Inside the meeting hall of the sect master's courtyard in the Yellow lotus sect.
"Sect master, why did you come back with Zhao Qi? Didn't we all agree that he will be sent to the Mountain springs pavilion so that his life can be spared? Now that you have brought him here isn't that the same as signing his death warrant," One of the elders currently assembled in the hall didn't even wait for the meeting to start before he fired his question.
He was slim and short with greying hair that was neatly tied in a daoist top knot. His eyes flashed with faint sparks of white lightning.
Sect master Han Qingling couldn't help but sigh at this.
"Wei Peng I know he is your disciple and you care about him, but do you think I as the sect master would be negligible of his care?"
Wei Peng who looked like he still had a few more things to say went silent from sect master Han Qingling's words.
"I'm sorry for my earlier impudence but I'm still lost on why Zhao Qi came back to the sect with you. Leaving the sect was a good thing, especially with the things we put him through to ensure his safety. A fresh start someplace else away from all that would be best for him.
He may try to hide it but I can tell that kid hides a lot of heartaches and I don't think it is solely tied to his treatment by the sect the past few years," Wei Peng said as he sighed with regret.
His sentiment was echoed around the hall as the elders all held guilty looks. They had all signed off on this course of action so they could safeguard Zhao Qi's life but it didn't mean they didn't hate the action as it involved ruining a promising young man's reputation all because they were too weak.
Were they strong, would they have to go to such extremes and subterfuge just to ensure their disciples' lives were protected?
"Zhao Qi came back of his own volition. I had to tell the judge in charge of our case our current situation and the ruse we had created though I feel there was no need to as the judge seemed to have suspected something was off from the very start," Sect master Han Qingling said as a complicated expression flashed in his eyes from today's events.
None of the elders including Wei Peng interrupted as they felt sect master Han Qingling still had more to add.
"There were various things that happened during the case that I'm not at liberty to reveal yet but there are a few things that I can say.
First, there is a way to avoid this calamity and secondly, we have formed an alliance with one of the leaders of the Mountain springs pavilion. To that effect Wei Peng, I will need you to get in contact with your friend from the White ginseng pavilion and ask them if they have a way to get the lightning aurora sunflower," said sect master Han Qingling as he eyed Zhao Qi's master.
"I will ask them, though what do you need that herb for? It may be a monarch-grade herb but its only use is cleansing miasma and breaking other poison-related curses?" Wei Peng couldn't help but ask with a puzzled expression.
"It's for one of their leaders who got injured by a cultivation art and from what pavilion owner Liu Yun said it seems like it could be a poison-related art. He offered to pay for the herb himself once we confirmed its presence but we will be buying the herb on his behalf.
It's the least we can do after what we did and for those of you here who think we are wasting whatever resources we have left to do that just think of it as buying the services of a quasi-palace stage expert who is just inches away from breaking through to the palace sage.
We all know just a single monarch-grade herb isn't enough to buy the services of a quasi-palace stage expert much less a potential palace stage expert," sect master Han Qingling calmly said as he eyed the elders around.
He knew there might be some who might be against him using whatever little resources they have left into helping an outsider instead of focusing it all internally, especially with the looming threat above their necks. But once sect master Han Qingling mentioned a potential palace stage expert those hidden frowns and displeasure turned to pleasant surprises.
"I have no objections to the sect master's plans. Qingling whatever you decide is the best path forward we will do our best to support it. We know if it wasn't for your loyalty to the sect with your talent you would have gotten into any sect you wished and even got a better position and resources but instead, you are here with us.
Whatever Qingling says goes. Our part is to be his arms and legs," One of the oldest elders in the group thunderously said with a fierce threatening pressure being produced from his body.
He was one of the four quasi-palace stage experts that the Yellow lotus sect had. Of the remaining three one was Sect master Han Qingling, the other was Wei Peng and the last one was an equally aged elder who seemed to be in the same generation as the elder who had made that statement.
The old elder's comments made some of the other elders who had something to say probably in opposition, shrink back.
"Thank you supreme elder Huang for your support," Sect master Han Qingling politely said as he bowed in thanks. Even though he was stronger he still had deference for Elder Huang and the other equally old elder. They were both supreme elders that were part of the previous generation, the same as his master.
They should have been in a long seclusion to try and break through to the palace stage but they broke their seclusion so they could support their sect. They were already over three thousand years old and the more time passed the fewer odds they will have of breaking through to the palace stage naturally due to vitality setbacks. For that sect master Han Qingling was deeply grateful to them.
"So what's this plan you have that can help us avoid the danger we face?" supreme elder Huang gingerly asked as he smiled.
"It's with this," sect master Han Qingling said as he passed around a few formation blueprints.
"THIS? Sect master where did you find a monarch grade formation blueprint…from the look of things it seems like a mobile one. There are some parts that I don't understand due to my own ineptitude but the rank of this formation matches the one laid in the sect by supreme elder Tingfeng….
Enlai, come see?" One of the elders who seemed to be an expert in formations excitingly said as he called over another elder who became equally as engrossed with the formation blueprint once his eyes fell on it. They looked like kids with a new cool toy.
The elders once they realized the exquisiteness of the formation drawn on the blueprint couldn't help but look questioningly at sect master Han Qingling.
Buying a monarch-grade herb and buying a monarch-grade formation blueprint was not the same thing. The former could only benefit a single person most of the time and was a single-use item while the latter could ensure the survival of an entire organization such as a sect, clan, or kingdom. Therefore when it came even to pricing they were miles apart. It was why they were shocked the sect master had a formation blueprint of such a level on him. They knew their current financial situation well, there was no way they could afford something of that level especially when a formation blueprint was many times more expensive than a formation disc or flag of the same grade.
"Did the Order give you this?" asked one of the remaining supreme elders.
"No, I got it from someplace different which I currently can't reveal yet. All you need to know is thanks to this formation we can guarantee our survival for atleast two or three years and as you may have noticed it doesn't need to be laid down next to a spirit vein just spirit stones and a few treasures as anchors would do.
That time should be sufficient for me to breakthrough to the palace stage and when the time comes I will have more than enough capital to call our enemies into account," said sect master Han Qingling as his gaze turned cold and valiant.
"I will also be making a public apology to clear Zhao Qi's name, in addition, I will be allowing Zhao Qi to learn our core art, the 36 leaves of the yellow lotus.
Don't worry Peng you should know with his sturdy foundations he is not at risk for learning the art while still being in the early stages of the foundation stage as opposed to the later stages like we set," Sect master Han Qingling said once he saw the worried frown on elder Wei Peng's face.
"That will be all…I need you all to get started on the formation and setting them up all around the sect. Supreme elder Huang, supreme elder Bingwen, and Elder Wei Peng please remain behind there is another matter we need to discuss," sect master Han Qingling said as he addressed the three elders. He had decided they were the three he would introduce to Deng Chao.
For one they were the three he trusted most and for the other, they were quasi-palace stage experts. A few pointers from Deng Chao may very well help them cross that threshold which would add another safety net when the Yellow lotus sect gains four palace stage experts.
…..
"Boss we have eyes on the target. Based on his cultivation base aura he seems to be preparing to breakthrough to the palace stage. Should we take him now or do it after he breaks through."
Two people wearing dark cloaks were currently eyeing a short sturdy middle-aged man who seemed to be heading to his abode.
"Wait until the target breaks through to the palace stage otherwise he will be of no use to us," replied a cold-sounding voice from the other end of the communication talisman being held by one of the two cloaked men.
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ "Sir what about the Order? He may not be an employee there but he works at a restaurant stationed there. Won't this draw unwanted eyes?" one of the men couldn't help but hesitantly ask with clear worry and trepidation in his tone.
"You should only concern yourself with the task at hand. Failure is not permitted," said the cold voice as the connection went off.
The two men stared at each other as they ruefully smiled at their rock-and-hard place situation before they decided to just focus on the matter at hand. They feared the person at the other end of the call more than what hypothetically the Order would do to them if caught.
….
Inside Meng Chao's chambers
"It seems the rats have caught the bait. Time to see where their nest is and finally see whether my hunch was right," said Meng Chao as he craftily smiled while taking ice jasmine tea.
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