Hu Qianqian flew at top speed for an hour before she finally saw the borders of Jinhuai Prefecture. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that everything was normal, without the chaos she had imagined.

As she neared the Daoist Scripture Hall, two guardian cultivators in yellow Daoist robes came forward to lead the way, guiding her to a landing in the Hall’s rear courtyard.

Hu Qianqian could feel that the Daoist Scripture Hall was brimming with spiritual energy; clearly, many Entering Cultivators had gathered here. Yunshan’s figure was the most conspicuous. He stood on the flank of the main building, looking as if he were ready to activate the Hall’s defensive formation at a moment’s notice.

Zuo Xuan was standing at the main gate of the Pacification Envoy’s administrative courtyard, holding a small bamboo slip used for writing intelligence reports.

Before she could finish reading the slip, a cultivator from the reconnaissance team, dressed in a light purple Daoist robe, landed and handed her a new report. Zuo Xuan glanced at the landing Hu Qianqian, then said impatiently to the team member, "Compile the reports at the secretariat first. Don’t bother me with trivial matters."

With that, she turned to Hu Qianqian. "Go to the front hall. Tell those cultivators your master is aware of the situation and will certainly give the fallen Fellow Daoists the justice they deserve."

Hu Qianqian glanced into the courtyard and asked, "And my master?"

"Summoned by the Lord."

...

「In a courtyard Dao Field deep within the Six Heart Sect.」

Xiao Shan Lord, dressed in a loose blue Daoist robe, sat firmly in an old Grandmaster’s Chair. He was toying with a golden sphere that appeared to be crafted from pure gold, its surface intricately carved with mysterious Wood Spirit Runes.

Xiu Yu, Zi Luan, and Wang Ping stood respectfully about twenty feet before him.

At that moment, Xiao Shan Lord was recounting some old history:

"When I began my cultivation, times were incredibly hard. The various sects were constantly at war, and people would stop at nothing in their quest for immortality. As a result, the lands were overrun with fiends—cultivators who had gone astray in their practice. They seized control of mountains and rivers, absorbed the spiritual energy of the world, and captured living people to refine into elixirs or offer as sacrifices."

"Back then, we didn’t even have a word for ’aptitude’ in our cultivation. We didn’t know what was righteous, what was evil, or what was demonic. Only my master held fast to the ’Human Dao.’ ’Now that I think about it,’ if not for his guidance, I might have become one of those fiends myself, wreaking havoc across the land."

"Later, I met another man like my master: Elder Yuxiao. In those days, he was a beacon for all cultivators of my generation. I was deeply influenced by him, but he was a true hero. I could never be like him."

"Years ago, Elder Yuxiao heeded the words of Huishan True Monarch and went to the Mist Sea, seeking a path to the Fifth Realm. He never returned."

Xiao Shan Lord stared at the golden sphere in his hands. "I tried to persuade him at the time. I said... well, that’s something you cannot know yet."

His gaze fell upon the three men before him. "Later, when Wu Ma Daoist and I vied for control of the Southern Taiyan Daoist Lineage, I didn’t actually care much. I was even willing to let him have it. However, Huishan Zhenren disagreed, and cultivators all across the south also strongly disapproved of Wu Ma."

"The *Taiyan Talisman* holds the profound power to alter creation itself, yet Wu Ma Daoist was singularly obsessed with studying deadly poisons. He used his great ’Sky-Shrouding’ power to seize the world’s most toxic substances and forge a puppet that defied the natural order. This caused the world’s spiritual energy to fall out of balance, and it was he who brought the poisonous miasma to the Southern Islands."

"The people of the True Yang Sect may be reckless, but they wouldn’t dare openly challenge the rules of the Daoist Scripture Hall. The incident on Mozhou Road was instigated by Wu Ma Daoist’s disciples. He has likely reached the end of his path and wants to experiment with something new. He himself is nothing to fear; as long as the True Monarch’s will endures, he can never leave the Southern Islands. His followers, however, are another matter entirely."

At this, Xiao Shan Lord gave a soft chuckle. "Madness always attracts the mad. It seems they yearn for the chaotic times of old."

He gripped the golden sphere and looked sternly at the three of them. "These are troubled times. Put a stop to your infighting for now."

"Yes!"

The three replied in unison. Then Zi Luan, standing in the center, cupped his fist and asked, "If I may ask, Master, are we to wipe them all out this time?"

Xiao Shan Lord extended a hand. In the next instant, countless fine golden threads appeared at his feet, weaving themselves into a map of the Southern Four Roads. Then, myriad living beings appeared upon the map.

"After two hundred years of peace, the destiny of the southern lands has been settled. I alone command ninety percent of it..."

With that, he waved his hand, dismissing the map of golden threads. He looked at Wang Ping and said, "The True Yang Sect sent a fool. He actually wants a piece of the action, but he chose the wrong partner..."

The Lord laughed again. Once he’d finished, he continued, "Mozhou Road... it seems everything revolves around that place. The legacy of White Crane Mountain is truly a nuisance sometimes. Can any of you think of a way to get them to relocate?"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yu cupped his fist. "White Crane Mountain has two major lineages: the True Yang Sect and the Upper Dan Sect. We in the Southern Four Roads rely heavily on the elixirs from the Upper Dan Sect..."

A gleam flashed in Wang Ping’s eyes. He could tell Xiu Yu’s connection to White Crane Mountain was a deep one.

"No wonder," Zi Luan cut Xiu Yu off with a sneer. "How could a good-for-nothing like Ren Kong establish a firm foothold on Mozhou Road? It turns out he had backing!"

KNOCK KNOCK.

Xiao Shan Lord tapped the armrest of his Grandmaster’s Chair with the golden sphere. As if he didn’t want to hear his disciples bicker, he waved a hand and said, "All of you, withdraw."

Sometimes, even the Lord suffered headaches because of his disciples.

"Yes!"

...

Outside the courtyard Dao Field.

Just as Wang Ping and Zi Luan were about to leave, Xiu Yu suddenly spoke up. "I know one of Wu Ma Daoist’s disciples, a man named Yu An. He has a sworn brother named Zi Xun, and their centuries-long friendship is exceptionally strong."

"Oh?"

Wang Ping halted, and Zi Luan looked on with curiosity.

Xiu Yu continued, "Fellow Daoist, you’ve only just taken charge of Nanlin Road, and the cultivators from every sect are waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. If you can’t resolve this conflict with Mozhou Road perfectly, those same cultivators will pay lip service to your commands while undermining you in secret. Of course, you could suppress them by force, but you know the consequences of that."

He stared at Wang Ping, getting to the heart of the matter. "As things stand, your hands are tied regarding Mozhou Road. The most you can do is impeach Ren Kong at the tri-seat council. My suggestion... is that we make a play using this Yu An."

"What’s your plan?" Zi Luan asked.

"Kill Zi Xun and frame Ren Kong’s disciple for it." Xiu Yu’s reply was brutally simple.

"You’re playing with fire!" Zi Luan instinctively felt it was a trap.

"I’ll handle it," Xiu Yu said decisively.

"What do you want in return, Fellow Daoist?" Wang Ping asked.

"The head of my worthless disciple, Wulang!"

Wang Ping said nothing. Xiu Yu didn’t wait for a reply; after stating his price, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished.

"Care to join me for tea?" Zi Luan invited Wang Ping to his Dao Field with a friendly smile.

Wang Ping nodded.