Chapter 638
“Zhangmen Song, don’t be nervous. The reason I invited you today is twofold: first, I’d like you to interpret the exam outline for the inner door of the Dan Yao Academy.”
“Alright, alright.”
“Secondly, I want to interview you. As the leader of Qingmu Sect, what changes have occurred since joining the Baixian Alliance?”
“Changes?”
“Yes, both good and bad.”
“Then I will speak freely.”
…
This program was indeed quite new in the Xuanwei Realm; even the disciples of Jiushan had never seen anything like it.
The disciples of Chongxuan were naturally captivated.
It seemed that Senior Sister Yuan had done quite a bit of preparation.
Zhangmen Song, on the other hand, appeared unprepared. At times, he would inadvertently reveal the truth and then scramble to cover it up.
After the interview, the cave fell silent for a whole incense stick’s worth of time.
It was the female disciple who finally broke the silence:
“From what Zhangmen Song said, Qingmu Sect has become so prosperous? Wasn’t there a rumor that they were on the verge of being exterminated?”
“It seems so. Although they don’t have any good deeds, they seem to have made quite a bit in the Dan Dao Guild. Prosperity is uncertain, but it sounds much better than before.” The male disciple who had argued with her nodded in agreement. “Didn’t Zhangmen Song say that their disciples can also take the inner door exam? If they pass, they can enter Jiushan University to study.”
Upon hearing this, the female disciple didn’t even express envy; she merely smiled bitterly.
That bitter smile only served to irritate Ye Shimei further. She scanned the faces around her, seeing confusion, disappointment, and a hint of self-doubt.
“Ye Shimei,” the male disciple who had just defended their sect suddenly spoke in a low voice, “our Chongxuan Sect wasn’t any worse than Qingmu Sect before…”
He seemed to hesitate, only managing to say half a sentence.
But everyone in the cave, including Ye Shimei, understood:
The Jiushan disciples were doing better, and of course, they envied that. But in the end, it was just that—Jiushan had Zheng Fa, who was on par with Haori Mountain.
To be fair, they really couldn’t compare.
They had to accept their fate.
But Qingmu Sect was different.
Chongxuan and Qingmu had been roughly equal in status within the Baixian Alliance, their strengths comparable. Later, Chongxuan had even gained the upper hand—after all, Qingmu had been rather unfortunate, constantly tormented by the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
In contrast, Chongxuan had Haori Mountain backing them, allowing them to retreat swiftly and preserve their vitality.
After the Demon Calamity, Qingmu Sect had seen itself unable to match Chongxuan, gradually declining.
But now…
“We’ve allied with Haori Mountain, yet it seems they don’t regard us as one of their own.”
The female disciple’s voice was very low, but each word struck heavily in the hearts of those present.
“Those talented disciples have left; what will happen to us in the future? Who has any certainty?”
Ye Shimei fell silent.
Although her master hadn’t said it outright, his previous behavior had left her feeling very uneasy.
Some disciples in the sect, though naive, were well-informed and quick-witted; how could they not have their own thoughts?
“If we were like Qingmu Sect…”
“Shimei!” Ye Shimei snapped, “Watch your words!”
The younger disciple realized she had gone too far and quickly shut her mouth, though a frown remained on her face.
Seeing that she was somewhat sensible, Ye Shimei nodded slightly and addressed everyone in the cave: “We buy this Tongjian (通鉴, a historical reference) simply because it truly is a treasure.”
“Moreover, as mentioned in Jiushan News, we must keep our eyes open to the Xuanwei Realm, lest we remain ignorant of worldly affairs.”
“But some things, some thoughts, must not be spoken, nor even entertained!”
“Otherwise, we’ll have no place to bury our bodies! Do you understand?”
Everyone in the cave nodded in agreement.
Ye Shimei felt a bit more at ease; she knew these few people well enough, and their lips were relatively sealed.
To be honest, this group of hers was stuck in a limbo within the sect, powerless to change anything.
Some thoughts were best kept buried deep within.
Just then, Senior Sister Yuan’s voice came through the light screen again:
“That concludes today’s program. Thank you all for your company.” She smiled, “Next up is the program preview: Jiushan Entertainment’s new serialized drama ‘Jiushan Xian Tu’ starts airing today.”
“‘Jiushan Xian Tu’ is adapted from the same-named script by our Zhangmen. This script has garnered over ten thousand subscriptions on Jiushan Entertainment, sparking a wave of scriptwriting enthusiasm, and is highly praised by cultivators both inside and outside the Jiushan Realm.”
“The adapted drama has been meticulously produced by our senior brothers, and the first three episodes are available for free today!”
“Everyone is welcome to enjoy it on Jiushan Entertainment!”
Ye Shimei was momentarily stunned, noticing the anticipation on everyone’s faces, and she promptly opened Jiushan Entertainment.
The three episodes would only take a little over an hour.
“Is it over?” The male disciple who had defended Chongxuan earlier looked dejected, muttering, “That guy from Haori Mountain, surnamed Lu, really deserves to die!”
Ye Shimei: “…”
“At least the main character joined Jiushan Sect!”
Had he forgotten he was on Haori Mountain’s side?
Saying that in Chongxuan was even more outrageous!
But thinking back to the drama’s plot, she couldn’t find a rebuttal.
In fact, she almost wanted to nod in agreement.
“What’s next? When will the next episode air?”
Ye Shimei glanced at the small text at the bottom of the light screen and replied, “This serialized drama is quite long; it should be airing episodes as they’re produced, with a new episode every two days.”
“Then we’ll come back every two days…”
“It costs money.”
“…”
The cave fell silent instantly. The male disciple remained silent for a long time before saying, “Jiushan Sect is great in every way, but they just have to charge for the Tongjian.”
“Senior Sister,” the female disciple suddenly spoke up, “I still have four spirit stones…”
Looking at the shining spirit stones in her hand, Ye Shimei felt quite speechless—
Those disciples in the Transformation Stage took two stones, and you were gnashing your teeth, furious, almost ready to rebel.
Now Jiushan Sect wanted to charge money, and you were generously offering your support, even selling your possessions, all while looking worried about not spending enough.
“I have some too!”
“Lend me two!”
“…”
Looking at the spirit stones in her hand, Ye Shimei felt something was off:
No wonder those Jiushan disciples were accumulating more and more good deeds.
So it turns out we were earning spirit stones for Haori Mountain while supporting them?
How could Jiushan Sect not be wealthy?
“Senior Sister, I’m not just in it for the drama,” the female disciple continued, “Remember when we saw the Xuanqing Dan in that marketplace? I want to buy a bottle of that.”
“Right, I have some things I want to buy too!”
Hearing this, Ye Shimei slowly nodded. To be honest, the items in the marketplace weren’t just cheap; they were also comprehensive.
Even if they were shipped to Chongxuan, they would still be marked up, but some items remained a good deal.
She felt tempted as well.
After noting everyone’s requests, it was time to disperse this illegal gathering.
A few of them bid farewell to Ye Shimei, with the female disciple trailing behind.
“Do you have something else to discuss, Shimei?”
“Senior Sister, what are your thoughts?”
The female disciple suddenly asked.
“What do you mean?”
“About the future of Chongxuan Sect, our future.”
This vague question left Ye Shimei silent.
“Senior Sister, I’m willing to be loyal to the sect, but has the sect ever shown me a bit more kindness?”
Ye Shimei frowned, looking at this younger disciple.
Seeing her stubborn gaze, which showed no signs of retreat, she sighed, “Why do you have to say this? Isn’t that putting me in a difficult position?”
“Senior Sister, even if we survive today, how many days do we have left?”
“…”
“So tell me, what can I do?” The younger disciple opened her mouth, then added, “Our fate has never been in our hands.”
“...Senior Sister, aren’t you highly trusted by Brother Li Hao?”
Ye Shimei’s expression froze slightly.
“Why not persuade him?”
…
When Zheng Fa ascended Huoshen Mountain again, he actually felt quite bored.
Training in the Tiandi Honglu (天地洪炉, a divine furnace) was indeed exhilarating:
As long as there was enough spiritual energy, the speed of cultivation felt like taking off.
Of course, this wasn’t without its problems—the requirement for spiritual energy was extremely high, and it could even damage the spiritual veins.
In just half a month, the Jiushan Ancestor had already complained endlessly, saying Zheng Fa was demanding too much, and he was almost running on empty.
Zheng Fa didn’t believe this:
To some extent, the Jiushan Ancestor was still a product of his own making, and he understood him very well.
The Jiushan Ancestor’s foundation was certainly unharmed, but he did need some time to recuperate.
What bothered Zheng Fa was:
He didn’t want to work overtime.
Especially after enjoying a great training session just a couple of days ago, now he had to do something for the Chongxuan Sect as the acting leader; the contrast was quite jarring.
He sat in his cave, propping his head up, lost in thought:
Although he held great power in Chongxuan, he hadn’t actually done much and didn’t want to manage anything.
The myriad affairs of Chongxuan were truly not on his mind.
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