Elder Jiangbao, sleeves already rolled up and poised to unleash a set of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms on this grandson who shared none of his blood, paused mid-stance at those words.
"Yuanshi Tianzun invited you to join his faction?" The old man knitted his brows.
Brother Red Chicken nodded repeatedly. "He messaged me last night, saying the faction is short one person to open a faction dungeon. He wanted to drag me in to make up the numbers so we can level up together in the dungeon. If I want to leave the faction afterwards, I can do so anytime.
"I asked Granddad out for congee today precisely to get your opinion."
Brother Red Chicken might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was no fool. Joining a faction was a grave, monumental matter for a Spirit Realm walker.
He thought highly of Yuanshi Tianzun and considered him a true, trusted friend. However, he also represented Elder Jiangbao. With Yuanshi Tianzun having offended headquarters, joining the Return of the Dead faction would look, in the eyes of certain people at headquarters, like Elder Jiangbao openly endorsing Yuanshi Tianzun.
Brother Red Chicken didn't care for himself, but he had to consider Elder Jiangbao's position.
Elder Jiangbao sat back down at the table, lifted his bowl to sip his congee, and asked, "Xiao Xu, what do you think?"
Standing in the hall was a middle-aged man in a sharp suit and leather shoes—Elder Jiangbao's secretary. He primarily handled branch affairs on the elder's behalf, and his class was Swordsman.
Among the top brass of the Five Elements Alliance, Fire Master leaders liked to pick Scouts as secretaries. For one thing, Fire counters Metal, giving them an inherent advantage in keeping them in line. Furthermore, Scouts were obedient, disciplined, sharp, and rational, which perfectly compensated for the personality flaws of Fire Masters.
A secretary and their boss rose and fell together, intrinsically bound. If the boss needed money, the secretary would pull out every stop to scrounge it up. If the boss wanted abalone, the secretary would prepare a lavish sea-and-sky banquet. If the boss wanted to bed a female subordinate, the secretary would happily play the pimp.
And if the secretary was female herself, it saved even more trouble—she'd throw herself right into his arms.
Secretary Xu, who had been standing to the side, stepped forward at a measured pace, bowed, and whispered:
"Elder, over budget issues last year, you pointed right at Great Elder Dihong's secretary and gave him a scathing tongue-lashing. At the end of the year, you crossed Elder Jin again. At this year's headquarters conference, you publicly voiced your discontent with headquarters, saying 'a general in the field may disregard the sovereign's command,' subtly implying they were sticking their noses into too much..."
"I wasn't implying anything; I said it straight out," Elder Jiangbao remarked triumphantly.
The secretary gave a wry smile. "A friend of mine working at headquarters told me that among the Ten Elders, someone wants to replace you. They believe you're insubordinate and have no regard for organizational discipline. At a juncture like this, I don't advise getting tangled with Yuanshi Tianzun. Anyone with eyes can see he has offended headquarters, and the Alliance Leader doesn't get involved in daily affairs."
The secretary paused and added, "Besides, the Alliance Leader might back him, but he won't back you."
Elder Jiangbao slurped his congee. "What kind of person is he?"
Secretary Xu said, "I'll gather his dossier for you right away and have someone bring it over within five minutes."
Elder Jiangbao waved a hand. "No need. Red Chicken, you know that kid well. You tell me."
"That kid is extraordinarily loyal... No, wait, that kid is practically Lord Guan reincarnated—his loyalty reaches up to the heavens—and Qin Hui reborn, cunning and crafty as an old fox!" Brother Red Chicken puffed out his chest proudly. "Granddad, did I put that elegantly enough? Do I sound cultured?"
*Putting Lord Guan and Qin Hui together like that—would Yue Fei ever agree?* Secretary Xu shook his head with an amused smile.
"Then join," Elder Jiangbao said.
Secretary Xu froze, his expression stiffening. Taking a few steps forward, he frowned and said, "Elder, please think twice. In such sensitive times, let's not invite unnecessary complications."
Elder Jiangbao waved him off. "Red Chicken, what's the most important thing when walking the jianghu?"
"Loyalty, of course!" Brother Red Chicken replied in fluent Cantonese. "Walking the jianghu, rule number one is to do right by your boss, rule number two is to do right by your brothers, and rule number three is you never touch a brother's woman!"
Elder Jiangbao looked at Secretary Xu. "Understood?"
Secretary Xu smiled wryly. "Not really."
"That's why you're not cut out for the underworld; you're only fit to be my secretary." Slurping his congee, Elder Jiangbao spoke casually: "I started out in the streets at sixteen. If I've lived to this day, it's not because I could fight, but because of loyalty! Red Chicken's old man took a blade for me because he was loyal."
Brother Red Chicken slapped the table. "And Granddad raised me because Granddad is loyal too!"
Secretary Xu knitted his brows and ventured tentatively, "So... because Yuanshi Tianzun is loyal, he won't mistreat Red Chicken?"
"Loyal brothers would trade their lives for yours. That's more important than anything, right, Granddad?" Brother Red Chicken said. "Those of us who walk the jianghu only care about loyalty."
"Don't bother asking me about stuff like this next time."
"Got it, Granddad. Then I'll be heading into the dungeon today."
"Drink your congee, drink your congee. Even if the sky falls, it has to wait until the congee is finished."
***
Fujia Bay.
Zhang Yuanqing stood under the showerhead, relishing the impact of the powerful deluge. Cold streams pelted his body and ran down his toned muscles, as if washing away the irritability and unease churning within him.
"Phew..."
He tilted his head back, letting the cold water pour over his face, then raised a finger to touch his forehead, activating the sinister, cunning White Face.
*I'm definitely a piece on Ling Tuo's chessboard. The fact that he hasn't made a move yet means the time isn't ripe. Back then, the Demon Lord also safely advanced to the Dominator stage, reaching level 9 at that...*
This was good news, as it indicated Ling Tuo might not strike while he was still at the Saint stage. He still had time.
Yet it was also bad news, because even at the pinnacle of the Dominator stage, the Demon Lord had still been unable to escape death.
*The Taiyi Sect Master is also in the know. If Ling Tuo had his eyes on the Demon Lord, how could the world's strongest Night Roamer have overlooked him? Now that Ling Tuo has set his sights on me, the Taiyi Sect Master's chessboard must also include the piece named 'Yuanshi Tianzun.' Ling Tuo and the Sect Master have that loving father-son relationship where they want each other dead. That makes the Sect Master my protective umbrella—or at least someone I can win over to my side. That's a good thing.*
*The Compass of Light fragment really isn't on me; Master Wuhen verified that. That's another good thing.*
*When the Demon Lord died, the mysterious person who invested in him was present. Brother Bing passed the Demon Lord's legacy to me, which that mysterious figure couldn't possibly be unaware of. In that case, he must be watching me from the shadows. That's another asset for me... But who on earth is he?*
Thoughts surfaced one after another as his brain rapidly processed the information.
Weighing everything back and forth, Zhang Yuanqing concluded that amid the tug-of-war between all these factions, he was safe for now.
He was like an ant in a two-dimensional world, rampaging about with pride, while overhead a group of higher-dimensional humans coldly observed this puny insect.
The humans' finger would press down sooner or later, whenever they deemed the timing right.
Therefore, he was only safe for now. Once that moment arrived, it would be a terrifying, demigod-level death trap.
*Shit, I suddenly miss the days when I spent every night playing video games with my aunt and practicing my manual arts in the dead of night. School was boring every day, but at least life was relaxing...*
Zhang Yuanqing sighed wistfully.
He didn't even have the time to properly romance Guan Ya. Couple activities that they should have had—shopping, traveling, watching movies—had all been slashed or trimmed down as much as possible.
All he could do was make it up to her properly at night and whisper sweet nothings... They were practically turning into friends with benefits.
What a mess!
Complaints aside, he still had to return to reality. He shut off the showerhead, wrapped a bath towel around his waist, stepped out of the bathroom, and tapped open the faction member list.
"Huh? Why hasn't that idiot Brother Red Chicken accepted the invite yet?" he asked Guan Ya, who sat by the table wiping down her longsword.
"Don't you know your own friends?" Guan Ya retorted crossly.
She had changed into a sleek, practical combat outfit: women's combat boots, camouflage trousers, a dark green tank top, and a cropped nanotech jacket with slight defensive capabilities.
Tall, sexy, and heroic, complemented by her striking Eurasian features and wavy hair, she looked gorgeous.
"Huh? Why did you put on makeup? You're entering a dungeon, not a beauty pageant," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Guan Ya immediately flashed a dangerous sneer. "To meet your harem, of course."
"Don't be so sarcastic. I haven't even become a demigod yet—where would I get a harem?" Zhang Yuanqing blurted out his true thoughts by accident.
Before Guan Ya's willow brows could knit in fury and temper flared, he scooped his older girlfriend onto the table and showered her in ravenous kisses, calling her "good big sister" and "good wifey." Pleased in spite of herself, Guan Ya hummed a few times and let it slide.
She had always had a soft spot for her younger boyfriend.
***
The "Protagonist Squad's Struggle" chat group.
[Zhao Chenghuang: When are we entering the dungeon? It looks like Brother Red Chicken still hasn't joined the faction.]
[Xiahou Aotian: I asked him just now. He said he's having freshly cooked congee, and even if the sky falls, it has to wait until he finishes his bowl.]
[Sun Miaomiao: People from Du just love wasting time on pointless things like that.]
[World Returns to Fire: That's because you haven't seen Elder Jiangbao's dossier. If you had, you'd know how obsessed they are with afternoon tea. I looked into Brother Red Chicken's background recently—his father died when he was young, and he grew up under Elder Jiangbao at the Du branch, so I looked into Elder Jiangbao as well while I was at it.]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Do tell!]
[World Returns to Fire: A few years ago, Elder Jiangbao took part in a raid against a Dominator from the Spirit Society. Just as the encirclement was about to succeed, he suddenly pulled out of the fight and told several official elders... it was time for afternoon tea.]
[World Returns to Fire: And then he went off for afternoon tea.]
[Sun Miaomiao: Hahaha, World Returns to Fire, I didn't know you could tell jokes! You actually made me laugh.]
[World Returns to Fire: That's a true story.]
The chat instantly filled with ellipses.
*Are Fire Masters really this unreliable?* Zhang Yuanqing gained a much deeper understanding of what an oddball Brother Red Chicken was. Back in the Sea of Yashan, the man had been on the verge of losing his life and was still fixated on his chicken soup.
Growing up under an old man like that, the fact that he hadn't halted in the middle of a boss fight to make seafood fish soup was already a miracle of remaining uncorrupted by his environment.
Just then, a notification chime rang from the Spirit Realm—Brother Red Chicken had joined the faction.
[Sun Miaomiao: Brother Red Chicken is here! Yuanshi, hurry and activate the faction dungeon.]
Zhang Yuanqing replied with an "Mm," exited the chat, opened the faction interface, and selected "Generate Dungeon."
[Ding! Generating Spirit Realm, please wait...]
[Faction Spirit Realm generation complete.]
[Designation: 039, Mohist Mechanist City.]
[Difficulty Rating: S]
[Type: Multiplayer (Lethal)]
[Main Quest: Uncover the reason behind the fall of the Mohist Sect.]
[Remarks: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought inside.]
[Description for Spirit Realm 039: The Mohist Mechanist City is an illustrious immortal sect in the southwest. Its founding patriarch was active during the Tang dynasty, having inherited his mechanist arts from the Mohists of Immortal Qin. Rumors in the jianghu claim that the Mohist Sect obtained a treasure passed down from ancient times, and whoever possesses this treasure shall possess the world...]
Chapter 529