Chapter 200: Chapter 18: Fighting Alongside Madam Ye

Ye Huang led a group of Elders out of Cangshan Hall. They hadn’t gone far when one of them couldn’t hold back any longer. "Third Uncle," he said, "that Cai Li is the Vice Hall Master of the Yinluo Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall. Her Sword Technique is extraordinary, and she also possesses Late-stage Life Talisman Cultivation. If Fang Cheng gets her to act, I’m afraid Jiachen Island will be lost to us."

Without a word, Ye Huang halted his Escape Light and stood poised in the empty air, gazing toward the distant Yinluo Island. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The others all stopped as well.

The question that Elder had just voiced was on everyone’s mind.

A Spirit Stone Deposit concerned the vital interests of every single one of them.

After a long silence, Ye Huang said, "This is a ploy by that scoundrel Fang Cheng to unsettle us. Whether he can actually persuade Cai Li is another matter entirely. Pay him no mind for now. Let’s just wait and see what he’s capable of."

The group nodded, saying nothing more.

A moment later, the group parted ways. Ye Huang stopped Ye Junxian and sent a voice transmission: "Go and inform the Mad Daoist. Tell him to be wary of Fang Cheng finding an expert to counterattack, and to make preparations ahead of time."

"I understand," Ye Junxian said with a nod. She then summoned the Bridge of Helplessness, her form turning ethereal as she traversed the void and departed.

Ye Huang turned to look at Cangshan Hall, his brow furrowed slightly. With a wave of his great sleeve, he too left.

「Inside Cangshan Hall.」

The Grand Elder looked at Fang Cheng and said in a grave voice, "Hiring the Vice Hall Master of the Yinluo Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall to deal with a Late-stage Life Talisman Loose Cultivator... that’s no simple matter. Fang Cheng, just now, were you just trying to frighten Ye Huang? Were you bluffing?"

Fang Cheng chuckled and admitted freely, "The Grand Elder’s perception is as sharp as ever. What I said earlier was merely a joke. I will return to Demon Lion Peak later to ask my First Senior Sister for help."

The Grand Elder opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped.

He desperately wanted to ask, ’What if Cai Li refuses?’

Madam Ye turned to her son-in-law. "If Fellow Daoist Cai is willing to force the Mad Daoist’s retreat, I will offer her twenty percent of the Spiritual Ore’s profits as a token of my gratitude. If she can kill the Mad Daoist, I am willing to offer fifty percent."

When asking for a favor, personal connections alone were not enough; they had to be backed by tangible benefits!

An offer of over two hundred thousand Spirit Stones a year was certainly no small sum, even for a Late-stage Life Talisman Cultivator.

Unfortunately, Late-stage Life Talisman Cultivators were exceedingly rare in the Abyssal Marsh. Furthermore, few Cultivators would be willing to offend a peer of the same cultivation level for some Spirit Stones.

And that was why personal connections were so crucial.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng couldn’t help but remark, "If the Mad Daoist really went to Jiachen Island at Ye Huang’s behest, then the cost of this internal family conflict is truly quite high."

Madam Ye smiled faintly but said nothing.

The Grand Elder and Ye Yu exchanged a look, each seeing the helplessness in the other’s eyes. With the Grand Elder’s life drawing to a close, both Ye Huang and Madam Ye had grown accustomed to making decisions unilaterally.

Internal strife within a family was a tale as old as time. Though everyone understood the disadvantages, once caught in the maelstrom, they often made choices as if they had no other option.

It was just as Madam Ye herself had once said: if Ye Huang were to take control of the Ye Family in the future, she would be the first to be marginalized and consumed.

And vice versa.

The only alternative was to leave the Ye Family and abandon everything they had struggled for years to build.

Fang Cheng met Madam Ye’s clear gaze and said, "Leave this to me. If my First Senior Sister doesn’t agree, we will find another way. The bottom line is, we cannot let Ye Huang take Jiachen Island."

Madam Ye nodded and said gently, "Then I shall be relying on you, my dear son-in-law."

Fang Cheng smiled. "The Ye Family has shown me great kindness. It is only right that I do my humble part to repay it."

...

Fang Cheng returned to Demon Lion Peak. After thinking it over, he decided to first pay a visit to his Second Senior Brother, Huang Shen, to get a better sense of the situation.

’After all, First Senior Sister is the Vice Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall. With such an important position, it’s uncertain if she can even leave her post at will.’

’It would be embarrassing to go ask for a favor without knowing this, only to be turned down.’

Huang Shen was tempering his sword inside his Cave Mansion.

He was quite curious to see Fang Cheng visiting, as their fellow disciples had only just met.

Fang Cheng got straight to the point and explained his reason for coming.

Huang Shen laughed. "You can forget about First Senior Sister for now. She just returned from a trip and is tied up with something. She can’t leave the Law Enforcement Hall at the moment. As for that reward from your Ye Family, how about you let your senior brother here earn it instead?"

Fang Cheng asked, surprised, "Second Senior Brother, do you have a plan to force the Mad Daoist to retreat?"

Huang Shen chuckled. "Not exactly. I have my eye on that fifty percent share of the Spiritual Ore’s profits."

Fang Cheng said admiringly, "Senior Brother, you’re certainly ambitious. The Mad Daoist made his name long ago, and rumor has it he can even fight the Nine Dragon Peak Master to a standstill. It’s impressive that you have the will to slay him."

Huang Shen shook his head. "You’re mistaken, Junior Brother. If the esteemed Nine Dragon Peak Master truly wanted him dead, do you think the Mad Daoist would still be alive? He’s just a Loose Cultivator. So what if his Cultivation is a little deep? That’s all there is to him."

Fang Cheng’s expression grew serious. "Senior Brother," he said gravely, "this is a serious matter. If anything were to go wrong..."

Huang Shen waved a dismissive hand. "It’s fine. The Nine Dragon Peak Master and I are on excellent terms. I know the whole story behind his battle with the Mad Daoist, so I’m well aware of the man’s true capabilities. Don’t worry."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said to Fang Cheng, "He and I are both regulars at Miaoxiang Tower. On the whole of Yinluo Island, we’re the two who visit most frequently, so we’re on pretty good terms."

Fang Cheng’s expression showed his sudden understanding.

’So that was the connection between Second Senior Brother and the Nine Dragon Peak Master.’

’I’d long heard that one of the Yinluo Sect’s Peak Masters had a habit of staying overnight at Miaoxiang Tower. I just never imagined it would be the Nine Dragon Peak Master.’

Nine Dragon Peak was responsible for managing all of the Yinluo Sect’s Outer Elders and overseeing the general affairs of the Abyssal Marsh. This included handling all liaison, reception, and exchange matters with other sects and prominent families from within Yun Country and beyond.

The Cultivators of this peak tended to be well-connected and socially adept. They were often active abroad, traveling the world, and very few actually remained on Nine Dragon Peak to focus on their cultivation.