"So he's finally back..." Li Fan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Only him? Where is Immortal Lord Ziyun?"
In an instant, Li Fan had already rehearsed their upcoming confrontation in his mind.
Scenarios included, but were not limited to: Immortal Lord Hongxi, faced with the fact that he had been sidelined and stripped of authority, launching a fierce counterattack and relying on the appeal of his Soul Formation cultivation to instantly reclaim the support of the vast majority of cultivators.
Or perhaps Immortal Lord Hongxi feigning composure on the surface, playing along to placate him temporarily. Once Li Fan let down his guard, he would strike like thunder, unleashing a sudden purge to reverse the situation in a flash, ultimately dismissing Li Fan from office under trumped-up charges.
And so forth.
Yet never in his wildest dreams did Li Fan expect that when Immortal Lord Hongxi actually saw him, far from swords being drawn, he burst into hearty laughter, stepped right up, and pulled Li Fan into a big bear hug.
Li Fan stiffened slightly, a flicker of bewilderment passing through his eyes.
*Are we really that close?* he thought to himself.
Immortal Lord Hongxi seemed completely oblivious to the strange look in Li Fan's eyes. He clapped him on the shoulder, looking immensely gratified.
"Splendid! You did a fantastic job! When Ziyun and I heard that Wanxian Island had been almost completely uprooted by the Five Elders Association, we worried Congyun Sea would descend into absolute chaos. Who would have thought you would appear out of nowhere? Over the past few years, not only have our rankings across all assessment metrics not dropped, they've actually climbed several places!"
"Tell me, why didn't you wake up sooner? If you had, would I have been run ragged by all these administrative headaches over the years?"
"Keep at it! Going forward, the governance of Congyun Sea remains in your hands!"
Immortal Lord Hongxi appeared exceedingly delighted.
Li Fan could not help falling silent.
Clad in white, Hongxi looked as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Humming an unfamiliar tune, he walked back to the long table in the room.
He elegantly poured himself a cup of clear tea and savored it with deep satisfaction.
"Lying around every day without lifting a finger while watching merits skyrocket—now that's what I call living," he remarked lazily.
Turning his head and seeing Li Fan still standing where he was, he promptly beckoned, "Hey, don't be so stiff. Come have a cup of tea!"
"Then I thank Lord City Master!" Li Fan did not refuse; he stepped forward and sat down.
After sipping another cup of tea, Hongxi finally continued, "Ziyun and I heard all about your feats at Alliance headquarters. Tsk-tsk, as expected of an ancient sect disciple—you really are far more capable than us modern cultivators."
"By the way, to what realm has your cultivation recovered? Nascent Soul, Soul Formation?" Immortal Lord Hongxi glanced at Li Fan, then shook his head.
"Can't see through it. Can't see through it at all!"
Li Fan said calmly, "Whatever my cultivation, today I am merely a subordinate of Lord City Master."
Immortal Lord Hongxi chuckled. "And I am merely a subordinate of Diyi Jinglun, while Diyi Jinglun is merely a subordinate of the esteemed Dharma Transmitters."
"We are all serving the Alliance—what difference does it make?"
Li Fan's expression instantly turned solemn. "Your Lordship's realm of thought is indeed extraordinary. This subordinate is filled with admiration!"
Seeing Li Fan remain so rigid and formal, Immortal Lord Hongxi's face slumped. He shook his head and sighed, "Truly an old fossil! No fun, no fun at all."
"Ah, whatever. As long as you keep handling official affairs for me as usual and maintain the status quo, that's all that matters."
Seeing that Immortal Lord Hongxi's attitude did not appear to be an act, Li Fan could not help asking, "My Lord, do you really have no desire to resume governance?"
Immortal Lord Hongxi laughed heartily once more. "That's where you fail to understand. But no matter, you'll get it in the future. It doesn't hurt to tell you now."
"I've been in charge of Congyun Sea for nearly two centuries, always conscientious and diligent. I haven't achieved any great merits, but I haven't made any blunders either."
"Those days have hit a ceiling. Aspiring to take another step forward?"
Immortal Lord Hongxi sighed softly. "It's hard!"
"There are so many Soul Formation cultivators in the Alliance. Without reaching Dao Integration, competing against those people..."
"Heh, it's far better to enjoy leisure and freedom here in my Congyun Sea."
"These administrative affairs—you might handle them with care for a year or two, even ten or thirty years."
"But what about a hundred years? Two hundred years?"
"I grew sick to death of them long ago. Yet I couldn't bring myself to resign either. Handing them over to subordinates? They're all good-for-nothing sacks of rice—I couldn't feel at ease."
"After all these years, someone like you has finally appeared!"
"Look, Ziyun stayed behind in the inland provinces to attend some 'Friendly Exchange Gathering' to broaden her horizons. I didn't even bother attending a grand gathering seen only once in centuries, rushing back eagerly just to see you."
"And you truly didn't disappoint me!"
Immortal Lord Hongxi sighed with feeling.
"I heard that before this, you might have worried I'd come back and seize power from you? Unnecessary! I can't wait to dump all these messes onto you!"
"Don't worry, tomorrow I'll gather everyone and make it clear. In the future, you will still be in charge!"
The corner of Li Fan's mouth twitched slightly.
Still, he cupped his hands. "In that case, I thank Lord City Master for your high favor."
Immortal Lord Hongxi patted Li Fan on the shoulder once again. "Keep up the good work! Even though a Secret Script Emissary like you earns fewer merits each year than I do, compared to those cultivators who toil away doing merit missions year in and year out, it's not even on the same level."
"Besides, I heard that while you served as Acting Island Master and oversaw the construction of Congyun City, your post was treated on par with a City Master."
"Factoring all that in, your merit rank must have shot up rapidly over these years."
Now it was Li Fan's turn to freeze.
"Merits are distributed every year? Why haven't I received any?"
Immortal Lord Hongxi, who was sipping his tea, spat it all out in a spray, staring at Li Fan in utter shock.
"Impossible, right? You haven't received any merits? Then what on earth have you been toiling away for all these years?"
"I..." Li Fan hesitated.
He suddenly realized there was a profound generation gap between the two of them, so he could only remain silent.
"Don't tell me you've never gone into the Heavenly Profound Mirror to claim your annual settlement?" After a long pause, Immortal Lord Hongxi looked at Li Fan with a rather bizarre expression.
Li Fan shrugged. "No one ever mentioned this to me."
Immortal Lord Hongxi smacked his forehead.
"Uh..."
Listlessly, he said, "Then go check right away. You might get a pleasant surprise."
Li Fan nodded, bowed, and hurried off.
Watching Li Fan's retreating figure fade away, Immortal Lord Hongxi shook his head. "Sigh, as expected of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. Nobody cares unless it affects them personally..."
Once Li Fan returned to the Heavenly Profound Mirror and made some inquiries, he finally understood what the so-called annual settlement was all about.
As it turned out, besides their annual contribution point salary, the primary governing officials of each province or region also received performance bonuses based on their territory's overall ranking across the entire Alliance.
Settled once a year, this remuneration included not only contribution points, but also a massive amount of merits.
Chapter 620