282: Chapter 281: Competition Between the Three Mansions [Monthly Ticket Request] 282: Chapter 281: Competition Between the Three Mansions [Monthly Ticket Request] PS: At the start of the month, I’m hoping for support with monthly tickets, with one additional chapter for every 500 tickets; the new book is in its growth phase, and needs your love and care.
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At Xuanwu Hall, Gao Jianli got straight to the point,
“Hou Niao, we are not strangers.
I witnessed your courage in the Tianxiang Building; truly, you are the most trouble-making one among this generation of Quanzhen disciples.
I’ll cut the crap and speak plainly.
Mu Shuai’s residence is no place to stay, steeped in twilight and languor.
Associating with them, you might as well quit sword cultivation altogether and switch to the Daoist Sect eventually.
The Capital Commandant’s office is too cunning and full of conspiracies and tricks, sneaky and underhanded.
A sword cultivator, if immersed in such things for too long, will find their sword blunt, their spirit unsharp, and their courage weak.
If everything has to be done stealthily, can you still call yourself a sword cultivator?”
He stood up and paced back and forth, “Only my Situ lineage of the central army values combat as its foundation, staying true to the nature of sword cultivation, never swayed by factional disputes, purging and surging forward, allowing me to dominate freely.
Within the Quanzhen Sect, the Sima lineage and Sikong lineage are at each other’s throats.
Were it not for my Situ lineage standing like an unyielding rock in the middle, where would the stability of the Quanzhen Sect be?
Now that you’ve ascended to Tongxuan, you will eventually come to know these things and surely make your own judgment.
He tossed over a Jade Scroll, “Mu Shuai’s office values your broader vision, the Capital Commandant’s office admires your fearlessness of power.
My central army’s approach is the simplest and most direct—I value your ability to fight!
Life and death on the line, a narrow escape from absolute struggle.
Your survival alone is a skill!
Combat is not just practiced, but fought out.
But you’re not ready yet; your Flying Sword is not yet perfected, and haste is useless.
I have some techniques for choosing skills that can be found in the Sword Storage Tower.
It’s far better than picking blindly and becoming greedy for too much too soon.”
Hou Niao expressed his deep gratitude.
There’s no such thing as free help in the world, but someone willing to extend a hand at least shows that you have value; being utterly ignored is a real sorrow.
Throughout the entire conversation, Gao Jianli never mentioned joining the central army, as that wasn’t a decision he could make alone, but forming a good relationship beforehand is always beneficial.
In the Cultivation World, one’s power and realm decide everything.
Foundation is crucial, but it determines the long term; in times of great change, the abilities of top cultivators become the decisive factor.
Take the Quanzhen Sect, for example; including themselves, they can actually only deal with local issues of certain areas or cities.
The real decision-makers are at the very top.
They are cultivators of many years with broad experience.
They understand the principle of nurturing close confidants and recruiting outstanding talents.
How could Hou Niao’s performance over these years possibly escape their attention?
The likelihood of creating enemies without reason simply doesn’t exist.
Just like You Sunzhi, who had his servant publicly executed upon arrival.
Didn’t he still act as if nothing happened?
It could be magnanimity, or it could be deep scheming;
The continuous and relentless punishments are not to be taken lightly; they cut directly at the root of a cultivator’s path forward.
For most disciples who cultivate properly, this hurdle is insurmountable, unless one resorts to deviant practices!
But if you really take the deviant path, with countless eyes watching, you stand so righteously in the Tianxiang Building, but if you presented another face in secret, and were then caught and turned over to the Capital Commandant’s office, it would force Li Chuping to reluctantly execute Ma Su.
This is the true intention of Mu Shuai’s office: to slowly push you into a corner, leaving you with a mediocre life, or forcing you to take risks, whilst others can’t criticize—it’s all about deep scheming.
But Hou Niao used his own methods to weather this challenge, each time he erred, he managed to leave the office of Mu Shuai without a clue to his weak point, acting recklessly yet contributing significantly to the sects each time, something everyone was acutely aware of.
If Mu Shuai’s office tried to forcefully deal with him, they would immediately face a forceful counterattack from the office of Capital Commandant and the Central Army, something no wise person would provoke.
Therefore, the current You Sunzhi could only demonstrate his magnanimity.
This is the weighing of options for those in high positions, never to follow a dead end, always to leave oneself a way out, a backdoor.
Without doing so, years of cultivation would have been in vain, and what would be the basis for governing a province?
Hou Niao was well aware of You Sunzhi and Gao Jianli’s attempts to woo him; he neither expressed a clear stance nor got swayed by their sweet words.
He took in the ‘sugar’ to put them at ease but spat back the ‘thorns’ to avoid being fooled; after all, this was not a disagreement of principles, no need to fight tooth and nail over it.
This was also a part of the cultivation journey.
Walking out of the Central Army’s office feeling quite good, having gained a lot; everyone in the Cultivation World believes that insights are more valuable than Spirit Stones, but why does everyone give him insights and not Spirit Stones?
Do I have such high standards?
Not practical at all!
Having visited Azure Dragon Hall and Xuanwu Hall, it was of course next to visit the White Tiger Hall of the Capital Commandant’s office.
Since it was his old employer, he shouldn’t wait to be invited; it would be better to take the initiative.
Timing was crucial, and since the other two places were visited stealthily by night, he would naturally sneak into the Capital Commandant’s office in the same manner, regardless of whether Li Capital Commandant was in meditation or rest.
First show loyalty, then reap the benefits…
This is the right of a valuable chess piece.
The gates of the Capital Commandant’s office were always wide open, welcoming any disciple of Quanzhen Sect for a chat, but sadly, not many cultivators dared to enter.
Not to mention Mu Shuai’s office, even the Central Army’s headquarters couldn’t compare.
With his current Tongxuan Realm, his swagger made the disciples inside hesitate to underestimate him.
Walking with chest puffed out and belly pushed forward, if you weren’t one of us, you were merely fleas on legs, not to be trifled with.
Daoist Wang stepped forward to greet him, his expression a mixture of surprise and a tinge of envy; he had considered the possibility of Hou Niao reaching the Upper Realm and Tongxuan, but so soon?
Once the gap widens, gradually one can’t even catch a whiff of the other’s scent, fragrant or foul.
Hou Niao grabbed him, “What Uncle Master?
You and I shall refer to each other as Daoist brothers, and it shall never change!
Is the Capital Commandant in?
I need to come over to say hello, see if there are any benefits?”
Daoist Wang laughed; the title ‘Uncle Master’ wasn’t to be used anymore, it was awkward for him too, but he couldn’t really consider himself on an equal footing with the new dignitary.
“Brother, the Capital Commandant is reading in his study.
You’re one of our own, no need to announce your visit, I’ll lead you there.”
Hou Niao, smiling ear to ear, walked side by side with Daoist Wang, “In the future at the Capital Commandant’s office, I’ll be relying on my Daoist brother here.
I’m not familiar with the others; any news or movements, like the Capital Commandant wanting to accuse me of heinous crimes, make sure to inform me so I can make a quick escape.”
Daoist Wang felt completely at ease, enjoying the joke, “Absolutely, absolutely, your matters are my matters, and as for the rules…
let’s put them aside for now…”
Laughing and chatting, their relationship remained the same, but from this day forward, there would be a subtle shift in their positions.
Unbeknownst to them, this was the reality of the Cultivation World.
Hou Niao entered Li Chuping’s private study, a place he was visiting for the first time and curiously poked his head around,
Li Chuping sighed, “What are you looking at?
You are an Upper Cultivator now, try to behave with some dignity.”
Hou Niao chuckled, “I’ve been to Azure Dragon Hall and Xuanwu Hall, but I’ve not yet visited your White Tiger Hall.”