Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Spring Goes and Autumn Comes

Three days after receiving Wang Ping’s assignment, Liu Shuang left the mountain. Her two disciples and Su Dun’s youngest son, Su Hai, could only be sent to the Mountain Peak Dojo.

「Mid-May of the following year.」

The Daoist Scripture Hall’s assembly convened on schedule on Keming Island in the Southeast Islands. It was a very low-key affair, with fewer than a hundred Cultivators in attendance. Lishui Prefecture sent a Third Realm Cultivator to preside.

The assembly lasted for no more than two days. Wang Ping received the news of his promotion to the fifth seat half a month later.

Clearly, this assembly was just a formality, one that the upper echelons of the Daoist Scripture Hall had forced through. Some of the votes for the fifth-seat promotion were even cast by mail, making this particular round of promotions, including Wang Ping’s, rather awkward. This awkwardness was also a concession from the leadership to those who had opposed it.

’So much for favors and face!’

Wang Ping didn’t really care, as he had little face to lose, but the whole affair still left a disgusting taste in his mouth.

Becoming the fifth seat of the Daoist Scripture Hall came with a significant power: the ability to choose a mountain or river without an established lineage to found one’s own heritage. One also gained the right to speak and vote on the handling of local affairs.

For example, regarding the Rebel Army on Mozhou Road, he could now voice his opinion at the regular assemblies for the southern region of the Daoist Scripture Hall.

The corresponding duties were similar to those of the sixth seat: one had to answer the Daoist Scripture Hall’s summons for certain specific matters or investigate special cases that ordinary Qi Cultivators could not handle.

Three days after Wang Ping received his new identity token, news came from the north: the Court’s General of the Northern Expedition, Fan Wenzhi, had died of illness in his military camp. The news stunned Wang Ping for a moment.

This news seemed light and inconsequential, but in reality, it carried more weight than a thousand pounds. If things went wrong, something major could happen in the north, and Wang Kang was serving under Fan Wenzhi’s command!

Wang Ping immediately ordered Zhao Qing to discreetly look into the situation.

It took two months of inquiring before news came back. The north had not fallen into chaos; the new Emperor had sent a Central Minister to oversee the situation.

As the end of the year approached, the new Emperor made another wild move: he issued a decree to abolish the Cabinet and simultaneously reorganize the Central Secretariat!

The move was baffling. Why would an Emperor want to strengthen the power of the chancellery? This was true even though he had cultivated a Divine Technique allowing him to monitor all activity in and around Shangjing City.

But after the Lunar New Year, the Emperor issued another decree, changing the Central Secretariat into the Military Affairs Office, eliminating the position of chancellor, and having the Six Ministries and Twelve Departments lead all officials!

Once this decree was issued, anyone in the realm who had read a book or two knew that this new Emperor was about to stir things up.

That same summer, the Wang Kang family estate sent six clan members who had reached the age of twelve to Qianmu Temple to become apprentices. Five months later, Wang Kang was ennobled as a Light Vehicle Captain, commanding a corps of the Imperial Guard to defend the Northern Border. The decree was even delivered specifically to Qianmu Temple, where Zhao Qing received it.

"I just received some news. They’re saying our new Emperor plans to shelve the war in the north and focus all his efforts on sorting out internal affairs and the rebellion in the Northwest!"

After receiving the decree, Zhao Qing immediately went to the Mountain Peak Dojo to share it with Wang Ping, and then he relayed the news he’d gathered. "General Liu Yue places great importance on his family’s legacy and reputation, so the new Emperor plans to overturn the case against his family and restore the Liu Family’s good name, all to secure General Liu Yue’s surrender."

Wang Ping listened and shook his head. "Things have already gone this far. What’s the use of doing that now?"

Zhao Qing chuckled. "Oh, it’s very useful. Most of General Liu Yue’s men are Northern People. If this is handled correctly, it might just cause them to fall into disarray on their own!"

Wang Ping hadn’t considered that angle. Following Zhao Qing’s line of thought, he couldn’t help but say, "If that’s the case, then he needs to make a decision quickly. If he wants to fight, he should march south immediately. If he wants to surrender, he must do so decisively. The slightest hesitation could cost him his head!"

"Exactly!"

"It seems... Junior Brother Wang Kang’s position is crucial, but also extremely dangerous."

"Fortune is sought in danger, especially in the world of officialdom."

"What’s the use of such fortune? It’s nothing but the moon in a well or a flower in the water. Decades of effort will eventually turn to a pile of yellow earth!"

"Haha, Senior Brother is right, of course. But to each their own!"

...

The situation in the realm was changing.

It seemed to have nothing to do with the little Qianmu Temple, but an invisible thread had long since connected them.

「Spring, Wanfeng 11th Year.」

Liu Shuang, who had been away from the mountain for several years, secretly returned to Qianmu Temple. She brought a sickly-looking man dressed as a scholar to the Mountain Peak Dojo. Wang Ping had already sent away Liu Shuang’s two disciples and Su Hai ahead of time.

"This man is Li Xiangwen, from a sub-prefecture on Mozhou Road. His father was a Scholar Master, but unfortunately, he fell ill and became bedridden right after passing the exam to become a Scholar, leaving behind a widow and an orphan. The boy did well for himself; he passed two stages of his first imperial examination to become a Scholar, got married, and had a son and a daughter. But then his mother fell ill and couldn’t leave her bed, and she passed the sickness to his wife. So he entrusted someone to find a Witch Doctor..."

"Unfortunately, that Witch Doctor was actually a Mouse Demon in disguise, who had gotten its hands on an Evil Cultivator’s manual from who knows where. His wife and mother were sick precisely because of this Mouse Demon. Each time the Mouse Demon promised to extend their lives by half a year, the price was the inspiration that he, as a learned man, had cultivated in his body."

At this point, Liu Shuang switched to a telepathic message, cupping her hands toward Wang Ping as she reported, "I have been secretly observing him for five years. Most people wouldn’t last two years in this situation, but he... he has endured."

"Please... Upper Immortal, save my wife, children, and old mother. This humble one... will work like a horse or an ox to repay you!" Li Xiangwen spoke weakly, as if he were hanging on by a single thread.

Yu Lian flicked her forked tongue, her slitted pupils staring at Li Xiangwen for several breaths before she spoke in Wang Ping’s Spirit Sea. "Most of this man’s thoughts are chaotic, but he has a very firm willpower. This kind of person... I can’t say for sure. If his vitality returns, his entire disposition could undergo a drastic change."

Understanding now, Wang Ping asked, "Your life... will likely be over in less than half a month. How do you plan to work like a horse or an ox then?"

Li Xiangwen’s face twisted in agony at his words. He then prostrated himself on the ground and pleaded, "Upper Immortal, whatever you want, this humble one can give it to you..."

Before Li Xiangwen could finish, Wang Ping formed a hand seal for a Magic Formula and sent a Wood Spirit, filled with a faint trace of life energy, into Li Xiangwen’s body.

Li Xiangwen let out a muffled grunt, collapsed in pain, and passed out.

"What about his family?"

"They’ve already been taken to Yongshan County and settled in."

Wang Ping nodded and said, "The way a person thinks when they’re alive is completely different from when they’re about to die. I’ll let him live first, and we’ll see what he thinks then."

Liu Shuang nodded in understanding. "Scholars are full of ideas. Even if Li Xiangwen proves useful, he’ll need someone to watch over him. That’s why this disciple has also selected a few other people. After I’ve observed them for another half-year, I’ll have a final decision."

"Actually, over the past few years, I’ve also been observing the patients who come to the temple for treatment. Some of them meet the basic criteria... You don’t need to worry too much about it. Go see your two disciples for now."

As Wang Ping spoke, he summoned Puppet Zi Hong and had it pick up Li Xiangwen and lock him in the Alchemy Room.

Liu Shuang bowed and then walked out of the Dao Field.

Just then, Tongyu Taoist materialized and said, "Kid, don’t stand here sighing. What’s a little scheme like this? Which of those Great Realm Cultivators didn’t rely on plotting and fighting to get to the top?"