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

Seeing her resolute expression, Master Qingwei stopped trying to persuade her and solemnly said, "At that time, you must be fully prepared. You may take whatever you need from the sect's treasury. If necessary, a few of us old fellows can accompany you."

"No need," Zuo Qingqiu shook his head. "I am enough on my own. The sect still needs the presence of our senior masters."

The usually silent Master Lieyang suddenly slapped his thigh, making a crisp "smack" sound, breaking the somewhat heavy atmosphere.

His voice was booming, and he laughed heartily:

"Good! That's bold! The best thing Old Hu ever did in his life was taking you on as his apprentice!"

He looked around at everyone, his eyes filled with emotion: "Look at this! A disciple of a True Monarch! Good heavens, incredible! In the annals of our Taihua Sect, Old Hu's name will definitely shine for eternity, along with Qiu'er! As for us old folks, thousands of years from now, when our bones have turned to ashes, it's uncertain whether anyone will even remember us. But Old Hu is different. As long as the Taihua Sect exists, as long as future generations remember the Nine Heavens Taihua Purple Void Responding Yuan Thunder Ancestor True Monarch, they will definitely remember that she had a master named Yuan Thunder True Man Hu Shaogong!"

This may sound blunt and even a bit vulgar, but the principle is sound.

In the world of cultivation, the master-disciple relationship is one of mutual honor and glory. The higher the disciple's achievements, the more illustrious the master's reputation will be, earning a place in history.

Although Master Yuan Lei has passed away, he nurtured a Golden Core True Monarch. This achievement is enough to leave a significant mark on the history of Taihua Sect and be admired by all generations.

Thinking of this, the sadness in everyone's hearts was lessened considerably, and instead, a sense of pride arose.

Zuo Qingqiu listened to Lieyang Zhenren's words without refuting them, but simply lowered her eyes slightly.

Master, if you are watching from heaven, would you be pleased to see this day?

"Alright, let's not dwell on the past for now." Master Qingwei stroked his beard and steered the conversation back to the present. "Qiu'er, now that you've emerged from seclusion, there are some things I need to discuss with you and make arrangements for as soon as possible."

Zuo Qingqiu raised her eyes: "Senior Uncle, please speak."

"The first thing is that you should take advantage of your current free time to go back to the Zuo family," Master Qingwei said slowly. "The Zuo family of Cuishan must have witnessed the extraordinary phenomenon of your attainment of the Golden Core stage. At this moment, they are probably eagerly awaiting the return of their 'Ancient Ancestor'."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Ancient Ancestor" slightly, a knowing smile in his eyes.

Clearly, he was also aware of the clan-based practices of the Zuo family.

Zuo Qingqiu frowned almost imperceptibly for a moment, then quickly regained her composure.

The Zuo family of Cui Shan, a family of cultivators from Cui Weishan, is her ancestral clan. More than two hundred years ago, she participated in the Taihua Sect's entrance examination as a top-tier genius of the "Qiu" generation in the Zuo family.

Blood ties cannot be severed.

"I know you've always disliked the Zuo family's old rules and clan customs," Master Qingwei continued gently. "But no matter what, those are your roots. Your parents died early, and your sister has now passed away. In the Zuo family, you have no direct blood relatives, but the clan ties remain. Now that you have attained the Golden Core stage, it is a great honor and a great opportunity for the Zuo family, but... it may also be a source of disaster."

His expression turned serious: "You need to go back and have a serious talk with them, and set some rules. Otherwise, some ignorant clansmen might take advantage of your reputation to act arrogantly and cause trouble. No one dares to easily offend the True Lord's lineage, but if the clansmen bring it upon themselves, it will ultimately damage your reputation. Some things need to be said by you personally to carry weight."

Zuo Qingqiu was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."

She really disliked the Zuo family.

During her time with the Zuo family, although she possessed the exceptional talent of a first-class talent in cultivation and received preferential treatment in terms of the family's cultivation resources, her status as a woman meant that she was destined not to receive genuine attention and respect in a family that favored men over women and had a strict patriarchal system.

She left home at the age of twelve. She has come this far thanks to the full support of Master Yuan Lei and the sect, as well as her own talent and hard work. The help from the Zuo family was minimal.

But as Master Qingwei said, that was her root. Blood ties and karmic connections cannot be severed with a simple expression of dislike.

Now that she holds the esteemed position of True Lord, the Zuo family will undoubtedly try every means to curry favor with her.

Rather than waiting for them to cause trouble by abusing their power, it's better to go back proactively and draw up a clear line.

"Furthermore," Master Qingwei added, "you should also pay respects to your deceased parents and sister, and inform them of the joyous news that you have attained the Golden Core stage. Let them rest in peace in the afterlife, and be proud of you."

When Zuo Qingqiu mentioned her deceased parents and younger sister, a genuine emotion finally surfaced in her usually cold eyes. It was a tenderness and regret that was rarely revealed and had been hidden deep beneath the years.

She gave a soft "hmm".

"The second matter," Master Qingwei continued after seeing her agree, "is that in forty-nine days, the sect will hold the 'Grand Ceremony for the Succession of the Supreme Elder.' At that time, all disciples, stewards, and elders of the entire sect must be present. Before the statue of the Patriarch, you will perform the succession ceremony, and according to the sect's regulations, your position as the Supreme Elder will be formally established, recorded in the Golden Book and Jade Register, and announced to the entire sect."

"The third matter is that, three months from now, a 'True Lord Grand Ceremony' will be held atop Mount Taihua. At that time, we will send out invitations widely, inviting all the major sects, aristocratic families, and independent cultivators of the Central Plains to attend the ceremony. Firstly, it is to formally announce your title of True Lord of the Nine Heavens Taihua Purple Void Responding Thunder Ancestor, and to receive congratulations from all fellow cultivators under heaven. Secondly, it is also to announce to the entire Old Continent that our Taihua Sect, from this day forward, has once again returned to the ranks of super sects!"

As he finished speaking, Master Qingwei raised his voice slightly, his eyes gleaming with a shrewd light, carrying a long-suppressed sense of pride and ambition.

Zuo Qingqiu listened quietly. She had never been interested in these tedious ceremonies and rituals.

Those who cultivate themselves should purify their minds and reduce their desires, focusing wholeheartedly on the Way. Why bother with all this pomp and circumstance?

But she also understood that Master Qingwei was right.

A sect is not the sect of one person, but the sect of tens of millions of people.

Rules and regulations, as well as the support and opposition of the people, all need to be maintained.

Her attainment of True Lord status today is a momentous event for the Taihua Sect. If we don't celebrate it solemnly and with great fanfare, how can we demonstrate the sect's strength? How can we awe all sides? How can we solidify the sense of belonging and pride among our disciples?

These ceremonies were less a personal celebration for her and more a necessary "political ritual," a declaration of Taihua Gate's return to its former glory.

"Everything is up to the sect's arrangements." Zuo Qingqiu finally nodded, offering no objections. "I will attend on time."

Master Qingwei smiled and said, "Alright. It's settled then. You should return to the Zuo family and take care of the clan's affairs. We will handle the rest."

Zuo Qingqiu said no more, nodded slightly to the ten elders, and took his leave.

Then she took the little white dog that had been quietly staying behind her, turned around, and stepped off the edge of the platform.