Chapter 609

Smack!

This Feng Yue is really bold, casually finding someone and giving away the position of Hall Master of the Lian Dan Tang—truly not taking the sect rules seriously, right?

Several people sat inside the room, slammed the table, and fumed.

Feng Yue has been throwing his weight around in the Outer Gate for too long, acting as if the Outer Gate belongs to him—does he even see us?

Gentlemen, hear me out—don't get angry yet. A youth dressed as a scholar walked over, smiling, and sat down at the side.

Several people frowned: "Yao Wen, what do you mean?"

Exactly, Yao Wen—we haven't even come to you yet. When will this month's supplies arrive? You lot in charge of the Treasure Vault only know how to line your own pockets, right? Our disciples are already complaining.

Yao Wen waved his folding fan, gave a slight smile, and said: "I'm sorry about this; due to some decisions made in the Inner Gate, the Outer Gate's resources have recently been hard to obtain—I'm sure you all know that."

The crowd fell silent; they were all hall masters of various Outer Gate halls, naturally they had heard of these matters.

But after all, information sources are limited, and some matters aren't easy to inquire about in person.

Seeing Yao Wen brush them off with that excuse, they naturally thought of it and wanted to inquire further.

What's the situation in the Inner Gate really like?

Yeah, do we absolutely have to figure out the Inner Gate's Spirit-Evil Suppressing Heavenly Seal?

Those present were also curious; the Spirit-Evil Suppressing Heavenly Seal has caused many Inner Gate disciples to suffer qi deviation, making the sect filled with poisonous miasma.

If it weren't for that, why would the Inner Gate draft all the Alchemists from the Outer Gate to enter the Inner Gate and assist in alchemy, and even have to buy spirit pills from outside to suppress the disciples' qi deviation—this shows how drastic the manpower allocation and resource consumption are.

That's why the Outer Gate's Lian Dan Tang is empty of personnel, and the resources dispatched from the Inner Gate are intermittently cut off, causing a shortage of spirit pills when the Lian Dan Tang has no one to use them; the lower disciples complain incessantly, and even they can't say anything good, only able to order the disciples to observe the Paolong Sacred Land's rules.

After all, for such a great power as the Paolong Sacred Land to lack cultivation resources for ordinary disciples is embarrassing to admit.

Yao Wen raised his brows: "The Spirit-Evil Suppressing Heavenly Seal concerns the future of the Paolong Sacred Land; naturally it cannot be lightly abandoned. I also tell you all directly here: everything the Inner Gate is doing now is preparing for the Paolong Sacred Land to have greater development space in the future."

Your words are as good as not saying anything.

The crowd rolled their eyes and asked again: "If that's the case, when will the Inner Gate elders finally figure out the Spirit-Evil Suppressing Heavenly Seal? Otherwise, with resource allocation so tight, how can we comfort the Outer Gate disciples?"

Yao Wen furrowed his brows.

There actually is a way—if the various halls of the Outer Gate unite wholeheartedly, pacifying the disciples' resentment isn't difficult.

But the key is that Feng Yue of the Internal Affairs Hall is not on their side, and moreover the Menial Hall has defected to Feng Yue; now the Lian Dan Tang has been preemptively staffed with his own people, making the power division roughly equal.

Those present were respectively the hall masters of the Refining Instruments Hall, Transmitting Skills Hall, and Law Enforcement Hall of the Paolong Sacred Land's Outer Gate, plus Yao Wen, who is in charge of guarding the Outer Gate's Treasure Vault.

Yao Wen thought: "We mainly need to subdue Feng Yue and make him compromise with us; his Internal Affairs Hall no longer handles resource distribution, so even if the disciples go to him to cause trouble, they'll push the matter onto me. So we must resolve this quickly, getting him to cooperate with us."

"Cooperate?" Several people looked strange: "That old fox is still taking this opportunity to meddle in the Lian Dan Tang, arranging for an outsider to become its Hall Master—his intentions are obvious."

Hmph, then we'll find a way to take out that outsider, not let him see our methods—how else can we make him submit?

They say that Yan Buji is only a Fivefold Transformation Alchemist; let's have someone arrange for him to refine a Six-turn Celestial Pill—if he can't make it, we can scold him for lacking virtue to match his position.

No, that old fox Feng Yue knows full well—he's collected the disciples' needed spirit pills into his Internal Affairs Hall for screening and management; he would never entrust this to the Lian Dan Tang.

If that's the case, then have the disciples daily submit their medicine demands to them! Don't fear their refusal—fear that they won't dare accept!

Yao Wen thought carefully: "I think we still need to investigate this a bit. Take Yan Buji, for example—although he's just a newcomer, it's impossible for him not to know that becoming a Hall Master upon entering the Outer Gate is highly irregular. Even if Feng Yue is backing him, we can easily find someone to deal with him."

What do you mean?

First, find someone to make contact with this guy.

No problem.

Elsewhere.

After Mo Dengqing arrived at the Lian Dan Tang, he also saw Yan Buji busy handling affairs inside the Lian Dan Tang.

What are you doing?

"Isn't that Miss Mo?" Yan Buji set down the jade slip in his hand, rose, and cupped his fists: "Miss Mo, what brings you here?"

They sent me over to have a look. Mo Dengqing looked at the jade slip on the table and asked: "Is this the Lian Dan Tang's data?"

Not bad. Yan Buji nodded: "These data include the quantity and quality of spiritual materials, monthly medicine shortfalls, disciple demands, and many other aspects; I'm currently familiarizing myself with these affairs."

Mo Dengqing frowned: "What's the point of you doing this?"

Miss Mo, even if I'm merely arranged by Elder Feng to come here, not putting on a show would make people look down on me, wouldn't it? Yan Buji laughed.

Yan Buji naturally understood the other's meaning; after all, he's merely a 'no-status' 'connection hire', could be kicked out at any time, so looking at these things is of little use—mainly he's watching Feng Yue. When he's no longer needed, Yan Buji might just get kicked out.

Mo Dengqing raised his brows: "You do have some self-awareness. Frankly speaking, this time Elder Feng sent me over to back you up, for fear someone might come cause you trouble."

I know that. Yan Buji nodded: "It seems the situation in the Outer Gate is quite complicated."

Saying it's complicated isn't really complicated; Elder Feng wants to secure his own interests, so he won't back down, while those who want to replace him must compress the Internal Affairs Hall's power. Their struggle isn't out in the open, and you're bold enough to accept Elder Feng's appointment—this Hall Master seat of the Lian Dan Tang isn't easy to sit in.

Yan Buji thought: "Things depend on human effort; since I'm fortunate to have joined the Paolong Sacred Land, I naturally don't care about the manner. On the other hand, Miss Mo, why do you have a yin-cold aura on you?"

Mo Dengqing's face instantly changed, coldly staring at Yan Buji: "You're investigating me?!"

No, it's just too obvious. Mainly I got this thing in Long Qi Cheng earlier. Yan Buji produced the pendant he'd obtained from the destitute youth before.

Feeling the sinister evil aura on the pendant, Mo Dengqing's pupils contracted: "Where did you get this thing?"

I discovered it while treating a young man's mother for illness; this thing seems to contain evil energy and can also let one sense the existence of yin-cold qi. Yan Buji said.

Although he doesn't need such a tool's aid to sense yin-cold qi, Mo Dengqing's yin-cold qi is more concealed, and Yan Buji doesn't know why.

Could this person be a cultivator who practices yin-cold qi?

Isn't that just a cultivator of the ancient demonic path? Yan Buji thought.