Chapter 299: The Tiger Hides in the Mountains, the Monkey Shows Its Might

It is said that Zhaoming Zhenren is leading the Elders to accept disciples and provide protection, but in reality, Qingwei Peak has been excluded. As the Sect Leader of the dignified Yuanqing Sect, to speak like the breath of the five grains—what is this? Does she think she, this Fucang Elder, is dead?

But never mind, after all, the entire Yuanqing Sect is hers now, and it is time for her to put on the airs of a Sect Leader.

"Guanxu, go! Take down that painting of clouds rising in the Guangyang Hall for me!" Lingxiang, while dangling on the grand armchair in the Deliberation Hall and cracking melon seeds, issued an inexplicable order with a haughty air.

"But that is the painting Uncle-Master Donghui likes the most; doing this is likely inappropriate..." Guanxu hesitated, unwilling to step down.

Upon hearing this, Lingxiang frowned, clicking her tongue with a face full of displeasure.

"It is I, your Aunt-Master, who is in charge now, so naturally, everything must be done as I say. I said take it down, so it shall be taken down."

She had long found that painting an eyesore. The so-called "water runs out and clouds rise"—if the water is exhausted and there is no path left, how ominous that sounds! Perhaps that was not the original intention of Mojie Jushi, but that is exactly how Lingxiang perceived it.

"Take it down, take it down! It's an eyesore!" Lingxiang waved her hand impatiently.

Hearing this, Guanxu exchanged glances with the fellow disciples to his left and right, only to receive helpless head-shakes in return. With no one to turn to, he had no choice but to accept the order—he would have to store the painting carefully so that when Uncle-Master Donghui returned from seclusion, there would be an explanation.

Seeing Guanxu leave the room with a bitter expression, Lingxiang felt immensely gratified.

Was being a Sect Leader really this enjoyable? No wonder Senior Brother Shangqing clung to the position of Sect Leader and refused to let go. Ah! Since Yuanqing had been handed over to her, she must build it up properly!

"You there!" Lingxiang pointed her finger at a disciple in the last row.

The disciple was startled, shrinking his head and looking at Lingxiang cautiously. He even pointed at himself to confirm, attempting to struggle against the situation.

"Yes, yes, that's right, it's you, come out!" Lingxiang said, curling her finger in an orchid gesture with a sharp gaze, as if the subtext were, "Don't hide! You aren't getting away today!"

Seeing this, the disciple looked dejected and rose from his mat with extreme reluctance.

"Disciple Hanyao, respectfully awaiting the instructions of Fucang Elder."

Ah~ so he is a disciple of the Han generation.

"Tsk tsk tsk!" Lingxiang clicked her tongue again, her expression a mix of a smile and a sneer.

Good for you, old man Shangqing. If I can't do anything to you, can't I at least handle your disciples? In any case, you are currently in seclusion; as the saying goes, if you don't use your power, it expires.

"Go! Paint a layer of gold lacquer on the jade table at Wangxian Terrace."

What? Paint it gold?

Practitioners of the Dao often revere the way of jade. Jade represents the gentleman, focusing the mind and nurturing Qi; what would painting it with gold lacquer accomplish? Furthermore, where was he supposed to get gold lacquer?

"This... I fear it is inappropriate..." Hanyao bowed and replied: "If it is coated in gold lacquer, it would inevitably fall into vulgarity and lose the Immortal Dao."

"What do you know!" Lingxiang glared at Hanyao. "Gold and jade complement each other, bringing great wealth and prosperity. The sect will surely flourish in the future; this is an auspicious sign. Why aren't you going yet?"

"But... where is this disciple to find gold lacquer?"

"If I knew, why would I need you?" Lingxiang wore an expression of taking it for granted and waved her hand, signaling Hanyao to hurry up and do it.

Seeing this, Hanyao had no choice but to accept the order. With a face full of misery, he shuffled out of the Deliberation Hall.

If his master found out about this, he would surely be skinned alive. What was he to do!

At this moment, Lingxiang's face was full of triumph. Thinking of her senior brother, who was always serious and composed, blowing his beard and staring in anger after coming out of seclusion, she felt a burst of secret joy.

The feeling of being in charge was truly not just "not bad."

Just as Lingxiang was wallowing in her power and feeling self-satisfied, she saw someone rushing in from outside the hall, shouting: "It's bad! It's bad! A fight has broken out in Youyuan Hall!"

The person who arrived was Yunlai, the seventh disciple under Zhaoming Zhenren. He was supposed to be leading the Taishang Sect disciples in meditation and morning lessons at Youyuan Hall, but now he was flustered, and his clothes were quite disheveled.

Seeing this, Lingxiang immediately sat up straight, looking mature and steady. Only after Yunlai entered the hall did she imitate Qianyuan Zhenren and shout a reprimand.

"You have entered the Daoist Sect, yet you are so flustered—what kind of decorum is this! We have outside guests here; if they were to see this, wouldn't they say that the Yuanqing Sect doesn't know how to teach its people?"

After finishing her words, Lingxiang savored them for a moment, feeling that her performance was quite good, and praised herself for having the talent to manage the sect.

Hearing Lingxiang's reprimand, Yunlai hurriedly performed a Daoist salute, but the expression on his face remained anxious.

"Reporting to Aunt-Master, the disciples of the Taishang Sect have started fighting with our Yuanqing Sect brothers in Youyuan Hall. I beg Aunt-Master to go and stop them quickly."

What? Was this being bullied right on their own doorstep?

Lingxiang slapped the table and stood up immediately. Just as she was about to move, she suddenly remembered that she was now the one in charge of the Yuanqing Sect; how could she be so impatient? The airs she needed to maintain, she still had to maintain.

Ah! Her damn vanity!

Lingxiang cleared her throat to ease the awkwardness, then sat back down.

"Do you know why the dispute started?"

Hearing this, Yunlai immediately explained the ins and outs of the matter.

Youyuan Hall was originally the residence for a group of disciples. Aside from the few Taishang Sect disciples providing protection outside Wuji Hall, there were not many others, so they were not separately accommodated and were all arranged to stay there.

Someone, somewhere, had heard about the relationship between the Taishang Sect and the Yuanqing Sect. The Taishang Sect disciples then boasted that they were a generation higher than the Yuanqing Sect disciples and insisted on sitting in the left hall during morning lessons, which displeased the Yuanqing disciples.

However, since the visitors were guests, the brothers of the sect understood this principle, so they did not dwell on it and let them have their way. But who would have thought that those Taishang Sect disciples would push their luck, acting haughty and ordering the Yuanqing Sect disciples around, which finally made the Yuanqing Sect disciples angry.

At first, the two sides only exchanged words, which later evolved into a quarrel. At that time, no one had actually made a move, but heaven knows where a small pebble flew from and hit a Taishang Sect disciple right on the head. Once that happened, the two sides immediately started fighting.

"This disciple also spent a great deal of effort to squeeze out of that crowd before coming to report to Aunt-Master." Yunlai looked full of grievance.

He was truly very aggrieved.

It was so hard to have his master entrust him with a task, and even though it was going well, it had ended up being ruined. How would he explain this to his master and the uncles and aunts later!

Hearing what Yunlai said, the few disciples helping Lingxiang manage affairs in the hall immediately became angry.

"How unreasonable! To be ridden over on our own turf?"

In contrast, Lingxiang was very calm, sitting in her chair and deep in thought.

It was originally just a verbal argument, yet a stone suddenly flew out? She felt that, other than that person, there was no one else who could have done it.

Really! Not one of them lets her have any peace of mind!

"Has anyone gone to invite the people from the Taishang Sect?" Lingxiang asked in a low voice.

"They have, they have; Taishang Sect disciples have already gone to Wuji Hall to invite them."

"Today's matters have been assigned; you all go back to your respective duties and do what you must." Lingxiang said while standing up, then said to Yunlai: "Since the Taishang Sect has invited their person in charge, how can we, the Yuanqing Sect, fall behind?"

"Lead the way; I am going to meet these Taishang Sect disciples."