The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Chapter 100 The Snowstorm That Night

Several days later, Jiang Shaoling finally managed to carve out a relatively uninterrupted period of time from his mountain of official duties.

He changed into a simpler, more dignified black Taoist robe, left Taihua Peak, and rode a streak of azure light, flying straight towards Zixu Peak, which is located next to the main ridge.

As night fell, light snow began to fall again.

The snowflakes were small, falling gently and gracefully, draping Zixu Peak in an even more hazy veil.

Surrounded by flowing clouds at the summit, with the occasional fleeting glimpse of celestial birds, it is indeed a tranquil and transcendent blessed land.

The beam of light descended upon the summit platform.

Before them lay the entrance to Zuo Qingqiu's cave. Two tall stone doors were tightly shut, adorned with little decoration except for the faint, intricate flow of silver lightning patterns, radiating a restrained yet chilling aura of power.

The snow on the platform in front of the door was smooth and there were no footprints.

Jiang Shaoling straightened his clothes, stepped forward slowly, and respectfully transmitted his voice into the room: "Disciple Jiang Shaoling, the head of the Taihua Sect, has important sect matters to attend to and has come to pay respects to True Lord Zixu. I humbly request that True Lord grant me an audience."

The sound condensed into a single line and entered through the stone gate.

wait.

Only the faint whistling of the wind and snow sweeping across the cliffs, and the rustling sound of snowflakes falling on my clothes.

A quarter of an hour passed, but there was no response from inside the cave.

Jiang Shaoling frowned slightly.

Perhaps the True Lord is in deep meditation, isolating himself from external stimuli? Or perhaps he has gone out and not returned?

He dared not use his divine sense to investigate.

Releasing one's divine sense casually in front of a True Lord's cave is an extremely impolite and even provocative act.

Moreover, since the True Lord is a woman, there might be private places within her cave. What if her divine sense were to discover something she shouldn't see?

The consequences would be far beyond what a mere Purple Mansion cultivator like him could bear.

Perhaps only by committing suicide on the spot can he atone for his sins.

He dared not raise his voice to disturb the True Lord's meditation, lest he make things worse.

Should he leave now? He had finally managed to squeeze out some time, and with the thought of "testing" the future of his family still burning in his mind, he was somewhat unwilling.

After thinking about it, he decided to wait.

We waited right in front of the cave entrance.

To show sincerity and to avoid missing the return of the true lord.

He did not activate his spiritual energy shield to protect himself from the wind and snow, nor did he use his internal energy to dispel the cold.

He simply concealed his aura, like an ordinary seeker of the Dao, quietly sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in the wind and snow.

Snowflakes fell on his shoulders and hair ornament, gradually accumulating.

Time passes little by little.

One hour, two hours —

The snow continued to fall, and in fact, it seemed to be getting heavier.

The temperature at the summit of Zixu Peak plummeted, and breath turned to frost.

Jiang Shaoling's Taoist robe was covered with a layer of white snow, and even his eyebrows and eyelashes were covered with frost.

But he stood straight and motionless, like a sculpted stone statue.

He wasn't just waiting idly; instead, he was repeatedly considering how to phrase his words when he met the True Lord, and how to naturally connect "asking for advice on governance" with "mentioning Jiang Shuiyin's talent."

At the same time, he took advantage of the quiet time spent sitting in the snow to calm his restless mind, which had been aroused by the recent complicated political affairs.

Unbeknownst to him, he gradually entered a state similar to "meditation".

Immersed in contemplation of the sect's future, family inheritance, and even his own path of cultivation, his perception of the cold outside and the passage of time became blurred.

As night deepened, the snow fell heavier.

As the darkest hour before dawn passed and the eastern sky began to lighten, Jiang Shaoling was almost completely covered by snow, looking from afar like a newly erected snow sculpture in front of a cave.

Until that familiar, childlike humming, accompanied by the crunching sound of footsteps on the snow, came from afar and drew near.

The snow on Jiang Shaoling's body trembled slightly and slid off in a soft rustling sound.

He slowly opened his eyes, which showed no signs of fatigue from staying up all night. Instead, they appeared even clearer and more profound due to the unexpected "sitting in the wind and snow," but the solemnity that belonged to the sect leader still lingered.

He stood up and moved his joints, which were stiff from sitting in the cold all night, with some snow falling from his dark Taoist robe.

He quickly tidied his appearance and solemnly bowed to Zuo Qingqiu, who was walking slowly towards him.

"Disciple Jiang Shaoling pays respects to True Lord Zixu."

Zuo Qingqiu calmly accepted the bow, then slightly raised his hand: "Sect Leader, there's no need for such formality. What brings you here in person, waiting so long in this snowy weather?"

Her tone was cold, revealing nothing about her opinion on him waiting there all night.

Jiang Shaoling straightened up, his gaze quickly sweeping over Xiaobai, who was peeking out curiously behind Zuo Qingqiu, before returning to Zuo Qingqiu's face.

His lips moved slightly, and the words he had prepared rolled on his tongue before he spoke the prepared pretext of "serious business": "Reporting to True Lord, there is indeed a matter concerning the long-term governance of the sect's newly acquired territory. Although I have some rudimentary ideas in mind, I always feel that they are not perfect and I am afraid that there may be omissions that could jeopardize the foundation of the sect."

"Your Excellency is learned in both heaven and man, and possesses broad knowledge. In addition, you bear the responsibility of supervision. Therefore, I have come here with great humility, hoping to ask Your Excellency for some advice on governance strategies. I earnestly request Your Excellency's guidance."

He spoke sincerely and adopted a very humble attitude.

Zuo Qingqiu glanced at him, her clear, cold eyes, which seemed to reflect people's hearts, made Jiang Shaoling's heart tighten slightly, but he still maintained a respectful and expectant expression.

"Come in." Zuo Qingqiu didn't say much, turned around, and the two heavy stone doors slid open silently inward.

Jiang Shaoling quickly followed, and Xiaobai skipped and hopped inside as well.

After passing through several simple yet elegant jade corridors, you arrive at a spacious hall.

This place was not the usual noisy hall filled with the sounds of mahjong, but rather quiet and solemn, a place where Zuo Qingqiu occasionally met with guests.

The room was furnished in a simple, antique style, with a few chairs and a small table in the middle.

A stunningly beautiful woman quietly stepped forward and offered her a cup of spiritual tea, her movements fluid and silent.

Zuo Qingqiu sat down in the main seat, and Xiaobai sat down next to her as if she knew her way around, blinking her big eyes and looking at Jiang Shaoling curiously.

"Sit down," Zuo Qingqiu gestured.

"Thank you, True Lord." Jiang Shaoling then carefully sat down in the guest seat, his back still straight.

"Tell me, what is it that you are worried about?" Zuo Qingqiu asked directly.

Jiang Shaoling composed himself and began to speak: "True Lord, you are wise. The Diluo Sect has a vast territory, a population of hundreds of billions, and numerous spiritual veins and mineral deposits. Now that all of these have come under the control of my Taihua Sect, it is certainly an immense fortune. However, how to digest and manage them, so that they truly become the foundation of the sect, rather than a burden or even a hidden danger, is something I have been pondering day and night."

"Currently, the sect's practice is mainly to govern indirectly by enfeoffing cultivation families, supplemented by the sect's direct control of important cities and mines. This method has been in place for many years and is generally reliable. However, this time the territory has expanded several times over, with many new family fiefdoms and directly administered cities, making the relationships intricate and complex. If we continue with the old method, it may sow the seeds of many troubles."

"I have three concerns—"

"Firstly, with the expansion of the territory, management is bound to become lax, and each family and city is likely to become an independent force, making it difficult to issue government orders and reduce the efficiency of supplying provisions, which may lead to the problem of the territory becoming too large to be controlled."

"Secondly, although the mortal population is large, most are trapped in fields and mines, struggling to make a living and with limited output. Moreover, the regions are isolated, their techniques are conservative, and their production efficiency is slow to improve. If this continues, it will be difficult to support the ever-growing demand for supplies from cultivators."

"Thirdly, talent selection relies heavily on recommendations from various families. Even if there are outstanding talents among the poor and commoners, it is difficult for them to stand out. The source of cultivators in sects is becoming increasingly singular, which may lead to a loss of vitality and is not a way to ensure long-term stability."

What he said truly reflects the current challenges facing the sect, and it is also his responsibility as the sect leader.

Of course, the choice to bring this up at this moment is a carefully selected "brick," intended to lead to the more important "jade" to come.

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