Shenxiao Sect, Dharma Lecture Cliff.
Qi Xiu, looking weary, leaned against a stone wall, slowly massaging his temples.
"What's going on? Our Vice Sect Leader Qi seems to be having a hard ti."
Seeing Qi Xiu looking as if he had lost all hope, Dongfang Xiong chuckled lightly, realizing the younger man before him seed to be going through his darkest mont.
"It's all because of you. If it weren't for you being in isolated retreat, there wouldn't be all these chaotic affairs left to , a Vice Sect Leader."
Whether in his past life or present, it was Qi Xiu's first ti as a leader, moreover, one that wielded real power over all sect affairs as the Vice Sect Leader.
Since the crisis in Hell Forest had been resolved,
he encountered a deluge of sect matters the mont he wanted to rest for just a few days.
The current Supre Sect Leader, Dongfang Qing, has been out and hasn't returned; the Acting Supre Sect Leader, Dongfang Xiong, is secluded in intense retreat.
Thus, Qi Xiu, the Executive Vice Sect Leader, beca the sole person to decide and handle all matters within Shenxiao Sect.
Always of a laid-back temperant, Qi Xiu, having never faced such responsibilities, looked at the mountain of paperwork and communications before him, ranging from reviewing and auditing nurous spirit vein arrays within the sect to compiling detailed reports on taxes submitted by each peak and sect monthly.
The ticulous affair made Qi Xiu almost freeze on the spot, wishing he could run away overnight.
But now holding the position of Vice Sect Leader, he must do these tasks.
Helpless, he even utilized his External Incarnation, creating a hundred incarnations to help him deal with these lengthy and complicated affairs.
And this was just under three months.
Qi Xiu already felt as if his body had been exhausted dry. Thus, taking advantage of a light day off in affairs, ca to this Dharma Lecture Cliff to lant to Acting Sect Leader Dongfang Xiong.
"Hehe, child, wielding power over an Ancient Sect Nobility is sothing countless cultivators dream of, yet it has beco a burdenso task in your hands.
Do you realize you are now, beside , the most powerful existence within Shenxiao Sect?
The entire sect must listen to your orders.
If you command them east, they won't dare go west.
If soone offends you, they will be expelled from the mountain gate imdiately.
Such imnse authority, yet you disdain it."
Looking at Qi Xiu with a face of hopelessness, Dongfang Xiong laughed and chided him.
Though Shenxiao Sect doesn't even rank in the top ten among the Ancient Sect Nobility of Great Xuan, it intentionally hides its power, avoiding excessive exposure.
And now, as the real-power Vice Sect Leader,
Qi Xiu's status is no lower than those so-called Fan Town Military Governors, and even slightly higher.
After all, those Fan Town Military Governors nominally rule a province,
but only govern commoners within their domain and their governnt office, while other sect nobilities simply ignore them.
Qi Xiu, however, as the Vice Sect Leader of Shenxiao Sect, truly can mobilize all Shenxiao Sect's living forces.
As long as it's not excessive, the Acting Sect Leader wouldn't intervene.
Within his peers, those with similar power and status, even counting throughout the Tianyuan Main Realm, wouldn't exceed the fingers of one hand.
Yet this boy seems truly indifferent to all this...
Seeing Qi Xiu lying on the ground, hiding at Dharma Lecture Cliff for peace and quiet, Dongfang Xiong chuckled helplessly and said:
"Our sect is an ancient one, with seventy-two Spirit Peaks, inner and outer sects, and nurous forbidden areas, generating quite a few affairs daily.
If you truly feel burdened, consider promoting a few people to help share the load."
Upon hearing Dongfang Xiong's words, Qi Xiu sat up with a start, the thick tiredness on his face disappearing instantly:
"Ah, I've been waiting for this sentence from you, Acting Sect Leader."
Seeing Qi Xiu turn lively all of a sudden, Dongfang Xiong smiled amusedly and said:
"You brat, seems like you ca to act out a hardship for persuasion."
"Ah, Acting Sect Leader, you're mistaken. I've had so ideas in mind, just feeling that since our sect carries ancient traditions, breaking conventions easily might not be prudent."
Hearing the undertone in Qi Xiu's words, Dongfang Xiong asked:
"Then you an..."
"I want to pilot a few within the sect first, and if effective, expand it to the whole sect. This way, visible results can be seen imdiately, preventing any grievances within the sect and avoiding unnecessary impact from moving too swiftly."
Listening to Qi Xiu's reasonable plan, Dongfang Xiong nodded:
"You make sense indeed. Since you already have ideas, go ahead. If needed, I'll support you as Acting Sect Leader."
With Dongfang Xiong's full support, Qi Xiu pressed his lips together before rising to bow in thanks:
"In that case, thank you, Acting Sect Leader."
...
Snow lay thick, ice sealing the land for a thousand miles.
The harsh cold, fiercer than when in Blood Lotus Great World, prevailed for two-thirds of the year in the northernmost territory of Central Earth Realm.
Liaodong Great Province!
The bitter land among Great Xuan's thirteen provinces, used to exile felons—a frontier.
Compared to other provinces where sect aristocracies rise side by side,
only five noble families have stood firm through the perennial cold heavens and earth within Liaodong Great Province, each wielding authority over this vast land.
And in the center of this region filled with deep mountain forests, an alpine peak over ten thousand zhang tall, pure white like frost, emits radiant brilliance year-round, as if a deity seated within heaven and earth, silently watching over this land.
This is Changsheng Mountain!
Being the tallest peak in Liaodong Great Province, Changsheng Mountain is not only the source of the Great Yi lineage but also the sacred land in the hearts of all Great Yi.
It's also the ancestral ho of Liaodong's leading noble family, the Hu Family.
In a courtyard nestled within the woods of Changsheng Mountain, the falling snow has settled thickly.
But whenever the snow is about to reach the hall steps, an invisible force sweeps across, clearing the snow to maintain a standard depth.
Knock, knock, knock—
Amidst the tranquility outside the courtyard gate, a light knocking sound resonated, the door knocker colliding with the door panel, standing out sharply in the snow.
"Cough, cough, cough, who is it?"
From within the house ca a series of coughs, followed by a hoarse, aged inquiry.
Standing respectfully outside, wearing a dark cotton robe, a beast tooth necklace hanging from his neck, Hu Tianzong slightly bent in greeting:
"Third Master, it's , Tianzong."
With Hu Tianzong's acknowledgnt, the tightly shut courtyard door slowly opened, a row of blue stone slabs erged from beneath the thick snow, leading towards the inner house.
Entering the courtyard, Hu Tianzong turned back to shut the gate, following the slabs to the inner house door.
Pushing open the door, Hu Tianzong entered the inner house and approached the inner room entrance under dim light.
"Tianzong, at your service to Third Master."
With a slight bow, Hu Tianzong greeted the figure resting on the kang in the inner room.
"Alright, rise."
As the elderly voice sounded again, Hu Tianzong straightened up and gazed at the kang.
An old fox, fur yellowed, leaned against the kang, eyes slightly shut, puffing on a dry tobacco pipe, leisurely yawning.
This old fox at first glance seed no different from regular foxes, except sowhat larger.
But upon closer inspection, the tail slowly wagging behind this old fox wasn't single.
Instead, there were actually nine!
...
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