Chapter 207: Immortal Tree Ganmu

When the protectors of the Dao family came to compete with the royal family for control of the Medical Bureau, Hua Changxi was completely indifferent, but now, knowing that the protectors of the Dao family had set their sights on the Qihuang Hall, she could no longer ignore it.

The wooden tokens were the keys to unlock the Qihuang Hall; out of the eighteen tokens, she had taken ten, and the other eight had their own owners. She was curious about how the protectors of the Dao family would contend for the Qihuang Hall.

Prince Shou, seeing that the white-haired elder intended to get his hands on the Qihuang Hall but not daring to openly fall out with the protectors of the Dao family, could only say to Chu Junhao, who was standing behind him, "Junhao, take all the hall masters and go pay respects to Senior Xia."

Hearing the order, Chu Junhao quickly stepped forward, bowed to the white-haired elder, and said, "Number Fourteen Qihuang Hall Master Chu Junhao pays respects to Senior Xia." Then, he clasped his hands to the group on the right and said, "Greetings to all fellow Daoists."

Like the group of cultivators the Xia family had brought, he did not announce his family name either.

The white-haired elder smiled at Chu Junhao and nodded.

Next, the hall masters, in order of the Qihuang Halls, stood up one by one to pay their respects.

"One Hall Master Mu Qingying pays respects to Senior Xia, greetings to all fellow Daoists."

"Two Hall Master Xie An..."

"Three Hall Master Huo Yunxiao..."

?

"Thirteen Hall Master Hua Changxi..."

Hua Changxi followed behind the other hall masters, parrot-fashion reporting her name, then moved back to stand behind Huo Yunxiao.

"Fifteen Hall Master Duan Yuyan..."

?

"Eighteen Hall Master Wei Xiao..."

The white-haired elder and the cultivators he brought with him scrutinized these eighteen Qihuang Hall masters extremely carefully, without the slightest disdain.

The capital was a gathering place of power, and those who could stand out in the vortex of power were certainly not incompetent.

Although they had obtained detailed information about the eighteen hall masters before coming to the Medical Bureau, information was dead and people were alive; a few pages of information could never fully encapsulate a person, and moreover, some of the information was neither accurate nor complete.

The white-haired elder, Xia Zhen, was the Sixteenth Elder of the Protector Family Xia on the Central Continent; he had already opened his Spirit Platform and was a Spirit Platform realm cultivator who could freely release and retract his divine sense to probe. It could be said that no one in the entire council chamber could escape his probing, unless the person was wearing a treasure that could block divine sense probing.

Blocking the divine sense probing of a Spirit Platform realm cultivator and blocking the probing of a Netherworld Enforcer required completely different treasures. To withstand the probing of a Spirit Platform realm cultivator, the treasure's grade had to be at least fifth-grade or above.

On the Medical Bureau's side, only Prince Shou could produce a treasure of such grade; even Director Gu did not have one, let alone anyone else.

With a sweep of his divine sense, Xia Zhen saw through everyone's foundations. However, there are always exceptions, and what surprised him was that he could not discern the depth of Number Thirteen Qihuang Hall Master Hua Changxi.

When his divine sense swept over her, that lass even glared at him in dissatisfaction; although she quickly looked away, he still caught it.

Interesting. Could this lass detect his divine sense probing? Was she naturally sensitive, or had she already cultivated her own divine sense?

Xia Zhen recalled the information on the eighteen hall masters. If he remembered correctly, Hua Changxi was one of only two people without any background or backing. Neither treasures above fifth-grade nor techniques for cultivating divine sense were easy to obtain. Without a family supporting her, how did she get them?

Initially, Xia Zhen had ranked the importance of the eighteen hall masters according to the power behind them. But now, Hua Changxi's ranking had suddenly shot up to the top few.

Someone who could grow up without any backing was the most formidable; such a person possessed opportunities and talents that many noble offspring could only envy.

This lass even dared to glare at him—quite bold!

Xia Zhen withdrew his attention from Hua Changxi, smiled at Prince Shou, and said, "The Medical Bureau is full of talents, which shows that the Dao of medicine is flourishing on the Central Continent. This old man is very gratified." Then he looked at the hall masters again. "By the way, which hall masters obtained the wooden tokens?"

At these words, the faces of the nine hall masters who had only obtained their positions through background and status turned somewhat unnatural, and Prince Shou's brows knotted even more.

When Director Gu heard Xia Zhen asking about the wooden tokens, his tense mind suddenly relaxed. Yes, how could he have forgotten? Even if the protectors of the Dao family wanted to seize the Qihuang Hall, those who possessed wooden tokens did not have to fear being robbed; they were after the ones in the hands of the royal family and nobles.

With this thought, Director Gu smiled at Xia Zhen and said, "Senior Xia, this junior is not talented but was fortunate enough to obtain one wooden token." Then he pointed to Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou standing behind him and said, "These two disciples of mine also obtained one each."

Seeing that all three of them, master and disciples, had obtained wooden tokens, Xia Zhen smiled. "Director Gu has managed the Medical Bureau for so many years, and has worked hard with great merit." Then he looked at the other hall masters. "Which other hall masters obtained wooden tokens?"

Number Four Hall Master Wen Lanzhou performed a fist-and-palm salute to Xia Zhen and said, "Senior Xia, this junior's master, Heavenly Master Zhang, was fortunate to obtain one."

Number Ten Hall Master Gu Jinfan followed suit: "Senior Xia, this humble daughter was fortunate to obtain one."

Then Number Eleven Hall Master Shen Qianfan: "Senior Xia, this junior was fortunate to obtain one."

Next, Number Twelve Hall Master Zhu Qinghuan: "Senior Xia, this humble daughter was fortunate to obtain one."

Number Three Hall Master Huo Yunxiao stood up because he had been sitting: "Senior Xia, this junior's master, the Department Head of the Heavenly Department, was fortunate to obtain one."

After he finished, Hua Changxi, like the others, reported, "Senior Xia, I also obtained a wooden token."

Xia Zhen glanced at Hua Changxi. From the way she dared to murmur openly from the very start, he could tell this person was somewhat defiant. People like that liked to emphasize their own uniqueness and difference in speech and actions. Therefore, when Hua Changxi said she "also got a wooden token" instead of "got one wooden token," he simply took it as her trying to stand out and never gave it a second thought.

The others thought the same and didn't take it seriously either.

Seeing no one else step forward, Xia Zhen looked at Prince Shou and Director Gu and confirmed once more, "Only nine people received wooden tokens?"

Prince Shou and Director Gu nodded.

Xia Zhen frowned. "There are eighteen tokens for the eighteen Qihuang Halls. Who got the remaining nine tokens? Didn't you find out?"

Director Gu shook his head. "My strength is limited, and I truly couldn't detect them. Now that you are here, Senior, perhaps you can discover something."

Xia Zhen didn't respond to that. The Xia family was indeed a Guardian Clan and knew many things others didn't, but they also had limited knowledge of the internal affairs of the Five Sacred Lands. If they knew everything, they would have long arranged for family members to come and take over the Sacred Lands.

Seeing Xia Zhen remain silent, Prince Shou smiled and said, "Senior Xia, today is New Year's Eve in the mortal realm. The palace has prepared a New Year's Eve banquet. Would Senior Xia and the other fellow cultivators be willing to grace us with your presence?"

Xia Zhen shook his head. "Forget the New Year's Eve banquet. I came to the Medical Department today bearing a mission from the Guardian Clan."

After saying this, Xia Zhen stood up and began to straighten his robes.

Seeing this, everyone was somewhat bewildered, but those who were seated stood up as well, including Prince Shou.

After adjusting his attire, Xia Zhen raised both hands, palms up. The next moment, a basketball-sized bronze tripod appeared in his hands.

He carefully placed the bronze tripod on the table. Then, Xia Zhen took out eighteen one-meter-long green incense sticks: three as thick as a fist, six as thick as two fingers, and nine as thick as a little finger.

Prince Shou looked at the bronze tripod and the green incense. "Senior Xia, what are these?"

Xia Zhen pointed at the bronze tripod. "This is the alchemy tripod used by Dan Saint Hall to worship the Sacred Tree." Then he pointed at the green incense. "And these are the Dan Incense that the Xia family has guarded for generations."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked astonished.

"Worship the Sacred Tree?"

"Dan Incense?"

The others had no idea what Xia Zhen intended to do with these two items and wore puzzled expressions. Hua Changxi directly asked, "Senior Xia, are you going to lead us in worshipping the Sacred Tree? What is the Sacred Tree of Dan Saint Hall?"

Xia Zhen glanced at her, then at the others. "The Sacred Tree guarded by Dan Saint Hall is the Immortal Tree Gumu."