At the peak of the Yudao Peak.
In the hall where Sect Master Mu Yinghua handled daily secular affairs, a magical projection mirror hung in front of her, surrounded by several trusted elders.
The mirror displayed the scene of Qing Muling talking with his senior sisters, with two hundred specially selected inner disciples also present.
“Qing Muling does have good judgment.”
Mu Yinghua expressed her satisfaction. With her cultivation as the Supreme Sect Master, she felt pleased when she scrutinized these newly promoted disciples. It was evident how talented Qing Muling was.
A beautiful woman beside her smiled and said, “The addition of a thousand core disciples to the sect is indeed a good thing. It’s a grand occasion that hasn’t happened in many years! And among the eight hundred publicly selected disciples, we can at least get over a hundred. Along with the two hundred chosen by Qing Muling, it’s a considerable influx of new blood.”
Considering the matter from Mu Yinghua’s perspective, they naturally felt that the stronger the influence of the sect, the better. The remaining new disciples would be divided among dozens of smaller factions, each receiving a limited number, unable to compare with the influence of the sect.
Mu Yinghua nodded slightly and looked at Qing Muling in the projection mirror, then pondered, “This fellow has put in a lot of effort this time and deserves some rewards. How about this, among the three hundred disciples we’ve arranged, you go and select the ten with the most outstanding aptitude and assign them to serve as his personal attendants.”
The beautiful woman looked slightly surprised, “Will Xuebing Xuan and the others have objections?”
The senior members of the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace were well aware of the intended candidates for Qing Muling’s Dao companion. However, it was not yet time to finalize the decision, so many elders were still hoping to use various means to secure opportunities for their outstanding disciples or descendants.
But Xuebing Xuan and Luo Huan were guarding against this, ensuring Qing Muling’s safety. Except for the five of them, no one else could approach him, and no one’s face would be of any use.
Mu Yinghua snorted, “Those girls are really possessive of Qing Muling, aren’t they? Do they really think of Qing Muling as their private property? As the direct disciple of the Sect Master, he can’t even have a maid or attendant by his side? What kind of talk is that? If this gets out, people will think that I’m mistreating him.”
“That’s true,” the beautiful woman nodded, “I’ll go make the arrangements and also give those girls a warning. Qing Muling’s growth is related to the future of the sect, and they can’t act recklessly.”
She felt that she understood the Sect Master’s intentions. It was a way to tell the elders of other factions that Qing Muling already had enough people around him, so they should give up on their ideas.
Another purpose was to attract the attention of certain spies. In order to plot against Qing Muling, they would likely focus on these attendants. With careful planning, they might be able to catch some big fish that had long been lurking in the sect.
Not long after, when Qing Muling returned to the back mountain of the Yudao Peak, he found that his courtyard had ten beautiful young women, all dressed in cool palace attire. When they saw him, they immediately bowed respectfully.
“Elder Lan, what is this…”
Qing Muling looked at the smiling beauty on the side in confusion. He recognized her as one of Mu Yinghua’s trusted aides. Could this be the Sect Master’s intention?
The beautiful woman explained with a smile, and after some thought, Qing Muling agreed.
In the past, apart from the lifelike puppet dolls in Qing Muling’s courtyard, there was not a single living being. Although his senior sisters often came to visit and practice with him, at this stage, it was impossible for them to live together, and the Sect Master would not agree to it.
So these new attendants were the first batch of people under Qing Muling’s command. As long as he was willing, they could become his core team in the future.
Before Elder Lan left, a puppet doll came in with a name card and reported that an outsider had come to visit, and they had obtained the Sect Master’s permission.
“Special Envoy of the Dao Court? Tang Ruoxuan?”
Qing Muling’s expression changed slightly. Although they had not met, his senior sisters had mentioned this person a few days ago. With an extraordinary family background and outstanding talent, he was one of the rising stars of the Dao Court.
After weighing it for a while, Qing Muling signaled to the attendants to welcome the visitor to the reception hall and informed his senior sisters to come and watch over him.
It was hard to say whether the visitor was a friend or foe, so it was best to be cautious.
Before long, four silent streaks of light descended from the sky, revealing the figures of Xuebing Xuan and three other senior sisters. Luo Huan was out on an errand and had not returned.
“Junior Brother, just go ahead and listen to what he has to say.”
Xuebing Xuan touched Qing Muling’s face and spoke gently.
Although she was somewhat dissatisfied with the Sect Master’s arrangements, the fact that Qing Muling immediately informed them when something came up showed that she held an important place in his heart.
Qing Muling agreed, and after the four senior sisters disappeared, he went to the reception hall.
A man in his thirties, dressed in a purple robe, sat leisurely in the hall. With fair skin, long flowing beard, and handsome features, he exuded a warm and friendly aura that made people feel good upon seeing him.
Seeing Qing Muling enter, Tang Ruoxuan stood up calmly and smiled slightly, “Qing Junior Brother, it’s not easy to meet you in person, given your reputation.”
Qing Muling nodded, “Tang Senior Brother, no need for formalities. Please, have a seat and let’s talk.”
Compared to the last time he met with Ji Yunfeng, this Dao Court envoy didn’t seem too bad in Qing Muling’s eyes. The 17th Prince was too focused on his own interests and had ill intentions from the start, so he naturally didn’t like him.
“Qing Junior Brother is indeed a person of great destiny, no wonder so many major forces are eyeing you.”
After sitting down again, Tang Ruoxuan spoke casually.Qin Muling’s eyes flickered slightly: “Brother Tang, what have you learned?”
Tang Ruoxuan chuckled: “Hehe, the price on Brother Qin’s head isn’t cheap these days. Someone from the Calamity Fate Palace has already offered the price of two postnatal Spirit Treasures on the black market. No matter who it is, as long as they can bring you alive to her, the reward can be claimed!”
Qin Muling frowned and remained silent. Postnatal Spirit Treasures were not common goods. Even the core elders of the old Supreme Dao Lineages couldn’t afford to equip each of their members with one. To offer such an exaggerated bounty for a junior disciple with such low cultivation like himself, it was hard to tell if that person was foolishly rich or had truly learned of some of his secrets.
“And that’s just your current worth.”
Tang Ruoxuan continued: “In the future, as your cultivation improves, I believe the bounty on you will only increase. By then, even with the protection of our sect, I wonder how Brother Qin will manage?”
“……”