Chapter 501

Chapter 501: Yao Wu’s Headache

Wan Gu Sect, Lieyang Mountain, the hall atop the peak.

With this long-sealed and nearly desolate mountain welcoming new masters,

the dilapidated buildings at the summit had also been repaired, regaining their vitality.

Originally, the Sect planned to make a grand show of thoroughly constructing here.

However, to preserve the legacy left by her Master Lieyang to the greatest extent and to maintain her low-key style of action, Yao Wu did not have the structures built extravagantly.

The simple, unadorned great hall was constructed from blue bricks. Superficially, it resembled the palaces of the secular world, not glowing with flowing brilliance or misted with immortal qi like other celestial palaces.

Inside the great hall, Yao Wu was seated upon the throne at the upper end. Below her, on both sides, were arranged over a dozen vermilion large chairs.

Zhou Changtian sat below and to her left, followed by the disciples she had recruited.

These disciples were seated in the order of their entrance into the sect. Those without seats could only stand at the back, heads bowed in a respectful posture.

Of course, this respect: some came from the heart, some were only on the surface.

After all, Yao Wu had not yet become a Golden Core master, and some of them possessed the bloodline of Golden Core masters. Naturally, they didn’t hold her in very high regard.

"Changtian, what do you think should be done?"

Yao Wu looked at the silently seated disciples within the great hall, a trace of displeasure showing on her exquisite face.

Just some time ago, the Sect had held a Gu Insect Refining Grand Competition, naturally aiming to assess the disciples’ strength and skill.

This competition was open to both inner and outer disciples. Outstanding performers wouldn’t only receive generous rewards for themselves but could also bring various benefits to their master’s lineage, including improved treatment and resources.

Yao Wu naturally wanted her disciples to participate in this event.

On one hand, she wanted to see if these disciples’ skills had improved. On the other hand, it served to increase the prestige of Lieyang Mountain.

With Zhou Changtian present, she believed he could secure a good ranking for Lieyang Mountain.

In fact, just as she expected, Zhou Changtian, leveraging his uniquely formidable talent, rose to prominence in the competition, overpowering his rivals to win first place. He successfully secured double the standard treatment allocation for Lieyang Mountain for a period of five years.

This reward made others couldn’t help but look upon it with envy and significantly boosted Lieyang Mountain’s prestige.

However, during this process, one incident occurred that filled Yao Wu with immense fury.

That was, one of her own disciples had secretly cast Gu insects upon a competitor during the event. This not only caused the competitor to fail in refining their Gu insects but also suffer a backlash, ultimately losing all their cultivation.

Afterwards, that disciple, unable to bear the blow, jumped off a cliff and died.

Immediately after this incident, the Wan Gu Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall apprehended the perpetrator and imprisoned them on Banishing Mountain, waiting for the subsequent judgment.

Learning of this, Yao Wu was equally furious and stated that the offender would be expelled from her tutelage.

Under normal circumstances, after such an unpleasant incident, meting out the punishment would bring closure, without implicating the entire Lieyang Mountain.

However, because Zhou Changtian had won first place, securing significant benefits for Lieyang Mountain, and because Yao Wu had since stopped accepting new disciples, closing Lieyang Mountain to outsiders,

those green with envy seized upon this incident to make trouble. They began spreading rumors that Yao Wu had instructed that disciple to cast the Gu insects.

Not only that, but the imprisoned disciple, shortly after being confined to Banishing Mountain, also stated unequivocally that it had all been planned by Yao Wu herself.

Naturally, the Sect leadership didn’t believe this.

Yet the matter had erupted. The rumors about Yao Wu grew worse by the day, causing a huge impact that even spread throughout the entire sect.

Everyone expressed that this was the sect showing favoritism toward the accused and strongly demanded that Yao Wu face judgment.

Some even asserted she was unworthy of being the Mountain Master of Lieyang Mountain, suggesting that since other disciples remained on the mountain, the most capable should hold the position now.

Among them, Zhou Changtian naturally had the loudest support.

It must be admitted that the person secretly manipulating all this was indeed cunning and malicious.

If not for Zhou Changtian’s relationship with Yao Wu, this divisive tactic could easily have plunged the recently stabilized Lieyang Mountain into chaos.

Now, Yao Wu summoned all her subordinates here precisely to discuss this matter.

However, among the disciples gathered in the grand hall, aside from her own son, Zhou Changtian, the others harbored ulterior motives. Consequently, it was unlikely any concrete results would emerge from the discussion.

After pondering the questions posed to him, Zhou Changtian stood up, cupped his hands, and said: "Master, this matter isn’t difficult to handle. I doubt the sect would stand by and watch a Mountain Master suffer unjust disgrace."

"There are undoubtedly schemers behind this, coveting our Lieyang Mountain. Therefore, the best course is no response."

"Not only no response, but we can even create momentum, preferably letting other Immortal Sects know too."

"While this might damage Master’s reputation temporarily, we are currently weak. We might as well adopt a reckless disregard. The sect will surely react then."

He stated his thoughts unhurriedly, his words delivered with conviction, clear and unambiguous.

He was speaking not only for Yao Wu to hear but also for the other junior brothers and sisters present in the grand hall.

Zhou Changtian, sent by Zhou Luo to support Yao Wu, possessed a naturally astute mind honed by his father’s careful guidance since childhood. He remained calm in adversity and consistently devised optimal solutions.

After arriving at Lieyang Mountain, he had helped Yao Wu fend off challenges from other factions on many occasions.

He was acutely aware that currently, within Lieyang Mountain, aside from the few disciples Yao Wu had genuinely recruited, the others were shadows cast by various factions.

They were here to carve up the rich spoils of Lieyang Mountain, while also serving as informants.

Therefore, his words were intended precisely to reach the ears of the sect’s high-ranking members through these people.

Currently, Lieyang Mountain was at its weakest, practically inviting exploitation by anyone.

At such a time, face was the least important consideration.

Yet for the Wan Gu Sect, face was of paramount importance.

Especially since they were locked in a covert power struggle with the Ice Snow Sect; any damage to their prestige would severely impact how other Immortal Sects judged them.

Under these circumstances, they absolutely could not accept a loss of face.

Thus, Zhou Changtian’s strategy was a calculated, reckless gamble.

Only by placing the sect’s interests overtly on the line could Lieyang Mountain leverage that to gain assistance from the high command and resolve the crisis.

As he spoke these words, Zhou Changtian recalled a question he asked his father in his youth.

Back then, he asked how one could triumph over others when they were weaker.

He remembered his father saying: "He who knows the strategy of the straight and the roundabout shall win!"

Naturally wise though he was, Zhou Changtian couldn’t grasp the meaning then, so he asked for an explanation.

Zhou Luo recounted the story behind the strategy of the "straight and the roundabout."

The essence was: When you are weaker than your opponent and seek victory, you must seize advantageous terrain.

But being too weak, a direct assault is impossible. Therefore, you must employ a roundabout tactic.

This tactic meant luring and numbing the enemy with minor gains, enticing them with small advantages, before executing your true plan.

In most situations, the strong are supremely confident.

This confidence compels them never to pass up anything beneficial to themselves.

Thus, they get lured by minor gains, blinded to the true, significant advantage at stake.