Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 426 Recruiting Manpower
Under a clear blue sky, in the dimly lit cultivation room, Jiang Zichen sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, meditating, when a knocking sound suddenly rang out from the outside.

He opened his eyes, waved his hand, and a burst of spiritual energy shot out, causing the stone door to open without any wind.

A disciple outside bowed and said, "Uncle Jiang, the Beast Taming Sect has sent someone. They say they are acting on the orders of Senior Xu Yaoming and have important matters to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zichen immediately frowned, a bad feeling creeping into his heart. He had previously gone to Xu Yaoming to inquire about the situation in Nanhan County. Although Xu Yaoming did not reveal any information, he was very worried when the matter was discussed.

He had a premonition that the dispatch of these people was most likely related to the war in Nanhan County.

Jiang Zichen got up and left the cultivation room, arriving at the council hall. Inside, a disciple dressed in the Beast Taming Sect's robes was already seated. Upon seeing him arrive, the disciple stood up, bowed, and handed him a jade slip with both hands, saying, "Senior Jiang, Uncle Xu requests your presence at the headquarters for a meeting."

Jiang Zichen took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and nodded calmly: "Understood, I'll go right away."

"This junior takes his leave." The Beast Taming Sect disciple turned and left the main hall.

.........

Under a clear moon and sparse stars, after leaving Qiyuan Mountain, Jiang Zichen did not return to Luoyun Mountain, but went straight to Luojia Mountain to meet Lin Zixiang.

In the spacious and bright hall, the two took their seats as host and guest, respectively.

"Xu Yaoming summoned me today. The Qianqing Sect has issued a conscription order, requesting another 20,000 cultivators from our Xishu County to reinforce Nanhan County. Xu Yaoming has requested that our sect send 200 disciples." Jiang Zichen's expression was solemn.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zixiang simply nodded with a heavy expression. He had already known about the news that the Chu Kingdom's Tianxuan Sect had sent a large number of troops into Nanhan County to assist the rebels. Jiang Zichen had discussed this matter with him a month ago, so he was not surprised by the Qianqing Sect's renewed summons.

Previously, the Tianxuan Sect had only provided covert support, and the Qianqing Sect had dragged on for so long without being able to wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop. Now that the Tianxuan Sect had led the masses into the Southern Han Prefecture, the situation of the Qianqing Sect's allied forces was even more precarious, and it was expected that they would issue another conscription order.

"Last time, when the Qianqing Sect recruited 50,000 cultivators in Xishu County, our sect only requested 300 people. Now that they are recruiting 20,000 cultivators, proportionally, our sect only needs 120 people. Why does he want our sect to send 200 people?" Lin Zichen asked.

"Xu Yaoming said that our sect has recruited soldiers and horses in recent years and has sufficient personnel, while the other sects are weak due to the last conscription. In order to maintain the stability of Bianxi City, our sect is asked to send more people."

Jiang Zichen felt a little guilty, and his voice became much lower.

He knew, of course, that the ratio was unreasonable, but Xu Yaoming was very assertive and wouldn't allow him to bargain. And given his position, he couldn't very well contradict Xu Yaoming; after all, he wasn't the sect leader, but merely the chief of the inner cabinet, and he had no decision-making power on important sect matters.

If this matter causes a falling out with Xu Yaoming and leads to serious consequences, it would be something he simply cannot afford to bear.

“Sigh! Junior Brother Jiang, you’re just too easygoing. Xu Yaoming thinks he has you cornered, that’s why he’s acting like this. If you could be more assertive and stand up to him, he might give in.” Lin Zixiang sighed and shook his head.

Jiang Zichen remained silent. He had been running around and dealing with various parties for the sake of the sect, which was not only exhausting but also unappreciated.

He was already somewhat anxious, and now, with George Lam's merciless complaints, he became even more displeased.

He wasn't the sect leader, and he didn't necessarily have the final say on many things within the sect, let alone such a major matter. Given his status and qualifications, how could he possibly stand up to Xu Yaoming?

If Xu Yaoming is angered, let alone a crackdown on the Hunyuan Sect, even canceling the cooperative business with the Beast Taming Sect would be a loss far greater than that of a few dozen recruited disciples.

When the time comes, they will definitely criticize him for not being calm enough and for offending Xu Yaoming over such a trivial matter.

Seeing that he was silent, Lin Zixiang knew that he was a little upset, so he changed the subject: "Junior Brother Jiang, what do you plan to do?"

Jiang Zichen then spoke up: "According to the rules, these two hundred recruited disciples should be selected from the Martial Guard Pavilion. I hope Senior Brother Lin will give his support."

"Don't worry, I will definitely support you fully. Leave this to me. However, we should send a Foundation Establishment cultivator to lead these two hundred disciples. Junior Brother Jiang, have you decided who to send?"

"I came to discuss this matter with Senior Brother Lin. I am not the sect leader, so how can I appoint a Foundation Establishment disciple from the sect to go? If we end up arguing in the council hall, it will not only look bad, but also damage the sect's prestige."

Lin Zixiang also knew about this thorny issue. Although Jiang Zichen was the chief of the cabinet and had great power within the sect, it depended on who he was dealing with; he couldn't command or mobilize just anyone.

Especially those Foundation Establishment cultivators who were recruited. With Song Xian absent, Jiang Zichen's status and qualifications were simply not enough to control them. If it was a minor matter, they would give him face and follow his instructions out of consideration for the impact.

But in such a life-or-death matter, who would agree to participate in the conscription and become cannon fodder for Emperor Qianqing just for the sake of face and influence?

If things escalate and others refuse to obey, he, as the chief cabinet secretary, will lose face.

“I have actually thought about this. If you want to send a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the sect, you can’t just announce it in the council hall like the sect leader does. You know yourself that they won’t obey your orders. You have to do the work privately first, and then announce it in the council hall.”

Jiang Zichen nodded: "So I hope Senior Brother Lin can give his full support. In terms of status, seniority, and prestige, let alone the sect leader, I am far inferior to Senior Brother Lin. Therefore, I think that when we talk privately, Senior Brother Lin can also speak up for me. You are the commander of the Martial Guard Pavilion and an elder of the sect, so your words are more effective than mine in this matter."

"How could I refuse Junior Brother Jiang's offer? Don't worry, I will definitely support you wholeheartedly. I just wonder if Junior Brother Jiang has decided who to send? If you haven't chosen yet, I do have a suitable candidate."

"Please speak, Senior Brother Lin."

"Let Wang Feng lead the team; he is the most suitable candidate."

Jiang Zichen remained silent. Of course, he knew Lin Zixiang's intentions. Over the years, due to absorbing too many cultivators from various sects, these people had become a powerful force that the sect could not ignore.

Because of Su Zhirou, Xiao Ling stood out and took control of all affairs in Bianxi City of the sect, becoming the backbone of this group. However, the most important person in this group was not Xiao Ling, but Wang Feng.

The Hunyuan Sect currently has seven Foundation Establishment cultivators from outside the sect, including Xiao Ling and Wang Feng from the Luoyun Sect.

Li Tai and Xu Tianci of the Fengxing Sect.

Huang Qi, Gu Qingming, and Shen Su of Emperor Yunxuanzong.

Although these seven people were not closely huddled together, their relationship with each other was closer than with other people.

Wang Feng was the link between these seven people, because Li Tai, Xu Tianci, and Huang Qi all joined the Hunyuan Sect through him.

Gu Qingming and Shen Su joined through Huang Qi. Lin Zixiang's recommendation of Wang Feng as the leader of this recruitment was clearly an attempt to use someone else to do his dirty work, eliminate Wang Feng, and sever the bond between these seven people.

This greatly weakened Xiao Ling's power.

Because of Xiao Ling's rise within the sect, Lin Zixiang was the most affected. Originally, most of the important positions in the sect's inner cabinet, including those in charge of resources and territory, were people he had promoted. Over the years, Xiao Ling has been constantly looking for opportunities to place his own people in his positions, causing the two to become at odds.

Of course, these were all private power struggles; on the surface, the two had no conflicts or contradictions.

Now that he has this opportunity to weaken Xiao Ling's power, Lin Zixiang will naturally not let it go.

Originally, the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were recruited to lead the team were selected from those few Foundation Establishment cultivators from outside the region.

This is something that the direct descendants of the sect cannot handle; everyone knows that.

Therefore, it is only natural for George Lam to recommend Wang Feng.

“But I’m worried that Xiao Ling won’t agree to let Wang Feng lead this batch of recruited disciples,” Jiang Zichen said after a moment of silence.

Wang Feng is currently the supervisor of the market, so it shouldn't be his turn. Forcibly sending him there is clearly targeted, and Xiao Ling will definitely disagree and will go to Su Zhirou to plead for him.

If Su Zhirou doesn't support it, it will be difficult to continue.

He originally planned to choose one of Gu Qingming and Shen Su to go, because the two were the last Foundation Establishment cultivators to join the sect, and they had always held sinecure positions in the sect. Moreover, their relationship with others was average, so choosing them would be less resistant.

Unexpectedly, Lin Zixiang directly proposed sending Wang Feng, and he couldn't refuse, because Lin Zixiang was both an elder of the sect and the commander of the Martial Guard Pavilion. The candidates for the recruitment were all selected from the Martial Guard Pavilion, and it wouldn't be possible without Lin Zixiang's support.

"Whether Xiao Ling agrees or not is not important, as long as Junior Sister Su agrees, that's enough." Lin Zixiang said calmly.

"There are several advantages to having Wang Feng as the team leader. First, this recruitment can be used to test whether these surrendered Luoyun Sect cultivators are truly loyal to the sect or just want to take advantage without contributing."

"Secondly, it can stop the rumors within the sect. Currently, many people in the sect are saying that the Falling Cloud Sect is resurrected. If Wang Feng can serve as the leader of this team and lead the sect's recruited disciples to participate in the battle, then others will naturally have nothing to say."

"We just need to get Su Shimei's consent beforehand. Then we can call Hu Xiaobao over too. If Su Shimei, Hu Xiaobao, and I are all in agreement, we can talk to Wang Feng together. He'll have to go whether he wants to or not. Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

Jiang Zichen nodded slowly, knowing that Lin Zixiang had ulterior motives.

If Wang Feng goes to Nanhan County and dies on the front lines, then Xiao Ling will lose a helper and her connection with the other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect will be weakened.

If Jiang Feng refuses to go, or even runs away halfway, it will be a major blow to the prestige of Xiao Ling and the other Luo Yun Sect cultivators, which is enough to show that these Luo Yun Sect cultivators are not trustworthy.

This can also be used as an excuse to prevent Xiao Ling from promoting his own people within the sect.

This plan can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

"Senior Brother Lin, could you come with me to the mountain gate later? Let's try to persuade Senior Sister Su together and get her approval. I'm not enough on my own, but if you can put in a good word for me, we'll have a better chance."

"no problem."

After exchanging a few more words, the two left Luojia Mountain together and headed towards Luoyun Mountain.

.........

The next morning, as Su Zhirou stepped out of the inner courtyard and was about to go to the secret room to research puppets, a disciple came up to her and bowed, saying, "Uncle Jiang Zichen and Uncle Lin Zixiang have arrived. They say they have something to discuss with you and are waiting in the waiting room."

Su Zhirou felt a little strange. These two had never come to visit together before. Why did they suddenly come today? But she didn't think too much about it and moved to the waiting room.

Inside, the two men were already seated. Upon her arrival, they both stood up and greeted her.

"Junior Brother Jiang, Senior Brother Lin, what brings you two here together today? What brings you here?"

Jiang Zichen glanced at Lin Zixiang and, seeing that he didn't intend to speak, explained the whole story of the conscription.

After hearing this, Su Zhirou simply nodded: "My husband is away and hasn't returned yet. Since the sect's affairs have been handed over to Junior Brother Jiang, you and Senior Brother Lin can handle this matter yourselves! There's no need to ask me."

Lin Zixiang said solemnly, "No matter what, Junior Sister Su is an elder of the sect and should have the right to know. In addition to informing her of this matter, we also hope that Junior Sister Su can give her support. After all, this is not a small matter. Mobilizing two hundred people to participate in the recruitment involves many aspects. Surely some people will be satisfied and some will not."

"Therefore, we want to reach a consensus with Junior Sister Su before making a decision, so as not to delay the matter due to differing opinions and offend the Qianqing Sect, which would be disastrous."

"With my husband away, you two are in charge of the sect's affairs. Junior Brother Jiang and Senior Brother Lin, just go ahead and do it; I will definitely support you."

“Since Junior Sister Su agrees, Junior Brother Jiang and I will take the initiative to draft the list of participants.”

Jiang Zichen glanced at Lin Zixiang, knowing that this was deliberate, intentionally avoiding mentioning Wang Feng as the team leader, first obtaining Su Zhirou's consent, and then using this excuse later.

But he was worried that if Xiao Ling came to Su Zhirou to plead for her, things would get complicated. Seeing that Lin Zixiang was about to get up and take his leave, he quickly spoke up first: "Senior Sister Su, according to the sect's past rules, when sending so many disciples to participate in the conscription, we must send a Foundation Establishment cultivator to lead the team. Senior Brother Lin and I discussed it and think that Wang Feng is a suitable candidate. What do you think?"

Just as George Lam was about to get up, he frowned slightly when he heard him bring up the matter, but still sat down.

"Send Senior Brother Wang Feng?" Su Zhirou frowned slightly. "Why choose him out of so many people?"

Jiang Zichen scratched his head: "Senior Sister Su, as you know, no one is willing to go to Nanhan County to recruit for the Qianqing Sect. They will most likely be used as cannon fodder by the Qianqing Sect, so the sect's direct descendants and elites should try not to move."

"My idea, Senior Brother Lin and I, is to choose one person from among the Foundation Establishment disciples who joined later. Wasn't the Sect Leader recruiting so many Foundation Establishment cultivators to join the sect for this very day?"

"The main reason for choosing Senior Brother Wang Feng is that he doesn't have any responsibilities on his shoulders at the moment."

Seeing Su Zhirou's eyebrows furrowing more and more, Jiang Zichen knew that his reason was untenable, and his voice grew lower and lower. He couldn't very well say directly that it was to target Xiao Ling!
(End of this chapter)