454 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 454: The Flies Attracted by Stench With a soft snap, a white stone clicked into place, slaughtering a large dragon of black stones on the board. Laughter echoed in the pavilion, "Haha, Brother Gong, you've lost again!" The white-stone player had already secured victory. Rising to his feet, he eagerly reached for a small red pill bottle placed beside the board. "Hmph! What's the hurry? Let's play another round and keep the stakes the same, how about it?" The man opposite, refusing defeat, blocked the victorious hand with his own, his single eye staring the other down with a chilling gaze. Unexpectedly, this 'Brother Gong' was particularly tenacious, "Why are you..." The winner was caught in a mix of amusement and frustration, "We're both cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, and our families have been friends for generations. Over a small bet on a chess game, why must it be so unpleasant? Fine, fine, I don’t want the prize anymore, and I’m done playing!" "Farewell!" With that, he clasped his hands together in a salute and departed on his sword. "Bastard! Looking down on me!" The one-eyed cultivator watched the other's retreating figure, furious to the point of madness. Cursing under his breath, he put away the small red pill bottle, then swept the board and pieces to the floor. He smashed the teaware to bits underfoot. Alone in the pavilion, he vented his anger until there was nothing left to break, finally collapsing into his seat, staring vacantly at the distant green mountains without a word. He remained like this, a puppet, until the next morning, when an old woman appeared with the dawn. "Gong Hu, you're over a hundred, yet still acting like a child!" She chastised harshly upon seeing the mess, causing him to come back to his senses. Without responding, he simply reached up to gently touch his empty left eye socket, traced by a scar running from forehead to cheek, one that not even a cultivator's body could heal. "Ah!" Seeing him thus, the old woman couldn’t sustain her anger, a look of compassion crossing her face. She urged, "Back then on Thinking-Over Mountain, you fought life and death for my family, and as a result, your husband died, and you saw no hope for your path..." "Why bring up old history!" As if touched upon a sore spot, Gong Hu leapt from his chair, waving his arms wildly, "The Gong family was just a vassal to Southern Chu, with two hundred years of peaceful southward migration. That one fight at Thinking-Over Mountain counts as nothing!" "See? You understand it well enough. Why then this despair?" The old woman chuckled softly, her silver hair resting gracefully, her demeanor still elegant, retaining the charming traces of her youth. If Qi Xiu were present, he would certainly remember the talented young lady of the Chu family that once stirred his heart during the migration south. "I just..." Gong Hu’s gaze wandered amongst the distant mountains, "I just don’t know what else gives life meaning beyond the path." "You're simply bored!" The old woman scolded, "With so many affairs in the clan, isn’t there anything to occupy your time? If not, venture out into the world, make connections with fellow cultivators, and perhaps stumble upon opportunities. At the very least, taking a few more concubines and playing the role of a wealthy landowner propagating the family line is a contribution to the Gong family..." She spoke at length, yet Gong Hu only shook his head, endlessly repeating that it was all tedious. "Enough, enough." Seeing his stance, the old woman gave up further persuasion and tossed him a silver-gray mask, "I’ve long realized that you’re unwilling to do anything proper, so be it! Here’s a blood-licking business; are you interested?" "Oh?" Gong Hu perked up, catching the mask with evident interest. ... Qiyun City, Chu Qin's Small Shop. Gong Hu strolled in leisurely, not rushing to attend to business, instead taking a casual look around the shop. The shop, tucked in a discreet location, was naturally small, and its merchandise was quite eclectic. Most cultivators strolling by showed no interest, even those who entered left after a quick glance. Only a few, clearly regulars, casually discussed new arrivals with familiar attendants while browsing through the shelves. "I’ve heard every cultivation city has a small shop like this; Chu Qin Sect is doing well!" Though the shop seemed modest, Gong Hu was still a bit envious inwardly. Fellow vassals of Southern Chu, yet the Gong family had migrated south much earlier, far stronger than Chu Qin Sect back in the day. Now, a hundred-plus years later, they had fallen to the point of having to serve Chu Qin Sect within the Southern Chu system. "The fault lies with our Gong family being assigned to the west, all peaceful and uneventful, with no pressure at all. But Chu Qin Sect, positioned east by the Black River, was through confrontation and conflict able to emerge as a fierce tiger. Born out of adversity, died in complacency—it’s all the same." As he mused, a middle-aged man in azure, appearing cultured, approached, whispering in his ear, "Honored guest, please come this way..." He then turned and vanished into the doorway leading to the inner hall. Knowing his identity had been recognized, Gong Hu wasted no time, following quickly. In the inner hall, the azure-robed cultivator was already waiting, extending his hand in a requesting gesture. Gong Hu handed over the silver-gray mask given by Chu Zhuangyuan. After a brief examination, the cultivator returned the mask, signaling him to put it on, and gestured for silence with a finger to his lips. Then, with a wave of a token, arrays of light illuminated a passage leading underground. Following the directions, Gong Hu donned the mask, silently tailing his guide through the passage and past an ingeniously designed illusionary array, arriving finally at their destination—an underground hall. The hall was bare, only mats laid on the floor, with seven or eight people already present, all masked and silent, seated in two rows, not interacting. "Please..." The azure-robed cultivator indicated a spot, and Gong Hu sat as instructed, imitating the others, focusing inward and waiting quietly. As he continued ushering people in, the hall slowly filled. When about twenty people had settled, the cultivator cleared his throat and announced, "The Master of Chu Qin Sect, Qi Xiu, arrives..." Most of those present were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with a few higher-level Qi Refinement practitioners. Upon hearing that a Golden Core cultivator had arrived, they all straightened up, sitting upright, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. Gong Hu had seen Qi Xiu once during the Thinking-Over Mountain battle. However, the brilliance of that event was focused almost entirely on Nascent Soul ancestor Chu Hongshang, and even Qi Yun Chu's Chu Wen outshone Qi Xiu. Thus, he didn’t hold any deep impression of Qi Xiu. This time, Qi Xiu didn’t even show his face, walking in wearing a mask like everyone else, sitting nonchalantly at the top seat. There was none of the pressure associated with other Golden Core cultivators, yet when his gaze swept over them, it felt as if a breeze brushed their souls, as if laying them bare. "Impressive..." Gong Hu gained a deeper appreciation of this former hero for whom he had once fought. "I apologize for having you meet in such a manner." Qi Xiu began without preambles or pleasantries, speaking as if in casual conversation, his voice soft and pleasant yet carrying an undertone of weariness. Gong Hu paid close attention, noting the color of the beard peeking out beneath the lower edge of the mask—indeed dry and graying, akin to that of an elderly man in his twilight years. "Honestly, I feel rather pessimistic about this world..." Qi Xiu continued, "Enemies who fight desperately, those who covet greedily, relatives and disciples who only know how to take, friends who abandon principles for profit—illustrious scholars, benevolent elders—yet when their masks fall, they’re nothing but flies drawn to stench, awaiting the egg that would expose their true selves." *Cough cough...* Bending over, Qi Xiu coughed violently for a while, "Forgive my pessimism. In my view, every person, every family or sect, can be seen as an egg. Some have rotted from within, others have numerous cracks, some have just been softly tapped, while others are on the verge of being smashed in. Yet a rare few remain perfect, awaiting the day they hatch into beings, acquiring true autonomy and transcendent freedom, reaching another realm to escape the mundane struggles and intrigues..." He continued, leaving the group a bit confused, "Did he call us just to vent his grievances?" Gong Hu wondered. As if hearing the silent critiques, Qi Xiu shifted his tone, "You were borrowed from the Chu family, most being vassals to the dual-Chu clans, chosen because you’re unfamiliar faces and trustworthy. Gu Tan..." Nodding to the side, the azure-robed cultivator, now identified as Gu Tan, stepped forward, unfolding a large map from his storage bag for all to see. "So his name is Gu Tan?" Gong Hu recalled hearing his name as the strategist of the Chu Qin during the Thinking-Over Mountain conflict, but hadn’t seen him then. "If the Southern Chu and Chu Qin are considered an egg…" Qi Xiu’s fingers traced over the territories of Southern Chu and Chu Qin on the map, "Our enemies are the flies drawn to stench..." He swept over the regions of Baishan and Qiyun, "They spy on us, woo our allies, ambush, assassinate, and frame us by any means necessary. Even if currently unable to confront us, they’ve never ceased their efforts to eliminate us. But what about us?" "We've been passively dancing to their tune, responding in kind to attacks and threats. At Thinking-Over Mountain, dual Chu and Chu Qin sacrificed thousands of lives only to achieve a fleeting peace. We carry on with life as if nothing happened, merely probing for their movements. But if we continue like this, there might come a day when a crack appears in our egg, and those flies will swarm in, attacking relentlessly until we are consumed..." "In this world, who dares claim their egg won't crack even a little?" "No one can, and so I propose we become flies ourselves, gathering around our enemy's eggs. If no cracks exist, then we make them; if cracks exist, we expand them. Before our enemies eliminate us, we must eliminate them. This proactive approach might prove to be a safer path to survival. That’s why I've brought you here." "Gu Tan, you speak next..." After delivering this extended speech, Qi Xiu reclined, visibly fatigued, resting on his elbow. Gu Tan was much more straightforward and practical in his presentation. "Everyone, please look here..." He traced a line on the map, connecting [Hai Dong City] with [Qi Dong City], [Qi Nan City], [Heihe Market], and [Qifu City] across the Baishan and offshore areas. "The chaos in Baishan has resulted in two major routes of cultivator movement, primarily among rogue cultivators." "The first route is where Baishan cultivators flee north to escape the wars. Given the presence of proper sects like [Mingyang Mountain] and [Jixia City] to the west of Qiyun, Baishan rogue cultivators struggle to integrate, so most head to the sea. This path sees heavy traffic. The second, reverse route is where warring factions in Baishan recruit reckless cultivators from outside to bolster their ranks. Similarly, most recruits come from the offshore rogues, making this path less traveled." "Your task is, under my coordination, to disguise yourselves as rogue cultivators. Align with these two major flows: either head south to Baishan or eastward overseas, integrate into various factions, and follow orders as one of our Chu family’s flies..." After Gu Tan finished speaking, he scanned the room, "Do you all understand?" "Ahem, can I opt out?" someone immediately raised their hand in the corner. "In simple terms, isn’t this just being a mole? You’ll never see the light of day and need to constantly be on edge!" another person muttered from within the crowd. "Before you came, I believe your respective family heads explained it thoroughly. With such critical missions, don't expect to leave once you're in! Since you chose to come, I trust you’ve mentally prepared, and it's too late for regrets now..." Gu Tan's gentlemanly demeanor suddenly turned venomous and cold. Scanning the room again, no one dared to speak further. (To Be Continued)