Chapter 783: Renounce Your Position

Chapter 783: Renounce Your Position

Above a stretch of the sea, the sect master of Taiqing, Lu Yan, was quickly flying toward Taiqing Island with a group of white-robed subordinates. In the lead beside him was a plain, ordinary-looking man.

"Mr. Bai? How did you know I was heading back to Taiqing Island?" Lu Yan asked the man beside him.

"If you don't return, you'll all be giving up your position as sect master," Mr. Bai replied.

"Oh? Do you know much about the internal workings of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, then?" Lu Yan frowned.

"Don't worry. We've been allies for many years, and I'd hardly make your life difficult now. I intend to assassinate Xiao Nanfeng. I just need you to cooperate."

"Do you think you should be telling me about a plan to assassinate one of the high-ranking cultivators of my sect?" Lu Yan demanded.

Mr. Bai sniffed in disdain. "You don't have to pretend. Don't you want to kill Xiao Nanfeng yourself? While he's alive, the Taiqing Immortal Sect will listen only to him. You've ignored sect affairs for many years. Though you might still be the sect master in name, you have essentially no authority left."

"Hm?" Lu Yan frowned.

"Don't you think I know that you're a guardian of the Taiqing Immortal Sect? You don't dare do much in the sect because you're afraid that Lou Yujing would discover your identity. Now that he's dead, you have nothing to worry about. You intend to maintain control over the Taiqing Immortal Sect from now on, don't you? Xiao Nanfeng might be summoning you to hold you accountable for your actions—or rather your lack thereof. But you want to kill him too. You're worried that he'll be the next Lou Yujing. That's why you've permitted me to join you, isn't it?" Mr. Bai smiled.

Lu Yan frowned. "As for Snowborne—you've accepted another mission to assassinate Xiao Nanfeng, haven't you?"

Mr. Bai nodded. "Otherwise, I have no intention of crossing Xiao Nanfeng. He's no easy foe."

"I recall you not batting an eye even when assigned to assassinate a Boundless Immortal. Is Xiao Nanfeng that troublesome?"

"Boundless Immortals aren't easy to kill. I only succeeded the once, and only because that Boundless Immortal was badly wounded. Xiao Nanfeng might be nothing more than a True Immortal, but look what he's managed to do all these years. Not only that, he just finished off Lou Yujing. Even if he made use of the Loss Diagram to do so, it's incredible."

"You're aware of the Loss Diagram?" Lu Yan exclaimed.

Mr. Bai glanced askance at Lu Yan. "You guardians might know a lot about the Taiqing Grandmaster, but Snowborne has its means, too."

"That's true. Snowborne's a large-scale group of assassins. It'd be stranger if you couldn't discover that much." Lu Yan nodded.

"It's rare for Xiao Nanfeng to return to Taiqing Island, so I'll have to rely on this visit. Conveniently, you have to deal with him as well. We'll kill him together and allow you to regain control of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, while I get to complete my mission."

Lu Yan considered the proposal. "You'll owe me a favor, then."

"Of course."

"Very well." Lu Yan smiled. "Let's go, then!"

He quickly arrived on Taiqing Island.

When the disciples saw him return, they immediately bowed. "We greet the sect master."

"Insolence!" Lu Yan shouted, getting to his feet.

"Even if you're a sect guardian, I don't mean you any ill will just because of that. After all, you're our sect master, and you haven't done anything against the Taiqing Immortal Sect or against me all these years. However, if you intend to rear Taiqing disciples like livestock—I won't stand for it."

"Do you know what you're talking about?!" Lu Yan demanded.

"I don't bear you ill will, Sect Master. I've sent for you on behalf of the vast majority of the sect's disciples. I'd like to ask you to cede your position as sect master. The Taiqing Immortal Sect doesn't need someone who intends to prey on its disciples," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"You!" Lu Yan exclaimed.

He didn't expect that Xiao Nanfeng would be so direct.

As the Heaven division leader Xiao Nanfeng made his stance clear, the other three division leaders stood up as well.

"Sect Master, please renounce your position," Chang Bing, Zhao Yuanjiao, and Ye Dafu said. They bowed.

Lu Yan: ...

All four division leaders were against him now. What was he to do?

"Xiao Nanfeng, are you forcing my hand?" Lu Yan demanded.

Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath. "Sect Master, if you renounce your position now, we can leave the matter at that. None beyond this hall will learn of what transpired here."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then we'll remove you by force."

"Insolence!" Lu Yan thundered.

"Why go to this extent, Sect Master? The laws of Taiqing state that the four division leaders together can depose the sect master, and the disciples of the four divisions are under our control. Your position might as well be in name only. Why not cede your position voluntarily?" Xiao Nanfeng advised.

Zhao Yuanjiao and the others nodded in agreement.

Lu Yan frowned. Give up on the Taiqing Immortal Sect? How could he? He might easily have agreed a decade ago when it was at its weakest, but it had since grown far stronger! Why would he cede his position?

Lu Yan glanced at Mr. Bai, who waved a hand and caused the doors of Taiqing Hall to creak shut.

The cultivators in the hall frowned. Zhao Yuanjiao and the others hadn't expected Lu Yan to muster last-ditch resistance against them.

Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath. "Sect Master, it looks like you came prepared for this eventuality."

The cultivators formed ranks. On one side was Xiao Nanfeng, the division leaders, and their associates; on the other, Lu Yan, Mr. Bai, and their subordinates. A clash seemed imminent.