Chapter 268: Chapter 7: Snatching a Person

Some things are obvious at a glance. Why even point them out?

"Heh, after laying low for ten years, he’s probably had enough of being pushed around," Dang Jun’an replied with a smile, turning his head to look at Yuee Mengsheng.

Yuee Mengsheng’s brow twitched again. This time, he spoke up. "Why are you looking at me? This has nothing to do with me!"

Hearing this, Dang Jun’an said, "So you’re saying you three old-timers don’t want him, is that right?"

Yuee Mengsheng paused. Before he could even open his mouth, Gan Zili, who was beside him, quickly interjected, "Sect Leader, listen to yourself. Hasn’t our Spirit Nurturing Peak made the greatest contribution to the Sect over the years?

We haven’t asked for this or that, and now you, Sect Leader, want to interfere with our one and only requirement of ’Spirit Nurturing Introduction’?

Besides, Senior Brother Yuee personally brought this person back. For you to try and snatch him while excluding us... that’s a bit unreasonable, isn’t it?"

"You didn’t have to fight for anything. All of us, from every peak and department, have been shamelessly sucking up and sending people your way!" the old farmer, Fanx Qingyong, muttered. His voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.

But was there a single ordinary person in the great hall?

Beside Gan Zili, the last person, a white-haired elder named Guk Liancai who had been silent all this time, now looked at Fanx Qingyong and said:

"Junior Brother Fanx, do you have a problem with that?

Our Spirit Nurturing Peak never begged your Miscellaneous Affairs Department to come running."

Fanx Qingyong stiffened, put on the spot by the retort. He was so flustered he could barely maintain his simple and honest smile.

Yuee Mengsheng and Gan Zili turned around at the same time. Gan Zili shot Guk Liancai a glare and whispered:

"Didn’t I tell you to keep your mouth shut on the way here? Your only job today was to show up.

When we get back, you can argue with everyone on Spirit Nurturing Peak all you want. But right now, shut up for me. Haven’t you offended enough people already?

It’s one thing for you to live like a hermit, but don’t drag our entire Spirit Nurturing Peak down with you."

"Ahem..." The portly Yang Longying coughed a few times, drawing everyone’s attention.

He tapped the information in his hand, and on the Light Screen in the center of the hall, a virtual finger appeared, repeatedly tapping a line of small text.

’Special Hidden Information: This person is strictly forbidden from entering any department related to Spirit Nurturing Peak.’

After seeing this, everyone turned in unison to look at Gan Zili.

"Um... well... if your pretty disciple or a junior from your family was tricked by someone from a young age, and then they kept making a fuss in front of you, wouldn’t you get a little ticked off?

If I really had a problem, would I have written this information down so openly?" Gan Zili said, looking a bit sheepish.

Everyone’s faces twitched in unison. ’These shameless old bastards are really pulling out all the stops.’

’First, they were all desperately acting disgusted, and now one of them is suddenly playing the father-in-law card. This is just too much.’

"Ahem... We’ve seen the information. Does anyone have any objections?" Dang Jun’an spoke up at that moment.

"What other objections could there be? That one Skill, and the clear knowledge of his past-life profession—it says it all, doesn’t it?" the old farmer, Fanx Qingyong, said sarcastically, eyeing the Spirit Nurturing Technique.

"The matter of the Spirit Nurturing Master in Celestial Spirit City is not yet settled," Dang Jun’an corrected.

"Mm, not settled indeed. An output of over a hundred Tier One Spirit Nurturing Beads per month, all at the Mastery Level.

Just what Tier of Spirit Nurturing Master he is, and what Tier of Spirit Nurturing Beads he can create—none of that is settled at all," the old farmer, Fanx Qingyong, continued in his sarcastic tone.

"This should be a good thing," Yang Longying interjected.

"Yes, a very good thing. He’s been content to stay in the Sect for over ten years, so he’s obviously not from some Spirit Nurturing Holy Land.

How wonderful that our Sect can pick up such a bargain, right?

We in the other departments wouldn’t dare interfere, lest we offend our senior brothers from Spirit Nurturing Peak.

But when the time comes, if his reincarnation brings any trouble, our departments will be the ones to handle it.

After all, it is a reincarnation. Who would do that if there wasn’t some great disaster involved, right?" Fanx Qingyong said.

Guk Liancai looked at the passive-aggressive man and said, "If he comes to our Spirit Nurturing Peak, we will bear the responsibility for any problems. We won’t trouble..."

"Shut your mouth!"

"Shut up!"

Yuee Mengsheng and Gan Zili both whipped their heads around and glared at Guk Liancai.

Facing these two, however, Guk Liancai showed no temper at all. He simply and decisively closed his eyes to rest again.

Seeing the atmosphere turn cold, Gan Zili spoke up, "Um... Junior Brother Fanx, you know what he’s like.

Even on our own peak, there are more than a few people who’d like to skin him alive. Don’t take it to heart!"

"But I feel so wronged! This can’t just be over like this. Why don’t you let me have some of your people to compensate me?" Fanx Qingyong said with a grief-stricken look at the virtual screen, hinting wildly.

"Ah... well... um... Senior Brother Yuee is still the one who calls the shots on Spirit Nurturing Peak."

’I really underestimated how thick-skinned he is, to use something like this as an opportunity... really...’

But he wasn’t some young man. Realizing he had fallen into a trap, he decisively passed the buck to Yuee Mengsheng.

Fanx Qingyong’s face fell. "Sigh, when you get old, you just get bullied everywhere you go!" he said, looking utterly wronged.

Gan Zili looked awkward, not knowing how to respond. After all, he spent most of his years on Spirit Nurturing Peak and wasn’t particularly skilled in these matters.

If he hadn’t lived for so many years, he’d be even more dull-witted. It was a common ailment among Spirit Nurturing Masters; long-term focus on Techniques inevitably made one slow in this regard.

Yuee Mengsheng raised his eyes, glanced at Fanx Qingyong, and said, "How about I offer you a formal apology, Junior Brother Fanx, and later customize a few Inheritance Bead Sets for your people?"

Hearing this, Fanx Qingyong’s aggrieved expression vanished instantly. He switched back to his honest look and hurriedly said:

"What? What did you say, Senior Brother?

Weren’t we discussing official business? What are you talking about, Senior Brother?

Oh, right, did you say customize?

That would be great! It’s been years since anyone from my department was fortunate enough to have a Technique customized at Spirit Nurturing Peak. This is good. This we can do.

Thank you, Senior Brother, for understanding our hardships! We’ve been so poor these past few years!"

Gan Zili felt the urge to roll his eyes but thought the action was beneath his status. He suppressed it just as his eyes started to move, leaving a strange expression on his face.

Yuee Mengsheng glanced up at Fanx Qingyong, not bothering to grace him with a response.

Seeing the atmosphere relax, Dang Jun’an spoke up, "Then, about this person..."

Everyone fell silent. Seeing this, Yuee Mengsheng knew that none of them wanted to let go, including Zhou Jiuyan, who had been silently poring over the information.

He then said, "Let’s meet him first. I haven’t seen him in ten years, either. We can decide what to do after we’ve met him.

After all, while many things seem decided, most of it is just speculation.

And even if we are willing to take the risk to recruit him, it still depends on whether he is willing.

Besides, although logically speaking, someone with the status of a Spirit Nurturing Master shouldn’t have any ill intentions toward the Sect, we should still see the person for ourselves!"

"If he had no intention of joining the Sect, would he have gone to the Scripture Pavilion to get a Spirit Nurturing Technique?

Isn’t this his way of hinting at his identity to us, right after he started recovering his strength?

It could also be considered a heads-up before he starts selling Spirit Nurturing Beads later.

Or does Senior Brother think that the Spirit Nurturing Technique shown in the file is something he just learned?

A novice who can produce a hundred beads a month from a Low-Level Spirit Nurturing Technique? Is your Spirit Nurturing Peak usually a bit too idle?

All these signs indicate he’s probably done biding his time. Of course, he could also be hiding from something. Who knows?" Zhou Jiuyan interjected.

Gan Zili said, "Too idle? Why don’t we at Spirit Nurturing Peak go on patrol duty, and you all can try taking our orders?"

Zhou Jiuyan was left speechless. ’You can do my job, but I can’t do yours!’

’How the hell am I supposed to refute that?’

"So what do you mean, Junior Brother? We shouldn’t meet him?" Yuee Mengsheng asked, looking at Zhou Jiuyan. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Zhou Jiuyan said, "I don’t mean anything by it. I just looked at the information and offered my opinion."

"Then let’s meet him first. Although a Spirit Nurturing Master of this caliber is indeed worth paying a price to win over,

we can use this opportunity to clarify a few things. We can also see if we can meet the person behind the Incarnation from a few days ago, dig up some details, and at least have a baseline," Dang Jun’an decided, setting the matter.

Seeing this, the others all nodded, setting the tone for what was to come.

Dang Jun’an waved his hand, and the personnel who had long been waiting immediately sprang into action.

...