425 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

### Chapter 425: The Battle in the South Begins Nangong Yanran walked down the street, her head held high, looking at people only with her chin, like a proud old hen. Passersby stopped to look at the color of her robe, their faces filled with anger and suspicion, as if they couldn't get used to that striking red. Bosen City, under the rule of the Lingmu Alliance, lay on the crucial path deep into the wilderness of Baishan. Once a brilliant stronghold during the wars, a city that never slept, it had now lost its bustling charm as its populace scattered. Nowadays, most of the people passing through were cultivators from the Lingmu Alliance itself. Many hadn't yet processed the situation, and seeing a former enemy strolling down their streets brought a mix of emotions. "When did we fall to the point of negotiating with the northerners?" Rulers like Luo Feng, Siwend Guang, Wei Xuan, Kuai Tong, or Qi Wushuang—these northern leaders appeared on the scene one after another, yet they had almost never been within the line of sight of lower-level cultivators of the Lingmu Alliance, who neither cared nor paid attention. It wasn't until the panicked retreat from the Battle of Thought Over the Mountain... Suddenly, it felt as if a northern giant stood at their doorstep, an unsettling and painful reality they struggled to accept. Especially those who had once been part of the massive armies of tens of thousands, recalling the fiery descent of Chu Hongshang and the apocalyptic fire clouds, their hearts trembled, unwilling to face such a threat again. "Peace is good as well..." Once they passed through their complex emotions, they finally chose to face reality, watching as Nangong Yanran commanded her people to hang the signboard of the Chu Qin Emporium at the shop's entrance. Today was the grand opening of the Chu Qin Emporium in Bosen City, with Nangong Yanran, who had ascended to the position of head of general affairs, coming personally to oversee the event. "This Bosen City is the least crowded of the three Lingmu cities, so let's start practicing here." She instructed an outer disciple, who had no hope of advancing to Foundation Establishment and was sent out to manage the shop, to arrange the shop's formation and display the merchandise. The Chu Qin Emporium's expansion was swift. Beyond the Lingmu's three cities, shops in Jixia City, Qiyun City, Qidong City, and on Haimen Island were either expanding or opening anew, leaving many positions seriously vacant. Although Nangong Yanran didn't like the Baishan itinerant cultivators, she could only temporarily hire some who seemed honest to handle lower-level duties and miscellaneous tasks. In the Lingmu Alliance's territory, they needed to remain low-key. Once the goods were set up, the shop would officially open. Even though Chai Yi had concealed the fact that this shop was part of the reparations to the Chu Qin Sect, members of the Lingmu Alliance certainly wouldn't patronize it. Half a day passed, but the shop remained deserted. "Uh... they haven't let go yet, for now, this is all we can do." The practitioner, the two stewards left behind, and a few mundane clerks all looked disheartened. Nangong Yanran offered a few consoling words before preparing to head to Borin City, which was the junction of the Lingmu and Lihuo Alliances, leading southeast towards Baishan, an area of far greater importance. Just as she reached the door, a sudden sharp whistle from the direction of the city lord’s residence rang out urgently, causing a commotion as Lingmu Alliance cultivators surged in that direction. Within moments, except for a few bewildered outside shopkeepers and customers, the street was emptied. "What is this?" Nangong Yanran asked, puzzled. "It's the Lingmu Alliance's rally signal; something major must have happened," replied one of the hired stewards. ... In Haidong City, the caves available for lease were clearly demarcated by the rank of their spiritual land. For instance, the cave residence Gu Tan occupied was situated near a picturesque waterfall outside the city, a top-grade third-tier spiritual land, quite a fine setting. "Back again..." Gu Tan gazed out at the scenery with a wry smile. He had taken the lead in negotiating peace for the Lingmu Alliance, and the establishment of the Chu Qin Alliance felt like a significant accomplishment. Yet, he still found himself dispatched by Qi Xiu, back to his old home on the outer seas. "In name, I'm putting you in charge of preparing the strategy against the Long family. In reality, you only need to occasionally liaise with the Ming family and Qi Zhuang. Focus mainly on your cultivation in Haidong City. It's quiet there; let nothing disturb your mind, and form your core as soon as possible." Those were Qi Xiu's words, but Gu Tan was unwilling to handle the matter half-heartedly. Upon arriving at Haimen Island, he began familiarizing himself with the Long family's situation, seeking a clear understanding. As he pondered, a card flew into his abode through the formation—a simple white letter with graceful handwriting and a faint fragrance. "Your old friend, Ming Zhen, bows." "Old friend..." Seeing the absence of any sibling title in the address, Gu Tan felt a bit uncomfortable, muttering to himself, "The head of the Ming family is Ming Xingyuan, so why isn't he the one here?" He met Ming Zhen, still in mourning attire for Pan Jia Luo, looking cold and considerably thinner, worry etched deeply in her features, as if life hadn't been treating her kindly. There wasn't much camaraderie between them. When Gu Tan allied with Nangong Yanran, he didn't get along with her. However, after Pan Jia Luo's death, any animosity faded like dust in the wind, forgotten by all. They sat down for tea, ready to discuss serious matters. "Xingyuan is absorbed in affairs on the island and truly has no time, so I volunteered," Ming Zhen said, somewhat apologetically. "No problem," Gu Tan replied, uninterested in dwelling on trivialities, getting straight to inquiring about the Long family's movements. Ming Zhen, however, seemed clueless, growing more frustrated with each question, her face turning sour. Realizing he couldn't expect much from her, he sighed, setting down his tea cup, tiredly hinting she should leave. Ming Zhen didn't quite catch the hint and remained seated, awkwardly fumbling with her hands, pleading, "Xingyuan told me that the Long family, being a sect of Confucianism, behaves with the utmost righteousness in the outer seas. They thought there was no need to assist... with uncovering plots or engaging in harm..." Gu Tan found it amusing, setting down his cup with a thud, startling Ming Zhen like a frightened rabbit. "She wasn't like this, so timid and restrained, before." Puzzled and somewhat embarrassed, he softened his tone, "The Grand Elder tasked me with overseeing this. Back when they let your family move out, a condition was that you would monitor the Long family and collect intelligence. Now, over ten years have passed, and you have nothing to show for it? If you don't want to do it, just let someone know. Our family has negotiated peace with the Lingmu Alliance, and with no threats from the Baishan side, it's the perfect time to act against the Long family, but you..." As he spoke, Ming Zhen's tears began to fall, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I told them, the sect let us go partly in honor of Master and the deceased Jia Luo. Yet, they refuse even trivial reconnaissance, failing 'trust and righteousness.' What of other matters? But they won’t listen, and I can do nothing..." "No one to confide in, and if I disturb Master, she scolds me for petty complaints interrupting her meditation. I'm truly at a loss..." Crying and lamenting, each sentence ended with "nothing I can do," showing how much pent-up frustration she carried over the years. "Ming Xingyuan adheres strictly to Confucian ways?" Gu Tan gleaned some insight from her words, reassessing Ming Zhen, finally understanding, "Don't tell me they want you to mourn Pan Jia Luo..." Blushing, Ming Zhen whispered, "Regardless of their wishes, I would mourn him. Besides, cultivation requires focus. I'm beyond being troubled by such concerns." "What fools, truly deluded." Gu Tan shook his head, uninterested in delving into the Ming family affairs further. "Seeing you so stifled over there, why not take a break here in Haidong City? The picturesque Haimen Island, where the Grandmaster formed his core, isn’t far. Travel there for its splendid views..." After some thought, Ming Zhen agreed. With the Ming family dropping the matter, Gu Tan faced the task of gathering intelligence on the Long family himself, heading to local markets and exploring geographical records for leads. Unintentionally, he overheard news from Baishan being discussed. ... In the southern Baishan region, a sect's gateway was ablaze, its fiery destruction turning it into a hell on earth. Beside the shattered halls, on the stone steps, lay corpses clad in earth-colored robes—most likely the sect's members. A black spider emerged, spewing a web of condensed ghostly qi, wrapping the bodies of these cultivators, dragging them into the burrow it inhabited, its thousand eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Inside the burrow, a young man carefully rifled through the corpses brought in by the spirit-spider, sorting usable items into his storage bag. "These Baishan cultivators are truly adept at looting. This subsidiary sect of the Houtu Alliance is wiped out, yet after their plunder, there's barely anything useful left behind!" The young man, Jiang Yan, found the search tedious, his gains paltry—a source of endless complaint. "Hehe." The spirit-spider remained unfazed, arranging the bodies into a makeshift formation to voraciously absorb their corpse qi while remarking, "You're fleeing for your life! A place filled with spiritual energy where you can be safe isn't enough for you? Isn't it far better than your previous ordeal at Mount Shandou? To fret over material things is so trivial." Jiang Yan chuckled wryly, "If I were you, I'd also ignore worldly concerns. But you, a ghost cultivator, insist on avoiding needless killing—isn't that a bit hypocritical?" The multiple eyes of the ghost spider glimmered with an eerie light as if reminiscing about past memories. "Unless they pose a threat to me, living beings hold no meaning for me." "Oh, come on," Jiang Yan showed no respect or fear towards the ghost spider. "You've found an exterminated sect site. How many times does such a stroke of luck come along? If you took action yourself, wouldn't your cultivation speed increase? How can you say it holds no meaning?" "It's just a habit," the ghost spider replied. "And it's a good one, at least it saves me a lot of trouble. If I were to kill for corpse qi, it would soon attract attention, disturbing my focused cultivation." "Alright, alright," Jiang Yan raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "You're right, but I've spent my whole life wanting to see those who looked down on me, bullied me, and betrayed me receive their due fate. Hiding away like this will make my path difficult!" The ghost spider lowered its head, as if pondering Jiang Yan’s dilemma, then looked up after a long moment and said, "I see battles are still raging in the south of Baishan. I’ll find an opportunity to draw the corpse qi from some higher-level cultivators to replenish myself, then I’ll take you to Awakening Lion Valley, where we can find a quiet place." "Awakening Lion Valley? The place Qi Xiu visited twice? Are you familiar with it?" Jiang Yan asked, surprised. "You’ve never mentioned it before." "Not familiar..." The ghost spider sighed. "But in this world, only by moving into the wilderness can there be a place for both of us." Both fell into a moment of melancholy, losing interest in further conversation, each returning to their individual tasks. ... At the Thought Over Mountain, in the Sect Master's retreat. "So, the combined forces of the Houtu Alliance and the Ruijin Alliance have engaged heavily with the White Mountain Sword Sect?" Qi Xiu rubbed his forehead, unsurprised by the news yet aware that more turmoil would follow in Baishan. The news was personally delivered by Yao Qing. "The Ruijin Alliance's forces are no match for the swordsmen of the White Mountain Sword Sect. As the conflict escalates, the Huanjian League, closely allied with the White Mountain Sword Sect, certainly won't remain neutral, leading to a major conflict..." Before he finished speaking, Mo Jianxin rushed in, reporting urgently, "Latest news! The joint forces of Ruijin and Houtu are being defeated by the joint forces of the White Mountain Sword Sect and the Huanjian League in the southern desert within Houtu territory. Now the Lingmu and Lihuo Alliances are amassing cultivators, ready to head south for assistance at any moment!" (To be continued)