Taoist Master Xuanhuang

Chapter 677 Mouth and Ears

"It's truly a gathering of dragons and snakes, quite a lively scene."

On the Diting Tower, on the Star Gazing Platform, Bai Xiaosheng observed the celestial phenomena at night and couldn't help but sigh.

Because of the abilities of the three great gods, he can predict and deduce that the scope of his predictions has expanded to the entire Xia Kingdom, or in other words, he can deduce anything that exists wherever the three great gods' minor heavenly paths are present.

Chaos is brewing, and a dazzling array of options is dazzling, presenting a golden opportunity for the development of Diting Pavilion.

"Brother Bai, the Hidden Dragon Ranking can be released now," Gao Ming asked.

"Alright, based on the magnitude of their fortune and combined with their merits, let's create a Hidden Dragon Ranking of power and a Hidden Dragon Ranking of individual combat strength. Let them strive for these rankings," Bai Xiasheng said with satisfaction.

Those who work in this line of work really enjoy the feeling of manipulating everything from behind the scenes.

He was thrilled at the thought that the whole world would be drawn together because of his ranking.

"Do we need to cover it up?" Gao Ming asked.

“I don’t think there’s any need to hide it. Things are different now than before!” Bai Xiaosheng said meaningfully.

As his old partner, Gao Ming quickly understood what he meant.

In the previous rankings, especially at the very beginning, Ditinglou, as an intelligence agency, dared not offend an entity that it could not afford to offend.

For example, the Four Superpowers hide a lot of their strength, and they don't want others to know about it. Even the Listening Pavilion doesn't dare to talk about it.

For a period of time, the release of many rankings by Ditinglou required the input of the Four Supers.

If the Four Superpowers feel that there is something negative about the list, they will not order a change, but they will discuss it amicably with Bai Xiaosheng and Gao Ming.

This is because the major shareholder of Diting Tower is Gongde Hall.

In other words, the Listening Tower at the beginning was also not in control of its own destiny. It offended people it shouldn't have offended, and even with the protection of the Hall of Merit, it was still very difficult.

Those who know the current affairs are handsome.

Things are different now. The four superpowers are about to split up, and the freedom of the Listening Tower has been greatly increased.

Furthermore, this list is not about the four superstars, which is also a significant difference.

More importantly, the decline of the four superpowers is an inevitable trend and something that the top management of the four superpowers wanted to see.

They've always been on the front page, and they will continue to be, but they won't be the only main characters. They want that kind of situation too.

Avoid the limelight to reduce the risk of disaster.

At this moment, the four families wished that everyone would forget about the four superpowers and pay attention to these new forces and new strongmen, so that the trouble they were attracting would be greatly reduced.

"Okay!" Gao Ming nodded.

Speaking of Gao Ming, there were actually two brothers, with an older brother named Gao Jue, all of whom were disciples of Master Ma.

Master Ma is the most low-key and least noticeable of all Xuanhuang's disciples; he's someone you'd almost forget if you didn't mention him.

He had always remained hidden within the Taoist sect. There were two Xuanhuang disciples in the sect: one was Jiutong, and the other was Master Ma.

However, it seems that everyone only knows about the Nine Tong Sect Leader.

Master Ma is actually quite remarkable; his cultivation is top-tier, not much weaker than Jiu Tong's, though of course he's definitely not as strong.

Gao Jue could proudly say, "I am the grand-disciple of the Dao Master."

Of Xuanhuang's twelve disciples, only Master Ma was the one who could legitimately accept disciples.

He was a disciple whom Xuanhuang had accepted before he began teaching the Dharma, which avoided a lot of trouble.

Unlike Xuanhuang's other eleven disciples at this moment, who dared not accept disciples easily.

They won't take on disciples for a long time; their goal is to reach the fourth rank before they dare to even think about taking on disciples. Only when they reach the fourth rank will they consider taking on disciples.

Given that all the disciples hold high positions and their every word and action is under scrutiny, the process of accepting disciples is exceptionally cautious.

Master Ma is a special case.

As the grand-disciples of Xuanhuang, the two brothers transitioned from the path of Spirit Masters, and it was precisely because of this identity that they felt awkward.

If only a Spirit Master hadn't switched to the path of a cultivator.

That way, their luck, fame, and level of recognition will be higher.

After all, it's a bit hard to believe that the first direct disciple of the Dao Master was actually a Spirit Master who had converted to a True Cultivator. The cultivators didn't want to admit it.

The brothers' identity as spiritual masters was their biggest obstacle, something they had always resented.

Fortunately, Master Ma said to them, "It is precisely because you are not legitimate that you are living well. If you two were not spiritual masters, I'm afraid..."

It's likely that Master Ma didn't say anything, but the two brothers understood.

This is both a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous crisis.

If it weren't for the fact that the two brothers were spirit masters and their identities weren't recognized by other cultivators, they would probably be living in dire straits.

"If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight." The Dao Master has twelve disciples, and each of them is capable of supporting themselves.

With only two grand-disciples, one can imagine the pressure they face.

Several senior sect leaders would be dissatisfied because they couldn't accept disciples for various reasons. However, Master Ma, who has a bull's nose, is lucky and has two disciples.
The major sect leaders will all be unhappy.

After that, the two brothers came to terms with it, believing that everything in life is preordained and that they should just focus on their spiritual practice.

For the sake of his two disciples, Master Ma handed over all his shares and even discussed the matter with Bai Xiaosheng.

In short, of the current shares of Ditinglou, 40% belong to the Merit Hall, 30% to the Evil Suppression Department, and the remaining 30% is held by Bai Xiaosheng, Gao Ming, and Gao Jue.

That's right, Gao Jue didn't join the Evil Suppression Department. He was persuaded by Master Ma to join the Listening Pavilion.

He is one of the three current managers of Diting Tower, only more low-key.

The two brothers are strange: one has eerie eyes, and the other has eerie ears.

As if it were destiny, the two brothers' paths were the same as Bai Xiaosheng's.

There are rumors that Bai Xiaosheng can calculate with his fingers and there is no secret in the world that can escape his grasp.

With a single glance, a skilled divine eye can see all the affairs of the world.

Gao Jue's divine ears heard it, reaching up to the heavens and down to the deepest hell.

Although there are some exaggerations, it's clear that they were all very successful and perfectly suited to the Listening Tower organization, as if they were made for them.

The three are the core members of the Listening Tower; currently, they are the only three at the core.

Diting Tower has the fewest members among the eight major forces.

With the major task completed, the three behind-the-scenes bigwigs finally had some time to chat. They sat together and drank the spiritual tea that Ji Zhongfu had sent them.

"Haha, only you can get to drink Old Ji's spiritual tea. This old guy treasures it very much, and ordinary people can't get it at all. I'm just lucky to have gotten it from you," said the eldest brother, Gao Jue, with a laugh.

Ji Zhongfu's spiritual tea, while not exceptionally good, became a top-tier spiritual tea in the cultivation world due to his care and promotion, representing nobility.

"It's just famous. The four famous teas in the Merit Hall are the best, and they're hard to buy. Old Ji gave me this tea in exchange for information. That old geezer won't lose out," Bai Xiaosheng laughed. "Of course, it can't compare to the tea in the Merit Hall. That's for cultivation and breakthroughs. Old Ji's tea is good, but it's for drinking. It can't be compared," Gao Ming said, taking a sip of the spiritual tea.

The four sacred teas in the Hall of Merit are tea trees in the Xuanhuang Courtyard, which were personally irrigated and planted by the Scarecrow Brother.

They are so precious that they are used to comprehend spiritual realms or to achieve sudden enlightenment.

“Speaking of Old Ji, that old guy has been working really hard lately; I’ve heard quite a few complaints about him,” Gao Jue said.

If he wants to hear something, he can use his supernatural hearing to listen to the world.

Unless someone has a defensive stance or their cultivation level is significantly higher than his, they generally won't be able to hide their thoughts from him once they open their mouth.

“I’ve seen them oppose sects from other worlds quite a few times. If it weren’t for this, they probably wouldn’t just be complaining, but would be launching a full-scale attack,” Gao Ming said.

With its divine gaze sweeping across the world, it can see scenes with many people.

"Old Ji is quite clever. He controlled the range of the problem just right, leaving the cultivator speechless and only able to complain. Haha..." Bai Xiasheng thought of his previous conversation with Ji Zhongfu.

After that, Ji Zhongfu began to take action. Since the mountain wouldn't come to me, I would go to it.

They begin to actively recruit small worlds and their talents. If a talent has potential, they will support him to become the lord of the small world.

This greatly alleviates the awkward situation of fewer and fewer people joining the Small World Alliance.

He paves the way with his three invincible techniques. As long as he sees someone with qualified talent and suitable status, he will offer a reward: "If you agree to become a member of my Small World Alliance, I will teach you the three invincible techniques."

It can also help you become the lord of your world.

The temptation is great.

Despite the formidable strength of the sects in this other world, the Small World Alliance is no pushover either.

Joining a small world alliance is considered the righteous path, while joining a sect in another world is not seen as the righteous path.

This is the big name.

The eight major powers appointed by Xuanhuang also divided up the Qingyun Mountain, making their great authority unshakeable.

As long as the Small World Alliance remains one of the Eight Great Alliances, it is considered one of their own by all the true cultivators of the Main World.

True cultivators look down on beings from other worlds, as well as sects and even humans from other worlds.

This can be openly and honestly despised and looked down upon.

However, no one dares to openly despise the Small World Alliance, not even the Four Superpowers.

The Dao Lord has recognized the Eight Greats. Who do you think you are if you look down on them? This is the great name.

In any case, the factions of beings in the small world have achieved such status and are not openly suppressed or resisted, which is inseparable from the Small World Alliance.

Even the sects in the small world think this way.

Regardless of anything else, the Small World Alliance is the face and leader of these creatures from the small worlds.

So that's where the interesting part comes in.

It disrupted the tacit understanding among true cultivators and spread the Three Great Laws, but true cultivators in the small world were constrained by the fact that there are eight great laws, while true cultivators in the main world dared not speak out easily.

They recruited cultivators from smaller worlds and persuaded them to rebel. However, since the Small World Alliance was a facade, the sects within those smaller worlds couldn't really say anything.

This is exploiting a bug.

Ji Zhongfu can be described as extremely cunning.

They did a good job of upholding the bottom line.

The sects in the smaller world wanted to see the true cultivators in the main world, and were unhappy with Ji Zhongfu's casual dissemination of the three great laws, thus creating conflict.

The true cultivators of the main world wanted to see the cultivators of the smaller worlds and were unhappy with Ji Zhongfu's disruption of their situation, thus creating conflict.

In the end, it turned out that this old thing hadn't engaged in any major battles with any side; instead, it had grown stronger and stronger.

shocked.

"Old Ji is good, very smart. But I've been driven crazy by all this noise these past few days. Too many people complain about everything and feel cheated. These young people?... Hey! They remind me of my past."

Anything that can cause unrest or incite resentment will naturally not escape the notice of the high-minded divine ear.

He routinely performed his spiritual practice, listening to the world with his divine ears, and recently heard countless complaints.

In short, they felt cheated, were blaming everyone and everything, or were on the verge of a breakdown.

"A surge of resentment has risen into the sky, and I've noticed it too, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Some young people will learn from this experience, and some may even rise to prominence because of it. This is both a calamity and an opportunity, so it's not a problem." Bai Xiaosheng also noticed it.

As the Listening Tower monitors the entire world, how could such a thing be kept from them?

They even know who spreads the rumors, who is inciting people, who is profiting from the chaos, and who is taking advantage of the situation.

There are sects from another world, spirit beasts, holy beings from different realms, subordinate cultivators, and the eight great ones.

They all got involved, spreading the rumor that the Four Supermen were the biggest vampires and that their deaths were a blessing to the world.

Everyone is fueling the fire, but it's just a matter of willing participants taking the bait.

Those who believe will believe, and no amount of persuasion will change those who don't.

"That's true. If we're not being used, are we still young? We're like this, and so are they. We can't escape, and neither can they."

Speaking of this reminds me of my past; I was filled with righteous indignation and passion all along.

"They will understand a principle: the weak should pray for peace and prosperity, otherwise they will be the first to be sacrificed in times of turmoil. Their fate will be as light as a feather, drifting with the wind, and a single wave can drown them." —Gao Ming.

“What you said is both right and wrong. The right part is clear and needs no further explanation. But there are also things that are wrong. For example, very few people will admit that they are weak. They will only feel that the world is unfair and that the world owes them something, rather than that it is a problem with their own abilities.” Gao Jue.

“Brother is right. Self-awareness is a very difficult hurdle to overcome. Overestimating oneself is a common problem. People feel their talents are suppressed by this dark world, when in reality they have no talent to use. This is indeed very difficult.” Gao Ming.

Bai Xiaosheng interjected, "What's there to regret? If you can't even do that, you'll be submerged sooner or later, disappearing silently into the annals of history. Throughout thousands of years, how many names have been recorded in history books? It's always been this way, from ancient times to the present."

"Don't be so self-righteous as to say that it's always been this way and therefore right. That's naive. The harsh reality will eventually tell them that it's always been this way and therefore right. If you have the ability to change the world, then don't complain if you can't... However, if someone as powerful as the Dao Lord is right, then whatever you say is right, and I will believe you."

"Haha..." The two brothers burst into laughter.

"Hey, let's just say this in private. Don't say it outside, or we'll be resisted by those 'self-important' types. Although our Listening Pavilion doesn't need their support, it's better to avoid being scolded than to be scolded, haha..." Brilliant.

"We're just joking, brothers. I'm not a blabbermouth. You know, I get paid for what I say. Everyone knows my mouth is the most valuable thing, haha!"

“That’s right, your mouth is very valuable, more valuable than my ears and my second brother’s eyes,” Gao Jue joked.

The three of them are a perfect match.

A mouth is valuable, an eye is valuable, and an ear is valuable.

"Speaking of value, the Taoist sect has offered a substantial reward. Can you take on this job, Master?"

Gao Ming thought of a big task and asked.

……

(End of this chapter)