Volume 4, Chapter 111 – New Peaks

While the disciples of the two lineages were being led around by Xu Shu and the others to broaden their horizons, the mountain gate of the dojo on Shenming main peak also welcomed the heads of those two lineages, Abbess Li Sheng and old man Wang Ran.

These truly were two old acquaintances. Bai Xiang came to receive them in private with Bai Zhuqing, her little tagalong, and put on no ceremony at all.

“Dao Master Bai.” Li Sheng glanced around. Not seeing Xiang Xian anywhere, she finally let out the breath she had been holding and spoke to Bai Xiang with blunt honesty. “I won’t bother speaking in circles. I assume you can already tell exactly why Shangqing has come.”

She and old man Wang Ran were in different situations. If the people from Benling had only brought some core members and elite disciples, then there was still room left in how things might ultimately be decided. But Shangqing had come here almost in its entirety and had already lost every road of retreat.

So what was the point of hemming and hawing?

The sooner everything was laid out clearly, the sooner they would become true insiders, and the sooner they would be able to enjoy the treatment due to insiders.

Compared to that, Li Sheng felt that her own temporary honor and disgrace did not matter in the slightest. So she laid everything bare to Bai Xiang and said outright that the reason she had brought so many people this time was to merge into Shenming Sword Dao.

“…What does Dao Master Bai think?” Once she had said more or less everything, Li Sheng could not help asking again.

She was not asking for much. With Yuming Sword Dao as the precedent, all she hoped for was that another peak called Shangqing Peak could be established within the dojo.

“For Shenming Sword Dao to welcome the Shangqing branch is a blessing that could only have been earned by accumulating merit over centuries.”

Naturally, Bai Xiang had no reason to refuse. Li Sheng immediately let out a breath of relief, and the two women left old man Wang Ran to one side while they began discussing the practical details of how the lineages would be merged afterward.

Although Maozhou had already developed and weathered the first few major crises, the group Li Sheng brought with her could still absolutely be called fresh strength for Maozhou.

The logic here was very simple. Every Mountains-and-Rivers-ranked dojo had risen only after at least a century of growth. That span of time did not merely increase their foundations. It also meant that every dojo came to control numerous companies and industries, and at the very least one top-tier academy.

Back when the Nine Prefectures Sword Meet was first held, where did the “Nine Prefectures” in its name come from?

It was precisely because those nine Dao lineages simultaneously controlled nine top-tier academies. The talented people who came out of those academies were spread across every region. Whether at court or out among the common people, once the Nine Daos raised an arm in summons, who knew how many people would be willing to spill blood for them in pursuit of glory and advancement.

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Now that Starwater Company had thrown in with Shenming Sword Dao, and with the many technical materials Lori Aurora had brought out of Star Tower Group, as well as the companies and patents transferred over by Yuming Sword Dao, Shenming was not lacking in the industrial sector.

But schools, and top-tier schools at that, could not simply be conjured into existence within half a year.

Teaching and nurturing talent took time. Building prestige took even more time.

Originally, Bai Xiang had had no intention at all of putting any effort into this area. The only person she could even remotely call an acquaintance in the education world was probably Zhang Longze, the principal of Chilong No.1 High School back in the day. But the arrival of the Shangqing people changed her mind.

Li Sheng had not only brought the sect’s disciples. She had also brought most of the teaching staff from Qingze University.

In the short term, these people would not be able to show much effect. Even after they survived the ordeal of the tournament, even half a year later, their value would still not appear all that dramatically.

But if Zhennan could truly build a top-tier academy, then that would be a great deed with value lasting for a thousand generations.

The people under their rule would have greater confidence. Their cohesion would be stronger. So long as that confidence was continuously reinforced through one matter after another like this, then before long, Shenming Sword Dao’s credit would be enough to back the minting of currency.

This would be the beginning of the collapse of the Yu Emperor Sacred Dynasty.

That was why these matters remained very important. On the large end, there were Li Sheng’s arrangements, the staffing of Shangqing Peak, and the relocation and reseating of both Shangqing Peak and Qingze University. On the small end, even the salaries and treatment of every category of teacher had to be made clear.

There could be no sloppiness in this kind of accounting.

It was true that Bai Xiang could have forcibly controlled the true spirits of the two people before her, but in matters like this, she had never intended to coerce anyone by force.

As the two of them discussed things there, Bai Zhuqing sat beside them writing down notes.

Only old man Wang Ran sat uneasily to one side, growing more hesitant the longer he listened.

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Did Li Sheng just get there before me?

The best piece of land is going to Qingze University. Then what happens to our school?

For a moment, he actually regretted it. He regretted not being decisive enough and not trying to bring over every last bit of his own lineage.

We were obviously even closer in distance. When it comes to sheer boldness, I really am no match for Li Sheng…

Bai Xiang’s attitude was upright and exact. While she offered favorable terms, she also held fast to certain standards and refused to yield on them. That, instead, made both Li Sheng and Wang Ran feel reassured.

By the time the arrangements had all been discussed, nearly an hour had passed. Li Sheng let out a breath and immediately felt her mood brighten.

Before coming here, she had once worried that Bai Xiang might find her demands excessive, and because Xiang Xian had a special relationship with her, might be unwilling to give Shangqing treatment close to what Yuming had received.

But now she could finally set her mind at ease. She even felt a trace of gratitude toward Xiang Xian, because she understood perfectly well that Xiang Xian’s continued absence all this time was deliberate. It was her way of giving Li Sheng room to negotiate terms.

After all, the two of them had never gotten along before.

Some things were not easy to say when Xiang Xian was present.

Then it was Wang Ran’s turn.

There was less to be said there. After all, the Benling side had far fewer people, so taking them in was much easier. The only matter on which Bai Xiang spent extra words had to do with Tiger-Subduing Temple.

“Dao Master Wang,” Bai Xiang said frankly, “some time ago, I made a trip to Luohou and have already brought over all the monks of Tiger-Subduing Temple there. When there is time, I can have a disciple take you to see them. I think you and Master Guangyuan should have quite a few things to talk about.”

“If you find that suitable, then I also permit the future Benling Peak to gather the Luohou lineage back in and count it together as a branch of the dojo.”

Wang Ran was visibly moved. He exchanged a brief glance with Abbess Li Sheng, and the two of them rose from their meditation cushions at the same time and bowed to Bai Xiang.

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“We place ourselves at the Dao Master’s disposal.”

That bow signified that they had formally changed identities.

No longer were they the heads of two Mountains-and-Rivers-ranked dojos. They had become two peak masters under Shenming Sword Dao, each leading the newly established Shangqing Peak and Benling Peak, continuing to strengthen the dojo’s power.

In times of chaos like these, it truly was better to huddle together for warmth…

Wang Ran had another realization in his heart, then continued, “In that case, Dao Master, I will depart at once to return to the Qi lands. I must make sure to relocate all the teachers and students there.”

“This is no small matter. I’ll go with you.”

Li Sheng added that immediately.

It wasn’t that she looked down on Wang Ran. It was that she had done this herself already and knew exactly how difficult it was.

Was relocating teachers and students really something that could be done as casually as talking about it?

A single university had ten thousand people. It was entirely possible that most of them still held affection for their dojo’s traditions and were willing to leave their homes behind and follow along. But there would inevitably also be many who did not agree with the idea of joining Shenming.

Those people would all choose to withdraw from the Dao and continue living in Zezhou.

What had happened at Qingze would inevitably repeat itself at Qizhou University as well.

And on top of that, demonic lineages might block the way. Another person also meant another measure of security.

Li Sheng had already converted to the Path of Qi. At present, her cultivation was at the Qi Dao False Core stage, putting her ahead of Wang Ran, who had only made up his mind shortly before setting out.

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Flying from Zhennan Circuit to Qiyun Circuit would take no more than a little over a day. Bai Xiang immediately nodded in agreement, but before letting the two of them leave, she asked one more question: what exactly was going on with Fang Xiaochun?

“This…”

Naturally, that could only be asked of Wang Ran. He shook his head helplessly. “Wuqiu Mountain has been eyed by a group of demon-men. They want to seize Benling Sword Dao. These past days, you could say I’ve been trapped inside the dojo, guarding the surrounding area, and haven’t had the mind to learn the details.”

“But I have indeed heard quite a few rumors saying that Lord Fang has already been sidelined, and that Qiyun’s affairs are currently being controlled by a man called Fang Wenyuan.”

“It is said that this person is extremely arbitrary and domineering. Internally, he rules with brutality, while toward those demonic lineages he is obsequious to the utmost. He has even agreed to many vile terms…”

The further Wang Ran spoke, the harsher his tone became.

Because those so-called “vile terms” included items such as “offering up virgin boys and girls.”

It was also because he had heard these things, and because he had personally watched the Court do absolutely nothing about them, as though it meant to let the Qi lands perish on their own, that he had finally made up his mind to defect to Bai Xiang.

The Qi lands have a top-tier force like Taixu Monastery under the Demon Court. Judging from Taixu Monastery’s conduct, I do not think it would do such things.

Bai Xiang was thinking along the same lines.

She felt that Taixu Monastery was probably not the force doing this, but that the demonic lineages behind it were very likely being supported by a power of the same order as Taixu Monastery, which was why they could act so arrogantly.

Just as she was about to let the two of them go, Bai Zhuqing picked up her phone, glanced at it, and suddenly cried out, “Sis… Dao Master!”

Bai Xiang and the other two both turned toward her, only to see her lifting the phone screen and exclaiming, “The exact arrangements for the Dao-Void Martial Tournament!”

“It’s finally here!”