Xuanming and Xuan Shang's conversation naturally ended on an unhappy note.

This time, the conversation had almost brought the conflicts between the Sect Leader Faction and the Anti-Sect Leader Faction within the Zhenwu Sect out into the open.

The contradictions between the two factions were essentially irreconcilable. Once Xuan Shang became the Peak Master of Wanfa Peak, the dispute was set to escalate further.

However, it was not solely up to Xuanfeng to decide whether Xuan Shang would take charge of Wanfa Peak.

The decision of the Seven Peaks was made by majority rule.

Each Peak Master had one vote, while the Sect Leader had two. Even if Xuanfeng's vote went to Xuan Shang, the opposition still had a one-vote advantage.

Not to mention, it was still unknown whether someone from this side had secretly defected to the Sect Leader's camp.

But before that, Qing Yu and Xuan Shang had another issue to resolve.

"You..." Xuan Shang hesitated before speaking, "Are you really Qing Yu?"

"Do you want me to call you Uncle Master, Daoist Xuan Shang?" Qing Yu said with an inscrutable smile.

The mention alone caused the corners of Xuan Shang's mouth to twitch uncontrollably.

When Xuan Shang had left the Zhenwu Sect, Qing Yu was only so tall, and due to chronic malnutrition, calling her a little bean was no exaggeration.

But in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed, and this little bean had come to call him Daoist. Anyone would find it difficult to adjust to such a change.

Xuan Shang subconsciously wanted to correct Qing Yu's form of address. But on closer inspection, with her white hair and her demeanor, she looked every bit the realized immortal.

Despite Xuan Shang being much older than Qing Yu, if one were to compare the two, some might even believe that Qing Yu was older than Xuan Shang. After all, with that Daoist energy and celestial presence, along with the white hair, it was truly hard to believe that Qing Yu was just in her twenties.

Xuan Shang glanced at her helplessly and eventually resigned himself to saying, "You still need to conceal your identity, so just call me Daoist."

'This is all for the greater plan.' Xuan Shang could only comfort himself with this thought.

"Daoist Xuan Shang," Qing Yu said with a light laugh.

"Hmm, Daoist Qing Yu," Xuan Shang replied, still feeling a bit aggrieved.

But since he had already been called that so many times, Xuan Shang had gotten used to it.

The next step was to discuss how to outmaneuver the Sect Leader Faction in the Seven Peaks voting and make Xuan Shang the Peak Master of Wanfa Peak.

To be honest, the motion for Xuanfeng to step down, as Xuan Shang had previously mentioned, was an impulsive statement he made without consulting Qing Yu.

Initially, their plan after discovering the Image Stone was to seal Xuanfeng's memory, allowing Xuan Shang to gradually take over the affairs of Wanfa Peak. Without the title of Peak Master, he would still wield the real power.

Now, the process was compressed into a single step, where Xuan Shang was to become the Peak Master directly, skipping all intermediate steps.

It must be said that Xuan Shang was somewhat impulsive. But this impulsivity wasn't just adverse.

Or rather, the benefits were much greater than the drawbacks.

"If we can secure the support of the neutral Senior Sister Xuanzhen, our number of votes will equal theirs. Then the potential for manipulation increases significantly. And..."

Qing Yu turned to look at the other six towering peaks, her gaze purposefully lingering on two of them, "This will also verify the current stance of those two individuals. We'll see if they stick with their past positions or if they've switched allegiance to Xuan Chen."

"You mean..."

Xuan Shang too turned his attention toward those two peaks.

Kunyin Peak and Heavenly Void Peak, the masters of these two peaks were followers of Xuanfa in the past. But times had changed, and what they thought now, only they themselves knew.

"Tomorrow, I shall pay a visit to Daoist Xuanzhen," said Qing Yu, once again turning his gaze toward Su Nu Peak.

"Can you really persuade Senior Sister Xuanzhen? Ten years ago, even with things so escalated, she still maintained neutrality. To think you could persuade her in three days is practically impossible."

Xuan Shang now also felt some regret for his impulsiveness; indeed, some matters simply could not be rushed.

"What was true ten years ago might not necessarily hold now. After all, times have changed," Qing Yu said calmly.

If Xuanzhen truly remained intent on neutrality, then nobody could persuade her. Even if Qing Yu had previously done her a favor, he could not change her mind.

But what if Xuanzhen's stance has shifted?

If Qing Yu had not been fairly certain, he would have stopped Xuan Shang in his tracks when he first spoke. Since Qing Yu did not do so, it indicated he was confident.

Would Xuanzhen, the neutral party from ten years ago, still maintain neutrality after another ten years?

Xuan Shang did not know. He did not believe that Qing Yu, who was not very familiar with Zhenwu Sect, would know either, but seeing Qing Yu's confident expression, he could not help but place his trust in him unconsciously.

Perhaps it was because Xuan Shang saw a reflection of Xuanfa within Qing Yu.

Or maybe someone had quietly used the Power of Thought to strengthen Xuan Shang's trust in him.

Who could say?

..................

A clear pond reflected the azure sky above.

"Burp—"

By the shallow pool, a pure white crane slightly unfurled its wings, pushing the girl washing its feathers into the water.

"Ah—"

The little Daoist nun, dressed in a jade Daoist robe, with her trousers bound up, screamed as she fell and sat down in the pool, splashing water everywhere.

"Okay, you dead White Crane, grandma kindly bathes you and you dare to do this to me, I see you're just looking for trouble!"

True Qi vibrated through the water, sending splashes toward the dignified white crane. The crane, undaunted, beat its wings, summoning a wild wind that swept the water back.

A white crane that could carry many people straight to the high heavens would not be doused by such a small splash of water.

The reversing waters soaked Qingling thoroughly, leaving her fuming with indignation and shouting loudly.

"Although Qingling is causing some commotion now, it's much better than her previously lifeless demeanor," a mature woman with a female crown, also garbed in a jade Daoist robe, watched her disciple frolic with the white crane and whispered with a soft laugh.

"Much better indeed. After her first return from the mountain, Qingling has become a lot more composed. We thought it best to let this lively and active girl experience more of the world, but we never expected..." Senior Sister Xuanzhen, who was standing behind, shook her head and sighed, seeming to regret past events.

They had not foreseen that Qingling would encounter such cruel situations every time she left the mountain, and this clever and nimble girl had gradually stepped into a nightmare, unbeknownst to anyone when it started happening.

"By the way, Senior Sister," the other woman with a female crown said to Xuanzhen, "I heard that Daoist Xuan Shang has a visitor—it seems to be Daoist Qingyu, who sealed the Heart Demon for Qingling. Should we invite him to visit Su Nu Peak?"

Qing Yu?

Xuanzhen's eyes flickered slightly, as if touched by a hint of melancholy.

Were the conflicts finally coming to the surface?

Since Xuan Shang's return to the Sect, his actions were frequent and pointed directly at the Sect Leader of Chonghe Peak. Xuanzhen observed and heard everything, fully aware of the Sect's internal strife.

Now, it seemed the time to openly tear off the facade was nearly upon them.

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