Chapter 684: Not Every Hall Needs a Supervising Elder

The Construction Master left peacefully.

...

Xu Heng packed up his belongings and stepped out of the Hall of Construction. He stood at the entrance with a bucket in hand, feeling as though he were in a dream.

I've served as the Construction Master for over twenty years, and now I'm dismissed just like that? I'm not even sixty-five yet!

he fumed inwardly.

His gaze shifted to Chu Liang, who was standing nearby with a bright smile. A wave of shame and anger welled up within him. "What lies did you tell the sect leader about me?"

"I simply shared a few minor proposals for the sect's development," Chu Liang replied with a casual shrug.

Just moments earlier, Chu Liang had stepped into the Boundless Palace, standing directly before Venerable Wen Yuan. Except for the Four Guardian Elders of Mount Shu, ordinary peak masters and elders had to have their arrival announced and wait outside to be informed whether Venerable Wen Yuan was available to see them.

Chu Liang was the sole exception. Venerable Wen Yuan had issued strict orders: whenever Chu Liang arrived, he was to be brought directly to him without delay.

As the sect leader, Venerable Wen Yuan understood better than anyone the immense value a disciple like Chu Liang brought to the sect. The most noticeable impact was the significant increase in talented individuals among the latest generation of disciples joining the Mount Shu Sect.

Chu Liang might not have been able to provide a legendary artifact, but he had single-handedly resolved most of the problems that had placed the Mount Shu Sect at a disadvantage when compared to the other sects in the Divine Nine. What made his accomplishments even more extraordinary was that he had achieved them all as a teenager. Who could predict the heights he might reach in the future once he grew into a real powerful top-tier cultivator?

Venerable Wen Yuan was filled with anticipation to find out the answer to that question. As such, he willingly granted Chu Liang any privilege within his power.

And Chu Liang wouldn't come to the Boundless Palace without reason. This time, he presented Venerable Wen Yuan with thoughts inspired by the tragedy at the Buddhist Cloud Monastery. He described the fragile foundation of Mount Shu Sect's current prosperity, pointing out a glaring contradiction: the ever-increasing value of Red Cotton Peak versus its defenses, which could crumble under a single decisive strike. From this, he proposed the comprehensive Red Cotton Peak Renovation Plan.

Chu Liang even set up a stand and hung a stack of meticulously drawn plans on it. Each page detailed his ideas and supporting data, which he removed one by one as he outlined his vision.

"In one year, Red Cotton Peak will be completely transformed! In two years, Mount Shu will become an impenetrable fortress! And in three years, the entire world of immortal cultivation will be living in houses we built!" Chu Liang declared with fervor, his finger tracing the final part of his proposal. "Just think of it—thousands of houses, each bringing us immense profit! Sect Leader Venerable, Red Cotton Peak must be renovated urgently!"

The renovation of the Red Cotton Peak was now intricately linked to the bright and prosperous future of Mount Shu.

Venerable Wen Yuan listened in a daze. He couldn't help but wonder,

What is this boy's head made of? Why does he always have so many peculiar ideas?

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "What kind of support do you need from the sect?"

"The Hall of Construction," Chu Liang answered without a hint of hesitation. "This project will require significant effort from the Hall of Construction, and I want to be in charge."

"That's not a problem," Venerable Wen Yuan said, waving his hand with the writing brush in it. "I'll appoint you as the Head Attendant of the Hall of Construction. From now on, you will oversee all matters within the Construction Hall, and the Construction Master will be required to fully cooperate with you."

The Hall of Construction was originally tasked with tedious and laborious work and wasn’t important to Mount Shu. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent someone as unremarkable in qualifications and cultivation as Xu Heng to oversee it. Since Chu Liang had ideas, it was better to let him take charge.

"Thank you, Sect Leader Venerable!" Chu Liang quickly expressed his gratitude, but then hesitated for a moment before cautiously adding, "Actually, I feel that the Hall of Construction doesn't necessarily need a supervising elder..."

If an ordinary disciple had dared to say such a thing, it would have been met with an eye roll. But coming from Chu Liang, Venerable Wen Yuan paused to give the suggestion serious thought.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Then he nodded. "Indeed."

...

"Hmph!" The Construction Master flung his sleeves as he stormed off, muttering angrily under his breath, "The Hall of Construction is full of my people. Let's see how you manage."

When Chu Liang stepped into the hall, he was met by five of his senior brothers covered in dust, standing in a neat row.

Though they stood in formation, their gazes toward Chu Liang were far from friendly. After all, the Hall of Construction's attendants had all been brought up by Xu Heng, and now that he had been ousted by Chu Liang, it was inevitable that they would be hostile.

Chu Liang, however, didn't mind at all. With a cheerful smile, he said, "From now on, I'll be relying on all of you. Please introduce yourselves so I can get to know you better."

Although the group was visibly displeased, Chu Liang's authority over the Hall of Construction had been decreed by the Sect Leader himself. They dared not openly defy Chu Liang, though they still felt somewhat gloomy.

The first person lazily said, "I'm Li Wanda."

The second, bearing a striking resemblance to the first, added, "I'm his younger brother, Li Wanke."

"Fang Zhonghai," the third mumbled. His introduction was even more casual.

"I'm Chen Baoli," said the fourth.

"Bi Guiyuan," said the fifth just as succinctly.

The five men, covered entirely in dust and dirt, were distinguishable only by their varying heights and builds.

After hearing their introductions, Chu Liang couldn't help but chuckle, then turned to them with a bright smile. "Alright, Senior Brothers. I didn't bring any gifts today, but from now on, the Hall of Construction's base monthly stipend will be tripled. For every building we construct, you'll get an additional ten percent cut of the revenue—provided the quality meets the standards, of course.

"And if we make enough profit this year, there will be year-end bonuses proportional to the earnings. I can't promise much, but I can guarantee that hard work in the Hall of Construction will always be rewarded.

"It's okay if you don't accept me now, as long as—"

Chu Liang turned back, only to stop mid-sentence.

Before him now stood five men, their faces radiant and glowing, smiles brimming with joy. Their eyes shone with hope and admiration.

Bi Guiyuan grabbed Chu Liang's hand firmly. "Junior Brother Chu, anyone who dares make your life difficult in this Hall of Construction will be going against me!!"

"It would be against all of us!" the other four shouted in unison.

"I knew it..." Chu Liang said, a touch of emotion in his voice as he nodded. "There are still so many good people on Mount Shu."

He led them into the private chamber and had them sit down before taking out the handful of Earth Mother Sand and showing it to them.

He then explained, "I plan to invite Formation Sage Dong Futu to design the enchanted formation inscription and integrate this Earth Mother Sand into the building materials so that the enchanted formation inscription can display the best effect possible. Senior Brothers, I'd like your help in designing the building structures to ensure we achieve the best possible result."

"Earth Mother Sand? Formation Sage Dong Futu?"

The group listened to Chu Liang's words and felt utterly astonished. It seemed as if this young man had elevated their entire level to a whole new dimension the moment he arrived.

They couldn't help but think,

Is this really something we can accomplish?

Seeing their hesitant expressions, Chu Liang encouraged, "Senior Brothers, I believe you are the best construction experts in the world. You've got this!"

Li Wanda clasped his fists and said earnestly, "We've wandered through life without ever having a true leader... Junior Brother Chu, if you don't cast us aside..."

"No need for such words of gratitude..." Chu Liang quickly stood up, waving his hand. "Just focus on drafting a plan for me, Senior Brothers. I'll handle the rest later."

...

After returning to Silver Sword Peak, Chu Liang tidied up and prepared to head to the capital of Yu to see Dong Futu.

Although Chu Liang had met Formation Sage Dong Futu before, they weren't particularly close. However, Xu Hongqiu, one of Dong Futu's disciples, was a close friend of Chu Liang's. Dong Futu had even taught Wen Yulong formations for a time, so their bond was quite strong.

For this visit to Dong Futu, Chu Liang planned to bring Wen Yulong along, but he figured that as long as enough compensation was given, there wouldn't be any issue.

Recently, he had spent too much money, mostly due to the steep cost of purchasing the Demon-Slaying Sword. Even as the wealthiest disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, this purchase had nearly emptied his wallet. However, the price he paid was well worth it.

He took out the Demon-Slaying Sword and gently polished its sharp edge. As he did, he felt an abyssal aura of power emanating from it. With this sword in hand, surely even the flowers and grass on Silver Sword Peak would not dare to meet his gaze.

Just as he was about to set out to find Wen Yulong, he suddenly heard a cry outside. "

Kaw~

"

A white crane flew down.

It turned out to be this month's issue of

The Seven Stars Gazette

.

After six years, the format of

The Seven Stars Gazette

had changed. When Chu Liang opened it up to the first page, he found a simple table of contents, listing several eye-catching headlines.

For example, the first headline read:

Dhyana Master Dayu Calms the South Sea on a Lotus as Two Demons Attack the Buddhist Cloud Monastery From Both Front and Rear.

The second headline was:

Mount Mang Rebels Raid Wu'an City, But What Made Them Cross a Thousand Li?

Seeing these headlines, Chu Liang wanted to laugh, thinking how the gazette had become more like a tabloid over the years.

Then suddenly, his smile disappeared.

The third headline read:

The Return of the Young Hero with the Divine Whip: A Display of Wealth at the Heavenly Peak Banquet.