Chapter 45

Chapter 44: The Grand Elder's Strategy (Part 2)

At this point, the Grand Elder looked at Li Qiyi and said, "Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"I am all ears," Li Qiyi smiled calmly, his demeanor composed and serene, which left the Grand Elder completely baffled.

"We need an ally like the Nine Holy Demon Sect!" The Grand Elder sighed lightly, a hint of helplessness in his voice, and said, "So, I hope you can marry Princess Li! As long as you can marry Princess Li, I will support you in anything!"

"Grand Elder, aren't you afraid that by driving away a tiger, you'll invite a wolf, and ultimately be devoured by the wolf?" Li Qiyi said with a smile.

The Grand Elder smiled bitterly, shook his head lightly, and said, "Some things are beyond the control of a mere person like me." As he said this, he looked deeply at Li Qiyi and continued, "So, I'm placing my bet on you! I hope this is a miracle!"

At this, the Grand Elder's expression became somewhat peculiar as he looked at Li Qiyi and said, "For a long time, many people have wanted the ancient Washing Face Order in the hands of the Third Ghost Master, but no one has succeeded! However, the Third Ghost Master is willing to give you the ancient Washing Face Order!"

Mentioning the Third Ghost Master and the ancient Washing Face Order, Li Qiyi couldn't help but smile. He didn't elaborate on the intricacies of the matter, as others naturally couldn't see through them.

Looking at the Grand Elder, Li Qiyi couldn't help but smile and said, "If the Grand Elder is placing his bet on me, why not on the Sect Master? I've heard that the Sect Master is the designated successor of the previous Sect Master."

The Grand Elder remained silent on this question. His attitude made Li Qiyi find it interesting. What kind of person was the current Sect Master, Su Yonghuang, and what secrets did he hold?

"This time, I proposed that you take on the role of the Dao instructor, hoping you could earn some merit and eventually have the opportunity to attend the high-level meetings of the Ancient Washing Face Sect." The Grand Elder changed the subject, avoiding the topic of Sect Master Su Yonghuang.

Li Qiyi smiled and said, "The Grand Elder hopes I can gain some prestige and enter the upper echelons, or perhaps even become a protector or an elder, to match the status of a Nine Holy Demon Sect heir and a princess of the Ancient Ox Borderland."

Li Qiyi easily saw through the underlying intentions, which left the Grand Elder momentarily stunned. In fact, at first, the Grand Elder didn't have high hopes for Li Qiyi, but Li Qiyi mysteriously passed the Nine Holy Demon Sect's test, making the six elders suspect he might be a spy sent by the Nine Holy Demon Sect.

However, Li Shuangyan's arrival and Yu He's attitude made the Grand Elder reconsider. If Li Qiyi were a spy from the Nine Holy Demon Sect, their methods would be too overt and arrogant! More importantly, Yu He's attitude didn't seem fake!

This made the Grand Elder reflect. If Li Qiyi genuinely wanted to obtain the Imperial Art or the Immortal Emperor's treasure from the Ancient Washing Face Sect, holding the ancient Washing Face Order, he wouldn't necessarily need to be a spy! This order was voluntarily given by the Third Ghost Master, and if Li Qiyi used it to demand the Imperial Art or the Immortal Emperor's treasure, the Ancient Washing Face Sect would be helpless, unless they were willing to break their ancestral rules!

In fact, the Grand Elder was well aware of whether the Ancient Washing Face Sect still possessed the Immortal Emperor's treasure and how many Imperial Arts they had!

"In the Ancient Washing Face Sect, I am one of the oldest members, but unfortunately, my talent is limited, and I cannot reverse the decline of the Ancient Washing Face Sect." The Grand Elder looked at Li Qiyi and said, "I don't believe in miracles, but I hope you are one. Or perhaps the ancestors don't want the heavens to destroy our Ancient Washing Face Sect. I can't say I hope you will rise to prominence in the Ancient Washing Face Sect, but I hope you can use your connection with the Nine Holy Demon Sect to protect it!"

Li Qiyi couldn't help but smile and said, "The Grand Elder's high regard for me is truly overwhelming."

Of course, the Grand Elder didn't believe Li Qiyi's words; he didn't show any signs of being overwhelmed, but that was no longer important.

Li Qiyi smiled and said, "The Grand Elder is placing his bet on me but not on the Sect Master. This really makes me curious. Why is that?"

Clearly, the Grand Elder, as an elder, was reluctant to mention Sect Master Su Yonghuang, but in the end, he looked at Li Qiyi and said in a solemn voice, "Qiyi, if your background is unclear, then the Sect Master's background is even less desirable for me!"

The Grand Elder's words carried countless implications! Su Yonghuang was the successor designated by the previous Sect Master, who was also his master. Why did the Grand Elder dislike Su Yonghuang so much?

"Now, for our Ancient Washing Face Sect, who sits as the Sect Master is no longer important. We are almost a fallen household, and the position of Sect Master is not worth fighting over." The Grand Elder clearly didn't want to talk much about Su Yonghuang and said in a solemn voice, "But I don't want the Second Elder to become the Sect Master!"

The Grand Elder's sudden words piqued Li Qiyi's interest. Such words are usually not easily shared with anyone but a trusted confidant, yet the Grand Elder had told him.

"The Second Elder is also quite capable. I've heard that in his youth, he had excellent talent, and among the elders, his Dao cultivation is second only to yours," Li Qiyi said leisurely.

"If Cao Xiong had always stood by his principles," the Grand Elder paused for a moment and then said, "it wouldn't be a big deal for him to be the Sect Master. Unfortunately, he has aligned himself with Dong Shenglong! This is pushing our Ancient Washing Face Sect to the brink of destruction; he has been blinded by power!"

"Dong Shenglong?" Li Qiyi was slightly surprised and said, "Is he one of our guest elders?" He had some memory of this from Nan Huai Ren's mention.

The Grand Elder looked at Li Qiyi and, after a long pause, said in a solemn voice, "As the chief disciple, I hope you can shoulder the responsibility of the Ancient Washing Face Sect. I can tell you this. Dong Shenglong was not my choice as a guest elder! This was the will of the Treasure Saint Upper Kingdom, and I had no choice in the matter!"

"Although Dong Shenglong is not from the Holy Heaven Sect, he is a vassal king appointed by the Holy Heaven Sect!" the Grand Elder said solemnly. "I don't need to say more, do I?"

At this point, Li Qiyi understood the reason and smiled, looking at the Grand Elder and finally said, "Is the Grand Elder hoping to use me to remove Dong Shenglong?"

"I know you can't defeat Dong Shenglong," the Grand Elder was silent for a long time before making a decision and said, "But Yu He can. You can use Yu He to remove him!"

"Grand Elder, this is a dangerous matter," Li Qiyi laughed, understanding the Grand Elder's thoughts.

The Grand Elder was silent for a long time and finally sighed, "I know it's like driving away a tiger to invite a wolf! If we talk about danger, the Holy Heaven Sect is far more dangerous than the Nine Holy Demon Sect. For thirty thousand years, our Ancient Washing Face Sect has been at war with the Holy Heaven Sect. We lost our ancient kingdom, and the Holy Heaven Sect established the Treasure Saint Upper Kingdom on our land. Although the Holy Heaven Sect didn't exterminate us completely, it was because they had their own concerns at the time. Within this borderland, the Holy Heaven Sect will not tolerate our Ancient Washing Face Sect. The Nine Holy Demon Sect, ruling the Ancient Ox Borderland, could also destroy us, but they would have to go to war with the Holy Heaven Sect!"

Choosing the lesser of two evils, the Grand Elder had made his decision, hoping to use the Nine Holy Demon Sect to drive away the Holy Heaven Sect!

Li Qiyi smiled and said leisurely, "I understand what the Grand Elder is thinking. These are not pressing matters for me. What is pressing is the Body Ointment. The Grand Elder once promised me a Royal Body Ointment as a reward. When will the sect fulfill this promise?"

"This..." Li Qiyi's sudden mention of this left the Grand Elder momentarily stunned.

Li Qiyi said, "Grand Elder, for the main ingredient of the Body Ointment, I want the bone marrow of the Hell Iron Ox. I hope the Grand Elder has no objections."

"This... this will take some time," the Grand Elder said awkwardly, forcing a laugh.

Li Qiyi looked at the Grand Elder and said seriously, "Grand Elder, are you having second thoughts?"

"Li Qiyi, the sect will not go back on its word to you!" the Grand Elder said solemnly. "However, if you want the bone marrow of the Hell Iron Ox, you should know that, with our Ancient Washing Face Sect's current strength, obtaining a ten-thousand-year-old bone is not easy! We do have a Royal Body Ointment, but the bone marrow is not from the Hell Iron Ox."

"I need the bone marrow of the Hell Iron Ox!" Li Qiyi said calmly.

The Grand Elder took a deep breath and stared at Li Qiyi, saying, "I can get you the bone marrow of the Hell Iron Ox. I will persuade the other elders, but the condition is that you must marry Princess Li!"

Looking at the Grand Elder, Li Qiyi couldn't help but sigh lightly. Finally, he stood up and said calmly, "Grand Elder, I can control my women, whether they are princesses or holy maidens, it's not a problem. As for what the Grand Elder is worried about, I can assure you that anyone who wants to destroy the Ancient Washing Face Sect will be eliminated by me! I also want to tell the Grand Elder that anyone who obstructs the rise of the Ancient Washing Face Sect will be killed without mercy, regardless of whether they are gods or demons!" With that, he turned and left.

The Grand Elder was momentarily stunned. A thirteen-year-old boy had just spoken such arrogant words, but at that moment, he didn't think Li Qiyi was reckless. He couldn't see through Li Qiyi at all and didn't know where his confidence came from. How could a mere thirteen-year-old have such arrogance?

In the end, the Grand Elder sighed lightly. For years, he had diligently managed the affairs of the Ancient Washing Face Sect. He knew the sect's decline was inevitable, but he still hoped for a miracle!

Perhaps Li Qiyi's arrival was a miracle!

Whether he believed it now or not, he had to take a bet! His time was running out, and the other four elders were dissatisfied with him not becoming the Sect Master. If this continued, without the support of the other four elders, the situation would become even more dire for the Ancient Washing Face Sect!

A day's plan starts in the morning. Here is the first update of the day. Please vote and support! If you have any Dream Cup votes, please cast them. *_*

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