Xie Daoyun clearly thought the same thing as him, thinking that she had made the right choice in disguising herself this time. This Purple Mountain seemed calm, but there was always a feeling of turbulent times.

At this moment, Zhang Zijiang stepped forward and shouted, "Are you blind... cough cough, we are the Imperial Guards, here to repair the palace on Purple Mountain by order of the Emperor. This is our leader, General Shen Houzu!"

He almost blurted out a curse, but realizing the other party was a disciple of the Imperial Advisor, he swallowed the insult in time.

Zu'an was speechless. Why did you mention Shen Hou when you were introducing me? It made me feel like a pervert.

"The Imperial Guards?" The Zheng Yang Sect disciple's expression changed slightly, clearly indicating that he also knew that the Imperial Guards were one of the emperor's personal guards.

At this moment, Zhang Xi arrived upon hearing the news: "So it's Lord Zu, General Zhang. The Imperial Preceptor specifically instructed us to be so kind as to not greet you properly. Please forgive us!"

I don't know how many times I've apologized today, no wonder the other disciples from the other peaks are unwilling to come.

Fortunately, I came, otherwise I wouldn't have experienced the joy of being close to Junior Sister Chu of Baiyujing and Junior Sister Pei of Biluo Palace. Those guys would definitely regret it when they find out.

At the mountain gate, there were not only disciples from other sects of the Daoist sect, but also some disciples from other sects who had come after hearing the news. Some were invited by the Zheng Yang Sect to come up the mountain as guests, but most were just there to watch the excitement. After all, it was rare to see the legendary figures of the Nine Sects on ordinary days, and even letting disciples from their sects come and experience the aura of the powerful would be very beneficial.

That's why the Zhengyang Sect specifically sent disciples to check invitation jade tokens and the like at the mountain gate.

Seeing the two sides chatting happily, the people around them felt a little envious. The relationship between Zhengyang Sect and the imperial court was indeed good. No wonder they had been able to obtain so many resources and improve their strength so quickly over the years.

Others noticed something amiss: why did the leading official look like a weak, pale-faced man?

There wasn't a trace of vital energy emanating from him; wasn't he just an ordinary person?

It's likely that he was a spoiled brat from a powerful family who got this position through his family's influence.

Has the imperial court degenerated to such a level that such a position is obtained through nepotism?

The imperial court has always been telling us that only through hard work and self-cultivation can we be appointed to the corresponding official positions.

The disciples of these minor sects were immediately filled with anger at being deceived.

On the contrary, the disciples of the nine sects of Taoism were secretly delighted. The imperial court was so corrupt that it would be doomed sooner or later. The Zhengyang Sect was deeply bound to them, and their glorious days were not long away. When that time came, it would be their sect's turn to rise to power.

Seeing the endless stream of anger points he received in the backend, Zuan was a little confused, thinking, "I didn't do anything, why are these people so angry?"

Is he so handsome that just standing here can garner a lot of envy, jealousy, and hatred from other men?

Thinking this way, he immediately felt happy.

Next, Zhang Xi arranged for his disciples to escort them up the mountain. On the way, Zhang Zijiang leaned close to Zu An and whispered, "Lord Zu, I didn't expect all nine sects of the Zishan Daoist Association to gather here. There are so many people on the mountain, and they are all experts. It will be very difficult for us to keep them safe."

On the surface, their mission was to repair and renovate various buildings on Zishan Mountain, but in reality, it was to prepare for the emperor's Fengshan ceremony and eliminate any potential safety hazards in advance.

But now there are hidden dangers everywhere, and they are not things they can eliminate.

According to what the disciples of the Zhengyang Sect just said, the people who came this time are all elite disciples from various sects, and the leaders are even grandmasters. Even if the army is mobilized, it is impossible to deal with so many experts.

Zu An said calmly, "Things will work themselves out when we get to the bridge."

Zhang Zijiang's eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs up: "Lord Zu truly has the demeanor of a great general, unlike me who panics at the slightest provocation..."

Hearing his barrage of flattery, Xie Daoyun felt a little embarrassed for him. How could this guy say so many cheesy things?

Zuan sighed inwardly, "No wonder everyone loves being an official. I used to think flattery was nauseating, but that was only because I wasn't the one being flattered. Now that I'm experiencing it firsthand, I realize that this stuff is really addictive and irresistible."

However, his willpower was extraordinary, and he quickly regained his senses, finding an opportunity to ask the disciple who had led the way, "How often does your sect hold its grand competition?"

The disciple knew that the man held a high official position, so he did not dare to be negligent: "Reporting to this sir, it is once every ten years."

"When was the last major competition?" Zu'an asked.

The disciple gave a timeframe, and Zu An calculated it; it was indeed exactly ten years, clearly not a recent arrangement.

"So, is Zishan the venue for every competition?" Zu'an asked again.

"No, that's not it. The competition is hosted by the nine major sects in rotation each time. This time it just happened to be our Zhengyang Sect's turn," the disciple replied.

Zuan asked a few more questions, but couldn't find anything wrong, so he had to give up.

Soon, a group of people arrived at the Reception Hall. The Reception Hall was built against the mountain, with carved railings and painted beams. Various mythical beasts were carved on the upturned eaves. The whole hall was magnificent and solemn, making people feel the vastness of the world and their own insignificance when they stood in front of it.

The Hall of Reception is said to have been built to guide celestial beings down to earth. Of course, no one has ever seen a real celestial being, and this claim is just a legend.

Today, the Jieyin Hall is a place used by the Zhengyang Sect to receive distinguished guests from all walks of life.

Previously, when the disciples from the nine sects came up here, they were received by the peak masters of the Zhengyang Sect, and then led by their disciples to their respective residences.

The disciple who had led the way settled Zu An and his group in the hall: "Please wait a moment, gentlemen, the sect leader will be here shortly."

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