Chapter 226 In Action:
“But this is ultimately a matter for the Xuantian Sect. Our Lingjing Sect has always refrained from interfering in the internal affairs of other sects,” an elder said.
"Yes, perhaps Sect Master Feng has a backup plan. Let's wait and see."
“At this time, the Xuantian Sect is in dire need of rebuilding and there are still many things to take care of. Sect Master Feng may just be temporarily unable to attend to it. If we question him now, we might be accused of taking advantage of someone in distress.”
The elders discussed among themselves, their meaning being that it was better to avoid trouble. It wasn't that they were cowardly or afraid of trouble, but rather that the Lingjing Sect's consistent principle was that everyone should take responsibility for their own affairs, treat each other with respect, and not overstep their bounds.
"But this isn't just a matter for the Xuantian Sect!" Shen Bingsi interrupted impatiently. "The fact that the Xuantian Sect produced a flower demon is no accident. If we let them continue like this, we'll only repeat the same mistakes. Then, we won't be so lucky as to have a Lu Yingqi who suddenly ascended to power and turned the tide!"
The elders fell silent.
“Bing Si is right. If we don’t take advantage of the present moment, while the Flower Fairy’s influence is still there, and demand that Sect Master Feng propose a thorough reform and implement it, once the pressure from public opinion has subsided, it will be even more difficult to urge him to make changes,” Rong Xie expressed his concern.
The elders were undecided for a moment and looked at Sect Master Xue. Sect Master Xue also frowned and pondered for a while before saying, "Rong Xie and Shen Bing Si are right. Our Lingjing Sect should still take care of this matter."
Surprisingly, no elder objected to what Sect Leader Xue said.
Their gazes toward Sect Leader Xue suddenly filled with power, as if they had long awaited this day, and the Spirit Mirror Sect was finally about to start meddling in the affairs of other sects!
In the following time, Sect Master Xue and the elders made a detailed battle plan. Shen Bingsi and Rong Xie also received a mission: they would go to the Mirror Palace to report the situation to Judge Jiang and ask him to make a decision.
That afternoon, the two set off and arrived at the Mirror Palace before sunset.
Judge Jiang and the recorder had just gone through a long interrogation, their spiritual and mental energy exhausted, and were resting when Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi suddenly arrived. Judge Jiang came out in plain clothes, with obvious bruises under his eyes: "What brings you here?"
"Brother Jiang, we heard that you have already announced the results of the investigation, and Elder Bai has taken all the blame?" Shen Bingsi asked bluntly.
"What?" Judge Jiang was taken aback. "Who told you that?"
"Sect Master Xue, surely he wouldn't favor either the Xuantian Sect?" Shen Bingsi asked.
"Come in and talk," Judge Jiang said, ushering the two into the main hall.
After Shen Bingsi finished conveying the message, Judge Jiang's eyebrows were already tightly furrowed, and the dark circles under his eyes seemed to have deepened.
"The investigation results are correct, but... Sect Master Feng's interpretation of the processed version seems to be completely different," Jiang Caijie pondered.
The registrar, who was also listening to Shen Bingsi's relay, leaned against the wall of the main hall, crossed her arms, and sneered, "I knew that Sect Master Feng was a cunning old fox, and I was right."
"You also think there's a problem? The development of the Ruthless Dao Palace isn't just Elder Bai's responsibility. Sect Master Feng and the Elder Council must have also pushed for it," Rong Xie said. "Right now, they've only purged Elder Bai, nothing else has changed, and they're still letting the Ruthless Dao Palace go down the old path. If we do nothing, we're afraid we'll repeat the same mistakes."
“You’re right,” Judge Jiang sighed, “but there’s only so much we can do. Publishing the investigation results is the only thing we can do. As for how to interpret them and how to implement them in reforms, that’s beyond our control. Shen Bingsi should understand that as well.”
Shen Bingsi hummed in agreement, her expression grave.
"What do you expect us to do? If it's something we can do, we will naturally cooperate fully," said Judge Jiang.
Although the Mirror Palace has great authority, surpassing all other sects and forces, it is also subject to many restrictions. For example, without the permission of the Heavenly Mirror, they cannot act arbitrarily, and they cannot touch anything that disrupts order. Interfering in the internal affairs of the three major sects is a typical example of disrupting order and is one of the Mirror Palace's red lines.
It was impossible for Judge Jiang to intervene directly. This point had already been discussed in the council hall before they arrived. Shen Bingsi and Rong Xie had come prepared.
“Brother Jiang doesn’t need to intervene directly,” Shen Bingsi said. “Brother Jiang only needs to issue a restriction order…”
"Breaking news! Breaking news!"
Early in the morning, in the square in front of Chongyuetai Restaurant, well-informed cultivators were scattering copied papers around while shouting.
"What news?" "Elder Bai is back?" "The Ascension Academy has announced the assessment criteria?"
The crowd surged forward, surrounding the well-informed cultivator in the center, completely blocking the road.
Recently, because Sect Master Feng announced that the Ruthless Dao Palace would soon open the "Ascension Academy," various aristocratic families have been mobilizing to send their most promising children to the Xuan Tian Sect's Chongyue Platform. They are just waiting for the Ascension Academy's exam content to be announced so that they can immediately register and use their connections to get their descendants into the Ascension Academy's internal list of selected candidates.
These people are generous spenders, willing to pay any price to stay in expensive restaurants, and they will mobilize as a group at the slightest sign of trouble.
Because of this, the Xuantian Sect's Moon-Piercing Platform was more crowded than ever before. The last time it was this crowded was when the Xuantian Sect held a unified inner sect assessment.
The bustling scene at Chongyue Platform was observed by the spies sent by Sect Master Feng. They promptly reported the movements of the aristocratic families to Sect Master Feng. Meanwhile, Sect Master Feng and the Elder Council, far away at Tianji Altar, kept a close eye on the movements at Chongyue Platform. Sometimes, they would even spread rumors to stir up the enthusiasm of the aristocratic families and encourage more of them to participate in the bidding for the spots.
"Report! Three of the four great families have already arrived at Chongyuetai!"
"The Dongfang family has declared that even if they have to spend the money of an entire estate, they will send their young master to the 'Ascension Academy'!"
"Report—"
One piece of good news after another reached the Tianji Altar. The elders were beaming with joy and congratulated the Sect Master Feng, who sat on the throne: "Sect Master is truly farsighted and has made a brilliant move!"
"In this way, we can make up for any losses our Xuantian Sect suffers. It doesn't matter if the Ruthless Dao Palace loses Elder Bai. Under Sect Master Feng's personal leadership, it will only grow stronger and better!"
Amidst the chorus of praises and eulogies, Sect Master Feng also became quite elated.
At that moment, a discordant voice rang out:
"Report! Breaking news: Mirror Palace has issued a decree prohibiting any sect or force from using illusions to attack a cultivator's sea of consciousness. Any such actions, regardless of the pretext, are strictly forbidden."
The Wind Sect Master's smile froze on his face.
"What? Why would Mirror Palace suddenly issue a ban? Who issued it?" Sect Master Feng's face darkened.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the elders stopped offering their congratulations and turned their attention to the cultivator delivering the message below the altar.
"It's a decree just issued by the Mirror Palace, and both the Spirit Mirror Sect and the Golden Mirror Sect have received it," the cultivator said breathlessly. "I don't know why, but it didn't reach us first. I only found out by hearing the Spirit Mirror Sect cultivators discussing it. They even gave me the contents of the decree!"
This cultivator was a familiar face; he was an informant sent by Sect Master Feng, so his reliability was beyond question, except...
"The Mirror Palace has issued another new ban, but it's skipping over our Xuantian Sect? The Lingjing Sect and Liujin Sect already know? That's not right..." Sect Master Feng paced back and forth on the steps, hands behind his back. "This isn't the Mirror Palace's style. The Mirror Palace never interferes in sect affairs, let alone this kind of inexplicable ban. Forbidding the use of illusions to attack a cultivator's sea of consciousness? Ridiculous! Every time a new secret realm opens, which sect doesn't rush in with its disciples to explore for treasures? Aren't those secret realms also a kind of illusion?"
“This… is still quite different,” an elder said. “The Mirror Palace obviously issued this ban because it was a test of the illusion that produced flower fairies.”
"Do you need to tell me? Do you think I don't understand what you mean?" Sect Master Feng said angrily. "Since Judge Jiang deliberately ignored us, we will pretend we don't know. As long as they don't come after us, we will continue according to the original plan—you, go and drive away those who spread rumors. Don't ruin this great situation!"
Yes! Yes!
The informants were ordered to leave.
Sect Master Feng sat back down in his seat, crossed his arms, and said, "Now that Elder Bai is gone, the position of the head elder of the Ruthless Dao Palace is vacant. We must select a reliable person as soon as possible to fill this vacancy and appease the people."
His gaze swept over the elders below, his expression meaningful: "Who do you all think is suitable for this position? This position is extremely important. In the future, the development of the Xuantian Sect may depend on the Ascension Academy of the Ruthless Dao Palace. We must select a reliable person."
Sect Master Feng emphasized the word "reliable" and looked at the elders with a smile. The elders were all eager to compete, secretly vying for this important position from Sect Master Feng.
An ugly loyalty contest has begun.
at the same time.
In the square in front of Chongyuetai Restaurant, the monks who were distributing the ban passed through the crowd and disappeared into a back alley, where several people dressed as vendors and servants had gathered.
"So, has the news spread yet?"
These people are all cultivators from the Spirit Mirror Sect. They came to Chongyue Platform to spread the Mirror Palace's prohibitions.
Of course, Mirror Palace could send the ban directly to Sect Master Feng, but the result of doing so would be that Sect Master Feng would once again ignore the ban or interpret it in his own way, which would not help change the situation at all.
Therefore, the Lingjing Sect adopted another method of spreading the ban: first, it was distributed among the people to create a great uproar in public opinion, so that Sect Master Feng would not have time to suppress it.
"The news has spread. Everyone in the streets and alleys, the entire Chongyuetai, is talking about the Mirror Palace's ban right now."
"And those scions of aristocratic families, I think they're starting to doubt whether the Ascension Academy can keep going. Some of them are even packing their bags, ready to leave if things don't look good."
"Well done, keep it up, and make sure the Ascension Academy fails!"
"I wonder how the other disciples on the platform are doing?"
"I'll contact them right now," said the leading senior sister of the Lingjing Sect. "Everyone, disperse for now, be careful to conceal your identities, and don't let the Xuantian Sect people discover you."
"Yes, Senior Sister!"
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Today, I boldly checked the comments section of the previous chapters and was so angry that my period was about to start early. If I don't go and clarify this, I'll become a top-obsessed person. It's outrageous!
I used to think that the comment section was a place for readers to speak freely, and I couldn't control it. I also didn't want to read comments that were completely twisted and didn't fit my thought process, so I didn't care and I didn't read them. Now I realize that if the trash isn't cleaned up, it will turn into a mountain, and nobody wants to live in a mountain of trash. If I lived in a mountain of trash, no friends would want to come and get to know me. So, I started cleaning up the trash.
And thank you to all the little angels who followed along the whole time, you guys are simply gods! I can't even guarantee that I won't be affected by the comments [crying] The fact that you guys kept watching until the end and even praised me is just divine (kneeling on one knee!)
P.S. "Overlapping armor" refers specifically to comments that distort the facts or contain profanity. Other expressions of dissatisfaction are, in my opinion, normal comments. I know I have many shortcomings, and sometimes I'm lazy and write things that are just ridiculous. It's perfectly normal to have complaints! I will try my best to improve!
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