Is there only one final step left?
Everyone was filled with confusion. Yan Shouyi had already managed to win over Hou Jingchen, and with the five major folk sect powers now under his control, what difficulty remained?
"Is it a renowned great sect?" someone asked loudly.
Yan Shouyi shook his head and replied, "No. After today, I will make preparations to personally visit Dragon Tiger Mountain to completely resolve the conflict between our two sects. However, our true opponent is not a renowned great sect."
"Then who is it?"
"A demon who has cultivated for a thousand years," Yan Shouyi said slowly. "He is my fated enemy from a past life. He has lingered for a millennium, meticulously orchestrating everything. Even when the 'Records of the Civil Sects' was unveiled, he still sought to seize it for himself, intending to control all inheritors of the folk sects across the world!"
"He is the leader of the New Xuan Mountain Sect. However, he is not Li Genmiao; Li Genmiao was merely a pitiful individual he possessed! His true identity is the national preceptor of the small Western Sichuan country of Qing Jiang from a thousand years ago, and also a descendant of Lu Ban!"
"A week ago, after paying a heavy price, the national preceptor was gravely wounded by me and fled. But he will certainly not give up, and he will undoubtedly make a comeback in the near future! As long as the national preceptor is alive, the folk sects will never know peace!"
Many had long heard of Li Genmiao's notoriety and knew he was the one who instigated the conflict between the two sects. It was only later that everyone became too caught up in the events, gradually forgetting the instigator and focusing all their hatred on the renowned great sects. Now that the folk sects were unified, everyone finally realized the terrifying nature of the national preceptor. If it weren't for Yan Shouyi and others desperately protecting the 'Records of the Civil Sects,' the world today would not be as it is.
"I have a question!" Zhou Yan stepped forward, frowning. "The national preceptor you speak of, is he very powerful?"
Yan Shouyi sighed, "Even I am not entirely confident I can kill him! And I only wounded him after his strength had already been diminished. If the national preceptor were to fully recover his strength, then..." He couldn't finish his sentence. Only he truly understood the national preceptor's might, and it was precisely his silence that made everyone realize how formidable this national preceptor was.
Hou Jingchen asked, "If we gather the strength of all the folk sects, can we fight him?"
"I don't just want the strength to fight," Yan Shouyi said with a grave expression. "The national preceptor has schemed for a thousand years. I have reason to believe he has more than just the New Xuan Mountain Sect under his command. Therefore, when he returns, it will undoubtedly be with earth-shattering might! My plan is not only to gather the strength of all the folk sects but also to have the renowned great sects join this battle!"
In short, Yan Shouyi intended to mobilize the entire Xuanmen to deal with a single individual.
Everyone felt their breathing become heavy, as if subtly suffocated by the national preceptor's immense power. Yan Shouyi's performance today had already redefined their perception of power, yet even such a formidable Yan Shouyi spoke of the national preceptor with such caution. This demonstrated the national preceptor's true strength.
"We all support you," Hou Jingchen said earnestly.
"Thank you." Yan Shouyi clasped his fists again and then continued, "The Civil Sect has already established an intelligence organization, and our personnel are spread across the world. After today, everyone can return to their respective places and strengthen communication through the intelligence network. Additionally, please pay close attention to the national preceptor's movements. Once you catch any whiff of his whereabouts, notify others immediately."
Seven days had passed since the battle at Changbai Mountain. According to Yan Shouyi's estimation, the national preceptor's injuries would take at least another month to recover. However, the national preceptor would certainly not be content to simply recuperate. He would use this time to strengthen his own forces, which meant he would inevitably expose himself and be detected by others.
"What are the national preceptor's characteristics? How should we begin our investigation?" Zhou Yan asked on behalf of everyone.
"The national preceptor still has members of the New Xuan Mountain Sect under his command, so please pay close attention to the movements of unfamiliar folk sect inheritors. He is a descendant of Lu Ban, so I suspect he might also use the skills of the Lu Ban texts to mass-produce wooden puppet avatars. The power of these wooden puppet avatars is not to be underestimated," Yan Shouyi paused and said solemnly, "There is also a worst-case scenario: to rapidly recover his strength, the national preceptor might slaughter the populace indiscriminately, absorbing their vital essence and malevolent energy..."
Everyone gritted their teeth. This national preceptor was indeed a great demon!
"We will be extra vigilant," Hou Jingchen reassured him. "You must also be extremely careful, as the national preceptor's primary target... should be you."
Yan Shouyi nodded slightly and then silently agreed.
...
After the competition concluded, Yan Shouyi became the spiritual leader of the folk sects, attracting more rogue cultivators to join the Rongcheng Civil Sect. The guests gradually dispersed, and Hou Jingchen, Zhou Yan, and Li Zhongxi returned to their respective territories and strongholds to begin investigating the national preceptor's whereabouts. The worst-case scenario was something they had all braced themselves for. However, one shouldn't always dwell on the negative. If luck favored them, someone might discover the national preceptor while he was recuperating and immediately inform Yan Shouyi to go and eliminate him. That would be a cause for universal celebration and great joy.
After escorting all the guests away, Yan Shouyi remained in Rongcheng and spent three consecutive days with Wang Jiwang handling civil sect affairs. The Civil Sect had now become the preeminent force among the folk sects, and Yan Shouyi had become a figure akin to the Heavenly Master. It was no longer easy for him to shirk his responsibilities. He finally understood Wang Jiwang's hardship. He spent his days poring over documents until his eyes blurred and signing documents until his hand went numb. Lin Yuyin and Lin Yinyin would occasionally enter to report new matters, almost causing Yan Shouyi, in his celestial corpse puppet body, to fall ill.
However, despite the busyness, Yan Shouyi did not forget to spend time with his family. In the mornings, he would wake up early to practice Tai Chi with Yan Chou and have morning tea with Jiang Qingxue. After handling affairs in the noon and afternoon, he would try to make time to chat and banter with his brothers. In the evenings, he would block out all external interference, focusing solely on Lin Zitong. He would use a warm towel to wipe her belly and hold up the prenatal education books, softly reading fairy tales to their unborn children.
"...And so, the princess and the prince lived happily ever after."
Yan Shouyi closed the storybook with a "snap" and then stretched. Lin Zitong, lying on the bed, turned to her side and said, "You're tired too. Go wash up and get some sleep."
"Serving the people, not tired!" Yan Shouyi chuckled heartily.
Lin Zitong glared at him playfully, "You haven't learned much in the past two years, but you've certainly become quite glib. When you first came to Rongcheng, you were still a naive kid who knew nothing."
"It's all Xiao Long's fault!" Yan Shouyi quickly shifted the blame.
Lin Zitong asked curiously, "You can communicate with Xiao Long telepathically now. So, if I say something, can he hear it too?"
"Not to that extent," Yan Shouyi shook his head. "Actually, telepathic communication is no different from making a phone call; it just skips the talking part. When we're not communicating, we each go our own way."
"Then where is Xiao Long now?"
"He's at the Ping An Building."
"Why is he going to the Ping An Building?"
"Don't you remember the Ping An Building is a ghost den?" Yan Shouyi said helplessly. "He's gotten very bold now. He doesn't just walk alone in dark alleys anymore; he dares to venture into ghost towers alone. When he left today, he solemnly said he was going to subdue demons and eliminate monsters, though he specifically mentioned subduing flower demons and eliminating succubi."
Lin Zitong put her hand to her forehead and complained, "He's really incorrigible!"