Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 153

Volume 5 Chapter 153: Changes and Responses (Part 3)

"Is there someone against it?"

Hearing Mr. Liu’s question, Xu Qingfan seemed to understand something and slowly replied with a question.

If everything goes smoothly for Xu Qingfan to join the Righteous Alliance’s decision-making group, then Mr. Liu and Zhang Hualing would never ask Xu Qingfan for his opinion. Even if Xu Qingfan did not wish to join, they would push him to be a part of it, because this would greatly benefit Xu Qingfan’s future. With Xu Qingfan and Zhang Hualing both in the decision-making group, alongside a friend of Jiuhua like Mr. Liu, the Jiuhua lineage would benefit a lot as well.

Xu Qingfan’s status in the Righteous Alliance is rising quickly, and his reputation is higher than ever. His strength and influence now surpass many in the decision-making group. During this time, many rumors about Xu Qingfan joining the Righteous Alliance’s decision-making group have spread. In fact, Zhang Hualing and Mr. Liu have taken various actions for this, but Mr. Liu’s question suggests that something has gone wrong.

The decision-making group of the Righteous Alliance consists of the sect leaders of major schools and twelve grandmasters. All the actions taken by the Righteous Alliance over the years are decided and directed by them.

However, because of this, the various forces within the decision-making group are very balanced. There are both aggressive and more moderate personalities, and there are representatives of major schools as well as those for smaller schools and rogue cultivators. For example, within the decision-making group, there is even a balance between those who are hostile to Jiuhua and those who are close to Jiuhua. This is the result of careful selection and consideration.

Every decision made by this group affects the lives of many people and the rise and fall of various sects. Over the years, the actions of the Righteous Alliance, the number of times different teams have been deployed, and the dangers and safety in executing various tasks are largely the result of balancing various forces.

This is why it is expected that there would be opposition to Xu Qingfan, the well-known next sect leader of Jiuhua, joining the decision-making group.

Furthermore, in addition to ability, strength, and influence, there is also the issue of experience when joining the Righteous Alliance’s decision-making group. No matter how many accolades Xu Qingfan has, it cannot change the fact that he has been in the cultivation world for less than two hundred years.

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Zhang Hualing, who had been silent with his eyes closed, finally opened his eyes. A slight cold smile appeared on his lips, as if for him, the battle between the Righteous Alliance and the Southern Wasteland demon beasts was far less important than whether Xu Qingfan could join the Righteous Alliance’s decision-making group. He calmly said, "Yes, there are people who oppose it—many people. They don’t want you to enter the decision-making group and disturb the current balance of power in the Righteous Alliance, and your rapid rise has made many people uncomfortable."

Mr. Liu smiled lightly and said, "Then there’s that guy Zizhen. He’s starting to regret how he promoted you before. The reason he agreed to let you and your people rest during the final battle between the Righteous Alliance and the Southern Wasteland demon beasts is not only because you have been very tired lately, but also because he probably doesn’t want you to gain any more achievements in the battle. He wants to keep you hidden and out of everyone’s sight, gradually reducing your influence in the Righteous Alliance."

After hearing this, Xu Qingfan’s brow furrowed even deeper as he asked, "I know many people oppose this. But what I don’t understand is why Elder Zizhen opposes my entry into the decision-making group. I have helped the Qingxu clan, and Jiuhua has always been close to Qingxu. Wouldn’t my joining the decision-making group benefit him rather than harm him?"

Zhang Hualing scoffed, "In that way, it would be beneficial for him, but you haven’t considered one person."

A bitter smile appeared on Xu Qingfan’s lips as he asked, "Hua Xian?"

Mr. Liu and Zhang Hualing both nodded.

In some ways, the situations of Jiuhua and Qingxu are quite similar; both have suffered serious losses in strength before the disaster. Most of the losses were among the older elders, but many young talents have emerged in both factions. Jiuhua has Xu Qingfan, Jin Qinghan, Li Yuhan, Lv Qingshang, and Dongfang Qingling making a name for themselves in the Righteous Alliance, while Qingxu boasts Hua Xian, Lv Ziqing, Xu Xiurong, Shang Nianyao, and Mo Li, among others, who are equally impressive and have caused envy among many sect leaders.

However, because of this, both factions place their hopes on these young people and can only rely on them. The young members of these factions have unknowingly taken on the heavy responsibility of maintaining their sect’s prestige, but there are only so many honors to compete for. Coupled with their youthful competitiveness, it has led to various rivalries between the young members of both factions.

Among these rivalries, the most crucial and central competition lies between Xu Qingfan and Hua Xian.

Both were long seen as the successors of their factions and are being trained intensively by them. Their strength stands out among many young cultivators. Considering that Bo Guangyan, although termed a second-generation disciple, has cultivation experience comparable to that of a first-generation disciple, the top position among the young in the Righteous Alliance is to be chosen between these two.

Originally, Xu Qingfan led the team with better performance and had a larger reputation, while Hua Xian was more skilled and had better relationships. The two were equally matched, but now it is different. Immortal Zizhen personally promoted Xu Qingfan as one of the few heroes in the Righteous Alliance, greatly increasing his fame. For some unknown reason, Xu Qingfan advanced to the Golden Core Stage decades earlier than expected. If Xu Qingfan joins the decision-making team of the Righteous Alliance, he will certainly overshadow Hua Xian.

Because Xu Qingfan had helped the Qingxu lineage, they had already been struggling to hold their heads high in front of Jiuhua over the years. If the future leader of Qingxu is also suppressed by Xu Qingfan, the Qingxu lineage will continue to be oppressed by Jiuhua. Thus, allowing Xu Qingfan to enter the decision-making team will harm the Qingxu lineage more in the long run than any potential benefits.

This is how it is: although everyone talks about working towards a common righteous path, in truth, each person is calculating their own interests. Even Zizhen, the master, is no exception. Perhaps in private matters, Zizhen has the heart of a master, but before the sect’s inheritance, a master still thinks like an ordinary person, constantly scheming.

After seeing Mr. Liu and Zhang Hualing nod, Xu Qingfan pondered, "What do the two seniors want me to do?"

Mr. Liu replied calmly, "Joining the decision-making team of the Righteous Alliance will be greatly beneficial for your future. After we old fellows are gone, you could even lead the cultivation world because of this opportunity. It is essential and cannot be lost."

Zhang Hualing coldly laughed and said, "My Jiuhua has too little power in the higher ranks of the Righteous Alliance. Over the years, I have been in seclusion due to that incident, and with Jiuhua’s recognized decline in strength, we have become mere cannon fodder. Therefore, we take on the most dangerous tasks. If you hadn’t handled things well, we would have already fallen to the status of a second-rate sect like ‘Xuanzhen’ and ‘Gujian’. So, you must join the decision-making team and speak on behalf of Jiuhua."

Compared to Mr. Liu, who only considered Xu Qingfan, Zhang Hualing thought more about the gains and losses for Jiuhua.

Mr. Liu revealed a sly smile, like a fox, and softly said, "Since Zizhen has given you such high prestige, you cannot waste it. It’s time to use your influence. The sect leaders and masters are too focused on their own interests and have not been affected by your influence. In comparison, your influence is more evident among the middle and lower cultivators of the Righteous Alliance, so you must get your supporters to take action and let the sect leaders and masters hear their wishes."

A bitter smile briefly flashed across Xu Qingfan’s face, but he nodded and said, "I understand."

Mr. Liu believed that with Xu Qingfan’s ability, he only needed to tell him one rule for many things, and he would naturally find a way to handle them properly, so he didn’t say much more and started to mention the third thing.

"Now about the third thing, this matter is bigger or smaller compared to the first two; if it is big, it could lead to endless trouble, and if it is small, there will be no impact at all. It all depends on how you see it and deal with it."

Hearing Mr. Liu say this, Xu Qingfan couldn’t think of what it was and was slightly shocked, asking, "What is it?"

"It is about your niece, Ting’er."

At this point, Mr. Liu seemed to hesitate as if it was hard to bring up. After a moment, he said, "Actually, this is just your personal matter, and I should not say anything. However, based on my and Sect Master Zhang’s observations, Qingfan, don’t you think your niece’s feelings for you are not like those of an ordinary uncle?"

"What do you mean?"

Xu Qingfan didn’t understand and asked back.

※※※※

After Xu Qingfan left, Mr. Liu and Zhang Hualing still sat across from each other at the low table. The tea was cold, but they had no desire to drink it, remaining silent with one another.

"Do you think this talk today will have a deep impact on that child, Qingfan? I guess he has never encountered so much scheming before."

After a long while, Mr. Liu asked.

"Maybe, but he will have to face these things sooner or later. From our talk, it looks like he is not used to this at all. A lot of his reactions seem very hypocritical, so it’s better for him to be exposed to this early."

Zhang Hualing replied.

Mr. Liu fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "What about you? How much longer can you hold on?"

Zhang Hualing’s voice held a hint of bitter laughter.

"If I can hold on longer, why rush to teach him all this?"

After a moment, Zhang Hualing added, "The evil grows too quickly; if I can last three more years, that will be my limit. He must adapt to this sooner."

Mr. Liu let out a deep sigh, as if feeling regret but also hope.

At the same time, Xu Qingfan, who had just come out of Mr. Liu’s courtyard, stood outside the gate in a daze, looking a bit lost.