Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 322 Immortal Alliance Leader Chang Ping'an

With the candidate chosen, the atmosphere in the dining hall became much more serious.

With the Immortal Alliance newly established and everything in need of rebuilding, these first batch of rotating members bear the heavy responsibility of laying the foundation for the cause, and also represent the control of all cultivators in this world.

As the leader of the alliance, Chang Ping'an naturally had to take the lead. He pondered for a moment, glanced at everyone present, and slowly said, "I am deeply grateful for your trust in recommending me to temporarily assume the position of leader of the Immortal Alliance."

"The Immortal Alliance is newly established, and there are many complicated matters. We certainly need the strong support of all our fellow practitioners. Now that the candidates have been selected, we need to clarify our responsibilities as soon as possible so that everyone can perform their duties."

He paused, glanced at Murong Ruyan, and then continued, "The matter of 'Immortal Alliance Money' that Junior Sister Ruyan just mentioned is very crucial. Currency is the foundation of transactions and the basis of trust. This matter needs to be handled by a reliable and meticulous person."

Then, his gaze turned to Tang Yinxiang, the leader of the Tianji Sect: "Sect Leader Tang is proficient in numerology and formations, and has a keen mind. I wonder if you could temporarily take on this position and be in charge of the initial work of regulating, minting and issuing the Immortal Alliance's money?"

Throughout history, those who manage money have always been of paramount importance and must be absolute confidants.

In terms of close relatives, although Tang Yinxiang is not as close to Chang Ping'an as the future chosen disciple of the White Stone Immortal Sect, her master is the fourth disciple of the White Stone Immortal and Chang Ping'an's junior sister. In a sense, she is one of their own. Such an arrangement is quite conservative.

Tang Yinxiang was also still thinking about the mountain-carrying strongman. Upon hearing this, she was slightly taken aback, but then readily agreed: "If the Alliance Leader has given the order, Yinxiang will do her best."

"This matter concerns the future trade between the Immortal Alliance and is the basis for transactions among cultivators throughout the world. Our Heavenly Mystery Sect will do its utmost to formulate fair and prudent regulations."

Although managing money and provisions is a trivial matter, it is also a powerful and important position. It also allows for close ties with various factions, which is a lifeline for the newly established Tianji Sect, which has no foundation yet.

Chang Ping'an nodded and said, "As for the coordination of daily affairs within the alliance, communication with various parties, and mediation of potential future disputes, considering that it is easier for my White Stone Immortal Sect to handle matters whether dealing with the Underworld or other immortal and divine forces, I will let my White Stone Immortal Sect deal with these trivial matters first. Please allow me to report this matter to my master and select a person from the White Stone Immortal Sect to take turns on duty before deciding on the candidate. What do you all think?"

These matters, though seemingly trivial, are crucial to the daily operation of the entire Immortal Alliance and carry significant responsibility. Having the White Stone Immortal Sect manage them effectively prevents other sects and forces from feeling resentful.

After all, while other sects and forces might compete for supremacy, they could only behave themselves in front of the White Stone Immortal Sect.

Upon hearing this, the sect leaders and the selected rotating cultivators exchanged glances and bowed, saying, "Alliance Leader Chang's considerations are thorough; we have no objections."

With both proposals passed smoothly, Chang Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief and felt much more confident. When he looked at Qu Zhiweng and Fang Tang from the Taiyue Sword Sect, he simply cupped his hands and asked politely, "The Taiyue Sword Sect was one of the first sects to turn to the cultivation of immortality. Many of its disciples have already achieved Qi Induction, and there is even a Fellow Daoist Li Zhi with a 'natural sword body' who has already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. In addition, Fellow Daoist Fang Tang, when you were in the Taiyue Sword Sect, assisted the elders in handling matters of punishment... Could you please ask Fellow Daoist Fang Tang to take charge of the criminal law and be responsible for the initial drafting of the alliance's rules and regulations?"

"This……"

Fang Tang was startled by Chang Ping'an's words and did not dare to agree immediately. Instead, she turned to look at her sect leader, Qu Zhiweng.

Qu Zhiweng, on the other hand, paused slightly as he stroked his beard, feeling rather smug from the flattery.

He understood that this was tantamount to handing over some of the powers and responsibilities of "legislation" and "law enforcement" to the Taiyue Sword Sect, which not only gave them a superior status but also recognized their martial prowess.

It makes sense. The Taiyue Sword Sect has always been weak in internal energy cultivation, as it has always practiced sword techniques. In the past, when the Sword Saint was renowned, it could still be considered one of the top sects in the world. But as the legacy of the Sword Saint gradually faded, the Taiyue Sword Sect fell to the second-rate sect, which is quite embarrassing to admit.

It's also thanks to the fact that when he switched to cultivating immortality, it was just a change of training path. His research on swordsmanship remained unchanged. To be honest, the Taiyue Sword Sect now has many disciples who have entered the Qi cultivation stage. Apart from the White Stone Immortal Sect, there is probably no other sect in the world that can compare with the overall martial arts level of the Taiyue Sword Sect disciples.

Therefore, Qu Zhiweng's eyes quickly flashed with a sharp light. He first nodded slightly to Fang Tang: "Since Alliance Leader Chang trusts you, you must naturally accept this trust, work diligently, and never slack off!"

Then he said to Chang Ping'an, "Alliance Leader, rest assured, I will definitely instruct Fang Tang to handle this matter impartially, and discuss it with Alliance Leader Chang and all fellow cultivators to formulate reasonable and beneficial regulations for the development of the Immortal Alliance. I will also hold the Taiyue Sword in the center to safeguard fairness for all cultivators in the world!"

Fang Tang quickly added, "Please rest assured, Alliance Leader Chang, I will certainly not let you down!"

Afterwards, Chang Ping'an looked at Tang Chi and Qiao'er Zhao: "Sect Leader Tang, Sect Leader Zhao, since you two disciples are new to the Immortal Alliance, you may first follow Sect Leader Tang to learn about the affairs of the Immortal Alliance, or you may assist Sect Leader Qu in handling criminal matters. If you don't mind the trivialities, you may also follow me and the disciples of the White Stone Immortal Sect to handle miscellaneous matters within the sect. What do you think?"

The disciples sent by the Tang Clan and the Baifu Clan were both of very poor cultivation level.

Although everyone is at the Qi Refining stage, there are still significant differences between Qi Refining stage cultivators.

For example, Fang Tang and Zhu Jiyang, sent by Qu Zhiweng, were both Qi Refining stage cultivators, but one was already at the fifth level of Qi Refining and the other at the third level, both considered quite advanced among Qi Refining stage cultivators. On the other hand, Tang Yuanqin and Tang Xiaobai from the Tang Sect were only at the first level of Qi Refining.

As for Zhao Liuzi and Zhao Xiaotong of Baifumen, they were both at the second level of Qi Refining, but compared to Taiyue Sword Sect, they were still not up to par. Therefore, it was quite reasonable for them to be ranked lower when their positions were assigned.

After all, the Taiyue Sword Sect hasn't even sent out their genius disciple yet, Li Zhi, the Foundation Establishment stage disciple with the "natural sword body"!

As for why Tang Yinxiang, despite being at the second level of Qi Refining, was still able to stand out from the crowd...

He's the sect leader, after all; we should give him some face.

This arrangement was fair, and Tang Chi had no objections.

The Tang Clan is currently lacking in talent. It was only by luck that they were able to enter the Immortal Alliance. Having the opportunity to learn and gain experience is already a good thing. How could they dare to ask for anything else?

On the Baifu Sect's side, Qiao'er Zhao nodded repeatedly. He came from a humble family and joined the Immortal Alliance with a try-it-out mentality, so he naturally had no objection to this arrangement.

"As for security and protection," Chang Ping'an concluded, "The Immortal Alliance is newly established, and although its headquarters are located on Xunmu Mountain, how to get there and how to arrange accommodations still require careful consideration. Therefore, we will not discuss the responsibility of security for the time being..."

At this point, Chang Ping'an suddenly looked at Qiao'er Zhao and asked with a smile, "Sect Leader Zhao, we were interrupted earlier. The price of that mountain-carrying strongman might become the first transaction reference for measuring the value of the Immortal Alliance's money. I wonder what price Sect Leader Zhao is expecting?" Seeing Qiao'er Zhao pause for a moment, Chang Ping'an cupped his hands in greeting and then added, "Oh, it's mainly because we're considering that we'll need people to guard the Immortal Alliance's headquarters in the future, but we're really short-handed. It would be better to use Sect Leader Zhao's strongman, so that these hard labor tasks won't have to trouble you fellow Daoists."

Qiao'er Zhao was genuinely surprised that the topic had veered back to the same point. He scratched his head, looking at the enormous mountain-carrying warrior and the two bronze-skinned warriors, and said cautiously, "This... is not easy to make. Just finding suitable immortal bamboo materials, smelting gold and copper, drawing runes, and many other steps take a huge amount of time and effort. If converted into gold and silver... well... it would be at least this much..."

He held up five fingers, hesitated for a moment, then added five more—

With both palms outstretched in front of her, the posture looked strange. Qiao'er Zhao Cai gestured for a moment and then realized something was wrong. She quickly changed her posture, extending one index finger from each hand and crossing them over, saying, "No, I'm afraid it will cost a thousand taels... of gold?"

When Qiao'er Zhao said this number, she felt a little guilty and quickly added, "What I said is the price of the Mountain-Carrying Warrior; the price of the Brass Warrior is slightly lower!"

Even with these attempts to make amends, he was still very uneasy.

A thousand taels of gold was an astronomical figure for him in the past; he didn't know how many shady deeds he would have to perform to earn that much!
However, considering the spiritual materials used by the strongman and the effort she had put in, Qiao'er Zhao felt that a thousand taels of gold was not too much.

If all else fails... since we're both from the Immortal Alliance, I'll lower the price myself!

However, before Qiao'er Zhao could even voice these thoughts, Tang Yinxiang's eyes lit up and she immediately interjected, "A thousand taels of gold? If it truly possesses the abilities described, it's not too high! Sect Leader Zhao, once the Immortal Alliance's funds are finalized, my Heavenly Mystery Sect is willing to be the first to order two Mountain-Carrying Warriors for trial use. If they prove to be suitable, we'll probably need to order even more!"

Tang Yinxiang once had the backing of the Tang Clan and the Tomb Guardian Sect. She might lack many things, but she never lacked money!

A thousand taels of gold is worth at most a few thousand strings of cash. Even in the Central Plains, where gold and silver are scarce, it would be less than ten thousand strings of cash. Tang Yinxiang could really afford it!

You could even say they are very capable of affording it!
At least with all the wealth she brought to establish the Tianji Sect, after deducting the costs of building houses and purchasing various items for the sect, there's enough left to order dozens of statues!
With Tang Yinxiang's attitude, the wealthy and powerful Tang Chi had even less objection to the price. He nodded and said, "Compared to the sects that entered the path of immortality earlier, the Tang Clan is a latecomer and is in dire need of these things. My father also has this intention and will order four of them."

Although Qu Zhiweng did not say it explicitly, his eyes revealed interest. It was just a pity that compared to the Tianji Sect and the Tang Sect, the Taiyue Sword Sect was really poor.

In particular, the Taiyue Sword Sect's purse is no longer controlled by Qu Zhiweng, but by Zhuang Wansong. So even though Qu Zhiweng is very envious, he doesn't dare to order a few pieces like Tang Yinxiang and Tang Chi did—he's afraid of being chased and slashed by Zhuang Wansong with his sword!
However, regardless of the circumstances, such puppets, which can greatly save manpower and enhance the prestige of a sect, are quite attractive to any sect or force.

Before it's even officially on sale, we've already received so many orders, and at such an outrageous price! Qiao'er Zhao was overjoyed. He quickly said, "No problem, no problem! Once the Immortal Alliance's regulations are finalized, I will definitely give you all the fairest price. It doesn't necessarily have to be a thousand taels of gold per item. If I become more proficient in the future, perhaps it won't be so expensive!"

Upon hearing Qiao'er Zhao's words, a knowing glint flashed in the eyes of the several sect leaders in the dining hall.

The leader of the Hundred Blessings Sect looks honest and simple, like an ordinary commoner, but he is not stupid.

He wasn't overwhelmed by the sudden high-priced order. Instead, he immediately realized the value anchor of "Immortal Alliance Money" and the cost changes brought about by future scaling. He took the initiative to offer a negotiable price and even hinted that the price might be reduced in the future.

In this way, he not only gave face to the first batch of customers, but also left himself and Baifumen with room for maneuver and a good reputation, making him an extremely shrewd businessman.

Chang Ping'an hadn't really thought that much about it, assuming that the leader of the Hundred Blessings Sect was just being honest. So he took the initiative to say, "What Leader Zhao said is absolutely right. The value of the Immortal Alliance Money needs to be gradually determined with reference to such real transactions."

"Since the Tianji Sect Leader and the Tang Sect Leader are interested in placing an order, that would be wonderful. Once Fellow Daoist Tang Yinxiang has drafted the initial currency regulations, we can discuss and complete this first large-scale transaction within the Immortal Alliance, setting an example."

"In this way, if the Heavenly Mystery Sect comes up with any good formations in the future, we will have a clear plan for purchasing them."

The group had been discussing for quite some time. Inside the dining hall, apart from the sect leaders behind the screen and the disciples and elders in front of them, the other sect disciples had finished their meals and left one after another.

Chang Ping'an then swept his gaze over everyone again. Seeing that there was nothing else of great importance, he concluded, "In that case, the responsibilities discussed today will be temporarily settled as such. After you all return, you may first consider the specific regulations for your respective areas of responsibility. I will inform my master and determine the rotating members of the White Stone Immortal Sect. We will then meet at the White Stone Immortal Sect three days later to discuss the details. However, at that time, only the rotating members need to be present."

"Besides the affairs of the Immortal Alliance, we also need to discuss how to enter and exit the Seeking Wood Realm, as well as how to build houses and set up teleportation arrays. The Immortal Alliance is newly established, and there are countless things to do. We rely on all of you to work together!"

"As it should be!"

"Alliance Leader Chang, you're too kind!"

Everyone stood up and clasped their hands in agreement.

The first core meeting of the Immortal Alliance ended in a somewhat rushed atmosphere, but with a basic consensus reached, even though the place where everyone discussed matters was just a very simple dining hall that the Heavenly Mystery Sect had just built.

Chang Ping'an didn't linger. He simply cupped his hands in greeting to everyone and then left the dining hall with his fellow disciples.

Only after he had walked far away did he breathe a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had been relieved of a burden.

To be honest, back in the Sword Forging Manor, I was just a "useless person" whose true qi meridians were completely severed and whose natal sword was destroyed. At that time, I never imagined that in less than a year, I would not only join the Immortal Sect, but also become the leader of the Immortal Alliance when the Immortal Path was first established in the world!
However, no matter what, Chang Ping'an was only a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy. Suddenly taking on such an important task made him quite apprehensive, fearing that he might do something wrong and fail his master's trust.

Murong Ruyan, who was following behind Chang Ping'an, secretly rolled her eyes in disdain.

Oh, she didn't have any objection to her senior brother's actions this time; rolling her eyes was just a habit of looking down on her silly senior brother.

However, she was also somewhat surprised—

It's unbelievable that such a silly and dull senior brother could become the leader of the Immortal Alliance, and do it quite well. It's really amazing!
(End of this chapter)