After Yu Mi left, Bao Gu fell into thought again. Compared with her, everyone involved in today’s events—the Saint Aunt, her Senior Sister, Feng Menglong, Hua Sheng, every one of them—seemed much more detached. The things that made Bao Gu so sad and miserable appeared to matter little to them. Was it because their experiences and cultivation had long freed their minds from worldly attachments, bringing them to a state where neither honor nor disgrace could move them? Or had they already seen through the matter and learned to take it lightly? Or did they believe that leaving was actually a form of liberation? Bao Gu did not know. The familiar people around her had become so unfamiliar that she could barely recognize them, and she could no longer figure them out or see through them.
A bolt of lightning flashed past the window, splitting the darkness in the room. A thunderclap followed immediately.
Bao Gu’s first thought was to wonder who was undergoing a heavenly tribulation this time. She opened her eyes and was about to extend her divine sense outside when a sudden downpour came pelting down beyond the window.
A formation around the room kept out both water and fire, so she did not have to worry about rain blowing in through the doors or windows. But the wind was fierce, the rain heavy, and the thunder and lightning terrifying. The thunder exploded as if it would tear the sky apart, shaking the entire house. The crackling aura of lightning drifted through the storm, reminding Bao Gu of the tribulation she had endured on the Ascension Platform.
She had nearly died there and never seen Yu Mi again. Still shaken, she tightened her grip on her collar, a trace of panic and fear showing in her eyes.
When Bao Gu extended her divine sense, she saw that the side hall was brightly lit. Yu Mi, Zi Yunshu, Feng Menglong, and the others were gathered there—some twenty or thirty people in all. Even Jade Shura was present.
The hall was bustling with activity, making Bao Gu’s own lonely and desolate state seem even more conspicuous. She simply got up, went outside, and walked through the wind and rain toward the side hall.
Everything she wore was a supreme-grade magical treasure. A faint spiritual radiance surrounded her, keeping out both water and fire. Even as she walked through the downpour, not a single strand of her hair became wet.
After a few steps, she reached the side entrance of the hall. The first thing she saw was an exquisite magical treasure placed in the very center. Above it hovered a sprawling projection of mountains and rivers. After focusing her attention, she recognized it as the Map of Mountains and Rivers of this realm.
The current boundaries of all the major powers were clearly drawn across the map, while the Chop Gang’s territory had been specially marked, making it especially conspicuous.
Yu Mi, Zi Yunshu, Jade Shura, and the masters of all twenty-six peaks were gathered around the Map of Mountains and Rivers, which had been unfolded to more than a zhang in both length and width. They were discussing it with great animation, and no one noticed the person standing at the door.
Zi Yunshu raised her hand and pointed toward a vast, mist-shrouded lake.
“This is Thousand-Li Lake, which covers three thousand li. Isn’t it a good choice? It’s a hundred zhang deep, and underground rivers connect it to the sea. Flood-dragon folk and water demons are often seen there, and the resources beneath the water are abundant. It’s an excellent place for water-element cultivators to practice. There are more than a hundred islands of various sizes on the lake, enough to house disciples from all the peaks.”
Yu Jianming laughed.
“Little Martial Aunt, if we choose this place, the fire-element cultivators will cry themselves blind in the lake.”
Zi Yunshu rubbed her chin, staring intently at the lake.
“I really like this lake.”
Hua Sheng pointed toward a region beside Thousand-Li Lake. It covered roughly a thousand li, was carpeted in green grass, and shimmered with hidden patches of water.
“If I remember correctly, this is Zezhou, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s Zezhou,” Yu Mi replied. “It’s a marshland with no cultivation resources to speak of, and there isn’t a trace of human habitation for a thousand li. It’s a place where mountain spirits and wild monsters roam. Most of them are low-level demon beasts and spirits, such as grass spirits and lake monsters, with little value. Cultivators generally avoid the place.”
“Once, when someone was hunting me, I fled into that region. I’m a fire-element cultivator, yet I ended up lying face down in the mud for an entire month before I managed to evade them. The spirits there are as numerous as hairs on a cow, but almost none of them are above the Golden Core stage.”
She smiled.
“It would be a good place for low-level disciples to gain experience.”
Feng Menglong picked up several small flags and marked all the locations everyone favored.
“Have you noticed anything?”
He then added:
“And whoever has their eye on Flamefire Sacred City, keep quiet. The Flame Saint Sect has suffered enough already. Let’s leave them alone.”
Zi Yunshu muttered under her breath:
“Sure enough, we all came from the same sect. The places we’ve chosen are practically neighbors.”
She glanced at Feng Menglong.
“Feng Menglong, don’t you think the area you’ve circled is too large? This is Yunzhou, this is Yanzhou, and here it even takes in a corner of Jiangzhou. It’s nearly the size of two provinces, larger than Qingzhou. You’d better watch out, or Bao Gu will come after you.”
Feng Menglong gave an awkward laugh.
“Little Martial Aunt, I never said we were going to occupy all of it, did I? Didn’t we agree not to build a mountain-protecting grand formation? Didn’t we agree to let the sect grow free-range?”
“We’ll each put down roots in the places we favor. As for the empty land left over—these places here, here, here, here, and here are all mortal cities. We can’t claim those too, can we? And this one—do you know what it is? Wandering cultivators are clustered here, and they aren’t people we can afford to offend.”
“We won’t touch any of these areas. We’ll simply establish ourselves where we’ve chosen and keep in contact with one another. After all, this is such a vast stretch of land. Apart from the few peaks used for teaching, where we’ll build a few peak-protecting formations, the disciples of each peak can put down roots wherever they like. A few houses and a few medicinal plots won’t take up much space, will they?”
Wen Zixuan said:
“I agree with Senior Brother Feng. Even if we establish ourselves in this region, we don’t need to drive away the people already living here. We can coexist with our wandering-cultivator neighbors and the neighboring small sects, exchanging what each side has and sparring now and then.”
“As long as we set rules for our disciples so they don’t cause or provoke trouble, and teach them not to be afraid when trouble does come, won’t that be enough?”
He paused and looked toward Yu Mi.
“Of course, this still depends on what Senior Sister Yu Mi thinks.”
“Once everyone reaches a common decision, I’ll go tell Bao Gu,” Yu Mi said.
“This place is close to Qingzhou. It used to be the Mad Demon’s territory. The large and small powers there either submitted to him or were wiped out by him. Now, apart from wandering cultivators, there are almost no organized forces, which makes it quite suitable for putting down roots.”
“To be honest, I’m rather fond of the barren mountains and harsh waters of Yunzhou. Its dangerous environment is perfect for throwing our low-level disciples in to toughen them up.”
She paused before continuing.
“However, the Chop Gang’s Black-Armored Army has its main camp in Yunzhou. Yunzhou is one of the Chop Gang’s foundations. If we establish ourselves here, control of Yunzhou will eventually be divided between at least two forces.”
“For now, with Bao Gu and me still here, that won’t be a problem. But once we both leave, who can say whether the people who come to power afterward will fight over the right to rule the same territory?”
Lu Lei stared at the area Feng Menglong had circled and pondered.
“I like the area Senior Brother Feng circled, and I agree with him. But we still have to consider the Chop Gang. Taking a foothold on the Chop Gang’s land is already hard enough to justify. Asking for one of the Gang’s foundational territories outright would be even more unreasonable. I don’t have the face to ask Bao Gu for that.”
“Senior Sister Yu Mi, why don’t we look at some other places? I don’t think it matters if the area is smaller. Haven’t we already agreed that we’d only raise our disciples until they were adults, then release them from the sect to train on their own and earn their own keep? We won’t need such a large territory.”
As he spoke, he turned to look at Yu Mi. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a white figure standing in the doorway.
His heart jolted.
He looked again and cried out:
“Bao Gu!”
She had been standing there without a sound, and judging by the look of things, for quite some time. He had not sensed her at all. When he looked more closely, he realized that if his eyes had not seen her, he would have thought the doorway empty.
Her ability to conceal her aura had reached such a level that, if she did not want to be noticed, no one could see her even standing right under their nose.
Yu Mi was startled by the commotion and turned toward the door. When she saw Bao Gu walk in, she asked:
“What brings you here?”
Bao Gu answered honestly:
“It’s thundering. I was a little scared, so I came over.”
Afraid of thunder?!
The entire room fell silent. Everyone stared at Bao Gu.
Bao Gu glanced around at the people in the side hall. Their expressions made her feel awkward.
“I almost died on the Ascension Platform after being struck by eighty-one bolts of Blood Tribulation Lightning. Is it really abnormal for me to be afraid of thunder?”
Their expressions seemed to say the same thing.
*You’re bragging, aren’t you? Bragging that you’re a powerhouse among powerhouses, someone who even endured eighty-one bolts of Blood Tribulation Lightning!*
Jade Shura did not want to speak to Bao Gu at all.
*Hmph! My master gets struck by lightning all the time too!* she thought resentfully.
When Bao Gu noticed that everyone’s gazes had grown even stranger, she decided it was safer to say nothing. She walked over to the Map of Mountains and Rivers and said:
“The Black-Armored Army’s main camp is around Black Cloud Ridge, east of Xiao City. Regular combat troops generally remain within the camp’s boundaries. Disciples from different sects and wandering cultivators can move about freely, so the garrison won’t interfere with Xuantian Sect’s activities.”
“Since everyone favors this region, let’s use it as our foothold.”
She saw that no one spoke, as though they still had reservations, and continued:
“From the day it was founded, the Chop Gang has always followed a path that blends the martial world with the imperial court. Its sphere of influence is entangled with nearly every power and sect in the cultivation world. Whether Xuantian Sect exists within the Chop Gang’s territory makes no difference.”
“If the day ever comes when the Chop Gang declines and can no longer protect its own foundation, I’d rather Yunzhou and Qingzhou fall into Xuantian Sect’s hands. It would be better to keep the benefits in the family.”
Jade Shura burst out laughing.
“You really have that little confidence in the Chop Gang?”
“No force can remain prosperous forever,” Bao Gu replied. “And the Chop Gang is a great hodgepodge. If the person in power loses even a little control, the Gang could easily split apart.”
Yu Mi’s pretty face flushed slightly. The Chop Gang had nearly fallen apart under her stewardship.
Bao Gu noticed her blush, quietly took her hand, and said:
“Senior Sister, I wasn’t talking about you.”
Yu Mi could only stare at her.
*You would have done better not to clarify!*
Hua Sheng covered her mouth and laughed. The peak masters all lowered their heads, snickering.
Bao Gu coughed lightly and hastily changed the subject.
“How did everyone decide on Xuantian Sect’s future? Are we establishing a branch of Xuantian Sect, or founding an entirely independent sect?”
“To avoid more disputes in the future, we’ve unanimously decided to sever ties with Xuantian Sect,” Yu Mi said.
She glanced at Bao Gu.
“Since you’re the direct disciple of the Xuantian Patriarch, the Patriarch’s orthodox inheritance rests with you. With the orthodox succession on our side, no matter how you look at it, we aren’t a branch. What are your thoughts? Have you reached a decision?”
Bao Gu shook her head.
“Although I’m the Xuantian Patriarch’s direct disciple, this foundation isn’t mine alone. It belongs to all of us. I’ll listen to everyone. I think we should work it out together.”
Yu Mi nodded lightly.
Feng Menglong said:
“We discussed it at length just now, and everyone thinks it would be better to separate from Xuantian Sect and establish an independent sect. As for the name, you or the Founding Matriarch should decide it. After all, our Dao lineage comes from the Xuantian Patriarch, so we’ll follow your wishes.”
“As for major sect affairs, the Elders’ Hall and the Deliberation Hall will discuss and decide them. The Elders’ Hall will still be staffed by the sect’s elders, with each one in charge of a particular area. The Deliberation Hall will be made up of all the peak masters.”
“When opinions conflict, a vote will decide. Whenever a major matter requires someone to lead, the two halls will temporarily select a person of outstanding ability and virtue. Once the matter is settled, that person will step down. If the person chosen proves unable to do the job, a vote by at least half of the Elders’ Hall and Deliberation Hall will allow us to choose someone else.”
“There will be no Sect Master and no Sect Leader. The Elders’ Hall and the Deliberation Hall will both be located on Main Peak. New disciples will first be trained at Main Peak. Once they reach Foundation Establishment, they’ll be assigned to the peak best suited to their cultivation for further tempering.”
“Once they reach Golden Core or turn eighteen, whichever comes first, they will no longer receive a monthly stipend. Depending on the situation, we’ll send them down the mountain to train, travel, or take on sect missions, and we’ll cultivate and promote them according to their performance.”
“As for the lazy ones who do nothing and wait for free food to fall from the heavens, they’ll fend for themselves. No one will feed them!”
Bao Gu was speechless. Somehow, she felt that everyone was taking aim at Xuantian Sect.
Wen Zixuan said:
“We’re an impoverished sect, after all. Naturally, we have to carry on the traditions of an impoverished sect.”
Bao Gu thought for a moment before asking:
“What if the Elders’ Hall and the Deliberation Hall become divided and estranged after power is split between them?”
“I know you’re worried that another Grandmaster might emerge. Ever since Xuantian Sect’s great calamity, the Elders’ Hall has existed in name only, while Grandmaster held all of Xuantian Sect’s authority alone. Given enough time, trouble was bound to arise. But a sect can also easily fall apart if it has no one to oversee the whole picture.”
“I think Soul Chasing Pavilion’s system works well. Choose one exceptionally capable person as Pavilion Master, with an Elders’ Hall to restrain the Pavilion Master’s authority. If the Pavilion Master acts too far out of line and harms the sect’s development, the Elders’ Hall can unanimously depose the Pavilion Master and choose another worthy person.”
“The Yue Kingdom seems to use a similar system. Even though Si Ruo is its empress, she doesn’t hold all power alone or allow one house to dominate. She seems to be constrained by the influence of several princes and clan elders, so she can’t do whatever she wants…”
“Let me give an example. Feng Menglong is the Rites Elder, and Little Martial Aunt is the Artifact Hall Elder. If the two of you have a conflict one day, and the Rites Hall needs magical treasures or equipment and goes to the Artifact Hall to collect them, what happens if the Artifact Hall deliberately makes things difficult and refuses?”
“Do you fight? Or call all the elders over to bicker about it together? One side will claim it is right, and the other will say the same. Each side has elders on good terms with it, and neither side will yield. What then? Will you fall into internal strife and split apart?”
“If there were a Sect Leader at that point, the Sect Leader could issue a formal requisition. After the Elders’ Hall reviewed and approved it, the Rites Elder could take the document approved by both the Sect Leader and the Elders’ Hall to the Artifact Hall and collect the supplies.”
“Even if Little Martial Aunt wanted to make things difficult for the Rites Hall, she couldn’t very well challenge the Sect Leader and the entire Elders’ Hall over it, could she? And if the Rites Elder brought a requisition that had not been approved by the Sect Leader and the Elders’ Hall, the Artifact Hall would have every reason to refuse it. That way, no trouble would come of it, wouldn’t it?”
Everyone fell into thought, considering Bao Gu’s words.
Bao Gu continued:
“As for the Young Sect Leader, the Sect Leader and the Elders’ Hall can jointly recommend several promising candidates. After screening them, we can decide by vote. If the person who takes office later commits misconduct or becomes unfit to shoulder the responsibility, we can convene a meeting to depose that person and elect someone capable.”
“The Sect Leader and Young Sect Leader should guide the sect’s development, while the Elders’ Hall and Deliberation Hall should supervise, oversee, select, and remove them.”
Yu Mi thought it over and agreed with Bao Gu’s proposal. However, since Bao Gu had made the suggestion, and Yu Mi herself had once been the Young Sect Master of Xuantian Sect, she felt it would be awkward for her to say anything more.
Yu Jianming also remained silent.
As an outsider who had merely come along to watch the excitement, Jade Shura had no stake in the matter and simply kept out of it.
Everyone else had no such concerns. They said whatever came to mind and freely expressed their opinions. After a long discussion, they decided that Bao Gu’s proposal was feasible.
Many specific details still had to be carefully drafted before anything could be finalized: what powers the Sect Leader, Young Sect Leader, and elders of each hall would possess; how those powers would be exercised; and how violators would be punished.
Then there was the matter of where to locate Main Peak. Although they had already drawn the future boundaries of their territory, Main Peak would serve as the foundation of the sect for generations, so they could not be careless. They were thoroughly sick of moving from place to place, which made careful consideration essential—and prompted yet another heated round of proposals about where to settle.
Jade Shura listened until she was yawning, then stood up to take her leave.
Bao Gu sat quietly to one side, finding the discussion rather interesting. She rose and escorted Jade Shura to the door, then returned to her seat and continued listening.
The others huddled together, their heads nearly touching, so absorbed in the discussion that they forgot themselves. Even Yu Mi squeezed into the group and joined the debate. She declared that the next Young Sect Master must not be another person like her—someone who stayed aloof all day and refused to handle anything. She then launched into a long string of complaints about how irresponsible she herself had been as Xuantian Sect’s former Young Sect Master.
Anyone who knew her understood that she simply did not want to shoulder the burden again and only wanted a quiet, leisurely life. Anyone who did not know her better might have thought she was deeply dissatisfied with Zi Tianjun.
Zi Yunshu was also thoroughly enjoying the discussion. Seeing how enthusiastic she was, Bao Gu seriously suspected that her Little Martial Aunt had forgotten that the cautionary example they were discussing, Xuantian Sect Master Zi Tianjun, was her own father.
Hua Sheng quietly tugged at Zi Yunshu’s sleeve and reminded her:
“Little Martial Aunt, Grandmaster may have many faults, but he’s still your father.”
Zi Yunshu glanced at Hua Sheng.
“So what if he’s my father? If he did something wrong, am I not allowed to say so? I never said I didn’t acknowledge him as my father! Whether he did right or wrong and whether he is my father are two different matters!”
With that, she picked up her carving knife again and began inscribing the points they had just discussed onto a jade slip.
Hua Sheng draped an arm over Zi Yunshu’s shoulders and gave her an approving thumbs-up.
Zi Yunshu shrugged and shook off her arm.
“Get your arm off me. I can’t carve properly. We agreed, didn’t we? The selection of each hall’s elders will follow the system we’ve established, with strict trials to choose the best. I’m calling dibs on the Alchemy Hall Elder’s seat. If anyone objects, come challenge me. I accept challenges in any form.”
Feng Menglong laughed.
“Don’t be so sure. Quite a few outstanding Alchemy Hall disciples came out with us.”
Zi Yunshu froze for a moment, then thought it over.
“Still, no one can beat me, right?”
Feng Menglong leaned toward her.
“But you’re rash and impulsive, and often fail to think things through.”
Zi Yunshu’s heart sank.
*This is bad!*
She immediately put on a mournful expression.
“I’ll change, all right? Um, Elder, remember to create a deputy post too. Can I be the Deputy Elder?”
The entire hall erupted in laughter.
Bao Gu could not help laughing as well. Once the laughter faded, however, she felt a quiet swell of emotion. Nothing new could be built without breaking the old; after breaking came rebuilding. Watching their enthusiasm and vitality, she suddenly felt that splitting off might truly not be a bad thing.
Bao Gu watched them blend so naturally into the lively discussion, yet she had no idea how to become part of it herself. Her presence was so easy to overlook that, before long, everyone had forgotten she was there.
She sat quietly and listened for a while. When she saw that the rain outside had stopped and the sky had cleared, she slipped out of the side hall without a sound.
She had just stepped outside when she sensed movement behind her. Turning around, she saw Yu Mi following her.
The two of them smiled at each other and spoke almost simultaneously.
“Why did you come out?”
“It’s enough that all of you discuss it,” Bao Gu said.
“I saw you leave, so I followed you.”
Yu Mi took two steps toward her.
“Are you still not used to being around so many people?”
Bao Gu nodded and answered quietly:
“I’m used to peace and quiet.”
She had almost said that she was used to being alone, but she swallowed the words and changed her answer.
Yu Mi hummed softly. Then she suddenly seized Bao Gu’s hand and dragged her back into the side hall. She squeezed between Zi Yunshu and Hua Sheng.
“I caught the runaway! You’re a grown woman, yet you sat beside us listening without saying a word, and now you even tried to sneak away!”
Zi Yunshu turned to Bao Gu and coaxed her:
“Come on, be good. I know you’ve gotten used to peace and quiet, but hiding from this matter isn’t right.”
Her voice was gentle, but her half-lidded eyes and slightly raised brows made the threat clear.
*Just try hiding again.*
Hua Sheng quickly held Bao Gu in place and praised Yu Mi.
“Good job! What would we do if such a huge piece of free labor got away?”
She then turned to Bao Gu.
“The protective formation for Main Peak is yours! So are the questions of how our Dao lineage will be passed down and how to keep the sect from declining—or restore it if it ever does.”
“When we hold our sect-founding ceremony soon, you must go to the Demon Realm and bring the Founding Matriarch here to officially recognize our name. We haven’t chosen our first Sect Leader yet, and we haven’t even settled on a name for the sect.”
“You’re running? You dare run? We’ll break your legs!”
