Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 208 Teamwork
Zhong Wenyuan frowned, his expression worried. "Even if this thing can be accomplished, it may not be beneficial to our sect in the long run. If Jiang Feng really lets our sect replace the Tianshan Sect, the next time another leader takes office, he will also let other forces replace our sect."

"This involves the internal power struggle within the Beastmaster Sect. If we get involved, we could easily become victims of their game. I think we should be cautious and not get involved lightly. Once we are involved, it will be beyond our control to withdraw."

He is a cautious person. He never looks at the benefits of something first, but always thinks about the harmful consequences first.

"Brother Wenyuan, you are worrying too much. Taking over Tianshan is crucial to the future of the sect. If you are timid and don't dare to take a chance, how can the sect develop?" Zhang Ningyuan retorted without waiting for Song Xian to reply.

He had never liked Zhong Wenyuan, and he had put in a lot of effort in this matter, but in the end, it was turned into a bad thing in his mouth. Naturally, he was unhappy.

Zhong Wenyuan frowned even more tightly. Zhang Ningyuan always contradicted him. Now he openly refuted him in front of so many people and spoke so rudely, which made him a little angry.

No matter what, he is the elder of the sect. How could a disciple rudely criticize him in public without any distinction between superiors and subordinates? How shameless.

But with Song Xian here, he couldn't act like an elder, so he glanced at Zhang Ningyuan coldly.

"Now, our sect has an annual financial income of over 100,000 thanks to the Jade Fragrance Pill and Cardamom Fragrance. If we maintain this momentum, it won't be long before the sect treasury is even more abundant. With the money, we can recruit more disciples. Once the sect is strong, we can find an opportunity to take down the independent cultivators in Bianxia Town. This is the surefire way to develop."

"We have no idea what's going on within the Beastmaster Sect. If we rashly get involved in their internal strife, the risks are extremely high and could even lead to catastrophic destruction."

"Please consider this carefully, Master."

Zhang Ningyuan saw the cold look in his eyes and the undisguised contempt he showed towards him, and he immediately became anxious.

He usually hated Zhong Wenyuan because of this behavior. In his eyes, it seemed that apart from the sect leader and Alan Tam, there was no one else in the sect.

"I don't agree with what Senior Brother Zhong said. What's the use of having money in a sect? The mountain gate only has three training rooms. Together with the ones in Qingyuan Sect, there are only a dozen or so in total. Apart from the three for the headmaster, Senior Brother Lin, and Senior Sister Su, the rest of the training rooms are not enough for people like us to practice in even once a year. We have no place to practice at all."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became wrong. Song Xian and Lin Zixiang's expressions changed slightly, while Lu Yuan looked at him calmly.

Zhang Ningyuan reacted immediately. He blurted out what he said in a hurry. His original intention was to say that only by taking over the spiritual vein of Tianshan Mountain could they get more training rooms and allow the sect to develop better.

But as these words were spoken, it seemed as if the spearhead was directed at Song Xian and Lin Zixiang.

It is inevitable that people feel that he is accusing Song Xian, Lin Zixiang, and Su Zhirou of ignoring the sect disciples' cultivation and occupying the three training rooms for a long time.

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was that having a second-grade low-grade spiritual vein would be beneficial to everyone's cultivation." Zhang Ningyuan explained quickly.

"Okay, stop arguing."

Song Xian waved his hand to stop the quarrel between the two. It was obvious that both of them were a little angry. If they continued to argue, who knows what inappropriate words they would say.

"Senior Brother Wenyuan's concerns are not entirely unreasonable. Everything has its pros and cons. There is no such thing as having only benefits and no risks."

"As for the possibility that getting involved in the internal strife of the Beast Taming Sect could bring about a catastrophic disaster, this is not an exaggeration. It is indeed a possibility."

"But I think this risk is worth taking. Think about it, when all of us went out to help Apu get the treasure, facing so many silver-armored ants, one mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army, and at that time it was just for 10,000 spirit stones."

"If we can conquer Tianshan, the rewards will be a thousand times greater than before."

"If we do nothing to avoid taking risks, then our sect wouldn't be where it is today, let alone have any future development."

"There's no need to elaborate on the benefits of replacing the Tianshan Sect; let's just talk about the risks!"

"Yang Jinzhang has been in charge of Bianxi City for nearly a hundred years, and Jiang Feng has just taken over. No matter what, he should have been in office for at least twenty or thirty years! It's impossible for him to be transferred away within a few years and have someone else be sent in."

"With these few decades, the sect will surely become even more powerful, and perhaps even produce a few foundation-building cultivators. In this case, the newly appointed Beastmaster of Bianxi City will not easily replace the sect. Moreover, the new person in charge may not be Jiang Feng's enemy."

After these words were spoken, Zhong Wenyuan had nothing to say, while Zhang Ningyuan nodded repeatedly to show his agreement.

"The master is right. Opportunities cannot be missed. Taking over Tianshan will bring infinite benefits to the sect. The Tianshan sect's foundation-building cultivator Wu Yaozu is already dead, so there is no need to worry about their counterattack. This opportunity cannot be missed." Lin Zixiang also nodded in agreement. He was eager to enter Tianshan and occupy the second-level spiritual vein to practice.

Song Xian set the tone: "Now that things have come to this, let's not consider the risks anymore. I've gathered everyone here to discuss the next plan. Although Xu Hao has accepted our things, it's still unknown whether he can influence Jiang Feng. The decision rests with Jiang Feng."

"Since we've invested so much material and financial resources, we can't just sit and wait. It would be best if we could do something to influence him to abandon the Tianshan Sect. If you have any good suggestions, please share them."

"Master, I have a suggestion." Zhang Ningyuan had been thinking about pushing this matter forward and had already had an idea in his mind. At this moment, he couldn't wait to respond.

"Brother Ning Yuan, please speak."

Zhang Ningyuan said, "I think we can use a counter-espionage tactic. The Tianshan Sect was founded by Yang Jinzhang, and Yang Jinzhang is at odds with Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng definitely doesn't trust the Tianshan Sect."

"We can spread false information in Bianxi City."

"For example, Yang Jinzhang has secret instructions for the Tianshan Sect. At a critical moment, he will give Jiang Feng a blow to turn against him and help Yang Jinzhang return to his position as the head of Bianxi City."

"You can also fabricate the words of the Tianshan Sect leader, saying that they only obey Yang Jinzhang. Now that Yang Jinzhang is gone, they no longer belong to the Beastmaster Sect and will no longer work for the Beastmaster Sect."

"If Jiang Feng hears these words, he will definitely dislike the Tianshan Sect even more and may decide to get rid of it. That would be our chance."

He is in charge of the sect's external affairs and often travels outside to gather information. He is sensitive to this aspect and is well aware of the power of rumors.

As the saying goes, three people make a tiger, and gossip can melt gold. Even two people who have a good relationship may develop a rift because of rumors that are fabricated out of thin air, not to mention Jiang Feng who did not trust the Tianshan Sect in the first place.

"I think Junior Brother Ning Yuan's suggestion is worth a try." George Lam nodded in response.

Song Xian pondered for a moment without saying anything. Although this method might be effective, it might also backfire.

He had met Jiang Feng, and although their conversation had no plan, Jiang Feng had left him with the impression of being shrewd and experienced. If he discovered that the Hunyuan Sect was behind the rumors, he would undoubtedly resent the Hunyuan Sect, because shrewd people all have a characteristic: they don't like being manipulated.

Given his status and position, he could not accept this kind of secret guidance from the Hunyuan Sect.

"Master, what do you think?" Zhang Ningyuan asked when he saw that he did not express his opinion and seemed to be worried.

Song Xian then expressed his concerns, "Jiang Feng's temperament is unknown, and he holds the power of life and death. We must not bring trouble upon him, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable."

"Brother Ning Yuan's suggestion is very good, but we need to change the angle and open a breakthrough point from the Tianshan Sect to lure the snake out of its hole."

"We can spread the news in Bianxia Town and tell people that Jiang Feng and Yang Jinzhang are not getting along. We can say that Jiang Feng intends to replace the Tianshan Sect and support another group of forces."

"This might make everyone in the Tianshan Sect feel insecure, exacerbating their panic and prompting them to take some countermeasures."

"As long as they take action, we can find loopholes. The only thing we're afraid of is that nothing happens."

"I also have a suggestion." After Song Xian finished speaking, Lu Yuan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"We can find a breakthrough from within the Tianshan Sect. Yang Jinzhang supports the Tianshan Sect and gets a share of their profits every year, but no one knows the exact amount."

"Did the Tianshan Sect hide anything from Yang Jinzhang? If so, they would definitely hide it from Jiang Feng just like they did before."

"Even if they didn't hide their income from Yang Jinzhang, they might have falsified the accounts and concealed it from Jiang Feng, thus making more profits for themselves."

"If we can get the Tianshan Sect's true income account book and let Jiang Feng know that the Tianshan Sect is deceiving him, he will definitely be determined to get rid of the Tianshan Sect."

Lu Yuan was in charge of the sect's finances, so he thought of starting with income to alienate the Tianshan Sect and Jiang Feng.

Song Xian's eyes lit up after hearing this. "Brother Lu, this is a good idea. Jiang Feng doesn't trust the Tianshan Sect to begin with. If he can find evidence that the Tianshan Sect has deceived him, he will definitely be furious. Even if he didn't originally have the intention to eliminate the Tianshan Sect, knowing that the Tianshan Sect has deceived him will make him do so."

"Brother Ning Yuan, can you find a way to bribe an internal member of the Tianshan Sect who is responsible for financial statistics and ask him to provide us with the Tianshan Sect's financial income account books?"

Zhang Ningyuan nodded and said, "I'll do my best."

"Don't worry about how many spirit stones it costs, as long as you can get the account book."

Lu Yuan spoke again: "In fact, we don't need all the account books. It's enough to get a portion of the income account books, such as the actual income of a spiritual field or a stone mine. If the Tianshan Sect deliberately concealed Jiang Feng, there would definitely be inflated income in various categories. We only need one or two pieces of solid evidence."

"Brother Lu is right. The person in charge of the finances of the Tianshan Sect must be a core member. Bribing such a person would easily alert the enemy. It would be enough to get the account books of one or two properties."

…………

While everyone was discussing this, in Luofeng Valley, hundreds of miles away from Guzi Peak, the head Boss Xu Quan and the second in command Chen Zhongwen were also discussing this matter in a room.

"We've just received intelligence that the new Beastmaster Sect leader stationed in Bianxi City and Yang Jinzhang are at odds. According to convention, Yang Jinzhang, the old leader, should have handed over his current duties, introduced the Beastmaster Sect's various businesses and cooperative partners in Bianxi City, and waited until the new leader was familiar with the situation before leaving."

"But as soon as Jiang Feng arrived, he immediately returned to the mountain gate. It is said that the two of them didn't even meet, which shows how deep their prejudice was."

"Jiang Feng has just taken office and is completely clueless about the situation in Bianxi City, so he immediately called a meeting with all the partners related to the Beastmaster Sect's industries."

"As far as I know, during this meeting, Jiang Feng simply got to know the basic situation of all parties involved and has not yet stated that he wants to terminate any industrial cooperation."

Xu Quan pondered after hearing this and said, "Now that Yang Jinzhang is gone, I wonder if his previous peace initiative for all parties in Bianxia Town will still hold true. What is Jiang Feng's attitude towards this?"

"I don't know yet. I guess Jiang Feng will make some moves. Since he is not on good terms with Yang Jinzhang, he will not continue the achievements left by Yang Jinzhang. He will definitely make some changes." Chen Zhongwen remained calm, his voice as still as if he was talking about some trivial matters such as eating and drinking.

"Is it possible for us to take advantage of this opportunity to seize some of the industries that are cooperating with the Beastmaster Sect from other forces?"

Chen Zhongwen said calmly, "The important thing right now isn't this. The key is Jiang Feng's attitude towards the Tianshan Sect. Although all the forces in Bianxia Town are subordinate to Yang Jinzhang, they are all independent sects. They are just afraid of the Beast Taming Sect represented by Yang Jinzhang."

"Only the Tianshan Sect was fostered by Yang Jinzhang, and has a particularly close relationship with him. They also shoulder the important task of cutting off trade between Far East City and Bianxi City."

"Now that Jiang Feng, who has a serious conflict with Yang Jinzhang, has come to power, he may not be willing to support the Tianshan Sect that Yang Jinzhang single-handedly fostered."

"If he intends to attack the Tianshan Sect, the entire Bianxia Town will probably be affected."

Xu Quan frowned: "You mean, he wants to get rid of the Tianshan Sect?"

"We can't rule out this possibility. According to the latest intelligence I've received, Chen Yunlong of the Tianshan Sect went to Qiyuan Mountain to pay a visit on his first day in office, but he didn't see Jiang Feng. Instead, he went to Qiyuan Mountain only after all the sects and forces that have cooperative industries with the Beastmaster Sect had met Jiang Feng. This shows that Jiang Feng has a very bad impression of the Tianshan Sect."

Xu Quan's eyes lit up: "If Jiang Feng abandons the Tianshan Sect, do we have a chance to replace the Tianshan Sect?"

Chen Zhongwen said, "If Jiang Feng wants to eliminate the Tianshan Sect, he will definitely have to select another force from Bianxia Town to station in Tianshan and control this important road. Of course, it is also possible that the Beastmaster Sect will directly send people to station in Tianshan, but I think this is unlikely."

"First, the Tianshan Sect originally worked for the Beastmaster Sect, and they have done a good job over the years. There is no need to eliminate the Tianshan Sect and send our own people to garrison. The Beastmaster Sect's leaders will definitely not agree."

"Secondly, the Tianshan Mountains serve as a barrier between the Qin State and the Muhe Grassland. If the Beastmaster Sect enters the Tianshan Mountains directly, it might cause a stress reaction in the Muhe Grassland, a consequence the Beastmaster Sect cannot withstand. Therefore, it is best to support a force to do this. If the Muhe Grassland objects to this, they can just abandon that force and not be implicated."

"If the Valley Master wants to replace the Tianshan Sect, he must act now. He must establish a good relationship with Jiang Feng and show him our loyalty. This will cost a lot of money and resources."

Xu Quan was eager to try: "As long as we can replace the Tianshan Sect, it doesn't matter how much money we spend. Just go for it. I fully support you."

(End of this chapter)