Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

After Zhuge Qi asked his question, the air fell silent for a moment.

The old master's hand holding the teacup didn't shake, and he didn't even blink.

He looked down at the amber-colored tea in his cup, as if examining his reflection in it. After about seven or eight breaths, he put down the teacup with a crisp sound, then looked up at Zhuge Qi.

Those eyes were incredibly bright.

"It seems that Section Chief Zhuge knows quite a bit about the Celestial Master's Crossing of my Longhu Mountain." The old Celestial Master spoke, his tone still casual, but his speech was a fraction slower than before.

He paused for a moment, and the smile on his face faded slightly, like the autumn evening sunlight being partially obscured by clouds.

Zhuge Qi did not avoid his gaze.

In the presence of an extraordinary master like the Old Celestial Master, any attempt to dodge would be tantamount to lowering one's own status.

Before coming to Longhu Mountain, he had thought about this question over and over again. He knew exactly what to say, what not to say, to what extent he would offend the other party, and to what extent he could get away unscathed. He had memorized these things like a chess game.

Zhuge Qi spoke, his voice neither loud nor soft, like a lawyer stating facts in court, "You promoted Zhang Chulan to the position of Celestial Master, and then bestowed the title of Celestial Master upon him. What about yourself?"

The old master smiled, and there was something subtle in that smile, like the relieved smile that an old farmer would show when he sees his crops growing well.

"I'll just continue doing what I always have to do. I'm an old man with half my body in the grave; it's time to hand it over to the next generation. Isn't that what inheritance is all about?"

He spoke casually, but Zhuge Qi listened attentively. He knew that the old Celestial Master always spoke with three parts truth and seven parts falsehood.

The more casually he speaks, the more weighty his words often are.

"Master, you know that's not what I'm asking about." Zhuge Qi picked up the teacup and put it down again, placing his hands folded on the table.

The old celestial master suddenly raised his hand and interrupted him.

The movement was small, just raising his right hand off the armrest and waving it around, but Zhuge Qi immediately shut his mouth and waited quietly.

"Young man," the old master looked at Zhuge Qi, the smile in his eyes fading by seven or eight parts, leaving only the calm that comes from having experienced too many storms, "this is ultimately a matter within our sect. You are using your status to talk to me. The company's reach is too long."

Zhuge Qi remained silent for two seconds.

In those two seconds, the incense burner in the side hall burned quietly, and the smoke rose slowly in the beam of light.

The noise of tourists in the square could be heard outside the window, and the faint sound of a bell could be heard from the Taoist temple in the distance, three long and deep tones.

"I know," Zhuge Qi said.

He didn't add any embellishments, nor did he say anything like "I'm being presumptuous" or "Please don't be offended, Master."

He knew that saying those things in this situation was tantamount to handing a knife to the other party, making himself more passive.

The old celestial master stared at him for a long time.

Then the old master suddenly laughed, the kind of laugh that comes from being genuinely amused, his brows relaxed, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened into several furrows.

"Alright, you've got guts." The old master reached out and picked up the teapot, refilling Zhuge Qi's cup of tea before filling his own. "Then I won't beat around the bush with you. Since you know quite a bit, there's no need to hide it from you too much."

He picked up his teacup, took a big gulp, and then slammed the cup down on the table with a loud crack.

"You're worried that once I'm gone, the world of supernatural beings will lose its pillar of strength, and your company won't be able to keep things under control, right?"

Zhuge Qi did not deny it.

He had a conversation with Zhao Fangxu before coming to Longhu Mountain.

The conversation was very short, less than twenty minutes, but he always remembered Zhao Fangxu's last words very clearly: Zhao Fangxu said that the company couldn't touch the old master now, and it might not be able to touch him in the future.

But his being alive is a good thing for the company; his passing would be a huge problem for us.

On this matter, they are of one mind.

The Celestial Master, this supreme being, is like the greatest mountain, capable of suppressing all heroes under heaven. If this symbol were to suddenly collapse one day, it would inevitably cause a tremendous upheaval in the political situation.

The company still has the ability to take over completely, so the existence of the Old Master is very important for maintaining stability.

Zhuge Qi went over these words in his mind several times before finally speaking: "Master, this may not be pleasant to hear, but I have to tell you. You know very well that the reason why the world of supernatural beings can maintain a semblance of peace is because of your reputation."

"Those ten men, aren't they all powerful figures in their own right? Feng Zhenghao, Lü Ci, Wang Ai—aren't they all shrewd and capable? Their silence in front of the company is less about giving face to the company and more about giving face to you."

The old master didn't interrupt, but listened quietly.

"As long as you live, they will follow the rules. If you leave, the newly appointed Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion will not be able to control the situation," Zhuge Qi paused slightly here, "You are also a person with a great sense of righteousness, and you must always consider the well-being of the people."

The old master suddenly chuckled, his voice not loud, as if something had tickled his itch.

"Your words sound just like Zhao Fangxu's," the old master shook his head. "A fox raised by a fox will still be a fox; it can't escape."

Zhuge Qi did not respond to this question.

He knew the old master meant no harm, but he also knew it wasn't appropriate to just laugh it off at a time like this.

"Master, may I ask you a more direct question?" Zhuge Qi said.

"You ask."

"Why do you value Zhang Chulan so much? Is it because he is Zhang Huaiyi's grandson, or because you genuinely believe he is suitable for the position of Celestial Master?"

The air in the side hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

The old Celestial Master's smile vanished completely. He remained silent for a long time, long enough that Zhuge Qi could count how many sticks of incense had burned in the incense burner.

Approximately a quarter inch.

Then the old Celestial Master spoke, his voice much lower than before, as if he were whispering to someone very close: "I've taken in disciples my whole life. Whether it's Lingyu or the others, their aptitude is not bad, and their character is impeccable. But now that they've taken up positions in the Celestial Master's Mansion, what can they uphold?"

Zhuge Qi did not answer; he knew the Celestial Master was not asking him.

"Do you follow the rules?" The old master shook his head. "If you don't have the ability to overturn the table, then the rules are set by others. You think you are following the rules, but actually you are following other people's opinions."

Lingyu is a good-hearted child, but as soon as he took this position, the first to cause trouble for him was the Quanxing Sect, and the second was the Wang family.

"The third one might be your company."

"On the contrary, Zhang Chulan is an extraordinary kid. Skills can be developed, but temperament is different. He can handle this position. Your company will not be able to control him so easily."