Chapter 10: An Unfavorable Start

Time flew by, and the people of the Heavenly Travel Sword Sect had been stationed there for three days.

Apart from having people send large quantities of Cold Crystal Grass in batches, Shen Tang had been so busy that her wheelchair didn't touch the ground, and she had no time to communicate with Lu Xingzhou. Allocating rooms, dividing halls, arranging utensils, and urging disciples to practice, the remnant forces of the Sword Sect, which were about to fall apart, had visibly recovered some order under her management within three days.

Lu Xingzhou leisurely refined alchemy, made talismans, and cultivated, never leaving the house.

Strangely, he didn't use the Cold Crystal Grass that he had specially asked Shen Tang to get for alchemy; the Cold Crystal Grass was piled up like a mountain in the warehouse, and it hadn't been moved at all.

Anu came back from checking the warehouse and said with a smile: "Sister Shen Tang’s feedback is very sincere... So much Cold Crystal Grass... Not many people grow this thing, I’m afraid she bought almost all of it in Xiazhou."

Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "The more effort she puts in, the more reward she will get."

Anu turned and lay on the window, resting her chin on her hands, watching the sword energy soaring into the sky in the square in the distance, sighing: "Others’ swords come from various peaks, which sounds fascinating. Here, squeezed into the martial arts field, it’s just a small martial arts gym."

"Some remnants, isn't that just a small martial arts gym."

"But there are some very strong ones among them, right?" Anu hesitated: "In the past few days, I’ve seen several people with very powerful auras, even fifth-grade ones. If they besieged together, even I might not be able to hold them off."

Lu Xingzhou glanced at her, and Anu realized she had spoken out of turn and stopped talking.

Lu Xingzhou just said calmly: "Have you ever thought about why these people are so strong, yet Shen Tang is in such a weak and broken state, and why these people don't just capture her and force her to reveal the royal merchant channel, but instead play games with her?"

Anu thought for a while: "Could it be because she is stronger?"

"Hmm... We know how to conceal our aura, and others may naturally know how to do it too; it’s not a rare thing. Shen Tang is inconvenient because of her broken leg, otherwise, her strength should be far above others, and even now she can protect herself. Plus, there are people loyal to her, so those with ulterior motives naturally dare not act rashly."

Lu Xingzhou paused here and revealed a smile: "Besides, she has one point very similar to me."

Anu: "Ah?"

"She is like me, standing on the surface, but in fact, her real trump card is the person beside her."

Anu puffed out her non-existent chest.

No one would ever think that, in terms of fighting ability, the child who is a disciple is actually better at fighting than the master.

"Does Master mean that the white-haired sister is actually stronger than Sister Shen Tang?"

"Hmm... She couldn't possibly be a maid. No matter what kind of cultivation method she practices, being able to train a person to have white hair and blue eyes is something that low-level cultivators cannot do; it is only possible that some kind of cultivation method has been practiced to a very deep level. At least in that play at the Danxia Sect, Qingli was peeping, but even you didn't notice. Therefore, with Shen Tang’s broken leg, it is very likely that Qingli is stronger than her."

Anu’s puffed-out chest suddenly collapsed.

According to this, that white-haired sister might be stronger than Anu...

Come to think of it, everyone talked to Shen Tang and Qingli for a few words, how could Master judge so much...

"Then the problem is..." Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Now that Qingli is not here, Shen Tang alone is enough to play games with others. If Shen Tang and Qingli are together, that would be suppressing the whole scene. Where did those people get the courage to plot against her? Plus, Qingli’s style is wrong..."

Anu became a little smarter: "Master means that Qingli is not a member of the Heavenly Travel Sword Sect, and those people don't understand Qingli’s strength at all. That’s why Master felt it was strange before."

Lu Xingzhou was very gratified: "Finally grew a brain."

Anu pouted, not wanting to talk.

She knew that Master had always tried to teach her to think more so that she could stand on her own in the future. But Anu didn't want to stand on her own; that meant leaving Master.

If Anu left, what would Master do, sitting alone in a wheelchair...

Just thinking about that scene made her feel uncomfortable.

Anyway, Anu is still young, and it’s still early to graduate, so why think about things so far away...

While the master and disciple were talking, Lu Xingzhou’s newly refined pills were out of the furnace. He put away the new pills, counted them with the ones refined in the previous two days, and smiled: "Enough, let’s go out and patrol our territory."

Anu happily pushed the wheelchair and sped out; being stuck in the room refining alchemy these days had really stifled her.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Shen Clan Trading Firm—no, the Profound Heaven Sword Sect—someone was challenging Shen Tang: "Young Sect Master, you said we could hire alchemists to establish a foothold here in Xiazhou. We believed you, but we haven't even been here a day and the alchemist has already been poached. Being poached is one thing, but you neither capture the traitor to assert authority, nor hire anyone else..."

Another person followed: "That day, Elder Sun said that this is a manifestation of the Young Sect Leader’s lack of administrative ability and slow response. You all still spoke for her, saying why not try new ideas. Now? How did it turn out?"

The idea Lu Xingzhou gave Shen Tang had convinced many elders and deacons of the Heavenly Travel Sword Sect, who all thought it was worth a try, suppressing some doubts. In these three days, the people of the Heavenly Travel Sword Sect had rushed to produce a batch of characteristic sword talismans, which could slowly help purify and discharge pill poison if kept in the bosom for a long time. They thought they could sell them quickly, but the reality was very skinny.

Xiazhou people didn't think they needed this consumption at all. They promoted it for a whole day, and only three or five of the thousands of talismans were sold.

"We don't discriminate against the Young Sect Leader’s broken leg and disability, and we still respect you as our master, hoping for an early recovery. But the Heavenly Travel Sword Sect is already gasping for breath, and we cannot be led by a Sect Leader with no administrative ability, otherwise, we will perish in the world sooner or later. Can the Young Sect Leader understand what we mean?"

Lu Xingzhou and his disciple wandered past outside. Although they were quite far away, the voices inside still drifted into their ears.

Anu whispered: "The orderly atmosphere of this broken sect’s comprehensive recovery in the past few days is all thanks to Sister Shen. She rows a wheelchair everywhere, and I feel heartache watching it. But I haven't seen these people do anything, and they still have the nerve to say she has insufficient administrative ability."

Lu Xingzhou smiled without saying a word, just choosing a location on the ground, directing Anu to dig a hole and bury the newly refined pills.

Inside, Shen Tang looked coldly at the people who were challenging her, sneering in her heart.

Bai Chi leaked the news as soon as he arrived in Xiazhou and was dug away. She knew that someone inside must be making trouble. The nature of this traitor was not rebellion, but clearly wanting to seize power and trip her up. There should be many such people, but Shen Tang couldn't pick them out one by one.

Before, she didn't capture Bai Chi, and didn't successfully hire a new alchemist to replace him, and many people had already jumped out, but this judgment was not accurate enough. Some people spoke for her on the surface, but were they actually wanting her to lose face again and be unable to turn over completely? Some people seemed to criticize, but would they actually be sincerely thinking about the sect?

So she had been busy with internal affairs for the past few days, distributing the responsibilities of making and selling sword talismans to see what they would do. Whether the sword talisman sales could open up the situation was another matter, but who was intentional and who was perfunctory—this performance was what she wanted to observe.

What everyone’s thoughts were, don't look at what they say, just look at what they do.

After observing for the past few days, one-third of the former Sword Sect’s high-level officials actually didn't want her to be the Sect Leader.

A bit more than she had originally imagined, but not beyond the scope of understanding.

While observing coldly, someone else said: "Besides, Lu Xingzhou is just an alchemist. What good ideas can he have for sect development? The Young Sect Leader actually listened to such a young man with no hair on his mouth, it’s ridiculous. Could it be that she saw he is good-looking..."

Shen Tang, who had been attacked all along and had no reaction, finally spoke: "Lu Xingzhou just offered an idea, and whether to adopt it is our collective decision. What does it have to do with him? Just a little setback and you blame others. Is this the responsibility of Elder Sun as a swordsman?"

Outside, Lu Xingzhou was building an array, and when he heard this, he looked up, his eyes somewhat dazed.

Elder Sun sneered: "So you are protecting him? Fine, since we are talking about responsibility, these things have been messy recently. Where is the Young Sect Leader’s responsibility as a swordsman?"

Shen Tang said coldly: "You all criticize me for not understanding administrative affairs, but I think it is you who don't understand administrative affairs, not even being able to open up the situation with such a simple thing as sword talisman sales."

This time, it wasn't just Elder Sun; the other opposition members were collectively amused: "Does the Sect Leader know what she is saying? Simple? Does the Sect Leader want to try it herself?"

"You don't recognize it?" Shen Tang said calmly: "Then how about we make a pact? I will be personally responsible for this matter. If I can't open up the situation, I will abdicate and let the virtuous take over. Conversely, if I open up the situation, who should abdicate and let the virtuous take over?"

As soon as this was said, the hall was horrified, and then someone was ecstatic.

Saying such words in front of all the high-level officials of the sect meant there was no way to go back on it. This woman was young after all, and actually couldn't stand being provoked!

Elder Sun immediately said: "If the Sect Leader can really open up the situation, then naturally we will abdicate and let the virtuous take over. But the Sect Leader must set a time limit; it can't be a year or a half later, right?"

Shen Tang said calmly: "You used three days, and I will also use three days."

"A word once spoken..."

"...cannot be taken back."

A loyal elder who stood on her side stomped his feet: "Sect Leader, you..."

Shen Tang shook her head and said calmly: "There must be something to convince the public, so let’s see this time. If it doesn't work, I can't go on either."

After speaking, regardless of the different expressions in the hall, she rowed her wheelchair to the door.

Just as she was about to push the door open, she was suddenly startled.

She felt a faint heat radiating from the depths of the earth’s veins, washing over her calves and knees, and her broken leg felt faintly nourished.

Although it was very slight and had no direct use for treatment, if she was in this state for a long time, she should have more confidence in healing in the future.

This was the unique spiritual energy she had felt at the Huo residence before. How could she feel it here too?

Shen Tang suddenly pushed the door open and saw Lu Xingzhou not far ahead, putting away a magic formula in his hand.

Spiritual energy flowed in the void, and Shen Tang could feel the lines of an array shuttling through, covering the house.

Shen Tang could judge the purpose of this array—it was for stealing spiritual energy from the Huo residence, and at the same time, it added Lu Xingzhou’s unique ingenuity as an alchemist, with extra medicinal nourishment effects, like soaking in a hot spring.

This array attainment is very high... plus his alchemy, the level of "technique" this person has mastered is far better than his cultivation. Why is this?

"You paid extra for this spiritual energy when you rented the house." Lu Xingzhou saw her looking at him and smiled very gently: "This is the service you deserve."

Shen Tang also smiled: "Since that’s the case, the idea you offered, shouldn't you also be responsible for advising to the end?"