Chapter 3

As the saying goes: the world is full of green plums that often fail to become dogs, and the sky has been cruel for a long time.

Mo Buxiu, as the junior disciple, was endowed with a halo and full buffs, yet he failed to win the affection of his senior sister, which was indeed a great failure.

Another example of a failure in the "sky-sent" category.

Lu Bei muttered to himself that his cheap master was ineffective. If he had been more forceful back then, defeating his senior brother and seizing both the position of the sect leader and the senior sister, he would now be inheriting the Lingxiao Sword Sect instead of the "Human Excellence and Earth Spirit" Yuhua Sect, which was one of the worst in the world.

Guarding this mountain gate was far worse than gaining experience at the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Indeed, he could rely on Bai Jin to get through the beginner stage, but what about the future? He couldn't let Bai Jin support him for life!

Thinking about this, Lu Bei couldn't figure out why his senior sister hadn't chosen him. According to Bai Jin, Mo Buxiu had indeed inflicted a severe blow on his senior brother, the sect leader. Regardless of whether it was by accident or with full effort, at least in terms of strength, the junior disciple was stronger than the senior brother.

So, the question was, why did Mo Buxiu lose the senior sister under such overwhelming conditions?

"Wait, it seems he didn't lose."

Lu Bei narrowed his eyes, realizing something was off. Mo Buxiu had not returned to the Lingxiao Sword Sect for years, yet he could summon Bai Jin with a single message, and Bai Jin held great expectations for Mo Buxiu's last words, as if a certain unnamed sect leader's wife had given some instructions.

Indeed, the relationship was not complicated.

"Junior Brother Lu, what do you mean by 'lost'?" Bai Jin asked, seeing Lu Bei deep in thought.

"Nothing, just talking nonsense. People often do this when they're lonely. Senior Sister Bai, please forgive me." Lu Bei brushed it off and then said, "Where is the Lingxiao Sword Sect? Senior Sister Bai, you must have had a long journey."

"The Lingxiao Sword Sect is located in Yuezhou, to the east of Ningzhou, spanning seven counties..."

Seeing that Lu Bei did not ask about the gossip between the three elders, Bai Jin was slightly disappointed and briefly introduced the Lingxiao Sword Sect, Mo Buxiu's hometown.

"So, it's Yuezhou."

Lu Bei nodded repeatedly. He knew nothing about the Lingxiao Sword Sect but had heard of Yuezhou.

Yuezhou is located in the easternmost part of the Wu Zhou Kingdom, bordering a neighboring country. During the 2.0 version, when the national war broke out, Yuezhou was the first to be hit and became one of the main battlefields. Local cultivation sects were almost wiped out, and cultivators either died or fled.

By the 3.0 version, the immortal mountains and spirit veins in Yuezhou were seized by major guilds. After a wave of internal competition, the remaining NPC cultivators packed up and left.

Since then, whether Yuezhou was chaotic or not was determined by the players.

Lu Bei started doing tasks for his boss from the 3.0 version. He had heard of Yuezhou's reputation but was deterred by the fierce competition and thus only observed from a distance.

Now, Lu Bei could roughly guess the fate of the Lingxiao Sword Sect. It either perished in the national war or was driven away by players. Since he hadn't heard of the Lingxiao Sword Sect since the 3.0 version, it was not surprising.

After discussing the Lingxiao Sword Sect, Bai Jin briefly introduced Yuezhou. Seeing that Lu Bei was not very interested, she stopped talking.

Lu Bei didn't mention going to the Lingxiao Sword Sect, and Bai Jin didn't mention taking Mo Buxiu's ashes back. This matter was not up to them but depended on the sect leader's decision.

Considering his past experience of being severely injured by Mo Buxiu and the ongoing relationship between his wife and Mo Buxiu, the sect leader would likely smile and say it was all in the past, then secretly send someone to scatter Mo Buxiu's ashes.

And that person might very well be himself.

"Junior Brother Lu, did Senior Uncle Mo leave any relics?"

"There's a spatial bag, and the Yuhua Sect's sect leader seal is inside, but I can't open it." Lu Bei took out the spatial bag and, without any concealment, handed it over.

Given the current situation, Bai Jin and the sect leader's wife were on his side, and he could trust them.

Bai Jin nodded, took the spatial bag, and removed the sect leader seal, land deeds, and documents. The sect leader seal was a palm-sized ancient token, with the characters "Yuhua" carved on the front in demonic script and a flying bird pattern on the back. It looked ordinary and had no distinctive features.

Bai Jin put the sect leader token away and then took out a bag of steamed buns and some wrapped cooked food from the spatial bag, handing them to Lu Bei. "Senior Uncle Mo passed the position to you too hastily and didn't register it with the Huangji Sect. I'll handle this for you. It's better to do it sooner rather than later. It's still early, and I can return tonight."

Lu Bei suddenly understood why his wealth and faction were blank; it was because the official registration was missing.

The Huangji Sect is the largest cultivation sect in Wu Zhou, established even before the founding of Wu Zhou. It can be said that Wu Zhou's vast territory and 800-year reign would not have been possible without the Huangji Sect.

There is a saying among the people: "As long as the Huangji Sect stands, Wu Zhou will not fall!"

Lu Bei didn't take this saying seriously and even chuckled. Having experienced the 3.0 version, he was well aware of the threat the Huangji Sect posed to Wu Zhou.

As long as the Huangji Sect stands, Wu Zhou will surely fall, and at best, they will perish together.

In the early days of the kingdom, the Huangji Sect was not yet called the Huangji Sect but was a genuine cultivation sect. It was only after helping the Zhu family of Wu Zhou seize power that a large number of Zhu family members entered the Huangji Sect, taking control and turning it into a one-man show for the Zhu family. This cultivation sect became thoroughly official.

Wu Zhou relied on the cultivation sects to gain power and thus was very wary of them. The Huangji Sect, as the official representative, had nominal jurisdiction over all cultivation sects within the kingdom. All sect members had to register, and the transfer of a sect leader required official approval; otherwise, it was considered invalid.

This might sound unbelievable, as cultivators are typically free and unbound, but this is the reality, not just in Wu Zhou but in all the kingdoms of the world.

The first step in cultivation is to get a certificate.

To return to the main point, the Huangji Sect helped the Zhu family stabilize the Wu Zhou regime, which was beneficial to the country and its people.

Over time, however, problems arose. With so many people surnamed Zhu and all of them cultivating, the Huangji Sect began to interfere in Wu Zhou's internal affairs.

Interestingly, of the twelve states and eighty-four counties of Wu Zhou, more than half of the state governors and county magistrates were members of the Zhu family or their relatives. The appointment of local officials was handled by the central government, and the Huangji Sect's interference directly affected their interests.

The Huangji Sect, which supported the central authority of Wu Zhou, began to openly and secretly compete with the central authority of Wu Zhou. This scenario was probably unforeseen by anyone in the early days of the kingdom.

But on the bright side, no matter who wins or loses, the power will still be in the hands of the Zhu family.

Ha!

"Hehehe..."

"Junior Brother Lu, what are you laughing about?"

"Nothing, just talking nonsense. I often do this, Senior Sister Bai, please don't mind."

Lu Bei waved his hand, took a steamed bun, and said while eating, "Do I need to accompany you to register the Yuhua Sect's new leader?"

"No, I'll be faster alone."

Bai Jin explained that the Yuhua Sect was a minor sect in Wu Zhou and was classified under the Jiuzhu Mountain system. According to regulations, it needed to be registered in the Ningzhou government. She had connections at the Huangji Sect's "Dasheng Pass" in Ningzhou, making the process quick and convenient. Lu Bei's presence was not necessary.

Trusting his senior sister, mainly because of the ambiguous relationship between his cheap master and the sect leader's wife, Lu Bei nodded and said no more, stuffing another steamed bun into his mouth.

Compared to cultivation, eating was more important.

"Junior Brother Lu, Senior Uncle Mo entrusted you to me, so from now on, all matters concerning your cultivation will be arranged by me."

"That's only right. Thank you, Senior Sister Bai."

"Good."

Bai Jin nodded, had Lu Bei sit cross-legged on the ground, and took out a small white porcelain bottle. "The spiritual energy on this peak is too thin. Here are some enlightenment pills. Take two every hour until I return. During my trip to Dasheng Pass, I will leave an array diagram to protect you. I hope you will diligently cultivate and not slack off."

Impressive, it turns out that a woman in her thirties can give immortal pills without waiting for thirty years.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Lu Bei quickly swallowed the last bite of the steamed bun, took two enlightenment pills, and waited for the medicine to take effect, allowing the spiritual energy to naturally spread throughout his organs.

Seeing this, Bai Jin said no more, threw out an array diagram to cover a two-meter radius around Lu Bei, left a package, and turned to head for Dasheng Pass.