63 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

The sudden arrival of the first snow found Zhang Shishi meticulously dressed, standing in his courtyard with a face full of worry as he watched the swirling snowflakes. It had been two and a half years since he arrived at Heihe, and he couldn't help but notice the rapid progress of He Yu's cultivation. With the onset of winter, He Yu had already begun to seclude himself to break through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement. Even the sect leader, who was usually lax in his practice, was on the verge of reaching the third level. Despite Zhang Shishi believing he had given his all, his cultivation remained stagnant at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. This complex mix of anxiety, helplessness, grudgingness, and slight bitterness tormented him, leaving him sleepless night after night. "Calm... calm... As the future sect leader, cultivation isn't of utmost importance. The current sect leader sets an example: governing the sect well, ensuring peace and happiness, and paving a path for everyone is the key to winning hearts!" He took a deep breath, attempting to shake off his distractions. Today was the day to harvest pigfish. With the first snowfall, mortals could begin activities in Heihe, so Qi Xiu had assigned him to lead fellow sect members to escort and manage the immigrants working at the breeding site. Since Zhan Yuan and the others, who didn't get along with him, went to [Heihe Pavilion], this administrative task now fell upon him to manage well. Brushing his cheeks to collect his thoughts, Zhang Shishi strode out of the courtyard. Guji, Qin Weiyu, Yu Jing, and Huang He were already waiting outside. Feeling a tad embarrassed, he said, "Have you all been waiting long?" “Not long, we just arrived,” Guji replied, brimming with enthusiasm. Now nearly seventeen, his voice had matured completely, and though some traces of his younger, lively self remained, he was well on his way to being a true adult. Zhang Shishi smiled broadly and looked at the others. Qin Weiyu was almost fifteen, shooting up in height, and within the Chu Qin Sect, only Yu Denuo surpassed him in stature. Yet the somewhat naive, honest look in his eyes remained unchanged. Huang He and Yu Jing were much the same, only more composed. Zhang Shishi noticed the white leather pouch on Huang He's waist—an affordable storage artifact from Baishan, less costly than the Qi Yun storage pouches. Zhan Yuan had bought a few when meeting some cash-strapped Baishan cultivators at [Heihe Pavilion] and distributed them amongst those on good terms with him, which Zhang Shishi found particularly glaring. Without a word, Zhang Shishi took the pouch and discreetly handed it back to Huang He, patting his shoulder lightly. “It’s best to keep valuables close and out of sight,” he advised with a casual tone. Huang He blushed slightly and replied respectfully, “Yes.” “Alright, let's head out! We'll escort Qin Ji and the others to the breeding site first, then rest for a bit there.” Zhang Shishi ordered, his voice firm, before summoning the spirit vessel and soaring into the sky, followed promptly by the others. The journey was silent. As they neared the Chu Qin immigrants' settlement, they spotted a hundred-strong team of young men mobilizing from the village, marching in a military-like formation, with two large geese circling overhead. Zhang Shishi knew that Qin Ji and his wife must be on those geese. Years ago, Zhao Liangde had gifted these two first-level large geese as a dowry for his mortal descendants, drawing envy from those who attended the ceremony. As they lowered altitude to meet them, the people on the geese also noticed the spirit vessel. In the sky, on one of the geese, a tall, bare-faced beauty spoke first, “Ah, it's Immortal Master Zhang, Immortal Master Gu, Immortal Master Qin, Immortal Master Huang, and Immortal Master Yu. This young woman apologizes for not welcoming you from afar.” She awkwardly bowed while seated, a feat in itself. Zhang Shishi couldn't help but chuckle. This Zhao family woman, with her deep family background, seemed different from most mortals. Having shed her Beast Taming Sect garb for Qi Yun fashion after marrying into the family, she bore no fear or reverence toward cultivators like him, exuding instead an intriguing charm. Returning the courtesy, Zhang Shishi said, “No apologies necessary. How have you been lately?” “The same as always, just hoping that this year’s Immortal Ascension Ceremony will bring forth some promising talents,” responded Qin Ji from the other goose. Married life had treated him well, as evidenced by his slight weight gain and the faint mustache he now sported. “Indeed, one hopes. Let’s discuss this more later. We’ll lead the way and clear a path. You follow behind. This early snowfall might catch some hibernating spiritual beasts unprepared, so caution is advised along the way.” Zhang Shishi replied coolly. He noticed Qin Ji greeting Qin Weiyu with warmth before himself, much to his chagrin. Qi Xiu had once relayed something overheard from Qin Ji: he remained wary of outsiders marrying into the family, perhaps even hoping that one day a Qin might reclaim the sect leader's position. Utterly fanciful! The position of future sect leader was Zhang Shishi's guarded treasure—neither Zhan Yuan nor Qin Weiyu could touch it! The two were inherently incompatible, and conversation was forced, maintaining only a façade of amicable relations. Leading the four, Zhang Shishi flew ahead, forming an arrowhead formation for scouting. Meanwhile, Qin Ji and his wife guided the immigrant group, trailing from a distance. Their sweep of the area passing smoothly without encountering problematic spiritual beasts was a relief. Years prior, Chu Youmin's family cultivators and Baishan rogue cultivators had nearly wiped out Heihe’s spiritual beasts, depriving Chu Qin Sect of a winter revenue source but in turn rendering Heihe a safer place. The mortals, reliant solely on foot travel, took half a day to reach their destination. The [Yellow Sand Illusion Array] there still operated, with an old man on watch who’d been isolated there for a year. Given only periodic water and food deliveries from Chu Qin Sect cultivators, his emotional outburst upon seeing Qin Ji and others was understandable, albeit pitiable. “Alright, Guji, you all rest in the formation. I’ll take the first watch. Qin Ji, you should set up camp too. Tomorrow, begin the harvest of the large pigfish raised last year and bundle them up appropriately.” Zhang Shishi distributed tasks, ensuring everyone settled before ascending the spirit vessel again to patrol around the breeding site. After more than a day of continuous flight, he was quite exhausted. Pressing on regardless, he found himself flying over the site of a past battle with the Black River Lizard. The skeleton of that giant lizard still lay, reminding Zhang Shishi of the peril faced and reigniting a fierce determination within him: “No matter how challenging, I overcame it. No one will take the position of sect leader from me!” Yet thoughts of the current sect leader, barely a decade his senior, suddenly cooled his fervor. He shook his head, dispelling any disquieting thoughts. The second day saw the Chu Qin immigrants engaging fervently in labor. Grasses laid over the nearby hillside last year formed small nests—the pigfish would crawl in to hibernate in winter, making the task of extracting them effortless, save for the effort needed to sort by size. The larger ones, those planted the previous year, were slippery [Fragrant Bulrush Pigfish] with scaleless bodies, put into large jars filled with a herbal solution to naturally purge them of internal filth. Once cleaned, they were tightly bound and boxed, ready for long-distance transportation while maintaining prolonged freshness. Qin Ji and his wife even lent a hand. The Zhao woman, after marrying her ideal spouse, adopted Qi Yun customs and engaged in hands-on work without any trace of indulging in her privileged background. This endeared her greatly to the Chu Qin immigrants, her relationship with Qin Ji resembling boundless harmony. “Three thousand one hundred and nineteen altogether; let's call it three thousand five hundred,” announced the Zhao family cultivator sent by Zhao Liangde for collection. With laughter, he navigated the chaos of accounts while settling with Zhang Shishi, treating the spiritual stones as though they were trifles. His conspiratorial wink at the Zhao woman made it clear: he was favoring her by giving away stones. One doesn’t reject free spiritual stones, especially when the Zhao estate wasn’t footing the bill—they were leveraging Beast Taming Sect’s leniencies. Zhang Shishi pocketed the stones, offering thanks before being handed a gold-embossed invitation. The Zhao family cultivator added, “After the New Year, there’s an intensive speed competition in the sect. Please extend this invite personally to Sect Leader Qi.” Zhang Shishi agreed, noting the cultivator gave the invitation a meaningful tap, emphasizing, “Make sure Sect Leader Qi comes personally.”