Miss Fairy, Please Hear Me Out

The Myriad Manifestations Sect was not built deep in the mountains, but beside a waterfall spilling down a massive cliff. Because of the mist rising from the waterfall, the sect was shrouded in water vapor year-round. Looking down from high above, its buildings stood row upon row, layered and orderly, like a realm of Immortals.

The corridor leading to the sect’s important Council Hall wound back and forth. Two middle-aged men walked through it, and along with their unhurried footsteps came the soft murmur of conversation.

The man with the full beard asked quietly, “Old Fifth, I heard the prefectural city sent another secret envoy?”

Old Fifth was silent for a moment before replying, “Mhm. They said they want our Myriad Manifestations Sect to send reinforcements to Ninebuy. The imperial border troops there can barely hold on anymore. This year’s demon beast tide has come in especially fierce.”

The bearded man thought for a moment, then sighed. “Demons. Bloody demons again! Our Myriad Manifestations Sect’s ancestors choosing to build the sect beside the Myriad Ascents Mountain Range was the stupidest decision they ever made. Every single day, we have to deal with these damned demons. Kill one crop this year, and next year another crop grows right back. Haah... how did the Sect Master respond?”

Old Fifth thought for a moment, then replied in a low voice, “The Sect Master had that brat Qi Changyu lead a group of over a hundred inner disciples over there.”

The bearded man frowned. “He really sent people? That place is a disaster zone every year. Changyu had better not get himself buried there.”

Old Fifth chuckled. “Relax. The Sect Master didn’t assign them any flying demonic beasts. They’re walking there. They probably won’t make it in time.”

When the bearded man heard this, he grinned and nodded. “The court wants us to send people without giving us a single benefit? Where in the world is there such a sweet deal? The Sect Master really is shrewd.”

After a pause, the bearded man’s smile faded, and he asked in a low voice, “There shouldn’t be any problems with the major fortresses along the border, right? If some little towns in the corners fall, then at worst a few more people die. But those places in Southern Capital Commandery absolutely cannot be lost. If demonic beasts get through there, a lot of our Myriad Manifestations Sect’s assets are in that region.”

Old Fifth answered rather casually, “Don’t worry. We’ve been preparing since before the New Year. The supplies for our Myriad Manifestations Sect’s Thousand Illusion Army are abundant. We’ve already spoken with the Skysound Temple and Windclear Sect as well. Both sides will support each other.”

Hearing this, the bearded man gently shook his head. “The imperial court really is laughable... Starting several decades ago, they began pushing us sect people out of the government system bit by bit. Back then, I doubt they ever imagined the situation would deteriorate to this point. How foolish.”

In order to prevent the sect powers from further infiltrating local governments, the imperial court had gradually started removing sect disciples from local seats of power decades ago. If sect disciples served as officials and governed a region, their sects would naturally offer full support, ensuring peace and stability under their rule.

But now, very few sect disciples could still obtain official posts that allowed them to govern a region. As for those provincial governors and administrators transferred over by the imperial court, the sects naturally did not treat them nearly as well. Paying lip service while secretly defying their orders already counted as respectful. Many sects simply ignored their decrees outright.

And this was one of the reasons refugees were now everywhere.

Old Fifth took a deep breath. “The court can’t keep this up forever. They’ll return to the ancestral system sooner or later. Once His Highness the Crown Prince ascends the throne, that black-robed chancellor Xu Yinhe should finally be forced to back down.”

The bearded man also smiled softly when he heard this. “The Chancellor’s Manor is at the height of its power. If it’s given another hundred years to settle and accumulate, it’ll probably become another great aristocratic clan. It might even be able to establish its own sect.”

“Heh. I wonder where Xu Yinhe would choose to build it. Most likely somewhere in Southriver Prefecture. During the last Celeste Assembly, the Nine Swords Sect and the others from Southriver Prefecture were all so rich they practically dripped oil.”

With that said, the two men looked at each other and smiled.

This was the common understanding among the sects.

Perhaps the current Emperor and the Chancellor’s Manor had indeed gone a little wrong in their thinking, but the problem was not too serious, because reality would eventually correct that mistaken thinking for them.

All under heaven did not belong to the Great Flame Empire alone. It belonged to empire and the sects together. Without the sects’ cooperation, the empire might still appear prosperous, but in just over twenty years, signs of chaos had already begun to show.

Once the court realized its mistake and restored the ancestral system, then paid a little price, everyone could sit down, and everything would go back to how it was. The Li Clan could remain the imperial household, and the Xu Clan of the Chancellor’s Manor could remain the greatest aristocratic family under heaven.

Neither man spoke again. They followed the winding corridor all the way into the Myriad Manifestations Sect’s important Council Hall.

The doors were pushed open.

Two rows of chairs were neatly arranged along either side of the hall, all of them filled with people. Seated at the place of honor was an old man with a goatee.

The Sect Master of the Myriad Manifestations Sect sat in the main seat. Looking at the two men who had arrived late, he smiled faintly. “Old Fifth, Old Youngest, take a seat. We were just talking about you.”

The two men smiled, walked to their respective seats, and sat down.

Old Fifth smiled and said, “Sect Master, did you call us over in such a hurry to discuss Sageridge?”

The Myriad Manifestations Sect Master’s deep eyes curved with a smile. “Naturally. This time, our Myriad Manifestations Sect has invested over two million taels of silver in Sageridge. Of course we must treat it seriously.”

The bearded man stroked his chin, his smile teasing. “We really have to thank the Fourth Miss of the Chancellor’s Manor for this. If that old man Xu Yinhe weren’t so damn proud, I’d be tempted to go to the capital and propose marriage to the Chancellor’s Manor myself.”

The Myriad Manifestations Sect Master smiled without confirming or denying it. “That girl learned formations from that old man Jiang He. It’s only natural her attainments are high. If not for this grand illusion formation of hers, our plan might have had to be delayed for several more years.”

“Enough of that, Sect Master. Have all the refugees gathered there?”

“More or less. Over two hundred thousand refugees. Around one hundred seventy thousand city residents. Add the caravan guards, scattered wandering cultivators, and the border troops stationed there, and there should be more than twenty thousand people with cultivation.”

“What about the demonic beasts?”

“We have already prepared enough beast luring incense.”

“So, Sect Master, you mean the formation can be activated?”

“Naturally.”

“It won’t leave any traces, will it?”

“Relax. It will be clean. The demon beasts did this.”

“Heh...”

Everyone present laughed, because everyone present knew just how much profit this plan would bring the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

The Myriad Manifestations Sect Master tapped the armrest of his chair. After a short pause, he said loudly, “Very well. Since everyone is here, let us conduct the final vote.”

For a plan that had already reached this point, the vote was only a formality. The elders present unanimously approved the decision to activate the grand formation.

Seeing this, the Myriad Manifestations Sect Master slowly rose to his feet and looked in the direction of Sageridge.

“Send the message. Activate the formation. Create... the ghost fog!”