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."

Though many of the Taiqing disciples showed the sect master due respect, they were inwardly ambivalent about him. They rarely saw him except during important occasions in the sect. On the other hand, Xiao Nanfeng had grown alongside them, given them lectures on cultivation, protected them when the entire sect was in danger, and even waged war alongside them.

They certainly valued and respected Xiao Nanfeng more than their sect master.

Lu Yan ignored the ordinary disciples and headed straight toward the peak of a mountain, where Taiqing Hall was situated.

There, Xiao Nanfeng and a group of cultivators were awaiting him.

When Lu Yan alighted there, Xiao Nanfeng stepped forward to greet him. "We welcome the sect master."

"We welcome the sect master!" everyone else chorused, bowing.

"Haha, Xiao Nanfeng, you've done very well. I heard about the situation in Hongyue. You've played an incredible role in seeking revenge for Taiqing." Lu Yan smiled.

Zhao Yuanjiao and the others glanced at their sect master thoughtfully. In the past, they would have believed him magnanimous for granting such accolades to others in the sect. Now, they were belatedly discovering what a phony he was.

When the sect needed him most, he was nowhere to be seen; only when everything was settled would he show up and praise them for what they had done, as if his leadership had been instrumental to their success.

If Zhao Yuanjiao and the others had had any doubts about Xiao Nanfeng's suggestion, they were all dispelled by now.

"Please follow me, Sect Master," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Lu Yan nodded. His subordinates and Mr. Bai followed him into Taiqing Hall.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced curiously at these ordinary-looking cultivators, but he ignored them in favor of Lu Yan. He had bigger fish to fry.

The cultivators all headed into the hall. Lu Yan naturally took the seat of sect master, while his guests were seated in seats of honor.

Once everyone had settled in, Xiao Nanfeng began, "Sect Master, I know that my senior brother sent you a letter about our campaign to take revenge on Hongyue long before it began. Why have you not shown yourself until now?"

Lu Yan blinked in surprise. He knew that Xiao Nanfeng would take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble for him, but he hadn't expected him to do so this early. He paused for a moment. "I was waylaid by important sect business that I was forced to handle. I had been intending to rush over right away, not having expected all of you to deal with Hongyue so quickly. Xiao Nanfeng, you have exceptional ability."

Xiao Nanfeng ignored Lu Yan's praise. "Sect Master, I once asked you whether you had been making preparations to deal with Hongyue all along. You nodded firmly in response to my question, and I believed that you had infiltrated Hongyue. However, I was mistaken. Might I ask what exactly you've been busy with? What's so important that it trumps even Taiqing's revenge on Hongyue?"

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. "What are you implying, Xiao Nanfeng?"

Xiao Nanfeng smiled." Sect Master, you're a guardian of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, aren't you?"

"What? What did you say?" Lu Yan narrowed his eyes.

"All this can be explained only if the sect master is a guardian of the sect. Lou Yujing has been spying on the Taiqing Immortal Sect all along, and he's been trying to fish out whatever sect guardians remain. That's why you haven't been in the Taiqing Immortal Sect at all, Sect Master—you're worried that Lou Yujing would uncover your identity."

"Xiao Nanfeng, do you doubt my authority? Don't forget that I was the one who put you in your position. Without my permission, you wouldn't have been able to become the division leader that you are today," Lu Yan said coldly.

Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath. "I became the Mortal, then Earth, then Heaven division leaders naturally as a matter of circumstance. You didn't raise an objection because you didn't dare to: you were worried that you would reveal yourself and have Lou Yujing uncover your true identity."

"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.