The tension between the two attracted many people, including Ying Che.
Three years ago, when Lu Zhaozhao decided to stay alone in the ancestral hall, he was the only one who objected. He knew about the methods of the demons and therefore did not want Lu Zhaozhao to be in danger, but in the end, he could not persuade the others.
Now that Lu Zhaozhao has returned, he rushed over immediately, only to be met with this scene.
No need to ask any more questions; just looking at the situation at hand is enough to understand what happened.
Yunxian emerged from seclusion two years ago. His cultivation level had temporarily stabilized at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. After that, he went deep into the Demon Clan and Nanyuan and a series of events occurred.
Until half a year ago, he brought Nian Zhi back, locked her in the back mountain, and then resumed his rule as Emperor Huizong of Qing.
Ying Che was very happy when his master came out of seclusion, and he was also delighted when his junior sister returned, but he always felt that something was wrong these days.
The cultivation world is currently facing a major war, and the Qinghui Sect should be at the forefront of blocking the invasion of demons. However, it seems that they have not made any response so far.
Even his respected master seemed to have no objection.
Lu Zhaozhao glanced at Ying Che, assuming he was also there to stop her, and clicked her tongue.
His cultivation spread out, and the pressure of returning to the Void impacted everyone present. Not only the onlookers, but even Yun Xian's expression changed.
"You...have entered the Void Returning Realm?"
Yunxian was somewhat surprised. He had suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao and was now only at the Nascent Soul stage, while his disciple had surpassed him at such a young age. How ironic!
Lu Zhaozhao ignored him, coldly surveyed everyone present, and then asked, "I don't recall the sect being so peaceful. If there's nothing else, please leave."
Sometimes, cultivation is more important than any rhetoric.
Just like now, after Lu Zhaozhao said this, the crowd of onlookers immediately dispersed, and the bustling people scattered in all directions. In the end, only Ying Che remained.
Lu Zhaozhao looked at him and asked, "What is it, Senior Brother?"
For a moment, Ying Che didn't know what to say, and could only say, "Junior Sister, you're back."
Lu Zhaozhao, not understanding, nodded and then turned her gaze to Yun Xian.
She said, "Master, have you forgotten what you said back then? You have already made your choice between love and power. Out of respect for you, I only acted as the acting sect leader. I never expected that you would misunderstand me."
"Insolence!" Yun Xian hissed, "As a disciple, do you even dare to try and steal your master's position?!"
“Master, you are mistaken.” Lu Zhaozhao raised her voice and continued, “You gave up back then yourself. Besides, the capable should take the place, and now my cultivation is above yours. Moreover, you have a close relationship with the demoness.”
Her sharp gaze fell upon Nian Zhi, startling her so much that she flinched.
Previously, the gap between the two was not large. Nian Zhi had thought that once she surpassed Lu Zhaozhao in the future, she would definitely give her a hard time, but these thoughts completely disappeared today.
At only twenty years old, Lu Zhaozhao has reached this realm even faster than Yun Xian. Not to mention that after Yun Xian suffered a backlash, Lu Zhaozhao can be considered the number one in Qinghui today.
At the Golden Banquet, although she was powerful, she was only among her peers. Now, she has truly entered the ranks of the great powers. She could only look up to them before, and now she can hardly even dream of being like them.
Although Yun Xian was angry, the cultivation world was indeed a place where the strong were respected, so he could only suppress his anger.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't want to get entangled any further. She said, "A month from now, the Western Border will officially issue a challenge. Perhaps the sect will turn a blind eye to the current massacre of demons, but once the challenge is issued, neither civilians nor cultivators will be able to escape this calamity. I don't want such a thing to happen."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "I am not interested in the position of sect leader, but I will not allow anyone who sits in this position to be unworthy of it. Master has never been involved in affairs before, and needless to say, he has witnessed all the suffering in the world along the way. You are really not up to the task of this position."
Her words were clear and sharp, causing Yunxian's face to turn red and then pale.
"In the coming period, I will be reorganizing the sect, implementing defensive measures, establishing inter-sect relations, and negotiating the defense against the Western Border... There are many things to do, so please, Master, do not do anything to hinder me, otherwise..."
She glanced at Yun Xian, then at Nian Zhi, and said bluntly, "Otherwise, I will make you regret it immensely."
After saying that, she turned and left, leaving the three of them standing there.
As soon as Lu Zhaozhao left, Nian Zhi's tears fell like beads from a broken string. Yun Xian had no choice but to soften his expression and comfort her.
Ying Che didn't say a word from beginning to end.
But when Yunxian looked at him, he said, "Junior sister may have been too harsh in her words, but please, Master, listen to her opinion."
Yunxian stared in shock at this disciple who had always been the most respectful to his teacher, his eyes filled with confusion.
Ying Che turned his face away.
After the Golden Palace Banquet, he felt as if he had been reborn. Many things that would have troubled him in the past now seemed to have been seen through.
He looked in the direction Lu Zhaozhao had gone, where Lu Zhaozhao was hurriedly gathering everyone in the sect.
She not only had to announce new regulations, but also develop a plan to eradicate this decadent trend in the shortest possible time.
The elders present looked at Lu Zhaozhao, who was speaking eloquently at the head of the table, their brows furrowed so deeply they could practically trap flies, but in the end they didn't say anything to refute her.
In this world, there is one truth that holds true:
Might makes right!
Lu Zhaozhao's strength goes without saying. Although they doubted how she could have improved so much in such a short time, they didn't dare to raise any questions.
Taking advantage of this momentum, Lu Zhaozhao made proper arrangements throughout the sect and sent additional personnel to various cities to reorganize and strengthen defenses.
After dealing with these matters, she went to see Ying Che.
He was most familiar with the internal affairs of the sect, even Lu Zhaozhao had to admit it. And she only had a month, so she couldn't spend the whole month in the sect and had to go out to negotiate.
"Senior brother."
Seeing Ying Che approaching from afar, Lu Zhaozhao called out, but did not get up.
She sat at the very top of the main hall, the seat of past sect leaders. The current sect leader was still alive, so what she was doing could be considered overstepping her bounds, but no one dared to accuse or question her.
Ying Che didn't sit down either; at Lu Zhaozhao's prompting, he took a seat at the lower end of the table.
"As you know, the Western Army will attack in a month, and we must be prepared. I have already sent letters to various sects to discuss cooperation, and we will depart tomorrow. However, each sect cannot be without personnel..."
"Leave the sect to me, don't worry." Ying Che readily agreed. He knew what Lu Zhaozhao was thinking the moment she summoned him, and that was exactly what he was good at, so he had no reason to refuse.
Lu Zhaozhao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, and her expression did not escape Ying Che's notice.
Ying Che smiled, a smile that made her feel somewhat dazed, as if the Ying Che from the early stages of the story had returned, quite different from the Ying Che with sorrow in his eyes in the later stages.
Ying Che said gently, "I'm here, so you can go without worry. Many sects have a history with me, and I will write them a letter. They will definitely not make things difficult for you."
Looking into Ying Che's eyes, Lu Zhaozhao understood and nodded with a light smile.
No need for many words; the two of them need not exchange more than a few.
The next day, Lu Zhaozhao went to Wenyuan Academy, where the gathering of various sects was scheduled.
Wenyuan Academy has fought bravely against the enemy over the years, so it can still be considered a pure land. It is not much different from when the Golden Banquet was held back then, which makes Lu Zhaozhao feel a little disoriented.
Master Bai was already waiting outside the academy gate early in the morning.
Over the years, he had been trying to find out about Lu Zhaozhao. After learning that Lu Zhaozhao had returned, he wanted to visit her. Unfortunately, due to the extraordinary circumstances, travel was not easy, and he had not had the opportunity. Fortunately, he was finally able to see her now.
When Lu Zhaozhao saw Bai Yuanshi, she nodded to him.
Years have passed since we last met, and he has become more composed, yet more approachable than before.
"Did the Dean wait for me here on purpose?"
Lu Zhaozhao laughed and joked, guessing that this person was probably sent out to greet guests.
To everyone's surprise, he actually answered, "Yes."
"Huh?" Lu Zhaozhao was taken aback for a moment, looking at his serious expression, then immediately smiled and changed the subject: "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Bai Yuanshi smiled and made a welcoming gesture.
The conversation went very smoothly, perhaps because of Ying Che's message, or perhaps because the war was imminent. In any case, the plan was finalized very quickly, far exceeding Lu Zhaozhao's expectations.
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