https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-76-Fang-Che-s-Grandmaster-Banquet/12979906/
Chapter 75: 'Decide for Yourself!'
Chapter 75: 'Decide for Yourself!'
"I recall that behind Madam Bai Mingxin is our Deputy Sect Master, Xiang Beidou, ranked ninth on the Cloud Summit Weapon Chart," said Seal God Palace with admiration.
"Sect Master Xiang, he is truly a figure of the highest caliber," replied Seal God Palace.
Mu Lin Yuan answered cautiously, "Yes, Deputy Sect Master Xiang is our eighth Deputy Sect Master. He is, of course, high above, residing in the clouds and overlooking the world."
Seal God Palace could address him as 'Sect Master Xiang', but Mu Lin Yuan had to add the word 'Deputy'. A single word made a significant difference, and it was necessary to make Seal God Palace feel the distinction.
This was the intuition of an old Martial World veteran.
"Hmm, I remember Madam Bai Mingxin and Deputy Sect Master Xiang... were they teacher and student?" Seal God Palace asked, rubbing his forehead.
"The Sect Master has forgotten. They were not teacher and student but fellow disciples. According to seniority, Madam Bai Mingxin is two generations younger than Deputy Sect Master Xiang, making her his grand-niece. They both belonged to the Blood Demon Heavenly Gate."
At this point, Mu Lin Yuan understood and continued, "Our Deputy Sect Master Ren Zhongyuan is the disciple of Madam Bai Mingxin's junior sister. They are of the same lineage."
"Hmm? Yes, I remember something about this," Seal God Palace's voice took a few turns.
"That's correct," Mu Lin Yuan affirmed. "The reason for the Blood Demon Heavenly Gate's downfall was that they harmed someone they shouldn't have. The Guardians' three great leaders, including the Lingxue Sword, personally intervened. With a single sword each, they destroyed the Blood Demon Heavenly Gate in one night. By the time Elder Duan arrived, the Lingxue Sword had already left. Because of this, our Only Me Religion and the Guardians fought a major battle."
"Deputy Sect Master Xiang and Deputy Sect Master Ren, among others, were survivors of that battle. It is said that out of the tens of thousands in the Blood Demon Heavenly Gate's headquarters, including women, children, and the elderly, less than a hundred survived."
Mu Lin Yuan had an excellent memory and continued without pause.
Seal God Palace listened intently without interruption.
"Less than a hundred survivors, and the bond between them must be very close," Seal God Palace said with a smile.
Mu Lin Yuan forced a smile, "Yes, with tens of thousands of members, the sect was destroyed overnight, leaving only these survivors. Naturally, they would stick together and look out for each other. For example, when Deputy Sect Master Ren took office, Madam Bai Mingxin, who was at the headquarters, personally hosted a banquet for him."
Seal God Palace exhaled lightly, "It seems that Deputy Sect Master Ren has a deep foundation."
Mu Lin Yuan smiled, "Deputy Sect Master Ren's foundation is nothing compared to yours, Sect Master. I've heard that our Ancestor is about to be promoted to the fourth position, isn't that right?"
"The Ancestor indeed holds a high position, but there are too many of us for him to pay attention to me. In terms of close relationships, it is far less than the bond between Deputy Sect Master Ren, Madam Bai Mingxin, and Deputy Sect Master Xiang, who survived the calamity together, forming a deep emotional connection."
Seal God Palace felt a sense of emotion.
Mu Lin Yuan laughed, "As far as I know, the Ancestor holds you in high regard. This is well-known throughout the sect, and it is a testament to your strength, surpassing all others, like a tall tree standing alone in the forest."
"A tree standing alone in the forest..." Seal God Palace pondered, "...will surely be destroyed by the wind?"
Mu Lin Yuan was startled and quickly replied, "Sect Master, the wind that destroys trees only applies to a lone tree in the forest. Your foundation is deep, supported by countless seniors, keeping you in the clouds, sheltered from any wind. Especially the Ancestor, who shields you from the wind and rain, allowing you to rest easy."
Seal God Palace's expression turned somber, "The Ancestor's protection is vital, but we must also strive to make him proud."
"Of course!" Mu Lin Yuan quickly pledged his loyalty, "The Ancestor and the Sect Master's commands are absolute. I will not hesitate to face fire or water!"
"Madam Bai Mingxin has been promoted to Grandmaster. As the saying goes, people strive for higher positions, and water flows downward. Our Ancestor's fifth position has remained unchanged for a long time. What do you think, does the Ancestor wish to advance?"
"It's inevitable," Mu Lin Yuan replied.
Seal God Palace looked into Mu Lin Yuan's eyes and said softly, "The Ancestor wishes to advance to the fourth position, and Deputy Sect Master Xiang also has ambitions for the seventh. But can these wishes be easily fulfilled? Don't they need someone to support them?"
"..."
Mu Lin Yuan chose not to respond to this statement.
Seal God Palace paced for a moment, then sighed heavily, "Old Mu, can I trust you?"
Mu Lin Yuan stood up abruptly, "Sect Master! I will follow you to the ends of the earth!"
Seal God Palace remained silent, his mind racing.
He compared everything that had happened to Ren Zhongyuan in the past five years with the previous five years, then the past ten years, fifty years, and finally a hundred years.
His gaze grew increasingly somber as he noticed a decreasing trend.
"If Deputy Sect Master Xiang wishes to advance, he needs someone in his hands. And if Ren Zhongyuan becomes the Sect Master of Unity Sect, they can respond to each other. After all, he is a high-ranking official in the lower ranks. Ren Zhongyuan, he wants to be the Sect Master."
Seal God Palace spoke with a grave expression, emphasizing each word.
He confirmed his suspicions.
They were all centuries-old foxes, and once a doubt arose, following that line of inquiry would rarely lead them astray.
Especially since these individuals were people Seal God Palace had known for hundreds of years, making him intimately familiar with each of them.
"Ah?!" Mu Lin Yuan almost cried out in surprise.
But then, he quickly composed himself, his demeanor becoming resolute, "Your Holiness, please instruct me, what do I need to do?"
Seal God Palace nodded in satisfaction and said, "For now, keep a low profile and observe discreetly. You need to do this and that..."
Mu Lin Yuan listened attentively and replied, "Your Holiness, I still have to ask, this is a matter that could shake the foundation of our sect. Is the situation...true?"
Seal God Palace also thought carefully and replied, "Seventy percent!"
"Understood, Your Holiness."
"Go."
Mu Lin Yuan left.
Then, Seal God Palace frowned, thought for a while, and called several trusted followers one after another, giving them instructions.
He then made a high-profile appearance in the main hall.
He even rewarded and promoted several Combat Hall elites.
His face beamed with smug satisfaction.
Just like before, he executed a sect disciple on a whim.
He returned to the grand hall with his personal attendant.
But then, he immediately instructed the attendant to prepare a soup, and he went to his private study.
He took out the Communication Jade.
He sent a message to Fang Che.
"For all matters, you may decide."
After sending the message, he stared at the Communication Jade.
On the other side, Fang Che received the message and immediately felt a sense of unease.
These six words were not simple.
"For all matters, you may decide."
The meaning was clear: from now on, for any matter, you can decide for yourself, no need to ask me again.
His first thought was: Could Seal God Palace be suspecting me? With my current status, I'm not in a position to 'decide' anything.
What position do I have in the Unity Sect? I'm just a small fry.
What can I decide on my own? Eating and going to the toilet, I can decide.
Everything else requires reporting or waiting for instructions.
Therefore, Seal God Palace's words must have a hidden intention.
He recalled his previous reply, "Your subordinate takes his leave."
"I've taken my leave."
You still give me such a reply; it's obviously problematic, isn't it?
But then, Fang Che thought that Seal God Palace probably wouldn't suspect him. According to Seal God Palace's character, if he truly suspected him, his head would have been twisted off by Qian Sanjiang or someone else by now.
So, this question became intriguing.
Fang Che's mind raced, and he immediately crafted a perfect response.
"Your subordinate dares not. Your Holiness, your words fill me with trembling fear, making it difficult for me to act. From a young age, I've never had the authority to make decisions; I've always followed orders. As a child, I was accustomed to obeying my elders, and as I grew up, I learned to obey Your Holiness.
Whatever I do, I always feel it's inappropriate. Moreover, with my lowly status, I cannot take responsibility for the consequences, so I dare not make decisions on my own. I'm used to following Your Holiness's commands. My master also instructed me not to disturb you too much before leaving, but if I don't report matters, I feel uneasy. It's my fault for being unambitious, please forgive me, Your Holiness."
A cold smile crept onto Seal God Palace's lips.
His gaze turned chilling.
Fang Che's response was exactly what he wanted to hear.
Sometimes, when he was in a good mood and gave these words to others, most of the replies were similar to Fang Che's.
But Night Demon was still young, and it was only right for him to be more cautious than others.
As he read Fang Che's reply, he recalled the last time before his seclusion when he said these same six words to Ren Zhongyuan.
"For all matters, you may decide."
But that time, Ren Zhongyuan had only replied with one word: "Proceed!"
At the time, Seal God Palace hadn't thought much of it, but now, the more he reflected, the more it felt off.
"What does 'proceed' mean? If he acknowledged himself as a subordinate, even if he didn't reply with 'dare not,' he should have at least replied with a 'yes' to show compliance."
"But a direct 'proceed'? Does this mean he wants to be on equal footing with me?"
Seal God Palace retrieved his communication records with Ren Zhongyuan.
He scrolled through them one by one.
The more he read, the angrier he became.
"So many matters were only reported to me after they were already done!"
"Ren Zhongyuan's treacherous intent is at least seventy to eighty percent!"
"This time, I will not be lenient."
"If Ren Zhongyuan has no treacherous intent, then it's time to purge the Unity Sect and restore complete control. Weaken Ren Zhongyuan's power! If he truly has treacherous intentions, then I'll show no mercy!"
Seal God Palace quickly made up his mind!
He searched for his communications with Night Demon and felt even more strongly that Night Demon's reactions and replies were those of a truly trembling subordinate.
"Not bad."
"But with Night Demon, we cannot focus solely on cultivation without precautions. We must discipline and prevent incidents like Ren Zhongyuan's. This cannot happen again."
...
Far away in Baiyun Province, Fang Che still felt something was amiss after sending his reply.
But he couldn't pinpoint what it was, even after studying those six words all night.
"How strange!"
Fang Che scratched his head.
The only thing he could be certain of was: his reply was absolutely flawless!
"Now, I can only assure that even if there's trouble, it won't burn me. But this is enough for me."
(End of Chapter)
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