Shui Miao’s heart stirred, and as he was about to resist, the divine consciousness suddenly withdrew.
Deep within the Chixiao Palace, several True Immortals were holding a secret meeting.
The sect leader of the Ninth Heaven was Taiyi Zhenren.
Inside the secret chamber, besides Tai Xuan Zhenren, there were also Tai Jin and Tai Huo Zhenren.
Earlier, the three Zhenren had jointly probed Shui Miao’s strength, which was why Shui Miao had felt such immense pressure.
Taiyi Zhenren frowned deeply, silently contemplating for a long while before speaking calmly, “This Zhao Tianyi is indeed suspicious. His cultivation has surpassed even ours. I don’t know how many demonic beasts and Heaven Demon disciples he has devoured; his inner aura is truly unpredictable. He appears loyal and honest, yet his origins remain unclear…”
Taiyi Zhenren, being a straightforward person, didn’t want to raise a tiger only to be harmed by it.
Upon hearing this, Tai Xuan Zhenren immediately grasped the sect leader’s implication and hastily interrupted, saying, “Senior师兄, he is merely a wandering immortal. Given our current circumstances, the Yuxu Sect desperately needs someone like him. If you turn him away, another sect will surely snatch him up! Furthermore, Hua Yuting and his faction have been highly active lately, and many have already switched allegiance to them. If we don’t strengthen our forces, Senior师兄, your position may be in jeopardy. When the celestial war arrives, we will end up as mere foot soldiers, commanded by others!”
“I believe that if Hua Yuting meets this Zhao Tianyi, he will surely try to recruit him,” Tai Huo Zhenren said solemnly while stroking his beard.
This remark was spot-on, hitting the nail right on the head.
Hearing this, Tai Jin Zhenren quickly responded, “No, absolutely not! If Zhao Tianyi ends up under Hua Yuting’s command, we won’t stand a chance. We’ve worked hard for years to maintain the Yuxu Sect. If we don’t receive credit for our efforts, how can we accept being reduced to subordinates under Hua Yuting?”
“Indeed, Senior师兄. Hua Yuting is arrogant and selfish. Lately, he has been overstepping your authority, giving orders as he pleases. Senior师兄, haven’t you noticed this yet?” Tai Huo Zhenren became somewhat anxious.
“Please, calm down…”
Taiyi Zhenren quickly tried to soothe everyone, “My junior brothers, I fully understand your concern for me. However, I still feel that Zhao Tianyi’s arrival seems somewhat suspicious. If he turns out to be problematic, it may bring harm to us all.”
Taiyi Zhenren was very cautious by nature and disliked taking risks.
“Oh Senior师兄, don’t you realize the urgency of our current situation? If you do nothing, Hua Yuting will gain the advantage,” Tai Huo Zhenren, with his impatient nature, could no longer stand it.
Taiyi Zhenren quickly responded, “Brother, it’s not like that. I think, regardless of what Hua Yuting does, he is still part of the Yuxu Sect. He is our fellow disciple. Even if he becomes the sect leader, as long as he doesn’t betray the sect, I have no objection.”
“This…”
“Senior师兄, how can you be so spineless?”
“Senior师兄, how could you be so lacking in backbone?”
Tai Jin Zhenren and Tai Huo Zhenren became anxious at once.
“Calm down, calm down. Let’s talk this through…”
Tai Xuan Zhenren quickly tried to pacify his junior brothers before turning to Taiyi Zhenren and saying, “Senior师兄, we know your intentions are always for the greater good of the sect, but the current situation is not exactly as you perceive it. Hua Yuting is certainly not a virtuous person. We deeply respect you as our sect leader, but if he were to take control, we would absolutely refuse to accept it.”
“Why? Why won’t you accept it?” Taiyi Zhenren was puzzled.
Tai Xuan Zhenren, calm and composed, slowly explained, “Senior Brother, you have always remained in seclusion and are thus poorly informed about affairs outside. Back when Hua Yuting was in the Sixth Heaven, his reputation was already dreadful. Just think—how he, as Taiyu Zhenren, secretly conspired with Yu Hua Xianzun and went to the Realm of Rakshasa to commit heinous acts. Would you ever do something like that? He treats heavenly laws and sect regulations as mere trivialities, acting recklessly and shamelessly. Now I’ve learned that this morning he visited Kunpeng Xian Di early in the day. Tell me, as a senior elder of the Yuxu Sect, what possible business could he have with Kunpeng Xian Di? Isn’t this clearly a sign of hidden intentions?”
“Exactly! We’ve all seen it, but you, as the sect leader, remain oblivious.”
“Senior师兄, I hate to say it, but you’re just too honest. With the celestial war approaching, your personality will bring disaster to the sect.”
Both Tai Jin Zhenren and Tai Huo Zhenren spoke up, launching a barrage of criticism at their senior师兄.
After being scolded like this, Taiyi Zhenren was suddenly jolted awake, as if coming out of a dream, and quickly stood up to ask Tai Xuan Zhenren, “Brother, you’re the smartest among us. You always plan meticulously and consider things thoroughly. Tell me, what should I do now?”
“This…”
Seeing that his senior had shifted the problem onto him, Tai Xuan Zhenren had to proceed with caution.
He knew that although his senior martial brother was honest, he often pretended to be this way. He sought stability, wanted others to take the initiative, and if anything went wrong, the blame would fall on them, while any rewards would go to him.
In other words, although Taiyi Zhenren appeared loyal and honest, he was actually the most skilled at protecting himself.
After a moment of contemplation, Tai Xuan Zhenren had an idea and said, “To be safe, why don’t we first give him an empty title? Our Yuxu Sect’s Ten Thousand Beasts Hall has never been prosperous. Why not let him manage it? If he does well and proves his character without any issues, we can promote him later.”
“But, what if he causes a major incident?” Taiyi Zhenren was most concerned about this.
Tai Xuan Zhenren smiled faintly, “Not only would he dare not cause trouble, but even if he did, how much damage could he really do? If there’s a real problem, Senior师兄, you can shift the blame onto that Lu supervisor from the Alchemy Department. I’ve already investigated him—he’s been secretly embezzling sect medicinal herbs and crystals for years, and deserves execution. He’d be the perfect scapegoat.”
“Great! Let’s do it like that!”
Taiyi Zhenren felt a great weight lifted from his heart and immediately said, “Let him manage the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall and bestow upon him the title of Tai Shou Zhenren.”
“Excellent! I’ll handle it right away!”
Tai Xuan Zhenren exchanged knowing glances with his two junior brothers before they all smiled and left the secret chamber.
However, just as they exited the chamber and entered the grand hall, a young man came flying in, weeping bitterly.
This young man wore a brocade robe and jade ornaments, but his chest was completely stained with blood, as were his mouth and nose. He was none other than Xiao Shuang, the deputy head of the Divine Artifact Hall.
Xiao Shuang was known to everyone as a kind-hearted and honest man.
Taiyi Zhenren, whose surname was Xiao and given name Li, was actually Xiao Shuang’s own uncle.
Before anyone could react, Xiao Shuang suddenly knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly, “I beg the Sect Leader to avenge me! That Hua Tianxiong secretly sneaked into the treasure vault, intending to steal several top-grade immortal treasures. When I discovered this and tried to stop him, he acted outrageously, refusing to heed me, and had me captured and brutally beaten. While beating me, he even hurled insults, calling me blind and ungrateful. He has truly gone too far!”
“What a scoundrel!”
Seeing his most honest nephew beaten like this, Taiyi Zhenren was furious and could no longer remain seated.
Without waiting for his junior brothers to offer suggestions, Taiyi Zhenren decisively exercised his authority as sect leader and immediately ordered, “Tai Xuan Zhenren, I command you to bestow upon Zhao Tianyi the title of Tai Fa Zhenren and appoint him as the interim head of the Disciplinary Bureau to personally handle this matter.”
Taiyi Zhenren had suddenly changed his mind.
He was going to use a temporary worker to kill two birds with one stone!
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. Who said Taiyi Zhenren was honest? He was more cunning than a fox!
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