As the King of South Border stood around doing nothing for what felt like forever, the crowd finally quieted down, waiting for Zhong Qin to speak.
If it were them, they’d have bolted ages ago. The king must have something important to announce after lingering for so long.
“Ah, there is indeed another matter.”
The King of South Border sighed helplessly, yet appeared completely unembarrassed. “I received His Majesty’s imperial decree stating that the Qingyuan Sect has produced many talents, far surpassing the past. The Sect Leader is already half a step into the sixth realm, the Law Body is imminent, and under him, there are Li Mo and Ying Bing, both future pillars of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.”
“Therefore, it is quite inappropriate for them to remain just a local-level force.”
“From this day forth, the Qingyuan Sect shall govern a state. I hope you can conquer the Eastern Wilderness and bring prosperity to our sect.”
In simpler terms, this decree promoted Qingyuan Sect from a local force to a state-level force.
Nobody was surprised. Although Li Mo donning a yellow robe was mostly a joke, just by him and Ying Bing’s potential alone, Qingyuan Sect shouldn’t be at a mere local level.
However, this decree was merely a legitimizing statement.
To suppress a state, one must have enough strength to win the respect and compliance of all sects, along with resources, territory, and benefits distribution—not something that can be decided with just one word from the emperor.
“Congratulations, Brother Shangguan!”
Elder Xu from Hengyun Sword City, along with everyone from the stronghold, saluted to express their congratulations.
This signified that Hengyun Sword City acknowledged Qingyuan Sect’s position as a leading force within the state.
“Qingyuan Sect staying confined to a local area is indeed a bit of a shame.”
The Lord of Gangdou nodded slightly.
“W-what? Are we, the Qingyuan Sect, going to start collecting state taxes? From now on, I’ll bring my own seasoning for meals!”
Qian Bufan’s sturdy frame trembled, his eyes sparkling not with joy, but with the glimmer of thirst for wealth. Tears welled up at the thought of free meals—he swore this year he’d gather a million!
“Alright, alright, let’s draft a letter. This year during New Year, the council of state-level elders will return home.”
Elder Han He stood with his hands behind his back, sporting an expression that looked slightly crooked no matter how you viewed it.
Everyone knew Elder Han He came from a martial arts family and valued his dignity. Many relatives in his family served in court, while he was still stuck in a local area wasting time.
This time around, he’d be making his move as a state-level elder!
Every member of the Qingyuan Sect puffed out their chests; this was indeed a monumental occasion for them.
They might have anticipated this day to come, but they certainly didn’t expect it to arrive so quickly.
After all, although Qingyuan Sect was well-rounded, that was about it.
“Old Qian, there’s a matter…”
“During work, refer to titles. What’s going on?”
“I plan to open an alchemist shop in the state capital; I hope the state governor doesn’t mind.”
“Alright, everyone is still here! Where’s your decorum?”
Finally, Shangguan Wencang couldn’t hold back the black line forming on his forehead and interrupted the others.
As the only somewhat serious person in Qingyuan Sect, he spoke earnestly:
“Do you all not understand how we earned this honor? We are elders, and thanks to the success of our juniors, we shine in glory, and we’re reaping the benefits.”
“Do you know our reputation outside, Qingyuan Sect?”
“Other sects are being hyped up like ‘that sect with Li Mo and Ying Bing,’ and what about us?”
“We’re merely a sect that got lucky with a couple of prodigies—how did we earn this honor?”
“Woof woof woof?” Elder Qian felt reprimanded by the Sect Leader, but found himself at a loss for words.
After all, the Sect Leader was right; now the outside world referred to Qingyuan Sect as “that sect with Li Mo and Ying Bing.”
Once, Qingyuan Sect was glorious, called the ‘Echo of Da Shang,’ but that was many years ago. Nowadays, if you were to ask, what stories still made people excited?
Maybe the tales of Shang Wu being able to soothe crying children at night.
“Ahem, I was just momentarily carried away; one must forge themselves.”
Elder Han He reined in his emotions, suppressing the triumphant smirk at the corners of his mouth.
“Hmm… Even my ancient age is well past; I’ve grown up.” Xue Jing sighed.
Elder Qian leaned closer to Elder Xu from Hengyun Sword City, lowering his voice to inquire:
“How many practitioners and law bodies are there in Hengyun Sword City? Is it okay to share?”
Elder Xu replied, “There are seven law bodies and fifty-eight practitioners in the fifth realm. As for the details… I’m afraid I cannot disclose that.”
In other words, they have them but it’s not fit for public ears.
The members of Qingyuan Sect fell silent. Hengyun Sword City was also a state-level force; while among the stronger ones, the gap between them and Qingyuan Sect was like an insurmountable chasm.
Of course, the disparity wasn’t with the younger generation.
Mainly, it lay in the middle-tier… well, that is…
The elders exchanged glances; having just straightened their backs, they eventually slumped back, feeling akin to comparing their child to others and realizing their own was superb, leading to the feeling of dragging their own child down.
“What? You mean to tell me that as a state-level force, Hengyun Sword City collects taxes each year but still loses money due to overwhelming expenses?”
Elder Qian fell into silence after hearing Elder Xu’s words.
After all, who said swordsmen never cared about appearances?
Old Qian didn’t care about the façade; all he wanted was cash. But others might not agree.
They couldn’t let Xiao Mo and Little Ice Girl’s wedding feast be a table with only four dishes, right?
“Uh, everyone really shouldn’t underestimate yourselves.”
Li Mo observed the smiles evaporating from the elders and earnestly said, “You’re still young; the future is promising.”
“?”
Though it sounded like a comforting remark, it wasn’t just others looking puzzled; even Shangguan Wencang had a question mark popping up above his head. There were people present who could even send their great-grandchildren out to run errands.
What future?
Li Mo, however, declared, “Seventy or eighty years old is the perfect age to charge into the world! There’s no need to worry about resources. With me around, you won’t need to worry about martial arts either—I’ve got Ice Chunk!”
“We’re all on the same boat—we shouldn’t divide ourselves. We should grow strong together and create brilliance again!”
Little Li had gone through his tribulation and weathered the test of time.
Now, as he spoke so confidently, it could even baffle Ice Chunk!
The elders felt a bit skeptical, but if it brought them reassurance, they could return to their normal composure.
Li Mo sighed in relief.
This made future investments easier.
The Internal Realm required massive resources; it was all about generating returns. Why not invest in their own rather than letting wealth flow to outsiders?
He had just heard about the odd treasures from the Eastern Sea, and he planned to check them out.
“…..”
The King of South Border gazed at the bustling crowd and thought to himself, “As the royal delivering the imperial decree, I’m utterly unnecessary. It’s clear no one cares about seeing me off…”
