Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 34 Unexpected Visitor
"Brother Xu, you are in charge of external affairs. I have previously given you the task of building the mansion. Tell me! How much time and spirit stones will it take to complete this task?"

Xu Ning pondered and said, "Give me ten talismans for building powerful warriors. Within six months, I guarantee that I will build ten mansions with three entrances and three exits. Every brother, including the headmaster, will be able to live in a new mansion."

"Okay, I'll review the results in half a year. Besides that, every expense you make needs to be recorded and then handed over to Senior Brother Lu Yuan."

"Yes. I promise to complete the task."

"Brother Ning Yuan, you are in charge of the sect's procurement. I have a task for you. Go to the market in Bianxi City and buy two sets of first-grade, low-quality formation flags. We are going to build two training rooms in the cave at the bottom of the mountain. Also, buy ten talismans for the construction of powerful warriors. How much time and spirit stones will this require?"

Zhang Ningyuan said, "Buying the formation flag and crafting the Hercules Talisman is not a problem. It might cost three or four hundred spirit stones! I'm not sure about the exact price of the formation flag, so I request the sect to pay me four hundred spirit stones first, and I'll return the rest later. However, getting to Bianxi City is not easy, as it's thousands of miles away. If you can give me that high-level flying magic weapon, I will definitely complete the mission and return within half a month."

"Okay, I'll give you 400 spirit stones. I'll also be going to Bianxi City to visit the Luoyun Sect in a few days. You can come with us."

"Junior Brother Zichen, the thirty mortals Senior Brother Xu has been looking for will be arriving on the mountain soon. You will be responsible for properly settling them in. Calculate their daily rations and monthly stipends, and inform Senior Brother Zhong."

"Brother Zhang Yi, Brother Shen Fan, you are responsible for the sect's security. Your mission is to set up a formation at the mountain gate. Among the items we brought is a first-grade, mid-grade golden light formation. You are responsible for setting it up and mastering its use."

"Brother Lu Yuan, you are in charge of the sect's finances and responsible for distributing spirit stones and supplies to each fellow disciple. Every expenditure and income account must be clearly recorded. Expenditures above 100 spirit stones must be signed by me personally. Expenditures below 100 spirit stones must be signed by Brother Wenyuan."

"Senior Brother Wenyuan, Senior Brother Zhongyang, the two of you will be responsible for the sect's internal affairs and should help everyone complete their respective tasks. You will also be responsible for drafting new rules and regulations for the sect."

"Brother Zixiang, as the law enforcement elder, you need to supervise everyone's progress."

"Junior Brother Zichen, Junior Brother Shen Fan, you two have just transformed from mortals and your grasp of magic is limited. You can ask other senior brothers for advice in your free time."

Song Xian assigned corresponding tasks to several people, and everyone followed their orders.

After he finished speaking, Zhong Wenyuan said, "There's one more thing I need to discuss with everyone. Everyone knows that this spiritual vein can only open up three low-level training rooms at most."

"Master and Junior Brother Lin both have dual spiritual root qualifications. They already had their own dedicated training rooms when they were in Qingyun Sect. The sect should have tilted its resources towards disciples with good spiritual root qualifications."

"I suggest that we take out two of the training rooms and give them to the headmaster and Junior Brother Lin for their exclusive use. My fellow Junior Brothers, please bear with me for a bit, and we can share one training room."

After hearing this, several people remained silent.

Song Xian glanced at everyone and saw that Lu Yuan, Zhang Ningyuan and Xu Ning did not look as happy as before. Jiang Zichen observed their expressions and saw that they looked unhappy, so he did not say anything.

Shen Fan and Zhong Yang were rather slow and dull, and didn't react at all.

This matter was originally a decision he made after discussing it with Zhong Wenyuan, and he specifically instructed Zhong Wenyuan to speak up. As the headmaster, he had to maintain his image of fairness and selflessness, and he really couldn't bring himself to speak up.

"If you have any opinions or ideas, feel free to share them. I won't hide anything from you. Senior Brother Zhong and I have discussed this matter before, and I haven't made a decision yet. I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. If you're not satisfied, I can offer my own practice room for everyone to use."

These words made everyone feel a little embarrassed. How could they have the nerve to share the training room belonging to the master?

Before anyone could speak, Zhong Wenyuan spoke first, "Master, this is unacceptable. Those with dual spiritual roots receive special care in every sect. Even in the Qianqing Sect, such disciples have separate training rooms. If a sect wants to develop and survive, it's only natural to allocate resources to disciples with superior spiritual roots. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Besides, this low-level training room is not even enough for Senior Brother Lin's eighth level of Qi Refining, so how can we share it with everyone? Since the headmaster has allowed me to be the sect's internal affairs elder, I should make the decision on this matter."

"The headmaster is kindhearted and treats all his fellow disciples equally, as brothers and sisters, and gives them the same salary as himself, but everything should be done in moderation."

"If you, my fellow apprentices, have any grievances, feel free to come to me. If anyone feels they've been wronged, I'll give them my place in the Spirit Gathering Array."

These words made everyone feel a little embarrassed. Zhang Yi immediately expressed his opinion: "I have no objection. With the spiritual roots of the master and Senior Brother Lin, it is reasonable for them to use the training room separately."

After he finished speaking, several others also expressed their agreement.

"Since everyone agrees, let's do this! Feel free to use the training room here or there while I'm away." Song Xian then instructed Lu Yuan to take out the spirit stones and distribute their salaries. The previous three months' salary totaled 465 spirit stones, and this month's salary was 345 spirit stones, for a total of 710 spirit stones. Zhang Ningyuan received another 400 spirit stones to purchase formation flags and create talismans, leaving 2,600 spirit stones remaining.

Song Xian silently calculated in his mind that the current spirit stones were enough to cover everyone's salary for eight or nine months. If that didn't work out, he could sell the elixirs, magic tools, and talismans he brought with him, which would last for about a year and a half.

After the meeting, everyone left. At night, Song Xian was in the practice room, practicing with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, there was a rapid knock on the door. He opened his eyes and opened the stone door of the training room. He saw Jiang Zichen with a nervous and slightly excited look on his face. He saluted him and said, "Master, several cultivators of unknown origin have intruded into the sect. Senior Brothers Lin and Zhong are confronting them."

Song Xian was startled and hurried out of the training room. As he walked, he asked, "What kind of cultivators are there? How many of them are there? What is your purpose in coming here?"

"There are five men coming. The leader is about forty years old and has reached the sixth level of Qi Refining. The four of them are wearing different clothes. They are probably not disciples of any faction. They are probably independent cultivators."

"Senior Brothers Lin and Zhong didn't fight with them, did they?"

"I didn't have it when I left, and I don't know now."

Song Xian quickened his pace and soon arrived at the main hall.

Outside the hall, a group of people from the Hunyuan Sect were confronting the newcomers in the rain. He quickly shouted, "Don't be rude."

Everyone turned around and made way for them.

"Master, Master." Several people saluted.

Song Xian walked through the center of the crowd and came to the side of the leaders Lin Zixiang and Zhong Wenyuan, and looked at the newcomers.

There were four people in total. The leader was a thin man, about forty years old, with a somewhat weathered face. He was at the sixth level of Qi Refining and had a kind smile on his face, seemingly meaning no ill will.

The three people behind him also had low cultivation levels, two of them were at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and one was at the second level of Qi Refining.

As he looked at the other person, the other person was also looking at him.

"This must be Master Song! We brothers are passing by here and hope to rest here for one night and get some water to drink. We will leave tomorrow. I hope you can give us some convenience." The thin man in the lead bowed.

Zhong Wenyuan introduced them beside him, "They claim to be merchants traveling to and from the Muhe Grassland. They used to stop here and didn't realize we've established a sect here. The person who spoke is Fellow Daoist Dou Lang."

Song Xian nodded and said, "Of course, fellow Taoists, please come in."

Everyone entered the hall, and Song Xian asked a few people to sit down.

Dou Lang sat down as he was told: "Fellow Daoist Song, our camel caravan was drinking water at Guzi Lake, so we came up to rest. We really didn't know that your sect had settled here. I apologize for bothering you. Please don't despise these small gifts." Dou Lang took out two first-level spirit stones from his sleeves and handed them over.

Seeing him being so particular, Song Xian lowered his guard a little. "Fellow Daoist Dou, there's no need to be so polite. When we're away from home, we should help each other. Our sect migrated from Pingyuan County under the order of the Qianqing Sect and settled here only yesterday. It's not surprising that you don't know."

"No wonder, when we went there, we rested here for a night. No one was stationed there at that time. Please accept these two spirit stones, fellow Daoist. I have a humble request. We still have some people in our camel caravan." When Dou Lang said this, he saw that several people looked alert and hurried to explain.

"They are mortals driving camels, hoping to rest in this temple for a night. Judging from the weather, it will rain heavily soon. Please allow them to take shelter here."

Although Song Xian felt that the person in front of him had no ill intentions, he still declined the request just in case.

"You don't need spirit stones. If you all want to rest here, of course you can. But this hall is too small. If we all stay here, I'm afraid it won't be enough for so many people. There are many caves in this mountain. If you don't mind, I can have someone take them to a cave to take shelter from the rain. If they need food and water, I will provide them."

(End of this chapter)