Chapter 673 - Getting on in Years

Zhangsun Xun Yi left the Sect Master's palace with a sigh and turned to the peak where Elder Wang lived. He had used the last few days to prepare and was now on his way to implement the plan that Leng Jin Yu had come up with. Yuchi Bing Xia was already privy to the general gist of how they wanted to restructure the sect and with the state the Yun Zou Sect was in, he was willing to give it try. He couldn't help but worry about the Elders' opinion though.

The Yun Zou Sect had always been operated the same way. Would the Elders, who had entered as a simple disciple in the beginning and then slowly made their way up through hard work, really be willing to open the gates of the inner sect for disciples with a low aptitude just like that? Making it easier for them to climb toward Heaven than it had been for them back in the day? And would those Elders, who had been geniuses with heavenly or paired spirit veins and always enjoyed special privileges, allow those they felt to be beneath them to enjoy the same benefits without having the same talent now?

Even if the Elders could disregard the old memories of their time as disciples, they would certainly make trouble when they thought of what this meant for their own disciples. After all, they would have more people to vie for resources with if a large batch of outer sect disciples was admitted to the inner sect. And it would get even worse when a larger part of the new recruits every year would be admitted to the inner sect. It would need a lot of good arguments or an overwhelming majority of other Elders to be in favor of this to make any of them reconsider their position. It really was crucial with whom the Grandmaster talked first.

Zhangsun Xun Yi approached Elder Wang's Palace and called out. "Elder Wang, I came to discuss some matters. Would you have the time to receive me now?"

Inside the Palace, Elder Wang jerked out of his meditation and almost fell to the ground. Had he really heard that just now? Grandmaster Zhangsun was standing in front of his door and wanted to talk? About official matters no less?

He jumped up and ran to the door, stumbling over his feet in the process. He yanked the door open and hastily adjusted his robe, giving an awkward smile. "Grandmaster Zhangsun, what a surprise! Naturally, we can talk about this matter now. Why don't you come inside first?" He motioned at the room behind him and stepped to the side to make way for the Grandmaster.

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded wordlessly and entered, walking up to one of the chairs and sitting down. He waited for Elder Wang to close the door and got right to the point. "Our Yun Zou Sect isn't in a favorable position right now and I'm also getting advanced in years."

Elder Wang's brows twitched. Even though it was true that the Grandmaster wasn't young anymore, he didn't look that way at all. If he put on the robe of an inner sect disciple and followed them to one of the Gatherings of the Practitioners, he would likely be mistaken for a disciple himself. The Elder didn't dare to speak his true thoughts though. Instead, he cleared his throat and motioned at the tea set standing to the side. "Would the Grandmaster like a cup of tea?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded. Even though Elder Wang had two disciples that had been taken in from the outer sect, he wouldn't be in favor of the idea immediately. Who knew how long it would take to convince him?

Elder Wang poured two cups of tea before he leaned back and looked up at the Grandmaster again. "What the Grandmaster said before … Your meaning is …?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi picked up his teacup as if what he had to say was nothing out of the ordinary. "I won't be able to stay in the human realm indefinitely. The time for my ascension is drawing near. Unfortunately, the Yun Zou Sect is in no shape for me to leave." He stopped talking and sipped his tea to give the Elder some time to digest the information.

Elder Wang couldn't help but stare at him in a daze. The Grandmaster had always been the backbone of the Yun Zou Sect. Without him, the sect would never have been able to rank among the first-tier sects. And now when they had trouble keeping their spot even with him still there, he decided that he wanted to leave? This would be a disaster for the Yun Zou Sect!

Elder Wang cleared his throat. "Is it really necessary to leave now?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi put down the cup. "If I don't leave now, then when will I leave? There is no guarantee that our situation will turn around anytime soon. Maybe it never will. The only thing I can do for the Yun Zou Sect is to help it get as strong as it possibly can be without me. I am hoping for the Elder's cooperation in this."

Elder Wang sighed. He also knew that the Grandmaster was right. They couldn't expect him to postpone his ascension forever and hold a protecting hand over them. "Grandmaster Zhangsun has done a lot for our Yun Zou Sect. Everyone appreciates your effort. Without you, our future might have looked bleak long ago. Whatever it is the Grandmaster wants to do you have my full cooperation."

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded curtly. "I thank Elder Wang for your trust. You should still listen to my ideas first. This is something I have discussed was the Sect Master at length but we wouldn't be comfortable with making a final decision without taking the Elders' thoughts into consideration."

Elder Wang nodded solemnly. It seemed whatever the Grandmaster and Sect Master had come up with, it would have far-reaching consequences for their Yun Zou Sect.