Journey of True Cultivation-Chapter 78: A Pawn Among Dragons

"Vice Leader of all alchemy related disciples?" Yuan's eyes widened as he heard Ming Ze say it aloud.

He couldn't believe it.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would he be chosen as Vice Leader of all alchemists? Are there no more qualified alchemists in the sect?" Yuan's thoughts grew sharper, filled with skepticism. Choosing Ming Ze for such a critical role felt like handing an entire city over to a child.

Yuan's gaze turned toward Ming Ze, doubt clearly visible in his eyes.

"Are you sure the Inheritance Stone said all alchemists and not just inner sect alchemists? Are you certain you didn't receive the wrong Inheritance Stone?"

Ming Ze let out a sheepish chuckle.

"Hehe... no, this is definitely the right one. My master gave it to me personally. I even asked if there was a mistake, but he just shook his head and said everything was correct."

"How suspicious," Yuan thought. The fact that Ming Ze's master, an elder of the sect, had simply dismissed any doubts raised a red flag in Yuan's mind. This reeked of some kind of scheme.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he brought the teacup to his lips. Unlike the refined spiritual teas they'd shared before, this one was plain, just ordinary tea with a decent taste.

But for now, that was fine.

After a long sip, Yuan opened his eyes again, his mind somewhat calmed.

"So, what's the problem? Besides the fact that you've somehow been handed the Vice Leader position?"

"Well..." Ming Ze leaned forward a little, his voice more serious now. "I wanted to ask Boss what I should do. I mean, it would be a shame to have this kind of status and not use it properly. I'm confident in my tea skills, and I can make basic pills decently, but I'm not good at making decisions or leading people. I wanted your advice, Boss Yuan!"

Yuan blinked at him, surprised for a moment by the honest request.

"You want advice from me?" he echoed, tapping a finger to his chin. "Hmm... Let me think. This all happened too fast."

As he spoke, Yuan's expression shifted. His fingers lightly stroked his chin, his black azure eyes growing distant as they settled on the wooden table before him. He was no longer paying attention to his surroundings, completely lost in thought.

A few ideas came and went, some clever, others completely nonsensical, but slowly, Yuan began to form a plan. He found something that might allow Ming Ze to make use of this unexpected position.

Vice Leader of all Alchemists, it was a title that undoubtedly came with benefits and responsibilities. But the question remained why had the sect chosen Ming Ze?

Yuan had asked himself that question more than once. And eventually, he came to a simple conclusion:

They wanted a pawn, or worse, a scapegoat.

Being a pawn was tolerable, at least for a time. As long as the sect saw value in Ming Ze, they would protect him and let him serve. But the moment they deemed him useless, they could just discard him.

But being made into a scapegoat? That was far more dangerous. That meant taking the blame for mistakes, failures, or betrayals that weren't his to begin with.

Yuan didn't like that outcome at all.

So, he began to plan, not just how to use the role, but how to avoid the worst possible fate.

And the answer was simple:

If you suspect you're meant to be a scapegoat, create another one. Shift the blame before it ever falls on you.

It was a cold method. But one that ensured survival.

Still, a more troubling question lingered in Yuan's mind what exactly was the sect planning that required a scapegoat in the first place?

That was something he couldn't answer, not yet. He wasn't high enough in rank, and even Li Yun, with all his family ties and status, had no access to such information.

After all, the Li Family had already betrayed the Five Families to side with the Seven Sects. Even though the sect accepted them, they couldn't be sure those families weren't planted spies.

Because of that, Li Yun was likely under constant surveillance. He couldn't act freely, couldn't request information without raising suspicion. That level of control certainly limited his movements.

But to Yuan, that wasn't such a bad thing.

It meant Li Yun and by extension, Yuan, would not be assigned the most dangerous missions right away. They'd likely remain in seclusion longer or be sent on low profile tasks until the sect decided to trust them.

Yuan could endure that.

Surveillance was fine, as long as it wasn't obvious.

Let them watch. Let them whisper. He would simply play the role of a good disciple... and an obedient vice team leader.

Yuan's thoughts slowly drifted, but then his eyes opened once more, calm, clear, and focused. A faint glow shimmered in his black azure eyes.

"Don't worry. I've come up with a few ideas for you," Yuan said calmly, meeting Ming Ze's gaze with steady confidence.

And so, he began to explain his plan, step by step, what Ming Ze should do, how to position himself, and how to protect his standing in the sect.

By the time he finished, Ming Ze's expression lit up with understanding.

"Okay!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, clearly eager to act on Yuan's guidance.

With the conversation complete and his spiritual tea finished, Yuan rose and quietly left the tea house.

Back at his cultivation cave, Yuan sealed the entrance behind him and returned to his cultivation bed. With enough fasting pills at hand and no further distractions, he closed his eyes and began to cultivate.

Time passed quickly.

The one-month grace period granted by the sect had come to an end. For others, it may have felt long, but for Yuan, it was fleeting.

And yet, it had not been wasted.

In that month, he had managed to refine his cultivation even further, increasing the transformation of his blood to 81% spiritual blood.

A 1% gain.

Not much in the eyes of most cultivators, but to Yuan, every step forward was significant. Each percent meant a step closer to the Meridian Awakening Stage, a milestone that would change everything.

He opened his eyes slowly.

The soft black azure light in them shimmered briefly, then faded. Yuan smiled faintly, satisfied with his month of seclusion.

After checking his internal condition, his thoughts naturally turned to Ming Ze.

By now, Ming Ze should have completed the first phase of the plan, the defensive measures in case the sect truly intended to make him a scapegoat.

On top of that, he would've likely begun forging new connections among inner sect and core disciples, an important move if he wanted to avoid being isolated.

But Yuan didn't linger on those thoughts for long.

His mind shifted to the larger picture, the war.

So far, no new updates had reached him. No messages, no meetings, no signs of unrest.

It was almost as if the sect wasn't at war at all. A strange silence. Too quiet.

Before he could dwell further on that uneasy feeling, a knock came from the wooden door of his cultivation cave.

Yuan stood up, adjusting the folds of his green robe. Once everything was in order, he calmly walked to the entrance and unsealed the door.

Before him stood Li Yun, a warm smile on his face.

"Hello, Brother Yuan. It's time. I came to pick you up so we can head there together."

Yuan simply nodded without a word.

Seeing the nod, Li Yun turned and began walking, with Yuan silently falling into step beside him, hands folded calmly behind his back.

They walked in silence for a while, the air between them peaceful. Then, Yuan broke it with a question.

"Do you know what kind of mission we'll be sent on? After all, you're the team leader, aren't you?"

Li Yun chuckled softly.

"No, I don't know the mission yet. But I do know who some of our fellow team members will be."

"Oh?" Yuan asked quietly, his voice curious. "Anyone I might know?"

Li Yun looked up at the sky thoughtfully, a flicker of memory crossing his face. After a moment, his eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, actually. I think you might know one of them. She joined the sect around the same time as you. Her name is... Schmetterling, if I'm not mistaken."

"Schmetterling?" Yuan repeated, the name unfamiliar on his tongue. He frowned slightly, thinking back.

After a few seconds of trying to recall, he shook his head.

"No... I don't remember her. Maybe once I see her face, it'll come back to me."

Li Yun gave a small shrug, not pressing the matter further. They walked on in companionable silence.

The weather had shifted in recent days. Winter had passed, and spring had arrived.

Though the sky was covered in drifting layers of gray and white clouds, the sunlight still peeked through in soft rays. The air was cool, fresh, and pleasant, a perfect day to walk in silence.

Eventually, they arrived at the fifth floor of the Peak Mountain, a level Yuan had never visited before.

Unlike the lower floors, which bustled with inner sect activity, the fifth floor was quiet, refined, a place usually reserved for core disciples.

For Yuan, this was the first time stepping onto this floor.

The fifth floor of the Peak Mountain wasn't particularly impressive, at least, not in terms of architecture. Aside from a stronger concentration of spiritual essence in the air, there were no grand buildings or ornate structures.

The area was primarily composed of cultivation caves, carved neatly into the mountainside.

Today, however, Yuan and Li Yun weren't headed to a cultivation cave. They were on their way to a conference cave, a vast chamber capable of holding several hundred cultivators.

As they approached, they saw a few other Inner Sect disciples entering the cave ahead of them. Li Yun and Yuan didn't pay them much attention. Without a word, they followed and stepped inside.

The conference cave was already filling up.

There were roughly two hundred cultivators present. Most of them wore a dark green robes with flame patterns, identifying them as Rising Flame rank disciples. A few others wore robes with phoenix patterns, identifying them as Young Phoenix disciples.

Yuan's sharp gaze swept across the crowd.

Among the robes, he spotted one disciple wearing a dark green robe adorned with both flame and phoenix patterns, the identification of one of the Ten True Phoenix disciples, the highest ranking among the Inner Sect.

After taking in the crowd, Yuan turned his attention to the cave itself.

It was spacious, with a single raised platform at the front, clearly meant for someone to stand and address the gathering. Several lamps powered by lighting stones illuminated the area, casting a steady glow against the stone walls.

More disciples continued to trickle in, filling the space with quiet anticipation.

Yuan and Li Yun stood silently side by side, not speaking, simply waiting to be told their purpose.

Nearly two hours passed in silence.

Then, finally, a disciple entered the cave, different from the rest.

He wore a more ceremonial version of the sect's dark green robes, the material finely woven, his presence commanding. He was tall, with black hair tied into a bun held by a single metal needle. His yellow eyes were sharp, composed, and unreadable.

Every step he took was slow and deliberate.

He made his way to the raised platform and turned to face the gathered cultivators.

When he spoke, his voice was calm, yet cold, void of emotion, but brimming with authority.

"I am Third Ranked General Yi Lao. From today onward, until this mission is completed, I am your superior."

His yellow eyes swept across the crowd like a blade, measuring each face.

"Now, I will explain the mission and what role each of you will play."

He paused, then continued, his tone as composed as before.

"The mission is simple. We will conquer the territories of the Yang Family. Our first objective is the Crystal River Region. You have one week to prepare. In seven days, we march to war."

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