The gathering lasted only half an hour. After everyone had arranged their affairs, they began to exchange intelligence. However, these were all private trades, and Wang Ping had no way of listening in.

Wen Yang was the first to leave, followed by Le Yuan and Yuan Zheng. After speaking privately with Yu Cheng Taoist for fifteen minutes, Elder Wu also departed in a hurry.

After the four of them left, Gu Heng Taoist laughed. "Even someone as steady as Elder Wu was a bit anxious this time. I fear great chaos is not far off." As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the round table and chairs in the center of the loft vanished.

"It’s still too early for that. The Imperial Family has yet to even mobilize its core forces. The fall of a dynasty is not so simple. Besides, it isn’t in most people’s interest for the Imperial Family to collapse right now. To change the great tide of the world, you must first have the interests of the majority on your side. Or..."

Yu Cheng Taoist didn’t finish his sentence. He glanced at Wang Ping before walking toward the door of the loft. Wang Ping immediately followed his master’s steps, with Gu Heng Taoist walking beside him.

Outside the loft, Yu Cheng Taoist clasped his hands and bid Gu Heng farewell. Wang Ping bowed as well.

After once again traversing the damp, miasma-filled labyrinth of caves, Yu Cheng Taoist and his disciple Wang Ping landed atop a mountain peak.

"The Cultivation Realm has many gatherings similar to the one we just attended. Some even have Evil Cultivators and members of the Demon Race in attendance. And some of the most ancient gatherings might even have Fifth Realm Great Cultivators!"

Yu Cheng Taoist gazed out at the clustered mountains and winding rivers of Sanhe Prefecture. "This place," he said, "was once a Dao Field of Qianmu Temple. This gathering was started by our founding Ancestral Master. I’ve heard that dozens of Great Cultivators attended in the beginning. But after the great war several hundred years ago, many of those powerful figures perished. Now, most members are the successors or descendants of those original Cultivators, so its secrecy and security are assured."

Wang Ping thought for a moment before summarizing, "So this gathering is like a small-scale platform for trading intelligence, materials, and tasks?"

"Exactly. You’ve always been good at getting to the heart of the matter. Of course, the most crucial aspect is secrecy. Take, for instance, the task Friend Wen Yang just posted. By using Friend Yuan Zheng’s connections to complete it, the whole thing will be done without a single soul knowing. Furthermore, you can buy and sell materials here that are forbidden for trade in the Daoist Scripture Hall."

Yu Cheng Taoist admonished, "If you encounter similar gatherings in the future, don’t be the one to stick your neck out at first. Just observe quietly, and whatever you do, don’t casually reveal your identity."

"Understood!"

After nodding in agreement, Wang Ping took a deep breath and asked, "Master, Second Senior Brother and Junior Brother Wang Kang... did you intentionally place them in Shangjing City?"

"Yes!"

Yu Cheng Taoist made no attempt to hide it.

Wang Ping sighed. ’I had suspected this for a long time...’

With the junior members of both Liu Zixiu’s and Wang Kang’s families all in Yongshan County, sending those two to the Imperial Court indirectly controlled their entire clans. This, in turn, secured a certain degree of influence within the court. It was truly a brilliant move.

"Don’t think it’s so complicated. It was a transaction, one brokered at this very gathering. In other words, they chose their side from the very beginning. Now, all we can do is watch and wait for the true players of this game to decide the outcome. If our side loses, they will become sacrificial pawns. Or, they might switch sides again before that happens. And if we win... they may not necessarily listen to us. People... change."

After mulling over these words, Wang Ping asked, "And what about Junior Brother Su?"

"He was an unexpected development. But with the Shang’an Prefecture’s Government Army in our hands, it’s a welcome bonus."

"Is there any news of First Senior Brother?"

"Him? No. My guess is he’s either infiltrated the Righteous Dao or fallen in with the Taiyin Evil Cultivators. If his luck holds, he might achieve a breakthrough. If not, he’ll end up as someone else’s sacrificial offering. From the day he entered my tutelage, I warned him to let go of the malice in his heart, to tame the evil dragon within. He didn’t listen to a single word."

Wang Ping recalled his First Senior Brother’s personality. ’He seemed simple and honest, but the malice deep in his eyes was potent. As long as someone was there to keep him in check, he might have kept up the facade his whole life.’

Shaking his head, Wang Ping asked a crucial question: "Do Second Senior Brother and Junior Brother Wang Kang know about all this?"

Yu Cheng Taoist stared at the distant mountains. After a few moments of silence, he said, "They don’t need to know. By the time we need to use their families, they themselves might no longer be in this world."

The words were heavy.

But it was the truth. What Yu Cheng Taoist wanted were bargaining chips for the coming upheaval—chips that would grant him a say, even if just a single word, in how things unfolded. Second Senior Brother Liu Zixiu, Wang Kang, and all the disciples who left the temple to join them were all just bargaining chips for that one word.

Just then, Yu Cheng Taoist turned to look at Wang Ping and said with a smile, "Perhaps even I will be gone by then. If that’s the case, you’ll be the one who has to make the decision for them."

These words were even heavier.

Wang Ping met his master’s eyes, suddenly feeling a crushing weight of pressure and uncertainty. "Master, I..."

Yu Cheng Taoist cut him off. "Enough. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let’s head to Shang’an Prefecture City to submit your application for advancement."

「Shang’an Prefecture City, Daoist Scripture Hall Branch Office.」

Guided by two Qi Cultivators, Wang Ping pressed his identity seal onto a bamboo scroll and filled out the required application details. With that, the process was complete.

Afterwards, he and his master flew directly back to Qianmu Temple, parting ways at the main gate.

Wang Ping had just landed when Yu Lian flew over and asked anxiously, "What took you so long?"

"It hasn’t even been three hours, has it?"

"Oh. Well, where did you go?"

"Old man Gu Heng’s Dao Field!"

"Then why couldn’t I go?"

As they chatted, Wang Ping set out a tea service, preparing to sip tea while he digested the news from the past two hours.

’This gathering really made me feel how big the world is,’ he thought. ’For the decades I’ve been cultivating, I’ve always had the protection of my master and the sect. I’ve never even considered what would happen if Master was gone.’

"Once you start cultivating, you’ve entered the game. And it’s a game you can’t quit," Wang Ping murmured.

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, cultivating is hard!"

"Hmm? I don’t think so. As long as you advance, I get to advance along with you."

"..."

...

「Spring, the 5th Year of Wanfeng.」

Two months remained until the vote for the fifth seat of the Daoist Scripture Hall.

Three days after Wang Ping’s birthday, Zhao Qing walked into his Dao Field carrying a ledger to report on the previous year’s Power Pill sales.

The unit price of the Power Pill had dropped again in the last year. The current market price hovered around two taels, while the acquisition price from the Daoist Scripture Hall was only one and a half taels. Nevertheless, the profits were still substantial.

"Hold the price at this level. Don’t lower it any further."

Wang Ping instructed seriously after reviewing the ledger. Thanks to Puppet Zi Hong’s refining, the number of Power Pills flowing into the market last year was several times that of previous years, with a large portion being sold to other prefectures through the Daoist Field Hall.

"That’s what I was thinking, too..."

Seeing Wang Ping put down the ledger, Zhao Qing said, "There’s one more thing... Someone has cut off the water supply to Hu Xin County here in Shang’an Prefecture. The spring rice paddies don’t have enough water for irrigation. If this isn’t resolved, there will be a famine by year’s end."

"Just say what you mean."

"Our initial investigation suggests the White Water Sect might be behind this."