489 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 489: I Quite Like You Too Three months later. Having retrieved the storage pouch, she scanned its contents with her spiritual sense. A set of spare needle artifacts was placed conveniently within reach, next to two second-tier flying swords meant for traveling. Charms, talismans, medicinal pills, and miscellaneous items were neatly arranged in separate sections. One corner held some scattered spirit stones, while the other contained a neatly stacked collection of over a hundred sets of clothing, topped with a delicate jewelry box, waiting quietly for its owner to summon them again. Twenty-some years had passed, but this place remained unchanged, a mirror of yesterday. Carefully selecting from the clothes, she chose a multicolored palace dress with a pattern of diagonal small flowers and put it on. She opened the jewelry box, looking at herself in a raised mirror. Except for her slightly pale complexion, she appeared as she did twenty years ago, the elegant and gentle Chu Qin Mingzhen. Or rather, she should now be called Mingzhen. After pondering for a moment, she tied up her long hair, securing the ponytail with a jade hairpin, letting it drape casually at her back. It swayed with her movements, adding a touch of youthful liveliness. "Time to go," she murmured. Having tidied herself up, she took a deep breath, bent down, and exited the cave where she had spent over twenty solitary years. She shielded her eyes momentarily with her hand against the unfamiliar sunlight and saw the abbess already waiting for her with a smile. "Congratulations on your success in your spiritual path," the abbess greeted warmly, handing over a storage pouch, likely containing the fifty thousand spirit stones Chu Qin's sect had stored. "No rush to give it to me," she replied, pushing it back. From inside her robes, she retrieved a list she had prepared earlier. "These are the materials I designed for a magical artifact. Please have your temple's master prepare it." The abbess opened it, seeing it was for a lotus-shaped treasure seat and readily agreed, "I will arrange for it. Should it be sent to?" "Uh..." Mingzhen hesitated, finally saying, "Have it sent to the White Mountain Chu Qin Sect, then." Once they had settled the matter, Mingzhen bid farewell, her multicolored dress fluttering like a proud butterfly as she gracefully passed through the temple's halls. The complex gazes of the many nuns in their simple robes followed her as she walked out, heading straight for Jixia City, then taking a flying shuttle to Haidong, eventually riding her sword back to the Ming family island she hadn't visited for over twenty years. "Ancestor... the ancestor has returned! The ancestor has returned!" The gatekeeping junior, unable to sense Mingzhen's cultivation, quickly corrected himself and, after opening the mountain gate, excitedly called everyone, including Ming Xinyuan, to come out. "Welcome back to the mountain, Ancestor!" Ming Xinyuan was equally delighted. Everyone within the mountain gate, from immortals to common folks, knelt down, their excitement palpable. "With the ancestor taking another step forward, our Ming family is destined for great prosperity!" "Heh, perhaps," Mingzhen replied, a hint of disdain in her smile. She observed the gathered supplies and packed belongings around the mountain gate, resembling preparations for relocating. "Are you all moving somewhere?" "Oh, well..." Ming Xinyuan didn't hesitate. "Three months ago, Uncle Gu successfully formed his Core on Haimen Island and sent word that he secured a large island, inviting us to relocate there. We are preparing for the move. And just as you return, it's truly a double blessing for our Ming family!" "He formed his Core too? Do you know the exact day?" Mingzhen felt a stirring curiosity and asked earnestly. "I believe it was... February 14th?" Ming Xinyuan answered. "The same day as me!" Mingzhen exclaimed inwardly at the coincidence, a strange emotion rising within her. "Where is he now?" she asked, immediately learning Gu Tan’s location and, disregarding Ming Xinyuan's pleas to stay, soared into the sky on her sword. She rushed urgently to the vast ocean's ‘Sea Gate,’ where she finally descended. The last time they traveled here together, they were merely confused Foundation Establishment cultivators, lost in the great path and life. But now, circumstances had changed, and Mingzhen felt much more at ease. She announced her presence to the Sea Gate's guardians and stood waiting while calming her breath from the hasty journey, adjusting her appearance. "What should I call you now, Daoist Friend Ming or Junior Sister Ming?" the elegantly dressed Gu Tan appeared suddenly, teasing her with a subtle hint of humor. Her heart skipped a beat. After a brief pause, she understood the underlying implications of his words, addressing the sensitivity of her family status. "I belong to the Chu Qin family and entered the sect before you did, so you should call me Senior Sister," she replied with what she hoped was her brightest and most beautiful smile. Gu Tan laughed heartily. "I formed my Core at one hundred forty-nine, older than you in years." Avoiding further banter, he gestured invitingly, then led the way to his own cave dwelling. "After copying scriptures for three years in the Disciplinary Hall, my hair almost turned white with worry. When I left, I was still concerned about you. How have these twenty years been for you?" "In isolation, surrounded by the simplicity of a temple, I was able to cut off all distractions and seek my true heart. It's not as difficult as it might sound," Mingzhen replied, following him slowly. "Last time... it was my family’s fault you were implicated." "Not at all!" Gu Tan replied, casually deactivating the barrier as they stepped inside. "It was you who suffered for their sake, truly you were the one burdened." As they sat across from each other, Mingzhen glanced around, noting the various maps on the walls likely depicting the situation of the outer sea islands. "I heard from Xinyuan that you’re giving them a large island? They are fully committed to the Confucian path, so there’s no need to assist them further." "It’s not about helping." Gu Tan waved his hand dismissively, standing to point at an island occupied by the Long family. "It's time to act." "Oh?" Mingzhen stood alongside him before the map, teasing, "You’ve always been cunning. What new scheme are you planning this time?" "Uh..." Gu Tan hesitated, perhaps sensing a subtle change in the atmosphere between them, before pointing around Long family’s main island. "The Long family is now united under wise leadership. After years of development, they have no enemies nearby and, having suffered severe raids in the past, have fortified their defenses significantly. Their patriarch is shrewd and wise, and their disciples cultivate diligently. If I don’t act now, it might be too late." Frowning, Mingzhen asked, "Any misdeeds on their part?" "Under the Confucian teachings, the island is peaceful with honesty among the populace, and their cultivators protect the fishing vessels, sustaining an ever-growing population. They maintain harmonious relations with their neighbors," Gu Tan explained. "This..." Mingzhen hesitated, finally expressing her concern, "In that case, why resort to deadly conflict?" Gu Tan responded with a bitter smile, "You understand Confucian cultivation. First, there’s the enmity recorded in history, passed down through generations, with a vow to avenge their past defeat. Once they strengthen, they will inevitably seek revenge against White Mountain. If I don't act first, they will eventually turn against us. It's a deadlock unchanging with our righteousness or evildoing. Second, their own island can no longer support their rapidly growing population, making expansion inevitable. In the outer sea, expansion means creating conflict, though they will surely find noble excuses for it." Pointing to another spot on the map, Gu Tan added, "This is the Eastern Sect Island, large with ample farmland but without a significant sect. The families ruling there are infamous for their tyranny, disliked even within, and without powerful external allies. I’ve placed spies around the Long family for years. Based on intelligence, this island is likely their next target. They plan to seize it, just waiting for the right chance. Yet, unbeknownst to them, I've been preparing for years. The moment to give the Long family this 'opportunity' is entirely in my hands..." "Alas!" Mingzhen sighed after hearing his plan, recognizing the inevitable bloodshed and destruction. "Heaven cherishes all life. I advise—" Raising a hand, Gu Tan stopped her, "The Long family has committed island massacres in the past. If they seize Eastern Sect Island, they will likewise slaughter its inhabitants. Such customs have endured in the outer sea for millennia, for reasons beyond mere happenstance. Your Ming family merely encountered Master Miaoqing, a nun fixated on righteousness." "No matter the reason, I don't care about their conflicts. I just hope you and I remain untouched by such bloodshed," Mingzhen voiced her concern before realizing her words might sound ambiguous. Yet, unlike in the past, she boldly met his gaze without retreat. "I..." Gu Tan, noticing the affection in her eyes, couldn’t feign ignorance. "I devised a plan this time—how should I put it?—an approach that avoids direct confrontation as much as possible." "I know I can't change anything, and I’m not deluded enough to be blinded by meditation. So I choose not to see," Mingzhen acknowledged, realizing the plan, a legacy of Chu Qin’s century-long strategy, wouldn't change. She expressed her intent to stay uninvolved. "Do you like me?" Gu Tan suddenly asked. "Eh?" Mingzhen was caught off guard, nearly losing her composure. Yet, her initial surprise soon morphed into a shy smile. After reaching the Core Formation stage, she didn’t much feel like hiding her real feelings anymore, preferring straightforwardness over playing enigmatic games with someone she cared for. "What if I do?" she admitted boldly, her heart pounding with resolve. "Let me think." Gu Tan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If the two of us were to unite..." "How can he be so blunt!" Even Mingzhen, with her newfound courage, was taken aback, questioning her affection for him. "It would greatly boost our standing in the Chu Qin Sect — two Core Formations united in purpose; we'd fear no one," Gu Tan continued logically. His subsequent words were like cold water, dousing Mingzhen's heart. "Yet, I didn’t expect you to think so far ahead." Her voice tinged with sarcasm, she snapped back at him. "The next move requires anticipating ten or even a hundred steps into the future. It's a practical concern," Gu Tan said nonchalantly, continuing to smile. "Of course, I quite like you too." (To be continued) ---