Settled

As soon as those words were uttered, the elders, peak masters, and lineage masters who had already known the inside story showed little reaction. However, everyone else simultaneously wore expressions of astonishment. Send Yaoguang to the Eastern Domain?! To Shen Junyan's turf? How could he even issue an order like that? As for Perfected Lord Chiyun, who secretly backed Shen Junyan, he stood up on the spot. "Out of the question!" He spoke bluntly, "Deputy Sect Master Shen has committed no fault whatsoever. For the sect master to strip him of his authority to oversee a domain like this goes against the rules..." Then, seemingly feeling that his words were too direct, he added, "To leave a Void Refining combat power sitting idle would be a reckless waste of heaven's gifts—especially when it concerns a deputy sect master with limitless prospects, whose capability and talent are both second to none." "Supreme Elder Chiyun, calm yourself. I naturally have important plans for Deputy Sect Master Shen." Zong Wenxian was not at all surprised that this Supreme Elder had stepped forward in objection. "For all these years, the Southern Domain has been under my stewardship. Yet as the sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, the matters great and small that require my attention are beyond count. Splitting my focus to manage the Southern Domain has frankly stretched my abilities thin. Furthermore... I fear some within the sect cannot help but spread idle gossip..." Speaking up to this point, he glanced in the direction where Ling Ruogu and Chi Yu, the two Void Piercing experts, were seated. With his control over the Heavenly Dao Sect as sect master, so long as he wanted to investigate, it was naturally easy to uncover who was behind spreading the rumors. However... Having firmly set their minds on throwing their lot in with Yaoguang, to the point of already packing up their families' most valuable assets, the two did not feel much fear in this moment. Wealth and honor were sought amid danger. Since they wanted to develop and grow stronger in Yaoguang's territory, they naturally had to display their capability and value. Only... Zong Wenxian was actually dispatching Yaoguang to the Eastern Domain?! And then sending Shen Junyan to the Southern Domain?! What kind of move was this?! Not only did the two of them think this, but many other elders also failed to make sense of Sect Master Zong's maneuver. Of course, some guessed that Sect Master Zong was stirring up trouble for both deputy sect masters. On one hand, he was warning Deputy Sect Master Shen, who had recently become somewhat disobedient, preventing him from expanding his power in the Eastern Domain. On the other hand, it would also suppress Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang's momentum. If this could provoke infighting between the two deputy sect masters, all the better. "Inappropriate!" Perfected Lord Chiyun also saw through Zong Wenxian's intentions and voiced his objection. "The Eastern Domain has always been under Deputy Sect Master Shen's watch. He knows its circumstances like the back of his hand. If he is reassigned, wouldn't that allow the demonic scourge already running rampant in the Eastern Domain to rage even more fiercely? Who knows how many peripheral forces of our Heavenly Dao Sect would be affected as a result!" He quickly added, "Moreover, when a deputy sect master oversees a domain, they generally govern it with patience, displaying their capabilities to the fullest to prove their governance philosophy and competence. For the sect master to transfer Deputy Sect Master Shen away halfway through, how is he supposed to prove himself? Once this sets a precedent, heh... I'm afraid no deputy sect master's abilities could ever compare to the sect master's." His argument was met with approval from quite a few people. The Supreme Elder backing the Western Domain's deputy sect master nodded in agreement. "Entrusting a domain to a deputy sect master to oversee and govern is indeed a demonstration of that deputy sect master's competence. And transforming and developing a region is never accomplished overnight. The sect master's approach would undoubtedly cause a deputy sect master who has invested vast amounts of time and energy into presiding over that domain to fall short on the verge of success. Therefore, transferring Deputy Sect Master Shen to the Southern Domain is indeed inappropriate." "Supreme Elders, calm yourselves. I am also taking Deputy Sect Master Shen's best interests into account. You must realize that Deputy Sect Master Shen has completely lost control over the Eastern Domain's situation. The tribute materials submitted have dwindled year after year. The last term yielded barely over eight hundred million; will the next term drop to seven hundred million, and the one after that to six hundred million? When conditions become dire, change is imperative." As Zong Wenxian spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present. "None of you wish to tighten your belts for the next several decades, centuries, or even hundreds of years just because Deputy Sect Master Shen lacks the competence, dragging down the sect's revenue, do you?" When it concerned their own interests, many elders who had initially been watching the spectacle began to grow uneasy. In particular, Yuan Miaoyi, Xiang Zhenlong, and others who were Zong Wenxian's staunchest supporters spoke up: "It is true that a deputy sect master has full administrative authority over a region to demonstrate their capabilities, but if their governance only worsens, to the point of harming our entire sect's collective revenue, then we must help him find a solution and cut our losses in a timely manner." "Indeed. If Deputy Sect Master Shen lacks the competence, then replace him with someone who has it. It's true that he was entrusted with managing the Eastern Domain, but we cannot allow him to squander it recklessly. An incompetent general brings doom upon the entire army! Must we wait until the demonic scourge spreads across the Eastern Domain, leaving nine houses out of ten desolate, before we are satisfied?" "I believe the sect master's words make sense. The issue right now is not that we are unwilling to let Deputy Sect Master Shen govern a domain, but that his capability is clearly insufficient. Under these circumstances, sending him to the relatively peaceful Southern Domain is the sect master being considerate of Deputy Sect Master Shen. It is for his own good; Deputy Sect Master Shen ought to be grateful." Elders, peak masters, and lineage masters voiced their opinions one after another. However, practically all those who spoke were members of the four lineages, clearly acting under Zong Wenxian's instructions. "It is merely a demonic scourge. So long as the sect provides a measure of support, it can naturally be quelled with ease," Perfected Lord Chiyun said. "I believe the shortfall in each term's tribute is only temporary. Before long, it will surely be made whole." "How long is 'before long'? There must be a specific timeframe, mustn't there?" Zong Wenxian said, casting a glance at Yaoguang. "We cannot leave Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang waiting indefinitely." Hearing this, Perfected Lord Chiyun realized Zong Wenxian's true objective. He wanted to kill two birds with one stone. After a brief deliberation, he actually had a way to sacrifice others to save himself: cooperate with Zong Wenxian and drag the matter out. However... Setting aside how long it could be dragged out, the crux was that doing so would be tantamount to yielding to Zong Wenxian. Moreover, it would also mean offending Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang. The drawbacks outweighed the benefits. Right now, Zong Wenxian had already brought the matter into the open; he would find an excuse to resolve it sooner or later. For the sake of one or two hundred million Pure Yang Great Pills in revenue per term—and knowing it might not even be doable many more times... It was not worth it. At once, he said plainly, "Completely eradicating the demonic scourge will likely take some time, but merely suppressing it should be well within Deputy Sect Master Shen's capabilities. Therefore, I believe he will be able to deliver the full quota of tribute materials by the next term." "The next term..." Zong Wenxian gave Perfected Lord Chiyun a deep look. After a moment, he smiled and said, "Then the next term it is." He declared directly, "If Deputy Sect Master Shen fails to deliver sufficient tribute materials next term, Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang will proceed to oversee the Eastern Domain. Until then, we..." Swoosh! Before Zong Wenxian could finish speaking, a golden light abruptly manifested at the celebration. Seeing this sudden golden light, many people stood up one after another. "Venerable Golden Book." Some even bowed toward the golden light from afar. "Greetings, Venerable." Zong Wenxian was also somewhat dazed upon seeing the sudden appearance of the golden light. How... How had Venerable Golden Book been summoned?! Factional power struggles within the sect were never supposed to reach the level of Venerables or Dao Lords; that was an unspoken rule. Otherwise, if everyone went to bother Him over petty matters, wouldn't the Venerables and Dao Lords consider this batch of people incompetent and replace them with another? If things went wrong, nobody would get to play this game of power anymore. After quite a while, the sect master hurriedly said, "Venerable, what brings You here?" It was at this moment that Yaoguang—the guest of honor who had nearly been reduced to an onlooker—stepped forward and said, "Oh, isn't a junior sect master's promotion to deputy sect master supposed to be re-registered in the Golden Book of the Great Dao? So I invited Venerable Golden Book over to help register it." Zong Wenxian forced a stiff smile. "For a matter like this, I could have updated it on your behalf. Why trouble the Venerable?" "Is that so? It's mainly because it's been so long since I broke through to Void Refining, yet the Golden Book of the Great Dao chapter in my hands hasn't changed. I thought you had forgotten, Sect Master. After all, you attend to myriad affairs every day, not only busy managing the sect's affairs, but also responsible for everything big and small in the Southern Domain. It must be utterly exhausting..." As Yaoguang spoke, he seemed to recall something and shifted the topic: "Oh, right, what did the sect master say just now? That only after Deputy Sect Master Shen's Eastern Domain opens up will I go oversee it? And before then, I should just stay in the sect, waiting until one of the four domains has a vacancy to fill?" Zong Wenxian glanced at Venerable Golden Book, then at Yaoguang playing innocent, and cursed viciously under his breath. "Dammit!" Yet he maintained the smile on his face. "How could that be? Every deputy sect master of our Heavenly Dao Sect is an elite among mortals; delaying even a single day would be an immense waste! What I meant was, until then, Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang should first oversee the Southern Domain and direct its administration and development." "Then, if Deputy Sect Master Shen can't resolve the Eastern Domain's problems, will I have to move to the Eastern Domain again? After all, I must make sure whether the sect master really intends to transfer me to the Eastern Domain one moment, to the Southern Domain the next, and back to the Eastern Domain shortly after... Tossing me back and forth like that would make it truly difficult for me to develop anything, let alone demonstrate my capability to the sect," Yaoguang asked in apparent puzzlement. Hearing this, Venerable Golden Book's gaze instantly landed on Zong Wenxian. According to sect rules, if a deputy sect master demonstrated sufficient governing ability during their tenure over a domain such that their domain's development rivaled that of the Central Domain, then upon advancing to the Void Shattering Realm in the future, they could replace the incumbent sect master and become the Heavenly Dao Sect's new helmsman. True disciple to junior sect master, junior sect master to deputy sect master, deputy sect master to sect master. Only the fairness and impartiality of promotions across these four tiers could ensure that the Heavenly Dao Sect endured without decline throughout the ages. These rules were explicitly inscribed into the Golden Book of the Great Dao. Sensing Venerable Golden Book's gaze, Zong Wenxian cursed incessantly in his heart, yet he still had to wear a beaming smile. "How could that be? Transferring a deputy sect master away from their assigned domain requires that the deputy sect master has committed a grave blunder and received unanimous confirmation from the Supreme Elder Council. As long as Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang governs the Southern Domain well, no order transferring you away will ever be issued." "Is that so? Then I am reassured." As Yaoguang spoke, he turned to Venerable Golden Book and presented his volume directly. "May I trouble the Venerable to help re-register it?" Venerable Golden Book glanced at Yaoguang, accepted the volume, and soon... The records were updated. "I remember you," Venerable Golden Book said, returning the volume to him. "Your cultivation advances very quickly. I await the day you reach Void Shattering." "I will not disappoint the Venerable," Yaoguang said with a slight bow. Venerable Golden Book nodded, and in the next moment, dissolved into a ray of golden light and vanished. Once Venerable Golden Book was gone, Yaoguang swept his gaze over the various expressions in the room, particularly Zong Wenxian, whose smile had frozen stiff... "Come, come, the celebration feast isn't over yet! Sect Master, everyone, allow me to toast you." He smiled and raised his cup in invitation to the assembly. "Let the music play on, let the dancing continue!"