Chapter 610: The Deputy Hall Master
Chapter 610: The Deputy Hall Master
The heavens have their own laws, unchanged by the rise and fall of emperors.
Although Fei Changnong's incident had caused quite a stir in Qingmu Mountain, it might even be recorded in books by various cultivators as a warning for future generations.
However, the heat would eventually subside.
At Qingyu Garden.
"Congratulations, Guanshi Shishu, on your promotion!"
Yu Santian and the others bowed deeply, never expecting that this unassuming Shishu would have a day of soaring success.
"No need for that."
Fang Xing, as usual, wore a beast robe, and with a glance from the corner of his eye, he spotted Yu Hua, "I appoint you, Yu Hua, as the temporary manager of Qingyu Garden. You know what to do, right?"
Although Yu Hua had only reached the ninth level of Ganqi cultivation, with the current shortage of cultivators in Qingmu Mountain, it was unlikely that another Daoji cultivator would be assigned to less important places like Qingyu Garden.
With Fang Xing's current influence, it was only natural for him to appoint a Hun Yuan Qi cultivator as the acting manager.
"Yu Hua, what do you say?"
Fang Xing turned to Yu Hua.
Yu Hua knew that this Shishu was dedicated to planting trees. Perhaps it wouldn't matter much if a few spiritual herbs died due to improper care, but if the Changqing Trees encountered problems, it could be fatal!
Yu Hua immediately replied, "Please rest assured, Shishu. As long as I'm here, I guarantee that the Changqing Trees in the valley will remain evergreen!"
"Good, very well. After some time, I'll remove the 'acting' from your title and officially appoint you."
Fang Xing confidently made promises.
After all, he would surely sense any issues that arose in Qingyu Garden.
He gave instructions as a precaution, just in case.
...
After giving his instructions, Fang Xing rode on his flying sword and arrived at Shennong Hall.
"Greetings, Deputy Hall Master."
A group of disciples lined up to welcome him, among them two Daoji cultivators in the initial stage.
Fang Xing glanced at them, noticing the usual combination of an older and younger cultivator. He nodded and proceeded to Fei Changnong's Qianya Fang.
Having seen a lot, he only needed to exchange a few words with his two deputy managers to understand that the older Daoji cultivator was just there to pass the time.
The younger Daoji cultivator, named Min Zi Nong, was obviously a confidant of Min Shixiong.
His appointment as Deputy Hall Master was merely a temporary measure to secure the position for the other party.
However, Fang Xing didn't mind.
After all, he wasn't interested in Shennong Hall.
The only reason he accepted the position was that Qingyu Garden had already reached its limit.
After familiarizing himself with the duties of the Deputy Hall Master, Fang Xing called Min Zi Nong and several other managers. He said solemnly, "Since I am the Deputy Hall Master, I should take on the responsibilities that come with the position."
Upon hearing this, the people below showed various expressions, especially Min Zi Nong, who could only listen due to his lowly status at the time.
Fang Xing, seeing this, secretly smiled.
It was common for new officials to make drastic changes to assert their authority, and if he did the same, it might lead to a conflict with Min Hall Master.
Although crushing the other party would be easy, what was the point?
"This is my adjustment plan. Take a look."
Fang Xing casually tossed over a file.
The elderly-looking Daoji cultivator took it first, glanced through it, and his face showed a hint of surprise. He then passed it to Min Zi Nong.
Min Zi Nong skimmed through it and was surprised.
It turned out that Fang Xing didn't make any significant changes. He merely reiterated Shennong Hall's responsibilities—planting trees!
Indeed, besides cultivating spiritual rice and herbs, Shennong Hall's primary task was to greenify Qingmu Mountain.
However, this primary task lacked presence and was later ignored.
Upon taking office, Fang Xing's first priority was not to touch the spiritual fields, and his second priority was not to manage the herb garden, pill chamber, or storage room. Instead, he went to the corners to plant trees.
This wouldn't infringe on anyone's interests; on the contrary, everyone welcomed it.
"Shixiong, this is a strategy to restore order and purity."
Min Zi Nong praised, but in his heart, he secretly criticized, 'I've heard that this Fang Shixiong is a tree-planting maniac, and today I see that the rumors are true...'
"Good, if that's the case, let's proceed... From now on, Shennong Hall should focus on selecting and cultivating excellent Changqing Tree seeds and nurturing them into seedlings."
As for the final step of planting, it would definitely be done by Fang Xing himself.
"Yes."
Although this tree-planting process was a bit strange, the others still obeyed.
That night, the file was sent to Min Hall Master.
"This Fang Xing is quite interesting... He starts from the corners, avoiding any potential conflicts?"
Min Hall Master smiled, and since his Shidi was so cooperative, he naturally wouldn't stop him. He signed his spiritual seal on the file.
Moreover, he felt that he should give this Shidi more benefits and welfare in the future.
After all, his Shidi was very understanding and cooperative.
...
With the support of Shennong Hall, Fang Xing's greening efforts proceeded smoothly.
Although many cultivators considered his work meaningless, most of Qingmu Mountain was already in its original state, and planting more Changqing Trees seemed pointless.
In reality, it was indeed pointless, but to Fang Xing, it held great significance.
Whether it was for gaining experience or including Qingmu Mountain within the 'Forest Sanctuary' range, Fang Xing paid no heed to the strange gazes of other cultivators. He arrived at a designated open space, dug a hole, and buried the Changqing Tree sapling.
Then, he proceeded to cast spells, water, and fertilize...
'Some cultivators even speculate that I'm trying to save the nation through indirect means... Am I really trying to seize power through this tree-planting method?'
"One can only say, as expected of a cultivator, such an imaginative mind!"
Fang Xing paid no heed to these words, for what he sought, he had already obtained the moment he planted the Changqing Tree.
...
Time flew by, and the stars shifted in their celestial dance.
On this day, a streak of light arrived outside Shennong Hall.
"Who dares approach?" The disciple guarding the door, upon seeing that the visitor was merely an old man at the sixth level of Ganqi, riding a flying magic artifact, couldn't help but show a hint of disdain.
"I am the head of the Du Long Slope's Lyu family, Lyu Feng." Lyu Feng, already in his twilight years, had a young boy by his side. He quickly handed over a note, "I have a letter from Senior Fei Yong, your uncle, requesting an audience with Uncle Fang Xing..."
The latest, smallest, and youngest one says that in the sixth level, 9 is the first number for writing!
"So it's the Vice Hall Master's old acquaintance..." The disciple, who had intended to make things difficult, changed his attitude upon seeing the note from Fei Yong and hearing Lyu Feng refer to Fang Xing as 'Uncle'. He hurried inside to report.
"Thank you for your trouble, young ones..." Lyu Feng repeatedly expressed his gratitude, and taking the opportunity to get closer, slipped a talisman with money into the disciple's hand.
With the bribe, the disciple's mood improved, and his footsteps quickened.
Before long, he returned, "The Vice Hall Master will receive you at Qingyu Hall. Please follow me!"
"Thank you for guiding us, young brother." Lyu Feng bowed repeatedly, causing the boy beside him to feel a bit resentful.
Sensing the boy's change in mood, Lyu Feng discreetly tightened his grip on the boy's wrist and whispered, "Tian'er, the uncle you are about to meet is the Vice Hall Master of Shennong Hall, a highly respected figure... Our Lyu family has endured many hardships to establish our base in the eastern peak of Du Long Slope. Among the younger generation, I have high hopes for you... At this moment, you must not act rashly."
The Vice Hall Master of the three great halls of Qingmu Peak! This status alone could decide the life and death of many cultivator families under his rule, especially those without a foundation in Daoji.
Lyu Feng feared that Lyu Tian might fail at this critical moment. He continued to instruct the boy on Fang Xing's personality and preferences...
Unbeknownst to him, he himself wasn't exactly Fang Xing's favorite either. Moreover, with age, many of his memories had been self-idealized, deviating significantly from the original—a distance of not ten thousand, but eight thousand miles.
"We've arrived at Qingyu Hall."
Soon, they reached a green wooden hall, surrounded by several Changqing Trees that formed its walls, seamlessly blending architecture with nature, and filled with ingenious design.
"Reporting to the Vice Hall Master, I've brought Lyu Feng." The Qingmu Peak disciple bowed deeply, but Qingyu Hall remained silent.
After a while, a youthful voice echoed, "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult! The Dao's mystery, don't take the Golden Elixir lightly... In leisure, sing a thousand verses, but the true transmission remains unseen..."
The voice carried an ethereal aura, unmistakably that of a senior cultivator.
Lyu Tian couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"Come in."
The voice sounded again, and Lyu Feng led Lyu Tian into Qingyu Hall. There, they saw a youth in beast-skin attire, with a white streak in his hair, sitting atop a massive wooden post.
"..." Lyu Tian was momentarily speechless.
Although he had been warned by the ancestors about Fang Xing's preference for freedom and nature, he couldn't fathom why someone would wear beast-skin attire instead of the sect's robe.
At this moment, Fang Xing seemed to be in a trance.
In fact, just before Lyu Feng's arrival, he had noticed a refresh in his attribute bar:
[Your Druid level has increased to 18!]
[You have obtained a new talent - Group Natural Summoning!]
'It's not in vain that I planted trees across Qingmu Peak, finally leveling up again!'
Fang Xing was more concerned with his new Druid talent than Lyu Feng's arrival.
After a glance, he realized it was an advanced version of the Natural Summoning talent, allowing him to summon multiple natural allies simultaneously.
This ability was far from useless; instead, it was incredibly powerful.
If he could summon over a dozen ten-thousand-year-old tree people to the battlefield, what kind of assistance would that provide?
Fang Xing pondered for a moment, seemingly neglecting his guest.
However, Lyu Feng remained standing with his hands clasped, more respectful than before.
"Lyu Feng, you've aged..." Fang Xing sighed as he turned to look at Lyu Feng.
This relative of his, once glorious for a brief period, had later suffered a blow to his foundation in a battle, not only regressing in cultivation but also facing the possibility of a shortened lifespan.
This visit was likely due to his approaching life's end, using his old face to do a final favor for the younger generation of his clan.
Despite Fang Xing's dislike for the Lyu family, a meeting with him was still a powerful deterrent in the outside world.
"Uncle Fang is as consistent as ever..." Lyu Feng continued to introduce the boy, his face full of wrinkles as if they might unravel, "Tian'er's cultivation talent far surpasses mine... Alas, the last time our clan earned battle merits, we couldn't exchange them for a Daoji Spirit Object for him. We, the Lyu family, have let him down..."
(End of Chapter)
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