"Zhang Decheng attacked a colleague without permission. His death cannot wipe out his crimes. This seat allows you to manage Ever Peace Manor. You must settle the two Manors. If you delay the annual tribute of the two Manors, you will also be held accountable for this incident. You will be punished for both crimes. You will not be forgiven lightly! "Huo Lingxiao stared at him from his high seat as he spoke calmly.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked. Allowing Yang Qing to manage two Manors? If Yang Qing received the resources of two Manors, wouldn't that mean … the Hall Master was helping Yang Qing to rise quickly?
Not to mention the others, even Yang Qing was stunned. He had turned the tide with all his might just to let the Hall Master see his capabilities. There was no problem in overseeing a Manor, and he wouldn't be inferior to the others. He only wanted to protect himself. Once the Hall Master gave the word, he would immediately obey obediently and lead his men out of Ever Peace Manor. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that he would be able to manage two Manors. This kind of situation was very rare, and he never imagined that it would happen to him. After all, his current cultivation and strength were clear for all to see.
Yang Qing really didn't think that such a thing would happen to him. For a moment, he couldn't wrap his head around it, thinking that he had misheard.
"Hmm?" Huo Lingxiao's dignified snort was heard, instantly suppressing everyone. "Could it be that you are not willing?"
Yang Qing abruptly came to his senses. Suppressing the ecstasy in his heart, he cupped his hands and said loudly, "Your subordinate understands. Yang Qing will definitely spare no effort and will not disappoint the Hall Master's high hopes!"
The slight excitement in his voice was hard to contain. He had risked his life to become a Cave Master, then a Mountain Chieftain, and then a Manor Head. What was it all for? Wasn't it to obtain more cultivation resources within the rules of the game set by the Six Sages? Wasn't it to walk further on the path of cultivation and live longer?
Without strength, that unforgettable and lofty figure in his mind wouldn't favor him, Yang Qing. Without strength to match, he wouldn't even have the chance to speak a few words with her.
Now that the Hall Master had allowed him to manage two Manors, it was tantamount to giving him double the cultivation resources, giving him a shortcut to walk further. He was extremely grateful for Huo Lingxiao's favor.
The other Manor Heads looked at Yang Qing with envious gazes. During the last meeting at Suppressing Second Hall, everyone thought that he was dead meat. They never expected that in the blink of an eye, he would receive such favor from the Hall Master.
The expressions of the three Advisors sank slightly. The Hall Master was taking advantage of this opportunity to deprive them of their cultivation resources. In the past, there were ten Manors that gave them a share of the resources, but now there were only eight Manors left. This made their hopes of coveting the Hall Master's throne even slimmer.
In the future, the three of them would only be able to seize the Eight Manors. South Edict Manor and Ever Peace Manor were out of the question. The Hall Master had made it clear that he wanted to protect Yang Qing, so the three of them shouldn't even think about making a move against Yang Qing in the future.
Han Liuping and Feng Zhihuan secretly cursed He Yunye for being a good-for-nothing. He had the opportunity to get his hands on it, yet he couldn't even handle such a small matter.
He Yunye was also extremely resentful in his heart. What did he mean by Zhang Decheng attacking a colleague without permission? If it weren't for you, the Palace Master's tacit approval, would I have allowed Zhang Decheng to do that?
He Yunye felt that he had been used by Huo Lingxiao, and he had even been slapped in the face instead.
But there were some things that couldn't be said openly. Even if everyone was well aware of it, they still couldn't say it out loud.
The matter was very simple. It wasn't that the Hall Master didn't give you a chance. It was you who messed up the matter. He had given you a chance, but since you couldn't get it, what else could you say? Then the Hall Master could only give it to someone who had the ability. If he were to return it to you, the other two Advisors wouldn't be convinced either, right?
These were the rules of the game. Everyone had equal opportunities, and it all depended on who had the ability to get it!
The rage in his heart needed someone to vent. He Yunye slightly tilted his head to look at Wan Shunchang behind him. It was fine that this useless thing had messed up the matter, but now that he was in the Grand Hall, he didn't even know how to speak up for him.
It wasn't that Wan Shunchang didn't want to help, but he didn't dare to. If the matter of him being chased away by Yang Qing in Ever Peace Manor was exposed, how would the Hall Master view him in the future? Wouldn't he be regarded as a good-for-nothing by the Hall Master? If that happened, then he would really have nothing to do with it in the future.
Little did he know that the Hall Master, Huo Lingxiao, had long known about it.
"If there's nothing else, then let's call it a day. All Manors shall return to their respective places after handing over the tributes to Tian Yu and Liu Xing!"
With these words, Huo Lingxiao stepped down from his throne and left alone.
After the crowd respectfully sent him off, the three Advisors and six Deacons also left the Grand Hall. One by one, the nine Manor Heads turned over their tributes to the Big Auntie and the Little Auntie.
Having received the polite congratulations of the other Manor Heads, Yang Qing took the initiative to line up last. When it was time to be a little more humble, one should still be a little more humble.
After the other Manor Heads had all handed over their tributes and left, Yang Qing finally stepped forward to complete the tributes for both Manors. Then, he cupped his fists and said, "Elder Auntie, your subordinate wishes to seek an audience with the Hall Master. Please help me pass the message."
Tian Yu and Liu Xing looked at each other and smiled, then said, "We must also congratulate Manor Head Yang for taking on the great responsibility of two Manors."
"Yang Qing was lucky. It was the Hall Master's favor." Yang Qing cupped his fists towards the back of the Grand Hall to show his respect to the Hall Master.
Tian Yu said, "There's no need to see the Hall Master. The Hall Master knows what the Manor Head wants to say."
Liu Xing added, "The Hall Master has said that I should focus on my own duties. If there's anything I need to discuss with the three Advisors and the six Deacons, I can look for Tian Yu and Liu Xing to directly meet the Hall Master."
Tian Yu added, "The Hall Master has said that he knows that you're in charge of two Manors and is lacking manpower. He won't be able to gather them in a short period of time, so he will allocate three hundred men from the direct subordinates of Suppressing Second Hall to you. As for the rest, you will have to settle them yourself. The Hall Master can't possibly help you with everything."
Yang Qing was stunned, but at the same time, he was pleasantly surprised. The Hall Master was giving him special privileges. He could ignore the three Advisors and look for the Hall Master directly if he needed anything. This meant that he wouldn't have to pay tribute to one of the three Advisors. This way, he could save more cultivation resources for his own use.
The Hall Master was treating him as a trusted aide. But this way …
Yang Qing wasn't a simple person to begin with. He immediately understood where the problem lay. The Hall Master was forcing him to continue offending the three Advisors, making it impossible for him to contact the other forces in Suppressing Second Hall. He also couldn't allow himself to be used by others. From now on, he shouldn't think too much about it. He could only obediently serve the Hall Master alone. Otherwise, if the Hall Master decided not to protect him, none of the three Advisors would let him go.
'Is there a need to be so concerned about a Blue Lotus Fifth Grade cultivator like me?' Yang Qing laughed bitterly in his heart. 'There are gains and losses.' At least from the looks of it, he had gained more than he had lost …
The entire palace on the main peak of Suppressing Second Hall was eerily quiet. No one came out to remind him of the places he shouldn't go.
Miao Yi was a newcomer to this place, so how the hell did he know where he shouldn't go? He could only remind himself not to wander too far. After walking around for a while, he suddenly caught a whiff of the faint fragrance of plum blossoms.
He looked around and saw a moon door. He walked up to the door and sneakily peeked inside. There wasn't anyone there. There was only a beautiful plum forest with snow covering the branches. Pavilions and rock gardens were scattered in the middle.
The scenery wasn't bad. Miao Yi looked around again, then cautiously asked inside, "Is anyone there?"
He asked a few times, but no one answered. It was just a plum forest. He figured it wouldn't be a big deal to take a look. With his hands behind his back, he walked in.
He moved his nose close to a plum blossom branch and sniffed it. He nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face. He reached out and broke off a plum branch with a flower on it.
The branch trembled, and the snow on the branches fell off with a crash.
"Who is it?" An indifferent questioning voice suddenly came from the other side.
Miao Yi was startled. He turned around and saw a middle-aged man emerge from the moon door on the other side of the plum garden. He wore a thin gray robe, and his hair was tied up with a jade hairpin. His appearance was average, and he stared at Miao Yi with an expressionless face. With his hands behind his back, he slowly walked over.
Miao Yi had an awkward expression on his face. He waved the plum branch in his hand and laughed dryly, "Don't misunderstand. I saw the fragrance of the plum forest's snowy scenery, so I couldn't help but be drawn in to admire it. Before I came in, I asked if there was anyone there. No one answered, so I came uninvited. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself! "
The brat casually threw away the plum branch that he had just broken off. He cupped his fists and said, "I am the Cave Master of East Arrival Cave in the Mount Calming Sea region of South Edict Manor, Miao Yi. May I ask your esteemed name?"
The newcomer glanced at the plum branch that was thrown on the ground like it was a piece of trash, then looked at Miao Yi and scrutinized him. "Cave Master of East Arrival Cave, Miao Yi? What are you doing here? "
Miao Yi chuckled and said, "I was bored staying in the wing, so I came out for a walk. I accidentally stumbled into the plum garden." As he said this, he weakly probed, "May I ask your esteemed name?"
The newcomer seemed to be unable to restrain his laughter. He pondered for a moment before replying, "Xiao Yizhu. Suppressing Second Hall's Steed Deputy."
"Suppressing Second Hall's Steed Deputy?" Miao Yi was taken aback. He was worried that he had barged into a place he shouldn't have, and bumped into some big shot that would anger him. As it turned out, he was just a Steed Deputy. Usually, Steed Deputies didn't have any status. Miao Yi was experienced in this, so he immediately relaxed. He chuckled and said, "Looks like it was fate that I bumped into Senior Xiao by accident. I have also been a Steed Deputy before."
Xiao Yizhu replied with an 'Oh' and said, "Is that so? Then what a coincidence. "
Miao Yi nodded. "May I ask Senior Xiao's cultivation level?"
Xiao Yizhu replied slowly, "White Lotus Third Grade!"
Miao Yi was even more relieved when he heard this. He rubbed his hands together and smiled. "What a coincidence. I am also a White Lotus Third Grade cultivator."
Unexpectedly, the other person reminded him, "This is the Hall Master's plum garden. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble by trespassing?"
Miao Yi waved his hand in disdain. "I just came in to take a look. A person who can become a Hall Master shouldn't be so petty, right?"
"But you broke the Hall Master's favorite plum branch. The Hall Master doesn't usually allow bystanders to touch it. I will go back and report this to Auntie. Auntie will definitely not let you off lightly." Xiao Yizhu revealed a threatening expression, his gaze focused on Miao Yi's reaction.
Miao Yi's expression froze. He looked to his left and right to make sure no one was around. Two low-grade Orbs of Will jumped out from his storage ring. He grabbed Xiao Yizhu's hand and stuffed the two Orbs of Will into the other's hand. He then leaned in and whispered into Xiao Yizhu's ear, "We have both been Steed Deputies before. We know how hard it is for a Steed Deputy to meet here. It is fate that we met here. This is just a small token of my appreciation. One should forgive and forget whenever possible. Senior Xiao, please pretend you didn't see anything. I will leave now.
'Bribery?' Xiao Yizhu was taken aback. His gaze slowly fell on the six storage rings on Miao Yi's hand, lingering for a while. He couldn't help but smile. "No. If the Hall Master finds out, I will become your accomplice. I will have to be punished together with you."
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