Journey to the head

Wei Zhaixing's path was naturally broad, but the people of Yunshan were no less capable.

The last "One Yuan Pure Qi Pill" was given to Wei Zhaixing, and all thirty innate spiritual pills that could instantly increase cultivation obtained from that "Peace and Happiness Conference" had been used up.

Over the course of fifteen years, nearly thirty innate spiritual pills were dropped. Except for Wang Yu, every Golden Core cultivator from Yunshan consumed one or two pills, resulting in a leap in their cultivation.

Currently, the Yunshan Sect has six Nascent Soul cultivators and fifteen Golden Core cultivators. Among the fifteen Golden Core cultivators, Lin Le and Xiao Tianci are at the peak of their Golden Core cultivation, and Zhao Kongque, with his Heavenly Spirit Root, will reach the peak of his cultivation within ten years.

In addition, those who reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm include Jiang Qingfeng, Jiang Baitao, Wang Ruoyu, Su Yan, Tao Boliang, Tao Zhongxian, An Fanghe, Dongfang Hui, and Huo Jin.

Mid-stage Golden Core cultivators: Wang Yu and Cui Linglong. Early-stage Golden Core cultivator: Xie Yongchang.

Two more Foundation Establishment cultivators are awaiting the Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation.

It can be described as a place teeming with talent and a constellation of brilliant minds.

Not to mention that in the past fifteen years, under the direct guidance of Gu Nishang, the alchemy hall of the Yunshan Internal Affairs Department has successfully refined the four innate crimson herbs obtained from the "Peace and Happiness Conference", and obtained a total of five innate fetal breathing pills.

Then, Xiang Kong used one of the Elixir of Purification, and the Jade Dragon's tribulation went even more smoothly. It only needed to consume one drop of the Soul-Cleansing Essence to succeed, thus ascending to the throne of the Jade Dragon Immortal.

Considering that in the past, Qiming Lingjun miraculously succeeded in overcoming his tribulation in a remote and impoverished area with just a single Ice Heart Lotus Seed, Lu Qian deeply suspected that those with simple minds, or rather, those without brains, would find it easier to overcome their inner demon tribulation.

If you're carefree and heartless, what inner demons could you possibly have?
If you're well-fed and drink your fill and never think about anything, what hardship could you possibly face?
The more intelligent a person is, the more easily they fall into the trap of intellectual bias. The more they think and the more they investigate the root causes of everything, the more likely they are to become trapped in mental obstacles and find it difficult to break free.

Lin Le today is perhaps just like that.

In short, among this large batch of Yunshan Golden Elixir, the Yunshan Treasury already contains one "Pill for Breaking Illusions and Seeking Truth," eight "Innate Fetal Breathing Pills," and five drops of "Soul-Cleansing and Spirit-Embracing Essence."

Barring unforeseen circumstances, within a century, the Yunshan Sect will cultivate a large number of Nascent Soul Spirit Lords, truly establishing its power and dominating Qingzhou, Cangzhou, Ningzhou, and other prefectures.

However, the journey is fraught with danger, and accidents can happen at any time.

Just as Xiang Kong and Yu Jiao successfully formed their Nascent Souls, Lin Le was plagued by inner demons and could not escape, making his situation extremely critical. Thus, the Nascent Soul Tribulation was still very dangerous, and even with the power of spiritual treasures, one could not be careless.

Of the fifteen Golden Core cultivators from Yunshan, how many will ultimately achieve the Nascent Soul Sovereign position?

"Sect Leader, everyone has arrived. We can begin," Wang Yu said.

Lu Qian pulled himself back to reality. Now that the Yunshan Sect controls several prefectures, the Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators have their own responsibilities to defend their territories, and they are not all on Biluo Peak.

Jiang Baitao is stationed in Lingsha City, Chongming County. The Tao brothers are stationed year-round at the casting and refining bases in Hanjiangzhu and Xuantu County. Zhao Kongque is patrolling and investigating within the territory. Xie Yongchang is discussing a business deal in Meihuafang.

Jade Dragon and Fire Brocade are mountain-guarding spirit beasts. However, Jade Dragon Immortal got tired of Cangzhou and took Fire Brocade to Qingzhou ancestral vein to have fun, saying that he wanted to dig out the cave heaven for Lu Qian ahead of schedule.

Now that the surrounding area is peaceful and the world is at peace, and with Huo Jin keeping an eye on him, Lu Qian will go with him, so that the fat boy won't be shouting and making a fuss all day long on Biluo Peak, disturbing everyone's peace and quiet.

Furthermore, Wudi Daoren and Xiang Kong, as guest elders, do not participate in internal affairs of the Yunshan Sect. At this moment, in addition to the aforementioned individuals, all the Yunshan Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators are seated in the main hall.

"Lin Le's inner demons were burning fiercely and difficult to eliminate. If it weren't for Zhaixing's timely assistance, which borrowed a wisp of heavenly fortune to influence his fate, he would probably have perished." Lu Qian's voice was heavy. Wu Yan, thinking of the danger just now, still had little color on her face.

"But even with the blessing of heaven and the turning of the star of destiny, Lin Le's condition is not optimistic. He is still fighting against his inner demons, and it can be said that he has gone into seclusion. No one can say for sure when he will wake up."

"The General Staff and the Public Security Department need to come up with a plan for guarding and protecting Lin Le to ensure his safety during his seclusion."

An Fanghe and Wang Ruoyu obeyed the order. Lu Qian then said, "During Lin Le's seclusion, Wu Yan will lead the work of the Transmission of Skills Department. Xiao Yan, let Bai Tao handle the work of the Rewards Department independently. If she is not allowed to work independently, she will never be able to take on the responsibility."

Wu Yan nodded in agreement: "Junior Martial Aunt is clever and intelligent. I have rarely interfered with the work of the Rewards Department in recent years. It is time for her to take the lead."

Normally, Lu Qian would have joked about Jiang Baitao's "clever and intelligent" compliment, but now he had no interest in it and continued.

"The work of the Intelligence Department will be overseen by Senior Brother Wang. The Intelligence Department is already very busy, and the work of the Punishment Division is also very demanding. In these extraordinary times, Senior Brother Wang is taking on all the responsibilities, which will be very tiring."

Wang Yu bowed and agreed, then let out a barely perceptible sigh, as if he were thinking of something.

After making these arrangements, Lu Qian's expression became even more serious. He paused and called out Su Yan's name.

"What is the Censorate's statement regarding the suicide of Zhao Gang, the sixth-generation disciple?"

Su Yan bowed to Lu Qian. In fact, Zhao Gang's suicide had only happened a few hours earlier. Fortunately, he had immediately arranged for people to investigate after receiving the news, and now a preliminary conclusion had been reached.

The Bureau of Supervision has a subordinate agency called Qiuhai Hall, which is an intelligence agency responsible for internal surveillance. On that day, Zhao Gang argued with the staff of the Bureau of Transmission of Skills at the Xuan Yin Miao Fa Conference and publicly declared that he would report to the Bureau of Supervision. Then he had a debate with Lin Le, which caused Lin Le's inner demons to stir, forcing him to hastily go into seclusion.

Such a significant matter was naturally well understood by the Inspectorate.

However, Lin Le went into seclusion, and Zhao Gang, amidst the angry shouts and curses of the crowd, retreated to his own quarters and did not actually come to the Supervisory Department to file a complaint. Furthermore, Zhao Gang's previous claim of "dereliction of duty by the Transmission of Skills Department" was without evidence and inconsistent with the actual situation, so the Supervisory Department only recorded the matter and kept it under observation.

Wu Yan then suggested summoning Zhao Gang to question him in detail about his conversation with Lin Le. Su Yan, as one of the elders of Yunshan, was also present and witnessed the entire conversation.

Then the conversation was interrupted, Zhao Gang returned to his house, and committed suicide before Lu Qian returned to the mountain gate, causing a huge uproar and making Lin Le's inner demons uncontrollable.

Su Yan explained the whole story in detail from the perspective of the Supervisory Department.

"That's the gist of the matter. Overall, the case is quite clear. Based on the preliminary investigation of the eyewitness disciples and the traces at the scene, Zhao Gang did indeed commit suicide by piercing his heart with a flying sword. His suicide note was also found at the scene, and the handwriting was confirmed to be his."

"What did the suicide note say?" Lu Qian asked.

Su Yan sighed: "Just eight simple words."

"The useless one, beg for forgiveness."

Everyone in the hall fell silent. After a long while, Wu Yan finally whispered, "Master, I only called him here to question him, hoping to find clues to break Brother Le's inner demons. I really didn't expect him to commit suicide."

As she spoke, she grew increasingly regretful. Being summoned for questioning by Yunshan's higher-ups was likely the final straw that broke Zhao Gang's spirit. Zhao Gang's suicide, in turn, caused Lin Le to lose her guard, bringing her to the brink of disaster.

In that case, I'm afraid the real culprit is Brother Le.
Wu Yan was both anxious and angry, and knelt down on the ground: "Master, I am guilty, please punish me."

Lu Qian remained silent, but Wang Yu frowned and stepped forward. "Sect Leader, although Zhao Gang's suicide is regrettable, neither Xiao Yan nor any of the elders violated any of Yunshan Sect rules or regulations throughout this incident."

"Xiaoyan cannot falsely confess to a crime, and the sect leader cannot punish her. Otherwise, which law should be followed?"

Jiang Qingfeng sighed, "Yes, no one was at fault in this matter, but in the end, one disciple committed suicide. This is the first time since Yunshan was re-established. As for Zhao Gang, who should he blame?"

"Whose fault is it? Since he committed suicide without being forced by anyone, he should bear the responsibility himself." Gu Nishang said coldly, "In the end, he started this himself. He failed the test of the Transmission of Skills Department, made a scene, and was condemned by everyone. In the end, he couldn't bear it. He brought it on himself, so what's there to discuss?"

“The road ahead is fraught with peril, and only the resilient can make it.” Xiao Tianci, who rarely speaks at meetings, said something unusual today: “Zhao Gang’s death is no one else’s fault.”

For some reason, Cui Linglong could really empathize with Zhao Gang's feelings. She couldn't help but say, "Zhao Gang was just arguing for himself; he never imagined it would trigger Senior Brother Lin's inner demons. Harsh words were like knives, he was isolated by the world, and with the elders questioning him, he finally broke down. In any case, I think the Yunshan disciples' insults and attacks on him went too far."

Lu Qian finally spoke, looking at An Fanghe who had remained silent.

"Fang He, what do you think?"

An Fanghe did not answer immediately. He stared blankly at the jade ruyi in his hand for a few moments before sighing softly, "According to the rules and regulations of the sect, just as Grandmaster Wang said, no one violated them in this incident."

"The path of cultivation is fraught with tribulations. No one can predict when they will perish. Just like me, I was already dead."

He remained silent for a while: "Zhao Gang's fate was also a calamity he brought upon himself. He couldn't overcome it and died, that's all."

Lu Qian pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"In principle, I agree with Senior Brother Wang's statement on this matter. There is no one who has done anything wrong in terms of the sect's rules and regulations."

"Looking at the whole incident, although Zhao Gang's defense of himself caused a commotion, he cannot be said to be guilty. Because of Lin Le, the disciples relentlessly pursued Zhao Gang and refused to let him go. The elders also summoned him for questioning, which made him even more desperate."

"He was already defined as someone with inferior talent, and he also offended the vice sect leader, resulting in his isolation by all the disciples. Anyone in his shoes would not know how to go on."

"If we are to learn any lesson from this incident, it is probably the word 'forgiveness'."

"When the Supervisory Department first discovered this matter, seeing the disciples surrounding and blocking Zhao Gang, it should have intervened to guide and persuade them to leave. Treating an innocent disciple so harshly is not in the style of our Yunshan Sect."

Su Yan looked ashamed and bowed down to accept the order.

"If the elders had been more compassionate and offered a few words of comfort during the inquiry, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way."

"The General Staff and the Supervision Department will take the lead, with the assistance of the Transmission Department, to compile and report this matter, so that the disciples of Yunshan can learn from it and not wantonly attack their fellow disciples in the name of justice."

"At the same time, this case will be added to Lingmiao's introductory course. Originally, Zhao Gang was fine, and Lin Le would have been safe too. It was truly fate that brought them together."

"Finally, I intend to add a clause to the system of transmitting skills and teachings."

"If a disciple is deemed unqualified in ten consecutive Mysterious Sound Dharma Assemblies and cannot be granted new techniques, he/she may apply for a special assessment. This special assessment can only be applied for once in a lifetime."

"The special assessment focuses on two main aspects: character and reputation, and past performance. Those who pass the assessment may be exceptionally granted advanced skills."

"Fifty years may only be a stage in the path of cultivation for disciples with good aptitude. But for those with poor aptitude, it may be the end of the road."

"Our sect has countless profound and wonderful techniques. What's wrong with giving loyal disciples something to look forward to? We can be strict in enforcing the law, but we can also add some human touch."

"We have devoted ourselves to building the Yunshan Sect into a powerful force, so that one day, with a sufficiently strong Yunshan Sect, all disciples can give full play to their talents and have the right to choose their own path in life. Today's matter is no different."

Everyone responded in unison, and Lu Qian then made arrangements for Zhao Gang's burial and the compensation of his family.

Lu Qian intended to adjourn the meeting and then convene a meeting of the core members of Yunshan, but An Fanghe suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Sect Leader, I now know the reason for Sect Leader Lin's inner demons."

Lu Qian nodded helplessly. Over the past fifteen years, Lin Le had mentioned his confusion, and he had provided answers for him. However, he realized today that Lin Le had never really figured it out, or rather, he thought he had, but that was not the case.

Even though Lin Le had maintained a calm demeanor in front of An Fanghe for the past fifteen years, not wanting to add to his psychological burden, An Fanghe was certainly able to figure it out given their long-term cooperation and the circumstances of this incident.

An Fanghe raised his head, his expression complex.

This matter is not only a source of inner demons for Lin Le, but also an insurmountable obstacle for An Fanghe.

"Sect Leader, if you were in Sect Leader Lin's situation, what would you do?"

"Release the crane!" Jiang Qingfeng said with some concern, but Lu Qian waved his hand.

“I have overcome the great tribulation of my inner demons and seen my true self, so I have always had my own answer.”

"I will save you."

Despite such a decisive answer, An Fanghe's face showed a hint of struggle.

"Did the sect leader make this choice also out of consideration for values?"

“That’s right,” Lu Qian said frankly. He looked at Wang Yu and said, “If only one person can be saved, you are the best choice for Yunshan. I believe that if Senior Brother Wang were here, he would have done the same.”

Wang Yu closed his eyes and nodded.

“But that doesn’t mean we weren’t in pain,” Lu Qian continued. “At that moment, we were forced to judge the Yunshan disciples based on our current values. This shouldn’t have happened.”

"Including yourself, Fang He. As the one who was chosen, you must be very sad, right?"

"Today we chose you because of your value, but tomorrow we may abandon you because of your value."

"This further illustrates that if we simply measure people and develop sects based on their value, everything will eventually spiral out of control."

"The foundation of a sect is its system, and the operation of that system depends on people. Human beings, with their own flesh and blood and warmth, ultimately cannot be judged solely by their monetary value." (End of Chapter)