the Cabinet."

Song Xian announced all the personnel appointments, and everyone suddenly realized what was happening.

.........

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, after finishing his daily cultivation, Song Xian returned to his residence. A disciple came up to him and said that Huang Ye had something to ask him to see.

He entered the hall, where Huang Ye was already waiting. Upon his arrival, Huang Ye stood up and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, a major event has just occurred in Wind Shaking Valley."

"What's the big deal?"

"Feng Qingzi, the organizer of the Information Exchange Hall in Windy Valley, was murdered and his head was hung at the entrance of the Information Exchange Hall. Not only that, the Information Exchange Hall was also demolished, and many information exchange intermediaries were affected."

"Oh? Who did this?" Song Xian was slightly startled. Feng Qingzi was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. No one knew his real name, his background, or even his appearance.

However, all the cultivators in Bianxi City knew that he was the organizer of the Windshaking Valley Intelligence Exchange Hall and the biggest intelligence chief in Bianxi City.

Although the intelligence intermediaries in Windshaking Valley were not his subordinates and did not need to take orders from him, he still took a cut of spirit stones from each transaction, and the intelligence intermediaries exchanged information through him.

Such an elusive person was murdered silently, and his head was even hung in Windshaking Valley as a show of defiance. It's clear that the murderer was no ordinary individual.

"He is a Golden Core cultivator, but his background is currently unknown."

"A Golden Core cultivator?" There are only a handful of Golden Core cultivators in the entire Western Frontier County, and each one of them is a famous figure. How could Feng Qingzi have offended such a person?

"There is no definite news yet. The rumor is that a transaction at the intelligence exchange involved this Golden Core cultivator, which led to someone coming to his door, killing Feng Qingzi, and dismantling the intelligence exchange."

"Investigate this matter and find out the identity of this Golden Core cultivator and the ins and outs of the matter."

"Yes. Sect Leader, I have another suggestion. Right now, those intelligence traders in Bianxi City are living in constant fear. I think we can win them over and bring them to the sect to work for us. This will greatly enhance our intelligence capabilities."

Song Xian pondered for a while, then shook his head. These rogue cultivators who gathered intelligence had all sorts of backgrounds, and recruiting them into the sect would definitely be a hidden danger. Who knew what kind of filth they had hidden behind their backs, or who they were colluding with in secret?

"Here's what we'll do! You investigate this matter thoroughly first. If you can confirm that the Golden Core cultivator has vented his anger and we won't pursue the responsibility against anyone else, we can find a place near Tianshan to rebuild the intelligence exchange and bring them there. With them under our noses, we can quickly get any information. In this way, we won't have to worry about them getting into trouble in the future and implicating our sect."

"Yes, I understand. Then I'll take my leave."

Huang Ye got up and left.

.........

In Huayang County, Xishu Prefecture, at the Yunxiao Sect's mountain gate, inside the magnificent and spacious main hall, an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, possessing a refined and otherworldly air, entered from outside. His gaze swept over the two people sitting inside, and a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Fellow Daoist Luo, it is an honor to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

The two men who had taken their seats rose to return the greeting. One of them was about forty years old, thin, with a fair complexion and no beard. He was none other than Luo Ziquan, an elder of the Yunxuan Sect. He bowed in return and pointed to the burly man with a full beard beside him: "Fellow Daoist Jin, it's been a long time. Let me introduce you. This is Fellow Daoist Zhuang Buyi, the sect leader of the Fengxing Sect."

"This junior greets Senior Jin."

The old man's gaze lingered on him for a moment, then he nodded: "So it's Fellow Daoist Zhuang. You are a promising young man."

After chatting for a while, the three took their seats and exchanged a few more polite words before Luo Ziquan got to the point: "Fellow Daoist Jin, the reason why Fellow Daoist Zhuang and I have taken the liberty of visiting you is to borrow your sect's spiritual veins to help you break through to the Core Formation Realm. Is that alright?"

The old man smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist Qi Yunxuan has already sent someone to make arrangements, and our sect leader has also given the order that Fellow Daoist Zhuang can come whenever he needs it."

"Thank you very much, Senior Jin. I will always remember your kindness." Zhuang Buyi stood up and bowed again, making no attempt to hide his joy.

The Yunxiao Sect's mountain gate is a fourth-grade low-level spiritual vein, which is one of the best in the entire Western Shu Prefecture. The probability of successfully attacking a Golden Core Realm cultivator using this spiritual vein is undoubtedly much higher.

"It's nothing at all." The old man waved his hand. "Our sect leader and Fellow Daoist Qi Yunxuan are old friends. Since he asked, our sect naturally has no reason not to. If Fellow Daoist Zhuang wants to thank someone, then thank Fellow Daoist Qi."

"I will never be able to repay the great kindness and virtue of Master Yunxuan and Sect Leader Qi."

The old man turned to look at Luo Ziquan: "We are very pleased that your sect has settled in Xishu County. We hope that our two sects can strengthen communication and cooperation in the future."

Luo Ziquan didn't reply, but instead instructed Zhuang Buyi, "Fellow Daoist Zhuang, you should go and rest first! Prepare well for your attempt to break through to the Golden Core Realm."

Zhuang Buyi responded, knowing that the two were about to discuss serious matters, and then got up to leave. The old man surnamed Jin also waved his hand, instructing his disciple, who was standing to the side, to take him to rest.

After everyone else left the hall, the heavy stone door closed, and the spacious and bright hall suddenly became dim. Luo Ziquan flipped his hand and took out a jade slip: "This is what Senior Brother Qi asked me to pass on."

The old man took the jade slip, entered it with his divine sense, and his expression gradually became solemn.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly stretched out his finger and quietly pointed upwards, his voice unconsciously lowering a few decibels: "I have heard that Senior Jiang has disappeared. Is this true?"

Luo Ziquan glanced at him and replied expressionlessly, "Where did Fellow Daoist Jin hear this from?"

"There are no secrets in the world. How could such a big matter be kept completely confidential? By now, those who need to know probably already know! Fellow Daoist Qi Yunxuan was originally one of Senior Qi's men. We've heard about that, so he must have known about it long ago!"

Luo Ziquan remained silent and did not respond.

The old man smiled mysteriously: "Senior Jiang's disappearance must have been more than just a year or two ago. The Qianqing Sect has been keeping a low profile and has not had a new successor. There must be a great secret behind this."

"Does Fellow Daoist Jin think that someone of my status would know the inside story?"

"In any case, fellow Daoist is from the Qianqing Sect, so you should know more than us. I wonder if you could reveal a little bit about it?"

"First, I am unaware of any inside information. Second, this has nothing to do with what we are discussing."

"That's not true! How could it be unrelated? As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. The stability of the Qianqing Sect is related to the safety of the Qin Kingdom. Senior Jiang has disappeared, and there is still no news of a new successor. Doesn't that make people think a lot? The Murong family in Xijiang County was originally well-behaved, but after your sect arrived, they dared to risk their lives to oppose the Beast Taming Sect. I suppose Fellow Daoist Qi or Senior Qi made some promises to them! If your sect sincerely wants to cooperate with our sect, please do not hesitate to enlighten us."

"Fellow Daoist Jin, do you really want to know?"

"Appreciate further details."

.........

"Sect Leader." In the spacious and bright living room, the tall and upright Hu Xiaobao strode in and bowed respectfully to Song Xian.

"Good, good." Song Xian smiled with satisfaction and said "good" twice. At this time, Hu Xiaobao had successfully established his foundation and become the fourth foundation-establishing cultivator in the sect. He went to the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate to establish his foundation as the top candidate in the selection competition in Bianxi City.

"Congratulations, Sect Leader! Our sect has gained another Foundation Establishment cultivator. It's a cause for celebration. With Junior Brother Hu's spiritual root aptitude and talent, his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment this time means his future is limitless." Yu Lian, following behind Hu Xiaobao, said with a fawning expression, "Given time, our sect will eventually surpass Luoyun Sect and become the number one sect in the western city."

"Hey! Don't say things like that casually, especially not in the outer room."

Song Xian immediately gave a solemn warning. Since driving away the Kong family, the relationship between the sect and the Luoyun Sect had become delicate. Now he would not even attend the banquets hosted by the Luoyun Sect, just to prevent the Luoyun Sect from secretly harming him.

Although there is no specific conflict between the two sides, one should always be wary of others. The fact that the Falling Cloud Sect's stance is uncertain is the greatest danger.

If disciples of the sect were to spread rumors that the Hunyuan Sect would replace the Luoyun Sect at this time, it would make the Luoyun Sect more wary of the Hunyuan Sect, thus worsening the already delicate relationship between the two.

"Disciple understands." Yu Lian also put away his smile. He was good at reading people's expressions and knew how to flatter. Seeing Song Xian's solemn expression, he immediately straightened his expression.

"Sect Leader, for the sake of my cultivation, I request to be transferred to Mount Luojia," Hu Xiaobao said.

He had been staying in Tianshan for a long time. Now that he has broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, there is only one second-grade low-level cultivation room in Tianshan for Lin Zixiang to use, but there are three second-grade cultivation rooms in Luojia Mountain, and there is one left for him to cultivate in.

"You don't need to come to Luojia Mountain. You can stay in Tianshan. I will transfer Senior Brother Zixiang here, and you can use that second-grade cultivation room in Tianshan."

Song Xian had already thought of this. The sect's assets and most of its disciples were located in Tianshan, which was the foundation of the sect. It was only reassuring to have a Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge there.

Compared to George Lam, Hu Xiaobao was more suitable to stay in Tianshan. It wasn't that he didn't trust George Lam, but he had been completely disappointed by George Lam's previous behavior of promoting his own people to make money. Therefore, he did not want him to interfere in the affairs of Tianshan's industries. He took this opportunity to transfer him to his side, which could satisfy his need to focus on his cultivation and also strip him of his power, killing two birds with one stone.

"Xiao Bao, you'll stay at Luojia Mountain today. I'll have someone prepare a banquet to welcome you back. Let's have a good talk. From now on, you'll be in charge of Tianshan." Song Xian looked at the handsome and solemn Hu Xiao Bao, feeling very relieved.

As the saying goes, it is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Although Hu Xiaobao was a playboy in his early years, he has already reformed himself after the incident with the Kong family. Now, there is not a trace of his former unruly nature.

As the sect's only disciple with a single spiritual root, Song Xian naturally placed high hopes on him. Seeing his calm demeanor and the fact that he had now broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Song Xian was genuinely happy.

"Yes, the disciple obeys."

“Xiao Bao, now that you have established your foundation, it’s time for you to find a Daoist partner. I didn’t force you before because you were so focused on cultivation, but now it’s time. Whether it’s within the sect or in Bianxi City, if there is a woman you fancy, I will personally go and propose marriage.”

"Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader, but I have no such plans yet."

"Whether you've made plans or not, you need to find someone as soon as possible. Back then, your grandfather always longed to find you a good match; it was his lifelong wish," Song Xian said with a smile.

Old Man Hu had been dead for many years. He only brought up Old Man Hu now to put some moral pressure on him. Although he trusted Hu Xiaobao, he still had to find a way to control his weaknesses.

Only by keeping his wife and children firmly in his grasp can he ensure their loyalty to the sect and prevent them from doing anything rebellious.

Otherwise, how could a Foundation Establishment disciple, who has no ties to hold onto, possibly control anything? Merely relying on weak, inexplicable emotional attachments is completely unreliable.

"Let me think about this some more."

"There's nothing to think about. Just do as I say. If you have a woman you like, I'll propose to her. If you don't, I'll help you find one. In short, you have to get married within a year."

"In addition, you must also select someone from the sect to take as your disciple and pass on your mantle. For the sect to develop in the long term, it must have successors, especially those of you who have broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. You must set an example. This is the sect's system. Didn't Senior Brother Zixiang get married after he reached the Foundation Establishment stage? You cannot be an exception."

Seeing his hesitation, Song Xian put away his smile, put on a stern face, and spoke in a commanding tone.

"Yes, disciple obeys." Hu Xiaobao had no choice but to lower his head and reply.

"Senior Brother Yu, you heard everything. This matter is now entirely in your hands. You don't need to do anything this year except find a good match for Xiao Bao."

"Rest assured, Sect Leader, I will definitely find a woman that Junior Brother Hu will be satisfied with."

The two chatted for a while longer before Hu Xiaobao took his leave.

(End of this chapter)