Chapter 131: Heavy Responsibility

When Zhang Shijie said this, besides herself and Zheng Fa, Yuan Shijie, Zhou Qianyuan, and the Sect Master were also present in the thatched cottage.

"Go be a lecturer at the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion?" Zheng Fa pointed at his own nose and said, "Me?"

Zheng Fa remembered that the lecturers at the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion were all senior brothers at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He had only entered the sect for a short time, and now he was merely at the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

"You were originally a mystic-grade Talisman Master." Zhang Shijie nodded and said, "I have seen your attainment in the Way of Talismans these past days; being a lecturer is more than enough for you."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa was still somewhat hesitant.

"Right now, the play troupe has only just been set up; this junior brother truly has no time to spare..."

He was not making excuses to shirk the duty.

"Saving Little Cultivator Pang Qian" had already been shown twice within the sect, but the number of external cultivators who watched was not high—he and Zhang Shijie had set the price for external tickets a bit too steep.

One spirit stone could only buy three tickets, which was more than three times the price of internal tickets.

During the last screening, not many external cultivators in the market were willing to watch—those willing to take the free ferry mostly had no money.

This price was truly a bit difficult for their wallets.

There was no good solution for this matter; they could only rely on word of mouth to spread slowly.

But the plan for the second play had already been put on the agenda by him and the Sect Master—now, relying on the support of Jiushan Sect disciples, they could at least guarantee no loss when developing a play.

Moreover, it could enrich the entertainment life of the senior and junior brothers of Jiushan Sect.

Not to mention he needed to cultivate, earn money, and research the Way of Talismans; his time was indeed limited.

Seeing that Zheng Fa was not very willing.

Zhang Shijie shook her head and said, "For you, the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion is far more important than this play matter."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa looked at Zhang Shijie with some confusion, and saw Zhou Qianyuan nodding silently beside him.

Seeing Zheng Fa staring at him, Zhou Qianyuan simply spoke up to explain for Zhang Shijie: "I think Senior Sister Zhang means she wants you, Senior Brother, to take over the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion in the future."

"Take over the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion?"

Zheng Fa glanced at Zhang Shijie; Zhang Shijie did not speak, but merely nodded slightly.

"Zheng Shixiong, the dispute between our two lineages actually stems from the cultivation of disciples within the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion." Zhou Qianyuan sighed lightly and said, "Zheng Shixiong, you have seen the conflict between the two lineages in the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion."

Zheng Fa nodded lightly, recalling the group fight that started at the slightest disagreement when he first entered the sect.

"The things our two lineages teach are actually not quite the same." Zhou Qianyuan explained, "I understood when I heard you two, Zheng Shixiong and you, discuss talismans; your lineage focuses on researching Yuan Fu."

"And my Master's lineage does not emphasize Yuan Fu—if we have Yuan Fu, we use them; if we don't have Yuan Fu, we can use the old talisman diagrams."

Hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel it was absurd; could such a small thing cause a fight? "Do these two conflict?"

"They don't conflict." Zhang Shijie shook her head and said, "But this is a difference in understanding of the Dao."

"Simply put, I believe man can conquer heaven; Senior Uncle Pang believes in following heaven's course."

"For example, regarding the decline of spiritual energy, I think we must find a solution."

"Senior Uncle Pang feels we should not force it."

Listening and listening, Zheng Fa still felt there was no actual major conflict between these two; let Senior Sister Zhang research if she wants to, what business is it of Senior Uncle Pang's?

"I haven't told you before; within the Baixian Alliance, there are cultivators who think like me, and there are those who think like Senior Uncle Pang."

"People like us feel that the predecessors have failed, and we hope to find another path to change the decline of spiritual energy." Zhang Shijie spoke softly, "I research new talisman methods, and others research other things... it's all the same."

"People like Senior Uncle Pang feel that the possibility of our ideas is too low... and it is easy to waste the limited resources the Baixian Alliance currently has." Zhang Shijie fell silent for a moment, then continued, "Their idea is that great chaos is coming to the Xuanwei Realm; we cannot waste resources on these things."

Now, Zheng Fa understood a bit.

This was a question of choosing the present or choosing the future:

Zhang Shijie's idea was very good, and Zheng Fa agreed with it very much.

The predecessors failed time and time again; if we don't change, do we just wait to die?

But Senior Uncle Pang also had his own reasoning—Sister, people are about to attack our door; how can you have time to research?

If you succeed in your research and others seize it, that is called making a Shen Jiayi for others.

If you fail in your research, isn't that a waste of resources?

Seeing that Zheng Fa seemed to understand, Zhang Shijie spoke softly, "To perfect the 'Foundation Establishment Method of the Talisman Dao', I used almost the resources the sect cultivates for three Jin Dan."

Zheng Fa thought back to before, when Zhang Shijie described her path as a genius that made the whole world her enemy; he had thought it a bit exaggerated, but now he understood—in this era, if you use so many resources, who else would get beaten up besides you?

"This kind of..." Zheng Fa found a word to describe these two factions, "conflict between the conservative faction and the reformist faction, is it intense within the Baixian Alliance?"

"More or less; there are few people like me, and many people like Senior Uncle Pang." Zhang Shijie explained, "But people with my viewpoint generally have some status within the sect."

Indeed, if one were not a genius like Zhang Shijie, one would not dare to pat one's chest and say one would forge a new path.

This conflict, in the end, is a question of attitude on how to face the decline of spiritual energy.

Zhang Shijie sees the problem most fundamentally—she believes solving the decline of spiritual energy is the right path.

But Senior Uncle Pang sees it more realistically:

Survive the great chaos in the future first, then talk about solving the decline of spiritual energy.

Under conditions where resources and time are limited, these two are almost incompatible.

"What does this have to do with me presiding over the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion?" Zheng Fa asked.

"In our two lineages, Senior Uncle Pang manages the Jielutang, and I manage the Shuwu Pavilion; we can be said to be like well water and river water, not interfering with each other." Zhang Shijie said to Zheng Fa, "Only the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion is the place where the sect cultivates disciples; this place is actually the most important, affecting the balance of power between the two lineages, and it is the easiest place for disputes to arise."

"People from both lineages are not suitable to be the Pavilion Master of the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion; only you, as the Sect Master's disciple, with your position and status, can preside over the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion in a way that both sides can accept."

"Moreover, if you wish to reconcile the conflict between the two lineages, it is best to start with the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion."

Zhang Shijie's words made Zheng Fa fall silent.

He knew that Zhang Shijie's arrangement was also for his own good.

Although this matter brings no short-term benefit, it is the necessary path to becoming a good Sect Master in the future.

He pondered because he was asking himself—does he currently have the ability to resolve the dispute between the two lineages?

Zheng Fa considered his greatest strength to be having a clear sense of reality:

Currently, his cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage.

He did not dare claim his understanding of the Dao of Talismans surpassed that of Zhang Shijie.

Regarding the decades-long dispute between the two branches, besides the ideological conflict Zhang Shijie mentioned,

there were also old grudges held by the disciples of both branches.

The only thing he could rely on was his status as the Sect Master's disciple; how could solving these matters be easy?

"I know your cultivation is still a bit lacking. Go be a lecturer first; once you reach Foundation Establishment later, we can discuss taking charge of the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion..." Zhang Shijie paused slightly and added, "If you feel it is too hasty, there is no rush to go after you reach Foundation Establishment."

Zheng Fa felt a warmth in his heart; Zhang Shijie was probably still thinking of respecting one's own idea.

"Go! Why wouldn't you go? A mere lecturer position makes you hesitate like this?" The Sect Master's voice suddenly rang out, and he shouted loudly, "My disciple, how can you be so timid?"

"..."

"Back when your master was young, if there had been an opportunity to contribute to the Sect, I would have thrown myself into it without hesitation, stepped forward without yielding, and led from the front!"

"..."

Zheng Fa did not believe this from the bottom of his heart—that old man was definitely bragging.

"Now that you are the sole successor of the Sect Master, and will bear the heavy responsibility of the Sect Master in the future, how can you make excuses over such minor difficulties?"

The Sect Master continued to speak with feigned distress.

Hearing this, Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment, then gently cupped his hands toward Zhang Shijie and said, "Senior Sister, I will take this lecturer position."

Zhang Shijie's eyes revealed a look of satisfaction.

The Sect Master standing nearby also smiled and nodded, clearly satisfied that he had successfully motivated his disciple.

"Junior Brother has just thought about it; to reconcile the conflict between the two branches, ordinary teaching methods will not work." Zheng Fa suddenly said, "Junior Brother wants to try some other new methods."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shijie asked curiously, "How do you plan to teach?"

Zheng Fa looked at the Sect Master standing nearby.

The smile on the Sect Master's face slowly froze, as if he had a bad premonition.

"I want to use the Art of the World Within the Hut to let the disciples of the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion conduct simulated trials."

"Simulated..." Zhang Shijie frowned, seemingly not understanding what Zheng Fa was talking about, "Trials?"

"The World Within the Hut?" The look on the Sect Master's face clearly said—trouble is coming.

"My idea is to modify the play again to let the senior and junior brothers experience real battles in the Cultivation World." Zheng Fa explained, "Let those disciples train within this battlefield."

He began explaining his idea in detail to the group.

What Zheng Fa wanted to do was—esports, but a version with one hundred percent realism.

This was the idea he had the first time he watched the play.

The World Within the Hut could fully allow the disciples of Jiushan Sect to experience real war.

After hearing his idea, the eyes of Zhang Shijie and the others nearby lit up.

"Training the combat capabilities of Jiushan Sect disciples?" Zhang Shijie always viewed problems from the perspective of the entire Sect, "This indeed should be done; great chaos is about to rise, and the disciples of Jiushan Sect have enjoyed peace for too long."

"Fun! This is more interesting than the play!" This was Yuan Shijie.

"Zheng Shixiong, when will you officially take office?" This was Zhou Qianyuan; he seemed eager to experience it.

But one person remained silent.

This person had been the loudest just now, but now not only had he shut his mouth, he had quietly stepped back two paces.

"Master?" Looking at the Sect Master standing three steps away, Zheng Fa displayed an innocent smile, "Do you have any thoughts, old one?"

"I think your idea is very good, very good."

"Then the development of this new art still depends on you, Master!"

"This thing is not that simple!" The Sect Master muttered upon hearing this.

Zheng Fa of course knew it was not simple; the logic involved was different—video games and movies are ultimately two different products.

But judging by the Sect Master's expression, he was either incapable of doing it or simply found it troublesome.

After all, the World Within the Hut was the Sect Master's favorite; doing it out of love was fine.

But Zheng Fa's new idea was a mission dropped from the sky.

Given this old man's character of hating trouble, getting him to move would be difficult.

"Master, since you were young, you were willing to throw yourself into it for the Sect, lead from the front, and step forward without yielding; how can you be so timid now that you are old?" Zheng Fa recited skillfully, "Master, you now bear the heavy responsibility of the Sect Master; how can you make excuses over such minor difficulties... right?"

Sect Master: "..."

At Zheng Fa's home, he sat on a cushion; before the Sect Master developed the new art, he would not go to the Talisman and Dharma Pavilion—there was nothing he could do there anyway.

Taking advantage of this time, he also wanted to do his best to improve his cultivation.

Tonight, he must first break through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining.