Early in the morning, the entire Xu Mansion was solemn. The servants walked quietly, and the entire mansion was quiet. No one made a sound.
In the main hall, six people sat together, quarreling.
The higher-ups of the Startling Cloud Faction were gathered. The four Hall Leaders, Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning, and the two Guardians.
Gang Master Xu Zhichun died without a sound, it was extremely sudden.
This morning, when the servant knocked on the door, there was no movement. He did not dare to barge into the bedroom and reported to the young mistress. She had someone break into the bedroom and found Faction Leader Xu Zhichun dead peacefully on the bed.
They were shocked and in disbelief that their wise and powerful faction leader had died so suddenly. After checking, they determined that it was due to cultivation deviation.
He had suddenly left the Startling Cloud Faction, leaving behind a huge problem.
Four Hall Leaders and two Guardians. The six of them sat there to discuss how to deal with the aftermath. Should they hold a secret funeral or hold a grand funeral? Also, the country could not be without a ruler for a day. Who should be the faction leader?
The four Hall Leaders were the founding elders of the faction and had a group of loyal subordinates. However, under Xu Zhichun's deliberate suppression, they could only do whatever they wanted in the hall. The other three halls did not listen to them. As for the two Guardians, they did not have a strong foundation and were not a threat.
They all understood that if they had a falling out and the Startling Cloud Faction split, the covetous Equal of Heaven would definitely devour them. That was why they had to maintain the integrity of the Startling Cloud Faction.
However, they were not satisfied with letting someone else be the faction leader.
In the end, Guardian Xu Anxia said that the young mistress could be the faction leader and replace the Young Master in inheriting the faction.
Once this suggestion was made, everyone fell silent and looked at each other.
The young mistress was a woman. They could not imagine the Startling Cloud Faction listening to a woman's orders. Moreover, she was not the faction leader's son.
Unfortunately, no one knew where the faction leader's two sons had gone to learn martial arts. They were too young and could not handle such a big responsibility.
"I think the young mistress is suitable!" Hu Hai stroked his beard and scoffed. "The young mistress is fair and virtuous. She has a good reputation in the faction and everyone in the faction respects her."
"But she is still a woman!" The Wind Hall Leader muttered.
Hu Hai scoffed. "The disciples of Green Deer Cliff are all women. Who can compare?"
"Well …" Everyone shook their heads helplessly.
This was true, but there were not many disciples in Green Deer Cliff, and this world was still a man's world. It would be awkward to listen to a woman's orders, and they would not be able to raise their heads when they went out.
Hu Hai said, "The most important thing right now is to prevent the Equal of Heaven Association from taking advantage of the situation … Don't tell me you want to be the leader yourself? If you don't have that fate, you should give up early and obediently assist Young Madam! "
"Old Hu, you're right, but …" The Hall Master of the Cloud Hall was a handsome middle-aged man. He stroked his beard and sighed, "This is a little too childish!"
Hu Hai scoffed, "Elder Ma, as long as Young Madam is here, the Startling Cloud Faction is here. If we can work together, who would be convinced? … They fought to the death for the position of the gang leader, and in the end, none of them survived! "
Zheng Gongming, who had been taking a nap with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and said slowly, "Young madam has a soft and tenacious nature. She is worthy of being a heroine. She can be the leader of the association."
"Since Old Zheng has spoken, what else can I do wrong?" Hu Hai chuckled.
Xu Anxia did not say anything. Compared to the five people in the hall, he was too inexperienced. His words carried too little weight. It was already rare that his suggestion was accepted.
"… Alright, then Young Madam will be the leader!" The white-haired Hall Master of the Electricity Clan said in a deep voice.
"That's right!" Hu Hai clapped his hands.
"I hope this choice is right …"
—
The moonlight was like water, enveloping the garden of the Xu Residence.
Chu Li and Chen Siyu sat at the stone table, admiring the flowers and chatting casually. The lanterns illuminated the garden, making it look like a dream.
"I didn't expect …" Chen Siyu shook her head gently.
She originally thought that it would be difficult and almost impossible to achieve, but she did not expect it to be so smooth. After a day, the position of the leader of the Startling Cloud Faction was hers.
She felt very surreal, as if she was in a dream.
The leader of the Startling Cloud Faction, this was a position that she had never thought about. As the leader of the Startling Cloud Faction, she had a high position and power. It could be said that she was half the owner of the Cloud State Town. If she stomped her feet, the entire Cloud State Town would tremble.
Chu Li smiled and looked at her.
He did not need the Omniscient Mirror to know her current state. The difference between the young madam and the leader of the Startling Cloud Faction was like heaven and earth. It was no wonder that she lost her composure.
"Elder cousin sister, the position of the leader is not so easy." He poured a bucket of cold water on Chen Siyu to calm her down.
Chen Siyu looked at him in confusion.
Chu Li said, "Can you suppress the four clan leaders, the two Guardians, the Guests, and even the ordinary faction members?"
Chen Siyu suddenly frowned and finally shook her head.
As a woman, she was born weak and her martial arts skills were not good enough. It was almost impossible for her to suppress these elders who had a strong foundation.
Chu Li said, "If I can't suppress them, I can only be a puppet. It's not fun to be the leader."
"Then what should we do?" Chen Siyu frowned and asked.
"Coax and divide, check and balance each other. We can't let them be united, lest they make you a mere figurehead."
Chen Siyu was deep in thought.
Chu Li smiled.
Chen Siyu was a smart person. She was also calculative and calm. She had a lot of potential. With a little more training, it was not impossible for her to hold the position of the leader.
Chu Li waited for a while to give her time to think, then said, "If it doesn't work, we can only be ruthless."
Force was the fastest way to solve problems. Only giving orders would be useless. The most important thing for the leader was to use force to intimidate others.
"… Don't bleed unless it's absolutely necessary," Chen Siyu said.
If he killed the elders when he just took the position of leader, it would make people's hearts waver. It would not be good for him to control the Startling Cloud Faction. The Equal of Heaven Association would definitely hit him when he was down. The Startling Cloud Faction would probably be in turmoil.
Chu Li said, "I'll solve one for you before I leave."
Chen Siyu looked at him.
Chu Li smiled. "Don't tell me you want to reform those who have evil intentions towards you?"
"But if we kill now …" Chen Siyu hesitated.
Chu Li said, "How can we establish our authority if we don't kill? If we don't establish our authority, as a woman, no one will listen to you! "
"Kill who?" Chen Siyu sighed.
She was in a dilemma. She felt that killing was bad, but she also felt that what Chu Li said made sense. Without deterrence, she, the leader, was just a puppet.
"The Clan Leader of the Wind Clan." Chu Li smiled. "He colluded with the Equal of Heaven Association."
Chen Siyu was shocked. "It can't be?"
Although her father-in-law was a beast, he was very skillful and had sharp eyes. It was hard to believe that there was someone around him who betrayed him and he did not know.
Chu Li said, "Leader Xu might have known."
Chen Siyu looked at him in confusion.
Chu Li sighed. "Leader Xu was too confident. He felt that he could control the situation and that everything was under his control. So, he deliberately pretended not to know to numb the Equal of Heaven Association. At the critical moment, he wanted to do something ruthless!"
Chen Siyu frowned and pondered.
Listening to all these twists and turns gave her a headache. It seemed that she was still far from it. If she wanted to stabilize her position as the leader, she needed to learn a lot!
Chu Li said, "Leader Xu is playing with fire. Elder cousin sister, you can't do this. So, we need to remove this nail first. This will establish our authority in the faction and also give the Equal of Heaven Association a show of strength!"
"Establishing authority …" Chen Siyu suddenly understood.
Chu Li smiled. "There's no rush. You should prepare yourself. This Association Leader's position isn't that comfortable. Keep your spirits up!"
"I can handle it!" Chen Siyu bit her red lips.
This was a matter of life and death. She was a weak woman. If she really stepped down from the position of the leader, even if she could keep her life, she would become someone else's plaything.
Chu Li smiled and nodded. He was very satisfied.
She was smart. With the pressure of life and death, she believed that she could do well. However, she lacked the means to protect herself. It was still very dangerous.
"What martial arts do you practice?"
"I practice the Rainfall Tactics and the Rainfall Sword Technique. They are martial arts passed down in my family."
"Have you practiced anything else?"
"No."
"Do you have any trump cards to protect yourself?"
"Ultimate swordsmanship."
"… I have a martial art here. You can use it at the last moment." Chu Li took out a thin booklet.
Chen Siyu was surprised and took it. She lowered her head and looked at it. "Blade of Eternity".
She had heard of this martial art. It was said that it was very powerful. However, it could only be used once. It was either you or I die.
Chu Li took out a porcelain bottle and handed it to her. "This is the Energy Pill. When you really need to use the Blade of Eternity, take this first. After a quarter of an hour, use the Blade of Eternity. You can recover your inner energy in time and have the power to fight again!"
"The Blade of Eternity can only be used once, right?"
"You can only use it once. But take the Energy Pill first and recover your inner energy in time. You will have the power to fight again, but remember not to use the Blade of Eternity again."
"Why?"
"The Blade of Eternity is too much of a burden on your meridians. If you use it twice, your meridians will not be able to bear it. It will be life-threatening."
He had the Life and Death Scripture to strengthen his meridians. He also practiced the Minute Pulse Cleansing Technique. Coupled with the strengthening from the Tendon Refiner, he could use the Blade of Eternity many times. Others could not. After using it twice, their meridians would collapse and they would become disabled or even die.
Chen Siyu looked at Chu Li deeply. She pursed her red lips and did not say any words of gratitude.
Chu Li said, "The Rain Fall Technique is not bad. The Rain Sword Technique is not bad either. As long as you practice it well, you will be able to become a first-class master. The key is to break through to the Innate Mastery. The Energy Pill can help you. I will bring you a few bottles when I go back."
"No need, no need." Chen Siyu quickly shook her head.
She also knew about the Energy Pill. It was a unique medicine of the House of High Dukes. It had a strong effect on replenishing inner energy. It was rarely sold outside the Public House. The people of the martial arts world regarded it as a treasure. Chu Li was generous. He gave her a bottle and he wanted to give her more. She did not dare to accept it.
Chu Li smiled. "The Energy Pill is precious in the martial arts world. It is nothing in the Public House. You need it to speed up your cultivation. As the leader of the faction, it is not a long-term plan if your martial arts cannot convince the masses!"
"… Alright." Chen Siyu sighed.
The Startling Cloud Association also had pills, but it was only a third-rate faction. It was worlds apart from the House of High Dukes.
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