Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 160 Beauty Scheming
In Bianxia Town, Guzi Peak, Song Xian returned from Bianxi City. As soon as he arrived at the main hall, Lu Yuan immediately came to greet him. It was his turn to be on duty during this period.

"Master, you're back."

"Nothing happened these days!"

"No, it's just that Junior Brother Ning Yuan returned to the mountain gate the day before yesterday."

"Why is he back?"

Song Xian was stunned. He had sent Zhang Ningyuan to Changping City in Pingyuan County to retrieve everyone's family members, and had specifically instructed him to escort them back. Why did he come back alone? Could it be that things weren't going well? Did the Qingyuan Sect know about this and refuse to release them?
"Master, do you still remember Junior Brother Yu Lian?"

"of course I remember."

Song Xian thought of Yu Lian's fat face again. When Chang Jinmian tried to seize the throne and colluded with Yuan Yi Sect, Yu Lian changed sides when the situation was critical, so he stayed in Qingyun Sect and did not follow everyone to Bianxi City.

"Junior Brother Ning Yuan met him in Changping City. The two had a long conversation, and Yu Lian revealed his desire to leave Qingyun Sect and join us. He also said that many people in Qingyun Sect regretted staying in Qingyun Sect and not following us. Junior Brother Ning Yuan asked him to contact these people privately and ask them to come and join us. Because the matter was serious, Junior Brother Ning Yuan did not dare to make a decision on his own, so he hurried back to the sect to discuss it."

There is such a thing? After hearing this, Song Xian was shocked at first, and then happy.

It would be great if Yu Lian could really bring some Qingyun Sect disciples over.

The sect is in urgent need of manpower now. It originally planned to recruit ten independent cultivators this year, but as of now, it is mid-November, and there are only four people, and they were all introduced as non-combat personnel. If the sect encounters any problems, it cannot rely on these people at all.

If former Qingyun Sect disciples could travel thousands of miles to Bianxi City to join the sect, their loyalty would naturally be unquestionable. Everyone knows their backgrounds, which is much better than recruiting independent cultivators.

"Where is Senior Brother Ning Yuan now? Find him immediately."

Lu Yuan responded and left. Soon, Zhang Ningyuan arrived at the hall and told him the whole story.

It turned out that since everyone left Qingyun Sect, the mountain gate had been occupied by Yuanyi Sect. Chang Jinmian asked them for help in order to deal with Zhang Hunyuan, but it is easier to invite a god than to send him away.

After a large number of disciples of Yuanyi Sect entered the mountain gate, they stayed there for a long time. Chang Jinmian served as the head sect leader. Instead of asking them to leave, he allocated half of the sect's training rooms to them and said that it was a condition for their help.

Half of the sect's training rooms were given to outsiders. Although the people of Qingyun Sect were a little annoyed, there was nothing they could do. Yuanyi Sect was already powerful, and with the support of the sect leader Chang Jinmian, they could only complain behind the scenes.

Originally, everyone kept to themselves, but as time went on, conflicts arose.

The Yuanyi Sect extended its reach further and further and began to interfere in the internal affairs of the Qingyun Sect. After all, people lived in the mountain gate, and all kinds of logistical support were related to them.

They can enter the sect's alchemy hall, weapon refining hall, and spiritual medicine fields as they please and use them as they please.

Relying on their powerful sect, the Yuanyi Sect disciples acted arrogantly, bossing around the Qingyun Sect disciples. Even when conflicts arose between the two sides, the Qingyun Sect disciples had to swallow their anger.

Especially those like Yu Lian, who were originally from Zhang Shilin's faction, were suppressed by Chang Jinmian both openly and covertly. Some of those who originally held important positions were marginalized, and some inner disciples were even transferred out of the sect.

Over the past few years, the Qingyun Sect had become increasingly divided and filled with resentment. The situation was clear: in just ten years, once the Qianqing Sect's three hundred years of protection had expired, the Yuanyi Sect would usurp the throne and officially take over the Qianqing Sect.

At that time, the disciples of Qianqing Sect will become second-class disciples of Yuanyi Sect, and their days will be even worse.

There are only two things in this world that make people feel upset: one is inequality, and the other is going from extravagance to frugality.
People like Yu Lian, who originally held important positions within Qingyun Sect thanks to Zhang Shilin, are now not only marginalized, but their salaries have been reduced again and again, and they have to look at the faces of Yuanyi Sect disciples. Naturally, they are quite resentful, so they have the idea of ​​leaving Qingyun Sect.

However, these people have been sent to the mountain gate to practice since they were young. They have lived a comfortable life with food and clothing provided for them for decades. They have long been institutionalized by the sect. They are definitely unwilling to become independent practitioners and run around busy to earn a few hard-earned spirit stones.

Once people are not as they wish now, they will miss the good times in the past more and look forward to what the future would be like if they had chosen to do this or not.

Naturally, he would think about what the situation would be like now if he had followed Zhang Hunyuan to leave Qingyun Sect and go to Bianxi City, so he gradually had the idea of ​​joining him.

But since they had chosen to abandon Zhang Hunyuan at that time, they didn't have the nerve to shamelessly go to him now.

It was under such circumstances that Yu Lian immediately found Zhang Ningyuan when he learned that he had returned to Changping City and was contacting his family and clansmen.

It was precisely because Yu Lian was marginalized by Chang Jinmian and was transformed from the person in charge of teaching the sect's children who had not yet achieved transcendence into an ordinary outer disciple in charge of mundane affairs that he was the first to receive such a report. He concealed the news and met with Zhang Ningyuan privately.

After a brief chat and an explanation of their current situation, the two of them hit it off immediately.

Yu Lian had long intended to leave Qingyun Sect and join Zhang Hunyuan, but he didn't know what the situation was like over there, and he was too embarrassed to go there like a stray dog, so he didn't act rashly.

Now we know that Zhang Hunyuan is dead, and the new sect is taken over by Song Xian, who was his disciple who once taught Tufan!

In addition, Zhang Ningyuan said that the sect was now eager to recruit talents and treated everyone equally, and urged him to go. This was even more in line with his wishes, and he agreed without much hesitation.

After a discussion between the two, Zhang Ningyuan asked Yu Lian to block his news and secretly contact those disciples who were originally close to Zhang Shilin, asking them to follow him to Bianxi City.

Like Yu Lian, these people were suppressed after Chang Jinmian ascended to the position of the head sect. Their situations were miserable and they were full of resentment. After Yu Lian's mediation and explanation of the current situation of Hunyuan Sect, most of them expressed their willingness to go. Although a few of them were a little hesitant, they also patted their chests and vowed that they would never inform on anyone.

Judging from the current situation, it is only a matter of time before Qingyun Sect is swallowed up by Yuanyi Sect. No one knows what will happen to these former disciples of Qingyun Sect at that time, so most people are worried.

For them, informing on others will not bring them any benefits, but will instead cut off their own escape route.

If you don't want to stay in the sect at that time, you can also join the Hunyuan Sect. If you inform on them, it will be tantamount to cutting off your own retreat.

In addition, those people that Yu Lian contacted were originally from Zhang Shilin's faction, either members of the Zhang family or people promoted by Zhang Shilin, so there was still a certain degree of affection between them.

In the end, Yu Lian contacted a total of fourteen disciples who were willing to surrender. They were just waiting for Song Xian to say a word and then immediately left Qingyun Sect and came to Bianxi City, so Zhang Ningyuan hurried back.

After hearing this, Song Xian was overjoyed and had no reason to refuse. He immediately summoned Zhong Wenyuan and Lin Zixiang, and they discussed for a while how to arrange for them to come to Bianxi City, which route to take, and whether to take a merchant ship or travel on their own.

There are also many family members and relatives, and issues such as how to pick them up and how to arrange them after they arrive.

Finally, Song Xian decided to send Zhang Ningyuan and Zhang Yi to Changping City in Pingyuan County. They were both members of the Zhang family and elders of the Qingyun Sect.

Zhang Ningyuan was responsible for bringing the fourteen Qingyun Sect disciples to the sect.

Zhang Yi was in charge of leading the families and relatives of many fellow disciples. For this purpose, Song Xian allocated thousands of spirit stones from the treasury to them as funds for this mission.

…………

It was pouring rain, dark clouds obscured the moon, and inside the majestic and spacious mansion, the lights were brightly on in every room.

"Master is back." Seeing Yang Jinzhang coming in, Zeng Rou hurriedly went up to him, reached out to help him take off his Taoist robe, and hung it on the pole next to him.

The two of them are an old couple, so naturally they are not as sweet as young couples. They are inseparable day and night, and both of them are monks, so they spend most of their time practicing. Yang Jinzhang is a busy man, with various affairs to deal with and sometimes he has to attend banquets.

Therefore, although the two lived in the same mansion, they could not see each other every day. Yang Jinzhang would only return to Zeng Rou's room a few times a month at most.

"Master, which banquet are you going to again?" Yang Jinzhang had already sat down. Zeng Rou first made him a cup of her usual spiritual tea, then turned behind him, gently kneaded his shoulders with her hands, smelled the smell of alcohol emanating from his body, and smiled softly.

Yang Jinzhang took a sip from the teacup, then closed his eyes and relaxed in the recliner, enjoying Zeng Rou's care. "I'm not going to someone else's house, it's a junior fellow from the sect who came to Bianxi City on business, so I have to show my hospitality!"

"On official business? You're not here for the master!"

"It's not a big deal."

Zeng Rou's fingers rhythmically pressed on his arm: "I heard recently that there seems to be a big commotion in Bianxia Town?"

"It's common for small sects to fight and quarrel with each other."

"I also heard that a sect called the Qingyuan Sect that migrated from outside seemed to have been wiped out by some independent cultivators. Is that true? I heard from people in the mansion that the Qingyuan Sect came to see me, Master, and wanted my help."

"Yeah." Yang Jinzhang responded without saying anything.

"Wasn't this Qingyuan Sect sent by the Qianqing Sect to fill the population and guard the western gate of Qin? It was destroyed by the independent cultivators. Why is there no one to take care of it? Wouldn't they have been sent here for nothing?"

Yang Jinzhang laughed: "Can they guard the western gate?"

"Then why transfer them here? If we allow them to fight with the local cultivators and get wiped out, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"

Yang Jinzhang shook his head. "Who knows? Don't think that just because the Qianqing Sect is a super-large sect, everything it does is carefully considered by wise and resourceful people. Many things are actually done on a whim, not to mention small matters like this. Some important figure in the Qianqing Sect might just say something on a whim, and then the order is passed down."

"How could those people know the specific situation here? I heard that when the Muhe Grassland envoys went to Xianyang to sign the peace treaty, a senior official of the Qianqing Sect saw the map of the ceded Tianshan Mountains presented by the Muhe envoys and saw the vast desert on the map and thought it was uninhabited."

"Plus, the towns of Shang and Bianxia were previously nominally part of the Muhe Grassland, and lacked any official sects. So they ordered some sects to migrate here from other places to demonstrate their sovereignty."

"How could those bigwigs know that Tianshan Territory is a place where good and bad people mix together?"

Zeng Rou whispered, "I heard that the Qingyuan Sect and we have some cooperation. Now that they have been destroyed by the Loose Cultivator Alliance, doesn't that delay our business?"

"They asked me for help several times. I gave them a few things to do, but they were all small things. Without them, I could have handed them over to others."

"Has the master decided who to assign it to?"

Yang Jinzhang finally opened his eyes and turned to look at her: "Why are you so concerned about these things today? Did someone say something to you?"

Zeng Rou smiled faintly, her face as bright as a flower. "Nothing can be hidden from the master. Didn't the master say before that the Jade Fragrance Pill smells quite fragrant? Since I saw that the master liked it, I asked the Hunyuan Pavilion to send me some high-quality Jade Fragrance Pills regularly. After a few visits, I became familiar with the owner of the Hunyuan Pavilion and accepted her as my godsister."

"A few days ago, the headmaster of the Hunyuan Sect came to me through her and told me about the Qingyuan Sect. They wanted to take over the three businesses that Qingyuan Sect and we had collaborated on. They gave me a piece of clothing, which is the one I'm wearing, and asked me to bring this up in front of the master when I have the chance."

Yang Jinzhang took a look at her robe and shook his head: "You can be bribed by just a piece of clothing?"

"Master, what are you talking about? You think too little of me." Zeng Rou said coquettishly, "It's not because of this dress. It's just that my sister often treats me to gifts. This is the first time she asked me for it. I couldn't refuse, so I agreed. Since Master hasn't decided who to give it to, how about the Hunyuan Sect?"

"No." Yang Jinzhang refused immediately. "Although the Qingyuan Sect is only responsible for a small matter, it's not something that anyone can do. As for the Hunyuan Sect, as I recall, they're a very small sect. They can't handle it, and handing it over to them will only delay things. Besides, the situation in Bianxia Town is unstable right now. Several independent cultivators have united and have already wiped out the Xuri Sect and the Qingyuan Sect. It's uncertain whether the Hunyuan Sect can survive."

"The headmaster of the Hunyuan Sect has assured me that he will complete the task and is willing to pay a deposit for it. Master, why don't you give them a chance and let them try? It's not a big deal anyway. Since they've asked me for help, I promise to do my best to help them."

Yang Jinzhang's tone turned cold: "You are so dedicated to speaking well of them, you should have received more than just one piece of clothing from them!"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Rou immediately let go of his hand, sat aside, turned her back to him, and stopped talking.

The room suddenly fell silent. Yang Jinzhang smiled and said, "What's wrong? Are you suddenly angry?"

Zeng Rou still had her back to him, her voice tearing up as she spoke, "I've served the master for so many years, but he's never treated me like one of his own. I'm even worse than a servant in the mansion."

Yang Jinzhang tugged at her arm and said, "What are you talking about? Everyone, whether inside or outside, treats you with respect. If anyone dares to call you a servant, I'll tear his head off."

"What do you mean by respectful? It's all one thing on the surface, another behind the scenes." Zeng Rou's eyes streamed with tears. "Those people in the mansion say behind my back that I'm just a vase kept by the master, a mere figurehead. They think I don't know."

"The master thought I really coveted the piece of clothing he gave me. I just wanted to see how much I meant to the master."

"Usually, Yuling is in charge of all matters in the mansion. Master always listens to her and obeys her orders. Even what Yude says, Master treats it with caution."

"When I say that, the master thinks I've benefited greatly from others. Ultimately, it's because I'm not a member of the Yang family."

"Poor me, I was still dreaming that one day the master would give me a status, but now it seems that it was just wishful thinking."

Yang Jinzhang fell silent. Zeng Rou had mentioned the matter of remarrying to him more than once, but this was impossible. He could be where he is today thanks to the influence of his deceased wife's family. Once he remarried, this relationship would inevitably weaken.

When Zeng Rou mentioned this, she was heartbroken. This was also a knot in her heart, so her tears could not stop flowing down.

"Hey! Why are you bringing this up again? Okay, stop crying. Since you've already promised them, just do as you wish!" Yang Jinzhang sighed, feeling a little annoyed. He didn't want to stay here anymore, so he stood up, picked up his robe and walked out.

(End of this chapter)